One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 160 Departure

"Really? Moko-chan has already set off for Wano Country."

Shanks sat at the bow of the ship, gently stroking the sweet fruit, a soft smile curving his lips, his eyes filled with endless tenderness and doting. However, beneath this extreme tenderness lay the island behind him, which was being consumed and ravaged by raging flames. The flames, like an enraged beast, were frantically destroying everything, thick smoke billowing and obscuring the sky, and occasionally, chilling explosions could be heard from within the firelight. The island was filled with despair.

The people on the ship cheered, the jubilant atmosphere a stark contrast to the relentless flames roaring behind them. Yasopp brought over a flask of wine, gestured towards Shanks, and Shanks smiled as he took it and drank a large gulp.

"It's truly spectacular. As expected of Miss Moko, she not only found the island where Kaido was hiding, but also planted explosives on it beforehand. She prepared everything so thoroughly. Kaido is going to suffer a huge loss this time, hahaha. But, boss, is Miss Moko helping us get revenge? She blew up three islands in a row."

As Yasopp drank his wine, he gazed at the burning island with a mocking look in his eyes. Shanks sighed, put down his wine jug, and couldn't hide his smugness.

"Who can blame me when my darling is so protective of her own..."

The blinding red color was etched into the sky without warning, turning the blue and white sky over the island into a crimson hue, as if the end of the world had arrived. But even more dazzling than the red was Shanks's bright red hair. As the sun gradually rose above the sea, Shanks raised an eyebrow, tilted his head slightly, and looked back at the people on the deck behind him.

"Time to head back, everyone."

"Oh!"

Meanwhile, in the waters of the New World Navy GL First Branch, dozens of warships gathered, and the sailors on the decks looked serious and watched the distant sea with bated breath. Three tall figures at the bow of the ships exuded an imposing aura and carried an extremely heavy pressure.

In such an atmosphere, no one dared to speak. After all, today was the day the pirates had promised to return Moko, but whether they could truly keep their promise was anyone's guess.

So many people shouldn't have been brought to the trading area. Sengoku had specifically instructed Garp to prevent public opinion from spreading rumors, but Garp didn't listen at all. He led his warships to the New World overnight, not even listening to Sengoku's words. Naturally, the other two, who didn't follow the rules much to begin with, wouldn't listen either. As a result, a scene comparable to a war inexplicably appeared in the New World.

"Ugh, that bastard Garp, bringing so many people along, is he going to make a deal or is he planning to go to war with Kaido directly? And Borsalino and Kuzan, those two guys, actually dared to mess around with Garp, even Miko got corrupted by them!"

Sengoku scratched his head in frustration. Tsuru, sitting on the sofa, watched this scene, a smile playing on her lips as she put down her teacup. "Sengoku, the worry in your eyes is almost showing. You're clearly worried about Moko too, aren't you?"

If it weren't for his status as Fleet Admiral, Sengoku would definitely have already joined the attack. After all, when they learned that Moko had been captured, weren't he and Garp the most anxious? Their personalities have never been stable, and from the past to the present, their personalities haven't changed at all. Tsuru looked at the tea stem standing upright in the teacup, a smile appearing at the corner of her eyes.

"Is it that obvious?!"

Zhan Guo was slightly taken aback. He looked up and saw the crane with a smile in its eyes. He blinked, chuckled helplessly, sighed, and looked at the large floor-to-ceiling window. The transparent glass reflected seven colors of light like candy wrappers, dazzlingly beautiful.

"I wonder if things will go smoothly this time. Doflamingo doesn't seem like the kind of guy who keeps his promises. I just hope nothing goes wrong."

He didn't reply. His eyes were lowered as he looked at the notice document filled with text next to the teacup. His eyes were filled with helplessness and annoyance. After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly.

"...Using the Seven Warlords of the Sea to fight against those three Emperors of the Sea, and even agreeing to let Doflamingo join them, the World Government is underestimating these guys too much. They don't seem like the kind of people who would listen to orders."

He casually crossed his legs, placed his hands on his knees, and his slightly furrowed brows revealed the turbulent state of his mind.

"It's just a matter of vested interests. As for what those people at the top are really thinking, who can really know? If it weren't for..."

"The Warring States Period!"

Crane stopped him in time, shaking his head at Sengoku. Sengoku sighed, rubbing his tired brow. The dark circles under his eyes became more pronounced. He stared at the document under his pen, then irritably crumpled the half-written paper into a ball. As he spoke, his eyes darted around as if searching for something.

"As long as they don't threaten the Navy's position, let them be. Isn't that how it's always been? No matter how much they make a fuss, the Navy's position has never changed. They've done plenty of things that end up hurting themselves, haven't they? Meow."

Sengoku called out when he couldn't see the small, fluffy figure.

"..."

There was no response. Sengoku frowned and called out again, "Meow?"

"..."

There was still no response. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Meimei since yesterday. Sengoku suddenly turned to look at Tsuru, who was calmly drinking tea, as if he had just remembered something. "No way?"

As if to shatter Sengoku's last remaining hope, Tsuru glanced at Sengoku out of the corner of her eye and nodded. Sengoku felt like his life was about to end, and he almost couldn't catch his breath. It seems that he has corrupted more than one person.

"What~"

Garp looked at the sheep that suddenly appeared at his feet, tilting his head in confusion. The sheep copied Garp and tilted its head back. The two stared at each other, wide-eyed. Wait, when did the pet of the Sengoku Kingdom get involved? Oh well, it doesn't matter. The most important thing now is his precious granddaughter. If Kaido and Doflamingo dare to break their promise, he wouldn't mind going straight to Wano Country. It's been a long time since he's stretched his muscles.

"Vice Admiral Garp, there are pirate ships heading this way."

Upon hearing that it was a pirate ship, Garp's pupils dilated, and he suddenly leaned closer to the reporting Marine. The Marine was startled when he saw Garp's face suddenly magnified in front of him.

"Can you see the people up there?"

"Yes Yes……"

Not only was Garp watching, but Borsalino, Kuzan, and Corazon also looked over immediately upon hearing the news of the approaching ship. Being stared at by four high-ranking Marines, it would be a lie to report to the Marines that you weren't nervous. Oh, right, there were more than four people, including a sheep.

"Yes, judging from the pirate flag, it should be Doflamingo's ship."

"Heh, they've finally arrived. Send the warships over. I want to personally bring Moko home. If I can't pick her up today, I'll just march straight to Wano Country."

Garp stood up straight and shouted, his broad and imposing back was so awe-inspiring. Moko had been kidnapped for more than a month. How scared his delicate granddaughter must have been in the hands of those vicious pirates. She must have been eating and sleeping poorly and being bullied. His poor granddaughter!

(Kaido's crew: Why don't you come and see your little darling for yourself? Who dares to bully her? It's good enough that this little darling doesn't bully us (???^???)!)

The thought of Moko being bullied completely exhausted Garp's remaining patience. Tsk, if that bastard Kaido bullies his precious granddaughter, he'll rush to Wano Country and bomb a few of his islands today, no matter what.

(Kaido: Wait, is blowing up islands hereditary in your family? What? Blowing up three isn't enough, you want to blow up a few more? Are you really treating this like fireworks? ~%?…； *'☆&c$? )

"Following Vice Admiral Garp's orders~"

Borsalino straightened up, his tired eyes now carrying a hint of ferocity. This was his mistake; he had brought the young lady out and yet the pirates had raided their home. The thought of it made him extremely unhappy.

"Lieutenant General Garp, don't worry, we will definitely bring Miss Moko back this time."

Sunglasses concealed the dark glint in Kuzan's eyes. This time, he had no intention of obeying orders from above. If the pirates refused to release the people, he wouldn't mind following Garp to Wano Country to pick them up.

In the month or so that Moko was away, Borsalino and Kuzan had never felt so agitated. It was as if their most precious treasure had been stolen, and they almost could never find it again. This feeling was distressing and infuriating, and they wished they could destroy the world just to get the treasure back. Had Moko become so important to them without them realizing it?

Corazon, watching Doflamingo's pirate ship draw ever closer, had a dark look in his eyes and his bones were cracking as he clenched his fists. But for Moko's sake, Corazon still went into the cabin. It wouldn't matter if he met Doflamingo now, since everything had already been laid out. But not now. He had to wait for Moko to come back. He couldn't let Moko fall into another dangerous deal.

Seeing the dozens of warships rushing towards him and the tall figure standing at the bow, even Doflamingo, who had seen countless grand scenes, couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. However, what followed was immense excitement. The more intense the situation, the more valuable it was, wasn't it?

On the pirate ship, Moko stood at the bow, bathed in sunlight that cast a faint golden glow upon her. In her arms was Mika, who had been restored to the size of a doll. As for Isla, she was wandering around the deck. Haru followed helplessly behind her. Although she looked a little scared, she couldn't hide the excitement in her eyes. After all, it was her first time leaving Wano Country and coming to the outside world, so it was natural for her to feel curious.

Doflamingo's men couldn't do anything about Ella flying around on the deck. Before boarding the ship, Doflamingo had given orders not to touch Moko or provoke her, especially the bear next to her. Although he wanted to conquer Moko, Doflamingo didn't want the ship to be blown up halfway through the journey and he'd have to learn to swim.

On the deck, Doflamingo sat with his legs crossed on a large sofa, his eyes brazenly scanning Moko, who was standing at the bow of the ship.

When leaving Wano Country, Moko changed into a simple white dress, leaving behind her elaborate kimono. Bringing back so much luggage made it seem less like she had suffered in the past and more like she had gone on vacation.

(Kaido Pirates: Isn't that right? dT-Tb)

Moko's navy uniform had long been burned somewhere by Jin, and almost all of her clothes after that were newly bought or prepared by Maria. Since she didn't plan to take the kimono with her, Maria had a simple long dress made for her.

The long dress is made of the finest white fabric, delicate and comfortable. The intricate lace patterns are subtly visible on the white fabric, and the edges of the lace are adorned with tiny pearls, adding a touch of understated luxury to the white dress.

The waist belt was made of soft silk, with a moderate width that perfectly accentuated Moke's slender waist. The outermost layer of the skirt was a thin, sheer fabric that was light and transparent. Beneath the sheer fabric were layers of white fabric, each carefully cut and sewn, with natural and flowing folds.

When the sea breeze blows, the hem of her skirt flutters in the wind, like a blooming lily, radiating its most dazzling brilliance under the sunlight.

Doflamingo could see nothing else. This was the first time he had ever thought of giving everything to the woman in front of him, even the right he was pursuing. When Doflamingo realized this, he felt a surge of madness. How could he have such thoughts when she was just a woman?