One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 11 The Impulsive Colonel

The Jackson had barely left the giant waves when it encountered a warship. The Marines, watching the Roger Pirates calmly sailing by, nervously swallowed. The good news was that they had found the Roger Pirates; the bad news was that they were the only ones who had found the Roger Pirates. Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp were nowhere to be seen. What was with this feeling of mutual disappointment?!

Even if the admirals and vice admirals aren't around, they have to bite the bullet and chase after them. They are the navy, after all. How could they let the pirates escape right under their noses? Even if they can't win, they absolutely cannot lose them.

The warships had already set up their gun emplacements, but not a single navy member dared to fire. They had witnessed Roger's battle with Shiki from afar; Roger's crew, with less than thirty men, had fought against Shiki's hundreds of pirate ships. What was most terrifying was that Roger's crew hadn't been at a disadvantage at all, and they had no idea about the enemy's casualties. If they were to engage them now, and the enemy had no casualties, the ensuing battle would be no joke.

"Have you notified Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp?"

"Yes, we have notified them, but because the storm has spread too far, Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp are still unable to get here. They said we should try to keep up with them."

"Stay close to the Roger Pirates? This is no joke."

The leading naval officer frowned, his face filled with complex emotions. For the sake of the navy's dignity, they could not escape. Since that was the case, their lives were in the hands of fate, and they could only pray.

"Stay with the Roger Pirates! We absolutely cannot let them escape!"

"Yes!"

Rayleigh took a sip from an unpackaged bottle of liquor, looking at the warship that had been following them with a rather mocking gaze. Not only did they lack the skill to track, but they also lacked the courage to fight. They had been following them for two days already, and they weren't tired of it.

"Tsk, they're still following us?"

Shanks held a box of cookies in his hand, watching the Navy following in the distance like an amusement, occasionally popping a cookie into his mouth, eating with great relish.

"They really have perseverance."

Bucky, also holding a snack box, ate the freshly baked snacks while commenting on the warship. Rayleigh's lips curled up, and he finished the rest of his wine.

"Let's settle this on the next island. We still need to find some other fruits for Xiao Mo to make wine. We don't have time to keep going around in circles with them."

Rayleigh walked into the cabin, waving the bottle of liquor in his hand. Shanks and Bucky's eyes lit up, and they quickly followed Rayleigh. Before entering the cabin, Shanks didn't forget to call out to the person on duty that it was time to eat.

Everyone on the ship loved drinking, but there were too few types and flavors of alcohol in this world. So Moko thought about making her own alcohol. A long time ago, she asked the people on the ship to bring back fresh fruit to make alcohol. She didn't know if she could succeed in making alcohol for the first time, so she didn't make a lot. After a while, she observed that the fermentation was going well, so she made more.

Wine naturally tastes better when it's sealed for a while, and the first batch of sealed wine is ready to be opened recently. Moko had it brought out these past two days, but because Crocus strictly forbids Roger from drinking too much, Moko only opened three or four barrels for everyone to try.

The taste is naturally excellent. Even Rayleigh, who doesn't drink much in the morning, will have some from time to time. Shanks and Buggy love it even more. With the delicious food and snacks made by Moko, they can drink to their heart's content every time.

During mealtime, everyone gathered in the kitchen waiting for Moko to feed them. As Moko brought out dish after dish, the enticing aroma wafted into their noses, making them itch with desire, but everyone patiently waited for Moko.

Moko often makes desserts and delicacies, which are very delicious, but everyone still thinks Moko is too young and is often afraid that she will get tired. So they only let Moko cook once or twice a month. Since Moko got sick, everyone has asked her to do even less. It can be said that from the time she came to this world until now, all Moko has to do is eat, drink and have fun. The most tiring thing she has ever done is probably sword training. The cleaning on the ship is completely taken care of by others, so Moko doesn't have to worry about any other chores.

Seeing Rayleigh and the other two enter, Moko smiled while holding a spatula, revealing two small dimples on her cheeks, making her incredibly cute.

"There's only one more dish left before we can start eating."

"Oh, right, didn't Xiaomo want to pick fruit? There happens to be a tropical fruit forest on the next island, Xiaomo can go and have a look then."

Rayleigh sat down next to Roger, looking at Moko and talking. Roger held the rice crackers Moko had made, popping them into his mouth one after another, eating with a happy expression. The frustration of being forbidden from drinking by Crocus had dissipated a lot. Moko put the braised pork ribs into a plate, and Shanks took the plate and placed it on the table.

"Tropical fruit forests, they should be able to produce a lot of good wine."

Mo Ke hung her apron aside and sat on her soft stool. The people on duty outside also went into the kitchen, completely unaware that there were warships following them.

"Xiao Mo, you can let them pick the fruit when the time comes. The fruit is too heavy, don't tire yourself out."

Rayleigh spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Little Moko was the little princess they had raised on their ship, so how could they let Little Moko do something like moving things?

"Yes, Xiao Mo can just point it out to us when the time comes. We'll take care of the picking and transporting."

Dong Gino patted the muscles on his arm, and everyone nodded in agreement. Their mouths were stuffed full, making it seem like they couldn't speak easily. Moko smiled and nodded.

"Okay, thank you all for your hard work. I'll make you some mixed fruit wine to drink later."

"A mixed fruit wine soup, that sounds delicious."

"Little Moko, Daddy wants to go too."

Upon hearing that there was alcohol to drink, Roger perked up immediately. Crocus strictly forbade him from drinking, and his own precious daughter would never give him any alcohol. How could a drunkard stand that?

"Moko-chan, what kind of wine is Baiguo Jiulao (chew, chew, chew)?" Bucky put a piece of braised pork rib into his mouth and gnawed on it with gusto.

"Well, strictly speaking, it's a kind of dessert made with fruit and wine, similar to fruit wine, but it doesn't take as long, about three or four hours. Also, it uses more fruit. Dad can try it too, but the alcohol won't be very strong."

Roger's eyes lit up at the mention of alcohol. He didn't care how strong the liquor was, as long as he could drink. Moko winked at Crocus, who sighed softly, nodded, and followed Moko. (Roger: It seems only his precious daughter truly cares for him! (???????))

"I want to eat so much!"

Bucky was even happier when he found out it was a dessert, since Moko's desserts were never bad.

"Eating too much can make you drunk, Buggy."

"I am Lord Buggy, how could I get drunk so easily?"

Bucky immediately adopted a pose as if he could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, and Moko nodded affirmatively, then kindly reminded him.

"Bucky, you're going to go hungry if you don't eat soon."

Upon hearing Moko's words, Bucky glanced at the dining table and saw that it was almost empty. The people on the ship were all big eaters, and it was really best to talk less while eating on the ship. As he spoke, Shanks scooped up a spoonful and fed it to Moko, who habitually opened her mouth and ate it.

Moko was able to eat on her own a long time ago, but Shanks always liked to feed her. Even now, if Shanks feeds her, Moko will eat it habitually without her brain reacting at all.

Buggy stopped talking and immediately joined the group eating heartily. To avoid being fed by Shanks, Moko also picked up a spoon and started eating. A little disappointment flashed in Shanks' eyes, but he quickly and happily helped Moko pick up some food.

After finishing her meal, Moko went back to her room to pack, putting some essentials into her backpack and changing into a set of light clothes. She wore a white short-sleeved shirt with light yellow shorts, looking like a little sun. Her hair, which she usually only trimmed slightly, was now waist-length. Moko combed her hair and tied it into a simple high ponytail, making her look full of energy.

"Moko-chan, the ship has docked. We'll take care of the navy before you get off."

Shanks' voice came from outside the door. Moko hurriedly grabbed her dagger and backpack, opened the door and was about to walk out when she bumped into Shanks. Shanks looked at Moko with amusement and gently pinched her cheek.

"Moko-chan, do you want to come downstairs together?"

"May I?"

Moko looked at Shanks with bright eyes. Shanks took Moko's backpack, held her hand, and spoke with a smile.

"Then Moko-chan can't stay too far away from me and Tuanzi later, okay?"

"Ok!"

Moko tucked the dagger in her hand into her waistband and followed Shanks with light steps. The dagger was specially made by a famous swordsmith at Rayleigh's request. It was a birthday gift for Moko. The dagger was pure white, with an extremely sharp blade that exuded a chilling aura. A jasmine flower was deeply inlaid on the hilt, so it wouldn't hurt her hand and was very suitable for Moko to use at her current age.

The warships following in the distance lowered their binoculars. They had been following the Roger Pirates for so many days, were they finally planning to land on the island?

"Colonel, reinforcements from the naval division have arrived and are ready to be deployed at any time."

"They've arrived just in time. Notify everyone to head towards the island ahead immediately and take down the Roger Pirates."

"But Colonel, the Brigadier General said we can't make any rash moves until he returns..."

"asshole!"

The naval officer, referred to as the colonel, punched the naval officer who was trying to dissuade him in the stomach. His eyes were filled with ambition. What did he mean by not to act rashly? He had three warships and hundreds of naval officers on his side. Did he think he was afraid of the Roger Pirates?

"The Roger Pirates have been through such a huge battle and they certainly haven't recovered yet. Now is the best time to attack. If we wait until they recover and escape, can you bear the responsibility? Give the orders I give. Go to the island right now and capture Roger and his crew."

"Yes!"

The battered navy officer struggled to his feet and turned to give orders. The navy captain looked at the distant, anchored Jesse Jackson with burning eyes. If he could capture Roger, his promotion to admiral would be just around the corner. He was sure he could impress Vice Admiral Garp.