CHAPTER 169- One Million for a Celestial Dragon

Sengoku and the others froze in place.

That answer from Luo Yu—completely out of left field—caught them entirely off guard.

Sengoku had braced himself, even prepared for the heart-wrenching duty of sacrificing personal ties for justice.

Yet now, it felt like he'd thrown a punch into a pillow. The tension he'd been steeling himself for had nowhere to land.Still, the boulder that had been pressing on his chest… quietly rolled away.

The panic that had filled his expression moments ago vanished. His eyes narrowed in mock anger as he barked:

"Luo Yu! Who gave you permission to make decisions like that on your own?! That man possesses the power of the Ope Ope no Mi—do you have any idea what that means?"

"But…" Sengoku's tone softened as he added, "seeing as it's your first offense, I'll let it slide."

"Bringing back a Warlord of the Sea—well, even I have to admit, you exceeded expectations."

"So—your original bonus was 30 million berries. I'm raising it to 50 million. Let that be encouragement for you to stay on the right track."

Fifty million?!

Luo Yu blinked.

So this is what high-ranking officials call "roundabout diplomacy"? Quite the trick.

Turning to glance at Doflamingo, who was still feigning unconsciousness in the corner, Luo Yu chuckled and raised his wine gourd."Much appreciated, Fleet Admiral Sengoku."

"If there's another Warlord to capture next time, remember to call me."

"But I'd like to give a little warning in advance—next time, Doflamingo's bonus might need to double again. Best keep him from doing anything stupid."

Sengoku's expression darkened slightly as he glanced at Doflamingo, who was now being carried past on a stretcher.

As they brushed past each other, Sengoku sighed quietly.

"Doflamingo, you heard what he said. You'd best behave yourself."

"Next time, I really don't want to spend a fortune on you again."

On the stretcher, Doflamingo's eyelids twitched violently.

If not for the setting and the fact that he knew full well he wasn't Luo Yu's match, he would've jumped up and thrown a flurry of punches right there.

What hurt the most wasn't the beating.It was the fact that he had tried to drag Trafalgar Law into the mud—only for things to turn into a heartwarming family reunion.

And worse—Luo Yu was praised for inviting him back, and even earned a 20 million bonus for it.

To Doflamingo, it felt like his face had been ground into the dirt in front of everyone.

Suddenly—

BZZZ BZZZ!

"Urgent alert! Urgent alert! World Noble Saint Charlos has been attacked by pirates in the Sabaody Archipelago!"

"Marine HQ is to immediately dispatch support. A top-ranking Admiral is requested to suppress the threat!"

The shrill call from the Den Den Mushi came without warning.

Luo Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise.

In the original timeline, only one person dared attack a Celestial Dragon at Sabaody.

If memory served, this should be the event where all the Supernovas finally converged.

But what caught his attention was the phrasing of the request—

They specifically asked for an Admiral to respond?

Was this fallout from the earlier Gate of Justice incident, where the Celestial Dragons' prestige had been damaged?

"An Admiral for a Celestial Dragon?" Sengoku's face turned grave.

A Marine aide rushed up to Vice Admiral Tsuru and saluted."Fleet Admiral Sengoku! This time, the ones attacking the Celestial Dragon include multiple Supernovas. Based on reports, the culprits are Straw Hat Luffy, Captain Kidd, and Trafalgar Law."

"Furthermore, other Supernovas have also appeared across the Sabaody Archipelago, especially at Island #1."

"If we want to capture them all in one sweep, we'll need an Admiral to intervene."

"There's more—Pluton Rayleigh was also spotted at the Auction House."

"Rayleigh?!"

Sengoku's face changed drastically.

Supernovas were still within the realm of manageable threats.

But if the Dark King Rayleigh was involved, there was no question—an Admiral would be absolutely necessary.

"Fleet Admiral," Tsuru said calmly, "Akainu and Aokiji are already coordinating forces elsewhere. Kizaru is with the science division arranging reinforcements. If you want Kizaru to respond, he'll need at least an hour."

"However, Admiral Luo Yu is nearest to Sabaody—he can arrive within minutes."

"…Provided we finalize the bonus first."

"Again with the bonus?" Sengoku's cheek twitched violently.

Looking at Luo Yu, still smiling and sipping away, Sengoku gritted his teeth.

"If I'd known this was coming, I wouldn't have added anything for capturing Doflamingo!"

"This time—one million berries. Not a single bera more. If you don't agree, I'll go myself!"

"But remember—do NOT touch the Celestial Dragon. Or I'll be the one who can't answer for it."

One million berries?!

Even Smoker and the others were stunned.

If word got out that a World Noble—a "God" of the One Piece world—was reduced to a 1 million bounty, the same as a common slave in the Auction House…

What would the world think?

Luo Yu downed another gulp, tilted his gourd, and laughed."Deal. One million it is. Better than nothing."

"I'll be back soon."

He glanced at Smoker and the others.

"Wait for me at Dock 1."

Leaving those words behind, Luo Yu took a single step forward—And vanished like a ghost.

By the time the others reacted, Luo Yu was already hundreds of meters away, streaking through the air like an arrow loosed from a bow.

In just a few heartbeats, his figure was gone.

"…I swear," Sengoku muttered, twitching again. "When it comes to Luo Yu, nothing works better than throwing money at him."

"This kid," Sengoku added, still watching the horizon, "I thought he'd try to bargain or something."

"But this time, with both Law and the Celestial Dragons involved—he actually agreed right away. That's… a first."

Just then, Tsuru gave a dry cough.

"Actually, Sengoku, seeing how generous you were with the reward just now… I debated whether to tell you this, but I think I'd better."

"Tina reported to me that five days ago, Doflamingo contacted the Gorosei for help."

"And Luo Yu, in front of the Gorosei themselves, smashed Doflamingo into the ground again."

"So… I think that brat just tricked you into taking the fall for that whole scene."

"…He attacked someone in front of the Gorosei… and made me take the heat?!"

Sengoku's face froze.

Was he just sold out… and helped count the money too?

And he'd even been grinning when he did it!

Recalling how gleefully he'd announced Luo Yu's bonus earlier, Sengoku's rage shot to the surface.

"That little brat! Garp, did you hear that?! He has the audacity to betray me—what else is he capable of next time?!"

"Also—what the hell are you doing, counting on your fingers over there?! Speak up, or I'll clobber you!"

Garp paused, blinking innocently.

"You sure you want me to tell you?"

Seeing Sengoku's glaring eyes practically shoot daggers, Garp scratched his head and sighed.

"Well… since you insist…"

"Ahem. Sengoku, your hobbies really are something else."

"But since Luo Yu calls me 'Grandpa'... and now he calls you his 'grandson'… I was just calculating—what does that make you to me?"

"Hmm… my great-grandson, maybe?"

"GET OUT!!"