Chapter 677

Evening was drawing near.

Time spent together is always very brief.

Moreover,

Lu En came to Luo Ge Town merely to have a chat with Smoker.

He naturally would not linger here for long.

Thus,

Lu En cleanly announced his departure.

Smoker did not urge him to stay.

Meeting Lu En in Luo Ge Town was already a memorable event for him.

He did not waste Lu En's time.

He understood clearly.

A top-tier powerhouse like Lu En had an extremely tight schedule—he could not afford to waste it on him.

In contrast,

He, a Navy Lieutenant stationed at this branch, was utterly idle.

Thinking of this,

Smoker could not help but sigh helplessly.

He was falling farther and farther behind this monster!

To catch up to a monster like this?

Far off and indefinite!

Impossible!

"I'm leaving."

"No need to see me off."

Lu En waved his hand and walked toward the port coast of Luo Ge Town.

Gradually,

His figure vanished.

Only after watching Lu En's back fade into the distance did Smoker turn his gaze away.

With a heart full of emotion, he returned toward the Navy branch.

This parting today,

Even he could not judge.

When they would meet again.

He served at the Navy branch in Luo Ge Town,

while Lu En was far away at the Marine Headquarters in Mary Geoise on the Grand Line…

Moments later,

Lu En crossed the bustling streets of Luo Ge Town.

He returned to the port.

Here, he could still see many workers hauling cargo.

The port remained lively and noisy, full of vitality.

Merchant ships were moored along the shoreline.

Workers bustled about, each busy with their own tasks.

Merchants gestured wildly.

The entire port resembled a painting brimming with the warmth of human life.

The sun set in the west,

golden afterglow spilled over the port's shore, casting everyone's shadows stretched and slanted.

From the port, one could see,

Luo Ge Town's economic system was still remarkably prosperous.

Far surpassing the Alabasta Kingdom by several degrees.

Then,

Lu En withdrew his gaze and boarded the small sailboat.

And then…

Raised the anchor,

Hoisted the sails.

Set sail once more!

Steering the small sailboat, he returned toward Windmill Village.

More than a year had passed,

he had begun to miss the villagers of Windmill Village.

And…

Little Lufei, the fool of a brother.

And another brother, Ace.

"It's been many days…"

"I wonder how Ace and Little Lufei are doing."

Lu En slightly narrowed his eyes, his expression brimming with anticipation.

……

Time slipped by.

Day and night alternated.

In the blink of an eye,

several more days had passed.

On this day,

the sun shone brightly,

the sky was clear.

A small sailboat sailed across the distant endless sea.

The calm sea surface rippled with waves.

Ripples spread wildly across the sea, countless splashes radiating in all directions.

Splash splash!

The sound of currents colliding was crisp and pleasant, like a string of beautiful musical notes.

At this moment,

on the sailboat's deck,

Lu En had just finished training.

He was about to pick up the towel and wipe the sweat from his body.

But just then,

without warning…

his phone worm buzzed.

Boplu boplu~

The phone worm's sharp, distinctive sound hummed insistently around Lu En's ears.

After wiping all the sweat from his body, he casually picked up the phone worm beside him and held it to his ear.

"This is Lu En."

He spoke first.

Then,

the other side of the phone worm fell silent for a long while.

Only after a long pause did a voice emerge.

"This is Kong Wa."