"Kuromu, Kurota, Kuroli, and…"
As he spoke, Yemu turned to look at the silver-white robot standing at the front.
"Boss, please call me Kuromi. Dr. Kuro named the four of us after himself."
"I understand. Then, starting today…"
Yemu shifted his gaze to Flare.
"Flare, from today onward, Kuromu and Kuroli will be your two assistants!"
"Assistants?!"
Flare froze, clearly confused by the arrangement. Seeing her reaction, Yemu explained patiently.
"You're the head chef on our ship. How could you manage without help? Kuromu is a Doa Doa no Mi user. He can open doors anytime, anywhere, letting him move freely between locations. With him around, whether you're resupplying or shopping, everything will be much more convenient. As for Kuroli, he's a Kama Kama no Mi user. He can help chop vegetables and handle prep work in the kitchen. You can't possibly cook for so many people all by yourself. These two are the best fit to work under you as head chef."
"Is that so?"
Flare looked the two robots up and down, still a little skeptical. But when she pictured it, the idea didn't seem bad at all. And since it was Yemu's consideration, she had no reason to refuse.
"Alright then. From today on, you two will follow me."
"Understood, Boss Lady!"
"Boss Lady?! …Fine, call me whatever you want."
"Next is Ayala!"
The moment her name was called, the young ship's doctor stiffened in surprise and answered reflexively.
"Hey! Captain Brother, I'm here…"
Yemu smiled faintly when he saw her reaction.
"No need to be nervous."
He then pointed toward the robot whose entire body gleamed gold.
"Kurota will be your assistant from now on. He's a Noko Noko no Mi user. I'm not entirely sure of the details, but his ability should allow him to create and control various types of microbes. You're our ship's doctor, so you understand this field better than anyone. By helping him develop his Devil Fruit abilities, you'll be able to improve everyone's treatment even further. At the same time, he can support you in all kinds of work as your assistant."
Ayala's fair face immediately flushed pink, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
"That's amazing! I know so many fungi that can help treat illnesses! Thank you, Captain Brother!!!"
She had been worried that her own abilities weren't enough to help everyone. She never expected Captain Brother to find her such a perfect assistant.
Seeing this, Kurota responded with impeccable timing, snapping into a salute.
"Ayala Second Big Sis, I'll be counting on you from now on!"
"And finally, the last one—Baby-5!!!"
When her name was called, Baby-5's eyes lit up instantly. She had always liked these four little robots. When they first came in, her eyes had practically been glowing.
But as she watched Yemu assign the robots one by one without mentioning her, she couldn't help feeling a little hurt. She never expected the last one to be hers. In an instant, excitement flooded her eyes, stars practically sparkling within them.
"Yemu-sama!!!"
"Alright, Baby-5. The last one, Kuromi—the eldest of the four robots—will be your assistant from now on. He's a Baku Baku no Mi user. His ability allows him to eat anything and turn it into part of his own body, or fuse it into something new. That pairs perfectly with your Buki Buki no Mi ability."
"Thank you, Yemu-sama!!!"
Kuromi also spoke up obediently.
"Baby-5 Third Big Sis, I'll be in your care from now on!"
After settling the assignments for all four robots, Yemu turned back toward Flare once more.
"Room Seven will be for the four of them."
"No problem. I'll take them down shortly."
"Alright."
After making the arrangements, Yemu looked over everyone present.
What had once been just two newcomers had now grown into an eleven-member crew. Yemu's Sky Pirates were no longer small by any measure.
Captain Yemu, Vice Captain Enel, Navigator Tiger, Head Cook Flare, Head Maid Baby-5, Swordsman Erik, Ship's Doctor Ayala, and four trainee robot crew members: Kuromi, Kurota, Kuromu, and Kuroli.
"Next, I have two appointments to announce. These are decisions I thought through carefully while I was unconscious."
Everyone's attention immediately focused on him.
"First, I owe all of you an apology. Because of my recklessness, in barely a month, you've already become a thorn in the side of the Marines and the World Government, and you'll be facing countless enemies like Bullet. Before long, we'll also be entering the New World, a place far more dangerous than anything we've seen so far. Still, it's too late to regret it now. Since you've boarded my pirate ship, I'm not letting any of you off."
Some laughed, some rolled their eyes, and others were visibly fired up as they listened.
"So, for everyone's safety moving forward, I'll do my best to rein in my restless nature and focus on strengthening the crew as a whole. Tiger, I'm appointing you as our martial arts instructor. You'll be in charge of teaching everyone physical combat. Can you handle that?"
"Of course, Captain. Leave it to me. I'll make sure they all become formidable Fish-Man Karate and Rokushiki users."
Tiger scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.
"To be honest, I've been wanting to say this for a while. Captain, Vice Captain Enel, your training methods might be a bit too… rough for Flare and Baby-5."
This time, it was Yemu and Enel who felt awkward.
But Tiger wasn't wrong. Compared to Fish-Man Karate, a disciplined system refined over nearly a thousand years on Fish-Man Island, Yemu and Enel's methods really were far too improvised.
"Then we'll leave it to you, Tiger."
"Next is Erik. I'm also appointing you as our swordsmanship instructor. You'll be responsible for teaching sword techniques to the crew, especially Kuroli. His Kama Kama no Mi abilities can't go to waste. Is that alright?"
"No problem at all, Captain. I'll pass on everything I know."
"Much appreciated."
At that point, something suddenly came to Yemu's mind.
"By the way, we picked up two swords in Drum Kingdom, didn't we? And they were both excellent blades."
"Mm." Enel nodded as he recalled it, while Erik's eyes immediately lit up.
"One is called Tensetsugetsu, one of the 21 Great Grade Blades. The other is called Tengoku, one of the 50 Skillful Grade Blades."
"In that case, Erik, since you're a dual-wielding swordsman, I'll give you Tensetsugetsu. As for Sandai Kitetsu and Tengoku, you can choose one. As for Shishimaru, that was a gift given to me, so I can't pass it on. I'll have to take it back."
Erik's entire body trembled with excitement.
Though he was already a swordsman of considerable renown, Meito were never easy to come by. His previous weapon had only been an ordinary blade. To suddenly receive a Great Grade Blade, along with the chance to choose a Skillful Grade Blade, was more than enough to leave him overwhelmed.
Even so, gratitude filled his heart, and he hesitated to accept such a generous gift.
"Captain, please reconsider. Tensetsugetsu is a legendary black blade. It's said that under moonlight, it releases a demonic power that greatly amplifies its wielder's strength. Only you are worthy of such a sword."
Yemu shook his head.
"There's no need to be polite. I'm not a pure swordsman. A blade like that would only gather dust in my hands. You're a member of the Sky Pirates. You're destined to stand at the very pinnacle of swordsmen in this world. An ordinary blade wouldn't suit you."
Erik clenched his fists, staring straight at Yemu with unwavering resolve.
"I understand, Captain. I won't let you down. I will become the greatest swordsman in this world."
"I believe you."