BOOM!
A deep, thunderous impact echoed across the battlefield.
A shockwave of force swept outward, rattling the ruins.
Everyone's pupils shrank.
What they saw left them stunned.
He caught it.
The same strike that had sent Vice Admiral Momonga flying—
Was now stopped with one hand.
Cavendish, who had been ready to jump in, froze in disbelief.
He'd just calculated that even blocking one of those strikes would be a stretch for him.
But Luoyu?
He made it look effortless.
"A-Admiral Luoyu? What are you doing here?"
Momonga stared at the naginata, halted mid-swing by Luoyu's hand, eyes wide with shock.
He'd been stationed at G93 for weeks, far from HQ.
In that time, he'd heard the rumors—about the new Admiral, Luoyu.
But rumors were just that.
He hadn't understood why someone so young had been promoted.
To him, the true Admirals were the old guard.
But now, watching Luoyu casually stop a blow that had nearly killed him…
Momonga's certainty wavered.
"HQ received your request for backup," Luoyu said, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses.
"No one else wanted to deal with this mess. So I came."
He looked up at the towering figure before him.
"So this is the 15-million-Berry man, Whitebeard Jr.?"
"No—he's the World Government's pick for the next Warlord, right?"
Fifteen million?
Momonga blinked.
The awe he'd just felt for Luoyu cracked.
He'd heard the rumors—that the new Admiral was obsessed with paychecks and clocking in on time.
But he hadn't expected Luoyu to show up for the bounty.
Still, he straightened up.
"Admiral Luoyu, did you say this pirate—the one who slaughtered Zephyr-sensei's students and took his arm—is being made a Warlord?"
"That can't be right. We protested that decision. There must be some mistake."
As one of Zephyr's students, Momonga knew the pain that day had caused.
When he'd learned that Weevil was even being considered, he and others had filed formal protests.
But now, Luoyu stood here, confirming the worst.
"It's true," Luoyu said flatly. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the Government signed off. Ain will show you the paperwork later."
"This idiot is the new Warlord candidate. Let's deal with him first."
He glanced at Momonga's battered form and sighed.
If he remembered right, Momonga was the unluckiest Vice Admiral in the Navy.
In the original timeline, he had a rooster comb haircut, a striped suit, and a serious face.
He was the model of a by-the-book officer.
And yet—
He always got the short end of the stick.
Fought Hancock? Got turned to stone and stabbed himself to break free.
Chased Shanks in the movie? Got knocked out by Haki.
Now?
Smashed by a snot-nosed man-child.
Luoyu was starting to think Momonga was personally responsible for the Navy's declining reputation.
If they ever held a "Most Tragic Vice Admiral" contest—
Momonga would win by a landslide.
Feeling Luoyu's oddly sympathetic gaze, Momonga stiffened.
"Admiral Luoyu… you're joking, right? Let's go back to HQ and sort this out."
"If Zephyr-sensei hears about this, he'll never accept it."
"Hehehe… so you're the new Admiral everyone's been talking about?" Miss Bakkin cackled.
"To make my sweet boy famous, I'd already marked you as a target."
"CP0 tried to recruit us. We said no. But now a real Admiral shows up? What a treat."
She turned to Momonga.
"You heard it yourself. My son is the next Warlord."
"He's killed your rookies. Took that old man's arm. Flattened your base."
"And thanks to Warlord privileges, it'll all be forgiven."
"Besides—he's just a child. Even if he kills a Marine Admiral, it's not his fault."
Her voice echoed through the ruins.
Everyone's face darkened.
A child?
She was talking about killing an Admiral like it was a prank.
Was she insane?
Or did she think Luoyu was an easy mark?
Luoyu looked up at the man-child towering over him.
"He's just a child?" he muttered.
"Even at thirty-eight, a spoiled brat is still a 'child' in his mother's eyes."
"And this child has hurt a lot of people."
But this kind of logic?
Was exactly Luoyu's style.
"So your plan is to kill me, use Warlord immunity to erase the crime, and boost his fame?"
He took a sip of his liquor.
Miss Bakkin grinned, flashing gold teeth.
"Smart boy. You catch on quick."
"But this is just a friendly duel. My son just wants to show you—"
"That his blade is heavier than your justice."
"Weevil, go."