PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

The calm words Luo Yu had just spoken seemed to echo through the air, amplified as if by the very will of the heavens.

The spectators—onlookers who had remained to watch—suddenly felt every nerve pulled taut to its breaking point.

The absurdity of what they were witnessing made them doubt their own sanity.

Is this Admiral… going too far?

"W-What did you just say!?"Spandine's face drastically contorted.

"What did I say?"Luo Yu gave him a glance as casual as dust, then replied evenly:"Nothing more than what needed to be said."

"Ain, remember to ask Fleet Admiral Sengoku later—how much is the bounty for criminals who impersonate CP0 and attempt to abduct prisoners from a Navy Admiral?"

"Since their identity can't be confirmed… let's just bring them back for questioning."

Madness!

It wasn't just that Luo Yu seemed mad—

Everyone watching felt like they were losing their minds too.

Was he seriously planning to take down CP0 just like that?

Was that even possible!?

"Admiral Luo Yu, this is mutiny! We are CP0—direct subordinates of the Five Elders! You dare question our identity!? You can ask anyone here if we're telling the truth!"Spandine's voice rose in panic, but the words had barely left his mouth before he wanted to slap himself.

Because the bystanders around them…

Didn't say a word in support.

In fact, under everyone's eyes, they began turning around—fleeing in every direction.

Even CP9 members who had once hesitated now leapt back instinctively.

They remembered too clearly the overwhelming, thunderous blow Luo Yu had unleashed earlier.

"RUN! I told you all—this guy doesn't follow reason! He's not just ruthless—he's outright insane!"Iher roared, turning and fleeing at full speed.

Iga and Spandine, still frozen in disbelief, could only watch in stunned silence.

They were CP0—the feared enforcers of the World Government. When had they ever been treated like this?

When had people ever run from them?

Then, seeing Luo Yu now just a few meters away, Spandine's expression darkened.

He clenched the metal box tightly, and from beneath his sleeve, a specially crafted Seastone pistol slipped into his hand.

"You impudent bastard… how dare you defy CP0's authority. Let me show you what it feels like to be drained of your power by Seastone!"

Bang!

The gunshot rang out sharply.

At point-blank range, the bullet zipped toward Luo Yu in a flash.

Spandine had seen that terrifying Guanyin-like armor around Luo Yu earlier.

He assumed it was the effect of a Devil Fruit.

"A Seastone bullet, huh?"Luo Yu raised his hand and caught it between his fingers.

He wasn't surprised. After all, even Zephyr had a mechanical arm forged from Seastone, and in the original timeline, Seastone bullets had already become mass-producible.

In fact, he'd just been considering whether to act.

Now, Spandine had given him the perfect excuse.

"Spandine, no—!"Iher shouted, whirling around too late.

But it was already done.

They watched in horror as Luo Yu casually held the bullet, his expression calm as ever.

Not even a flicker of weakness.

No signs of Devil Fruit power disruption.

Even Spandine's face began to twist—

This wasn't how it was supposed to go…

"So you really are fakes."Luo Yu let the Seastone bullet fall from his hand, as casually as if discarding a pebble.

Then, as his head slowly lifted—

His Conqueror's Haki surged once more.

It had barely begun to recover from his last outburst, but now it was detonated again.

A monstrous pressure exploded outward like a tsunami crashing over the world.

Everyone caught within the radius instantly felt a strange suffocating dread…

But before they could react—

The air rippled and cracked.

That blood-red Kirin, forged from sheer Haki, once again formed from the heavens.

It reared back—

Then roared downward like a divine beast delivering final judgment.

Even though he had already fled over a hundred meters, Iher saw it descending and screamed in horror:

"I TOLD YOU—never argue with a madman like him!!"

BOOOOOOM!!!

The crimson thunder cracked.

It smashed down like a divine punishment, unleashing a shockwave that ripped apart the air itself.

Even those who had already experienced this once still found themselves blown back again, flung helplessly into the distance.

Everything within a kilometer radius—obliterated.

The earth that had already been flattened once… was now excavated three feet deeper.

And when the smoke and sandstorm finally began to settle—

The landscape had become a new ruin.

The battered survivors, filthy and trembling, didn't dare stick around a moment longer.

They crawled, stumbled, fled—desperate to get away.

They'd already brushed against death twice today.

They couldn't risk a third.

Because if the next Kirin came even slightly off course—

It wouldn't matter if they were friend or foe.

They'd be dead.

Splash!

Far beyond the center of impact, three broken figures reappeared amidst the dust and rubble.

Their clothes were torn, their faces pale as death, and they coughed up blood in unison.

They could barely stand.

The ground where they had stood just moments before was now marked by three charred corpses.

At the last second, Iher had used his Paramecia Substitute-Substitute Fruit again—just like three days ago—swapping himself and his comrades with nearby pirates.

It had saved them…

But not without cost.

Even though they had escaped the epicenter, the force of the blast was still enough to leave them severely injured.

Now, as Iher looked around, he realized something else:

Everyone else had already fled beyond the thousand-meter blast zone.

There was no one nearby to swap places with.

"I didn't expect these counterfeit CP0 to be Devil Fruit users."Luo Yu glanced toward the scorched corpses, then said calmly,"But until I figure out who you really are… you're coming back with me."

BOOM!!

His Conqueror's Haki exploded again.

This time, it didn't take the form of a beast.

It surged like a shockwave, targeted and precise, blasting straight toward Spandine's group.

The attack moved faster than anyone could track.

In the blink of an eye, it crossed the hundreds of meters between them.

Spandine and the others, already wounded and barely able to stand, had no hope of dodging.

Their blood was still boiling, their guts still felt ruptured from the last hit.

And now… another one?

There was nothing left for them to do—

Except scream in rage and despair.

"Damn Navy Admiral! We will file a formal protest with Marineford!!"