"By the way, I forgot to mention, I am Spandam, the highest-ranking official of cp9 and Enies Lobby. In your Navy Headquarters, my position is equivalent to that of the Fleet Admiral!"
"Therefore, what I say is an order!"
A figure with a lecherous face landed on the deck of the ship, surrounded by three members of cp9.
Hina and Smoker's expressions instantly changed.
The identities of these uninvited guests were clearly beyond their expectations.
The surrounding naval soldiers also revealed faces full of apprehension.
There was a rumor at sea: any prisoner who entered Enies Lobby was definitely guilty.
No one had ever walked out innocent!
If Spandam gave the okay, with CP's underhanded methods, it probably wouldn't be difficult to frame someone, would it?
"Heh, as expected, the Marines are all a bunch of fools. Even a military merit that's right in front of them can be snatched away."
Inside the ship's cabin, Crocodile, shackled with Seastone handcuffs, sneered.
"If I hadn't been careless and lost to that brat, how could I have fallen into your Marines' hands?"
"Once I get serious, even your so-called admirals wouldn't be able to take me down."
You!
Hina was instantly enraged.
Spandam, on the side, smiled even wider.
His father, Spandine, the previous commander of cp9, had also ridden on the coattails of the Navy's then-Vice Admirals, Sakazuki and Kuzan, for their accomplishments at Ohara.
That was how he'd managed to climb into the position of cp0.
Now, he could latch onto the military achievements of defeating a Warlord of the Sea. Even if he just skimmed a little off the top, it would still be a golden opportunity.
"Colonel Hina, the Marine headquarters reinforcements have arrived... Wait... It's not a Vice Admiral, it's a Marine Admiral!"
The Marine soldier on lookout suddenly called out urgently.
A Marine Admiral?
The expressions of everyone present instantly changed.
Even Crocodile, who had just been loudly proclaiming he didn't care about Admirals, had a hint of seriousness appear on his face.
As a pirate who'd made a name for himself, Crocodile had naturally clashed with the three Marine Admirals before.
He knew just how terrifying their strength was.
Originally, Crocodile felt disrespected by the two colonels assigned to escort him.
Now that an Admiral was coming to take over the escort, he felt a little more at ease.
But it also forced him to be more cautious.
"Spandam, what do we do?"
Jabura, standing behind Spandam, was the first to speak.
If someone else had been in charge of the escort, they could have taken credit for the military merits without any restraint.
However, facing the three most powerful forces of the Navy forced them to take it seriously.
Spandam's face darkened. The next moment, his eyes couldn't help but light up. "Quickly see which Admiral is coming!"
"Who's coming?"
Everyone present was taken aback.
An Admiral was an Admiral, weren't they?
"It seems to be the new Marine Admiral, Taotie Luoyu."
Nero, a newcomer to cp9, leaped down from the ship's mast.
Spandam's smile widened. "I thought it would be Admirals like Akainu or Aokiji. I didn't expect it to be the fourth Admiral, Taotie Luoyu, who has been making waves on the sea recently."
"Looks like we need to properly greet the Fourth Admiral."
"Are you looking down on our Navy Headquarters' new Admiral, Taotie Luoyu? Hina is very angry!"
Hina's face turned cold; she could no longer contain herself.
They weren't familiar with the admiral who had been unexpectedly promoted.
However, this concerned the reputation of their Navy Headquarters, and T-Bone couldn't hold back.
"Heh heh, Colonel Hina you're exaggerating," Spandam chuckled.
"Rumor has it that the new admiral is very strong, said to be able to surpass even our strongest member of cp9, Rob Lucci. We of cp9 are just a little curious about how strong he is."
"Of course, if it were any other admiral, we would have left long ago."
Upon hearing this, Jabura and the other two standing behind Spandam also wore expressions of interest.
For CP9, the ranking of strength was always a competitive matter. Being able to find some relevance with the new Admiral was naturally quite appealing.
As the warship rapidly approached.
Taotie Luoyu pushed up his glasses, looking at the increasingly clear figures, and was somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected to encounter a CP9 officer here, with a Doriki value of only 9, who was said to be inferior even to ordinary people.
However, he finally understood why some people would be so crazy as to even covet the Navy's military merits.
"Koby, if there was something that could instantly make your three-color Haki and physical skills stronger, what would you choose to use it on?" Taotie Luoyu took a swig of Wine and asked Koby, who was standing behind him.
Taotie Luoyu had been pondering this question all along the way, and he also had an answer. However, he still wanted to hear what others had to say.
"Admiral Luoyu, what time is it, and you're still asking such a question?" Ain was exasperated.
The people from Enies Lobby are really getting in my face, and they still have the gall to ask such strange questions. Is this really okay?
Koby quickly forced a smile, trying to smooth things over. "Colonel Ain, don't be nervous. Admiral Taotie Luoyu seems a bit unreliable, but he'll still do what he promises."
"Admiral Taotie Luoyu, if I could instantly become stronger, of course, I'd want to be like you and possess Conqueror's Haki. That's a kingly quality that can't be obtained through training."
Conqueror's Haki, huh?
Taotie Luoyu smiled, taking another swig of strong liquor. "That's what I thought."
"System, use a Mutation Card on Conqueror's Haki!"
[Ding! Please wait, Host!]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for successfully using the Mutation Card. Conqueror's Haki is currently mutating. The process will take one minute. Please wait, Host.]
An ethereal prompt sounded repeatedly.
Luoyu only felt a warm current pouring into his brain.
His Conqueror's Haki, which he could clearly sense before, suddenly felt even clearer.
It was as if it was constantly growing and gathering.
At the same time, there was a sixty-second countdown in his consciousness space.
Under normal circumstances, Luoyu wouldn't have paid any mind to those sixty seconds.
However, thinking about the system's description of the mutation card, Luoyu was still a little worried. If this thing turned out to be a scam, it would be a great loss.
[Ding-dong, congratulations to the host! Conqueror's Haki fission successful, Nen Control obtained!]
Nen Control?
[TL/N: In the Hunter × Hunter universe, Nen is a system where individuals can consciously tap into and manipulate their aura (life force)]
Luoyu was taken aback, clearly surprised by the outcome.
However, before Luoyu could fully examine it, the massive warship had already converged with the ship carrying Hina and the others.
The atmosphere across the sea instantly became somewhat oppressive at the sight of the newly appointed Admiral.
Hina and Smoker's faces also became more serious.
They knew very well that the CP9 members still present likely had another agenda in mind!