Chapter 268

Huh!

With a heavy exhale, Lu En tore his gaze away from the status panel and stopped pondering the tangled thoughts in his head.

After this matter is settled…

Next stop—Marineford!

Thinking of this, Lu En's heart filled with anticipation.

He had long yearned for the place called Marineford.

"If all goes as expected…々～…"

"In about three days, we'll arrive at Marineford by warship. Of course, provided that no unexpected incidents occur during the voyage."

Lu En fell into thought.

Three days…

Almost there!

Moments later.

During the wait of Lu En and Ruchi.

Soon.

The guard returned the same way, reappearing before Lu En and Ruchi, bowing deeply to invite: "My lords, His Majesty the King requests your presence!"

This time, the guard's demeanor toward Lu En and Ruchi became far more courteous.

Even subtly,

he seemed nervous, as if facing a person of high rank.

From this, Lu En vaguely guessed the truth.

"If I'm not mistaken…"

"King Rosed IV has already learned of your annihilation of the Sword Lion Pirates."

"Otherwise, he wouldn't treat us so courteously."

"At first, when he first saw the two of us, though his words weren't aggressive, I could still see suspicion and contempt in his eyes."

"Now, after news of the Sword Lion Pirates' annihilation spread, it's clear his attitude toward us has undergone a complete transformation."

Ruchi also keenly sensed this and spoke directly.

"It's only human nature."

Lu En understood.

After all,

their ages were truly deceptive.

Who could possibly believe…

That the two of them could eliminate that band of pirates and rescue the captives?

"Let's go."

Lu En led Ruchi, and the two followed the guard's steps back to the grand, magnificent palace hall.

As they stepped into the hall,

they were met by a rotund middle-aged man, plump and prosperous-looking, with a bloated figure.

He wore lavish attire, nine of his ten fingers adorned with gold rings, multiple golden necklaces around his neck, gold earrings, gold bracelets, and more.

In short,

almost every item on him was a precious item.

All of this clearly revealed his wealth and illustrious status.

Clearly,

he was none other than Rosed IV.

"Gentlemen, please, come in quickly!"

Upon seeing Lu En and Ruchi, Rosed IV beamed with admiration and excitement, hurrying forward to greet them personally.

At this moment,

his attitude toward Lu En and Ruchi was utterly different from before!

This was the transformation in attitude brought by overwhelming strength.

"King Rosed, no need for idle talk."

"The rescue mission has been completed successfully; the Sword Lion Pirates have been entirely annihilated. Now, you only need to dispatch personnel to that warehouse where the pirates held their captives and arrest all the unconscious pirates."

"As for how to deal with these pirates? That's entirely up to you. We won't interfere in such trivial matters."

"Also, all the captives taken by the pirates in your kingdom are inside the warehouse. They've suffered no injuries—only unconsciousness."

"As for this point, you need not worry at all."

"Enough. If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave."

Ruchi's attitude toward Rosed IV was, as always, cold and expressionless, devoid of warmth or friendliness.

Beside him,

Lu En had said not a word the entire time.

He naturally had no desire to handle such tedious matters himself.

Let Ruchi deal with it all.

"Gentlemen, please wait a moment."

"Someone!"

Rosed IV hurriedly ordered, "Did you all hear what this man just said? Transmit my command: dispatch three thousand soldiers to that warehouse and arrest every single pirate!"

"Then…"

"And then rescue the group of captured nobles and soldiers."

"Did you hear that clearly?"

At this moment,

the subordinates obediently nodded and replied: "Yes, Your Majesty."

As the subordinates departed,

King Rosed IV wore a eager smile, gazing at Lu En with admiration; his eyes held not only reverence but also warmth and friendliness.

Compared to Yu Luqi…

King Rosed IV clearly valued Lu En far more!

Because,

he deeply understood.

Who had utterly annihilated the Sword Lion Pirates!

It was this very four-year-old being before him!

A terrifying monster unprecedented in history!

To treat such a once-in-a-century terrifying monster—even as a kingdom's king—King Rosed IV would not dare to neglect him in the slightest. (as promised)

In short,

without Lu En, King Rosed IV would never have treated Yu Luqi with such courtesy.

Thanks to the reports sent back by his men, he clearly understood.

What an astonishingly terrifying potential this four-year-old being possessed—to have annihilated an entire major pirate crew!

Such a peerless genius…

If one chose to befriend him,

it would bring nothing but benefits.

It would greatly benefit the entire Rosed Kingdom!

"Gentlemen, thanks entirely to you, our Rosed Kingdom has been spared from the threat of those ruthless pirates."

"I had already prepared to fight them to the death."

"But I never imagined…"

"That you two would so effortlessly resolve the great crisis our kingdom faced—and annihilate that entire pirate crew in an instant!"

"This so heavy a debt of gratitude—I, as king of the Rosed Kingdom, cannot let you leave empty-handed. I must repay you properly."

"If you do not find it beneath you, to express my gratitude, I have decided to open the Wang Gong's treasure vault, allowing you both to choose any one item within."

"This is my token of thanks to you both."