PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

He… he really is the Fourth Admiral, Taiote Luo Yu!

In Yuri's mind, that front-page portrait grew clearer by the second.

The composed face beneath the gold-rimmed glasses matched the image in his memory perfectly.

Yuri felt a chill run down his spine—his entire body went cold.

"Retreat! Retreat now!" he shouted in panic.

But before his words even finished echoing, a formless breeze swept through the dock.

The hundred pirates charging at Luo Yu suddenly froze just three or four meters away from him.

It was as if they'd been hit by an immobilizing curse.

The bizarre sight left the remaining pirates stunned.

Just moments ago, their killing intent had been sky-high. Now it was like a fire had suddenly gone out.

"Rock, why aren't you moving? This isn't the time for jokes!"

One of the pirates, unable to hold back his nerves, jabbed at the stiff figure ahead of him.

The next moment, every single person's pupils contracted violently—their eyes nearly bursting wide.

Jets of crimson blood suddenly sprayed from the bodies of the hundred frozen pirates.

Bloody slash marks bloomed across their flesh like blossoming flowers—dazzling and deadly, like fireworks exploding in a flash.

As hot blood splattered to the ground—

The pirates charging toward Luo Yu were instantly shredded by invisible blades, their bodies erupting with screams and collapsing all at once.

In an instant, the dock was littered with broken limbs and mangled corpses.

Over a hundred bodies slammed down into a sea of blood.

The sea breeze howled, sweeping the scent of blood through the air, making everyone's hearts clench as they stared at the lone, slim figure standing amidst the mountain of corpses and ocean of blood—as if they'd seen a ghost.

They had anticipated that the Fourth Admiral of the Navy might make a move.

But no one expected Luo Yu to casually lift a hand… and wipe out over a hundred pirates in an instant.

Sure, many on the Grand Line could slaughter a hundred men.

But to do it like Luo Yu did—so clean, so silent, without even letting them realize how they died—was something else entirely.

It was chilling. Terrifying.

For a moment, the vast dock was plunged into utter silence.

Even on the warship, Gion and Cha Jin's expressions changed slightly.

They had witnessed Luo Yu's power before. But now, seeing it on the battlefield, they truly felt the horror of it.

Standing still, yet instantly killing over a hundred people—

To his enemies, it wasn't just a physical annihilation.

It was a psychological one. An attack on the soul.

"Admiral Luo Yu… Do you really think you can get useful intel from these people?" Gion leapt to his side, unable to hold back the question.

As a seasoned Navy veteran, Gion had already scouted the dock earlier.

Aside from the leader, the Giant Axe Yuri, who had a bounty of 89 million Beli, the rest of these pirates wouldn't even make a splash in the New World.

Finding Whitebeard's trail through them… seemed unlikely.

"Don't worry, Vice Admiral Gion," Luo Yu took a swig of his earthy liquor, then casually scanned the area with a smile. "Honestly, I thought I'd have to search a few places before getting results. But it turns out, this spot gave me an unexpected surprise. Just like I thought—new week, new luck."

"I don't think I need to explain anything further now, do I?"

"Those hiding in the shadows, enjoying the show for so long… isn't it time you came out?"

Hiding in the dark?

Gion and Cha Jin froze for a beat, then quickly unleashed their Observation Haki.

Everything that had just occurred had been beyond their expectations.

They hadn't fully grasped Luo Yu's sudden approach. But now, hearing his words, they finally sensed the dozens of figures concealed behind the reef.

Could these be the ones Luo Yu was hoping would lead him to the Whitebeard Pirates?

"Heh… I didn't expect to meet the Navy's rising star, Fourth Admiral Taiote Luo Yu, here of all places."

A light laugh echoed from behind the reef.

A towering figure—over two meters tall—with black, pointed horns, stepped into view.

Around his waist was a belt engraved with the emblem of the Beasts Pirates.

The atmosphere on the dock instantly shifted.

"That's one of the top officers of the Beasts Pirates, under the Four Emperors! Xipeshead, bounty 180 million Beli… what's he doing here?!" Gion's expression changed drastically.

This was Whitebeard's territory.

While the Four Emperors might not clash openly, there were always smaller frictions.

If Whitebeard's men found out the Beasts Pirates had invaded his turf, there would surely be bloodshed.

Xipeshead showing up here—without warning—was deeply suspicious.

"Lord Xipeshead, thank goodness you're back! That Navy Admiral was looking for you. We tried to stop him… and he killed our men just like that!" Yuri cried out, his voice trembling.

Just now, he had been completely scared out of his wits.

Now, with Xipeshead present—someone bearing the symbol of the Beasts Pirates—it felt like grabbing a lifeline.

To pirates like them, the Four Emperors' name was a golden shield.

In most cases, even if Marines and Emperors met head-on, both sides would tread carefully.

"Calm down, Yuri," Xipeshead grinned cruelly as he pushed through the crowd. "I'm guessing this new admiral didn't know you were my subordinates—that's why he acted so rashly."

As one of Drought Jack's most trusted lieutenants, Xipeshead carried himself with the same reckless arrogance as his superior.

And he knew full well—

Behind him stood a captain who was fiercely protective of his own, and had once attempted suicide at Marine Headquarters.

The man known as the strongest creature in sea, land, and air—Kaido of the Beasts.

With that kind of backing, Xipeshead still dared to stand tall even after realizing who Luo Yu truly was.

Staring at the impossibly young Admiral before him, Xipeshead grinned wider and said:

"So, you're the newly appointed Fourth Admiral of the Navy, Taiote Luo Yu?"

"You're here looking into the movements of Whitebeard and Red-Hair, right?"

"We of the Beasts Pirates have never meddled with the Marines. You don't want us as enemies, do you?"

"My advice? Leave now. Otherwise, if our boss Kaido finds out… your Navy might not be able to bear the consequences."

"You bastard! How dare you speak to Admiral Luo Yu like that?!" Helmeppo roared furiously.

In the Navy, admirals represented ultimate strength—the pride and face of Marine Headquarters.

And now, one was being treated so disrespectfully by a mere 180-million bounty pirate under a Four Emperor?

Outrageous.

The surrounding Marines' expressions darkened instantly.

Even Gion and Cha Jin's faces turned grim.

But instead of speaking, Gion simply reached out and stopped Helmeppo.

"Don't act rashly. These are the Four Emperors' men. They require… special handling."