CHAPTER 172-The Worst Generation Crushed – The Might of a True Admiral

"R-retreat?!"

Rear Admiral Ryan stood frozen, his mind blank.

In all his years as a Marine, he had received countless battle orders.

But never—never—had he seen one with a single character:

"Escape."

He opened his mouth in disbelief. But the moment he remembered the identity of the man standing before him—the same Admiral who had once blasted a Celestial Dragon across the sky—his face turned pale.

He could no longer keep his composure.

"Retreat! All units, run for your lives!!"

His roar echoed across the battlefield.

Thousands of Marines who had just rallied into formation, brimming with righteous fury and resolve to uphold justice, all froze mid-step.

They had marched in to face pirates, to uphold justice, inspired by the arrival of an Admiral.

But now, before even engaging the enemy—

Their first and only order was to retreat.

Was this… some kind of joke?

The thought had barely crossed their minds before they saw Rear Admiral Ryan himself turn and flee at full speed.

The very man who gave the command was already halfway gone.

The other Marines didn't dare hesitate.

In an instant, the orderly battalion turned into chaos—thousands scattered like panicked locusts, scrambling in all directions.

The surrounding pirates were left utterly stunned.

Even the Supernovas—including Eustass Kid—stood motionless, speechless.

They were pirates.

Those were Marines.

Why was it the soldiers fleeing, while the criminals stood dumbfounded?

"Captain… I remember there's a saying out at sea," one of Kid's subordinates whispered, his voice barely audible.

"When the Marines start running… that means pirates are finished."

That single line dropped like a boulder into the hearts of every Supernova present.

BOOM!!!

Before they could fully process the meaning, a deafening shockwave tore through the air.

A horrifying aura, tyrannical and boundless, exploded from Luo Yu's body like a volcanic eruption.

Conqueror's Haki.

But this was no mere pressure—this was pure annihilation.

A tsunami of overwhelming force surged outward from him, crashing into everything in its path.

Mountains would have crumbled under that wave.

The air warped. Dust and stone were hurled skyward.

The Supernovas—all of them still processing what was happening—now had only one thought:

We're too slow.

They had underestimated him. Worse, they'd stayed too long.

They hadn't expected the newly appointed Admiral to act without a word, with such brutal decisiveness.

But Luo Yu had no intention of talking.

In that instant, all the Supernovas launched counterattacks in unison—

"Magnetic Shock!""Rapid Growth!""Sonic Storm!""Death Scythe!"

BOOM!!!

A storm of abilities clashed with Luo Yu's erupting Haki.

But—

The next moment, everyone's expressions twisted in horror.

The monstrous force had crushed them all.

One after another, the proudest pirates of the new age were sent flying like ragdolls—bodies flung into the air, blood spraying like fireworks.

Hundreds of figures, like human cannonballs, slammed into buildings, ruins, and earth.

Every single one of them coughed blood, bones shattered, Haki broken.

The so-called "new era's strongest pirates" lay groaning and broken, blinking up at the sky.

They had never experienced defeat like this.

They were used to dominating. Used to being feared.Even when losing, they could escape.

But this time… they couldn't even defend themselves.

They finally understood why the Marines had chosen to retreat.

They finally understood why the Celestial Dragon had fled at the sound of his name.

Luo Yu didn't care who you were.

Not pirate. Not noble. Not ally. Not even Marine.

When he acted, he crushed everything.

"Don't scatter! Don't run!"

"If we separate, we'll just get picked off one by one!"

"Only if we stand together can we have a chance! We're the Worst Generation! We're supposed to be the pirates of the new era!"

Kid struggled to rise from the shattered earth, coughing blood, barely standing.

His expression twisted in pain, but behind the blood was a flicker of ferocity.

"We're not the only ones evolving… But so is the Navy!"

"If they have a new generation, so do we! We are the most notorious of the Worst Generation!"

"If we die here, we'll be remembered as jokes!"

"Magnet Lockdown!!"

With a roar, Kid slammed both hands into the ground.

Instantly, the earth trembled.

All the scattered metal on the field—scraps, weapons, buried ore—rose violently into the air, drawn by Kid's magnetic grip.

They spiraled, fused, and formed into countless deadly projectiles hurtling straight toward Luo Yu.

At the same time—

The other Supernovas hesitated for only a moment… then joined in.

They were pirates. Desperate survivors.

If there was even a sliver of hope, they would take it.

"Let's see just how strong a Navy Admiral really is!"

The Mad Monk Urouge let out a wild laugh, his body ballooning with power.

"Karma Strike!!"

He launched himself at Luo Yu like a cannonball.

From another side, Apoo activated his Devil Fruit.

"Let me add to the symphony! Sound Slash!!"

Basil Hawkins, Capone Bege, even Bonney and Drake—everyone made their move.

They knew if Kid went down, they'd be next.

And yet—

Just as they were closing in—

A dazzling golden radiance erupted from Luo Yu's position.

It wasn't the light of an explosion—

It was the manifestation of something far more terrifying.

A Thousand-Hand Guanyin, formed from pure golden energy, unfurled behind him, enveloping Luo Yu entirely.

Within, jet-black Armament Haki coated every inch of the divine figure.

It shimmered like unbreakable obsidian, an impenetrable wall.

BOOM!!!

The metallic storm crashed against the Guanyin's shield—and shattered.

Every ounce of Kid's effort—nullified.

The incoming attacks from Urouge, Apoo, and the rest suddenly faltered.

A chill colder than death swept over them.

They didn't even have time to move—

The ground beneath them ignited with runes.

A massive magic circle, glittering with multicolored light, expanded rapidly from Luo Yu's feet, shooting into the sky.

The heavens turned kaleidoscopic.Rainbows of death blanketed the battlefield.

They looked up—and only then realized:

Above them floated a giant beast, formed of raw Conqueror's Haki. A mythical creature baring its fangs.

Behind them loomed the Hundred-Hand Guanyin, each hand lifted and ready to strike.

Its serene face now bore a twisted snarl.

The Supernovas went white.

They had fought Admirals before—Kizaru, Aokiji, Akainu.

But none of them had ever unleashed something like this.

And this man—

From the moment he landed to now—

Hadn't even used a full minute.

He hadn't given them time to speak.

He hadn't offered mercy.

He had only acted.

With overwhelming, uncompromising might.

And suddenly, they realized—

All their so-called "ultimate moves" were laughably small in comparison.

Their brave speeches?

Their righteous fury?

Their "new era"?

All meaningless.

Before Luo Yu, the Fourth Admiral of the Navy—

The so-called Worst Generation had become a national embarrassment.