"I've never believed in the Marines' so-called justice..."
"Hahaha... Interesting..."
Yemu didn't react with disgust to Gasparde's words. On the contrary, a trace of peculiar admiration flickered in his eyes.
"So then, what do you think of the Celestial Dragons?"
He suddenly asked.
"!!!"
Gasparde froze for a moment, then clenched his jaw and spat out his answer through gritted teeth.
"They're nothing but parasites feeding off the world..."
"Hahahahaha... Interesting. That answer pleases me. So, do your best to stay alive—climb higher. Maybe one day we'll have a chance to work together... Hahaha..."
With that, Yemu paid the Rear Admiral no further attention and turned to walk in another direction.
"I'm alive..."
Gasparde let out a long breath as he watched Yemu walk away, heading toward the corpse of the dead Celestial Dragon.
As for ambushing him—he didn't even dare entertain the thought.
After witnessing the terrifying presence of Yemu's Conqueror's Haki, Gasparde had clearly understood one thing:
They weren't even in the same league.
Monsters like that... weren't they supposed to be in the New World?
Why was he running into one here, on the Grand Line?
He recalled how those two had introduced themselves earlier.
Fresh rookies. New pirates.
"What rotten luck... Why did I have to run into something like this... some lunatic like him... And what did he mean by that? Is he trying to turn me into his spy...?"
If he had been a true believer in the ideals of the Marines, Gasparde might have scoffed at Yemu's words.
But he wasn't.
At this moment, he was already thinking about how to use these two lunatics to survive the fallout from the death of the Celestial Dragon.
All his subordinates were unconscious. None of them had seen what happened afterward. And those four CP9 agents? They probably wouldn't make it out alive.
Which meant... other than that fishman slave, he was the only one on this ship who knew the truth.
Didn't that mean he could twist the story however he wanted?
As long as the fishman slave was dead...
That was the thought—but he quickly abandoned it.
Because he realized Yemu wasn't walking toward the Celestial Dragon's corpse.
He was heading toward the fishman slave...
…
Yemu slowly walked up to the red-skinned fishman, who was sprawled on the ground like a dog. He crouched down in front of him and let out a sigh.
"It really must be fate... I don't remember many fishmen, but I remember you."
"Fisher Tiger..."
That's right—this fishman, currently enslaved by the Celestial Dragons, would one day become the legendary figure who scaled Mary Geoise with his bare hands, freed the slaves, and sparked the infamous Mary Geoise incident.
He was, without a doubt, the most frequently featured fishman in fanfiction.
After all, this was the guy who, in the future, would save the designated waifu of most transmigrators—Empress Boa Hancock.
Though right now, the Empress was probably just a little girl—maybe not even born yet—definitely not a slave.
When Fisher Tiger heard Yemu say his name, there was no joy or relief on his face. Instead, his pupils shrank in fear. He quickly lowered his head, trembling as if terrified of being recognized. He said nothing—no response at all.
Yemu found it odd at first, but something clicked in his mind, and he seemed to understand.
Just like how Hancock refused to admit she had once been a Celestial Dragon's slave, Tiger was even more unwilling.
As one of the most respected figures on Fish-Man Island and a hero to many fishmen, Tiger was deeply ashamed of his past. He kept his history as a slave buried in his heart, only revealing it at the very end of his life.
Yemu didn't press him. Instead, he reached out and placed his hand on the thick slave collar around Tiger's neck.
Unfortunately, his Armament Haki was still only at the intermediate stage. He could coat his body with it for offense and defense, and even project it to a degree—but he hadn't yet mastered Internal Destruction, the highest level.
So, he walked over to the dead Celestial Dragon and began rummaging through the body.
That was when Tiger finally looked up, eyes wide, staring nervously at Yemu as he searched the corpse.
Everything that had just happened felt like a dream to Tiger.
He had seen too much darkness during his time as a slave in Mary Geoise. It was a past he tried never to remember.
And he knew—no one dared defy the Celestial Dragons. They were untouchable, a taboo in this world.
Yet now, one of them lay dead before his eyes.
For a brief moment, the darkness buried deep within his heart cracked, and a sliver of light began to shine through.
But even then, his distrust of humans kept him from responding. He couldn't even manage a simple thank you.
As he struggled with his thoughts, Yemu stood up with a disappointed look.
"Looks like he didn't have the key..."
Tiger blinked in surprise.
"Hey, Enel, stop messing around. Bring those guys over."
"Yeah, yeah..."
At Enel's reply, four bolts of lightning crashed down from the sky, visible to the naked eye. Tiger stared in shock.
The golden-haired youth descended, holding a golden chain. On the other end, the four CP9 members—battered, smoking, and bound together—were violently slammed onto the deck.
Enel, still looking like he wanted more action, walked up to Yemu.
"These guys are weak. When are those 'strong ones' you mentioned showing up?"
"Soon. Don't worry."
"Got it..."
Yemu approached the four CP9 members. Thanks to his earlier instructions, they were still conscious—barely.
"Hey..."
He didn't care about their names. After giving them a few kicks, he asked bluntly,
"The key to the collar—where is it? You've got five seconds. If no one talks... well, that's your problem."
"W-wait... wait..."
He didn't even have to count. The CP9 leader broke down immediately.
"The key's not here—it's in Mary Geoise...!"
"Tch... what a pain."
Disappointment flashed across Yemu's face. He glanced at Enel.
Enel nodded. Lightning crackled around his body, surging into the golden chain.
In an instant, the four CP9 agents were electrocuted into unconsciousness, smoke rising from their bodies.
Only then did Yemu turn back to Fisher Tiger.
"Looks like we don't have a choice. Now it's up to you—want to take a gamble? Will I break that collar before it explodes... or do you blow up with it?"