After all, those were four Devil Fruits he valued greatly.
What worried him was that, although later events had shown that inanimate objects could be given Devil Fruit powers, those cases relied on special technologies.
Now, whether these four robots could actually gain Devil Fruit abilities after eating them was something he genuinely feared.
If the answer was no, that would mean four Devil Fruits had gone to waste.
Even with his usual generosity, that would still leave him feeling conflicted and sore for quite a while.
What Yemu didn't expect, however, was that after hearing his question, the four robots looked at him strangely and asked in confusion,
"Uh… boss, what do you mean by 'abilities'? Are those Devil Fruits something special?"
That answer caught Yemu off guard.
"You don't know about Devil Fruits?"
All four robots shook their heads at the same time.
"S-Sorry… we really haven't heard of them. We just thought those four fruits were valuable."
That plunged Yemu into thought.
That didn't make sense. By their account, Reykjavik should have been a highly advanced nation seven hundred years ago. How could they not know about Devil Fruits? What was the reason?
Since guessing blindly wouldn't lead anywhere, Yemu temporarily put the question aside and continued.
"Then have you felt anything strange about your bodies?"
"Something strange…"
The four robots looked at each other, then began patting and feeling themselves all over, as if checking for anything unusual.
Just then, the blue-and-yellow robot on the far right suddenly let out a scream.
"Ah… big brother, my stomach… my stomach…"
Everyone's attention snapped over. Under their incredulous gazes, a circular ring appeared on the blue-and-yellow robot's belly. With a single slap, it opened like a door, revealing a green space inside.
"Eh?!"
The other three robots jumped in fright.
"Kuromu, a-are you okay…?"
"Your stomach… it opened up…"
"I'm gonna die… I'm gonna die…"
But the blue-and-yellow robot called Kurom seemed perfectly fine. Looking amazed, he tapped the opening on his belly again, closing the hollow. Everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
"Eh?!"
That only left the other three robots even more stunned.
"It… it closed…"
"Is this what the boss meant by Devil Fruit abilities…?"
"Then what ability do I have?"
At this point, Yemu didn't even need to urge them on. The remaining three robots, like children discovering a new toy, began eagerly searching for changes in their own bodies.
The second to reveal an ability was the golden-colored robot.
Pink mist, like smoke, slowly drifted out from his body, and he was able to control it freely.
"Eh… what is this…?"
"Kurota, you can do it too? Then what's my ability supposed to be?"
The one speaking was the sky-blue robot. Seeing two of his brothers display strange powers made him even more impatient.
"Don't rush, Kuroli. You'll definitely have one too."
But the robot called Kuroli didn't listen at all and suddenly swung both arms forcefully.
"Whoosh—"
In an instant, a clearly visible wind blade formed and slashed straight toward Enel.
Enel was split cleanly in two.
"Eh?!"
Kuroli froze on the spot, completely terrified, tears and snot pouring out of his face once again.
"Ki… killing… someone's been killed…"
Enel, however, acted as if nothing had happened. He wiped his nose and asked calmly,
"What kind of ability is this?"
Yemu didn't need a moment to think before replying.
"This is the power of the Kama Kama no Mi. I don't know the exact details, but from the looks of it, it compresses air and turns it into scythe-like slashing attacks."
At that, Erik, standing nearby, lit up.
"That's a born swordsman…"
Hearing this, an idea suddenly took shape in Yemu's mind. He had been wondering how to deal with these four guys anyway. But there was no need to rush…
Now, the only one left was the silver-white robot who had been talking with Yemu all along, presumably their leader.
Yet at this moment, the silver-white robot showed no reaction at all, looking as if it had lost all strength. Its stomach let out a low growl, followed by a weak, listless murmur.
"So… so hungry… I really want to eat something…"
At that point, Yemu understood without needing any further explanation.
But could robots really gain Devil Fruit powers?
Was it because their bodies were built differently, or was the secret of Devil Fruits far more complicated than anyone imagined?
"Alright, all of you, quiet down!"
Yemu shouted loudly.
The four robots, who had been completely absorbed in their newfound abilities like excited children, instantly snapped to attention and returned to their obedient demeanor.
"Yes, boss!"
Seeing this, Yemu felt fairly satisfied. At least for now, these four robots were quite obedient.
He continued straight to the point.
"The abilities you have are what I call Devil Fruit powers. They're superhuman abilities gained by eating Devil Fruits!"
"So that's how it is! That's incredible!"
All four robots were visibly thrilled.
Yemu rolled his eyes at them before going on.
"Of course it is. These fruits are extremely rare on the seas, priceless treasures. I went through a lot of trouble to get them. Now that you've eaten them just like that, how do you plan to compensate me?"
"S-sorry… Whatever you ask, we'll agree to it…"
"Good. Starting today, you'll work off your debt as trainee crew members on our ship. The term will be one hundred years. After a hundred years, I'll give you your freedom."
"Eh… one hundred years?!"
"What, you think that's too short?"
Yemu's expression darkened instantly, sending chills through the four robots. They hurriedly replied,
"N-no… not at all…"
"Good. Then it's settled. Of course, I'm not some cruel merchant. If you do a good job, once we've established ourselves in the New World, I'll take you to your doctor's homeland, and the place I came from as well—Shandora—so you can help fulfill your doctor's dream."
"Eh… really?!"
"Of course!"
"That's great! We'll definitely work hard!"
The four robots were instantly brimming with motivation.
Watching this, the others couldn't help but find the scene rather amusing. They looked like the type who would happily count money after being sold.
Still, with these four robots joining, the ship was bound to become much livelier in the future.
"Alright. Since you've agreed, next I'll assign your specific duties."