Longinus Needs to Make New Friends

"Rosy, go tell Mother in a little while."

"But... Doffy, wouldn't that be a little wrong?"

Doffy pursed his lips and said indifferently, "What's the problem? He hasn't had an episode in three years. Taking him out to see the world is good for him."

Rosy bit his finger and said timidly, "Isn't it because you lost a bet to Charlos, Doffy?"

Doffy's face turned red, and veins bulged on his forehead. "Cut the chatter! If I say it's good for him, it's good for him. Think about when we were little. We already had our own quarters and slaves. Now look at what he has!"

Rosy tilted his head and thought hard. "He has Sullivan as his personal butler, the strongest CP squad to guard him, three swordsmen as cooks, and..."

"Stop! Quit counting!"

Doffy grabbed Rosy by the shoulders and cut him off roughly. "But he doesn't have freedom, Rosy. Once you start school, you'll understand that freedom is the most important thing in the world!"

"Freedom?"

Rosy bit his finger and said, only half understanding, "Is freedom better than Hoffman? I still think Hoffman is better. Hoffman is even more impressive than Charlos's captain slave."

Doffy looked up at the sky, grinding his teeth.

Don't I know Hoffman is better? I want Hoffman too!

But only the Five Elders and the Holy Knights were authorized to call on a CP Agent squad of that caliber.

Longinus must have had some kind of shitty luck to make Hero King Garling value him so highly, enough to give him even his own personal guards.

So what if he's a little stronger?

So what if he's a little more handsome?

So what if he learned to read before he could speak and was already reading books in diapers?

So what if he was one and a half meters tall at three, with a well-proportioned body and well-developed muscles...

What else does he have besides all that?

Tch, nothing special!

Doffy patted Rosy on the shoulder, looked him in the eye, and said seriously:

"Rosy, you have to help me this time. Charlos even put his father's captain slave up as his wager. If you don't agree, don't expect me to take you to the gladiatorial arena anymore."

Rosy thought it over and nodded reluctantly.

Seeing Rosy agree, Doffy finally let out a long breath.

Only Rosy could bring this up. Otherwise, Doffy wouldn't have gone to the trouble of asking him.

Ever since his third brother had beaten him up, Doffy had held a grudge. Watching the boy grow as though he'd been fed fertilizer, Doffy understood that he probably wouldn't have a chance to settle it.

Who the hell has an eight-pack at three years old?

The two of them were like opposing elements. Every time Doffy came to his parents' quarters, his third brother would exchange friendly middle-finger greetings with him.

What happened to little kids forgetting after a beating? Longinus definitely remembers! But Rosy really doesn't.

Sure enough, Longinus is scary...

Doffy himself wasn't close to Longinus, so their parents probably wouldn't agree.

Rosy was different. Ever since Doffy started attending school at Pangaea Castle a year ago, Rosy had often defected to their parents' quarters.

Though Longinus didn't care to pay Rosy much attention either, stupid Rosy couldn't read the room and insisted on crowding up to him to put on a show of brotherly harmony.

Whenever Doffy thought of Rosy's spineless behavior, his veins bulged with anger.

When the two little blond boys entered the front courtyard of the quarters, their blond Pops and Lady Daisy were barbecuing with Lu Ye. There were no other Celestial Dragons nearby, so all three wore ordinary civilian clothes, their hair hanging loosely.

Blond Pops wore a gray casual outfit, looking sporty with a scholarly air, while Lady Daisy wore a white gauzy dress that made her look all the more gentle and virtuous.

Lu Ye had short, tousled golden hair and wore flip-flops, beach shorts, and an open floral shirt. Sitting beside the grill, he deftly carved meat with a boning knife.

Sullivan, Hoffman, and the others were holding plates too. The whole group was having a lively time, as though they were on vacation.

Homing spotted his two sons, stood up, and beckoned them over with a smile.

"Doffy, Rosy, come try the barbecue Longinus made himself. This time it's meat from a cow-shaped Sea King. It's very rare."

Doffy pursed his lips. Cow-shaped Sea Kings aren't rare at all. Bobo at the ranch is one. They just won't let us eat Bobo.

Lu Ye glanced at them and handed them two plates, telling them to get in line and wait.

The food culture in the Pirate King's world was quite flourishing. Besides rare ingredients like Sea Kings, whose meat had a firm texture, there was a dazzling variety of spices, and different countries had their own unique cooking techniques.

Lu Ye had once asked Jinbao out of curiosity, "Isn't Pirate King a food anime?"

Jinbao scratched his head. "Well, the main themes are dreams and friendship, but there's a lecherous cook in the main cast who went out to sea chasing a dream..."

Lu Ye was filled with admiration. He pressed his palms together and said devoutly, "Guan Yu above, praise this great man who single-handedly elevated the two virtues of food and sex!"

Rosy held his plate and silently swallowed his saliva as he watched the meat sizzle and drip grease on the grill.

A long illness made one a good doctor, and eating a lot could turn one into a good cook. Lu Ye happened to be exceptionally gifted in this regard, and he had also put a tiny bit more comprehension into it.

No one knew that Rosy had shamelessly tried to win Lu Ye's favor because of his cooking. Among all the cooks in the Holy Land, none was better at barbecue than Lu Ye.

Who says I'm stupid? I, Rosy, am the smartest!

Doffy bumped Rosy's shoulder and gave him a discreet look, urging him to speak up.

Rosy pouted and reluctantly tore his gaze away from the meat. Tugging at Lady Daisy's skirt, he said quietly:

"Mother, Doffy and I are going out to play in a little while. Can Longinus come with us?"

Hearing this, Liana turned to look at Homing. Their eyes met, and both hesitated.

Doffy was still waiting for Rosy to say more, but when he turned, he saw that Rosy's attention had been drawn back to the meat. Dark lines appeared on his forehead, and he could only clear his throat and speak up himself.

"Mother, Longinus has always lived in your and Father's quarters. It's too cramped here. We want to take him out to make some new friends."

Lu Ye grumbled inwardly, You don't have many friends yourself, do you? Apart from Charlos, who's still flinging snot around at eight.

"Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo... Doffy's starting to act like a big brother."

Blond Pops smiled with his eyes narrowed, took Lady Daisy's hand, and gave her a reassuring look. "It would be good for him to go out and see the world. Longinus should have some friends his own age too."

Lady Daisy rubbed Rosy's head, but she was still a little uneasy. Frowning slightly, she said:

"Wouldn't that be a bad idea? Longinus is special, after all. Right now, he has to eat every half hour. If he really must go, I'll go with you."

Rosy immediately looked to Doffy for help. If they took their naturally kindhearted mother to watch slaves duel, they could imagine another duel waiting for the two brothers when they got home.

Doffy gripped his trouser legs as thoughts raced through his head. He abruptly stood up and suddenly shouted in a tone that brooked no argument:

"You're being too fussy!"

His sunglasses reflected a wise gleam as Doffy's gaze swept over Blond Pops and Lady Daisy.

"How long are you going to keep protecting him?"

His startling words left both Blond Pops and Lady Daisy somewhat stunned.

Seeing that he had stunned them, Doffy nearly applauded his own cleverness. He let out a breath and said calmly:

"Longinus is a boy, not a canary in a cage. He can't live under his parents' protection forever. As for something as trivial as meals, can't Sullivan just bring a cook along?"

Lu Ye raised his hand and spoke unclearly through a mouthful of meat. "No problem! I can take good care of myself. I'll remember to eat on time."

Sullivan was happily eating barbecue and hadn't yet reacted when Hoffman put down his plate, stepped forward, and bowed to Blond Pops.

"I will lay down my life to protect Saint Longinus."

With that, he turned a cold gaze on Sullivan.

Sullivan shuddered and timidly raised a greasy hand. "I... me too."

"It's quite safe in the Holy Land. There's no need to make it sound so serious."

Liana covered her mouth and laughed. "Then, Sullivan, Mr. Hoffman, I'll leave it to you two to remind Longinus to eat on time."

Sullivan, Hoffman, and the others bowed and agreed.

Homing stretched. "Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo... With Longinus going out to play, I can finally find time to catch up on sleep."

Just then, Rosy suddenly stood up and looked around at everyone with a determined expression.

"The meat looks like it's done. This piece should be mine, right?"