A blinding white light burst forth in the consciousness space.
Luo Yu was a little surprised as he looked at the platinum treasure chest quietly floating in midair.
According to the system, the Platinum Chest Trial Pack would grant a one-hour trial card.
After experiencing it, he could choose to purchase it or draw again.
It was basically a "ride first, pay later" kind of deal.
Originally, Luo Yu thought such shady tactics only existed in his previous life—he didn't expect to see them in the era of Sea Kings too.
Still, it suited him perfectly.
Upgrading the Gold Chest to Platinum had already cost him 100 million Berries.
If he spent another 100 million only to get something useless, it would seriously kill his motivation.
Staring at the platinum chest floating in his consciousness, Luo Yu exhaled deeply.
"System, open the Platinum Chest Trial Pack!"
"Ding! Please wait, Host!"
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, you've received…"
The system's ethereal voice rang out again and again.
Luo Yu's pupils narrowed as he looked at the reward appearing in his consciousness.
Was this… a god-tier trial pack?
"ROAR!"
A deep, guttural growl erupted without warning.
Luo Yu exited the consciousness space and looked ahead—where the Sea Kings that had been blocking their path were now fleeing in terror, as if they'd encountered their natural predator.
Aramaki, who had just extended a vine to snag one of them, froze mid-motion and roared in frustration:
"Damn it! Who the hell scared off my prey? I swear I'll drain them dry!"
Everyone on the ship was startled by the sudden commotion.
At first, they assumed Luo Yu had used his Conqueror's Haki to drive the Sea Kings away.
But in that moment, they hadn't sensed his usual overwhelming aura.
Instead, the Sea Kings had fled like they'd seen something truly terrifying.
Luo Yu raised an eyebrow, then chuckled and took a swig of his earthy liquor.
"Aramaki, I was worried you'd overeat and not be able to drain them. Looks like we've arrived."
"Me? Overeat?"
Aramaki rolled his eyes in disdain, about to retort.
But then he saw the thick mist spreading across the sea, and the colossal shadow looming through it.
His expression froze.
For the first time, he had no comeback.
If he really tried to poke that thing…
He'd be like a mosquito to a mountain.
"So… this is Zou, home of the Mink Tribe. Truly magnificent. I can't believe Admiral Luo Yu actually found this legendary place. Guess riding this ship wasn't a bad decision after all."
Naguri chuckled, pipe in mouth.
At his age, he'd chosen to go back to sea simply to see the world.
And ever since boarding this ship, his eyes had been opened.
Beating up Warlords, tying up Celestial Dragons, punching people in front of the Five Elders…
And now, declaring war on the Yonko.
This was living on the edge.
"Heh, you're right, old man," Fujitora said with a smile.
"I used to think this world was too filthy to look at. But now I'm glad I didn't miss this. Sometimes, I really want to open my eyes and see what Admiral Luo Yu looks like."
He looked ahead into the mist.
A massive elephant leg suddenly stepped out of the fog and slammed down a kilometer away from the warship, sending a tidal wave sweeping across the sea like a hurricane.
"Fujitora, I'll leave this to you. There's a 40 million bounty waiting here."
Luo Yu smiled and took another swig.
Now wasn't the time to worry about Sengoku's wallet.
With Platinum Chests costing over 100 million each, he had to seize every chance to earn.
"Heh, don't worry, Admiral Luo Yu. I'm curious myself—how exactly do you plan to earn that 40 million?"
Fujitora's cane-sword slid partially from its sheath, and a wave of purple energy enveloped the entire ship.
The next moment, as the tidal wave approached, the ship soared into the sky.
Meanwhile, on Zou, in the Mokomo Dukedom—
A dozen figures gathered in the plaza.
As one of the rarest races on the sea, the Mink Tribe had long been prized in the slave trade.
Their starting price wasn't high—just 700,000 Berries.
But they were often favorites of the nobility, especially the females, who fetched astronomical prices.
Because of this, the Minks harbored deep hatred toward humans.
Zou was located in the Calm Belt, but not far from Dressrosa—just a day's journey away.
However, Zou wasn't an island, but a massive, constantly moving creature.
The only way to reach it was with a Vivre Card.
As a result, very few people ever found or set foot on Zou.
Still, its defenses were tight.
Aside from the two kings who ruled day and night, dozens of powerful Mink warriors guarded the land.
They were divided into the Musketeer Squad and the Guardians.
It was still over an hour until the 6 o'clock shift change.
But unlike their kings, who rarely spoke, the squads got along well.
"Wanda, bringing Carrot out again today? Looks like you've got high hopes for her."
Pedro, the jaguar Mink in a pale green cloak and leader of the Guardians, took a sip of wine and smiled.
Several others smiled warmly as well.
Wanda, a canine Mink, was known for both her beauty and strength—respected by both squads.
She smiled and ruffled Carrot's hair.
"Hehe, Carrot's been called the most likely successor to the kings. For their sake, I have to train her well—so I brought her out to see the world."
"Oh, and Carrot—don't forget our tribe's taboo. Tonight's a full moon. Don't look up at it. If you lose control and transform, you'll become a rampaging beast. It would be a disaster for you and everyone else."
As she spoke, Wanda turned to look behind her—
Only to see Carrot already gazing up at the sky.
"Wanda-sis, the moon looks like a boat tonight!"