Chapter 644: The King

A moment passed.

Kobra's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

He stood directly before Lu En.

Though Lu En, at only five years old, appeared small, Kobra dared not underestimate or neglect him in the slightest.

He certainly knew.

This five-year-old boy before him, despite his seemingly frail frame, harbored a terrifying power.

A power capable of forcibly confronting natural disasters!

Unfathomable!

Shocking the world!

Precisely because of this, Kobra dared not assert his royal authority.

He understood clearly.

Before a force of this caliber, his title as King of Alabasta was nothing but an empty name, utterly incapable of intimidating the other.

Before an absolutely powerful being…

A kingdom's king was merely a joke!

Therefore,

At this very moment,

Facing Lu En, Kobra not only showed respectful demeanor but also appeared somewhat nervous.

Moreover,

The guards standing beside him likewise wore anxious expressions, heads bowed, silent.

Having witnessed Lu En's scene—nearly apocalyptic, confronting natural disasters head-on—

They had deeply felt it.

Just how terrifying a being Lu En was!

Before a top-tier powerhouse, they naturally felt uneasy.

"What brings you here, King Kobra?"

Lu En spoke first.

"Oh? You know me?"

Kobra, surprised, could not help asking.

He had not expected it.

This man before him actually knew him!

"I've heard of the current head of the Nefertari family."

"I am a Marine."

"So naturally, I've come across your name, King Kobra."

Lu En said.

"Marine…"

Kobra's eyes flickered.

After a pause,

he humbly asked: "May I ask your name, sir?"

"I am Lu En."

Lu En replied plainly.

"Lu En…"

"Such a familiar name."

Kobra fell into thought.

For some reason,

he always felt this name was familiar.

But he could not recall where he had heard it before.

"May I ask, King Kobra, what brings you to me?"

"If there is nothing else, I intend to leave the Alabasta Kingdom."

Lu En interrupted Kobra's thoughts.

Seeing this,

Kobra quickly spoke: "Mr. Lu En, on behalf of the Alabasta Kingdom, I solemnly invite you to the Wang Gong. I will order the kitchen to prepare a banquet to properly welcome you."

"Today…"

"You have resolved a colossal sandstorm for our Alabasta Kingdom—your merit is immeasurable. On behalf of all our people, I extend my deepest gratitude."

"Had you not intervened, when that natural disaster swept across Alabasta, not a single one of our citizens would have survived."

"They would have been utterly annihilated."

Regarding Kobra's invitation,

Lu En did not take it seriously.

But upon reflection,

since he had come this far,

paying a visit to the Wang Gong to see what it was like would be no harm.

He naturally paid no great heed to Kobra's flowery words.

But it was just formalities.

He saw through Kobra's thoughts at a glance.

It was simply…

That he wanted to invite himself to the Wang Gong.

That's why he came up with such an excuse.

"I remember…"

"The king's daughter, Kobra, is already several years old."

"Nefertari Vivi?"

"My foolish younger brother's future companion?"

Lu En slightly narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.

Next,

he gladly accepted Kobra's invitation.

It would be a chance to get an early look.

One of the future companions of the foolish younger brother, Little Lufei.

Kobra, having gained Lu En's consent, clearly grew excited and energized.

He quickly instructed the guards beside him: "Hurry! Tell the cooks to prepare a Yichangyan Society—I will solemnly entertain Mr. Lu En."

How strong is Lu En?

He knew full well.

Facing such a top-tier powerhouse, he naturally wished to cultivate a good relationship with him.

In this way…

Should any misfortune befall the Alabasta Kingdom in the future, he could boldly beg for help from him.

In the past, Kobra would not have considered so much.

But now, the times had changed.

Since the last words spoken by the Pirate King Luo Jie before his death, the seas had been utterly overturned, causing countless pirates to flood out and burn, kill, and plunder.

These seas had become far too chaotic.

In short,

Luo Jie had opened the Age of Great Navigation.

Causing countless pirates to emerge endlessly.

Although more people now pursued their dreams,

it had also made these seas increasingly chaotic.

Chaotic seas…

Pirates emerging endlessly.

Pirates who burned, killed, and plundered without restraint were too numerous to count.

Nearly eighty percent of pirates were vicious.

This point was beyond doubt.

Only a tiny fraction were true dream-chasing pirates.

These eighty percent of vicious pirates naturally brought countless acts of slaughter to these seas.

In the past, when the seas were calm, Kobra had no fear of pirate attacks.

But the problem was…

The times had changed!

In this era, who could guarantee pirates wouldn't target him?

Moreover,

Not long ago, a group of bandits had plotted to seize the Alabasta Kingdom.

If Crocodile had not intervened, Kobra believed the Alabasta Kingdom might have suffered devastating damage.

Taken together,

Kobra desperately sought to befriend Lu En.

Building a good relationship with such a top-tier powerhouse meant everything to him.

In this way,

it was like gaining an extra talisman!

It could ensure the Alabasta Kingdom would not be destroyed in the future.

Half a quarter-hour later.

Lu En stepped into the Wang Gong.

The king of the Alabasta Kingdom was not as brilliant as he had imagined.