Chapter 992

Time slipped away.

In the blink of an eye,

a week had passed.

On this day,

the first half of the Grand Line.

A small sailboat sailed in from the distant sea.

The sea breeze blew gently.

Waves churned,

Rustling!

Currents crashed into each other, emitting crisp, melodious sounds like musical notes.

The waves surged and roiled,

ripples spreading outward.

On the sailboat's deck,

Lu En raised an eyebrow, lifting his gaze to the drifting clouds in the sky.

His nostrils twitched,

and he smelled a cool, damp moisture drifting through the air.

"Is it going to rain?"

"A downpour?"

Lu En gazed at the horizon, where a dense mass of black clouds gathered, dark as ink, exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Extreme pressure!

After a week of sailing, he had successfully left Windmill Village.

And departed from the East Sea,

entering the Grand Line.

According to his original route, if he wasn't mistaken,

now,

he might have already crossed the Alabasta Kingdom.

Conservatively estimated, he might need only about four days to safely reach Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

Of course.

This assumed no troubles arose during his voyage.

If he encountered any difficulties, his travel time would extend accordingly.

Over the past week of sailing,

he had not encountered many pirate crews.

Occasionally, one or two foolish pirate crews of rank 193 crossed his path, and he wiped them out effortlessly.

Since he had no time to guard them, he simply used his overwhelming power to sink these pirate crews directly into the sea.

Save the trouble!

If he captured them, he'd have to spend time guarding them or transporting them to a Marine branch for imprisonment.

Unfortunately,

he had no time to waste, so he decisively killed them all, erasing every last pirate crew.

This was the most time-efficient approach.

"Looks like…"

"A storm is coming."

"I need to prepare in advance."

Lu En looked up at the sky, watching the approaching clouds.

Soon after,

dark clouds filled the sky,

a heavy blanket of black clouds covering the sea.

Beneath the clouds,

Lu En's small sailboat resembled a withered leaf on the ocean, appearing lonely, fragile, tiny, almost insignificant.

Under the influence of nature's forces,

human effort,

how insignificant?

As expected,

just as Lu En had predicted,

in moments,

Rustling!

Torrential rain poured from the sky.

Wild winds howled,

lightning flashed and thunder roared.

Though it was high noon, the world had turned pitch black…

Not a finger could be seen.

The oppressive atmosphere made Lu En shake his head involuntarily.

He stood on the deck, feeling the slanting rain wash over him, his clothes gradually soaked and saturated, a chilling sensation spreading through his body.

Boom—boom—boom!

A lightning column, as thick as an arm, plummeted from the heavens.

It struck the sea with heavy force.

Some life forms beneath the waves were utterly obliterated by the destructive power of the lightning.

Dark clouds nearly covered a sea area spanning hundreds of li.

Hundreds of li of sea,

all felt the impact of this storm.

Besides the torrential rain pouring wildly,

fierce winds swept across the ocean, raising endless waves that churned and rolled.

Wave after wave surged skyward,

reaching straight into the clouds.

Splash—splash—splash!

Ocean currents crashed into each other, emitting an incredibly loud sound.

Drip!

Drip!

Water splashed down, striking the deck of the sailboat with a chaotic, irregular rhythm.

Lu En stood on the deck, his figure unmoving, as steady as a mountain.

Even as the sailboat rocked violently under the sea's assault, his steps remained utterly firm, as if completely rooted into the deck.

Wave after wave of current crashed toward him,

surging and roaring,

vast and magnificent.

Even a warship would seem tiny and fragile against such natural phenomena.

Moreover,

the vessel Lu En commanded was merely an ordinary small sailboat.