"He really is the Fourth Admiral—Glutton Luoyu!"
The image from the front page of the newspaper grew clearer in Yuri's mind.
When he saw that composed face behind the gold-rimmed glasses, perfectly matching the one in his memory, a chill ran down his spine.
"Fall back—now!" Yuri shouted in panic.
But the moment the words left his mouth, a formless breeze swept across the dock.
The hundred pirates charging at Luoyu suddenly froze mid-stride, just three to five meters away from him.
It was as if they'd been hit by a paralysis spell.
The bizarre scene left the remaining pirates stunned.
Just moments ago, the air had been thick with bloodlust—now it had gone eerily still.
"Rock, why aren't you moving? This isn't the time to joke around!" one pirate snapped, jabbing the stiff figure in front of him.
The next moment, everyone's pupils shrank, their eyes nearly bursting from their sockets.
Crimson jets of blood erupted from the bodies of the hundred pirates.
Scarlet slash marks bloomed across their skin like fireworks—brilliant and terrifying.
As the hot blood splattered to the ground, the pirates who had charged Luoyu screamed and collapsed, torn apart by invisible blades.
In an instant, severed limbs and mangled corpses littered the dock.
Over a hundred bodies crashed into pools of blood.
The sea breeze swirled through the dock, carrying the stench of blood. Everyone stared at the lone figure standing atop the carnage, as if they'd seen a ghost.
They had expected the Fourth Admiral to fight.
But they never imagined Luoyu would wipe out over a hundred pirates with a mere lift of his hand.
Sure, there were many powerful figures on the seas.
But to kill so many without them even realizing how they died—that was monstrous.
The dock fell into a deathly silence.
Even Gion and Chaton aboard the warship looked visibly shaken.
They had seen Luoyu's strength before, but only now, on the battlefield, did they grasp the true terror of it.
To stand still and instantly kill over a hundred enemies—
It wasn't just a physical blow to the enemy.
It was a psychological one—pure, paralyzing fear.
"Admiral Luoyu, can we really get intel from these people?" Gion asked as she landed beside him.
As a seasoned Marine, she had already surveyed the dock.
Aside from the axe-wielding pirate Yuri, who had an 89 million bounty, the others were nobodies in the New World.
Getting intel on Whitebeard's whereabouts from them seemed unlikely.
"Don't worry, Vice Admiral Gion," Luoyu said, taking a swig of his local brew. "I thought we'd have to visit a few more places to find a lead, but it looks like we've stumbled upon a surprise. A fresh start to the workweek indeed."
He glanced around the blood-soaked dock and smiled.
"I don't think I need to explain myself any further."
"To those who've been watching from the shadows—don't you think it's time to come out?"
People in hiding?
Gion and Chaton froze, then quickly activated their Observation Haki.
Everything that had just happened had caught them completely off guard.
Luoyu's sudden, unorthodox methods had left them reeling.
Now, prompted by his words, they sensed dozens of hidden figures behind the rocks.
Could these be the ones Luoyu was counting on to track down the Whitebeard Pirates?
"Heh… I didn't expect to run into the Navy's rising star—Fourth Admiral Glutton Luoyu—here of all places."
A chuckle echoed from behind the rocks.
A towering man, over two meters tall, stepped out. He had sharp black horns protruding from his head.
Around his waist was a belt engraved with the emblem of the Beasts Pirates.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
"That's Sheep's Head! A Beasts Pirates officer with a bounty of 180 million Berries! What's he doing here?" Gion's expression darkened.
This was Whitebeard's territory.
Though the Four Emperors didn't often clash directly, skirmishes were not uncommon.
If the Whitebeard Pirates discovered Beasts Pirates encroaching on their turf, a bloody conflict would be inevitable.
For Sheep's Head to appear here was highly suspicious.
"Sheep's Head, you're back! That Navy Admiral said he was looking for you. Our men tried to stop him, and he slaughtered them all!" Yuri blurted out, still trembling from the massacre.
To him, Sheep's Head—bearing the Beasts Pirates' name—was a lifeline.
After all, the title of a Yonko carried serious weight.
Normally, even in direct encounters, the Navy and Yonko crews would exercise restraint.
"Calm down, Yuri," Sheep's Head said, pushing through the crowd with a sinister grin. "I'm sure this new Admiral didn't know you were under my command. That's why he acted rashly."
As one of the Beasts Pirates and a top lieutenant of Jack the Drought, Sheep's Head had inherited Jack's arrogance.
More importantly, he knew that behind him stood a captain who was fiercely protective of his own—Kaido, the so-called "Strongest Creature in the World."
That's why, even after learning Luoyu's identity, Sheep's Head still dared to stand there, grinning.
Looking at the absurdly young Fourth Admiral before him, Sheep's Head's smile widened.
"So, you're the Navy's new Fourth Admiral—Glutton Luoyu."
"You're here to investigate Whitebeard and Red-Haired, aren't you?"
"Our Beasts Pirates and your Navy have always stayed out of each other's way. I suggest you leave now. If our boss Kaido finds out you're here, the Navy won't be able to handle the consequences."
"You bastard! How dare you talk to Admiral Luoyu like that!" Helmeppo shouted furiously.
In Marine Headquarters, an Admiral represented the highest level of power—the pride and face of the Navy.
To be spoken to so disrespectfully by a mere 180 million bounty officer was outrageous.
The other Marines on the ship also scowled.
Gion and Chaton's expressions darkened slightly, but they said nothing. Instead, Gion raised a hand to stop Helmeppo.
"Don't be rash. He's with a Yonko. This requires a different approach."