"They struck first."
Everyone froze.
No one expected that a full-fledged Admiral could be so shameless—redefining the lower limits of human decency.
In the blink of an eye, Luoyu had dumped all the blame squarely on the Beasts Pirates.
And yet, no one—neither Marine nor pirate—could refute it.
The previously frustrated Marines suddenly lit up, quickly chiming in:
"That's right! We all saw it. The pirates attacked first. Admiral Luoyu didn't even lift a finger."
"Exactly! They struck first, but they were so weak they couldn't even touch a hair on the Admiral's head before getting blown away."
"Classic case of self-inflicted disaster. Weaklings trying to act tough and paying with their lives!"
"…"
The scene erupted.
Marines all started talking over each other, voices rising in a chorus of righteous indignation.
The pirates nearby turned pale with fury.
As pirates, they were no strangers to shamelessness.
But they never imagined the Marines could outdo them at their own game.
And now, even their biggest source of confidence—the Beasts Pirates officer—had been smashed into a cliff and left for dead.
Their earlier bravado had completely evaporated.
At this point, they wished they could disappear into the background—or better yet, find a way to slip away unnoticed.
"Admiral Luoyu…" Gion sighed bitterly, watching the Marines pile on. She felt like a balloon deflating.
When Vice Admiral Tsuru had assigned her and Chaton to accompany Luoyu on this surveillance mission, it was partly to keep him in check—just in case he went overboard chasing that ten-million-Berry performance bonus.
But they never imagined that before even locating Whitebeard or Red-Haired, Luoyu would already have wiped out a Beasts Pirates squad.
The speed at which he kicked the hornet's nest was… terrifying.
"Relax, Vice Admiral Gion. Out here on the seas, the rule is simple: whoever picks the fight is the fool," Luoyu said with a grin, taking a swig of his local brew.
"As the Navy's new Admiral, I don't mind being underestimated. But when they actually attack me? If I don't respond, I'd be disgracing Marine Headquarters. If anyone's to blame, it's them—for being too weak."
"Now that we've cleaned up, let's get to business."
"Sheep's Head, I know you're not dead. Playing possum won't save you. If Kaido finds out, he might reward you with a Thunder Bagua."
The earlier burst of Conqueror's Haki had indeed been amplified by Luoyu's psychic control.
But he'd only used half his strength.
He wanted a legitimate reason to interrogate someone.
If he'd gone all out, there wouldn't be a single pirate left standing.
"You arrogant bastard! I, Sheep's Head, am one of Jack's top men. I don't play dead. If you want my head as a trophy, come and take it!" Sheep's Head growled, staggering out of the crater, bloodied and twitching.
His trembling muscles betrayed him—Luoyu had clearly guessed his intent.
Especially those arms, now limp and twisted unnaturally at his sides.
Everyone's eyes locked on them.
The earlier attack had been so fast, they hadn't fully grasped its power.
But now, seeing the aftermath, they all gasped.
A Yonko officer with a bounty of 180 million Berries had not only failed to land a hit—he'd crippled himself.
Both arms were ruined.
Was this really the so-called "overrated" Fourth Admiral?
"Kill you?" Luoyu adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and shook his head with a smile.
"Relax. I don't plan to kill you."
"You're a Beasts Pirates officer, sneaking into Whitebeard's territory. I doubt you're here for a vacation."
"I want to know where the Moby Dick is. Tell me, and we'll leave."
The Moby Dick?
Sheep's Head's expression changed. He hadn't expected Luoyu to go this far just for that.
But Luoyu wasn't wrong. The Beasts Pirates had infiltrated Whitebeard's territory for the same reason—to find out whether Whitebeard and Red-Haired were forming an alliance.
In the New World, the Four Emperors maintained a delicate balance. No one could topple another alone.
But if two joined forces, that balance would shatter.
Even Kaido—who constantly flirted with death—might not survive a Yonko alliance.
To avoid being caught off guard, not just the Beasts Pirates, but even Big Mom's crew had sent agents into Whitebeard's domain.
As Luoyu approached, Sheep's Head's face darkened. Gritting his teeth, he said, "No. We don't know where the Moby Dick is."
"If you don't believe me, go ahead and kill me."
In his mind, Luoyu was the type to strike without warning.
But he was still alive.
That's why Sheep's Head decided to gamble.
He bet Luoyu wouldn't really go to war with a Yonko.
"You don't know?" Luoyu raised an eyebrow and sighed.
"I was hoping to avoid unnecessary trouble. But if you don't know where the Moby Dick is, and I don't want to lose that ten-million-Berry bonus…"
"Then I'll just tie you up and have someone call Kaido for ransom. Let's see if your life is worth even a single piece of intel."
Ransom?
Extorting Kaido?
Was he insane?
The entire dock fell into stunned silence.
They'd already been shocked that Luoyu came here for intel on the Moby Dick.
But now he was talking about calling Kaido and demanding ransom?
If that wasn't madness, what was?
And that ten-million-Berry bonus he kept mentioning…
Was it really worth more than Sheep's Head's 180 million bounty?
Was the bonus more valuable than his head?
In that moment, every remaining pirate and Marine stared at Luoyu.
Even Gion and Chaton weren't exceptions.
They all desperately wanted to know—was Luoyu actually serious?