"A Marine?"
Fujitora, cloaked in black, sheathed his cane-sword and raised an eyebrow.
"Someone who dares strike at the Warlords without hesitation… You must be the Navy's Fourth Admiral, the Glutton, Luo Yu?"
"Young and bold indeed."
"But aren't you worried the Warlords might take offense?"
"Offense?"
Luo Yu chuckled, pulling out his gourd and taking a swig of his earthen liquor.
"All I know is that this counts toward my promotion and bonus."
"I don't really care about the Warlords."
"If old man Sengoku gives me a raise, I'll even take on the Five Elders."
The moment those words dropped, everyone's scalp tingled.
The Five Elders—those shadowy rulers behind the World Government—were figures most wouldn't dare mention, let alone threaten.
But Luo Yu had just casually declared he'd cut them down for a bonus.
And the scariest part?
No one doubted he would.
Only Sengoku's payroll department could answer that.
"Even the Five Elders?"
Fujitora paused, then burst into hearty laughter.
"No wonder people say the new Admiral is a madman. In your eyes, even the Five Elders are just a price tag."
"Still, Admiral Luo Yu, you should know—I've already declined Fleet Admiral Sengoku's invitation. Even if you came in person, I won't change my mind."
He naturally assumed Luo Yu was here to recruit him again.
"No, Lord Fujitora," Doll interjected.
"Admiral Luo Yu said earlier—you're not the one he's here for."
During the brief lull, she had scanned the crowd multiple times.
But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find anyone who fit the profile of a "special combatant."
Fujitora blinked, visibly caught off guard.
"Admiral Luo Yu, is that true?"
"You're not trying to bait me onto your ship with theatrics, are you?"
He'd heard of the Navy's recruitment tactics for special combatants—targets strong enough to stand on the battlefield of Marineford.
They weren't exactly common.
And now Luo Yu was claiming there were two such individuals at a random harbor?
Was he treating special combatants like cabbages at a street market?
"Lord Fujitora, I only have two methods: active and passive recruitment. I don't do tricks."
Luo Yu smiled and turned toward the crowd.
"Lord Nagli, I believe you know what I mean."
Nagli?
The name meant nothing to most present.
Compared to the famous Fujitora, it was a complete mystery.
But Fujitora's expression changed instantly.
His cane-sword slid halfway from its sheath, and in a flash, he vanished.
When he reappeared, he stood before a hunched, ragged old man hiding in the crowd.
His blade was fully drawn.
Everyone gasped.
No one expected Fujitora to attack without warning—especially not an old man in a tattered sheepskin coat.
As the gravity-infused blade slashed down like lightning, Doll shouted:
"Admiral Luo Yu! Stop him! If he's the wrong person, he'll die!"
BOOM!
A deep, thunderous clash erupted.
The shockwave blasted everyone back several meters.
When the dust settled, eyes widened in disbelief.
He blocked it.
The disheveled old man—who looked like he'd be cut down in an instant—had stopped Fujitora's blade.
Jet-black Armament Haki surged from his hands.
Even Nagli himself looked stunned.
He had spent decades hiding in plain sight, never expecting someone to call out his name.
"You really are Iron Hammer Nagli,"
Fujitora said grimly.
"When I first went to sea as a Marine mercenary, I once chased you. I've never forgotten your aura."
"I thought you perished after challenging the Pirate King Roger and losing everything. I never imagined you'd still be alive—let alone on the Navy's special combatant list."
"Looks like I owe this Admiral a thank-you."
"Fujitora, I don't have time to reminisce,"
Nagli growled, pipe clenched between his teeth.
"Special combatant or not—I'm not interested."
"Admiral, I just want to leave."
BOOM!
A violent surge of Conqueror's Haki exploded from Nagli's body.
It swept outward like a hurricane.
The sheer force stunned everyone. Even civilians hundreds of meters away were knocked unconscious.
Fujitora himself was blasted back several meters.
"That's Conqueror's Haki!"
Doll and the others were stunned.
A one-in-a-million trait—the mark of a king.
From the moment Luo Yu claimed there was a second special combatant here, to Fujitora attacking a seemingly unremarkable old man, they had all been skeptical.
But now, with Fujitora confirming his identity—and that overwhelming Haki—
Could someone who once challenged the Pirate King really be ordinary?
Seeing his strike land, Nagli didn't hesitate. He turned and fled.
Fujitora, recovering from the blast, sensed his retreat and gave chase.
But before either could get far—
A new wave of pressure erupted behind them.
"Sorry," Luo Yu said casually.
"Fighting in front of me tends to trigger my passive skill."
BOOM!
Another tidal wave of Conqueror's Haki exploded outward.
Centered on Luo Yu, it surged toward both Fujitora and Nagli.
The sudden eruption stunned everyone.
Even more so when they realized—
Luo Yu had just attacked both special combatant targets at once.