CHAPTER 80

The vast, shattered harbor fell into dead silence once again.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the Den Den Mushi in Luo Yu's hand, but none of them could muster a response.

They had imagined that one day, they might be chased down by a Marine…

But never—not even in their worst nightmares—had they thought it would be for a reason like this.

"Cough… Admiral Luo Yu, do you really need to attack people just to take a picture?" Koby finally stumbled into view, his face bloodied and grimy, clearly still reeling from the earlier blow.

If not for the fact that it was precisely five o'clock and Luo Yu had clocked out, he wouldn't have dared show his face at all.

Luo Yu calmly adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and replied:

"At first, I didn't plan on making a move. I was in a hurry. If they had cooperated, I'd have just taken some miserable-looking photos and called it a day.

But impulse is the devil… and they acted too rashly.

So I chopped them up."

The Straw Hats collectively turned to stone.

So it was their fault they got hacked to pieces?!

What kind of divine logic was that?!

But thinking back on what had just happened… even though the explanation felt absolutely infuriating, they could only grit their teeth and swallow it down.

Now they could only silently dread what fate awaited them next.

"Moshi Moshi, this is Sengoku. Luo Yu, did you really defeat the Straw Hat Pirates? Are those photos genuine? Respond immediately!"

The voice of Fleet Admiral Sengoku came through the Den Den Mushi.

Everyone instantly stiffened.

All eyes turned toward Luo Yu.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku," Luo Yu answered casually, "yes, I just chopped them up. The photos were just taken. Vice Admiral Garp and Mr. Bogard are here as witnesses."

"Garp and Bogard were there?" Sengoku was briefly stunned. "I thought that fool Garp might screw this up, and you beat him to the punch."

He paused, then added, "This mission was originally assigned to Garp. But since you've completed it so thoroughly, I'll make sure you're properly rewarded.Go ahead and escort them back."

Nami and the others blanched instantly.

After that utterly one-sided massacre… if Luo Yu really decided to take them in, there was nothing they could do. It would be complete surrender.

"Fleet Admiral, it's past five o'clock now. I'm off duty," Luo Yu said, pulling out his wine gourd and taking a long swig of cheap liquor.

"The prisoner escort duty has been officially handed over to Vice Admiral Garp and Mr. Bogard.As for merit points, just convert mine directly into a cash bonus, thanks."

"According to Admiral-level compensation standards, a bounty under 100 million gets me 1.5 times pay as a bonus."

He pulled out the bounty slip.

"Only 7.5 million berries… but hey, better than nothing."

He sighed.

"Too bad they're all too weak. The highest bounty here is just barely over 100 million. Not even enough to earn me ten million in total."

7.5 million?!

Zoro and the others' faces twitched violently.

Was it really their fault they were weak?!

Altogether, the Straw Hat crew was worth well over 300–400 million berries, maybe more after Enies Lobby.

Not to mention they had just stormed Enies Lobby and defeated Rob Lucci, CP9's strongest weapon in 800 years.

Shouldn't that be worth far more than a paltry 7.5 million?

And yet Luo Yu had stared at them with such disdain, as if even collecting the bounty was a waste of time.

They had been crushed physically before—now their spirits were trampled too.

This was full-body trauma: mind, body, and soul.

"You brat… can't you think about anything other than money?" Sengoku's exasperation bled through the Den Den Mushi.

"I can," Luo Yu smiled. "But overtime requires overtime pay."

"You—!" Sengoku nearly choked. Then he sighed in defeat.

"Fine. Fine. You're off duty. Garp may be unreliable, but at least he can escort the Straw Hats back from Water 7."

"As for your bonus… I won't forget."

He trailed off bitterly.

The moment he remembered Marineford's shattered HQ, the ruined Justice Plaza, and the mounting repair costs, his heart started to ache.

Still, arresting the Straw Hat Pirates—who had overrun Enies Lobby and left CP9 in shambles—was a rare win for the Marines. A badly needed PR victory.

But… Sengoku suddenly thought back to how Garp, when escorting "Axe-Hand" Morgan, got chopped by the prisoner.

A cold sweat crept over him.

He quickly added:

"Garp! You better not screw this up again.These Straw Hats took down Enies Lobby—the first time in 800 years that fortress has ever fallen!"

"Luffy even defeated Rob Lucci—the strongest human weapon CP9 has ever produced.So I want you to stay sharp, and get them back without another 'incident.'"

"Hahaha! Sengoku, you worry too much," Garp's voice roared as he suddenly grabbed the Den Den Mushi from Luo Yu and laughed heartily.

"I'm proud of you, Luffy! You really lived up to being my—"

He froze.

Then he let out a fake cough.

"Ahem… I mean… you heard nothing, Sengoku.Straw Hat Luffy… is not my grandson."

Everyone's face went dark.

Luo Yu had expected Garp to bluff his way through it, but even so… he had to admire the man's sheer audacity.

Shamelessness truly is a superpower.

Who else could lie so baldly to the Fleet Admiral's face and still look proud of himself?

"Garp, you damn fool! Did you just say Straw Hat Luffy is your grandson?!No wonder you were dragging your feet—you arrived two days late!"

Sengoku's furious roar exploded through the Den Den Mushi.

Even the snail was trembling.

Luo Yu calmly took another sip of his liquor.

If Sengoku had a heart condition, he was probably having a full-blown episode right now.

But considering how Garp had been openly sheltering Luffy since the original timeline, this would probably end the same way it always did:

Swept under the rug.

"Luo Yu, I'll pay you," Sengoku growled. "Overtime rates. Escort the Straw Hats back."

Luo Yu's eyes lit up.

The sages were right—heaven truly rewards diligence.

He was already buzzing from the bounty payout.

Now he was getting overtime too?

Not bad at all.

Garp's face stiffened.

He quickly slapped the Den Den Mushi down and hissed:

"Sengoku! That's not fair! This was supposed to be my mission!I've been slacking off for half a year—if I don't deliver something now, I won't have the face to return to HQ!"

"And besides, Luo Yu's already clocked out! Making him work overtime… that's murder on your wallet! Think of the budget!"

Even as he deflected, Luo Yu noticed something and narrowed his eyes.

He suddenly turned his head toward the harbor's inlet.

A split-second earlier—he had sensed it.

A faint, almost imperceptible killing intent.

As he expanded his Observation Haki, a new presence slowly came into focus—an uninvited guest.

"Fleet Admiral," Luo Yu said flatly, tightening his grip on the Den Den Mushi,"We'll need to revise the overtime project."