CHAPTER 86- The Search for CP9 in the Shadows of Sabaody

"Hey, brat, don't forget your promise! You said you'd cover all the senbei for Garp. Sengoku hasn't lent me a single beri recently..."

As the voice echoed from the Den Den Mushi, Koby—who had been standing quietly to the side—wore a bitter expression.

This was a classic case of getting hit while lying down!

"Admiral Luo Yu, why am I the one paying for something you promised to Vice Admiral Garp?"

"Why?" Luo Yu took a sip of his cheap liquor and bit into a steamed bun.

"Because I'm broke!"

"Broke?" Koby smiled helplessly. "Admiral Luo Yu, your bonuses probably add up to ten times my salary. Not to mention, the money you borrowed while onboard Garp's ship—you haven't repaid that either…"

"Repay?" Luo Yu adjusted his glasses as the abandoned pier came into view. "Relax. If you borrow and repay, you're an honest man. But if you borrow and repay late, you're a man of culture. I'll pay it back eventually."

"Oh, right—didn't you stir up something back in Water 7? I almost forgot!"

"Ah! Admiral Luo Yu, Fleet Admiral Sengoku told us to focus on building military merit and to downplay material greed, to embrace the spirit of selfless service. I still have some of last month's salary left—I'll go buy senbei for Vice Admiral Garp right away!"

Koby's spine straightened as he quickly replied, fearing that with a single wrong word, Luo Yu might knock him out on the spot—especially with that Flying Six member tied up behind them like a dumpling.

"Admiral Luo Yu, we've successfully anchored. Shall we disembark now?" Helmeppo hurried forward to report.

"But… Admiral Luo Yu, why are we stopping at this abandoned Island No. 13?"

The Sabaody Archipelago, a vital hub linking the first and second halves of the Grand Line, was divided into 79 distinct areas.

Among them were lawless zones, Marine branches—and places like this one: abandoned islands left to rot.

Because pirates were unable to cross the Red Line to reach the New World directly, they were forced to gather at Sabaody and rely on coated ships—using the route through Fish-Man Island to reach the New World.

This reality gave rise to Sabaody's unique and chaotic prosperity.

Indeed, life was full of ironies—its logic never failed.

Luo Yu sighed with a sip of his earthy liquor before leaping ashore.

Ain, who had been waiting, strode forward to report.

"Admiral Luo Yu, Vice Admirals Gion and Cha Jin entered the Sabaody Archipelago three days ago to search, but so far, CP9 remains missing."

"Gion and Cha Jin are both here?" Luo Yu raised his brows in mild surprise.

But then again, considering CP9 held top clearance as the government's elite intelligence unit within Enies Lobby—each of them wielding authority above most Marines—this made sense.

Not only did they rival high-ranking officers in strength, Rob Lucci himself had already surpassed the average vice admiral.

Capturing CP9 wouldn't be easy if led by just any Marine force.

More critically, CP9 had access to highly classified government secrets—information that could shatter the fragile image the World Government had worked so hard to preserve.

And so, when CP9 failed their mission and Spandam framed them as traitors, their fate was sealed—total erasure.

"Is that the new admiral who's been stirring up waves across the sea? Doesn't look that special..."

A young girl beside Ain with short orange hair and a Marine captain's cape muttered under her breath.

Ain quickly glared at her and rushed to explain, "Admiral Luo Yu, Isuka meant no offense. She's just returned from the first half of the Grand Line and is curious about you."

Realizing her slip, Isuka blushed and bowed hurriedly.

"Admiral Luo Yu, I didn't mean anything disrespectful!"

"I know," Luo Yu took another drink and suddenly recalled something. "You're that rookie who chased Fire Fist Ace all across the Grand Line, right?"

"We're both rookies—no need to be so uptight."

At first, Isuka beamed, feeling honored to be recognized by such a famous admiral. But her joy quickly froze as the rest of his comment hit her like a slap.

"Admiral Luo Yu… that's kind of a dimensional blow. You're an admiral, and I'm just a captain. I feel like I'm dragging down the rookie average…"

"But Admiral Luo Yu," she continued, "Ain told me you boarded Whitebeard's Moby Dick recently—and actually left unscathed. You must have met Fire Fist Ace. He turned down a Warlord invitation and became the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."

"A lot of people are comparing you to Fire Fist Ace now. Between the two of you, who's stronger?"

Luo Yu was slightly taken aback by her sudden barrage of questions. But then he remembered—wasn't Isuka the one who once tried to persuade Ace to accept the Warlord offer in the original timeline?

He took a slow sip of liquor and answered casually, "He's probably a bit stronger."

"Ace is stronger?" Isuka blinked, clearly not expecting that answer.

After all, how many of the new generation wouldn't hype themselves up? No one would willingly admit they were weaker than another rising star.

Luo Yu's honesty caught her completely off guard.

"Isuka, Admiral Luo Yu is joking! You can't seriously believe Fire Fist Ace is stronger," Ain quickly interjected.

"Admiral Luo Yu walked off the Moby Dick unharmed! I'm sure the world will come to see it too—Admiral Luo Yu is at least a little stronger!"

"Right, Admiral Luo Yu?"

Watching the two young officers argue with such seriousness, Luo Yu rolled his eyes.

"Hard to say. I haven't fought him, so maybe he is just a little stronger. But now's not the time for this. Don't forget—we're here to find CP9. Any leads yet?"

Both Ain and Isuka quickly snapped back to the present, setting their debate aside for duty.

"Admiral Luo Yu," Isuka stepped forward and reported, "Three days ago, I led a team alongside Vice Admiral Gion to search the Sabaody Archipelago. After some signs of CP9 activity were spotted, they vanished completely. Vice Admiral Cha Jin now suspects they've already left Sabaody."

"They left Sabaody?" Luo Yu frowned.

His treasure chest had just been upgraded to gold, and he'd been planning to use this mission to earn some performance bonuses and splurge on a tenfold lottery draw.

If CP9 really had slipped away and left him with nothing to show for it—what a waste.