PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

Doflamingo's expression froze.

He had never imagined someone would refuse to negotiate with him.

Even the Five Elders, hidden behind the veil of the World Government, had never outright denied his proposal.

Yet now, facing the man before him—Luo Yu—he found himself incapable of questioning that rejection.

Above, the sky still hung with the forms of a Conqueror's Haki-beast, the dazzling nine-layered Overmagic Skyfall, and the radiant golden Hundred-Style Guanyin.

The convergence of these three overwhelming forces left Doflamingo with a suffocating sense of powerlessness.

"Damn Navy Admiral… If I survive today, I swear I'll find a chance to kill you."

BOOOOM—!!

The triple strike of ultimate moves erupted at once.

The resulting shockwave was no less terrifying than the earlier joint attack of Flowing Sakura: Sovereign Kingdom by the two giants.

In an instant, the already-flattened port was engulfed once more.

It was unclear how long had passed before the storm of dust and debris finally began to settle.

Amid the chaos, the golden giant formed by the awakened Gold-Gold Fruit ability stood awkwardly like a crane among chickens.

Inside it, Gild Tesoro felt the pressure bearing down on him like molten iron—uneasy and utterly out of place.

But his gaze, nonetheless, turned quickly toward the rubble.

The dust cleared.

Luo Yu still stood exactly where he had before, gourd in hand, unbothered.

The only difference was the newly-formed crater—dozens of meters wide—before him.

The once-regal flamingo-feathered coat that Doflamingo wore was now in tatters, more like a plucked chicken than the kingly Shichibukai he claimed to be.

His battered body lay half-buried in the ruins, struggling to climb out.

Wounds crisscrossed his figure, blood freely pouring from fresh gashes.

Watching Doflamingo—once a symbol of terror, a self-proclaimed king among Warlords—reduced to such a pitiful state, Tesoro's pupils contracted violently.

Especially when he recalled he was still seated inside the golden giant.

He felt like he was sitting on a spike—completely on edge.

He should never have come here.

That ridiculous thought echoed louder and louder in his mind.

"Cough… cough… Tesoro! If you don't act now, when will you? If we work together, we can still break out of here! If you help me survive this—I swear, I'll make that damn Admiral regret it for the rest of his life!"

Doflamingo's voice was hoarse and blood-choked, roaring out with wild desperation.

After witnessing firsthand the sheer might of the special forces aboard Luo Yu's ship, Doflamingo had long abandoned hope in his own crew.

There was only one possible salvation now—Tesoro.

If Tesoro could create enough chaos, there might still be a chance to escape.

But—

"Hahaha! Doffy, what nonsense are you spouting? Me? Raise a hand against a Navy Admiral? Absolutely not!"

"Admiral Luo Yu! Are you still recruiting special forces? Look at me—don't I look like I'm worth a 20 million Berries bounty?"

Tesoro suddenly burst into loud, almost theatrical laughter.

And his voice echoed clearly across the ruined battlefield—without the slightest hesitation.

Doflamingo's expression turned stiff, and with effort, he raised his bloodied head toward Tesoro.

The golden giant, crafted through awakened abilities, collapsed instantly.

And Tesoro, standing now on the scorched earth, bowed with uncharacteristic humility.

That clean and decisive betrayal struck Doflamingo like a hammer to the chest.

PUH!

A mouthful of blood burst out as his eyes rolled back—and he collapsed, unconscious, twitching on the ground.

Was this the ally he had invited?

How had he, in the blink of an eye, turned himself into one of Luo Yu's people?

Only now did Doflamingo finally understand what Vergo meant when he previously sent back the words "stay obedient."

Clearly, that message hadn't been meant for Luo Yu.

It had been a warning—for him.

On the other side, Smoker and the others were left stunned.

Tesoro's mental gymnastics were too quick—it left them utterly speechless.

Feeling the odd looks around him, Tesoro couldn't help but sweat a little under the collar.

This kind of betrayal was definitely… unethical.

But better the devil dies than the monk, as the saying goes.

Still, glancing at the unpredictable Luo Yu, Tesoro was genuinely unsure if he'd survive this gamble.

"Twenty million, huh?" Luo Yu took a swig of his strong brew, then smiled as he patted Tesoro's shoulder.

"Yeah… you do look like someone worth twenty million. Welcome aboard."

Then he turned to his men and added casually:

"Someone carry Doflamingo aboard. No—wait, we should invite him. Don't forget what Grandpa Sengoku said… He's a guest."

"Yes, Admiral Luo Yu!"

Smoker and the others snapped back to attention and rushed to carry out the order.

Frankly, their presence aboard this ship was already minimal.

And now, with the number of special forces growing from four to five, if they couldn't even handle menial tasks properly, they'd lose even the chance to show their faces in the future.

As Doflamingo's unconscious body was hauled aboard, Doll landed lightly beside Hina and Ain, exhaling with relief.

"I was really afraid Admiral Luo Yu would just kill Doflamingo on the spot," she whispered.

"If that happened, it would've been a nightmare to explain back at Marine Headquarters."

"I didn't expect Admiral Luo Yu to be so obedient to Fleet Admiral Sengoku's orders."

But as her words fell, Hina bit down on her cigarette and twitched slightly before replying:

"Vice Admiral Doll, you're still new here. I don't think you understand Admiral Luo Yu's methods yet."

"The reason he didn't kill Doflamingo…"

"…was probably because he's still waiting for Sengoku to offer him more money."

"All of this? Just fleece work."

"Let's hope this little display convinces Doflamingo to behave himself. Otherwise… next time, it might be his execution."

Ain silently nodded in agreement.

Doll watched the two of them tidy up the battlefield like it was routine and, for the first time, realized—maybe she had been too naive.

Nearby, Tesoro had overheard the whole conversation.

Recalling everything that had just happened, he believed every word of it.

Whatever suspicions he still had vanished completely.

He immediately switched to a smiling face and hurried after Luo Yu to board the ship.

At this moment, he knew: he might only be worth twenty million…

But compared to Doflamingo's thirty-million price tag, that was far more comforting.

For the first time in his life, the Golden Emperor Tesoro felt that being worth only 20 million… felt great.

Looking at the four towering giants on the foredeck—Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy among them—Tesoro grinned and waved warmly.

"Gentlemen! Pardon the interruption! I'm Tesoro, your humble twenty-million man. Pleased to make your acquaintance!"

One day later—

As the enormous battleship sailed away from Dressrosa...

A belated warship finally arrived—bearing CP0.

When they reached the devastated ruins of the port and stood on the deck in stunned silence, Spandam's face went pale.

In that moment, he realized:

His suspicions had been correct all along.

Not long ago, the Five Elders had instructed him to push Doflamingo into provoking Luo Yu.

Now?

It was clear.

They had truly delivered a fortune straight to Luo Yu's door.