PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

Face and bonus—both?

Coby and Helmeppo both froze.

They were already more than used to Luo Yu's unpredictable and unconventional way of doing things. But this time, his casual remark left them with an odd, creeping sense of unease.

Before they could react further, Luo Yu vanished like a ghost—disappearing from sight without a trace.

Water 7 – Dock No. 7, Abandoned Shipyard

Inside a tightly shut room, laughter echoed warmly.

With bandages still wrapped around his head, Iceburg stood at the doorway alongside Granny Kokoro—now in her human form. The two smiled as they watched the lively crowd inside the hall.

Looking at the pirates—now mostly healed from their injuries—they exchanged glances, unable to hide their heartfelt sighs.

"Iceburg-ojisan, what's with the long face?" Nami, her orange hair shining under the lamplight, suddenly lit up like a treasure chest of Berries. She stepped forward and pressed eagerly, "Are you maybe… thinking of giving us parting gifts?"

"Like some antiques… or gold bars… or just plain cash works too!"

"I'm not greedy! Just 10 or 20 million Berries would do! After all, we burned through everything we had building that ship!"

They'd returned from Skypiea with a hard-earned 300 million Berries—only for it to vanish within a single day.

Even now, just thinking about it made Nami's heart bleed.

So, facing the president of the largest shipbuilding company in the world, how could she not try to fleece him a little?

"Ahem… Miss Nami, I was just thinking how unbelievable it is that you all managed to bring down Enies Lobby, a place that's said to have stood undefeated for eight hundred years," Iceburg said with a cough.

"And then to survive the Buster Call, personally led by an Admiral… That news has already shaken the entire Grand Line."

"These past few days, the papers have been full of it. That guy Lucci—he's said to have power that surpasses most Vice Admirals, and was even hailed as the strongest human weapon in CP9's 800-year history."

"In other words, he might be close to Admiral-level strength."

"To have defeated someone like him… that means your crew could probably even stand toe-to-toe with an Admiral now."

"At such a young age… you're already this capable. You've got a bright future."

"Heh… Nami, don't take this lightly," Granny Kokoro chimed in with a laugh, sipping her wine. "Iceburg rarely praises anyone like that—every word's worth a thousand Berries!"

Nami rolled her eyes.

Honestly, she'd rather have the thousand Berries instead of the compliment.

But at the mention of "Admiral", her face paled as she remembered their earlier encounter with Aokiji on that nameless island.

"Miss Nami, relax," Sanji said as he brought in a tray of food, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "We're not the same as we were back then."

"Robin-chan fell into CP9's hands at Enies Lobby, and we brought her back. That's proof we've grown stronger."

"If we meet another Admiral now, we won't be as helpless as before."

"Isn't that right, moss-head?"

Zoro set down the broken ship's wheel he was using as a weight and said coolly, "Your pervy chatter usually makes me nauseous, but this time I agree."

"I've gotten stronger too."

Robin didn't say anything.

But in her eyes, a quiet smile surfaced.

She had spent her life chasing the meaning of "nakama," switching crews for survival, getting betrayed—and sometimes doing the betraying.

She thought falling into CP9's hands would be her end.

Yet, against all odds, they'd saved her.

"Heh, if you're all this confident, then I don't have to worry anymore," Iceburg said cheerfully. "Especially with Luffy around. If you fight together, I doubt even an Admiral could take you down easily."

"Well, it's getting late. To avoid complications, I've arranged for you to head to the new ship's location and prep for departure."

He turned, intending to leave first.

BANG!

The sealed door suddenly slammed open as a tall, burly man rushed in, instantly shocking everyone.

"Tilestone! What's going on?! Why the panic?" Iceburg asked sharply, stepping forward.

"If the Navy's here for a sweep, just follow the usual routine. Take them on a garden tour—they won't find this place."

Since the fall of Enies Lobby, as a major hub linked by the Sea Train, Water 7 had already suffered multiple Navy searches.

But with its massive population, sprawling cityscape, and Iceburg's veteran misdirection tactics, Luffy's group had managed to dodge every net so far.

"N-No… Iceburg-san, it's not just any Marines this time—it's the new Fourth Admiral… Taiote Luo Yu!" Tilestone stammered, sweat pouring down his face.

Fourth Admiral—Taiote Luo Yu?

Everyone froze.

Just moments ago, they'd been casually discussing Admirals…

And now one had shown up at their front door?

Did they jinx it with their words or something!?

Of course, Luffy and the others, as fledgling pirates with no major power or intelligence network, knew almost nothing about this new Admiral.

After all, Luo Yu had been promoted barely a couple of weeks ago.

And when your only source of info is the News Coo, you're practically a caveman.

It was like how Bellamy, even after Luffy's bounty broke 100 million, still believed it was just 30 million.

That's the power of misinformation.

"You guys seriously don't know about the new Fourth Admiral?" Iceburg blinked, then hurriedly pulled out a newspaper from his coat and handed it over.

"I was actually going to tell you about him earlier."

"Word is, this new Admiral even dared to punch a Celestial Dragon. That's the kind of guy he is. Check out the front page—it's got his picture."

"Study his face well. If you bump into him at sea, don't get caught with your guard down. But don't worry, there's no way an Admiral could just randomly find this place."

He quickly laid the newspaper flat on the table.

Everyone immediately turned their attention to the front page.

The young face in the photo—so out of place next to the title of "Admiral"—shocked them all.

In their minds, Admirals were supposed to be aging middle-aged monsters.

Age, after all, was supposed to be a symbol of strength.

But now, staring at a man who looked barely in his twenties—someone sitting at the same level as the three old titans of the Navy?

It defied all logic.

But before they could react, a voice rang out beside them.

"I-Iceburg-san… are you sure the guy in this photo is a Marine Admiral?"

"Because it looks like he's standing outside the door right now."