boyutpedia Chapter 19 Bonds and Waiting
Chapter 19 Bonds and Waiting
"Looking back, it's all a miracle. I was destined to die young, yet I've made it this far. I'm so grateful to you all."
Completely unlike Roger's usual unreliable manner, his serious demeanor made everyone feel embarrassed. Jabba hurriedly waved his hands, his voice flustered.
"No, no, no, what are you saying? So serious, you bastard captain."
"How embarrassing, you idiot."
"Idiot!" xN
The golden sunset poured down on the sea like a veil, shimmering with golden light. The waves lapped against the ship, creating a gentle melody. Roger stood up and slowly began to speak.
"Well then, I'll say it..."
"Come on, I'm ready!"
Jabba spoke loudly, and everyone stood up straight, looking intently at Roger.
"...The Roger Pirates are disbanded!"
A moment of silence fell, followed by a burst of mixed sobs. Shanks lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, and tightened his grip on Moko's hand. Moko's eyes were filled with tenderness as she held Shanks' hand tightly in return.
Roger's smile remained unrestrained as he gently patted Shanks' head, comforting him. "The legacy of the island, a new era, everything is entrusted to you, Shanks."
Before leaving, there was naturally a lively banquet. The deck was bustling with activity, and the sound of clinking glasses could be heard constantly. Crocus was also unusually lenient with Roger and didn't hold back on drinking.
Moko led the two fur balls to the stern of the ship. Compared to the bright lights on the deck, the stern, which was dark, was particularly dim. Through the dim moonlight, one could vaguely see the boy hidden in the shadows at the stern.
Neither of them spoke. Moko stood quietly leaning against Shanks, a few pale white streaks of light reflected on the sea, blurring her vision with the waves.
"Shanks, are you unhappy because everyone is going to part ways?"
"……Um……"
Shanks hesitated, his expression full of struggle. Moko stood on tiptoe and cupped Shanks' face in her hands. Their eyes met, and Shanks met a pair of gentle and soft eyes.
"You know what? When I was sick and woke up from my coma, or even now as we say goodbye, Shanks always looked so lonely. Remember what you said? You're really good at finding treasure, so no matter where I go, you'll definitely find me again, right?"
The soft moonlight pierced through the clouds and fell on Moko. Moko's eyes reflected the vast moonlight, as gentle as a starry sunset, captivating all who looked upon them. Facing such eyes, Shanks knew he couldn't hide. Moko always had a way of making him surrender. The thick walls of his heart could never stop Moko, who held the key.
Shanks crouched down, took out a small velvet box from his pocket, and put a necklace on Moko. The necklace was inlaid with a moonstone carving of a fairy jasmine. Under the moonlight, the jasmine appeared as a pale cherry blossom pink. Moko looked at Shanks in surprise, and Shanks affectionately pinched the tip of Moko's nose.
"I bought this rough gemstone at Chambord last time. I was planning to give it to Moko-chan for her birthday. Do you like it?"
"Yes, I like it."
Due to various factors, most moonstones appear blue under light, and pink moonstones are extremely rare. Shanks never expected to encounter one in Sabaody Archipelago.
The dark clouds that had been obscuring the moon were torn apart by the moonlight, and the dazzling brilliance seemed to dye the seawater a pale silver. The sea breeze blew by, creating ripples. Shanks reached out and stroked Moko's hair, his fingertips gently brushing past her ear. His gaze towards Moko was filled with an unprecedented seriousness and determination.
"Moko-chan, I will definitely become stronger soon and come to pick you up. Wait for me."
"it is good."
Moko reached out and placed her hand on Shanks's hand, her eyes sparkling like a galaxy. Moko never questioned Shanks's words; she didn't need any basis. It was simply a bond unique to the two of them, and often, just one sentence was enough.
The day of departure came quickly. Roger and Moko randomly chose an island to disembark. Moko stuffed the sweet fruit into Shanks' arms, cupped Shanks' face and pinched it, then rubbed the sweet fruit's soft fur.
"Sweetie, take good care of Shanks."
"Pfft~"
Sweetie flapped her wings in agreement. The dumplings had already been released by Roger before he returned, saying that they would be waiting for Moko to grow up and go to their habitat to find them. But Mika and Sweetie clung to Moko no matter what. Moko thought for a moment and then let Sweetie go with Shanks. When Sweetie grew up and gained the ability to fly, it would definitely be able to help Shanks.
"Shanks, Bucky, everyone, I'm off."
"Be careful on the road, Moko."
"Be careful on the road, waaaaah..."
"Waaaaah, Moko-chan, we will definitely, definitely meet again!"
Bucky was crying uncontrollably. Moko smiled, took a handkerchief, wiped away Bucky's tears, and nodded affirmatively.
"Definitely! Bucky will become a great captain too!"
"Ok!"
Moko turned her head and met Shanks' gaze. No words were needed; they had already made a promise that they would meet again, and it wouldn't be long. The wait wouldn't be too long.
Roger led Moko by the hand and walked towards the island, waving goodbye to everyone. Mika followed beside him with her luggage, and they walked away into the distance. Shanks gently stroked the sweet fruit in his arms, his eyes firm.
Upon arriving at a nearby town, Roger and Moko bought a small boat. After several days of sailing, they reached a nearby island, where cherry blossoms were in full bloom. A strong wind blew, and the cherry blossoms on the branches danced in the air, like pink snowflakes fluttering in the spring sunshine, like clouds and snow, like a dream.
Clusters of petals hung from the branches, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the petals, casting golden spots on the ground. Petals drifted down gently, touching the water's surface and creating ripples. A figure walked by on the shore, startling several small, silvery fish.
A tall figure carrying a wine tray stood upstream, surrounded by a pile of wine jugs. As if sensing the approaching person, he raised his hand to fill another wine tray in front of him and slowly spoke without turning his head.
"You're taking too long, Roger."
"Hahaha, Newgate, I only have one small boat right now, please be understanding."
Roger sat down casually opposite Whitebeard, and Moko curtsied to Whitebeard, greeting him politely.
"Uncle with the white beard."
The white-bearded man nodded, his eyes gentle. "The little guy is getting cuter and cuter, guralalala!"
"Of course, my little Moko is the cutest little girl, hahaha."
Roger chuckled and ruffled Moko's hair. The white-bearded man looked at Roger with disdain, then glanced at the blond boy leaning against a tree trunk.
"Marco, take the little guy to play for a while."
“Okay, Yo, Dad.”
Marco straightened up in response, his lowered eyes smiling. He walked up to Moko and extended his hand to her. Moko knew that Roger and Whitebeard had something to talk about, so she sensibly said goodbye to Roger and Whitebeard and followed Marco to the other side of the stream. Mika followed behind Moko with her six short legs.
"The little guy is nothing like you. So, what brings you here alone? It can't be just for a farewell drink, Roger."
Whitebeard withdrew his gaze from Moko and looked at Roger with a teasing expression. Cherry blossom petals from above his head slowly fell onto the wine tray, creating ripples. Roger's lips curled up, and he looked at Whitebeard with a smile in his eyes.
"Newgate, I'm going to die."
"..."
The air suddenly fell silent, with only the sound of wind rustling through the petals. Cherry blossom petals drifted down like butterflies with broken wings, performing their final, beautiful, and fleeting spectacle in the air. The white-bearded man, who had been about to drink, slowly put down his wine tray, his eyes filled with disbelief as he looked at Roger.
"You said you're going to die, Roger?"
"Yes, I don't have long to live."
Roger downed the wine in one gulp, grinning wildly. Whitebeard realized that Roger wasn't joking. So this was what he meant by "one year" back then?
"Do you know what those guys in the government have been calling me lately? They've been calling me Goldo Roger."
"What? Is that your real name?"
"No, no, my name is Gol D. Roger."
“Occasionally you run into guys with the name D,” Whitebeard said, pouring himself a drink. “We also have a guy on our ship named Teach. What exactly is D?”
Hearing Whitebeard ask this, Roger's expression was one of pure smugness. "You want to know? Alright, I'll tell you. It happened a long, long time ago..."
Cherry blossoms dance lightly, their delicate flowers dotting the verdant leaves. Pink petals sway gracefully in the breeze, and the thin sunlight shines obliquely on the serene and romantic pink and white blossoms. Large swaths of petals weave a breathtaking and unforgettable romantic scene across the mountainside.
The scenery on the island was indeed beautiful. Mika happily jumped into the thick carpet of petals, rolling her fluffy body and getting herself covered in the scent of cherry blossoms. Moko watched Mika play with doting eyes, her eyes sparkling with laughter. Her sweet smile was beautiful and reserved. A gentle breeze lifted Moko's slightly curly pink hair, and a cherry blossom petal fell onto it, instantly overshadowing the beautiful scenery of the mountain.
"Little Moko, may I call you that, YO?"
Marco carefully considered his words. When he saw Moko a year ago, she was still so small. He never expected that she would grow so much taller in just one year.
At first, Marco didn't notice Moko at all. Not only him, but no one on the ship noticed her either. Logically speaking, they couldn't possibly miss such a cute child, but that was the case. The moment Moko suddenly entered their field of vision, Marco had to admit that he was amazed. She was like a cherry blossom, especially with that pure aura about her, which made people want to get closer.
"Okay, sure."
"Little Moko, you can call me Brother Marco, YO~"
“Yes, Brother Marco.”
Moko's smile was innocent and sweet, and Marco's ears quickly flushed red. He slightly shifted his gaze, thinking that she was just too cute. Why couldn't there be a few more adorable little sisters like her on the ship? He should let his father go and bring a few back.
(Whitebeard: (屮゜Д゜) My dear son, don't you want to see what you're saying? If you want a sister, go kidnap her yourself.)
"Xiao Mo, would you like to come and play on our boat?"
Marco was thinking about how to persuade Moko to join his crew. He had heard about the disbandment of the Roger Pirates, and he figured that if he brought Moko back to the ship, this cute little sister might want to stay.
Moko gently shook her head, declining Marco's kind invitation. "No need, I'll be fine here. Dad will be calling me soon."
Now that there's no one around who makes Moko feel at ease, she won't easily board other pirate crews' ships. Moreover, she'll feel very uncomfortable facing too many unfamiliar strangers, even if they have good intentions.
"Then let's do it next time. Xiao Mo must come to the ship to play next time."
Noticing Moko's unease, Marco didn't force her. He half-squatted down and reached out to pick up a cherry blossom petal from Moko's head. Looking at the petal in Marco's hand, Moko unconsciously touched her hair.
"Thank you, Brother Marco."
"You're welcome, Yo, Moko."
"Pfft~"
Mihua rolled over and pounced in front of Moke. Seeing Mihua turn into an exploding ball of fur, Moke couldn't help but laugh. She ruffled Mihua's fluffy fur and took out a purplish-red wooden comb from her backpack to comb Mihua's fur. The comb had very fine wood grain without a single flaw, and it was clear that the person who carved it had put a lot of effort into it.
What a beautiful scene this must be! A girl stands on a soft carpet woven from pink petals, affectionately brushing the fur of a red pom-pom. She wears a white and pink dress, the hem of which sways gently in the breeze. Sunlight filters through the gaps in the flowers, casting golden patterns on her body, making her look like an elf born from cherry blossoms. Petals swirl around her, a sight so beautiful that it's impossible to look away.
Marco suddenly regretted not bringing his camera lens. For some reason, he really wanted to capture this moment on camera, but now he could only silently remember it with his eyes.
"Little Moko, we should go."
Roger's voice came from afar. Moko waved to Roger, carefully put the comb into her backpack, and walked towards the other side with the furball. Marco quietly followed behind and returned to Whitebeard's side with him.
"Newgate, I'll be relying on you from now on." Roger said, ruffling Moko's hair.
Whitebeard seemed to give a very soft hum, but he did not reject Roger's words. Seeing Whitebeard's attitude, Roger laughed wildly and prepared to leave with Moko. Moko bowed to the two of them, her voice sweet.
"Goodbye, Uncle Whitebeard, Brother Marco."
Goodbye, little Moko~
"See you next time, little one."
Unlike when he was with Roger, when he was with the lovely Moko, Whitebeard showed an extremely friendly smile, clearly a very kind elder.
The fluttering petals blurred his vision, obscuring the traces of the two figures, one large and one small, who had been there. The white-bearded man's smile gradually faded, and he couldn't help but let out a long sigh, his voice so soft it sounded like a lament.
"Roger, is this your decision?"
"Dad?"
Marco looked up at Whitebeard in confusion. Whitebeard turned and walked towards the Moby Dick. Marco then heard Whitebeard's voice.
"Marco, you must not tell anyone about seeing Roger and that kid today."
"Yes, Father."
Whitebeard's voice carried an unusual seriousness. Recognizing the importance of the matter, Marco's languid voice became extremely earnest. No reason was needed; he only needed to obey his father's orders.