In that moment, all eyes on the vast deck turned to Luo Yu.
Even Vice Admiral Doll was no exception.
Within Marine HQ, the Warlords of the Sea had always been a controversial presence—tolerated, but never truly welcomed. Bound by the World Government's rules, most Marines could only grit their teeth in silence.
Normally, when subordinates of the Warlords abused their power, the average Marine would turn a blind eye. Especially now, with war against the Yonko looming, few dared to stir the pot.
Even someone like Doll, a Vice Admiral, would think twice before taking action—lest it jeopardize the larger war effort.
But then again, standing before them was a new Admiral who never played by the rules.
And Doll couldn't help but feel a strange curiosity.
Curious to see what Luo Yu would do.
"Warlord subordinates, huh?"
Luo Yu took a swig from his gourd.
"Showing up at a time like this… what a headache."
"But they're just subordinates—not the Warlords themselves. So what's there to be afraid of?"
"I kill. You save. That's fair, right?"
BOOM!
Before anyone could react, a tidal wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Luo Yu like a raging storm.
CRASH!
The shockwave, almost tangible in its force, blasted toward the chaos at Yousaihua Harbor.
Pirate ships docked at the port were shredded like paper in its path.
Everyone's expressions changed dramatically.
They had wondered whether Luo Yu would act against a Warlord's men.
But they hadn't expected him to strike without warning.
And worse—his attack was indiscriminate. No time to prepare. No room to react.
"Admiral Luo Yu! You told us to rescue civilians—at least give us time to prepare! We can't even keep up now!"
Doll's face turned pale.
She was starting to regret ever hoping he'd intervene.
She knew he was unpredictable—but this was beyond anything she'd imagined.
Smoker, too, looked bitter.
His Smoke-Smoke Fruit was great for escaping—but not for catching up to a shockwave like that.
All he could do was watch helplessly.
But just as that thought formed, a new pressure erupted from the harbor.
BOOM!
The pirates causing chaos were instantly blown away by the sheer force of Luo Yu's Haki.
The shockwave didn't stop—it surged toward the Marines and royal guards onshore.
They were glad to see the Warlord's lackeys get flattened.
But when they realized they were next in line…
The smiles vanished.
"So this is the new Admiral, huh? I thought I'd have to clean up this Warlord mess myself. Didn't expect him to act so… decisively."
"Still, I do like saving people."
A cloaked figure stepped forward from behind the Marines.
Behind him stood an old man with unkempt silver hair, a sheepskin cap, and a pipe in his mouth. He clutched his ragged coat tightly, staying hidden in the crowd.
The Marines and royal guards looked at the cloaked figure in alarm.
They didn't dare attack a Warlord's men—but they didn't want to see innocent people die either.
Before they could act, the cloaked figure moved.
"Gravity Blade: Fierce Tiger!"
BOOM!
A purple shockwave collided with Luo Yu's Conqueror's Haki mid-air.
The resulting explosion sent sand and debris flying across the harbor.
The pirates who had barely survived the first wave of Haki thought they were safe—
Only to be swallowed by the aftermath of the second clash.
Doll and Smoker's pupils shrank.
They had thought Luo Yu's "I kill, you save" line was meant for them.
They hadn't expected someone else—someone powerful enough to block his Haki—to be hiding at the harbor.
Only now did they remember:
Luo Yu had mentioned a special combatant target at Yousaihua Harbor.
"Admiral Luo Yu, was that the person on your special combatant list?"
Tashigi asked urgently.
"No," Luo Yu replied, taking another sip.
"He already turned down old man Sengoku. So he only counts as half. My real target is someone else."
He leapt down to the harbor.
Doll and the others were stunned.
They quickly realized—the man who had just intervened must be one of the two special combatants who had rejected Sengoku's offer.
But if Luo Yu's real target was someone else…
They couldn't see anyone else who stood out.
The dust cloud over the harbor began to settle.
Doll and the others rushed ashore.
The harbor was in ruins. Pirate corpses lay scattered everywhere.
Luo Yu's no-warning approach made their faces twitch involuntarily.
But all eyes were drawn to the cloaked figure.
The purple robe. The closed eyes.
Doll recognized him instantly.
"That's Fujitora—Issho. The special combatant Sengoku mentioned. What's he doing here?"
Smoker and the others were equally stunned.
Now it made sense—why he could block Luo Yu's attack.
At the high-level war council, Sengoku had said those two special combatants had power on par with Admirals.
If they joined Marine HQ, it would be a massive boost.
But aside from Fujitora…
Was there really anyone else here worthy of being called a "special combatant"?