One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 42 Enlistment in the Navy

Roger had already hidden Moko's identity very well. Garp didn't have to put in much effort to forge a new identity for Moko. Of course, there was also the help of Moko and Shanks behind the scenes. However, Garp didn't notice. Otherwise, her sudden entry into the Navy as Vice Admiral Garp's granddaughter would definitely arouse suspicion.

The warships could enter the Grand Line directly through the Calm Belt using special methods, and the journey was quite peaceful, without encountering any special situations.

As for Moko, she has already sent Yubi and others to the Grand Line with Shanks' ship. With Beckman's assistance, Moko is not worried about Moko's initial development. It's only a matter of time before she gains a foothold.

Moko stood on the edge of the boat, holding Mihua. Her white off-shoulder dress showed off her beautiful collarbone, and her smooth long hair was tied up with a white hairband. Her flat and high-heeled ankle boots made her look much taller. Her faint smile was like the first ripples of spring water, firmly capturing everyone's attention.

The sailors on the ship were also learning for the first time that Garp had a granddaughter. Although they were all extremely curious about Moko, none of them dared to approach her. Just getting close to Moko made them feel ashamed. It was enough to just admire the girl, who was like a work of art, from afar.

"Haha, Little Moko, we've arrived."

The Calm Belt travels very fast, and it took about ten days to reach the vicinity of Marineford. Marineford is a crescent-shaped island surrounded by the sea. The island has all kinds of facilities. The island's residents are all marines and their families. Garp usually spends most of his time training new recruits at headquarters or patrolling the waters under his jurisdiction. He rarely has other missions, so his schedule is quite leisurely.

As the towering Gate of Justice opened, the castle-like naval building came into view in the distance. The warship slowly sailed into the bay. Garp put on a dog headgear he had found somewhere. Moko raised an eyebrow at Garp. Moko had never understood Garp's aesthetic sense, but she respected it.

"Lieutenant General Garp, welcome back."

The navy on the shore stood in neat rows on both sides, saluting Garp. Moko, following behind Garp, inevitably attracted a lot of attention. Garp waved his hand dismissively, holding the rice crackers Moko had made on the ship in his other hand. As he ate, he led Moko toward the innermost castle building.

Along the way, the Marines they encountered frequently cast curious glances at Moko. Moko calmly followed behind Garp, holding Mika, secretly observing her surroundings. Garp never knew Moko's exact strength, and Moko didn't want to reveal her strength at Marine Headquarters. She was just there to lend her a name. Once Ace and the others grew up, she would leave, so she would just be an unknown nobody in the Marines.

"Little Moko, I'll take you to meet that guy from Sengoku first. Don't worry, he's very easy to get along with."

There's probably only one person outside who dares to call Sengoku by his full name. As for what Garp says, Moko thinks she should only listen to half of it. Someone who can become the Fleet Admiral of the Navy is definitely not a simple person. Moreover, she remembers Uncle Rayleigh's evaluation of Sengoku as a powerful Marine with both strategy and strength. It seems that whether she can successfully get the title depends on this meeting.

"Dong dong dong."

"Enter."

Garp casually pushed open the door, entered, and immediately found a seat, as if he were at home. Sengoku was used to Garp's behavior and didn't say much, but simply glanced at Moko standing at the door.

Garp waved to Moko and introduced her to Sengoku, "This is little Moko. Isn't my precious granddaughter adorable?"

"Marshal of the Warring States Period"

Moko bowed respectfully to Sengoku with a humble smile on her face. Sengoku's sharp eyes scrutinized Moko. A few days ago, when Garp skipped work, he heard Garp use the excuse of picking up his granddaughter. He thought Garp was joking, but he actually brought back a little girl.

"Mea~"

Just then, a goat waddled up to Moko's feet, tilted its head and looked at her. The little goat blinked its tiny eyes, looking incredibly cute. Moko's eyes lit up. No matter how old she was, Moko had absolutely no resistance to cute creatures. The goat affectionately rubbed against Moko's leg, expressing its affection.

Sengoku raised an eyebrow in surprise at this scene. His sheep usually ignored everyone, so this was the first time it had taken the initiative to get close to someone.

"So, Garp, you're planning to have your granddaughter join the Navy?"

"Hahaha, of course, just give me any position you like, but I don't want anything too demanding, my precious granddaughter can't be overworked."

Sengoku looked at Garp with disdain. "Working so easily? You're abusing your power, aren't you? Hmph, if you agree to promote him to general, assigning him any position would be a piece of cake."

“Oh dear, generals have too many things to do, it’s not suitable for me. Let me tell you, Xiao Mo’s pastries are absolutely amazing. I think it would be perfect for you to hire her as a tea and pastry chef.”

As he spoke, Garp put the senbei in his mouth, making a crunching sound. Sengoku's eyes twitched, and the veins on his hands bulged, looking like he was on the verge of exploding with anger.

Moko was sweating bullets for Karp. How could anyone be so directly tempted by food? And Grandpa, you shouldn't eat right in front of him without sharing. Is this how these two interact? Moko suddenly had a feeling that the future would be very tiring.

"...Heh, we don't have a tea and pastry chef, but the new general candidate recently decided on has been announced. The person responsible for assisting the general has not yet been decided."

Sengoku sighed, gave Garp a light sneer, and then withdrew his gaze from Moko. Moko's aura was very clean; Sengoku sensed a vibrant life force emanating from her. Her gentle aura made one unconsciously want to be close, and a child with such an aura couldn't possibly be a bad child. (Roger: My precious daughter is the most well-behaved! ?? (????? ? ????) ??)

"Oh, that position is not bad. There's not much to do usually. Xiao Moke, why don't you take that position?"

(Future Moko: Who said this position is easy? She still has to catch those two unreliable old slackers every day (╯' - ')╯︵ ┻━┻ )

Garp was completely unceremonious and immediately decided on the undecided candidate, which Sengoku didn't mind at all.

"The general hasn't been decided yet, so you can travel around for now and report back later."

Sengoku kept his head down, writing and drawing on the documents, ignoring Garp.

"Yes, thank you, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, and Vice Admiral Garp."

Moko bowed and thanked them, somewhat surprised that she had been able to join the Navy so easily. Shouldn't she have started as a regular naval officer? Her promotion seemed a bit too fast. Assisting an admiral... Moko remembered that admirals were usually quite diligent, so she shouldn't have much work to do. This was actually a good position.

After chatting with Sengoku (Sengoku: Maybe I didn't really want to chat (?o?o)), Garp took Moko to his residence. Garp was quite particular about Moko's residence and specially found a detached two-story villa with a small courtyard. Next door was the villa where Garp usually rested.

"Grandpa, are you sure I should stay here?"

Moko blinked in disbelief. Having just walked along the way, she had a general understanding of the basic living conditions of the navy. This kind of villa area must be specifically for high-ranking naval officers.

"How about it? Grandpa picked a good one, didn't he? This was specially chosen for you several years ago, just waiting for the day you come to the Navy."

Garp gently patted Moko's head. As long as these children could join the Navy, he had every reason to protect them unconditionally. Regardless of their background, those were the grudges of the previous generation, and had nothing to do with the children. Now they were his family, not pirates.

Moko felt a warm glow inside, her eyes softening. Garp had truly been protecting her and Ace all along. All these years, she and Ace had been able to live peacefully thanks to Garp, who had long been an important member of their family.

"Grandpa, we don't really need to live in such a nice place, I don't know how..."

“I know… Grandpa knows you won’t stay in the Navy forever, but at least while you’re in the Navy, let Grandpa give you the best.”

When Moko agreed to come to the Navy, she told Garp that she would only stay there temporarily and would leave when Ace grew up, or even earlier. She always wanted to return to her home, and only when she was with Shanks could her heart find peace.

Garp understood Moko's decisions all too well. Moko was like a bird held back by Ace. How could Roger, who had always pursued freedom, be willing to be trapped in the Navy? Once Ace grew up and found his place, this bond would disappear, and the bird would naturally fly to the sea that belonged to her. After all, Roger's last wish for Moko was freedom.

"Grandpa lives next door to Xiao Moke, so Grandpa will be able to eat Xiao Moke's delicious food every day from now on, hahaha."

Karp laughed and changed the subject, easing the lingering sorrow. Moko also stopped talking, ending the conversation.

"Grandpa, thank you."

"Hahaha, let's go in and see if we like it."

The layout of the house was mostly based on the layout of Mount Golpo. The furniture was added and removed, and you could feel the care put into every detail.

"I didn't know what Xiaomo liked, so I asked He to help me choose the furniture. What do you think?"

Karp was unusually embarrassed, as he, a grown man, really didn't understand the things girls liked. Luckily, Crane helped him, otherwise, what if Xiao Mo hadn't been comfortable staying there?

"I really like it, thank you Grandpa."

Noticing Garp's restraint, Moko smiled sweetly and replied to him.

"I'm glad you like it. You can rest well for a few days. Chambord isn't far from here, so you can go there to play when you have time. Grandpa has some missions to do for now, but he'll be back to visit you in a few days."

"Okay, Grandpa, be careful."

"Don't worry, Grandpa is very strong, hahaha."