PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

Several hours passed as the farce surrounding the Seven Warlords slowly came to an end.

Inside Marine Headquarters' council chamber, the atmosphere shifted again.

On the stretcher, Blackbeard suddenly stirred—like a dying man catching his last breath—and struggled upright.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" he wheezed with urgency. "I demand justice! That new admiral attacked me unprovoked. But… if you're willing to punish him accordingly, I'll tell you the real secret hidden within Fire Fist Ace!"

"The real secret?" Sengoku's brows furrowed as every senior officer around him tensed.

To them, Ace being Whitebeard's Second Division Commander was already serious enough.

And after Luo Yu had hinted at something even more shocking through the Den Den Mushi…

Now, Blackbeard was offering yet another bombshell?

If true, it could send the situation spiraling out of control.

Feeling all eyes on him, Blackbeard finally managed a smirk.

For three full days, he had lain paralyzed, humiliated by a single strike from Luo Yu. But now—finally—he had something to hold over them.

His grin deepened.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I trust you're a smart man. You understand the weight of priorities."

"Let me give you a hint: aside from being Whitebeard's foster son… Ace is actually the biological son of one of the most infamous pirates in history!"

"If you want to hear the full story, then I expect that new admiral of yours to stand there and take a punch from me. Otherwise, I doubt these talks will get anywhere."

He turned, eyes gleaming, toward Luo Yu—clearly enjoying his brief moment of power.

But Luo Yu simply chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Appreciate the help. That stunt just knocked a million off your bounty."

He turned to Sengoku with a lazy smile.

"You heard him, Old Man Sengoku. That million-berie payout—I earned that."

Sengoku's expression twitched, and he shot a glance at Garp before sighing.

"Fine. The reward is yours."

"But Blackbeard… that was the big secret?"

He paused a moment, then dropped the hammer.

"While you were unconscious, Ace already confessed it himself. He's the son of Gol D. Roger."

"Honestly, when Luo Yu first mentioned it, I thought he was bluffing to earn a reward. But now that you've said it too, I believe him."

"If you've got anything else to trade, I suggest you go think it over in the corner."

Blackbeard's smirk froze.

The words on his lips… withered and died.

Sold out… and thanking the seller?

His "bargaining chip," the secret he'd hoarded for years—

Apparently, it was worth no more than one million beries.

He really wanted to crack open Luo Yu's skull and peer inside. How did this man's brain work?

This kind of explosive secret should've been worth billions, not pennies.

Around the room, senior officers stared grimly at Blackbeard.

If, moments ago, only a handful of people had known about this truth…

Now that Sengoku had said it aloud in a room full of top brass—

It would inevitably go public.

Gol D. Roger's son.

The cursed bloodline of the Pirate King.

They remembered well: years ago, in their mad hunt for Roger's child, the Navy had slaughtered entire generations of newborns to ensure no heir remained.

And yet, Ace had survived.

His mere existence challenged their darkest efforts.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku… now that the secret's confirmed—are you still set on a public execution?" Tsuru asked grimly.

After Luo Yu's call revealing the truth, Sengoku had convened the top brass and debated for days.

They'd agreed on one thing: Ace must be executed publicly.

But now the stakes had shifted.

"Sengoku…" Garp finally spoke, fists clenched tightly at his sides, his face pale with fury.

"You know Whitebeard. If we go public with this, he will declare war on Marineford."

"We don't have to go that far."

But Akainu suddenly interrupted, his voice cold as ever.

"No. I support the decision. Only a public execution will uphold the Navy's sense of justice."

Garp's face darkened.

"It's not just Whitebeard anymore, Sengoku! Don't forget—Luo Yu brought back Jack the Drought, too!"

"You seriously think Kaido will sit this out?"

"If we push this, we could end up fighting two Yonko at once."

"Have you forgotten the old saying—pull one thread, and the whole tapestry unravels?"

Luo Yu raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised at Garp's rare use of poetic wisdom.

But the point hit home.

The mood in the grand chamber turned suffocatingly tense.

Several admirals looked visibly shaken.

Even facing one Yonko required full mobilization.

But two at once? That would be disaster.

For a long moment, silence hung in the air. Even Akainu, usually loud and brash, stood tight-lipped, face grim.

Sengoku groaned inwardly.

His eyes drifted to Luo Yu, sitting there smugly with legs crossed, sipping from his gourd like he hadn't just sent the world into chaos.

All this for a measly twenty million beries.

He nearly slapped Luo Yu across the back of the head right then.

Even brought back a Calamity-level commander—for pocket change!

Even Sengoku, famed Navy strategist, was left speechless.

After another long sigh, he made his decision.

"Forget it. We won't resolve this here. The final verdict must come from the Five Elders."

"In the meantime, we'll transfer Ace and Jack to Impel Down."

He turned to Luo Yu.

"You'll be the escort again."

"Me again?" Luo Yu laughed and raised his gourd toward Akainu and Garp.

"Thanks for the love, everyone. Fleet Admiral, your bonus schemes are ruthless, but I like them."

"A million per trip, right? I've got no complaints."

Around the room, the muscles in every jaw twitched.

They were all worrying about the fate of the world…

And this man was still talking about bonuses.

Sengoku's face turned a shade darker. He looked to Akainu and Garp, sighed again, and said:

"Fine. Fine. We'll pay. Four million total. I'll have Tsuru wire it to you later."

"But you must deliver them safely to Impel Down."

"If anything goes wrong—not only will this million be revoked, but I'll deduct everything you've earned so far."

Truthfully, Luo Yu's obsession with money had been giving Sengoku a constant headache.

But compared to Akainu's blind pursuit of justice and Garp's emotional attachments…

Luo Yu, bizarre as he was, was oddly reliable.

And sometimes, results mattered more than methods.