One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 59 A Meaningful Wait

Amidst the black smoke of the explosion, a giant red ship with a dragon's head slowly emerged. Several people standing at the bow watched the pirates below with amusement. The red-haired man at the head of the group stared coldly at the pirate leader.

The leader was so frightened that he froze on the spot, trembling like a leaf. He felt as if he were surrounded by a vengeful ghost, and even breathing was difficult. After catching his breath several times, the leader finally spoke with difficulty.

"Red...red hair!"

Of course he knew that this area was an island belonging to the Red-Haired Pirates, but normally as long as he didn't provoke or harm the island's residents, Shanks wouldn't bother with him at all. So why, why did he appear today and even attack them directly?

Before the leader could figure it out, Shanks jumped from the bow of the ship onto the deck of the merchant ship, skillfully took off his black cloak and draped it over Moko. He looked at Moko with gentle and doting eyes, and his voice carried a hint of coaxing a child.

"Honey, it's windy at sea, put your coat on."

Shanks' cloak was very large, and it easily wrapped around Moko. Shanks used the cloak to pull Moko into his arms.

Moko was wearing a simple white off-shoulder dress today. Because of her current domineering aura, Moko didn't feel cold. But when she saw Shanks' jealous look, Moko understood everything. A smile appeared in her eyes, and she nestled obediently in Shanks' arms like a little rabbit.

Seeing the two's intimate actions, the pirate leader finally understood that Shanks' recent strange behavior was all because of the woman in front of him. The jasmine flower was actually Jasmine. It turned out that Jasmine's backer was Shanks. Now the pirate leader understood everything, but unfortunately, he didn't have the chance to say it.

"Clean it up."

When Shanks looked up, his voice was cold and devoid of any emotional fluctuation, completely different from his attitude when speaking to Moko.

Beckman, on the deck, took his cigarette, held it between his fingers, exhaled, and let the smoke dissipate. He casually glanced at the pirates who were too scared to move, then turned and gave a look to the people on the Redford.

The people on the ship nodded in understanding and got up to stretch their muscles. Instantly, blood splattered everywhere. The once arrogant pirates died before they could even scream. The pirates who jumped into the sea also failed to escape, their foreheads pierced by bullets.

If these pirates had been more sensible and hadn't blocked the way, nothing would have happened. But unfortunately, they provoked Miss Moko, saw what she looked like, and learned about her relationship with their boss. Miss Moko is now working in the Navy, so they can't leave her with any future troubles, or their boss will throw them into the sea to feed the fish.

Thick black smoke and blood filled the surroundings. On the deck, Moko smiled gently, looking up at Shanks. The surrounding bloodstains did not contaminate Moko in the slightest, as if they were two completely separate worlds, unable to interfere with each other.

Shanks paid no attention to anything around him. He simply pulled Moko closer to his chest and, smelling the faint jasmine scent on her, Shanks' heart gradually filled up. The long-standing emptiness vanished instantly. He had lost his little jasmine for far too long, so long that he could no longer bear the days when he couldn't see or touch her.

Countless times he wanted to drop everything to be with Moke, or ignore everything and take Moke away, but he restrained himself. His little Moke was free, and he couldn't be so selfish as to imprison her. His purpose in becoming stronger was not to force Moke to do things she didn't want to do, but to allow Moke to do whatever she wanted without any scruples.

Since Moko can't leave with him now, he'll just wait. He can wait, and compared to the past ten years when he couldn't even find a trace of Moko, this wait is much, much happier.

"Sister Moko!"

While the two were being affectionate, Uta, who was looking down from the bow of the ship, happily waved to Moko. Moko wanted to respond, but found that Shanks was holding her too tightly, and she couldn't free her hands at all. Moko chuckled and pinched Shanks' arm. Only when Shanks loosened his grip a little could Moko finally reach out from under his cloak to respond.

The pirate ships blocking the road were quickly cleared away, and the Jasmine Merchant Ship followed the Redfords toward the affiliated island. Moko followed Shanks onto the Redfords, and as soon as she boarded the ship, she was pounced on by Uta.

"Sister Moko, I miss you so much. You have to spend more time with me this time. I haven't seen you for so long."

"Okay, I'll spend more time with Uta-chan this time."

Moko crouched down and kissed Uta's cheek. Uta happily bounced a little on the spot, her eyes sparkling.

"Sigh, I also want Moko-chan to be with me."

Shanks reverted to his usual carefree and playful demeanor, bending down close behind Moko and bringing his head near her ear.

"No, Shanks, I said it first, waah~"

Upon hearing Shanks' words, Uta was furious. She puffed out her cheeks and glared at Shanks, looking like a cute little pufferfish.

“I said it before Moko-chan even arrived, even though I said it much earlier.”

Shanks' face was full of amusement, and he didn't know how to stop laughing like he was teasing a child. He seemed to find Uta's angry look very amusing, and he even pulled at Uta more enthusiastically, acting a bit like a rascal.

"Waaaaah~ Sister Moko, look at Shanks!"

Uta knew she was no match for Shanks, so she rolled her eyes and immediately put on a pitiful expression as she looked at Moko, burying herself in Moko's arms and acting coquettishly.

Sure enough, Moko gave Shanks a reproachful look. Although she knew Uta wasn't really crying, she still reached out and hugged Uta, gently patting her back to comfort her.

"Uta-chan is still young, Shanks, you're not allowed to bully Uta-chan."

"Haha, okay, I won't bully you anymore."

Shanks couldn't help but burst into laughter. Uta, hearing that Shanks had conceded defeat, immediately cheered and made a victory face at Shanks. Before Shanks could react, she pulled Moko towards her room.

"Sister Moko, I've collected so many beautiful gems! I'm sure you'll love them. I'll take you to see them."

"Okay, no rush, slow down, don't fall."

The two walked toward the cabin, with Mika and Sweet Fruit following closely behind, leaving Shanks standing alone. Shanks shook his head with a helpless smile, his eyes full of doting affection.

Uta's room was just like Uta herself, with bright colors that instantly brightened one's mood upon entering. Uta pulled Moko into the room without rushing to look for any gems.

Shanks owns several gem mines on his islands, and Uta has been looking at gems in droves, almost to the point of being tired of them. Now, these mines have become the source of gems for Moko's jewelry shop, and the gems that Uta likes have been turned into beautiful jewelry. So, looking at gems was just an excuse for Uta to take Moko away from Shanks.

The room was covered with a thick plush carpet, and in the center was a large pom-pom doll. Its snow-white fur looked incredibly soft. Mihua and Tianguo were the first to pounce on the doll and roll around comfortably. The three pom-poms huddled together looked so cute that it made anyone who saw them feel happy.

Uta sat down with Moko, who was leaning against a plush toy, while she nestled in Moko's arms. With a complicated and conflicted expression on her face, she hesitated for a while before finally asking the question that had been bothering her for a long time.

"Sister Moko, why don't you travel with us?"

Uta didn't understand those missions and responsibilities. She only knew that Shanks and Moko liked each other. They had been separated for so long before, so why were they still separated after their reunion? If it was because of Ace and the others, then Moko could have brought Ace and the others onto the ship. Shanks was so strong, he could definitely protect them.

Moko was taken aback. She knew Uta had something to say to her, but she didn't expect Uta to ask this. There was nothing wrong with asking this question. Moko smiled gently, hugged Uta with one hand, and stroked Uta's soft hair with the other, and slowly began to speak.

"Because my sister still has some things to finish, she can't go on the trip with Shanks yet."

"Is it because of Ace and the others?"

Why would Uta-chan think that?

“Because…” Uta lowered her head slightly, twisting her fingers hesitantly, “because my sister seems very worried about Ace and the others, just like when Shanks looked at me, she seemed very uneasy.”

Moko blinked and chuckled. Before Moko could speak, Uta continued, "If you're worried about Ace and the others, then bring Ace, Luffy, Sabo, and the others onto the ship. That way, everyone can travel together. It's okay if they're weak; I'm strong, and I'll protect them."

Moko blinked blankly, amused by Uta's childlike words.

"Uta-chan is really reliable... But Uta-chan, Ace and the others have their own dreams, they won't agree to join Shanks' crew."

The image of the three little ones earnestly and resolutely saying they would protect her flashed through her mind, and a smile appeared in Moko's eyes. "Uta-chan, Ace and the others will have their own ship to carry them to the future. Everything they hope for, want, and want to protect must rely on themselves. The destination of their journey is different from mine and Shanks's. It is a destination that belongs only to them. Although I can lead them around most of the detours, isn't it more interesting to start from the beginning and slowly find the way to the destination than to have a smooth adventure?"

"But... my sister and Shanks look so lonely."

"well?"

"When my sister isn't around, Shanks isn't happy at all. He's always drinking alone while watching the sweet fruit. My sister only shows a truly relaxed smile when she sees Shanks. You've waited for each other for so long, but now that you're back together, you can't be together. That's not good at all. It's really terrible."

As Uta spoke, her voice grew increasingly aggrieved. She hugged her knees and curled up into a small ball. Even though it wasn't really related to her, Uta didn't know why, but just thinking about two people who liked each other being forced to separate made her incredibly sad.

Moko listened quietly to Uta's words, her eyes filled with affection, and she couldn't help but hug Uta tightly.

"Thank you, Uta-chan. But this kind of waiting isn't scary. The waiting time might be hard to endure, but because there's someone I want to see, the waiting has meaning. Shanks and I both have things we have to do now, so we can't stay together all the time. Besides, we've never really been apart."

"You've never been apart?"

Uta turned her head slightly to meet Moko's gaze. Moko smiled easily and gently wiped away the tears from Uta's eyes with her soft fingertips.

“That’s right, Shanks has always been here.” Moko placed her hand over her heart and smiled gently. “Every heartbeat tells me that Shanks has always been by my side. I’m never alone. Just thinking about that warms my heart and makes me feel less afraid. Uta-chan will also have her own partners and go to her own stage in the future. But Uta-chan, you must remember that we have always been behind you and have never left. As long as Uta-chan still has people she wants to see, she will never be alone.”

The sea breeze was especially warm today. Uta felt her heart beating and thought of the people she loved and the people who loved her. Her heart felt warm and she felt no fear at all. This was a feeling she had never had before. It was truly magical.

"I will never be far away from my sister and Shanks in the future. I will always stay with my sister and Shanks."

Uta turned around and hugged Moko tightly, a bright and radiant smile returning to her face. Moko warmly embraced Uta, gently stroking her long hair.

"Okay, then Uta-chan will stay with me and Shanks from now on."

Like a lingering breeze, ethereal and dreamlike, the soft humming, along with the warm sunshine, drifts into a sweet, fragrant dream, rippling across the heart.