One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 24 Lingering Attachment

While the navy was on the island, Granny Thor could only worry anxiously. In order to protect Rouge from being discovered, Granny Thor stayed at home and did nothing until the navy had completely left. Only then did Granny Thor take advantage of the night to go up the mountain.

When she saw how thin Rouge and Moko had become, Granny Sol was heartbroken and shed tears, but in the end she didn't say anything. She just carefully prepared the things Rouge would need for childbirth and came to watch over Rouge every night after that.

As Rouge's due date approached, Granny Thor brought her son Poco to Rouge's house. Poco was the only doctor on the island. He was originally Granny Thor's husband, but after his death, Poco inherited his father's will.

"No entry!"

Before Poker could finish speaking, a tall figure burst into the room. Moko quickly drew the dagger from her waist and held it in front of her, staring fiercely at the tall figure at the door like a young wolf.

The sudden brightness of the oil lamp made Rouge uncomfortable, so she shielded her eyes. Moko also used the light to see the person who had come in. The person was wearing a navy uniform, with graying temples and furrowed brows, making it impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.

"You must be Portgas D. Rouge."

The man spoke slowly, and Rouge nodded gently without giving any further reply. Sensing that the man meant no harm, Moko slowly sheathed her dagger and took Rouge's hand again. Moko recognized the man as Garp, the naval hero who had been chasing after her father. Since he had come here, it must have been her father's arrangement. Her father had already prepared an escape route for her and her mother, even though this route was not perfect and not what they had hoped for.

When Garp first saw Rouge and Moko, just as Roger had said, they were two people who were exceptionally beautiful no matter where they were. After spending the next few days together, it would be a lie to say that he wasn't deeply moved. Garp finally understood why Roger could face death so calmly. He knew that even if he died, his wife would protect the children. He only needed to fulfill his mission and didn't need to worry about what would happen after him. His wife and children were the most resilient beings on the sea and would never be defeated by his departure. He had also paved the way for their future.

As her due date approached, Rouge grew thinner and thinner each day. On the eve of the New Year, Rouge finally went into labor. Her frail body made the delivery unexpectedly difficult. Moko's eyes filled with tears as she held Rouge's hand and continuously channeled healing energy into her, hoping that Rouge's pain could be lessened, lessened even more. Rouge was covered in sweat from the pain, but she still managed to force a smile to comfort Moko.

Basin after basin of blood pierced Moko's heart like steel knives. Moko held Luju's hand and begged, begged for Luju's safety, begged for the baby's safe delivery, begged Roger not to take Luju away. Even if it cost her her life, she would do it willingly.

As the baby cried, the sky gradually brightened, and the colors of the sunrise became increasingly dazzling. Streaks of red light rose with the sun, celebrating the birth of the child.

"If it's a girl, she'll be named Anne; if it's a boy, he'll be named Ace. That's what he said. The child's name is Gol D. Ace, and he and my child..."

Rouge kissed Ace's forehead, nuzzling his face affectionately, her eyes filled with reluctance, as if tears were about to fall. "Little Moko, from now on, Ace will take Mommy and Daddy's place with you... I'm sorry for leaving you two alone... I'm sorry I can't watch you grow up, I'm so sorry..."

"It's not Mom's fault, Mom... I'll take good care of Ace... Mom, don't leave..."

Moko couldn't say anything more. Watching Luju's eyes gradually close, her sobs died in her throat. The dull pain of her heart breaking swept through her body. Moko grabbed Luju's hand and placed it on her face, but Luju didn't touch her gently as before. Those warm hands fell limply to her sides. Moko knew that at this moment, she had lost her most important family member once again.

"Rouju!"

"Rouju, cheer up!"

Rouge loved hibiscus flowers, so she planted them all in front of her house. Roger knew this, so every day he would pick the most beautiful hibiscus flowers for Rouge and pin them in her hair. After Roger left, Moko took over picking the hibiscus flowers every day. But, even though today's hibiscus flowers haven't been picked yet, why have they already fallen...?

The hibiscus flower that had fallen from Rouge's hair was so strikingly red on the pristine white sheets. We had promised to go see the jasmine flowers together this year, the jasmine flowers that Dad planted...

Moko held Luju's hand in a daze, as if her soul had been ripped from her body. All the sounds around her disappeared, and it seemed as if only Moko and Luju remained in the room. The words Luju had spoken that evening echoed in her ears once more.

"My little Moko, don't cry. Go back to the sea, find your bond, find the place where you can have everything."

"My little Moko, smile. Your smile is the best cure for all sadness."

"My lovely little Moko, I hope you will always be happy and joyful, and never be lonely again."

The jasmine by the fence had somehow become intertwined with the hibiscus on the outside, their white and red blossoms creating a beautiful display, but the person who originally came to admire them was no longer there.

Moko silently placed the things left by Rouge and Roger into the wooden coffin. As she watched the soil gradually cover the coffin, Moko could no longer hold on and was almost on the verge of collapse. Moko knelt on the ground, her head almost touching the ground. The small Moko was so fragile that it made the hearts of those who saw her clench.

"Pfft~"

Mihua nuzzled closer to Moke, who reached out and grabbed Mihua, burying herself in Mihua's fluffy fur and sobbing softly. Her suppressed cries were so helpless. She would definitely raise Ace well. The child who had inherited her parents' wishes, she would definitely let him grow up safely and happily, and she would definitely protect him.

The ripples on the sea surface shimmered under the setting sun, like shimmering golden threads dancing in the wind. Moko slowly approached Garp, who was waiting on the way down the mountain, and bowed to thank him as she took Ace from him.

Garp's eyes were filled with complex emotions as he looked at Moko's thin and frail figure, his heart aching. "Is this your decision, Roger? Leaving two children to depend on each other, but have you really considered how much pain this will bring to the grown-up children?"

Moko was well protected by Roger. When they were on the ship, if Moko wanted to go to a crowded island, Roger would always send someone to follow her from a distance. No one would realize that this cute little girl was the daughter of a pirate. When they were fighting, Moko would not attract anyone's attention. Of course, almost everyone who noticed Moko was thrown to the fish by Roger. Because of this, very few people had ever seen Moko. Roger was not worried at all that Moko would be recognized and could entrust her to Garp to take away with peace of mind.

Moko hugged Ace and said goodbye to Granny Thor. Granny Thor seemed to have aged a lot overnight and touched Moko's face with heartache.

"Little Moke, come back and visit whenever you miss home. Grandma will cook you something delicious then."

"Yes, Grandma Thor, take care of yourself."

Grandma Saul looked into Moko's eyes, which had lost their light, and her heart ached. Her beloved Rouge had gone with that man, but what would happen to little Moko? Who could save her beloved granddaughter? Roger, you really are a man who brings trouble.

Garp took Moko and Ace by small boat to an extremely remote island on the border of the East Blue. The place where they landed was a small village. Regardless of whether Moko was interested or not, Garp began to talk to himself.

"This is Windmill Village, one of the islands I'm stationed on. No one will find this place, so you and this little guy can live here without worry. As for where we'll stay, it'll be a bit far... Are you tired? Let me carry you. The mountain path isn't easy to walk on."

As he spoke, Garp turned around and looked at Moko, asking her a question. Moko shook her head, her voice soft.

"No need, I can manage, thank you Grandpa Garp."

Seeing Moko's stubborn look, Garp sighed and led her through Windmill Village, following the winding road into Mount Gorpo. He thought that Moko, carrying Ace, would have a hard time climbing the mountain, after all, she was so small and thin. But the result was beyond Garp's expectations. Moko was not out of breath or red in the face. It seemed that climbing the mountain was not a burden for her at all. Mika followed behind Moko with great composure, carrying the luggage, and was not distracted by other matters.

When they reached the halfway point of the mountain, Moko saw a two-story wooden house in the distance. In front of the house, a burly woman with orange hair was hanging clothes out to dry. Before the woman could react, Karp walked closer and made a decision.

"From now on, you will be in charge of raising them, Dadan."

"Huh! What?"

Hearing Garp's seemingly random statement, Dadan was so frightened that she dropped all the clothes she was holding. Dadan blinked, looked at Moko and Ace in confusion, and then looked at Garp again.

Whose child is it?

"Roger's."

"Oh, Roger's... Ah!!? Who? Roger, the Pirate King Roger?"

Ignoring Dadan's terrified expression, Garp gently patted Moko's head. "From now on, you'll be living with Dadan and the others. Don't worry, although they're bandits and have bad tempers, they're good people and will definitely take good care of you."

"No need, Grandpa Garp. Please help me find a craftsman to rebuild my house. It doesn't need to be big. I'll pay for the bailey."

Moko directly rejected Garp's offer and stated her request in a low voice. It's no wonder Moko is like this; after experiencing too much, she can't easily trust others now. There are too many people who want to kill Ace, and Moko doesn't dare to gamble, nor is she willing to.

Garp sighed inwardly, unable to bear pressuring Moko. He turned to look at Dadan, who had a bad feeling. As Garp continued, Dadan gave him a knowing look.

"Dadan, call your men out and have them build a house for Xiaomoke."

"what?"

"What, are you planning to go to jail?"

The threat was obvious, and Dadan cried out that it was unfair; they were really being treated like laborers.

"This is Bailey who's repairing the house. Thank you for your hard work. If you need anything else, I'll get more later."

Moko pulled a bag of Berries from Mika's backpack and placed it in Dadan's hand. Her polite and courteous manner was the complete opposite of Garp's.

"Oh dear, we can't accept this. You've left such a small matter as repairing the house to us. Hey, what are you all standing there for? Hurry up and help build the house!"

Money makes things easier. Dadan stuffed Bailey into her pocket and yelled into the house. A group of people who had been eavesdropping behind the curtain immediately fell to the ground. An eerie silence fell over the air. The people who had fallen to the ground scratched their heads embarrassedly and quickly got up before Dadan could get angry.

Moke chose a vacant lot a little further away from Dadan's house. The house design was not very big, just an ordinary two-story building. Kapu looked at Moke's thin figure in the distance and sighed unconsciously.

"Dadan, I'm entrusting these two children to you."

Watching Garp's departing figure as he descended the mountain, Dadan scratched her hair in frustration. The children of the Pirate King, two children that the world can't tolerate? Garp really gave her two big troubles.

"Tsk, they gave it to Pele, it's not that I'm soft-hearted, hmph!"