PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

Watching the solemn-faced admiral clearly awaiting a response, Ain's expression turned bitter.

"Admiral Luo Yu," she said with visible concern, "this exchange with Blackbeard concerns none other than the Whitebeard Pirates—the strongest of the Four Emperors."

"At a time like this, wouldn't it be better if we didn't create any complications? The safest path is to complete the deal with Blackbeard as quickly as possible."

"If something goes wrong and the deal falls through, the consequences could be disastrous."

Smoker and the others standing nearby nodded in silent agreement.

The thought of being entangled with one of the Four Emperors' crews had sweat forming in their palms. The risk was too great to ignore.

Sensing the shift in mood on deck, Luo Yu chuckled and gently patted Ain's shoulder.

"Hehe, Ain, you're not wrong. Under normal circumstances, creating side issues during a mission like this would be unwise."

"But who's to say Blackbeard's offer isn't a trap? Wouldn't it be better to eliminate all uncertainties beforehand, rather than walk into a situation blind and reactive?"

"And most importantly—why waste a perfectly good opportunity for a performance bonus?"

Ain's expression crumpled.

For a moment, she thought she'd underestimated Luo Yu. His initial reasoning had sounded so strategic, so composed.

But as soon as he mentioned bonuses, she realized—with dismay—that she hadn't been shallow enough in her judgment of him.

Trying to reason with someone who treated money and bonuses like a terminal obsession?

Clearly, the real fool here… was her.

Still, she couldn't ignore the logic buried beneath the madness. With a sigh, she nodded in reluctant agreement.

"Admiral Luo Yu, according to the surveillance Den Den Mushi we deployed," she reported, "the Chelseas Sea usually has hundreds of pirates and merchant ships active at any given time—thousands at peak."

"But just now during reconnaissance, we discovered that not a single pirate or merchant vessel is within a hundred nautical miles."

"I believe something's wrong. Should I report this anomaly to Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"

In Ain's eyes, for an entire sea to go eerily quiet—especially when even the unruliest pirates had vanished—spoke of a threat too serious to ignore.

"Not a single pirate crew left?" Luo Yu raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

In the original timeline, Blackbeard's deal with Marine Headquarters had gone fairly smoothly.

After all, his primary goal was to become a Warlord of the Sea so he could use that privilege to infiltrate Impel Down and hand-pick his future crew.

But now, with such a strange turn of events—Luo Yu immediately suspected he was the variable that had altered the trajectory.

He glanced back toward the Flying Six member still tied to the mast. His grin widened.

"Admiral Luo Yu, you're grinning... and it's kind of scary. Did you figure something out? Should we notify Fleet Admiral Sengoku?" Ain asked, her anxiety spilling over.

Luo Yu waved his hand casually. "No need. Just a bold guess for now. Until I confirm it, let's not bother the old man."

"Of course, if things do go sideways, we'll definitely need to call."

"For now, stay the course. Let's proceed to Uss Island as planned."

Ain opened her mouth to argue, but the words stuck in her throat.

Watching Luo Yu's calm, almost playful manner of handling the situation, she genuinely began to wonder what kind of intentions he would have in mind when making that emergency call.

Still, his rank was Admiral, and at such a critical juncture, she had no choice but to steel herself and relay his orders down the chain of command.

With the new command issued, the massive warship resumed full speed ahead.

The distance to Uss Island—just a few dozen nautical miles—was covered in half a day.

But the moment they reached the entrance to the island's harbor, the faces of many crew members turned grim.

The harbor, once a standard Navy supply point, was now packed with dozens of pirate ships.

Countless pirate flags snapped in the wind, their insignias visible and fearsome.

Many among them were infamous—each with bounties exceeding a hundred million Berries.

This massive congregation of pirates was far beyond what anyone had anticipated.

"Admiral Luo Yu, many of these pirates are usually at each other's throats. Yet now they're gathered here, having set aside their rivalries? Something is definitely off," Ain said quickly.

"Should we hold off on docking and report this to Fleet Admiral Sengoku first?"

As a probationary officer still trying to wrap her head around Luo Yu's unconventional logic, Ain knew she had to remain flexible.

All eyes on deck shifted toward Luo Yu, filled with a subtle urgency.

Everyone wanted to know what their unpredictable admiral would choose to do.

"No," Luo Yu replied, waving them off. "We already agreed not to disturb old man Sengoku unless we're certain of a real crisis."

"Since these pirates are all gathered here, I'd wager the mastermind is somewhere nearby. Let me check how much he's worth."

"No—let me see who he is first. Then I'll call Sengoku."

"You all stay here for now."

And with that, Luo Yu's figure flickered—disappearing from sight like a phantom.

By the time the others registered what had happened, Luo Yu was already hundreds of meters away.

His swift and decisive movements left Smoker and the others wide-eyed. Without a word, they rushed after him.

Inside the Harbor of Uss Island—

Thousands of pirates were gathered in the port.

At the center were several high-profile pirates with bounties over 100 million Berries.

Each of them held a newspaper featuring the prominent photo of the Marine's newest admiral—Taiote Luo Yu.

"Hahaha! Who would've thought we'd run into Jack the Drought, one of the Three Disasters of the Beasts Pirates, with a bounty of over one billion Berries, right here in Paradise? This is our chance!"

"Chance, my ass! This isn't your opportunity—it's ours! Jack's after the new Admiral, Taiote Luo Yu. Whoever finds his trail will earn a place under the Beasts Pirates. Once we're flying a Four Emperors' flag, we'll be unstoppable!"

"…"

The crowd grew restless. The air buzzed with tension.

Thousands of pirates were drawn into the heated discussion, their attention locked onto the promise of glory.

None of them noticed the figures now quietly perched atop the distant clock tower.

But for Smoker and Ain, who had just arrived there with Luo Yu, the overheard conversation turned their blood cold.

It had already been bad enough dealing with a situation involving the Whitebeard Pirates.

Now, the Beasts Pirates were in the mix—and not just any member, but Jack the Drought, one of Kaido's top lieutenants.

To the Navy officers, it felt like a mountain had suddenly come crashing down upon them.

If both Four Emperors' crews got involved simultaneously...

Smoker couldn't stay silent any longer. He prepared to open his Den Den Mushi and report this immediately.

But before he could act, a sudden voice echoed from the center of the plaza:

"Oi, Fleet Admiral Sengoku—how much is the bounty for one of the Three Disasters?"

Everyone froze.