One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 87 The Shy Little Rabbit

"Little Moke, are you still worried about those two brats?"

Karp gently patted Moko's shoulder, and Moko withdrew her gaze from the east and shook her head.

"I'm just very happy."

"happy?"

"Grandpa Garp, did you see that? Ace's eyes are different than before."

Moko smiled, her eyes filled with joy. Her younger brother seemed to be truly growing up.

Garp was slightly taken aback by Moko's words, then burst into laughter, drawing frequent glances from the navy crew on the warship. Moko's eyes flickered, and she sighed helplessly.

"Grandpa Garp."

"Haha, good, good, Grandpa won't laugh anymore."

Garp coughed twice, covering his mouth, to stop laughing. His gaze involuntarily turned to the eastern sea, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions: relief, anger, and helplessness.

"You'll grow up eventually once you have people and things you want to protect. But if that brat just said less nonsense, he'd be even better off. Being a Marine is so much better..."

"Grandpa Garp, let them be. The sea is free, and I hope they can freely choose the path they want to take."

Karp sighed deeply. It seemed those two brats had been spoiled rotten. Moko had really indulged them too much; this wouldn't do. But…

The rising sun shone on Moko, bathing her in a warm glow. Moko gently stroked Mika, her eyes soft and gentle. Garp really didn't want to scold such a delicate Moko. It was unbelievable that that man could have such a gentle and quiet daughter. But little Moko was also very similar to that man in some ways. Could it be said that she was truly the child that man had raised by his side since she was a child?

And then there's Ace, even this child who never met that man, still inherited his will, pursuing the freedom he believed in throughout his life. I really don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

"Lieutenant General Garp, you have a call."

A navy officer on the mast shouted, and Garp snapped out of his reverie, shaking off all his inner turmoil. He patted Moko's head and said, "Let these kids be. I'm old, and I can't keep them in check for the future. I'll protect these little ones as long as my old bones can."

"coming."

Karp, who had messed up Moko's hair, quickly strode away, avoiding Moko's resentful little gaze. She didn't know why, but it seemed like everyone really liked to pat her head. She wasn't a cat, after all. Helpless, Moko straightened her messy hair again.

When Moko returned to Marineford, she found that every Marine at Marine Headquarters was quite busy as soon as she landed. There were many ships coming and going in and out of the small harbor on the side. When he saw Moko's confusion, Garp kindly explained.

"Zhan Guo said he plans to hold a banquet in a couple of days to celebrate the three boys taking office, and there will also be a New Year's Eve party. The banquet will be quite lively, Xiao Mo can go and have some fun."

"A banquet."

Moko suddenly remembered that Tina had mentioned there might be a banquet when the new admiral took office. It seemed she needed to prepare some clothes for the banquet. Luckily, Nivvira had a new fashion collection. Should she go check it out later?

(Nifirela: A fashion boutique under the Jasmine brand, which has risen rapidly with its unique designs and has secured a place in the world of fashion. It is divided into a regular section and a high-end section. The high-end section consists of custom-made items, each with a unique design and high prices. It is one of the main sources of Jasmine's revenue. The headquarters is currently located in the Sabaody Archipelago.)

"Moko-chan!"

Tina charged towards Moko, each grabbing one of her hands. Smoker was on her left, while Moko, whom she hadn't seen at headquarters, was on her right. The girl had long, flowing, wavy, sea-blue hair and wore a purple vest and black shorts. An X-shaped scar was clearly visible on the girl's right leg, but it didn't look scary. Instead, it gave the girl a unique and endearing contrast. Given her relationship with Tina, this girl was most likely the same Ain that Tina had mentioned before.

When they got close to Moko, Tina released the two people she was holding and hugged Moko tightly. The huge impact made Moko take several steps back. If Capo hadn't caught Moko's back, the two of them would have fallen.

"Tina missed Moko-chan so, so, so much! Moko-chan, you're finally back, Moko-chan~"

When Tina returned from her mission, she was told that Moko was on vacation. Heaven knows how depressed she had been for the past month. If Ain hadn't come back early, Smoker would have been driven to vomit by her.

(Smoker: (≡ _ ≡) Calm~)

Author here~ It seems like you're really enjoying yourself (￣▽￣ ））

After cuddling for a while, Tina seemed to remember the others and suddenly pulled Ain, who was standing to the side and hadn't reacted yet, in front of Moko. "Moko-chan, this is Ain-chan, isn't she cute?"

Sunlight slanted down on Ain's face, highlighting her delicate features and fair, rosy complexion, making her look exceptionally beautiful. She possessed an elegant and refined air, but for some reason, she dared not look directly at Moke. When Moke discovered her peeking, her cheeks immediately flushed red, and she looked like a cute and shy little rabbit, melting Moke's heart.

By the time Moko reacted, her hand was already pinching Ain's cheek. It was soft and bouncy to the touch. Feeling the touch of her fingers on her face, Ain's face turned red visibly, as if it were being roasted, with smoke rising from the top of her head.

"Hahaha, Ain-chan is shy again."

"Tina-chan~"

Ain called out to Tina with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. When she learned that she was going to see Moko, Ain was nervous. When she was on missions outside, she often heard Moko's name in the messages Tina sent her. Moreover, this girl was Mr. Garp's granddaughter. With such a status, she had attracted Tina's attention. Ain was really curious about what kind of girl this gentle and beautiful girl Tina was talking about was.

When she returned to headquarters, she learned that Moko was already on vacation, which was a bit of a pity. However, in the past month, she had heard a lot of rumors about Moko, with no negative comments and in fact, the comments were extremely good. Even Professor Zephyr and Marshal Sengoku had a great liking for this Miss Moko, which made her more and more curious.

Today, she finally met the girl who had only appeared in rumors. Just as the rumors said, she was a gentle and beautiful girl, like a pure white jasmine.

A myriad of crimson clouds mingled with the rising morning mist from the sea. In that ever-changing, multicolored halo, the girl, as beautiful as a jasmine, stood there quietly listening to Vice Admiral Garp's words. Occasionally, she would reveal a smile as delicate as a flower. The moment she tilted her head back, her eyes, as radiant as the morning glow, shimmered with a gentle, rippling light, like waves spreading across a lake. For the first time, Ain realized that there really could be someone more beautiful than a flower, so beautiful that one wanted to cherish and protect them.

"Haha, Ain-chan, this is Moko-chan, how about it? Tina didn't lie to you, did she?"

Tina stood proudly with her hands on her hips, her face beaming with smug satisfaction.

All I could say was that she wasn't lying, and it had exceeded my expectations. Not only was she beautiful, but you could also immediately sense Moko's gentleness.

"your eyes……"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing Moko's voice, Ain quickly snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Moko. In that instant, Ain was caught off guard and met those gentle eyes, as soft as the morning sun.

"Ain's eyes are beautiful, just like the sunset, a warm reddish-brown."

"I...I...I...I...No, no, Miss Moko's eyes are the prettiest."

When Moke praised Ain, she started to stutter. She waved her hands frantically, not knowing where to put them, and was so embarrassed that her head almost touched the ground. Moke blinked, smiled quietly, cupped Ain's face in her hands, and gently pinched it.

"Hello, Ain-chan, I'm Moko, nice to meet you from now on."

Like a spring breeze caressing her heart, Ain's heart began to pound uncontrollably. Her brain completely overloaded and crashed, leaving her blushing furiously as she stood there dumbfounded. Tina curiously poked her with her finger, but Ain didn't respond at all. As if she had discovered a new continent, Tina was now having even more fun.

Smoker rubbed his temples, unable to bear it any longer, and grabbed Tina by the back of her collar, pulling her away from Ain.

"Lieutenant General Garp and Miss Moko, you've just returned. Please go and get some rest."

Garp had been standing silently to the side the whole time. He loved seeing the youthful energy of the young people, especially seeing Moko make new friends. He was overjoyed. The more friends Moko made in the Navy, the less she might want to leave. And if Moko stayed in the Navy, he could protect her. Maybe those two brats would change their minds.

"Haha, young people are indeed full of energy."

Karp took the lead, carrying Moko's luggage and walking forward. Moko, still in a daze, followed closely behind, holding onto Tina by the back of her neck to prevent her from messing with Ain. The group strolled leisurely towards the villa area, chatting and laughing along the way.

When Ain came to her senses, they were already at Moko's villa, with a chubby red pom-pom in her hand. Ain blinked in confusion and couldn't help but squeeze it.

"Pfft~"

Mihua made a soft, cute squeaking sound, and Ain's eyes lit up. So cute, so cute, and so soft! The fluffy texture of Mihua made Ain love it so much that she relaxed and squinted her eyes.

"You're awake. I made a parfait. What flavor does Ain-chan like?"

Ain turned her head stiffly, staring wide-eyed at Moko, blinking repeatedly, "Baphi, is strawberry okay?"

"Ah."

Now, no matter what Mo says, Ain just nods blankly without offering any rebuttal.

"Hahaha, Moko-chan, Ain-chan loves sweet things the most. Every time she eats cake, Ain-chan asks for extra sugar."

Tina forked a piece of cake and put it in her mouth, then fed a piece to Ella in her arms as well. She watched Ella's dazed expression with relish. Moko nodded and smiled gently.

"Then I'll make it a little sweeter."

Layers of sweet cream and fruit are layered on top of each other, with vibrant and distinct colors. Two round scoops of ice cream are placed on top, with strawberries split in the middle and inserted into the ice cream scoops like cat ears. Finally, syrup is drizzled on top and a few gold leaves are sprinkled on top to finish the dish.

When the parfait was served to Ain, its exquisite appearance made her reluctant to take a bite. However, she finally took a bite under Moko's expectant gaze. The ice cream scoop combined the refreshing flavors of cherry blossoms and pistachios, with a silky and delicate texture. The creamy filling also had a special sweetness. It was this inconspicuous sweetness that made the parfait's texture more and more diverse, without being too sweet at all.

Seeing Ain's sparkling eyes, Moko knew there was no need to ask. The house was warm from the fire, and everyone inside had an imposing presence, so having a cool ice cream was just right.

The firewood crackled and flickered with tiny flames, filling the air with a faint woody scent. The vibrant girl's face shone even brighter in the firelight, like spring itself. In the garden, clusters of tiny flower buds gently unfurled their delicate petals, charming and lovely. Spring was just around the corner.