Chapter 1055

"You stay here; I'll go myself." Enilu forced a smile, suppressing his trembling voice and trying to sound casual.

"That's my Master—I'm his only disciple; I'll be fine."

Convinced by Enilu's solemn assurance, the soldiers of the Brave Ship slowly withdrew.

Calma nodded to Enilu, then turned and left the Brave Ship; Enilu waved farewell to the crew and followed Calma away.

At the Invincible's dining table, Lin Cheng had already finished lunch; the Star Guards removed the utensils and replaced them with stacks of paper documents.

Given Calma's usual habits, if he hadn't returned this long, something must have happened.

Lin Cheng wasn't worried—the security at Navy Base G5 was solid, and he trusted Enilu wouldn't do anything foolish.

17 This kid is a bit slippery, but he still knows what's important.

Zefa's three years of training didn't just toughen his body—it also straightened Enilu's values.

Calmly reviewing the documents, these were the materials Enilu had brought back on the allied noble families' forces.

Some of the noble youths with particularly special identities, along with the reinforcements who arrived as experts, each had detailed personnel profiles.

The documents meticulously noted which family each youth descended from, their position within that family, and key precautions.

Lin Cheng merely skimmed these files—he only needed to avoid mistaking identities during meetings.

What truly caught his attention were the four vice-admirals who had come with the supporting forces.

Two of these vice-admirals were Devil Fruit users; the other two were a swordsman and a master of body arts.

No past battle records existed—these were elite forces cultivated by the great families, effectively blacklisted and not to be made public.

"Young Master, Enilu has arrived." Calma knocked twice on the door, then entered with Enilu.

"Tell me—how did it come to this?" Lin Cheng asked bluntly.

Enilu didn't hide anything—he recounted the entire incident to Lin Cheng, without emphasizing his own role in covering the retreat.

"Young Master, Enilu suffered severe injuries protecting the Brave Ship's evacuation," Calma pleaded on his behalf: "The Brave Ship's crew are deeply grateful to him—and that's why we were delayed."

Lin Cheng scanned Enilu from head to toe—he saw steady breath, excellent physical condition, and no signs of injury, only a low mood.

This was the drawback of the Mythical Zoan type—there was no chance to stage a self-inflicted wound.

"Are you teaching me how to do my job?" Lin Cheng first rebuked Calma.

It wasn't that he was angry Calma had taken it upon himself to plead for Enilu or warning him not to overstep.

In truth, Lin Cheng didn't care about any of this—a boss who dreamed of slacking off had no interest in whether his subordinates were talented or capable.

As long as his own strength remained, Lin Cheng's fleet would never change hands.

The reason he played this scene was to make Enilu remember Calma's kindness and feel grateful for his help.

Over the years, Calma's strength had stagnated; to hold back these rising talents, he could only rely on favors and Lin Cheng's trust.

"I spoke out of turn—I leave everything to Young Master's judgment." Calma bowed his head in apology and stepped aside beside Enilu.

After this incident, Enilu's gaze toward Calma grew even more respectful.

"Master, it's all my fault—punish me," Enilu said, kneeling.

"Stand up. Right now, we're not master and disciple—we're superior and subordinate," Lin Cheng rebuked. "Your crew are still out there; they haven't surrendered. How can a captain kneel before them?"

"When you become a captain, your spirit, energy, and soul become the spirit, energy, and soul of your ship."

"A cowardly soldier makes one coward; a cowardly commander makes a whole company of cowards."

"What are you doing here, moping? Where you fell, rise again—did a single Charlotte Kriek really crush your fighting spirit?"

"Enilu, I'm deeply disappointed in you."

Lin Cheng had intended to scold Enilu for acting recklessly, but after learning the full story and seeing Enilu's current state, his original words no longer fit.

What Enilu needed more than blame was encouragement—even if it carried a hint of sarcasm.

Young people aren't afraid of making mistakes; they're afraid of having their inner fire extinguished.

Cultivating a top-tier powerhouse inevitably involves some sacrifice; all Lin Cheng could do was make those soldiers' deaths meaningful.

"The Brave Ship's captain will be led by Vice Admiral Jiyuan. Take some time to rest—and think about what your goal truly is," Lin Cheng waved for Enilu to leave.

If he said more, he'd run out of lines—movies always end here, and the rest depends on the other person's cooperation.

Fortunately, though Enilu hadn't seen the script, he nodded in perfect agreement.

"Young Master, you have high expectations for him," Calma said after Enilu left.

"Even if you'd handed the Brave Ship over to Vice Admiral Jiyuan, she wouldn't have used it as smoothly as before. Bonds forged in hardship are the most stable—so long as the Brave Ship's crew remains unchanged, its captain can only ever be Enilu."