Chapter 427

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Behind them,

Colonel Te Lu led four hundred and twenty naval elites, fully equipped and tightly following.

Master Zefa, however, strolled slowly, as if taking a leisurely walk, step by step behind the main group, appearing utterly calm and without any worry.

"With Lu En keeping an eye on things for me…"

"There's no need to be overly concerned."

"After all,"

"Lu En is only five years old, yet his combat power is genuinely at the level of a Vice Admiral—and even among Vice Admirals, he's among the best!"

"With such immense combat power, across the entire first half of the Grand Line, virtually no one possesses the qualification to be Lu En's opponent."

"This kid is a complete monster!"

Master Zefa thought to himself.

It was precisely because of this mindset that he walked calmly at the rear of the group, showing not the slightest concern that any trainee might encounter danger.

At the same moment.

After walking for about half an hour,

Finally—

Lu En and the others arrived at the headquarters of the Three-Headed Dog Pirate Crew.

As their footsteps came to a sudden halt,

A killing aura slowly spread through the air.

Oppressive!

Extreme oppression!

A few trainees with weak mental resilience began sweating profusely from their foreheads, their faces turning pale, their moods tense and uneasy.

"Shall we attack directly?"

Smoker asked the group of trainees.

Of course.

His gaze, however, was fixed more on Lu En.

Clearly,

he was not seeking the opinion of this group of trainees.

It was purely…

Asking Lu En for his opinion!

Among all these trainees, only Lu En alone commanded such solemn attention from Smoker.

At the same moment.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Following Smoker's gaze, every trainee present turned uneasily toward Lu En, their eyes filled with apprehension and anticipation.

Only Lu En,

could give them absolute security!

As if…

As long as Lu En was present, they had nothing to fear from any powerful enemy.

"Why are you all looking at me?"

"You don't actually think I'm going to fight, do you?"

"This is the graduation trial Master Zefa assigned to you, not to me. If I were to intervene, what use would you be?"

Lu En's expression was peculiar.

With those words spoken,

the group of trainees fell silent.

Even today,

they could not forget.

The terrifying combat power Lu En had displayed just days ago—his strength rivaling that of a Vice Admiral, even defeating and capturing a great pirate with a bounty of hundreds of millions of Berries.

Thinking of this, they dared not place their hopes on Lu En anymore.

"Lu En is right. This is our graduation trial."

"Only by completing the mission ourselves, through our own efforts, is that the true purpose of Master Zefa's graduation trial."

"If we let this monster fight, then we lose all chance to show our own strength."

"Don't forget…"

"This monster possesses power far surpassing that of countless others across the seas!"

Smoker took a deep breath, face full of solemnity.

Hearing this,

the group of trainees reluctantly withdrew their gazes from Lu En.

"Your time is running short."

"The Three-Headed Dog Pirate Crew's members will soon detect your presence—and the naval forces surrounding you from behind."

"That means…"

"This battle is about to erupt at any moment!"

"Prepare yourselves for combat, or when the fighting breaks out, you'll all be so terrified you'll soil yourselves."

Even when landing on the island, Lu En had already activated Observation Haki for reconnaissance.

At this moment,

his Observation Haki covered a radius of five hundred meters, faintly sensing that numerous pirates were approaching from this direction.

Clearly,

the Cerberus Pirate Crew was no pushover.

They had clearly realized the Navy's surprise attack and were gathering their forces, readying themselves for a life-or-death battle against the Navy.

All Lu En could do was warn Smog and the others before the pirates arrived.

As his voice fell,

a group of young trainees led by Smog and Tina snapped to full alert, their bodies taut, eyes tense.

Instantly,

each trainee drew the weapons they carried.

Some held long spears,

others drew swords,

some fought barehanded.

In short,

every trainee present prepared themselves mentally for immediate combat.

"Are they coming?"

"The Cerberus Pirate Crew!"

"Is this battle about to begin?"

"Everyone, do not let your guard down. These pirates are villains drenched in blood and innocent lives. One misstep, and we are doomed."

"Do not think that because Lu En, this monster, stands beside us, we can be complacent. This is our graduation trial—not his."

"For a monster like Lu En, he doesn't even need to participate in the graduation trial."

"To deal with these villains, we must go all out from the start—no hesitation, no mercy. These men are not worthy of our pity!"

"…"

Each trainee spurred themselves on, completely suppressing their inner tension.

On the other side,

when seeing the seventy trainees fully armed and ready for battle,