Chapter 1022

Inside the tavern,

the lights flickered.

But since it was daytime, the tavern's lights were not overly bright or dazzling.

Although the tavern sat in a secluded corner of a street, sunlight streaming through the windows still pierced the sill and illuminated the entire interior.

The space was very spacious,

roughly a thousand square feet or more.

It could accommodate hundreds of guests.

Unfortunately…

such a vast tavern had only a handful of patrons.

For an ordinary person, spending a fortune to decorate this tavern so lavishly, only to end up with a few customers, would likely shatter their psyche on the spot.

But then again,

this was precisely the World Government's original intent.

To establish a secret base for CP9 without drawing attention.

Otherwise,

this tavern would never have been built in such a remote location.

Lu En followed his gaze downward.

The tables and chairs inside the tavern were arranged neatly, with not a single stain.

Clearly,

the tavern owner cleaned these stains away every day.

His gaze shifted,

and he regarded with interest the young man at the tavern's front counter, not far away.

The youth's hair seemed to sprout two horns, standing upright in black, his face expressionless, just like Lucci's deadpan stare.

"One of CP9's members, Bruno?"

"The Door-Door Fruit user?"

Upon seeing this youth, Lu En's mind formed a rough impression.

If he wasn't mistaken,

the tavern owner was Bruno, the Door-Door Fruit user.

A formidable agent.

Of course,

Lu En's strongest impression of Bruno was the man's Devil Fruit ability.

The Paramecia-type Door-Door Fruit was certainly no ordinary Devil Fruit.

Unfortunately,

on Bruno's person, it was a tremendous waste of resources.

Had it been someone like Doflamingo—who took an ordinary Devil Fruit and pushed its power to its absolute limit—obtaining Bruno's Door-Door Fruit, Doflamingo's strength would have become even more terrifying.

Strictly speaking,

the Door-Door Fruit was a Devil Fruit akin to a bug.

But Bruno was too foolish.

He could not unlock the true power of this Devil Fruit.

"It's also because it appeared too early…"

"Became a stepping stone for my idiot brother."

Lu En shook his head and chuckled.

Immediately after,

he not only saw Bruno.

He also saw a boy and girl inside the tavern, both in their early teens.

The boy wore a black baseball cap, had a long nose, and facial features so distinct they resembled a puppet.

One of CP9's members, Captain Kaku!

The girl wore glasses, appearing like a refined lady in a black uniform that accentuated her graceful, slender figure.

Though only in her teens, she already resembled a fully bloomed peach blossom.

One of CP9's members, Ka Li Fa.

Possessing an exquisitely beautiful, alluring face and an intensely mature aura.

At this moment,

as Lucci led Lu En into the tavern,

Bruno, Captain Kaku, and Ka Li Fa all turned their gazes toward them simultaneously.

They first glanced at Lucci, their expressions tinged with reverence.

Then,

when they saw Lu En beside Lucci, all three showed surprise and confusion.

The sudden appearance of this completely unfamiliar face at their CP9 secret base naturally made them tense and cautious.

As seasoned CP9 agents trained for years, they naturally maintained constant vigilance.

Now,

seeing a stranger intrude upon their CP9 secret base, they dared not let their guard down.

"Luo Bu, who is he?"

Captain Kaku stepped forward, frowning, his expression puzzled.

Behind him,

Bruno and Ka Li Fa both stood tense, as if ready to fight at any moment.

"Don't be tense—he's not an enemy."

Seeing their tense faces, Luo Bu spoke to soothe them.

Upon hearing this,

Captain Kaku, Bruno, and Ka Li Fa's tension eased slightly, but did not fully vanish.

They could not possibly trust a complete stranger without reservation.

"A boy who looks no older than five..."

"Why did Luo Bu bring him to our base?"

"Aren't they afraid our identities will be exposed?"

"What is Luo Bu planning?"

"Or rather,"

"Have our identities already been exposed?"

Captain Kaku, Bruno, and Ka Li Fa's minds raced frantically.

隐隐间，

Ka Li Fa keenly sensed.

Their revered and feared leader, Luo Bu—held in the highest esteem by the entire CP9 organization—appeared to hold profound awe for the five-year-old boy beside him.

This realization shocked Ka Li Fa instantly.

"Impossible?!"

"That's Luo Bu!"

"The strongest genius in our CP organization's eight-hundred-year history!"

"Could a five-year-old boy really make Luo Bu feel awe?"

"Could I be hallucinating?"

"Yes."

"This must be a hallucination."

Ka Li Fa took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the shock within her.

The terrifying thought that had just surfaced was also forcibly buried.

In her mind,

Luo Bu, the CP organization's universally acknowledged strongest genius of the past eight hundred years.

His future achievements were limitless.

Then,

what reason could there be

for Luo Bu, this terrifying genius, to feel such awe toward a mere five-year-old boy?

She couldn't figure it out.

Ka Li Fa racked her brain, but no matter how hard she thought, she found no explanation.

Finally,

she could only conclude.

It was all just an illusion.