PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

"He really tripped?"

A twitch swept across the cheeks of nearly every person present.

They had seen people shamelessly lie before—but never had they seen someone with skin this thick.

A supposed future Warlord of the Sea tripped on flat ground, broke both his legs, and ended up bandaged head to toe like a mummy?

Who would believe that?!

Even Vice Admiral Dalmatian (the one who first claimed it) probably didn't believe it himself.

Only Garp's eyes sparkled with delight as he was the first to step in and declare,

"This Warlord really is just a child. So careless! Just look at how badly he got hurt—he must've fallen from quite a height! Sengoku, hurry and get the medical team. We can't let him end up disabled!"

Sengoku was stunned at first—his cheek twitched involuntarily—but seeing how things had escalated, he had no choice but to bite the bullet.

"Ahem… Garp's right. Kids are mischievous. A fall like this isn't unusual. Fire Mountain, go fetch a doctor—quickly!"

"Exactly! That old woman earlier said he's still just a child—so of course he's going to be naughty!"

"Haha! Happens all the time—nothing to fuss about!"

"I say this injury's treatable!"

The whole place suddenly burst into a roar of agreement.

Hundreds—if not thousands—of Marines began echoing the same ridiculous claim.

Looking at this overwhelmingly unified front, not even Miss Buckin could speak, and Spandine looked ready to cough up blood.

"Is this… a live demonstration of gaslighting?!"

"Sengoku! This is too much! How dare you lie so blatantly in public! If a simple fall can do that, why don't you show us how it's done?!"

Spandine shouted furiously.

"And what about Zephyr gathering over ten thousand Marines in the training grounds? If you can't give us a proper explanation, don't blame me for reporting it directly to the Five Elders!"

Miss Buckin, thrilled by the sudden shift in momentum, immediately jumped in.

"CP0, you must get justice for Weevil! He was personally chosen by the Five Elders to become a Warlord! Their face is being completely trampled!"

Sengoku and the others froze.

Sure, they could lie with a straight face, but under deeper scrutiny… they really couldn't justify it for long.

A heavy silence fell.

And then…

"Square dancing," Luo Yu said casually, sipping from his flask.

"So many people gathering in the plaza? Of course they're getting ready to square dance."

"As for how he tripped… I could demonstrate using you."

Boom!

The space around them shook.

The air warped, and a crushing pressure filled the area—as if an invisible titan's hand had seized everyone's heart.

Brilliant, multicolored magic circles unfurled beneath Luo Yu's feet, layer upon layer, rapidly spiraling into the sky above.

In an instant, Spandine felt as though he was being targeted by a prehistoric beast—his scalp tingled, breath halted.

As he gazed up at the nine-tiered magic formation dominating the sky, he forgot how to breathe.

He'd never imagined that Luo Yu would disregard all formalities and just attack.

And what kind of nonsense was that—square dancing with ten thousand troops?!

Even Sengoku's face changed slightly.

But in this situation, there was no better outcome than letting Luo Yu handle it.

"CP0, as you can see, this is what happened to Weevil," one Marine smirked.

"That's how he got injured—smashed by this. So… justice served, right?"

Miss Buckin screamed in terror,

"You see?! That's what hit Weevil! He's just a child!"

The CP0 agents—including Spandine—went completely pale.

Even the Five Elders' chosen Warlord couldn't survive such an impact.

Did they think they could?

As the oppressive energy in the sky grew heavier, looming like Mount Tai above them, Spandine felt like he could be crushed at any second.

"Are you ready?" Luo Yu drank again and grinned."Better coat yourself in Armament Haki, or you might end up paralyzed."

The CP0 agents turned ashen.

Spandine trembled and cracked under the pressure first.

"N-No! Admiral Luo Yu, Vice Admiral Dalmatian was right! He really did just fall!"

"I will report the truth to the Five Elders myself. W-We'll be going now!"

Without waiting for a reply, Spandine turned and ran.

Clean. Precise. Fluid like a masterful retreat.

The gathered crowd stared in awe.

Wasn't this guy yelling about justice a second ago? Now he's running like a rabbit?!

One by one, the remaining CP0 agents panicked and fled.

Over a hundred agents scattered like rats.

Miss Buckin—desperate for a lifeline—was left dumbstruck.

They ran?! That fast?!

But when she felt Luo Yu's gaze land on her, she shivered violently and squeaked out,

"H-He really did trip! It was an accident!"

At that, the immense, sky-filling magic formation finally dissipated.

The crushing pressure vanished.

Sengoku and the others felt like a mountain had been lifted off their shoulders.

They glanced once more at the bandaged, legless Weevil on the stretcher…

And found themselves… a little proud.

Sometimes, threatening people in the name of justice just felt damn good.

Ain pushed her way through the crowd.

"Teacher Zephyr… I'm sorry. I should've explained earlier—you misunderstood…"

"But… if you're still determined to leave… I won't stay behind either!"

Zephyr blinked, eyes flickering toward the stretcher-bound Weevil.

He hadn't expected things to unfold like this.

But seeing the hopeful faces around him, and Ain's resolve…

"Haha! Why are you all looking at me like that?""With a gift like this from Luo Yu, why would I still leave?""You brat! You sure know how to lie with a straight face—but I like it! I didn't misjudge you after all!"

Everyone around him immediately lit up with joy.

Luo Yu adjusted his glasses and replied smoothly,

"Zephyr, I wasn't lying. You gathered ten thousand people—we have to square dance. Otherwise, how is Fleet Admiral Sengoku going to explain it to the Five Elders?"

"And make sure he joins in. What if the Elders make him dance first?"

The flicker of joy on Sengoku's face stiffened instantly.

Why is it always me taking all the damage?

But before he could retort, Tsuru's vice admiral aide came rushing up in a panic…