Well, here's a crazy thought. Is it possible that Qilingham actually doesn't have the Kirin Fruit?
Because Kirin in mythology don't actually have anything to do with dreams, or nightmares, or sleeping. They mostly judge morality and appear at the birth or death of a new ruler. Oda could be doing his own thing, but it is a bit odd.
https://yokai.com/kirin/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qilin
And we never actually got a caption saying what Qilingham's power is.
So, is it possible that Qilingham is actually...a Fishman? Or a Mink of some kind? We saw the Gods Knights offer Loki a spot in their ranks. So, we know they're willing to take in other races, if it suits their purposes.
Maybe the reason he's wearing that helmet is because he needs water to breathe? As for the "Zoan Awakening Ribbon" we have seen a few Fishmen with similar "ribbons" around them too. Like Shirahoshi and all her brothers and Otohime. None of them had Devil Fruits, despite having very similar "ribbons".
I don't know, something to think about, maybe.