"Captain Yemu, you're too kind. If there's anything you need, just say the word. As long as it's within my power, I'll help."
They had only just met and hadn't spoken much, yet Tom could already feel it clearly. Throughout the entire Sky Pirates crew, there was a deep sense of respect and trust toward Tiger.
And Captain Yemu in particular. Beneath his words was a quiet sense of equality, as if in his eyes there was no difference at all between humans and fishmen.
The swordsman named Erik and the young girl Ayala didn't say much. Tom didn't know what they had been through, but the gratitude in their eyes toward Tiger was unmistakable.
As for the vice-captain, Enel, he looked proud and aloof, the type who didn't talk much. Still, for someone like Baby-5 to rely on him so completely, he couldn't possibly be a bad person.
All of this filled Tom with sincere relief. He felt genuinely glad that his younger brother had found such a good captain and such trustworthy companions.
After all, back in Water 7, it had taken Tom more than ten years of hard work to earn that kind of recognition.
"Here's the thing," Yemu said. "We may be staying here for a month or two."
Now that Morgans had confirmed the Marines and the World Government wouldn't be making any major moves against them in the near future, Yemu adjusted his plans accordingly. There was no longer any need to rush into the New World.
"First, it'll give Tiger time to properly catch up with all of you. Second, everyone needs a period to calm down and train. At their current level, they're not ready for the New World yet. As for the third reason…"
Yemu pointed toward Kuromi, who was sitting beside Baby-5. Only after everyone's attention shifted did he continue.
"His name is Kuromi. He's one of our trainee crew members, and the eldest among these four. He's also a user of the Baku Baku no Mi. His ability is quite interesting. He can fuse whatever he eats with his own body and even create entirely new things in the process."
"What a strange ability!!!"
Iceburg and Little Franky stared at him, their eyes filled with shock.
Tom felt as though he had grasped something important, yet he couldn't quite put it into words. Thankfully, Yemu didn't keep him waiting long.
"So I had an idea," Yemu said. "I want to use Kuromi's ability to try and create a metal that doesn't exist in this world."
In an instant, a spark of inspiration ignited in Tom's mind.
As the world's foremost shipbuilder, his sensitivity to technology allowed him to immediately sense what Yemu was aiming for.
"Captain Yemu, the metal you're talking about is…"
"Unfortunately, I'm not a professional," Yemu admitted. "I don't actually know what this metal should look like in concrete terms."
That was exactly what had been troubling him. But now, it finally seemed solvable.
"I do have a few ideas, though. First, this metal should be able to store or absorb energy. Second, it needs memory properties. Simply put, even after being damaged, it should be able to repair itself through that memory. Third, it must have exceptional hardness while still retaining enough ductility to be shaped into different forms. Fourth, if possible, it would be even better if it could integrate with living organisms. And finally, if it can inherit other outstanding properties found in existing metals, that would be ideal as well. For now, that's everything…"
Yemu spoke as if it were simple, but to Tom and Iceburg, it sounded almost like a fantasy.
"Could a metal like that really exist!?"
"This would be the perfect material!!!"
"I don't know if it exists or not," Yemu said calmly. "But I'm willing to try. Kuromi's Baku Baku no Mi can turn many impossibilities into possibilities. I'm not asking for everything to succeed. Even achieving a single breakthrough would already be an incredible accomplishment, one that could have an unimaginable impact on this world."
As he spoke, Yemu glanced at Tom.
"But like I said earlier, I'm not a specialist. I don't understand metals or materials at all. You're different, Tom-san. As the world's greatest shipbuilder, you should know far more about this than I do. With your help, I can avoid countless wrong turns. So during our stay here, I hope to have your support in creating this metal. I believe that with you, and…"
Yemu let his words trail off as he turned his gaze toward Tom's two apprentices.
"Your two apprentices, Iceburg and Franky. I'm confident this metal can be created. The only question is whether Tom-san would be willing to help me…"
"Well…"
At that moment, Tom hesitated instead. His expression grew serious as he looked at Yemu.
"Captain Yemu, may I ask what you intend to use this metal for?"
"That…!"
Yemu thought for a moment, then waved Kuromi over.
"Some things are better known by as few people as possible. But since you're Tiger-san's older brother, Tom-san, I've decided to trust you."
As he spoke, Yemu slowly unwound the layers of clothing wrapped around Kuromi. Under the curious gazes of Tom and his two apprentices, Kuromi's true form was fully revealed.
"This is…"
For the first time, Tom, Iceburg, and Little Franky clearly saw what Kuromi really was.
Iceburg and Little Franky didn't seem to notice anything particularly strange, but Tom's eyes widened in shock.
Seeing his reaction, Yemu became curious. He remembered that Tom should be carrying the blueprints of Pluton at this time, so he asked tentatively.
"Tom-san, have you ever seen a robot like this…?"
Before Tom could respond, his two apprentices shouted first.
"Huh?!"
"A… a robot…"
Iceburg was relatively more composed, though his eyes were practically bulging out. Little Franky, on the other hand, was already sparkling with excitement.
Seeing this, Tom gave each of them a light punch on the head.
"Calm yourselves down…"
Iceburg managed to steady himself, but Franky couldn't contain his excitement at all. Holding his head, he spoke rapidly.
"Tom-san, this is a robot… an actual robot…"
By then, Yemu had already wrapped Kuromi up again.
"Unbelievable. I never thought I'd get to see technology that only existed in legends…"
Tom's reaction surprised Yemu slightly, though he didn't show it. He simply said,
"Looks like you really have seen it, Tom-san. But that's not what we should be discussing right now. What matters is my request."
That was exactly what Tom was thinking as well. He had no desire to talk about the enormous secret he was hiding.
At the same time, he recalled the feeling he'd had when he first laid eyes on that pirate ship.
There was no mistake. Though the differences were significant, it already carried a faint shadow of that warship.
At that moment, Yemu finally gave his answer.
"I can tell you now, Tom-san. I do want to create that metal in order to forge powerful weapons…"
"Weapons?! Teacher!!!"
Iceburg reacted instinctively, trying to stop his mentor. No matter how he looked at it, the man in front of them had an extremely dangerous goal.
If such a perfect metal were truly created, the weapons made from it would be terrifying beyond imagination.
Yet what Iceburg found hard to believe was that the teacher who had been hesitating just moments ago now nodded without hesitation.
"I understand… I accept your request. Starting tomorrow, I'll help you. I hope we really can create this metal…"
"Teacher Tom…"
Iceburg was completely at a loss. Tom, however, laughed openly and replied,
"Iceburg-chan, in this world, just like ships, neither tools nor materials are inherently good or evil. What determines that is the people who use them. Good materials can be used to make weapons, or they can be used to create tools that help everyone. And…"
Tom-san paused and looked straight into Yemu's eyes.
There was a desire to conquer the world in that gaze, but no ambition to rule it.
It was a look he had seen before, in another man's eyes.
So he smiled and said,
"I trust Tiger's judgment. The captain he chose won't be wrong!!!"