Chapter 55: Linlin's Apology, and Enthusiasm

"Everyone—"

"Linlin, Big Sis..."

"Linlin, you're awake!"

"Are you okay, Linlin..."

"Sorry for causing everyone trouble!"

"Not at all, Linlin. No one wanted this to happen, and we know you didn't do it on purpose!"

"Boss El is over there. Do you want to see him?"

That afternoon, Linlin woke up from her coma.

The first thing she did was run outside the cabin, gazing blankly at the chaotic scene before her.

The children from Dream House, though still showing her respect as their "Big Sis," now carried a sense of fear in their actions. They were no longer as enthusiastic as before. Linlin could see the fear lurking deep in their eyes, even though they tried to hide it.

However, what brought her some comfort was that her old companions from the original Sheep's House still greeted her cheerfully, just like before.

No one blamed her, and no one deliberately distanced themselves from her.

Unfortunately, everyone had grown up. Besides their training, they were now busy with their own responsibilities and no longer had time to play together as they once did.

Especially when Linlin looked at Dreamland, still in ruins despite being partially restored by El's fruit powers.

Normally cheerful, straightforward, and kind, Linlin—who could easily set aside her high rank in the Fallen Angel Pirates to play happily with everyone—now felt a wave of sadness.

She truly didn't want things to be like this.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't control herself.

"I'm sorry, Oni-chan…"

Like a child who had done something wrong, she approached El, full of guilt.

Standing at over seven meters tall, the slender and beautiful girl hung her head in deep self-blame. There wasn't a trace of the bloodthirsty, ferocious, and violent figure she had been in the morning.

"It's okay, Linlin. You don't need to blame yourself…"

El, of course, did not reprimand her.

He gently patted her head and smiled, saying, "You've done well. At least, before I got back, you were able to suppress your destructive urges and retain some rationality without causing too much damage!"

"And compared to before, you've made a lot of progress!"

This wasn't just a comforting remark; El had truly noticed great improvement in Linlin.

With a gentle smile, he looked her in the eyes and said earnestly, "I believe that as long as you keep trying, you'll eventually be able to suppress that ravenous hunger with your willpower and overcome your strange eating disorder!"

"But so many years have passed, and I still can't do it. I can't suppress this strange illness!"

This recent outburst had clearly left Linlin feeling down, and she slumped in discouragement.

"Don't be in such a rush, thinking everything has to happen all at once. As long as there's progress, that's a good thing…"

El placed his hand on her shoulder, continuing to encourage her: "You need to have confidence and patience in everything you do, and believe in yourself unshakably!"

"In the end, it's just an eating disorder. If you work hard to sharpen your willpower and determination, you'll overcome it one day!"

"Mm-hmm—" Linlin nodded earnestly.

Looking at El, her Oni-chan who had always cared for her like a big brother, her confidence returned once again.

Her previous sadness and discouragement faded, replaced by a bright smile.

"But, everyone…"

She seemed to remember something and instinctively glanced at the children in the distance, clearing rubble and preparing to rebuild Dreamland.

"Don't worry about how those kids are acting…"

El wasn't surprised and smiled as he said, "It's impossible for anyone to be universally liked. Just like how gold gleams, drawing countless admirers, there will still be those who don't care for it…"

"They're just inevitably filled with fear and awe of your overwhelming power!"

At the core, the children were simply scared of the terrifying force Linlin had unleashed in her frenzy, seeing her as a monster.

But this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Sometimes, a bit of respectful fear was needed.

El wasn't naive enough to believe that everyone in the world was born equal, nor did he have any intention of changing that completely.

In the dream nation he sought to create, where all races could live in peace, harmony was the goal.

But he wasn't a saint; there was no way he could be selfless or without personal ambitions.

In the future, the Lunarian race was destined to stand at the top of the world.

And Linlin, as the one he had long since chosen as his "primary queen"—

Or rather, the future "empress" of the Lunarian god race—

Naturally needed to be respected.

"Linlin, you're awake…"

In the distance, Gerd, who was helping clean up, immediately dropped her tasks and ran over joyfully upon hearing that Linlin had awakened.

Over the years, the two girls had developed a deep bond.

They had become inseparable, sharing everything like sisters.

"Gerd—" Linlin squinted her eyes happily, showing a bright smile as she dashed over and hugged her friend.

After all, only Gerd and the others wouldn't fear or distance themselves from her.

Scratching her head, Linlin said awkwardly, "Sorry for making everyone worry!"

"Hehe, it's okay, don't be too hard on yourself. Linlin, you're an honest and kind girl—you didn't mean to do it…" Gerd laughed, comforting her.

Such a level of damage might have been catastrophic in Elbaf, but for the Fallen Angel Pirates, it wasn't a big deal.

With El's fruit powers, everything could be easily restored in time.

And given the current wealth of the Hell Trading Company, this kind of loss was insignificant.

"Linlin, it's not like you don't have friends, right?"

El smiled, lightly pinching Linlin's cheek. He said with a laugh, "Me, Gerd, Hajrudin, and the others, along with the kids from the original Sheep's House—no one dislikes you or fears your presence, right?"

"You're a natural-born monster, just like me. We were destined to stand at the top of this ocean, to be admired and feared by countless people…"

"No matter how others fear, envy, or resent us... That's an unchangeable fact!"

"Right, all we have to do is be true to ourselves. Don't worry too much about what others think…"

As El spoke, Gerd, who had just arrived, seemed to grasp what had been troubling Linlin.

With gentle understanding, she stroked Linlin's head and said with a smile, "Mountain Beard once said that pirates should live freely, unbound by anything…"

"And Old Waterfall Beard also said that overthinking and worrying too much about every little thing will only make life exhausting and leave you with nothing but wasted time!"

"Eh? Did the two of them really say that?"

Linlin seemed to understand but was also full of surprise, her eyes wide in amazement.

She had deep respect and admiration for those two former leaders of the Giant Warrior Pirates, the world's oldest warriors. She had followed El many times to visit them in Elbaf and loved hearing their thrilling, adventurous stories from the past.

"So, Linlin, don't think too much…"

El chuckled softly, patting her head, and said with a smile, "In short, all you and Gerd need to do is follow my lead…"

"I'll guide you to the very top of the world!"

Equality? In the end, that was only relative.

How could true equality ever exist?

At best, beneath the Lunarian race…

All beings would be equal.

Democracy? Freedom?

None of that mattered to him!

"El/Oni-chan—"

At that moment, Linlin and Gerd, filled with excitement, gazed in admiration at the tall, handsome, and imposing figure before them.

It was clear that only a man of such strength and ambition could capture the hearts of those who, as they grew, saw the world with sharper vision and set their sights ever higher.