A crisp, ethereal chime suddenly rang out in Luoyu's mind.
He raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised.
He had been under the impression that he'd have to wait until the end of the month to clock in enough hours and earn his first Admiral-level paycheck before redeeming a single silver treasure chest to splurge a little.
Yet, just when things were escalating, this unexpected windfall appeared.
As a shimmering silver treasure chest materialized in his consciousness space, Luoyu couldn't help but grow curious about what it might contain.
After all, as an Admiral, he knew full well that escorting the Warlord Crocodile was only the beginning.
Soon enough, with Luffy stirring up the world and the old era crumbling, countless waves of chaos would follow.
If he wanted to avoid overtime, there was only one path forward—get stronger.
Finish everything within the 9-to-5 window.
If everything gets done during work hours, how could there be any overtime?
"System, open the silver treasure chest right now."
Ding! Please wait... Silver Treasure Chest is being opened!
Ding! Congratulations, Host. Treasure Chest successfully opened. You have received: Whirlwind Iron-Cutting Fist!
A surge of warmth flooded into Luoyu's mind.
Every detail of the Whirlwind Iron-Cutting Fist etched itself into his brain like a brand, as though it had always been part of him.
With a mere thought, Luoyu could now channel it—his arms would flow like wind, unleashing a flurry of strikes that tore through the air.
What surprised him most was the moment he mastered the technique—he could feel the wind flowing around him, as if it bowed to his will.
"If I'm not mistaken… this Whirlwind Iron-Cutting Fist is one of the top-tier martial arts techniques from the One Punch Man universe," Luoyu murmured to himself, savoring the feel of the wind dancing along his limbs.
In that world, Bang was hailed as one of the strongest humans alive, a master of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist—but he wasn't alone. His elder brother, Bomb, rivaled his strength, and was known for his offensive style: the Whirlwind Iron-Cutting Fist.
Where the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist specialized in defense and redirection, the Whirlwind Fist was all-out attack.
It was fierce, sharp, and fast—like a cyclone that cut through anything in its path.
Executed properly, it could end a fight in an instant—deadly and efficient.
Its sheer force outclassed even Bang's technique.
The two styles—one shield, one spear—complemented each other perfectly.
And for Luoyu, who currently lacked strong offensive options, this was a timely gift.
Just then, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Admiral Luoyu, your arrival is most fortuitous," CP0 said smoothly, stepping forward with a courteous smile. "Just now, Lord Charlos-sama was accidentally jostled by some passing pirates."
"At first, he wished to pursue the matter strictly. But upon learning that Admiral Luoyu was present, he has decided to show leniency."
"Now, he would simply like to invite the captain of that pirate ship to come drink with him."
"I'm sure with your abilities, you'll have no trouble arranging this."
"That's right!" Charlos sniffled excitedly and added, "That woman—I don't care what it takes, I want to see her in person. She has to drink with me, or how else am I supposed to brag when I return?"
The expressions of Ain and the others immediately darkened.
They had already anticipated CP0's scheming, but they hadn't expected them to strike this fast.
In front of the Gates of Justice, only Warlords of the Sea had permission to pass toward the New World using the Red Line route.
And for a Celestial Dragon to take interest in a Warlord?
There was only one possible target.
"That's the ship of the Kuja Pirates—under the command of Warlord Boa Hancock," Ain reported quickly, scanning the port.
Indeed, it was the only pirate ship among the fleet. All the nearby merchant vessels had given it a wide berth, allowing it to stand out like a crane among chickens.
"Well, well," came a rough voice. Crocodile, still in shackles and walking behind Luoyu, glanced up and smirked. "I didn't expect that prideful woman to be here as well."
"One side is a Celestial Dragon… the other is a current Warlord of the Sea. I'm curious, Admiral, how will you handle this little crisis? It's quite the hot potato."
"Crocodile, shut your mouth!" Ain snapped, glaring sharply.
As she turned to face the Kuja ship, she saw that Hancock's warriors had already been alerted by the commotion.
Naturally, they were wary of the Celestial Dragon's presence—but none of them could've predicted that they would become the next target of his ire.
And now, Charlos was personally demanding that their Empress come forward and drink with him.
To them, it was nothing short of a humiliation of the highest order.
"You bastards! Don't you know who our elder sister is?! She's an officially recognized Warlord of the Sea! She holds privileges granted by the World Government itself! And you dare speak to her like that?! You're begging for death!"
A tall, powerfully built woman stormed forward from the Kuja ship, wielding a massive glaive.
Luoyu recognized her instantly—Boa Marigold, one of Hancock's younger sisters.
The smaller green-haired figure beside her, with a slightly more petite build, was her other sister, Boa Sandersonia.
All three had once been slaves in Mary Geoise.
To them, the Celestial Dragons were a nightmare burned into their very bones—one they feared and loathed with equal measure.
And now that nightmare had returned, demanding their Empress humiliate herself by serving wine?
It was an outrage they couldn't ignore.
Yet none of this particularly fazed Luoyu.
He had only one pressing concern right now—clocking out on time.
Seems like it was time to handle things delicately.
"Admiral Luoyu, you heard that, didn't you?" CP0 said with a faint, mocking grin. "These pirates are utterly insolent. To treat Lord Charlos-sama with such disrespect is unacceptable."
"To make sure the world continues to understand the noble status of the Celestial Dragons, and to preserve Lord Charlos's dignity—"
"Surely you remember your foremost duty as an Admiral?"
"If a Celestial Dragon's honor is infringed upon, an Admiral must act—without question."
"Now is your time to shine, Admiral."
Ain and the others turned pale.
They hadn't expected CP0 to lean so heavily into this ironclad regulation… just to set a trap for Luoyu.
Two paths now lay before him.
One: Uphold Celestial Dragon supremacy, and personally approach Boa Hancock to demand she serve Charlos wine.
Two: Defy a fundamental Admiral protocol… and refuse CP0's order.