Chapter 64

"Little Lu En, when you go to the Marine Headquarters, make our Windmill Village proud!"

"Don't listen to him—Little Lu En, take care of yourself and don't let anyone bully you."

"Before we knew it, Little Lu En has grown up—it's time to set sail. Time truly doesn't wait for anyone."

"…"

A group of villagers sighed with deep emotion.

On the warship's deck.

Lu En smiled broadly as he gazed at these kind-hearted villagers, a gentle warmth slowly flowing through his heart.

Farther away,

he also saw Dadan and his crew.

Although Dadan and the others hadn't come to the harbor, they had come specifically from afar to see Lu En off.

At that moment,

Ace, standing beside Machino, suddenly turned toward Lu En, strained with all his strength, his face flushed red, and after a long pause, shouted out.

"Lu En, you bastard…"

"I'll catch up to you one day!"

"You better wait for me!"

He thought that was the end…

But then,

Ace hesitated.

Then,

he gritted his teeth and shouted again: "Big Brother!"

His voice boomed,

echoing across all sides.

Lingering for a long time within the vast harbor.

The villagers all turned toward him with warm smiles.

"Ace, you brat…"

"Finally willing to call him Big Brother with a sincere heart?"

Lu En stood at the edge of the warship's railing, smiling as he watched Ace's flushed face.

Looking at Ace, he silently murmured in his heart.

Ace, the Big Brother you just called out today,

from this day forward,

I swear I will protect you for life!

I will never let you die young!

Even if you commit the gravest sins…

As your Big Brother, I will surely save your life!

I will ensure your lifelong safety!

You, my little brother…

I accept you!

"Ace…"

"Remember to protect my foolish little brother for me."

Lu En stood on the warship's deck, smiling as he looked at Ace, not far away at the harbor.

"Don't worry—he's my brother too!"

Ace nodded solemnly.

"Mr. Lu En…"

"He's such a gentle person."

Standing beside Ace, holding Little Lufei in her arms, Machino smiled warmly.

"Gentle?"

Ace's lips twitched involuntarily.

He couldn't help but recall,

in recent days,

Lu En's furious slaughter of that gang of bandits.

Each time, he had crushed them all with pure, brutal violence!

Even now,

Ace could not forget.

Lu En, bare-chested, revealing his muscular torso and terrifying demonic back, fists like dragons, mercilessly massacring the bandits in a bloody scene.

Every bandit was crushed by a single punch!

Blood-soaked,

terrifying,

chilling to the bone.

Those scenes would surely haunt Ace for the rest of his life.

"If those bandits knew, Big Sister Machino, that you described Lu En this guy as 'gentle'…"

"I'm afraid they'll have to crawl out of their graves to argue with you!"

"Gentle?"

"To those bandits, that guy Lu En is simply a brutal monster! A muscle-bound tyrant!"

Ace muttered inwardly.

Not long after.

Under Bokatoro's command,

over a hundred marines quickly and smoothly transported all the supplies piled up at the port into the warship's hold.

After all this was done,

Bokatoro also stepped aboard the warship.

Everything was ready!

Now, the large pile of supplies accumulated in the warship's hold could easily sustain the several hundred marines aboard for over half a month without issue.

"Old man, it's time we set off."

Lu En stood at the deck, glancing back at Captain Kapu lounging on a sun chair.

"No need to say a proper goodbye to them?"

Captain Kapu asked with a smile.

"No need."

"It's not like we won't have the chance to return to Windmill Village."

Lu En shook his head.

Now, he had already suppressed the sadness and reluctance in his heart.

At this moment, his heart was filled with Headquarters' anticipation.

He wished he could head straight for Marine Headquarters, Marineford!

Marine Headquarters held ten thousand possibilities that could make Lu En stronger!

It could make Lu En's strength soar by leaps and bounds!

For now,

ordinary devil-style training could no longer support a rapid surge in Lu En's strength.

What he wanted was...

a more reasonable cultivation method!