PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

"It was his man who struck first."

Everyone froze.

No one had expected that a dignified Marine Admiral could be this shameless.

In the blink of an eye, Luo Yu had dumped all the blame on the Beast Pirates—without even blinking.

Yet, faced with such a claim, neither Marines nor pirates could come up with a single rebuttal.

The Marines, who had just been simmering with suppressed anger, suddenly lit up. One after another, they eagerly chimed in.

"Yes! We all saw it! The pirate made the first move! Admiral Luo Yu didn't lift a finger!"

"If I'm not mistaken, it was the pirate who struck first—but he was so weak, he didn't even scratch the Admiral before being blasted away!"

"Right! It's karma. If you're not strong enough to play the game, you pay with your life. Classic case of dying to your own damage output!"

"..."

The scene exploded in noise.

Marines spoke over one another, shouting in chaotic agreement.

The pirates nearby turned visibly pale with fury.

They had always known they were shameless. But they hadn't expected the Marines to be even worse when they ditched all decorum.

Worse still, the source of their confidence—the Beast Pirates officer—had been launched into a cliff and possibly killed.

The bravado they wore moments ago evaporated completely.

Now, they only wished to disappear, or even better—run for their lives if they got the chance.

"Admiral Luo Yu…" Gion said bitterly, deflating like a pricked balloon as she looked at the one-sided Marine chorus.

Vice Admiral Tsuru had tasked her and Cha Jin with joining Luo Yu's mission, hoping they could rein him in—stop him from going too far overboard in pursuit of that ten-million-belly performance bonus.

Yet before they even found a trace of Whitebeard or Shanks…

Luo Yu had already flattened the Beast Pirates.

This efficiency in kicking the hornet's nest was terrifying.

"Relax, Vice Admiral Gion," Luo Yu said cheerfully, taking another swig of his cheap liquor. "Out on the sea, there's a rule—'who strikes first is the cheap one.'"

"As the new Admiral, if I let pirates strike me without retaliation, wouldn't that tarnish the Navy's image?"

"If anyone's to blame, it's them—for being too weak."

"Now that that's settled, let's get to business."

He turned his gaze forward, expression calm.

"Sheephead, I know you're not dead. Playing possum to escape? If Kaido finds out, you'll be tasting a Thunder Bagua, no doubt."

That earlier burst of Conqueror's Haki, fueled by mental force, had been potent.

But Luo Yu had only used half his power.

He had always intended to leave the man alive—for questioning.

Had he used his full strength, no pirate would be left standing.

"You arrogant bastard!" Sheephead stumbled from the crater, blood covering his face. "I am Lord Jack's right hand! I don't play dead! If you want my head as your trophy—come and take it!"

The fierce tension in his jaw betrayed his inner panic. Luo Yu had seen right through him.

Worse still, his arms—twitching, twisted, hanging limply at his sides—drew every eye on the dock.

Only now did the crowd understand the extent of Luo Yu's earlier strike.

Sheephead, a Beast Pirates officer worth 180 million berries, hadn't even managed to injure his opponent.

Instead, his own arms were crippled.

This… was the so-called 'hollow reputation' of the Fourth Admiral?

"Kill you?" Luo Yu adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and chuckled.

"Don't worry. I'm not planning to kill you."

"You, a member of the Beast Pirates, sneaking around Whitebeard's territory? I doubt you're sightseeing."

"I want to know where the Moby Dick is. Tell me, and we'll leave."

The Moby Dick?

Sheephead's face darkened. He hadn't expected Luo Yu to go this far—for this?

But the Admiral was right. The Beast Pirates had indeed infiltrated Whitebeard's territory to confirm whether Whitebeard and Shanks had formed an alliance.

In the New World, the Four Emperors maintained a delicate balance.

No one could take down another alone.

But if two Emperors joined forces, that fragile balance would shatter.

Even Kaido—madman though he was—wouldn't dare face a united front.

To avoid getting caught off guard, not only the Beast Pirates but even Big Mom's crew had sent people to spy on Whitebeard.

Now, with Luo Yu slowly approaching, Sheephead gritted his teeth.

"We don't know where the Moby Dick is," he said coldly. "And if you don't believe me—kill me."

He was gambling.

He knew Luo Yu acted on impulse.

But the fact he was still alive… told him something.

Luo Yu didn't want war with a Four Emperor—not really.

He was betting on that.

"You don't know?" Luo Yu raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"Well, I was trying to keep things simple. But if you don't know where the Moby Dick is… I'm not about to give up a ten-million-belly bonus."

"In that case, I'll just tie you up and have someone call Kaido for ransom."

"Let's see if your life is worth even one piece of useful intel."

Ransom…

From Kaido?

Had Luo Yu gone insane?

The entire dock froze.

No one had expected him to go this far—just to find the Moby Dick.

Even less had they expected him to call Kaido and ask for ransom.

If this wasn't madness, what was?

And then… that casual remark.

Ten million berries of performance bonus?

Did he seriously think that was worth more than Sheephead's 180 million bounty?

Did a measly bonus outweigh a wanted man's head?

For a moment, the few surviving Marines and pirates on the dock all stared at Luo Yu.

Even Gion and Cha Jin were no exception.

They were desperate to know—was Luo Yu actually joking?

Or was this just how he worked?