Inside the strategy hall, all eyes were instantly drawn to the door.
As Luo Yu stepped in, many Marine officers looked at him with newfound respect.
Although the looming war with two Emperors was largely triggered by his actions, the fact that he had single-handedly captured Jack the Drought alive—and brought back the newly appointed Warlord, Marshall D. Teach (Blackbeard), also alive—was nothing short of extraordinary.
For someone so new to the admiralty, these feats were dazzling. Even the most skeptical officers couldn't help but be impressed.
"So this is the new Glutton Admiral, Luo Yu?"
Vice Admiral Doll, clad in a black leather coat with a spiked collar around her neck, gave off the vibe of a rebellious gang leader.
Luo Yu raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar face, but quickly recalled her identity.
If memory served, she was the Vice Admiral stationed outside Vegapunk's Egghead Island—a notoriously headstrong woman.
"What's this about 'special combat forces' across the seas? You weren't just bluffing, were you?"
Doll pressed again, her tone sharp.
"But before that, I'd like to know—was escorting prisoners to Level 6 of Impel Down really that difficult? You took longer than us Vice Admirals who rushed back from the frontlines."
As a powerful branch Vice Admiral—and close friend of Gion (Momousagi)—Doll clearly harbored resentment toward the new admiral who had seemingly stolen her friend's promotion.
Before Luo Yu could respond, Fleet Admiral Sengoku rubbed his temples and cut in:
"Doll, you've been stationed at G-14, so you're not fully up to speed. This guy is… a special case. He has a fixed work schedule."
"As for the delay—you probably heard about the false alarm at Impel Down yesterday, right?"
"That was because he rushed to clock out on time and used his Conqueror's Haki to suppress all of Level 6. Every prisoner was critically injured or knocked unconscious, which triggered the alarm."
"Magellan was worried about transferring the inmates while they were still unstable, so he requested Luo Yu stay the night. It was a work-related delay."
The entire hall fell silent.
Nearly every officer stared at Luo Yu in disbelief—even Doll was stunned.
As high-ranking Marines, they all knew what Level 6 of Impel Down represented.
And yet Luo Yu had subdued it with just his Conqueror's Haki?
It was beyond comprehension.
The heavy atmosphere in the room lightened considerably. Vice Admiral Tsuru gave Sengoku a knowing glance.
Now she understood why Sengoku hadn't disclosed the real reason for the false alarm.
Clearly, he had saved it for this moment—to lift morale in the face of a two-Emperor war.
Seeing the officers' spirits rally, Sengoku let out a quiet sigh of relief. For the first time, he realized that this unruly brat Luo Yu might actually be useful in more ways than one.
But when he caught Luo Yu's half-smiling gaze, Sengoku shivered and quickly cleared his throat.
"Luo Yu, about those 'special combat forces' you mentioned—are you serious?"
"We're potentially about to go to war with two Emperors. This isn't the time for jokes."
"If anything goes wrong, it won't just be your head on the line. Marineford itself could fall overnight."
The tension in the room returned.
But thanks to Sengoku's earlier setup, the officers now looked at Luo Yu with anticipation rather than despair.
Even Akainu and Kizaru glanced his way, curious.
With someone as unpredictable as Luo Yu, maybe—just maybe—he had something up his sleeve.
Luo Yu took a swig from his gourd and grinned.
"All in all, I'd say I've got eight or nine candidates—assuming they're willing to come."
"But don't get too excited. Aside from a few exceptions, their strength varies. Most of them can handle the Calamities or top officers, but don't expect them to go toe-to-toe with a Yonko."
Pfft!
Sengoku spat out his tea.
The gathered officers were stunned.
They had expected Luo Yu to name one or two people at most.
But eight or nine? And capable of fighting the likes of the All-Stars and top commanders?
And he even mentioned "a few exceptions"—what did that imply?
"Luo Yu, you're not joking, are you? I was only thinking of two people. Don't tell me you've already thought of the same two."
Sengoku couldn't hold back.
Facing two Emperors, Marine HQ had four Admirals and dozens of Vice Admirals.
But with the Vice Admirals' strength varying, splitting forces across two battlefronts would leave them dangerously thin.
If Luo Yu could really bring in eight or nine powerful allies, it would be a game-changer.
All eyes turned to him, filled with hope.
Luo Yu understood the gravity of the situation and didn't keep them waiting.
"Don't worry, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. I wouldn't joke at a time like this."
"As for the two you were thinking of—I've already considered them. Leave them to you. I'll handle the rest."
"But I'll need a month. The public execution of Ace is scheduled for a month from now, right?"
Seeing the rare seriousness on Luo Yu's face, Sengoku nodded solemnly.
"The Five Elders have set the execution for forty-five days from now. Any longer, and things could spiral out of control."
"So during this time, I want you to gather as many of these special forces as possible. The more we have, the better our chances against the two Emperors."
The tension in the room reached its peak.
Even the older Vice Admirals looked at Luo Yu with fiery eyes.
Just moments ago, they had respected and feared him.
Now, they saw him as their greatest hope.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Luo Yu knew the moment was ripe. He took another swig and smiled.
"Don't worry, Fleet Admiral. I'll do my best to gather them."
"But… I'm gonna need a bonus."