One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 27 Guardian

Only after realizing that no one was around did Moko take off her hood. At this moment, Moko's face was frighteningly pale. This was the first time Moko had killed someone with her own hands. In the past, Shanks would finish off the victims on the ship. The feeling of ending someone's life with her own hands was not pleasant. Although Moko knew that this day would come, she was still extremely distressed when it actually arrived.

Moko gripped the dangling necklace tightly, suppressing the nausea in her heart. Even after being in this world for so long, had she still not truly adapted to the way of life here?

"Pfft~"

Mihua called out with some concern. Moke gently rubbed Mihua to indicate that she was alright. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting dappled shadows and casting a hazy glow on Moke. When she looked up again, Moke had returned to calm. She could no longer turn back. She didn't want to lose any more family members. Even if she became a demon in other people's eyes, so what? She wouldn't lose any more.

When they were almost home, Moko saw Dadan's family anxiously waiting at the crossroads. Dadan was holding Ace and standing at the front. Ace's face, which had been scrunched up in a sour expression, immediately relaxed when he saw Moko and Mihua. He stretched out his hands and kicked his legs, ready to run towards Moko.

Seeing Ace's smiling face, Moko's expression softened. Was becoming a demon terrifying? On that day, she had little left to lose. If becoming a demon could protect her family, then it wasn't so scary. All she wanted was to protect her family's smiles.

Moko jumped off Mihua and took Ace from Dadan's arms. As soon as Ace was in Moko's arms, he hugged her neck tightly and wouldn't let go. Moko rubbed Ace's face and patted his back to comfort him. Dadan looked Moko up and down and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Moko was alright. Moko hadn't come back yet, and she almost led her people down the mountain.

"Thank you for your hard work, Aunt Dadan."

"Hey, taking care of this little guy isn't hard work at all. But you, were you alright going down the mountain? Did those people cause you any trouble?"

"No, there weren't many people on the road when I passed by."

"Really? Never mind, let's go back first. Hey, you guys help Xiao Mo unload her things and carry them back."

"Oh!"

Although Dadan was puzzled that the group below had become more obedient, she did not ask any further questions. She called on her younger brother to help unload the goods, and Moke and Dadan walked ahead and soon returned to the small building.

"Aunt Dadan, why don't you stay and have lunch with us? I bought a lot of new seasonings. Please try them out and I can help you season the dishes."

Dadan, who had initially intended to refuse, couldn't bring herself to say anything after hearing about the offer of help. Mainly, it was because Moke's cooking was truly delicious; she could even make ordinary wild vegetables look amazing. She simply didn't want to refuse.

"Okay, then let's stay for lunch."

"Ah."

Moko smiled gently and took Ace back to the room. She put Ace in the cradle and let him play by himself. As long as Ace could see Moko, he wouldn't make a fuss and happily played with the pom-pom toy in the cradle.

The refrigerator contained the prey that had been prepared this morning. Dadan had already done the basic cleaning. Moko pulled the big fish onto the cutting board, cut off the head and tail, and marinated the fish with cooking wine, scallion and ginger water, etc.

While waiting for the fish to marinate, prepare the sweet and sour sauce and set it aside. Coat the marinated fish evenly with starch and deep-fry it in a pan until the skin is golden brown. Pour the prepared sweet and sour sauce over the fried fish and you're done.

"Little Moko, I don't think I've ever seen this fish before?"

"It's sweet and sour squirrel fish."

"Squirrel fish?"

Dadan had never heard of this kind of fish before. Moke could tell from Dadan's expression that she had misunderstood, so she pointed to the fish and patiently explained.

"It just looks a bit like a squirrel, and the fish is just a very ordinary fish from the river."

"Oh!"

Dadan's family suddenly realized that they had misunderstood. Mo Ke smiled slightly and cooked a lot of home-style dishes. When there are many people, it is enough to have a simple meal. The dishes do not need to be particularly exquisite. Of course, the most important thing is that Mo Ke likes the lively atmosphere of everyone gathering together.

The Dadan family was having a great time at the dinner table. Moko sat to the side, scooping up fruit puree with a spoon and feeding it to Ace. Ace wasn't picky at all and quickly finished the fruit puree in his bowl. From the very beginning, his eyes were fixed on the table, and his longing expression couldn't be more obvious. But unfortunately, the little guy didn't have all his teeth yet and could only drink milk and eat some purees for the time being.

Moko chuckled as she handed the warmed milk to Ace. Despite his small size, Ace was surprisingly strong and could hold the bottle steadily by himself. Only after Ace drank the milk did Moko begin to eat. Moko's appetite was already small, and it had shrunk even further during the time she was dieting with Rouge. She only ate a small bowl before stopping.

Dadan felt heartbroken watching from the side. It was the time when she was growing, and she always ate so little. No wonder she was so thin and couldn't gain weight. Children of this age should be able to eat a lot. Dadan didn't know how to persuade Moke. Every time she tried to speak, she would see Moke's smile and then she would be unable to say anything. That smile was too sad, and she couldn't bear to continue. She didn't know what to say.

The Dadan family took over the final dishwashing task, refusing to let Moko do anything. Helpless, Moko could only start cutting fabric and buying the items that were missing from the house.

For the next few days, Moko was busy sewing the fabric items she wanted. Gradually, the house became filled with soft cushions, beautiful curtains, and thick carpets. The originally cold and quiet wooden style began to become warm and cozy. Ace also wore the new clothes that Moko made for him, an adorable little bear costume. From a distance, he looked just like a real little bear, super cute.

"Ace, stay home and play with Mika, I'm going out for a bit."

Moko picked up Ace and kissed his forehead. Ace smiled happily and waved his little hands.

"elder sister."

This means that they have a high probability of understanding. For Ace, who is not yet able to communicate fluently, Moko can already understand Ace's thoughts from a few words. Ace can also understand some of what Moko says, although he may not understand the specific meaning, but it is enough for him to understand the general idea.

When Moko went out, Ace waved happily at her, then climbed onto Mika. Mika let Ace play around. Moko raised her eyes slightly, gently closed the door, and ran down the mountain in a few flashes.

No matter what she does or where she goes, Bailey is of paramount importance, as is intelligence. Moko plans to cultivate her own power first, so that at least when she is not around, someone can protect Ace in her place and give her enough time to get there.

The orphanage wasn't hard to find, but it looked even more dilapidated than Mo had imagined. Calling it an orphanage was a bit of a stretch; it was more like a run-down little house crammed with children. The orphanage was in a corner of the city wall, and the house was very old, with large and small repair marks on the roof. It was barely enough to keep out the wind and rain.

There were many children in the small courtyard. The older children were carrying babies who couldn't walk yet. All the children were looking at Moko, wondering what she was there for. They timidly hid behind the older children, peeking out. Long-term malnutrition made these children look particularly thin. Their ill-fitting clothes were loosely draped over their bodies, clearly clothes that the older children had worn when they were younger. Their hair also looked dry and yellow.

Just then, a child led a girl of about eighteen or nineteen out of the house. The girl was wearing an old apron and her eyes were full of fear. According to Moko's senses, this girl was the oldest person in the entire orphanage, and it seemed that she was the person in charge of the orphanage.

"Hello, I'm Marshall, the head of the orphanage. How can I help you?"

Martha walked up to Moko and asked him somewhat nervously, her hands gripping her apron tightly. She looked very tense, clearly indicating that most people who came to the orphanage were there to cause trouble.

"I'm looking for Yubi."

"Ah, Yubi, did he do something wrong? Please don't blame him, sir. I can compensate you for your loss..."

Seeing that Masaya was about to rummage through her purse, Moko quickly stopped her from doing anything further, her voice filled with a sense of helplessness. It seemed that the little one had gotten into quite a few fights outside.

“I told him last time that I would come to see him in the next few days. Don’t worry, he didn’t do anything wrong.”

"Ah? So you're the adult Yubi was talking about! Please come in! Salika, go to the dock and call Yubi and the others back. The adult they've been waiting for has arrived."

“Okay, Sister Marshall.”

The little girl in the white apron handed the child she was holding to a slightly older child next to her, and then ran towards the dock without stopping. Masaya quickly greeted Moko and entered the orphanage.

Although the orphanage's exterior showed signs of repair everywhere, the interior was decorated very warmly. Despite the old furniture, it was clear that everyone had taken great care of it.

"Sir, have some water. They'll be back soon."

Martha looked quite nervous. As the person in charge, her gentle personality was clearly not suitable for a kingdom with such a clear class system. Was that why the child looked so mature? Moko withdrew her scrutinizing gaze and took a sip of water.

Yubi returned exceptionally quickly. Upon seeing Yubi return, Masaya breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief. Yubi was the first to walk up to Moko and bow.

"My lord, you've arrived."

Moko shook her head. "No need for these formalities, let's get down to business."

"Yes."

Yubi sat respectfully opposite Moko, her expression serious. Moko lowered her eyes, watching the ripples gently moving in her water glass, and slowly spoke.

"Let me be frank. I plan to cultivate my own power. Your performance that day earned you and this orphanage this opportunity. For the next five years, I will protect this place and all the children here. I will also teach you some necessary knowledge and skills. After five years, you will need to help me build my own organization on your own. Do you think you can do it?"

Moko's aura instantly filled the entire room, and a terrifying pressure weighed heavily on Yubi. Yubi forced himself to straighten his back and stare directly at Moko. He knew this was his only chance. If he and the orphanage wanted to escape this miserable situation, they needed a powerful backer. What Moko meant was actually quite simple: they had to be completely loyal to her. Once they agreed, they could never betray her. So what? It was better than this life of not having enough to eat and living in constant fear.

Yubi looked at the pale-faced Masaya beside him, and the children cowering at the door. Images of children who had died from hunger and disease flashed through his mind. What weighed on Yubi was not only the pressure, but also the responsibility he could not abandon. Yubi gritted his teeth and looked at Moko with a determined gaze.

“I can. I and everyone in the orphanage swear that we will always be loyal to the adults.”

"..."

The air was still for a moment when Moko suddenly chuckled, and the atmosphere in the room instantly relaxed. Moko took off her hood, revealing a delicate and sweet face, and her beautiful appearance stunned everyone.

"Heh, there's no need to be so afraid. I won't ask you to do any missions that require you to risk your lives."

Moko smiled, taking in the hesitation and determination in Yubi's eyes. Once you have someone to protect, even the weakest person will become strong, and she didn't dislike such a person.

"Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Moko. I will not hold back in the training that follows. If you want to protect these children, make yourselves stronger. You only have this one chance."

"Yes!"