Chapter 47

"Good."

Karp flicked a booger from his fingers, shoved his hands into his pockets, and glanced sideways at Kizaru with a grin.

"And he's only ten years old this year, Kizaru—you know what that means, right…"

Kizaru's eyes slowly widened, his heart shaken.

Smoker, as a natural Devil Fruit user and Zephyr's disciple, is already the most outstanding student in this year's Marine Academy.

And now…

A ten-year-old child with a spotless record and no Devil Fruit ability possesses strength comparable to his!

If this is true…

"Karp, can you guarantee everything you said is true?"

Kizaru said with serious expression.

"Do you think I'd joke about something like this?"

Karp, standing at the door with his back to him, glanced sideways at him.

"I suppose not."

Kizaru took a deep breath, steadied his startled heart, then looked at Karp and said gravely:

"What's the boy's name?"

"Luo En."

"Good."

Kizaru said with solemn seriousness: "On my authority as Marine Admiral, I approve his enrollment as a Marine intern."

"Ku ku ku! Didn't someone just say they'd never change Marine rules for a ten-year-old brat?"

Karp turned to face Kizaru and laughed loudly.

"Shut up! Who told you to not clarify this earlier!"

Fuming, Kizaru snatched a file from the desk and hurled it at Karp, who caught it effortlessly with one hand.

After sitting down, Kizaru couldn't help asking again:

"When will the boy arrive?"

"Probably next spring—I just taught him how to train Haki. He said he'll come once he's mastered it."

Karp pulled out another bag of donuts from nowhere and ate while speaking.

"You're too eager…"

Hearing this, Kizaru couldn't help sighing, crossing his arms and pressing them against his forehead.

"What if this child decides next year he doesn't want to be a Marine and becomes a pirate instead? Teaching him Haki just makes him stronger!"

"Hahaha, don't worry, Kizaru—I've confirmed it. Luo En won't become a pirate even if he doesn't join the Marines."

Karp bit into his donut and said, "I can guarantee that—otherwise I wouldn't have taught him."

"I hope you're right."

…………

【Today's bonus chapter】

39, Bai Xue Night, the Agreement Between Guina and Luo En (3/5)

Three months later.

Goia Kingdom.

Windmill Village.

Inside a mountain forest.

Luo En punched a large boulder before him.

His fist sank into the rock, cracks spreading outward in all directions.

"Still not enough—I can only wrap it, not reinforce with Armament Haki."

Luo En sighed, staring at the rock.

One month after Karp left, he had mastered Armament Haki.

But so far, he could only wrap it around his body at will, not reinforce it.

Armament Haki is innate to everyone and can be strengthened through training, tied to two things.

Vital energy and willpower.

If either fails to reach a certain level, one absolutely cannot sense Haki.

Training Armament Haki means using willpower to control vital energy, then infusing it with invisible qualities—aura, killing intent, fighting spirit—transforming it into a weapon.

Based on vital energy, add powerful aura, killing intent… and other invisible qualities, then control them with willpower to master this power.

Once the key is found,

further strengthen the body to increase vital energy, cultivate aura and spirit, and sharpen willpower to enhance this power.

This is the method of training Armament Haki taught by the Marine hero, Iron Fist Karp—the world's supreme Haki master!

The highest level of Observation Haki is innate, called "Hearing the Breath of All Things," attainable only through talent.

Although Karp taught Luo En how to train Observation Haki, he still had not sensed his own Observation Haki.

Conqueror's Haki was even farther away.

Luo En had only crossed three islands and hadn't even left the East Blue; the world he'd seen and the strong opponents he'd fought were few and far between.

Like a newly hatched chick, he still lacked the aura of a conqueror.

"System, list my current stats."

【Yes.】

【Host: Luo En.

Age: 10.

Blood Qi value: 506.

Mastery of Breath of the Sun: 53%.

Swordsmanship: Realm of Form (Mastery).

Weapon: Daikatana Twenty-One Works — Lei Qie.

Permanent buff: The True Meaning of a Thousand Forges and Hundred Temperings (binding…).

Armament Haki: Lv1.】

"My current strength is more than enough in the East Blue, but in the Marines, it's still nothing."

Luo En gazed at his own stats on the virtual screen, pondering silently.

"Before heading to the Marines as an intern, I still need to grow stronger—at least reach the Realm of Intent with my swordsmanship."

"There seem to be a few nearby islands. I should find time to visit them and see if I can activate more check-in quests."

Over the next five to six months.

Luo En often took Gu Yina away from Windmill Village for stretches of time, ranging from seven days to as long as half a month.

Through repeated real combat against bandits, pirates, thieves, and child traffickers they encountered along the way, Gu Yina's swordsmanship improved rapidly.

The most dangerous incident occurred when she fought a Paramecia-type Spine-Spine Fruit user; unaware of his ability, she was instantly pierced through the shoulder and lost all mobility.

She then fell to the ground, where two sharp thorns erupted from beneath her, piercing her palms and pinning her down.

Had Luo En not intervened in time, she would have been on the brink of death.

This encounter made Gu Yina suddenly much more aware; from then on, she never again underestimated any enemy, no matter how weak.

During these months, Ace and Luffy spent less time training alongside Luo En, but they did not slack off—they persisted daily in the most basic physical conditioning.

By the time Luo En returned, the two brothers could jointly take down an old bear.

Luo En had made the greatest progress of all.

According to Gu Yina's words:

She had no idea how strong he was now.

She had seen with her own eyes a pirate captain, with a bounty of 17 million Berries and a crew of over fifty, cut down in a single slash by Luo En alone.

Luo En bound that pirate captain and delivered him to the Marines stationed in the Goa Kingdom, earning several sacks of money.

When the two brought the money back, both Machino and the tavern's staff were left stunned.

All of this was known to Gu Yina, but there were many more things she did not know.

After clearing out pirates, bandits, and kidnappers, Luo En had seized all their hidden treasures and stored them in his system space.