One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 162 Nightmare

The pirate ship sailed further and further away until it disappeared as a tiny dot. With the threat of the enemy gone, the marines breathed a sigh of relief and put away their weapons. They had all thought they would have to fight again today.

The transaction was now complete. Moko gently patted Kuzan's hand. Kuzan lowered his head and met Moko's gaze. Moko looked directly into Kuzan's eyes and said softly, "General Kuzan, put me down."

Kuzan seemed a little reluctant, but he still obeyed Moko's words and gently placed her on the deck. A soft chair appeared next to Moko at the right time, and when Moko turned around, she saw the silent Corazon.

Corazon bent down and carefully arranged the items one by one, even placing peeled fruit on the table, but he didn't glance at Moko once throughout the entire process.

Moko walked around to Corazon's side, tilted her head, and blinked at him. The moment their eyes met, Corazon hurriedly looked away, his eyes filled with self-blame. He had been guarding the warship, and he had promised to protect Moko, but he still let her go, and in the end, the navy had to pay such a high price to make up for his mistake.

It's all his fault, it's all his fault...

Corazon put his things down and was about to leave, looking like he was trying to avoid Moko. Moko sighed helplessly, "Little Rice Fruit."

Moko placed the rice puffs on the table, pulled Ella back from the fruit platter, and then picked up a small fork and handed it to Ella. Ella stared at the fork for a long time, blinked at Moko, and Moko affectionately tapped Ella's head with her index finger.

"Are you planning to keep hiding from me from now on and leave me to deal with that mountain of documents all by myself?" Moko turned around and looked at Corazon, who was standing ten steps away.

"It's been so long since I've had tea made with millet berries. Could you please make some for me, millet berries?"

Borsalino helped pull out a chair so Moko could sit down comfortably. Moko rested her chin on her hands, looking at Corazon, who was tilting her head and secretly turning around, with a smile in her eyes.

Thinking no one would notice, Moko found that not only Moko, but everyone else was also looking this way. The embarrassment of being caught rose up, and a blush quickly crept up her ears. Corazon fled into the cabin like lightning, and his cute appearance made Moko cover her mouth and chuckle. It seemed that everything should be alright.

"Little Moko~"

Garp's voice drew Moko's attention back. He seemed still hurt by Moko's glare, looking at her with a wronged expression. No wonder he and Luffy are grandfather and grandson, their aggrieved expressions are exactly the same. Moko chuckled, then tilted her head and smiled brightly at everyone, her voice still as sweet and soft as ever.

"Everyone, I'm back!"

There were no accusations, no complaints, and no questions about why she was brought back so late. Moko understood the helplessness and responsibilities that everyone in the Navy had.

Dealing with pirates is not something that can be decided casually. It concerns the change of the world order. For a long time in the past, marines who were captured and taken to pirate strongholds were destined to die, except for a very few marines of extremely important positions. The fact that this deal went so smoothly, even being finalized within a month, is probably inseparable from the people in front of us.

Several people didn't dare to look Moko in the eye; her bright eyes seemed to see through everything, leaving their guilt nowhere to hide.

How could they not feel guilty? They had thought they were strong enough to protect Moko, but reality had slapped them in the face. Not only was Moko captured, but she had also been taken to the pirate's den for so long. Fortunately, Moko was valuable enough to escape unharmed. If Moko had been injured, they probably wouldn't know how to face her now.

"Mea~"

Meimei nuzzled up to Moke's feet, and Moke's eyes crinkled with delight as she patted Meimei's head. "Is Meimei here to protect me?"

"Baa!" Baa twitched its ears and happily rubbed against Moko's palm.

Moko smiled gently and picked up Meimei and put her on her lap. "I'm back, Meimei."

"Mea~"

The loving interaction brought everyone back to their senses after being separated. They tried their best to hide the self-blame in their eyes and put on happy smiles, not wanting Moko to see their remorse.

A glint flashed in Borsalino's eyes, and the next moment, Borsalino approached, knelt on one knee in front of Moko, and spoke with unusual seriousness.

"Welcome back, young lady."

"Miss Moko, welcome back."

Kuzan didn't argue with Borsalino. He stood aside and answered the question with the same seriousness. At this moment, there was no need to say much; the determination in his eyes said it all.

Garp walked up behind Moko and ruffled her hair. Moko looked up at Garp, who grinned wildly. "Little Moko, time to go home!"

Moko's lips curled up, and a smile spread across her eyes. "Yes, let's go home."

They did not stop at GL's first branch. Dozens of warships arrived in a grand manner and returned to Marineford in a grand manner. The dock was already crowded with people. This operation was not kept secret from the other navies, so it was self-evident who the navy standing on the dock was there to pick up.

Standing at the very front of the navy were Sengoku and Tsuru, with Sakasugi a little further back, followed by Tina and Smoker. Tina kept tiptoeing to look around, and the moment she saw the warship, a smile instantly appeared on her face.

Moko, on the deck, was startled by the commotion and turned to look at Garp. Garp looked away just before meeting Moko's gaze, whistling guiltily. Moko sighed helplessly.

The warship slowly docked and came to a stop. Moko had just stepped off the warship, and before even Sengoku could say a word to her, a figure flashed by and gave Moko a tight bear hug. Smoker, who was standing behind her, raised his hand, seemingly trying to grab her.

"Moko-chan, Moko-chan, thank goodness, you're alright, thank goodness!"

Her voice trembled, filled with immense grievance and worry. Moko's eyes softened as she gently patted Tina's back. "I'm back. I'm sorry, Tina-chan, for making you worry."

Perhaps it was the warmth of Moko's embrace that brought a sense of security, and her tense nerves relaxed in an instant. Even though she had decided to greet Moko with a smile, Tina couldn't help but cry.

"Moko-chan, what should Tina do? Zephyr-sensei, Ain-chan, they... they still haven't woken up. What should Tina do?"

In Tina's heart, Moko is omnipotent. Whenever she is by Moko's side, she feels that all problems can be solved. Although she doesn't know why, Tina has a feeling that as long as Moko comes back, there will definitely be a way to wake up Zefa and Ian.

Moko had already heard some of what happened between Zephyr and Ain from Garp on her way back. She knew almost everything that had happened in the two months Garp had been away. However, Moko never expected that such a powerful admiral like Zephyr would have an accident. Of the marines who went on the mission, only Ain and Binz survived. All of Zephyr's other students were killed. The result was too tragic. Moko didn't know how to face all of this when Zephyr woke up.

"Tina, don't cry. I'm here. General Zephyr and Ain will be alright. I'm here."

While comforting Tina, Moko glanced at Sengoku out of the corner of her eye. Sengoku, meeting Moko's questioning gaze, looked at her with a dark expression and shook his head with difficulty. It seemed the situation wasn't optimistic. They had been captured almost two months ago, and Zephyr's accident must have happened around that time. After escaping danger, he hadn't woken up for two months. Was his injury too severe, or were they unwilling to wake up…?

"Moko-chan~"

Tina finally stopped crying and loosened her grip on Moko slightly. Her eyes were already red, and glistening tears still clung to the tips of her long eyelashes. She was gazing at Moko with expectant eyes, like the mournful cry of a wounded fawn. Just looking at her evoked a deep sense of pity and tenderness. Moko's expression was gentle and indulgent. She raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of Tina's eyes, smiled gently, took Tina's hand, and pulled her in front of Smoker.

"Smoker, I'm leaving Tina in your care. I'm going to check on her in the ward."

"Ah."

Smoker nodded, his voice also filled with anticipation as he heard Moko's words. In fact, he had already had a vague suspicion. A long time ago, he had seen Moko enter the hospital building. Entering the hospital building was not strange in itself, but just two days after Moko's visit, news came that a skilled doctor had cured a critically ill patient on the top floor. Now, with Moko saying she wanted to go to the ward to take a look, Smoker was even more certain of his earlier guess.

However, Smoker didn't say anything. Everyone has their own secrets, and since Moko didn't want to reveal them, he didn't need to point it out. Besides, he had no interest in forcing others to do anything.

Moko nodded slightly to Sengoku and Tsuru, then walked straight toward the hospital building. The gathered navy quickly made way for her, and apart from a few who knew the situation, everyone else stared blankly at Moko as she left.

Garp knew a little about Moko's medical skills. After all, his kids were always covered in injuries, and Moko would bandage them up. Many sick people in the village would also go to Moko for medicine. Garp didn't find it strange that little Moko knew medicine. After all, Moko was Roger's daughter. It would be strange if Moko didn't know anything.

Inside the ward, sunlight slipped quietly through the window and casually spilled onto a corner of the room. A ray of light and shadow played and danced on the white bedding, like fragments of time dancing silently. In contrast to this joyful atmosphere, Ain lay quietly on the bed, her breathing so faint that it was almost inaudible.

Moko sat down on the wooden chair next to Ain, her right hand gently stroking Ain's forehead like a spring breeze. Her fingertips slid down her forehead to her brows, gently smoothing away Ain's furrowed brows. The fine, starlight-like white light seeped through her forehead into Ain's body, a warm feeling flowing through her limbs and bones, like being in her mother's embrace, so comforting and reassuring.

Tears welled up in Ain's eyes, glistening with a faint light as they slid down and disappeared into the depths of her blue, sea-like hair. No matter how old she was, she was still just a child. Moko gently stroked Ain's forehead again and again, softly humming a melodious lullaby, like a spring breeze brushing across a lake, instantly taking away all her unease.

The sunlight seemed to be drawn to this warmth, slipping through the gaps in the clouds and falling on the two of them, giving them a soft golden glow.

After showing the condition to Ain and Binz, Moko went to Zefa's ward. Zefa was seriously injured. Although he was out of danger, he was still under close observation at the hospital because he had not yet woken up.

Various instruments were connected to Zefa in the ward. Every sound from the heart monitor sent a shiver down one's spine. As Moko approached the bed, she could clearly see Zefa's tightly closed eyes, his brows furrowed, and his distressed expression, all of which indicated that Zefa was being tightly bound by a terrifying nightmare, unable to escape, and sinking deeper and deeper into that invisible darkness.

The once strong and powerful right arm was gone, and the empty sleeve made Moko's heart clench. If it had been sooner, if she hadn't gone to Wano Country, Zephyr's arm wouldn't have been beyond repair. With the nerves and blood vessels being stitched back together within a certain time, and with the healing power repairing it quickly, there would basically be no sequelae. But now, it's all too late.

Healing power could certainly regenerate a severed arm, but the energy required would be enormous. Moko has never experimented with it and cannot guarantee success. Moreover, even if it succeeds, how would Moko explain this power?

The healing power is a secret that must never be revealed. Not everyone in the Navy is trustworthy. If Moko does this, she will inevitably leave clues that will lead others to her. Moko cannot afford to take such a risk.

All she can do now is wake Zefa from the nightmare. Forgive her for being powerless to do anything else. She has a family she wants to protect, and her power is the last line of defense for her family. She will never expose them to anyone else.

Moko sighed and sat down next to the hospital bed. Ella flew down from Moko's shoulder and landed on Zefa's face, patting Zefa's face with her soft, chubby paws. Zefa did not respond as usual. Ella seemed to sense something and sat down next to Zefa's head sadly.

Zephyr is the one who dotes on Ella the most besides Moko. Every time he sees Ella, he will take out some little trinkets or snacks from his pocket. It is hard to imagine that the usually expressionless General Zephyr would like the fluffy little guy. But the fact is that Zephyr always has a gentle smile in front of Ella, as if he is reminiscing or attached. The tenderness in his eyes is touching.

Moko gently pinched Ella's little ear reassuringly, "Don't worry, Ella, General Zephyr will wake up soon, don't worry."

"Woo-mi~"

Ella turned around and stared longingly at Moko. Her chubby paws grabbed Moko's fingers. Moko smiled gently, and a white light with golden flecks floated down from the fingertips of her other hand toward Zefa and slowly disappeared into it.

A gentle white light slowly seeped into the nightmare world that had plunged Zefa into darkness, tearing a hole in the dark dome with an irresistible force, allowing bright light to pass through and drive away the darkness, illuminating the path back to reality and awakening from the dream.