Half a day later, as the Warlord fiasco finally came to an end…
In the Marine Headquarters' Grand Conference Hall—
Blackbeard, still strapped to a stretcher, suddenly stirred like a man on the brink of death making a final stand. He struggled upright and rasped:
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! I want to file a complaint! This new Admiral attacked me without cause. If you punish him properly, I'll tell you the real secret hidden about Fire Fist Ace!"
"A real secret?"
Sengoku and the other high-ranking officers immediately tensed.
To them, Ace's identity as Whitebeard's Second Division Commander was already serious enough.
And now, with the bombshell Luo Yu had dropped over the Den Den Mushi not long ago…
If Blackbeard had something even more explosive to add, this situation could spiral completely out of control.
Sensing the attention on him, Blackbeard finally managed a smug smile.
After Luo Yu's earth-shattering slash, he'd been a silent, broken man for three days—just a lump on a stretcher. Now, he was clawing back some relevance, his grin growing wider.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I know you're a smart man. You understand what's urgent and what's important."
"Let me give you a teaser: Fire Fist Ace isn't just Whitebeard's adopted son—he's the biological son of a certain legendary pirate."
"If you want the full story, I'll need something in return. Let this new Admiral stand still and take a punch from me. Otherwise, I don't think we'll get anywhere in these negotiations."
He turned to Luo Yu with a glint of mischief in his eyes.
Luo Yu chuckled, clearly amused by Blackbeard's petty triumph. He patted Blackbeard on the shoulder and said:
"Thanks for the assist. You just helped me knock another million off your bounty."
"Old man Sengoku, you heard him. That ten million Berries bounty is looking more and more justified, right?"
Sengoku's face twitched. He glanced at Garp, then sighed.
"Fine. I'll pay the bounty."
"But Blackbeard—is that your big secret?"
"While you were unconscious, Ace already confessed. He's the son of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. I thought Luo Yu was bluffing for a bonus, but now that you've confirmed it, I believe him."
"If you've got any other secrets to trade, take a moment to think them over."
Blackbeard's grin froze. The words he was about to say died in his throat.
Did I just get sold out and help them pay for it?
The secret he'd considered his ultimate bargaining chip…
And it was only worth ten million Berries?
Blackbeard wanted to crack open Luo Yu's skull and see what kind of twisted logic lived inside.
That kind of intel should've been worth billions!
As Blackbeard stood there, stunned, Sengoku turned away.
Around the room, many Marine officers looked visibly shaken.
Just moments ago, this secret had been confined to the highest ranks.
Now, Sengoku had said it aloud in front of everyone—meaning it would soon become public knowledge.
The Pirate King's son.
The bloodline of the so-called devil.
Years ago, in the hunt for Roger's heir, the Marines had slaughtered every child of the right age across the seas.
That Ace had survived such a purge was beyond belief.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, now that the truth is confirmed… are we really going to proceed with a public execution?"
Tsuru asked gravely.
After Luo Yu had revealed the secret, Sengoku had convened the top brass for days of deliberation.
The final decision: public execution.
"Sengoku, think carefully," Garp finally spoke, his fists clenched, face grim.
"You know Whitebeard's nature. If we execute Ace publicly, he'll declare war on Marine HQ. We don't have to go that far."
"No," Akainu suddenly interjected. "I support the Fleet Admiral's decision. Only by doing this can we show the world the justice of Marine HQ."
Garp's face darkened.
"No, Sengoku. This isn't just about Whitebeard anymore. Don't forget—Luo Yu also captured Drought Jack. With Kaido's temperament, he won't sit idly by. If we mishandle this, we'll be at war with two Emperors at once. Don't forget what it means to tug one thread and unravel the whole tapestry."
Luo Yu raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear Garp speak so eloquently.
But his words hit the mark.
The atmosphere in the conference hall grew heavy.
Many officers looked visibly shaken.
One Emperor was already enough to put them on high alert.
Facing two at once?
That would be a war they might not survive.
The room fell into a tense silence—even Akainu, usually so forceful, was uncharacteristically quiet.
Sengoku rubbed his temples, glancing at Luo Yu, who sat nearby with his legs crossed, sipping from his gourd.
He nearly lost it.
All this chaos—for a measly twenty million Berries.
He even dragged back a Calamity.
Now they were stuck in a deadlock.
Even Sengoku, known as the Navy's strategist, couldn't make a decision on the spot.
At last, he sighed.
"Forget it. We won't resolve this today. The Five Elders will have to decide."
"For now, escort Fire Fist Ace and Drought Jack to Impel Down."
"And Luo Yu—you'll handle the escort."
"Me again?" Luo Yu grinned, raising his gourd toward Akainu and Garp.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you've been generous with the bonuses lately. I like it."
"Ten million for the trip—hope no one minds."
The other officers twitched.
While they were all stressing over the threat of two Emperors, Luo Yu—the one who started it all—was still talking about money.
Sengoku's face turned dark. He glanced at Akainu and Garp, then sighed again.
"Fine. Fine. Add it in. That's forty million total. I'll have Tsuru wire it to you later."
"But you'd better deliver them to Impel Down safely. If anything goes wrong, not only will you lose this ten million—you'll owe us the rest too."
Luo Yu's obsession with money had been giving Sengoku a headache for weeks.
But compared to Akainu's rigid justice and Garp's emotional attachments…
Luo Yu, for all his greed, was somehow the most reliable of them all.