"Fake CP0?"
Ulti froze.
She hadn't expected that.
In the past, just flashing her CP0 credentials was enough to silence anyone.
But Luoyu had dismissed her with a single sentence—shattering her worldview.
—
Smoker and the others also paused.
That line… it felt familiar.
A memory surfaced.
Smoker couldn't hold back.
"Grab me—don't let go!"
"Smoke Tunnel!"
BOOM!
Smoke erupted from Smoker's body like a volcano.
Using the recoil, he launched himself, Tashigi, and Ain a hundred meters away.
—
Before traveling with Luoyu, Smoker would've never imagined his Smoke-Smoke Fruit could be used for emergency retreats.
But remembering what happened to the last person who claimed to be CP0 in front of Luoyu—
His spine turned cold.
—
Ulti stood frozen, watching the trio vanish into the distance.
Panic surged.
She turned to Luoyu.
Surely her Phantom Fox Fruit's charm ability would protect her.
—
But before the thought finished forming—
A tidal wave of Conqueror's Haki slammed into her.
—
It was like being hit by a hundred-meter Sea King.
—
SPLURT!
Ulti coughed blood.
Her body shot through the air like a cannonball, crashing hundreds of meters away.
The impact shattered the rocky ground, leaving a massive crater.
—
Dust and debris rained down.
Ulti lay at the center, eyes wide, struggling to move.
Then—stillness.
—
Even as she faded into unconsciousness, one thought lingered:
Am I not pretty enough?
Why do pretty girls get hit so hard?
And why doesn't CP0 work on this guy?
—
"A-Admiral Luoyu… was that really necessary?"
Ain finally spoke, her cheek twitching as she stared at the beautiful figure embedded in the crater.
—
She remembered how her own will to act had been erased by Ulti's charm.
And yet Luoyu had just… flattened her.
—
"What's wrong with it?" Luoyu took a swig of his cheap liquor.
"I went through all that trouble to bag a billion-berry prize, and some random woman jumps out claiming to be CP0 and tries to take him?"
"Why should I bother doing the work, then?"
"Besides, I'm just a rookie. I don't know anyone."
"You handle the rest. I'm off the clock."
—
With that, he turned and walked away.
—
Smoker and the others stood there, stunned.
—
**"Only a rookie" could justify anything.
That was peak Luoyu.**
—
But as they looked back at Jack and Ulti—
A strange unease crept in.
—
If Marine HQ found out about this…
Would it be considered a triumph—or a disaster?
—
Meanwhile — Marine HQ, Strategy Hall.
—
With the Blackbeard deal looming and the risk of clashing with the Whitebeard Pirates rising, Fleet Admiral Sengoku had held multiple emergency meetings.
Contingency plans were in place.
—
But the tense atmosphere was shattered—
By the sound of a Den Den Mushi being crushed in Sengoku's hand.
—
Everyone in the room felt a chill.
—
"Sengoku, was that Admiral Luoyu's call?" Tsuru asked, frowning.
As Chief of Staff, she'd rarely seen Sengoku lose composure.
—
Actually, ever since Luoyu's "exceptional" promotion, Sengoku's nerves had been… frayed.
—
Sengoku took a breath, looked at the shattered snail, and said:
"Yeah. That brat called."
"Every time he calls, it's bad news. I'm getting PTSD."
"Just now, he asked me how much a Calamity's bounty is. I snapped and crushed the snail."
—
"A Calamity's bounty?" Tsuru blinked.
"Only Kaido's top three are called Calamities. Luoyu's had run-ins with the Beasts Pirates before."
"He's still got a Flying Six member tied to his mast, hasn't sent him to Impel Down yet."
"Sengoku… you think he actually ran into one of the Calamities?"
—
"A Calamity?"
Sengoku's face darkened.
"Each of them has a bounty of at least a billion. Their Devil Fruit mastery is top-tier."
"They're Kaido's most dangerous lieutenants. None of them are easy targets."
—
"You're worried Admiral Luoyu can't handle it?" Vice Admiral Momonga asked.
—
He'd seen Luoyu crush Weevil like a twig.
To suggest Luoyu couldn't win?
Unthinkable.
—
"No, I'm not saying he's weak," Sengoku said.
"Even if he can't beat a Calamity, they can't beat him either."
"But we're already preparing for a clash with Whitebeard. If Luoyu keeps provoking Kaido, that lunatic will come knocking."
"I want Luoyu to avoid the Calamities for now—at least until the Ace situation is resolved."
—
"Agreed," Tsuru nodded. "It's only been a few minutes since that call. We need to contact him before something else happens."
—
She turned to Garp.
Only he and Sengoku had direct lines to Luoyu.
—
But when she looked—
Her heart skipped.
—
Garp cleared his throat and placed a fax on the table.
"That brat just sent me this. I didn't get it at first. Now I do."
—
Everyone crowded around the paper.
—
"Target secured. Bounty pending. Don't wait up."