One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 25 Our Home

Before the house was built, Moko temporarily lived in a storage room in Dadan's house. Calling it a storage room wasn't quite accurate, because the cabin didn't have many rooms, so most of the things were piled up in each room, making it look like a storage room.

Moko didn't mind. She wasn't that picky about where she lived, and besides, it was already good enough that she and Ace had a place to shelter them from the wind and rain.

After settling in temporarily, Moko would go hunting in the mountains every day before Ace woke up, and then go to the ranch at the foot of the mountain to buy milk for Ace. By the time everyone woke up in the morning, Moko had already prepared breakfast for everyone.

When Ace was full, he would play with Mihua, and when he was tired, he would lie on Mihua and sleep without crying or fussing. A month passed, and the Dadan family even felt that Moko was taking care of them, and that they hadn't taken care of Moko at all. In order not to look too useless, the Dadan family put all their effort into helping Moko repair the house. It would be very embarrassing to have a child take care of them.

The house wasn't too complicated; it was a two-story stone building with a balcony in the second-floor room. After being simply painted white, Moko moved into the new house in the third month. Although Dadan treated them very well, it was never her home.

"Ace, let's go home."

Hearing Moko speak, Ace giggled. Moko carefully wiped the drool from the corner of Ace's mouth. The faint smile on her face was only because of the emotional fluctuation caused by little Ace. Moko took a step and slowly walked into this new home that belonged to her and Ace.

The children in this world are probably different from the children in the world Moko lives in. Ace is very obedient and usually doesn't cry or make a fuss. The first thing he does when he wakes up is to look for Moko. After seeing Moko, he will play by himself. After eating, he will be taken around by Mika. Dadan will also come over to help out from time to time. After all, it is always worrying to have two little children without an adult to take care of them.

Although taking care of a child wasn't difficult for Moko, she didn't refuse Dadan's kindness. When Moko did housework, Ace, Mika, and Dadan's family always had a lot of fun, which Moko was happy to see. Humans are social creatures and can't survive alone. Before Ace grew up, she would take care of everything and would never let anything hinder Ace's freedom. Ace's future should be as his parents hoped, free and carefree, which was a promise she had made.

After her life had basically settled down, Moko took the time to create a small garden around the house, planting the jasmine and hibiscus seeds she had brought. As she buried the last seed and straightened up, a hint of sadness flickered in her eyes. She thought that next spring, the flowers would surely bloom beautifully.

Mihua carried the sleeping Ace on her back and walked over to Moko's side. Moko patted Mihua before picking up Ace. Feeling the familiar scent, Ace's little hands groped and grabbed Moko's clothes, and a cute, babyish smile appeared on his face. Moko's lips curled up slightly, and she took Ace and Mihua back to the house.

Moko doesn't know which path Ace will choose in the future. Whether he lives an ordinary life, becomes a pirate, or a marine, Moko will support him unconditionally. Her brother doesn't need to achieve great things. As long as he can grow up healthy and happy and have a smooth life, that's enough. She will take care of everything else. She will always be there for him.

For a while afterward, Moko would often go to the forest to cut down some wood to make furniture. With the help of Dadan's family, the hard furniture in the house was quickly completed. However, the wooden furniture didn't look very cozy. Ace was also in a stage where he was curious about everything and often climbed around the house, making it very easy for him to bump into things. Moko thought about it and decided to go to the nearest Goa Kingdom to buy some fabric items and blankets. She would definitely not be leaving this place for a long time afterward, so it would be better to make the house more comfortable.

"Aunt Dadan, could you please keep an eye on Ace? I'm going to the Goa Kingdom."

Moko, wearing a black cloak, came out of the house. After Ace learned to crawl, he loved to run around everywhere. The Dadan family also liked to play chasing games with Ace. Every time this happened, Ace's joyful laughter could be heard in the garden.

"The Kingdom of Goa? Do you want me to go with you? It's not very peaceful there."

As she spoke, Dadan stood up from her chair, ready to follow Moko. To enter the Goa Kingdom from the mountain, they had to pass through a final recycling station. There were quite a few troublesome thugs, pirates, and bandits in the recycling station, and Dadan was not comfortable letting Moko, a little girl, go there alone.

Moko picked up Ace, who had crawled to her feet, and brushed the grass clippings off his head. "Don't worry, Aunt Dadan, it's okay. I'm just buying some small things and I'll be right back. Ace, be a good boy and listen to Aunt Dadan at home, okay? Wait for your sister to come back, okay?"

"ah!"

Ace responded happily, raising his chubby little hand. Ace could now barely understand some of what Moko was saying. Although he didn't understand everything, he could understand some of the words like "good boy".

Seeing Ace's obedient appearance, Moko kissed Ace's forehead and put him back on the ground.

"Are you sure I don't need to go? The people there are all fierce and menacing, Xiao Mo, you..."

"Aunt Dadan, it's really okay, don't worry. I'll avoid them and I'll be back soon."

Moko gave Dadan a reassuring smile and left with Mihua. Dadan watched Moko's departing figure and sighed. She was just a child, yet she always refused to rely on anyone. Was this really okay?

"Boss, is Xiao Mo alright?"

Standing beside Dadan, Dogula also looked worriedly in the direction Moko had left. From the moment he arrived, Moko's maturity made him very uncomfortable. It wasn't that he disliked her, but rather that he felt sorry for her. The child who should be nestled in her parents' arms was unbelievably mature. She was always gentle and mild-mannered, never throwing tantrums or crying, like a manipulated rag doll. Even though her eyes were full of exhaustion and lifelessness, she still smiled when facing others. Dogula could tell that the smile was forced, and that this was just a way for the child to avoid worrying others.

"Sigh... let's just let Xiao Moke be. Right now, the only thing Xiao Moke can care about is this little guy."

Dadan's eyes softened as she watched Ace chasing the wooden ball on the ground. At least this little guy was there to keep the child company, and at least the child wouldn't fall completely into the abyss before the wounds in his heart healed.

Descending from the other side of Mount Golepo, you'll see a huge open space piled high with countless scraps. Ahead lies a tall wall enclosing the area, isolating the people living at the End Recycling Station. It's called the End Recycling Station, but in reality, it's just a dumping ground for the nobility's garbage. Ironically, it's precisely this garbage, as perceived by the nobility, that sustains countless people living at the bottom of the Goa Kingdom.

Moko jumped off Mihua's back, patted Mihua, and Mihua seemed to understand and began to shrink her body, quickly becoming only the size of a doll, just the right size to perch on Moko's shoulder.

Moko still doesn't know exactly what kind of species the rice flower is. The rice flower feeds by basking in the sun. Although it doesn't have the five senses, it can distinguish tastes and sounds through its bodily perception. Its field of vision doesn't seem to be very restricted either. Its most unique ability is probably the ability to shrink its size. It can become super big or shrink into a tiny fur ball. As for other abilities, Moko hasn't discovered any.

Moko let Mika slip into the cloak, then put on the hood, completely covering herself up so that no one could see her face. Moko walked quickly toward the Kingdom of Goa. When she passed the final recycling station, the people there only glanced at her before looking away. In a place like this, it was not unusual to see anyone. There were quite a few people like Moko who covered themselves up completely, so there was nothing particularly noteworthy.

The interior of the Goa Kingdom's city walls is completely different from the exterior. The interior is no different from the kingdom described in fairy tales: luxurious and tall castles, Western European-style buildings, and huge fountains in the square. Everyone in the town seems to live a very wealthy life. Of course, this is just a glamorous facade for the arrogant nobles.

Moko went straight to the central street, where ordinary people lived, barely making a living with their skills. If they didn't have enough Berries, they would have to live like the people at the end recycling station, relying on recycling to survive. Whether they could even make a living was still an unknown.

There are many shops on the central street. In order to maintain the so-called glamorous appearance, the kingdom is indeed very clean. Moko stopped in front of the fabric shop to select fabrics, planning to add some fabric items to the house. The bare wooden furniture was too cold. Buying more would also make some new clothes for Ace. Children grow up quickly, so it's better to be prepared.

"Sir, do you need help moving some things?"

A childish voice came from the other side. Mo Ke looked in the direction of the voice and saw a little boy in patched clothes standing next to her. The boy looked about six or seven years old. He was very clean and his eyes were full of expectation. Behind him was a wooden cart. In a small alley a little further away, several little heads were peeking at them.

"Go away, go find work at the city gate, don't bother me while I'm doing business."

The fabric shop owner immediately got up and tried to shoo them away. Mo had plenty of things to choose from, and what if these children scared away this big customer?

"Dragging something?"

Moko stopped the shopkeeper and looked at the little boy with interest. When the shopkeeper saw Moko stop him, he immediately bowed and stood aside. The little boy steadied himself and his eyes lit up when he heard Moko's question. Orphans like them could only find odd jobs in the city and barely survive on the little bit of money they earned each day. Otherwise, they would go hungry.

This kind of work, helping to haul goods, is one of them. Usually, they help foreign ships haul goods at the city gate, but they are just children and can't compete with the people outside. Today, they didn't get a chance to haul goods and were planning to go back. But they saw that Moke had bought a large amount of cloth and had no one to help with the transport, so they thought they would try their luck.

"Yes, it's 10 Berries for hauling things, anything is fine. Don't underestimate me because I'm small, I'm very strong."

Watching the little boy eagerly trying to sell himself, Moko tilted her head and asked, "What if you run off with all that stuff?"

"No! Sir, I would never do that, really."

The little boy tried to explain in a flustered manner, but didn't know how to prove himself. Moko smiled slightly, reached out and patted the little boy's head, speaking softly.

"The thing must be very heavy. Can one person pull it?"

Upon hearing what Moko said, the little boy's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously.

"OK!"

The little boy waved towards the alley, and the few little heads that Moke had just seen bounced over quickly. There were four children in total, all around five or six years old. Their clothes were patched and had traces of other fabrics being pieced together, but each of them was very clean. When they reached Moke, they bowed to her very politely.

"Sir, we will do our job well."

Moko nodded and pointed to the fabrics that had already been selected. The children quickly started loading them into the car, their tender hands covered in calluses, clearly indicating that they did this kind of work often.

Turning her gaze away, Moko handed the Bellies to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper was overjoyed as he counted the Bellies. If he was careful with the Bellies he earned today, it would be enough for his family's expenses for more than a month. The shopkeeper was now looking at Moko as if she were a god of wealth.

"I need to buy other things, you guys..."

Before Moko could finish speaking, the boy who had spoken to her first quickly interjected, "Sir, I'll stay with you. You all stay here and keep an eye on the adults' things, okay?"

"Don't worry, Yubi-nii."

"We will definitely keep an eye on the adults' things."

The four children made a solemn promise. The child called Yubi nodded. They were in the city now, so Yubi wasn't worried about being robbed. The most dangerous time was when they were transporting the goods out. The group of people outside the city didn't care whose goods they were. They had to be extra careful every time they transported goods. If the goods were lost, they would have to pay for them. If they encountered a troublesome employer, they might get beaten half to death.

"Once you've made your decision, let's go."

"Yes, my lord."