"A shortcut to Haki?"
Ain's footsteps halted instantly. She turned back, stunned.
Everyone else nearby stiffened at once. Their nerves instantly snapped taut.
If Luoyu had stayed silent, that would have been one thing.But after personally witnessing his freakish level of Conqueror's Haki...
Now, hearing him speak of a shortcut to Haki—
It sounded absurd… yet terrifyingly possible.
"Admiral Luoyu… are you joking?"
Ain's fists clenched, her eyes burning with urgency.
Everyone else stared at Luoyu with breathless intensity.
Luoyu adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, smiled lightly, and said,"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"But listen carefully—this method might not work."
"And if anything goes wrong, you could lose your life."
"All I'm offering is a chance to bet it all. A gamble."
A gamble?
Ain froze.
That was the complete opposite of everything Zephyr had ever taught her.
Zephyr emphasized solid foundations and a steady path.
But when she looked at Luoyu—about her age, yet already an Admiral—wasn't he the living embodiment of a successful gamble?
Ordinary people could work their whole lives and never rise so high.
Maybe it was exactly because he'd gambled… and won.
Luoyu didn't rush her.
He'd already finished communicating with the system.
The Tenfold Gravity Training Room could now be manifested physically and embedded seamlessly into his ship's quarters.
As for explaining the strange increase in gravity?
He had already cooked up a technical-sounding excuse to cover it.
No one would suspect a thing.
As for why he was helping Ain in the first place?
Simple.
As a career-minded salaryman, Luoyu preferred capable subordinates.
If they were strong enough to fix disasters without him lifting a finger, and he could still collect his paycheck lying down—
Why not? That was the dream!
The vast ship deck fell utterly silent.
Every eye zeroed in on Ain, desperate to see what choice she would make.
She could feel their stares—like invisible claws gripping her heart.
Before her stood Luoyu, still casual, sipping cheap liquor like it didn't matter at all.
Her eyes trembled.
But in the end—her expression hardened with a flash of resolve.
If it meant never avenging her fallen comrades...
Then she'd rather die trying.
"Admiral Luoyu," Ain said, biting her lip, voice firm,"I'm willing to take the gamble. Let me try this shortcut. Even if I die, I won't regret it!"
Gasps echoed across the deck.
She actually agreed?!
Could there really be a shortcut to awakening Haki?!
Before the shock could settle, Koby stepped forward."Admiral Luoyu! I want to take the shortcut too!"
Then he yanked Helmeppo forward with him.
Helmeppo looked like he'd just seen a ghost.
Caught off guard. Dragged into the spotlight.
Luoyu's eyes fell on him.
Helmeppo's legs turned to jelly. He wanted to crawl back.
But now, with everyone watching...
How could he back out and lose face?!
Especially since he always viewed Koby as a rival.
If Koby got stronger without him…
"I-I want to gamble too!" Helmeppo blurted through clenched teeth.
Smoker and Hina shared a long, painful glance.
They clenched their cigars in their teeth, faces pale with embarrassment.
They were supposed to be the veterans on this ship.
Now these juniors were one-upping them in front of everyone?
Absolutely not.
"Admiral Luoyu," Tashigi said, stepping forward,"I want to take the gamble too!"
"Count me in," Smoker growled.
Inside the ship, Crocodile and Spandam, sitting silently in a corner, looked visibly shaken.
A moment ago, Luoyu's words seemed like absurd nonsense.
But now, with so many people lining up to bet their lives, the atmosphere had shifted entirely.
If not for their conflicting loyalties…
Even they might've considered joining.
But that foolish notion was quickly suppressed.
"Heh." Spandam snorted under his breath."That rookie Admiral's still young and stupid. If there really was a shortcut to Haki, CP9 would've mastered it ages ago. We'd already be CP0 by now—not wasting away on Enies Lobby."
"Just watch—this will end in humiliation."
"Boss Crocodile… is awakening Haki really that hard?" Mr. 1 couldn't help asking.
Crocodile's face stayed cold.
"The kid's full of nonsense. But he's not wrong—Haki is extremely difficult to awaken."
"Watch. Just don't get your hopes up. Treat it like watching a circus act."
Their whispers weren't exactly quiet.
But before Tashigi or the others could snap back, Luoyu raised a hand to stop them.
"Alright, enough chatter. It's getting late."
"I'd like to take my afternoon nap soon."
"Let's not waste any more time."
Luoyu's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Those of you who want to bet your lives—come into my cabin."
"To avoid unnecessary damage, I'll restrict my Conqueror's Haki to a confined space."
"You'll each be hit by increasing waves of pressure… forced into a state of awakening."
"But be warned—if any of you aren't suited for Haki..."
"You could die."
Everyone froze.
Now it made sense.
Why he warned them upfront about risking their lives.
They'd all witnessed his Conqueror's Haki before—like a tsunami made of willpower.
Facing that directly? With no protection?
That wasn't just a gamble. It was Russian roulette.
Ain clenched and unclenched her fists over and over.
Then she took a deep breath—
And strode forward without hesitation, vanishing into the ship's interior.
Koby followed close behind.
Helmeppo's legs were still shaking, but he ground his teeth and followed too.
Hina and Smoker didn't even pause.
They had already stepped forward—there was no going back now.
Inside the open doors, the five of them assembled silently.
Outside, Crocodile, Spandam, and the rest couldn't help but tense up.
They wanted Luoyu to fail. Badly.
To prove he was just another overconfident brat.
"Admiral Luoyu." Smoker's deep voice cut through the silence."We're ready."
"That glimpse of your Haki earlier was just a teaser. Now I want to face it directly—see how long I can last."
"Hina too," she added quickly."Please, don't go easy on us."
Luoyu adjusted his glasses again.
From a dozen meters away, he paused with a slight smirk.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Then let me make one thing clear first…"
"No smoking in the training room."