The insult spread through the crowd like wildfire.
An intern?A pretty boy?A clean suit?They didn't care who he was.They only saw someone they wanted to crush.
Hundreds of rookies charged at Lo Ye, roaring like starving beasts. The ground shook under their feet, dust rising into the air as if the island itself feared what was coming.
But Lo Ye didn't move.His expression didn't change.His suit didn't wrinkle.
He simply rolled up his sleeves.
Isla, standing on the elevated walkway, watched closely.He wasn't scared.He wasn't excited.He was simply… ready.
A dangerous man wasn't loud.He was quiet.
Stussy shifted into a better angle, her long legs crossing elegantly as she aimed her rifle at the backline of the rookies.Her heartbeat stayed calm.Her finger rested lightly on the trigger.
She wasn't helping him fight.She was helping him keep his suit clean.
Dahlia cracked her knuckles, her eyes blazing."If even one idiot touches him," she growled softly,"I'm breaking the rest myself."
Lo Ye stepped forward.
One step.
The pressure exploded.
BOOM—!!!
A wave of invisible force shot outward, ripping through the air like a silent storm.Rookies froze in terror as their knees buckled.Some screamed.Most simply collapsed.
Conqueror's Haki.Awakened naturally.Effortlessly.
Isla's eyes widened."So… he really does have kingly will."
Stussy let out a soft whistle."I knew he was dangerous… but this level? Delicious."
Dahlia's chest tightened with thrill."He's my type," she mumbled.
Only the strongest remained standing.Which meant maybe thirty out of hundreds.
Lo Ye cracked his neck gently."Round two."
The remaining pirates charged again—but this time, Lo Ye moved.
He vanished in a blur.
BANG!
A rookie flew backward, smashing into a crate hard enough to break it.
CRACK!
Lo Ye's Armament Haki-coated punch shattered a swordsman's blade and sent him skidding across the dirt.
SLAM!
Another went airborne after catching a clean kick.
He didn't roar.He didn't taunt.He didn't waste energy.
Every move was perfect, clean, and precise.
Isla analyzed his technique—simple, direct, minimal motion, maximum damage. It wasn't flashy. But it was terrifying.
Stussy watched the dust rise around him and whispered,"That man was born to be admired."
Dahlia just smiled like a wolf."I want to fight next to him. Or fight him. Either works."
Kaido, watching from the sidelines, felt chills crawl down his spine.Lo Ye's fighting style had no weaknesses.No openings.No hesitation.
It was the fighting style of someone who believed he had the right to survive.
In five minutes, the entire rookie army was on the ground—except for Kaido.
Lo Ye loosened his tie, his white shirt glowing in the sunlight.His voice was calm, cold, and steady.
"If you can stand," he said, "then come."
Kaido stepped forward, gripping his iron club.
The real battle was about to begin.
And watching from above, all three women felt the same strange, dangerous warmth in their chest:
This man is going to change everything… including us.