PIRATES: I WORK IN NAVY FROM NINE TO FIVE

Rayleigh stared fixedly at Luo Yu.

Yet even as time passed, Luo Yu remained calm, quietly sipping his drink. After a glance over his shoulder, he said indifferently:

"What's the matter? If you're done talking, I'll be on my way."

"You…" Rayleigh was briefly at a loss for words. In the end, he sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Just as Shakky predicted. Forget Kaido not being dead—honestly, even if Rocks came back to life, all you'd probably care about is your salary and your rum."

"But I'll give you a word of caution. Kaido is the kind of man who never forgets a grudge. You crushed the Beasts Pirates and took down Wano—there's no way he's going to let that go."

"It's only a matter of time before they move against you. Maybe you can handle one Emperor, but if two of them join forces... not even Roger in his prime could shrug that off. All he could do was run."

"I know you're strong—but it's your confidence that worries me. That's what they'll exploit."

Rayleigh exhaled deeply and added softly, "And about Oden… thank you."

"Kozuki Oden?" Luo Yu took a swig of his cheap liquor and replied casually, "It was just part of the job. I was after the bounty. If anyone deserves thanks, it's Sengoku, that so-called benevolent old man."

"If the day ever comes that Sengoku gets rich and actually uses that money on you guys, I won't hesitate to help again!"

"You…" Rayleigh could only chuckle bitterly. He glanced down at the street below and said, "Seems like the only safe topic with you is money."

"Someone's coming. I'll take my leave—don't want to be mistaken for part of your next paycheck."

"But seriously—don't leave Marineford unless absolutely necessary. You don't want to give Big Mom and Kaido a clean shot at you."

"This is my Den Den Mushi. Use it to contact me if anything happens."

With that, Rayleigh turned and vanished into thin air.

Once his presence faded completely, Luo Yu glanced at the Den Den Mushi lying beside him, then casually pocketed it.

At that moment, Ain hurried over. Seeing Luo Yu standing calmly atop the building, she exhaled in relief and said urgently:

"Admiral Luo Yu—emergency situation! Fleet Admiral Sengoku has ordered you to attend an immediate meeting."

"An emergency?"

Luo Yu raised an eyebrow. Seems the Navy's intelligence division was sharper than expected.

Or… had news of the Four Emperors' alliance already begun to spread?

If that was the case, he was quite curious—what kind of plan had they cooked up this time? And more importantly… how big was the bounty?

At the same time – Marine Headquarters, Council Chamber

Once again, the key figures of the Navy had assembled.

But after the earlier chaos, the Fleet Admiral's seat—previously held solely by Sengoku—was now divided between Akainu and Aokiji. Each held one half of the position, governing jointly.

According to the Gorosei's decree:

Unless Akainu and Aokiji could prove one of them was unquestionably superior and fully accepted by all, they would serve as acting Fleet Admirals together—training side-by-side to handle Marine HQ's affairs.

As the former Fleet Admiral, Sengoku would remain present in an advisory role—effectively ruling from behind the scenes.

Naturally, Akainu was furious with this decision. He had been itching to challenge Aokiji and settle things once and for all.

But before he could push for a final duel, a high-priority intelligence report had dropped—cutting off the succession struggle entirely.

Now, the atmosphere in the chamber was tense.

The sight of two temporary Fleet Admirals seated side-by-side was strange enough, but the real unease came from everyone staring at Vice Admiral Tsuru.

The pressure in the room grew heavier by the second.

Especially with Saint Topman Valkyrie—the Gorosei's lead representative—still lingering nearby, watching silently. His presence felt like a weight crushing everyone's chest.

Sengoku's face was grim. He could already guess why Valkyrie had proposed the dual admiralship: it was a deliberate move to divide the Navy and weaken the greatest threat to the World Government's power.

If not for the sudden emergency, Sengoku might've walked right into the trap.

But right now, there was no time to worry about power struggles.

What Tsuru had just mentioned… if it was true, it spelled disaster for the Navy.

"Tsuru," Sengoku spoke first, unable to contain himself. "Is it true? Has the intel been confirmed?"

Everyone in the room tensed instantly.

Titles no longer mattered—'Acting Fleet Admiral' or not, all eyes were on Tsuru.

She glanced briefly at Akainu and Aokiji, then placed a fresh intelligence report on the table and spoke solemnly:

"Sengoku, I've confirmed it multiple times. The report came directly from Totto Land, Big Mom's territory. It's real."

"Three days ago, Kaido—the same one who was defeated by Admiral Luo Yu at Impel Down's second battlefield—did not die."

"On the contrary, he has appeared on Cake Island, deep within Big Mom's base."

"There have always been rumors: that Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, despite their history, had vowed never to work together again. That they would fight to the death before ever reconciling."

"But Luo Yu's crushing of the Beasts Pirates—and his complete destruction of their base in Wano—has changed that."

"Kaido has now been forced to let go of past grudges… and has formally met with Charlotte Linlin."

"I still don't fully understand why someone like Kaido—known for his arrogance and brute force—didn't come charging straight to Marineford for revenge."

"Instead, he lowered himself and sought an alliance."

"But the report confirms it: Kaido and Big Mom have officially formed a Four Emperors Alliance."

"The Beasts Pirates may have been shattered, but Kaido himself remains an Emperor. And now that he's joined forces with Big Mom…"

"The entire Totto Land territory must be treated as a forbidden zone for the Navy."

"Any intrusion will provoke overwhelming retaliation."

Tsuru's voice grew heavier.

"This new Four Emperors Alliance is now every bit as dangerous as the old Rocks Pirates."

"If conflict breaks out…"

"We need to seriously ask ourselves—can Marine HQ withstand the wrath of two Emperors?"

"And if we just sit back and let this alliance grow… with the ambitions of both Kaido and Charlotte Linlin…"

"They won't just retake the Beasts Pirates' lost territory."

"They'll devour what's left of Whitebeard's holdings—and even the buffer zones we've carved out to protect civilians."

"Don't forget," she said coldly, "Kaido is a madman who never lets a grudge go."