Feeling the weight of the stares around him, Mahā—agent of CP0—showed not the slightest hint of unease. Seeing Sengoku's furious expression, he casually pulled out another document and chuckled.
"Heh, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, if you hadn't reminded me, I would've forgotten—I have a second document here."
"Before I left, the Five Elders emphasized repeatedly that I mustn't forget to show you this. It contains a more 'reasonable' proposal and the location for the second battlefield. Take a look."
"You—!" Sengoku was momentarily speechless.
He hadn't expected the Five Elders to come so well-prepared. Clearly, this wasn't just idle talk.
Still, as Fleet Admiral, Sengoku took the document with a grim face. But the moment he opened it, his expression changed again.
"They want to designate Impel Down as the second battlefield? And have Warden Magellan participate?"
"The Science Division will send fifty Pacifistas as reinforcements? And all I need to do is assign a relatively inexperienced admiral and a few other officers to form the second line of defense?"
Sengoku slammed the document down, voice rising in anger.
"Mahā, have the Five Elders lost their minds? Impel Down as the second battlefield?"
"Magellan may be as strong as an admiral, but no matter how many troops you throw in, facing Kaido of the Beasts, that front will collapse like wet paper!"
"And now you want me to send Luo Yu to lead the defense? That's not just suicide—it's practically handing Impel Down over to the enemy!"
"Don't forget who's imprisoned there. If they escape, the entire sea will descend into chaos!"
"Is that what the World Government wants?"
The other Marine officers had already read the document.
As for the "inexperienced admiral," it didn't take a genius to figure out who the Five Elders were targeting.
They might as well have written his name in bold.
No one had expected Luo Yu—reckless as he was, even striking Celestial Dragons—to be singled out like this.
"Heh, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the Five Elders are well aware of the risks," Mahā said with a dry laugh, unfazed by Sengoku's fury.
"That's why they're deploying fifty Pacifistas—cutting-edge weapons that cost a billion to develop."
"This is their show of sincerity."
"Of course, if you reject their proposal and refuse to open a second front, the Pacifistas won't be wasted on your 'unscientific' tactics."
"Besides, even if you don't trust Magellan, surely you trust the admiral you personally promoted. He'll hold the line until HQ wins and reinforcements arrive to crush Kaido."
His words echoed through the war room, leaving everyone grim-faced.
According to Tsuru's intel, Kaido's forces were at least as strong—if not stronger—than Whitebeard's.
Now they were expected to pit a rookie admiral and Magellan against that?
Even if Magellan was admiral-level, this was a gamble with the odds stacked against them.
Sengoku's face darkened further.
Seeing this, Mahā pressed on.
"What's wrong, Fleet Admiral? Are you rejecting the Five Elders' goodwill? If so, I'll go report back now."
He turned to leave.
But just as he moved, an unexpected voice rang out:
"Heh… Fleet Admiral Sengoku, there's no reason to refuse a free gift."
"We'll take the fifty Pacifistas. And I, Luo Yu, will take the second battlefield."
The lazy drawl dropped like a stone into still water, sending ripples through the room.
Everyone tensed and turned toward the voice.
Even Mahā froze.
At the doorway stood a familiar figure, gourd in hand, strolling in with his usual languid air.
He hadn't changed at all.
Mahā's face turned cold.
The atmosphere he had carefully orchestrated was now shattered—and he didn't like it.
Still, he forced a smile.
"Heh… I didn't expect to meet the legendary Admiral Luo Yu so soon. I thought you'd show up fashionably late—once the war began."
"But perhaps you didn't quite catch the details of our discussion. That's why you made such a hasty decision."
"No matter. I'll give you a second chance to reconsider after reviewing the proposal."
He turned to hand over the document.
Luo Yu took a swig from his gourd and waved it off with a grin.
"Reading it won't change anything."
"But Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I just secured fifty Pacifistas for you. That's worth at least twenty million in bonus pay, right?"
"Twenty million?"
Sengoku's face twitched.
He remembered all too well Luo Yu's obsession with bounties and bonuses.
But that familiar attitude—so uniquely Luo Yu—actually eased some of the tension in the room.
Even Sengoku's anger began to fade.
The oppressive atmosphere lightened.
Several officers who had worked with Luo Yu before couldn't help but brighten.
Nearby, Burning Mountain glanced at the visibly excited Dalmatian and raised an eyebrow.
"Dalmatian, weren't you just worried a moment ago? Now that Admiral Luo Yu's agreed to lead the second front, why do you look so thrilled?"
Other officers noticed too.
Even Sengoku had hesitated—yet Luo Yu had accepted without blinking.
They couldn't understand why Dalmatian was smiling.
Dalmatian rolled his eyes, realizing his reaction had drawn attention.
Seeing the anxious faces of the younger officers, he lowered his voice and said:
"You don't get it. If Admiral Luo Yu mentions money—it's as good as done."
"Everyone has a price. But Admiral Luo Yu? He never says no to a payday. That's the kind of terrifying reliability that comes with a price tag."