Chapter 52

"Once the matter here is resolved, you may not be able to return to the East Sea for the next year or so."

Captain Kapu reminded Lu En beside him.

"Understood."

Lu En nodded.

A slight reluctance stirred in his heart, but at the same time, a strong anticipation welled up within him.

Anticipation for Marine Headquarters!

Countless top-tier powerhouses of the Marines were all gathered at Marine Headquarters.

At last, he could come face to face with these monsters of the sea.

In this era…

Huang Yuan was still a Vice Admiral.

Akainu and Aokiji were likewise Vice Admirals.

Sengoku had not yet become Fleet Admiral.

The Fleet Admiral was Kong, the Steel Bone.

Master Zefa served as Admiral, established the Marine Training Camp, and taught the new generation of students for the Marines.

This era, for Lu En…

Was extraordinarily brilliant!

……

Windmill Village.

At the harbor,

a merchant ship quietly lay at anchor.

On the deck.

Ivankov, from a great distance, spotted the leader Dragon, draped in a deep brown coat.

Not long after,

Dragon returned to the merchant ship.

The very first moment, Ivankov could not help but ask: "Dragon, where is that genius son of yours? Not planning to bring him into our Revolutionary Army? That is a once-in-a-century, peerless genius! A monster who awakened Conqueror's Haki at three!"

Hearing this,

Dragon shook his head, gazing into the distance at Windmill Village, his eyes momentarily lost in thought, and said with deep feeling: "He has his own choices, and his own path."

"We need not force him! Nor should we force him!"

"What my son wishes to become in the future? Let him decide for himself. I will not interfere too much. As his father, I only need to silently bless him."

"And the Revolutionary Army…"

"In the end, must still be driven forward by ourselves."

The words fell.

Ivankov let out a sigh of disappointment.

What a pity!

That was a fine seedling who could become a top-tier powerhouse of the sea!

A born powerhouse!

A once-in-a-century peerless genius!

A terrifying monster on par with a future Marine Headquarters Admiral!

What a shame…

Such a genius could not join the Revolutionary Army.

Otherwise,

the future of the Revolutionary Army would be utterly bright!

"Let's go."

"The next target…"

"Alabasta!"

Dragon gave the order directly.

"Yes, Chief."

Beside him, several Revolutionary Army officers, likewise draped in deep brown coats, nodded in acknowledgment one after another.

In an instant,

the merchant ship sailed farther and farther away, gradually leaving the harbor of Windmill Village.

Finally—

the entire merchant ship became a tiny black speck, vanishing into the boundless sea at the edge of the horizon.

The next day.

The blazing sun hung high, the wind gentle and the weather fine.

East Sea.

Eighty li north of Windmill Village.

Lu En and Ace arrived at a towering mountain range, their footsteps gradually coming to a halt.

He looked up toward the front.

It was a colossal mountain range, stretching for several hundred kilometers.

Lush trees formed a forest; the mountain range was filled with flourishing trees throughout. Occasionally came the roars and howls of wild beasts, sparrows sang high, full of vibrant life.

"What exactly do you want to do?"

"Coming all this way…"

"Just to run to a godforsaken place like this."

"Could this be the special training method you mentioned?"

Ace rubbed his slightly aching thighs, his face looking very odd as he turned to Lu En and asked.

Early in the morning,

he had been dragged by Lu En, sprinting eighty li north from Windmill Village.

Even with Ace's powerful physique, he was struggling to hold on.

After all,

he was nothing but a three-year-old child.

Even though he possessed a physique far stronger than his peers, he still couldn't withstand Lu En's rough treatment.

In contrast, Lu En wasn't flushed or out of breath — his complexion was as ruddy as ever, his breathing rhythmic, with no sign of disorder at all; those eighty li felt no different than a stroll through his own back garden.

It hadn't brought the slightest negative effect to Lu En's body.

Seeing this, Ace couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

This guy Lu En…

really is a monster!

An absolute stamina monster!

Everyone was in the same three-or-four-year-old age bracket, yet Lu En alone had run a full eighty li and still looked as though he hadn't expended any stamina at all.

This left Ace once again overcome with a deep sense of helplessness.

"Is the gap between me and this guy really this huge?"

Ace thought, somewhat questioning his life.

He himself was nearly worn out.

And seeing Lu En as composed as ever dealt a heavy blow to Ace's heart.

Over these past days,

because of Lu En…

Ace had lost count of how many times he'd been hit with setbacks.

Even,