PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

"Impel Down?"

The quiet murmur escaped Blackbeard, standing to the side—his eyes gleaming with a flash of anticipation. He quickly stepped forward.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I'd like to accompany Admiral Luo Yu to Impel Down."

"You want to go too?" Sengoku raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

The others present blinked in confusion.

After all, Impel Down was known as a fortress of iron and stone, an impregnable prison.

Not to mention, with Luo Yu personally leading the escort, Sengoku could hardly believe Blackbeard was simply asking for another chance to get sliced again.

Still, looking at the bandages wrapped all around Blackbeard's bloated body, Sengoku couldn't help but feel a trace of pity.

The once-proud Warlord had clearly fallen to a pitiful state.

After a brief sigh, Sengoku said:

"Very well. Since you're a newly appointed Warlord, I'll permit it. But listen—if you cause any trouble along the way, I can't guarantee your safety."

Blackbeard's spirits visibly lifted.

"Thank you, Fleet Admiral! With Admiral Luo Yu nearby, I wouldn't dare make a single misstep. If there's nothing else, I'll go make preparations!"

As he turned to leave, Luo Yu naturally understood why Blackbeard was so eager to accompany them to Impel Down.

But Luo Yu's personal motto had always been simple:

Take the money, solve the problem.

If Blackbeard did manage to stir things up in Impel Down and cause chaos, Luo Yu would likely earn another performance bonus from the fallout.

So really, he might even owe Blackbeard a thank you.

What did surprise Luo Yu, however, was Garp.

After whispering something to Sengoku, Garp was also cleared to accompany them.

But Luo Yu wasn't shocked.

Sengoku and Garp had fought side by side for decades. If there wasn't trust between them by now, Garp would've retired long ago.

Meanwhile, medical teams got to work.

Ace and Jack the Drought, both severely injured, were stabilized and treated—after all, Sengoku couldn't afford to let such high-value prisoners die.

By the time Luo Yu led the group back to the warship, most of the day had already passed.

Judging from the time, Luo Yu realized his mission was probably about to run into overtime territory again.

On the deck, Garp stood beside Luo Yu, watching the horizon. He exhaled deeply.

"Luo Yu, kid… thank you."

"From boarding Whitebeard's ship alone, to capturing Jack the Drought—you've done more than enough."

"Ace ending up like this… I suppose it was just his fate."

"You've more than repaid your debt to me. There's no need to go any further."

Luo Yu glanced at the old man's weary face and figured he had already met with Ace privately.

But he didn't dwell on what they might've discussed.

In the original timeline, Ace never once blamed Garp, even to the very end. That alone was already admirable.

"Garp, you're making this sound too serious," Luo Yu said with a smirk, taking a sip of his earthen liquor and tossing the gourd to him. "I'm just doing my job. You know my motto: Paid to protect, paid to kill."

"If one day Sengoku paid me to kill you, I wouldn't hesitate. That's a promise."

Garp caught the gourd and broke into booming laughter.

"Hah! That's the kind of straight-talking brat I like!"

"To be honest… I once thought one of those three troublemakers might join the Navy and shake up our concept of justice…"

"Never expected it'd be you."

"You reek of greed, but there's a human warmth beneath it. True justice, after all, must include compassion."

His deep voice was soon carried away by the sea breeze.

Luo Yu said nothing more. His gaze locked on the enormous Gate of Justice looming ahead—marking the entrance to Impel Down.

Behind him, the Marines had already begun preparations.

With a heavy grinding sound, the colossal gate began to open, its massive doors parting slowly.

At the entrance to the inner sea, dozens of warships stood guard, each packed with heavily armed soldiers.

From beyond, an icy, oppressive aura drifted forth.

The atmosphere around Impel Down was unlike any other.

Even Smoker, Tashigi, and Blackbeard—normally unshaken—stood visibly tense.

Despite insisting he was just tagging along, it was obvious that Blackbeard was here with ulterior motives.

But seeing the walls of this monstrous fortress firsthand, he felt no regret. This move had been wise.

As Luo Yu stepped onto the dock, a flamboyant figure greeted him—Hannyabal, trident in hand and dressed like a pharaoh.

"Welcome, Admiral Luo Yu! I'm Hannyabal, the Assistant Warden of Impel Down!"

"To think that someone so young could defeat one of Kaido's top Calamities—Jack the Drought—and deliver him here in person… Simply incredible!"

But before he could finish, Magellan, the real Warden of Impel Down, brusquely pushed him aside and approached.

His expression was grave as his sharp eyes swept over the group.

"Admiral Luo Yu, thank you for your efforts."

"But for security reasons, we require you to personally oversee the transfer."

"As much as I dislike Hannyabal's empty flattery… he's right. You've exceeded all expectations."

Luo Yu blinked, genuinely surprised.

Magellan's words were stiff and awkward, but he wasn't wrong.

In the original story, Magellan had wiped out Blackbeard's crew single-handedly with his Venom-Venom Fruit—one of the strongest powers around.

If not for the fruit's vicious side effects, which left him glued to the toilet…

His might would be uncontested.

Luo Yu glanced at the time and casually replied:

"Half an hour left until my shift ends. Let's get this over with."

Shift ends?

Magellan and Hannyabal turned toward the wall clock—only 4:30 PM.

Their expressions froze.

This was the first time they'd ever heard a Marine refer to a shift ending.

Still, they'd already heard stories about this money-minded admiral. So, without delay, they turned to lead the way.

Because if there was one thing everyone now knew about Luo Yu…

He really did clock out on time.

Just then, a chime rang through Luo Yu's mind:

"Ding! Congratulations, Host. You've unlocked a treasure chest upgrade opportunity!"

"Only 100 million points required to advance from Gold Chest to Platinum!"

"Once the Platinum level is achieved, you will become eligible for ultra-rare Diamond-tier rewards!"

Luo Yu's brow rose in surprise.

Already eligible for a platinum upgrade?

Must be all that recent "bonus income" fattening up the treasury…

He grinned.

Looks like things were only just getting started.