PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

"He's standing outside?"

Everyone in the room tensed up in an instant.

Their gazes whipped toward the doorway.

And the moment they saw the figure standing there, their pupils shrank—several people nearly popped their eyes out of their sockets.

A young man stood at the door, dressed crisply, with a calm, harmless smile and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses resting lightly on his nose.

Their hearts collectively clenched.

Just a moment ago, they were still struggling to believe someone so young could actually be a Marine Admiral.

Now that they saw him with their own eyes—they found themselves unable to argue.

Judging purely by looks and age, the young man outside didn't seem much older than Luffy.

And yet he had already risen to the rank of Admiral?

There was no way someone like that was weak.

"Still doubting?" Luo Yu raised his bottle of cheap grain liquor and took a swig, smiling leisurely. "Let me put it simply: I am indeed the guy on the front page."

Shing!

The cold sound of steel unsheathing broke the tension.

Zoro's Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu flew into his hands in a flash.

His third sword—Yubashiri, a gift from Ipponmatsu in Loguetown—had been destroyed during their escape from Enies Lobby.

He couldn't unleash his full Three-Sword Style, but facing this unknown and dangerous intruder, drawing his blades was the only way to give himself any psychological footing.

They had no idea when Luo Yu had arrived.

"Two swords? You're Roronoa Zoro, aren't you?" Luo Yu glanced at him with mild interest, swirling his drink. "You're known for your Three-Sword Style."

"I'm on a tight schedule today. So tell me—how exactly do you all plan on dealing with me?"

The atmosphere plummeted like a stone.

Even the air around them seemed to stagnate.

Staring at this soft-spoken, smiling young man… for a moment, no one knew what to say.

"Oi, pervy cook. Did you already forget what we said earlier?" Zoro's grip on his blades tightened. "We stormed Enies Lobby and saved Robin—that means we've grown stronger."

"We may have been helpless before, but that doesn't mean we still are."

"Nami, Chopper—get Robin to the ship. Sanji, Luffy, and I will hold him off!"

Captain, huh?

Luo Yu chuckled and turned to the Straw Hat who had been dozing off, only now shaking himself awake.

It was always Zoro who showed more leadership than the so-called captain.

But the fact Zoro used the word Captain here?

That meant he was serious.

Still... was it enough?

"You've got an unusual blade on your back. I take it you're a swordsman too," Zoro said, staring dead ahead at the long, wrapped weapon behind Luo Yu.

"I trust a Marine Admiral wouldn't stoop to ambushing women and children."

To Zoro, nothing stirred his blood like encountering a fellow swordsman.

"Zoro! Luffy! Don't be reckless!" Coby and Helmeppo finally caught up and rushed to the door, just in time to hear the challenge.

But the moment they saw the weapon slung behind Luo Yu's back, their eyes widened.

They'd followed Luo Yu for a while now—and knew his fighting style leaned heavily on… slacking off.

His entire combat ethos was practically a philosophy of laziness.

So where did this sword come from?

And why did it look so—abnormal?

"Do you know me?" Luffy blinked, looking confused.

Zoro also paused for a moment, clearly not understanding what was happening.

"I'm Coby. This is Helmeppo. We both joined the Marines under Vice Admiral Garp!" Coby explained quickly.

Helmeppo didn't speak, but nodded beside him in confirmation.

"Helmeppo? Coby?" Luffy scratched his head. "Oh! I remember now! You two joined the Navy with my grandpa?"

Nami and the others stared at him, dumbfounded.

Their attention had clearly shifted to something… more critical.

"Luffy… d-did he just say Garp? Vice Admiral Garp?" Nami blurted out.

"You mean the Marine Hero? That's your grandfather?!"

"If your grandpa's a Marine Hero… does that mean we don't need to run anymore?!"

Everyone in the room was shell-shocked.

This revelation was even more shocking than their battle at Enies Lobby.

The name Garp echoed through the entire sea.

Most believed that a tiger father couldn't raise a weak son.

There had long been speculation that Garp's descendants would be monsters in their own right.

But no one expected this—grandpa's a Marine hero, and grandson's a pirate.

Talk about irony.

"Yeah, Garp-oyaji's his grandfather alright," Luo Yu said, taking another swig from his clay bottle. "And I'm one of the soldiers trained by Garp himself."

"But…"

He lowered the bottle.

"Family ties don't pay bonuses."

"I'm a Marine. You're pirates. Catching you gets me paid. So I'm ending this reunion here—I'd like to clock out with my bonus in hand."

"So tell me… are we doing this one by one, or all at once?"

Coby and Helmeppo turned pale, their faces stiff with helplessness.

They knew it—when performance bonuses were involved, Admiral Luo Yu became a merciless enforcer.

Even Nami and the others stood frozen, the flicker of hope in their eyes vanishing instantly.

So much for relying on family ties.

They'd hoped to leverage the connection and dodge an Admiral's wrath.

Clearly… wishful thinking.

But—fighting for a bonus?! What kind of nonsense was this?

"Hah… truly the justice of the Marines," Zoro muttered as he tied his bandana over his forehead, gripping his blades. "I was wondering if I'd even get a chance to fight."

"Now I'm curious… just how strong is an Admiral's swordsmanship?"

"Miss Nami, Miss Robin, don't worry," Sanji said, cigarette between his lips, giving his shoes a light kick as he stepped beside Zoro. "Moss-head here may be unreliable, but I'm here too. We'll hold him off. You two go."

"Luffy," he said, glancing back. "Let's get this over with so we can move on."

The three of them now stood side by side.

Tension gripped the room.

Luo Yu tilted his head, took another sip of liquor, and said softly:

"Looks like rookies really are destined to be underestimated."

"Makes being an Admiral feel a little awkward."

"As for this sword…" He glanced back at the long blade on his back.

"I'm no swordsman. This thing's just for show."

"Helps with the image, you know? Makes me look intimidating enough to avoid actually fighting."

"You're not a swordsman?" Zoro blinked—then laughed.

"No wonder. That's a hell of a weird-looking blade."

"I once fought a guy who also used a long sword. His swordsmanship was top-notch… and I managed to survive ten moves against him."

"I was hoping to test my growth with you as the benchmark."

"But I guess… this'll just be warm-up."

"Don't disappoint me."