One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 109 Souvenirs

Moko entrusted Yubi with the entire responsibility of restoring the island and arranging the children she brought back. Moko had a habit of recruiting people in war-torn areas, and Yubi was already very skilled at arranging training. Without Moko having to explain in detail, Yubi had already carried out the task very well, so Moko didn't have to worry at all.

Once the merchant ship returned to the Sabaody Archipelago, Moko disembarked, while Yubi took the children back to Ophelia. As for Ursula, only those who had passed through layers of selection in Ophelia were qualified to go there. After all, entering Ursula meant having the opportunity to take over one of Moko's businesses, and it would be a business directly under Moko's control. This honor was something everyone in Moko craved. Unbeknownst to them, everyone in Moko had long since worshipped Moko as their god.

Only after the sinking merchant ship had completely disappeared from the sea did Moko leave. She took a change of ship from Area 60 back to Marineford. Although she hadn't rested much during the round trip from the New World to the Grand Line, she had been away for almost a month. So when Moko returned to Marineford, the others who had gone out on missions had already returned.

Moko calculated the time and thought that the training time should be almost over, so she took the gifts that Yubi had prepared and went to the place where Tina, Ian and Smoker lived. The villa had four floors in total, one floor for each person. Because it was a villa area, even though it was on the outskirts, it was very quiet and not noisy.

Each floor of the villa has a large balcony with excellent natural light. The villa where Tina and her two friends stayed was also in a great location, situated on an unobstructed edge. Every morning, they could stand on the balcony and see the sea sparkling like a jewel. Although it wasn't as spectacular as the view from the sea cliffs, it was still uniquely beautiful.

Tina, Ian, and Smoker live in the same villa. The first floor is currently vacant and no one has moved in yet. Smoker lives on the second floor, Tina on the third floor, and Ian on the fourth floor.

After rounding the corner of the road hidden by the flower bed, and walking a little further, you'll reach the villa where the three of them live. As soon as Moko got downstairs, she heard Tina's excited voice.

Tina stood on the second-floor balcony waving her hand vigorously. If it weren't for Ain holding her back, Moko thought Tina would have jumped down. For Tina, who was often trained, the second floor was not considered high.

Moko smiled and swayed the gift bag in her hand as a response. When Tina saw the bag with the Jasmine Desserts logo, her eyes lit up. She turned around abruptly and pulled Ain back to the room. Less than a minute later, Moko heard clear, hurried footsteps coming from the stairs.

Suddenly, a figure pushed open the door and rushed out to hug Moko. Moko quickly stretched out her arms to move the gift bag away so that the gifts in her arms wouldn't hurt Tina.

"Waaah!" Ella flew out along with Moko's arm movement, but luckily she was caught by Ian who reacted quickly.

"Moko-chan, Tina missed you so much." As she spoke, Tina hugged Moko and happily rubbed her face against Moko's.

"Me too! How did Tina-chan and Ain-chan's mission go this time?"

Ain took the gift bag from Moko's hand to stop Moko from holding it up. Hearing Moko's words, Ain nodded with a smile on her lips. Tina also nodded happily, her smugness almost tangible.

"With Tina on the case, the mission went very smoothly. I caught quite a few pirates this time, and even Professor Zephyr praised me."

"Really? Tina-chan is amazing." Moko praised, patting Tina's head.

Hehe! o(*////▽////*)

"Tina-chan, let's go inside first. Moko-chan just got back."

After Ain said that, Tina nodded in agreement and quickly pulled Moko into the villa. She was reluctant to let Moko stand outside. Ain followed closely behind and they went upstairs together.

The three of them went straight into the room on the second floor. Smoker was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper, wearing a silver-gray casual outfit, unusually not wearing his usual fur coat.

Upon seeing Moko, Smoker nodded slightly in greeting, then put down his newspaper and naturally went into the kitchen to make tea. The three of them, as was their custom, sat down on the sofa and began chatting.

The group usually went to Smoker's house to hang out. Despite being a big man, Smoker's room was extremely clean, and the furniture was almost all original Navy furniture. It was simple and monotonous, with no brightly colored decorations. But that's not surprising, as Smoker didn't care much about home decorations. He spent most of his salary on alcohol and cigarettes. If there were any novelties in the room, it was Tina who put them there.

"I brought a lot of snacks, Tina-chan and Ain-chan, please see if you like them."

Moko took out one of the gift bags and placed the exquisite pastries on the table. These were Moko's new rose pear jelly and three-fruit pastry, which had just been launched by Moko's shop and were very popular with girls. Thinking that Tina and Ian would definitely like them, Moko made a lot and brought them back. At this moment, Smoker also came out with the brewed tea.

The exquisite and adorable pastries were so beautiful that it was hard to bear eating them. Under Moko's expectant gaze, Tina and Ian each put one into their mouths. Ian even handed one to Ella in her arms. Ella's eyes sparkled as she received the pastry and couldn't wait to stuff it into her mouth.

The sweet taste spreads in your mouth, the chewy texture and rich floral aroma make it so delicious that the two of you and the bear can't stop eating it.

Smoker tried one of each, and they were sweet but not cloying, with a unique taste. They were indeed delicious, but Smoker only ate two and then stopped. Compared to sweet desserts, Smoker preferred savory ones.

"Oh, and I also brought other gifts."

Under the gaze of the three, Moke handed the gift bags beside her to Tina and Ian respectively. Tina swallowed the pastry in her mouth, wiped her hands, and then opened the gift bag. Inside the bag was a velvet square box, and inside the box was a flat-mouthed flower-shaped twisted wire bracelet. The golden bracelet was inlaid with various beautiful gemstones. The gemstones and gold wire were intertwined, as if they were made of real flower branches, lifelike, and the exquisite texture carving was noble and elegant. It fit Tina's wrist perfectly.

Ain's bracelet was also a silver bracelet, made with filigree techniques and set with a large, flawless sapphire. The wavy pattern was also inlaid with many delicate pearls. Both the craftsmanship and the rarity of the materials were master-level. Ain fell in love with it at first sight.

"And this is for Smoker."

Moke handed the last gift bag to Smoker. Smoker was taken aback, hesitated for a moment, and then accepted it. Inside the box was a box of high-end cigars and a rather exquisite pocket watch. The pocket watch was understated yet luxurious, with a simple and delicate pattern engraved around the edge. It was clear at a glance that its value was no less than that of the two bracelets.

"The cigar was a gift from the manager of Safira, a complimentary item with the pocket watch. Smoker can try it if he doesn't mind; I've heard it tastes pretty good."

With its high-end packaging and subtle tobacco aroma, it was impossible for it to be a free gift. The cigars were specifically sent by Moko to Yubi. Thinking that Smoker might not like the snacks this time, she asked Yubi to go to Christo to get a box of cigars.

Kristoff is one of Jasmine's other businesses. After Jasmine entered the Grand Line, she sent people to explore many islands for the sake of Jasmine's future development. From the information she collected, Jasmine discovered that an uninhabited island called Kristoff on the outskirts was very suitable for growing tobacco. Jasmine was not a person who would hesitate, so she immediately had Shanks secretly occupy that island, and that's how Jasmine's tobacco industry developed.

As for Crystal's business, Moko handed it over almost entirely to Beckman. Moko had little interest in tobacco, and rather than adding another complicated report to her staff, she preferred to let someone she liked take charge. After all, she would only need to handle collecting the berries. Besides, Beckman was clearly overjoyed when he took over Crystal, perhaps because they would be self-sufficient in cigarettes from now on.

(Beckman: (?￣? ?? ￣??) With Miss Moko around, our standard of living has improved!)

"A free gift?"

Smoker clearly knew Crystal, and the emotions in his eyes were incredibly complex. Tina and Ian didn't smoke, so they obviously didn't understand why Smoker had such an expression. Their confused expressions were exactly the same as when Smoker heard about various fashion brands, completely bewildered.

Moko lowered her eyes slightly to hide the smile in them. Since Christo had been handed over to Beckman, Beckman naturally took the high-end route. You know, people who love to smoke are not usually poor. In addition, Christo's unique climate and soil produce tobacco with a unique aroma that other cigarettes do not have. The rich and smooth taste when lit is loved by many. In just one year, it has grown to a huge scale. The quality is excellent and the price is naturally not cheap. Especially Christo cigars, which are all priced per stick. Now, this full box is said by Moko to be a free gift from the pocket watch. No wonder Smoker's eyes are full of complicated emotions.

Smoker's mind was a bit of a mess. He only bought a cigar when he received his year-end bonus, but now it was being given away as a free gift by the jewelry store. No wonder it was a jewelry store that made money off women; they were so generous with their free gifts.

"Thank you."

With a heart full of emotion, Smoker thanked Moko very earnestly, then stared intently at the cigar, his eyes burning with the same intensity as Luffy's when he saw meat. Thinking of this, Moko couldn't help but want to laugh, but she suppressed her laughter and spoke softly.

"As long as Smoker likes it."

After giving the gifts to the three of them, they started chatting. Moko listened quietly as they recounted the interesting things that had happened over the past month. The four of them sat around a small table, drinking tea and eating snacks. The room was filled with the unique, clear laughter of a young girl, creating a harmonious and warm atmosphere.

Smoker sat quietly to the side, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cigar box, clearly enamored with it. But Smoker did listen attentively to the three of them, responding whenever they called him. The four of them chatted until the moon was high in the sky.

The moonlight, like a ribbon, gently fell, like a fine silver river cascading over the vast earth, draping everything in a dreamlike, pure silver veil. The night breeze danced leisurely, softly weaving through her hair and cheeks, carrying the fragrance of distant flower fields and the freshness of green grass, slowly flowing into her heart. Moko held the sleeping Ella and Mihua, her eyes curving into a very gentle arc, and slowly walked towards her villa.

The silvery moonlight gathered on Moko, giving her a faint glow. Her skirt swayed gently in the breeze, casting a long shadow that danced with the moon.