When dealing with a stubborn old man who is highly wary of others, little girls like Ayala and BABY-5 are the most effective approach.
Naturally, Yemu had his own practical motives for doing this.
A day and a half had already passed, yet there was still no sign of that giant lanternfish.
That finally made Yemu wake up to reality.
It seemed he had been thinking too simply.
Since they did not have Pure Gold, he had wondered whether a large amount of ordinary gold could serve as a substitute.
He knew the idea was a little foolish, but he still wanted to try. And there was always the chance that the giant lanternfish lived somewhere near Alchemi, so if Tiger searched underwater, maybe he could find some trace of it.
But in the end, the result proved that his thinking had been too naive.
So now, he could only place his hopes on the old man who had been guarding this place all this time, and pray the man might give him some kind of surprise.
At dusk the next day, on the shore of the little island, Enel sat beneath a parasol, staring listlessly at the golden fishing rod. Looking at Yemu, who was also watching the calm, windless sea, he asked,
"Is this really going to work?"
At that moment, Tiger shot out of the sea like an arrow and landed steadily beside Yemu and Enel. After shaking the water off his body, he said,
"Sorry, Captain. I've already swum around this entire sea area several times, but I still haven't seen the lanternfish you mentioned!"
Yemu let out a somewhat helpless sigh.
"Looks like I was thinking too simply. But it's fine..."
As he spoke, Yemu turned to look at BABY-5 and Ayala, who were playing with the little white dog, and said,
"Let's just treat this as a break for everyone. You've all worked hard for more than half a year, training every single day. It's about time you had a little vacation and let your bodies relax."
"So are we staying here again tomorrow?"
Yemu thought about it for a moment, but in the end he still did not want to give up.
"The plan stays the same. We'll remain here for three more days. Five days from now, we leave on schedule!"
Just then, Flare came out of the tent carrying a lunch box and called out to everyone,
"Everyone, dinner's ready! You two, this is for that old man and the little dog. Take it over to them."
"Okay!"
BABY-5 happily scooped up the little white dog in her arms, took the lunch box, and ran off with Ayala toward the mountaintop.
Meanwhile, Yemu led Enel, Tiger, and the others into the tent.
Everyone sat down casually. Tiger took a seat beside Yemu and asked with concern,
"Where have the Marines reached by now?"
"Don't worry. They only received the news today that we met with the Beasts Pirates. It will take them at least another three days to reach these waters. And even if they do, in such a vast stretch of sea, it won't be easy for them to find us."
Only then did Tiger nod in relief. He seemed to recall the first time he had met Yemu, and there was a hint of admiration in his eyes as he said,
"I really didn't expect that Marine Rear Admiral to be useful at a time like this. No wonder you spent so much effort on him back then, Captain."
Yemu smiled as he recalled it too.
"That guy never had much faith in Marine justice to begin with, and now he seems even more open-minded. He was sidelined by the Marines for quite a while because of the Celestial Dragons, but because they were short on manpower, he ended up being brought back and even joined the special task force sent to hunt us down. Still, that makes sense. He is a Rear Admiral after all, and with a Devil Fruit as useful as the Ame Ame no Mi, it really would be unreasonable to leave him wasted like that."
At that point, Yemu added cautiously,
"But even so, we still need to be careful. We cannot lower our guard where vigilance is needed."
Tiger nodded.
"Understood. While I'm looking for that fish, I'll keep an eye on the situation on the sea surface as well."
Just then, BABY-5 and Ayala returned, and dinner officially began...
...
It was night, and everyone was already asleep.
The bright moon hung high in the sky, with stars glittering all around it.
Beside the huge golden fishing rod, Yemu lay on a lounge chair with a blanket draped over him, gazing up at the stars while sensing the movements in the surrounding sea.
Just then, he suddenly heard footsteps.
Looking up, he saw the white-haired old man who had stayed hidden in the lighthouse for the past two days slowly making his way down the stone steps, leaning on a cane and dressed in thin nightclothes, with the cute little white dog beside him.
When the old man reached Yemu's side and saw the huge golden fishing rod, he frowned and said in an aged voice,
"It's useless. I don't know where you pirates heard about Pure Gold, but ever since Bonbori-sama swallowed the entire Alchemi Island two hundred years ago, he has never appeared again. And this method of yours is far too foolish... You do not seriously think Bonbori-sama cannot tell the difference between gold and Pure Gold, do you?"
This did not surprise Yemu very much, but instead of asking questions right away, he moved a chair over from the side and said,
"Please, have a seat."
The old man glanced at Yemu, then sat down without ceremony. The little white dog obediently crouched beside him.
Only then did Yemu ask,
"May I ask how I should address you?"
Leaning on his cane, the old man said coldly,
"My name is Dolon. His name is Bobo. I've guarded this place for decades. In the past, there were also people who came searching for Pure Gold. Pirates, Marines, and others whose origins I never knew. But after turning my home upside down and still finding nothing, they all left. You're the first ones who haven't disturbed me."
At that point, the old man named Dolon glanced at Yemu and said in a scolding tone,
"Those two children are still so young. Why would you let them become pirates? They should be growing up happily with their parents."
Yemu was taken aback for a moment, then explained,
"That choice was never in my hands, and it was never in theirs either."
As he spoke, Yemu briefly told him about BABY-5 and Ayala's past, then added at the end,
"For the two of them, becoming pirates is the best path available right now."
"I see."
Dolon seemed to understand Yemu a little better.
"Those poor children."
Then he looked at Yemu and slowly said,
"Bonbori-sama was a giant lanternfish that Alchemi Island raised two hundred years ago. His appearance was purely accidental. At that time, the people of Alchemi were obsessed with alchemy and often created strange failed products. They dumped those failed products into the sea, and over time, the fish in the ocean seemed to be affected by those residues and began to change in strange ways. That was when people discovered Bonbori-sama. He seemed to have a bizarre appetite and could swallow anything. After they found him, they did not harm him, because that appetite was perfect for dealing with the alchemical waste on the island. So they began to raise Bonbori-sama. Fed on all kinds of alchemical residue, Bonbori-sama grew larger and larger, and his appetite grew greater and greater, until in the end, he swallowed the entire Alchemi Island."
As Yemu listened to Dolon's story, he asked curiously,
"You do not seem to blame Bonbori for swallowing this island."
Dolon shook his head.
"This island had already become like this by the time I was born. Most of what I just told you was passed down in my family by word of mouth from one generation to the next. So I do not really feel much about it. As for Bonbori-sama, I have only heard about him from my parents' descriptions."
"So have you been guarding this lonely island all this time?"
Dolon shook his head again.
"Of course not. Do not let this half-dead old appearance fool you. When I was young, I was a pirate too. I just never amounted to much. After I got old, I came back here and inherited my parents' will..."