The dead silence in the plaza shattered instantly.
Everyone wore expressions as if they'd seen a ghost.
After becoming enlisted in the Navy, what ordinary soldiers yearned for most was none other than the legendary Six Powers.
It was the fastest path for civilians to ascend the ranks and become the strong.
As elite candidates handpicked from various bases, they were naturally well-acquainted with what the Six Powers entailed.
Just moments ago, Luo Yu had demonstrated the unyielding might of Tekkai—Iron Body.
How was it that with another opponent, it was shattered by a single blow?
But what truly broke the image of his lofty brilliance was that absurd line—
"This kind of overtime could bankrupt you."
The high-and-mighty image of Luo Yu instantly reeked of... coins and contracts.
"Was that a combination move of the Six Powers?"Zephyr's eyes widened in astonishment, then quickly caught the nuance."Garp, are you telling me this kid really trained under you for only one year and already reached this level? If that's true, he's a genius in the Six Powers!"
The Six Powers were the result of generations of refinement by Navy HQ.
Thanks to the efforts of Zephyr, Garp, and others, they were brought to unprecedented heights.
As a master of pure physical combat and a staunch practitioner of the Six Powers, Zephyr naturally understood how difficult it was to fuse two abilities into one seamless move.
"Hahaha! Zephyr, I told you—this brat's a little... special. But hey, all geniuses are a bit eccentric," Garp laughed heartily."When I said he had the makings of an Admiral, I wasn't joking. In the future, when he's up for Admiral promotion, make sure you say a few good words for him."
The rookies present erupted into hushed commotion.
At first, they thought the so-called "Admiral-level potential" was just Garp's drunken rambling.
Throughout history, most Navy HQs had two Admirals at a time; the current era's three was already considered an extraordinary peak.
To find someone worthy of such a title—let alone cultivate them—was no simple feat.
Yet now, such a "rookie" stood before them, bearing that lofty appraisal.
As fellow recruits, the pressure was overwhelming.
"Teacher Zephyr! Earlier was just a fluke. Please, allow us another match!"Ain wiped the blood from her lips, her beautiful face now tinged with cold determination.
She was one of the rare survivors of the New Recruit Incident four years ago.
She had never abandoned her dream of becoming stronger, of seeking vengeance.
And now, she had been sent flying by one punch. That humiliation burned in her chest.
Luo Yu adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and looked at the battle-ready Ain. He shook his head."No need."
"No need?" Ain's face darkened. She clenched her teeth."Are you saying I'm not worthy to be your opponent? Or are you one of those guys who refuses to fight women? Let me be clear: both Binz and I are Devil Fruit users. We didn't even use half of our power just now."
"If we went all-out, you'd never get the upper hand."
"Luo Yu, I'm asking you—do you dare fight again? Don't brush me off with some pathetic 'I don't hit women' excuse."
"Brush you off?" Luo Yu shook his head."Sorry, it's not because you're a woman."
"It's because you're only worth ten thousand Berries in overtime. I've already milked that once. If there's a second time, sure—I don't mind."Then he turned to Zephyr."Zephyr-sensei, you don't mind, do you?"
Everyone was frozen stiff.
The same person, praised as having "the makings of an Admiral," was now casually attaching a price tag to Ain.
In Navy HQ—where women were rare—Ain was practically revered as a goddess.
In many hearts, she was someone to be treasured like crystal.
Yet in Luo Yu's eyes, she was worth just... ten thousand Berries?
Still, none of them could blame Luo Yu.
That one successful "overtime gig" had propelled his bronze-level system progress straight into the silver tier.
He now needed only another twenty thousand Berries to unlock the Million-Berry Salary Achievement.
If he could, Luo Yu really wouldn't mind landing another punch on Ain.
"I'm only worth ten thousand?"Ain's face turned ashen, then red with fury. She shouted,"Luo Yu, don't push it! I'll make you taste what it's like to be turned into a child!"
"Ain, stand down."Zephyr raised a hand to block her path, and passed her his Justice Cloak, laughing aloud:"Little brat, you want overtime pay, right? If you can force me out of this ring, I'll personally pay you two hundred thousand Berries."
"Come on. Give me everything you've got. Let me see your true strength."
His thunderous voice exploded across the training grounds, laced with unrestrained fighting spirit.
This was the man who trained the current three Admirals—and had once stood as an Admiral himself.
That he'd come down to personally test a recruit was beyond anyone's wildest imagination.
To any soldier, this was an honor of the highest degree.
"No. I refuse."Luo Yu pulled out a wine gourd, took a swig of his homemade moonshine, and said flatly:"Ain and Binz already earned me ten thousand Berries each."
"Zephyr-sensei, surely your value is higher than theirs by more than ten thousand? How about raising it to five hundred thousand?"
"Five hundred thousand?"Zephyr's face, still burning with battle fervor, froze for a moment.
Then he burst into laughter, tinged with outrage."You little rascal... seems you really did underestimate this old man."
"Fine. Five hundred thousand Berries it is. I want to see how you plan to break through my Six Powers Steel!"
BOOM!
A deafening shockwave erupted like thunder.
Just as Zephyr steadied himself on the ring platform, a blur appeared before his eyes.
"So fast!"
"This brat didn't even go all out earlier! No wonder he could take a direct hit from the training machine!"
"But your Iron Body won't break my Steel."
"Six Powers: Steel!"
BOOM!
Luo Yu's foot came down.
The reinforced flooring of the platform fractured beneath him like a shattered web, unable to withstand the sheer force.
Seeing Luo Yu launch himself forward like a lightning bolt, the crowd held its collective breath.
Everyone was waiting for this arrogant, coin-counting rookie to be humbled before Zephyr's unshakable technique.
To have his sharpness dulled.
But just as that thought crossed their minds—
Luo Yu did not replicate his earlier Iron Body: Heavy-Step Wolf.
Instead, he planted his feet like ancient trees, rooted deeply in the ground.
His ten fingers clenched tightly as he entered an unfamiliar opening stance.
At the moment the stance took form, the air around him seemed to still.
An unspeakable, oppressive aura erupted from Luo Yu's body—
Like the rumbling pressure of a volcano on the brink of eruption.
The smile on Garp's face vanished.
The rice cracker in his hand crumbled under pressure.
"Zephyr! Watch out!"
he roared."This kid's technique—I've never seen it before. Don't hold back! Or you really might end up face-down in the dirt!"