One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 32 A Belated Promise

Yubi quickly had someone come in and clean the room again. Moko and Lingling sat on the guest sofa, and Moko pushed the revised contract in front of Lingling.

"Although Jasmine won't be joining your pirate crew, a collaboration is still possible. Jasmine will provide your crew with two thousand barrels of fruit wine every three months at a 20% discount. The details are in the contract, and we can make any necessary changes on the spot."

Lingling glanced at the contract casually and tossed it to the short man beside her. After reading the contract, the short man couldn't help but take a deep look at Moke. It was hard to imagine that a girl who looked only a teenager could have such strong courage and intelligence, and that her strength was in no way inferior to the people under their command. However, he was extremely certain that he had never heard of the girl in front of him at sea.

Long bread nodded to Lingling, indicating that there were no problems with the contract. Lingling grinned and slowly spoke, staring at Moke who maintained a smile.

"Hey little guy, would you like to join my pirate crew? I can give you anything you want."

"Thank you for your kind offer, but I don't plan to join any pirate crew at the moment."

"That's a real shame. Aren't you worried that if you refuse me, you'll just destroy this place?"

As Lingling spoke, her smile grew increasingly unrestrained and terrifying. The air seemed to slow down, and the people around her couldn't help but tremble and shrink into the corner. Mo Ke remained unmoved, her watery orange-pink eyes revealing composure and calmness.

"You won't."

Moko spoke with certainty. In Moko's perception, Lingling did not show any murderous intent. On the contrary, she had a joyful aura as if she were amusing a child.

"MAMAMAMA, what a bold little guy. I can agree to this contract, but I need to add something to it. Every three months, in addition to the alcohol, I also want the desserts you make."

"Sure, it would be a pleasure to work with you."

"It's a pleasure working with you, little one."

After seeing off the Big Mom Pirates, Yubi breathed a sigh of relief. When he felt the immense pressure in the room, his heart almost stopped beating. Fortunately, Moko was alright.

"Yubi, you handle the rest. After Big Mom's people leave, the Navy will definitely come to investigate. I'm leaving now."

"Don't worry, Sister Moko, I'll handle it."

"I always trust Yubi to do things."

Moko patted Yubi's head and quickly left the room. Yubi shyly touched her head, realizing that she was so reliable with Moko-neechan.

"Brother Yubi, the Navy has arrived."

When Salika walked in, Yubi immediately reverted to his usual gentlemanly demeanor, though his smile didn't reach his eyes, giving him a hint of a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"Well, let's go."

Before the Navy arrived, Moko and Mika had already left Santa Fe Island. Moko must be a separate force on the surface. Only in this way can she move between various forces in the future and take unexpected actions at certain times. We need to think of a way to speed up the process of expanding to the Grand Line.

The originally planned week-long trip was extended to four days because of Lingling. When Moke returned to Mount Golepo, it was exactly midnight on the fourth day. Mount Golepo was always exceptionally quiet at night, with the moonlight and the fragrance of flowers blending together. The shadows of the vines swayed gently in the wind. Moke did not go back to her room, but went directly to the swing in the garden and sat down. She looked up at the cold moon in the sky, and the moonlight draped over her like a thin veil, making her look ethereal, lonely, and distant.

Only at night is it different. Only at night does time belong to Moko. Only at this time can Moko shed her strong facade and briefly reveal the broken self within her. She used to live under the protection of many, and she could do whatever she wanted. But now she only has herself, and now she must protect others.

As night deepened, the moonlight gradually became hazy. Moonlight filtered through her fingers and into her eyes. Moko's eyes were lonely and desolate, and she looked like she could break at any moment. Mihua fluttered to Moko's feet and rubbed against her, hoping that she could give Moko strength and tell her that she was always there for her.

"Pfft~"

Moko lowered her head to touch Mihua, but the necklace around her neck slipped out from under her clothes. Under the moonlight, the moonlight emitted a faint pink halo. The red-haired boy's face in her memory became more and more vivid. An unknown loneliness surged into her heart, and dense sadness flowed to every part of her body, making Moko almost unable to support herself. Moko's hands trembled as she tightly gripped the necklace, knelt on the ground, curled up, and sobbed softly.

"Didn't you say you'd find me soon...? Too slow... Shanks..."

"Pfft~"

The next morning, the three children were awakened by the aroma. They hurriedly got ready and went downstairs, where they found Moke in the kitchen.

"Get up, come and eat! I made your favorite soup dumplings."

"elder sister!"

The three little ones were overjoyed to see Moko. They hadn't felt it until Moko left for such a long time, but these past few nights, the moment they came home and couldn't see Moko, they were really sad. They lost all interest in playing and spent every day counting down the days until Moko would come back, making each day feel like an eternity.

Perhaps because they missed her so much, the three little ones kept their eyes on Moko while eating. For the rest of the day, the three little ones followed Moko everywhere she went, as if afraid that Moko would disappear again. The forest was unusually peaceful for a few days.

The three little ones weren't idle at home either. After training, they would always pester Moko to tell them stories. Moko couldn't resist their coaxing, so she would weave together some interesting stories from her childhood voyages and legendary tales she had heard from various places into simple and easy-to-understand stories for them. Whenever this happened, the three little ones' eyes would always sparkle, filled with curiosity about the islands in Moko's stories and longing for the sea they had never set foot on.

The sea is full of adventures, some wonderful, some interesting, some fun, but it is also full of danger and unknowns. Moko's story always features a group of reliable companions with whom she can entrust her back. It is because they will never abandon any of their companions no matter what dangers they encounter that they have an unbreakable bond and trust with each other.

The three of them grew up together, and their bond may be deeper than many bonds in the future. Perhaps in the future, the three of them will board different ships and go down different paths, but when they meet again, the three of them will definitely be as close as they are now, because they are not only companions, but also family.

Summer rain comes suddenly, as if a beaded necklace hangs between heaven and earth, blurring the distant scenery. The air is filled with the moist scent of earth and the fragrance of grass. The three little ones, wearing panda raincoats made by Moke, play in the yard. In an instant, everything becomes beautiful. The splashes of water from their footsteps reflect a faint iridescent halo, like tiny fireworks. Laughter and the sound of rain intertwine and blend into the gentle rain curtain.

Moko sat on a recliner by the window, covered with a thin blanket. The rocking chair creaked rhythmically. Mihua was fast asleep at Moko's feet. The beautiful scene brought Moko a moment of peace and tranquility.

About a month later, Garp took a break from his busy schedule and returned to Mount Golpo from Marineford. The three boys were terrified when they saw Garp. Sabo still remembers the first time he met Garp, he was beaten up for saying he wanted to be a pirate. He, Ace and Luffy were chased by Garp in the forest all night long. That was a whole night! The old man didn't seem tired at all. He was a monster.

"Hahaha, Xiao Mo's cooking is still so delicious. Why don't you come with me to join the navy? Grandpa will find you a good job."

As Garp spoke, he stuffed a plate of meatballs into his mouth. Moko smiled and shook her head, wiping the sauce off Luffy's mouth with a handkerchief.

"Let's wait until Ace and the others are older."

"Xiao Mo, don't worry too much about them. These three rascals won't let themselves go hungry."

"Hmph, I won't go with you. I'll stay with you forever."

Luffy held up his fork and glared at Garp with displeasure. That jerk of a grandpa was trying to steal his sister from him! How awful! From now on, he hated grandpa the most.

"Hahaha, you're still just a little kid. If you keep sticking to Momo like this, Momo might start to hate you."

Upon hearing that Moko would hate him, Luffy was so frightened that tears welled up in his eyes. He looked at Moko with teary eyes, looking incredibly pitiful.

Will my sister hate me?

"Hey, you old geezer, don't scare Luffy!"

Ace and Sabo were not happy about this. It was one thing to beat them up, but to scare Luffy was another.

"You brat, you should call me grandpa!"

"Bang, bang!"

"Ouch!" x2

Ace and Sabo immediately got two bumps on their heads. Seeing Luffy about to cry, Moko bent down to wipe away Luffy's tears and pinched Luffy's cheek.

"My sister won't hate Luffy. Luffy is so cute, how could my sister possibly hate him? Grandpa Garp, you too, don't scare Luffy, he'll take it seriously."

Moko sternly reprimanded Garp, who lowered his head and obediently listened to the scolding, showing none of the arrogance he displayed when facing the three little ones.

"I'm sorry, I'll do it again next time."

"Hehehe, you got scolded, didn't you? Serves you right for scaring Luffy."

"Hee hee hee."

Ace and Sabo hid behind Moko, laughing happily. Garp glared at them, and Ace and Sabo grabbed the water pipe and tried to run away, but Moko quickly called them back.

"Ace, Sabo, remember to bring your backpacks."

"Okay, sister, let's go." x2

Two small voices came from the doorway. Moko shook her head helplessly, "Grandpa Garp, Luffy and I are going to Windmill Village. You should rest after you finish eating."

"Okay, Xiao Mo, you can go ahead and get busy."

Garp has been staying at home during his vacation. The three kids don't want to get punched, so they go out early every morning. Luffy either goes to the mountains with Ace and Sabo or to Windmill Village with Moko. Luffy follows closely behind Moko, pouting and glaring angrily at Garp as he eats heartily. He tugs at Moko's clothes with one hand and doesn't forget to make a face at Garp. Humph, he doesn't want to be with that stinky grandpa who steals his sister.

Moko looked at Luffy's resentful eyes with amusement, picked him up and jumped onto Mika's back. Once they were settled, Mika slowly pulled the wooden cart down the mountain. When they arrived at Makino's tavern, Luffy jumped off Mika's back and ran to the grass in the distance. Moko was used to it and stood at the door chatting with Makino while waiting to unload the wine.

"Time flies. In the blink of an eye, even Luffy has grown up so much. When we first met, you were just a little kid."

Moko watched Luffy waving in the distance, a slight smile playing on her lips. She waved back, and Mika unloaded the cart and ran around on the grass with Luffy. The two of them, one a fluff ball and the other a fluff ball, were having a great time.

"Yes, time flies so fast. Before we knew it, they'd grown up so much."

"Is Xiao Mo feeling lonely?"

Makino chuckled softly, while Moko's eyes held a helpless smile as she sighed gently.

"I just feel a little unaccustomed to the thought of not having them around to make a fuss later on."

"Don't worry, there's still plenty of time. The children aren't in a rush to grow up."

"Ah."