One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 120 We Will Meet Again

After staying at home for a few more days, Moko decided to return to Marineford. If she didn't go back soon, she felt that the two lively girls would scream and shout. Moreover, she also had to take Uta to Ophelian this time. Since Uta had made up her mind to fulfill her dream, Moko would naturally do her best to help Uta achieve it.

"When Uta and I are not home, please ask Ace and Luffy to take good care of the house."

"Don't worry, sister, I'll take good care of the house and Luffy." Ace's fist-clenching gesture to reassure Moko, combined with his youthful yet mature face, made him look incredibly cute.

Moko couldn't help but hug Ace and ruffle his hair. "Ace has become a wonderful older brother. He's amazing. I'm so happy."

Moko's praise made Ace blush. He scratched his cheek shyly and nestled obediently in Moko's arms. Seeing Ace receive Moko's praise, Luffy also got anxious. He took a few steps in one go and squeezed between Moko and Ace, taking advantage of being a rubber man.

"Sister, I'm a big girl now, I can take good care of Ace too!"

Luffy blinked his big eyes, which were full of praise. Moko couldn't help but chuckle and ruffled Luffy's hair.

"Yeah, Luffy's a reliable big kid now. So, when your sister's not around, I'll leave Ace and the house in Luffy's care. I'm sure Luffy can do a great job, right?"

"Ok!"

Luffy grinned, revealing his white teeth and pink gums. His smile was as bright and sunny as a sunflower, instantly uplifting the mood of anyone who saw him.

Uta, who is usually cheerful and on par with Luffy, didn't say a word today. Luffy found it strange, so he tilted his head from Moko's embrace and looked at Uta, who was standing behind Moko. Luffy then stretched his neck and leaned closer to Uta.

"Uta, you look beautiful today too."

Applying what he's learned, Luffy thought that praising Uta's beauty would make her happy a few days ago on her birthday. Now, Uta seems unhappy, and Luffy naively believes that praising her will make her happy.

Uta looked at Luffy's innocent face and felt a little helpless and amused. For now, she wouldn't blame Luffy for turning into the long-necked Luffy monster again.

"Idiot Luffy, I didn't put on makeup again today."

"But Uta is really pretty."

Luffy nodded affirmatively as he spoke. This was what Ace had said: even if a girl says she's not pretty, you should still firmly praise her for being pretty. Although he didn't understand, he was sure Ace wouldn't lie to him. Besides, Uta and her sister really were pretty. Seeing a slight smile return to Uta's face, Luffy was happy too.

It seems Luffy didn't realize the real reason for Uta's sadness. Like Shanks, once Uta truly sets sail, he may not have much time to return. Perhaps the next time they meet will be a long, long time from now. It was so hard to make such a good friend, how could Uta bear to part with him like this?

"Uta, this is for you." Luffy left Moko's embrace and walked up to Uta, taking a neatly folded piece of paper out of his pocket.

Uta took the folded paper with a puzzled expression and unfolded it. There was only a strange pattern drawn on the white paper. Uta's eyes widened in confusion. "What is this? Rice puffs and sweet fruits stacked together?"

"No, it's a straw hat!"

"Ok?"

"It's Shanks' straw hat! Uta really likes Shanks, right? Does my drawing look like him? Hehehe!" Luffy, who knew nothing about his drawing skills, looked quite proud.

Seeing that the drawing on the paper didn't resemble a straw hat at all, Uta's eyes welled up with tears for some reason, but instead of crying, she suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, it doesn't look like it at all."

"Really? I think it looks a lot like it."

Before Luffy could finish speaking, he was suddenly hugged by Uta. Luffy tilted his head slightly in confusion and looked at Uta. "Uta?"

"Luffy, I will definitely become the world's best songstress, so Luffy must also become the freest pirate."

Uta hugged Luffy tightly, not letting him see her expression, but her voice was noticeably muffled.

"Yes, of course, I'm going to be the Pirate King!"

Luffy laughed without a care in the world, while Moko and Ace shook their heads with helpless smiles. When Uta let go of Luffy, her face was already adorable and bright with a smile again, just like her usual cheerful self.

"Ace, Luffy, I'm off now. See you at sea!"

"Okay, see you at sea."

"Oh, Uta, do your best!"

After Moko and Uta disappeared into the sky, Ace and Luffy turned their attention away. Neither of them spoke. Luffy pursed his lips and unconsciously took Ace's hand, which Ace returned the grip on tightly.

The loneliness of parting surged up suddenly. Luffy wiped his eyes hard with his empty hand. He was actually very smart. He knew that Uta was also going to the sea to fulfill his dream, just like Shanks and his sister. Dreams were important, and he would not become a stupid rock that hindered Uta from realizing his dream. After he set sail, they would definitely meet again. At that time, he would definitely be the strongest pirate.

"Luffy, let's go home."

"Ah."

Their shadows grew longer as sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling their bodies. Every step they took seemed warm and resolute. No matter how far apart they were, they would always be family. And family would reunite. The next time they met, they would both be stronger than they were now. See you next time, dear family.

Moko and Uta quickly returned to the Sabaody Archipelago. Yubi had sent Raltray to wait for them in Sabaody earlier. Earlier, it had rained lightly in Sabaody, and it was unclear how long Raltray had been standing at the dock. When Moko arrived, she saw that Raltray's shoulders were mostly wet.

"Didn't I say you didn't need to come pick me up? If you're going to come out, you should at least bring an umbrella. You're all soaked. Go change your clothes so you don't catch a cold."

Moko sighed helplessly. She wasn't a demanding boss, so why had they all developed such rigid manners? Look how lively Youbi and the other kids were when they were little. She didn't know why, but now they were all so proper. They were cuter when they were little.

"Yes, I will pay attention next time. Miss Moko and Miss Uta, this way, the boat is ready."

Raltray led the way respectfully. Moko didn't know what to say about Raltray's taciturn nature. Raltray was one of the first batch of slaves Moko bought and was left behind. Those who stayed behind were now considered Moko's elders, holding important positions in various roles. Raltray was one of the highest leaders among them. Another was Carlos, who was now in charge of all the shadows. He was an even more taciturn kid than Raltray. He was almost never seen except when reporting on missions, even though he looked about the same age as Yubi.

After changing into clean clothes, Larule returned to Moko's side. Moko had already started processing the work that had been delivered, while Uta sat to the side eating cake with Ella, not disturbing Moko's work.

"Any news about Hody Jones?"

As if asking casually, Moko's voice didn't have much of an inflection. The people Moko had taken in one by one naturally had some similarities to her personality. They would fight to the death for their families if it meant killing the enemy who harmed them. Hody Jones killed Otohime, so he had to pay with his life.

“I’m very sorry, Miss Moko, Hody Jones is very cunning, and we haven’t caught him yet.”

"Heh, after all, he's a fish-man. It's really hard to find a way to escape into the sea. Next time, bring Urrassu's dumpling with you. Don't worry about his life or death, just bring him back."

"Yes."

The office fell silent again. Uta hadn't said a word. She agreed with Moko's decision; that person had hurt her sister so much, even if he died a thousand times, it wouldn't be enough.

The water outside the window rippled, and light gradually poured into the originally dark scenery, making the surrounding landscape clearer. Various schools of fish darted among the colorful coral reefs, and Tuanzi happily chased after the fish, circling around the stone pillars hidden in the mist, leaving behind strings of colorful bubbles.

"Miss Moko, we've arrived at Fishman Island."

"Hmm, does Uta-chan want to go see the little stars?" Moko stopped writing, raised her beautiful eyes slightly, and looked at Uta, who was idly poking Ella's cheek with her finger.

"Woo-mi~"

"Yes, it's been so long since I've seen Shirahoshi. I wonder how she is now." Uta's eyes sparkled as she excitedly stood up from her chair, clearly showing her genuine affection for Shirahoshi.

Moko's lips curled up slightly. The slight annoyance she felt because of Hody Jones vanished completely upon seeing Uta's smile. She then turned to look at Larule, who was waiting in the wings.

"Laruley".

"Yes, I'll go tell the people on deck." Laruley nodded and quickly left the room.

"Uta-chan, go change your clothes. It's a bit chilly on Fishman Island right now, don't catch a cold."

It is currently winter. Although most areas of the ocean have their own unique climate systems, Fishman Island is located deep in the ocean, where the seasons change regularly. Although it doesn't snow on Fishman Island in winter, the temperature drops significantly. This temperature is nothing for fishmen, but it is quite cold for humans. Uta's current strength is insufficient to withstand such cold, so it would be better to wear more clothes.

"Okay, sister, Ella and I will go change our clothes first."

Uta picked up Ella, who was full and rolling on the table with her round belly, and rushed out of the room, leaving only the echo of her excitement. Moko chuckled helplessly and continued to look through the remaining documents.

The soft light from the Tree of Eve streamed into the room through the windows, like fine gold dust gently brushing across the room. Each ray of light seemed to leap like a sprite, and in the shimmering light, it was as if thousands of dazzling gems were gently dancing, radiating a dreamlike brilliance.

"Dong dong dong."

"Miss Moko, the ship has docked."

"Oh, I see."

Moko exhaled, looked at the clear Fishman Harbor outside the window, picked up the cloak from the back of the chair and went out. Perhaps a breeze was blowing, because the jasmine petals in the vase on the table seemed to tremble slightly.