One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 110 The Poor Lieutenant

Although Moko had finished processing most of the documents for the month, new documents were still being added every day. With Moko away, the task of processing these documents naturally fell to the three generals. Borsalino and Kuzan, who had returned, inevitably had to take charge of processing them. The deputy general, who was responsible for receiving Borsalino and Kuzan's documents, was having a really tough time. He was either on his way to find the two generals or on his way to "urge" them to finish their work.

If it weren't for Sengoku's insistence, Borsalino and Kuzan would probably have disappeared all day. Under Sengoku's demands, they managed to finish their tasks, though it was obvious at a glance that they were extremely perfunctory.

The vice admiral in charge of transporting Sakazuki's documents was also having a hard time. He felt that Admiral Akainu's gloomy aura was stronger than before. He had to make countless mental preparations before entering the room, fearing that he might accidentally kneel down as soon as he went in. You know, he had never seen Admiral Akainu's face so dark before.

After a month of hardship, Moko finally returned. After resting for one night, the next day when Moko went to work, she saw several deputy generals in charge of documents and message notifications standing at the door early, staring at her with excited expressions that were almost about to cry.

Moko blinked in confusion. What was going on? Why did these people look like they'd been betrayed by a heartless man, almost in tears? Was the work pressure really that high? But it wasn't even work time yet. They should be fine after resting a bit more.

And those people who looked so fair-skinned a month ago now look pale and emaciated. Did Sengoku lose his argument with the World Government and the Navy's finances are in dire straits? That can't be right. The reason she wrote is perfect. Look how much the children have starved. It's only been a month, and they look like they just returned from a famine.

Moko looked at the vice admirals with a strange expression, her mind wandering. She was already considering whether to have Yubi secretly help the Navy's private assets. It was really pitiful that they were still not getting enough to eat despite all the work.

The lieutenants now looked at Moko like she was a savior. But if they knew what Moko was really thinking, they'd probably throw a tantrum. These past few days, they'd been chasing their commander everywhere, exposed to wind and sun. The commander treated them like monkeys, just watching them run around. If he was happy, he'd do something; if he wasn't, they'd be gone in a flash. It was so difficult! Normally, Moko didn't have this hard time managing those two commanders. *sobs*

Moko returned to her office amidst everyone's attention. She had gotten up very early that day, but Aesop hadn't arrived yet. After putting her things down, she went to Borsalino's office. The office was quiet, and it seemed that Borsalino hadn't arrived yet either; he was probably still asleep. Moko wasn't surprised. She placed the gifts she had brought back on the table, untied the bouquet she had cut that morning, and placed the snow-white gardenias one by one into the vase. She added a couple of pale yellow gradient pompom flowers and lavender to the vase, creating a bright and vibrant display that was sure to lift anyone's spirits.

When Moko returned from her vacation, she brought gifts for everyone. She had to appease her boss, who was a bit of a kid, after suddenly leaving for vacation, otherwise she would start nagging at her.

There was no one in Kuzan's office yet. Moko placed the gift on the table, found a vase and put in green lisianthus and white cosmos. She drew back the white gauze curtains, and sunlight streamed in through the glass, instantly making the room fresh and bright. Moko nodded in satisfaction and went out again with the rest of the bouquet.

Finally, only Sakazuki's office remained. Moko had no doubt that, compared to her two sleepy superiors, Sakazuki was already sitting in his office working at this time.

"Dong dong dong."

"Enter."

"Good morning, General Sakazuki."

Sakazuki glanced at Moko briefly, then lowered his head again to continue reading the documents.

Good morning... How was your holiday?

Moko was slightly taken aback, not expecting that the usually meticulous Sakazuki would ask about her vacation.

"Yes, you're having a lot of fun. This is a souvenir for Admiral Sakazuki. By the way, the roses are blooming beautifully today. Let me help Admiral Sakazuki put them in the bouquet."

Moko, dressed in a white naval uniform with her hair simply tied in a high ponytail, held a red striped gift box and a large bunch of pink rosebuds in her arms. Standing there, she resembled a uniquely beautiful oil painting, adding a touch of bright color to the dull office.

The light and shadow flickered outside the window, and the shadows of the trees changed indistinctly. It wasn't until a breeze blew into the office through the gaps in the trees that Sakazuki came back to his senses. He pursed his lips, pointed to the empty vase on the reception table, and spoke in a low voice.

"...Thank you, the vase is over there."

Moko nodded and placed the gift box on the reception table. The pink roses had been awake all night and should soon be in full bloom, which would surely be extremely beautiful.

The vase on the table is exquisite, but its color is relatively dark, which is a color scheme that Sakazuki likes.

Mo took out her pruning shears and carefully trimmed the flower stems and excess leaves. She placed the budding roses into the vase and added a few round, fluffy pom-poms. The fluffy pom-poms paired with the roses brought a different kind of lively atmosphere to the somber office.

Several times during the night, Sakazuki would occasionally look up. Sunlight streamed through the glass window, refracting dappled colors onto Moko's face, revealing a sense of tranquility. For a moment, the only sounds in the room were the turning of pages and the rustling of scissors, and his restless heart gradually calmed down.

It didn't take long for Moko to finish processing the flowers and tidy up the pruned branches and leaves. Moko stood up and looked at Sakazuki again.

"General Sakazuki, I'm going back to work now."

"Okay, thank you for your help."

Moko nodded and left. As the door closed, the footsteps outside faded into the distance until they disappeared down the corridor. Only then did Sakazuki slowly raise his head, get up, and walk to the reception table. The bouquet on the table swayed gently, looking incredibly cute. Inside the gift box was a gemstone ornament shaped like a pink rose. The gemstone ornament was placed in a domed glass display case, looking lifelike, just like a rose in a vase, except that this rose would never wither.

"Little Miss, you're finally back! I love the gift!"

Borsalino appeared in Moko's office at some point, holding a silver-white silk tie and standing in front of the mirror, admiring himself. He radiated a bright and cheerful aura. Moko smiled helplessly and walked into the office to the coffee table.

"I'm glad General Borsalino is happy."

"Young lady, you've given me such an expensive gift; I'm truly a little embarrassed."

Despite saying that, Moko didn't look embarrassed at all. She calmly placed the trimmed jasmine into the vase and responded to Borsalino's words without turning her head.

"If you really feel bad, just take care of a little bit of your work and don't leave all your work to me. That would be the best way to repay you."

"No way~ Miss, you know I get a headache whenever I see documents."

Borsalino frowned seriously, looking pained, and pressed his temples with both hands, appearing to have a real headache. If Mo didn't know Borsalino's personality and could sense other people's physical condition, she might have been fooled.

Mokoko wasn't going to play along with Borsalino's acting skills. She placed the bouquet on the small table, noticed Borsalino's crooked tie, sighed helplessly, and waved to Borsalino, signaling him to bow. There was nothing she could do; he was so tall, she couldn't just jump up, it would be too much for her.

Seeing Moko's actions, Borsalino obediently bent down, allowing Moko to approach and re-tie his tie. Moko's eyes were serious, unlike those other ordinary marines who would tremble with fear just by getting close to an admiral. The faint floral fragrance became clearer as he got closer, and the gloom in his heart was also diluted by the fragrance.

"All right."

Moko suddenly spoke, and Borsalino was jolted awake from those orange-pink eyes. He had been unconsciously drawn into Moko's gaze. If Borsalino were to describe it, Moko's eyes were more dazzling than any gemstone. They were so lively that they seemed to speak, and a simple glance was enough to draw you in, drawing you into a dreamscape bathed in the morning glow, from which you were unwilling to leave.

Moko made Borsalino look at himself in the mirror. "Someone will be visiting today. Admiral Borsalino, you shouldn't be too casual. After all, an admiral is a representative of the Marine Headquarters."

When Moko arrived in the morning, she had already checked the work schedule for the day. Representatives from several branches would be coming to report to Sengoku in the morning, and the three generals would also have to be present. Regardless of whether the meeting was important or not, Moko wouldn't let Borsalino go by in such a lazy manner.

"The little lady tied it so well~"

Borsalino slightly lifted his half-drooping eyelids, his admiration evident in his eyes.

Thank you for your compliment.

Moko's answer was rather perfunctory, but Borsalino wasn't angry. He sat down on the sofa with a nonchalant smile, seemingly having no intention of returning to his office. Moko wasn't annoyed either. She went to the small bar in her office and placed the prepared tea and snacks on the table in front of Borsalino.

Just as I put down the snacks, the office door was pushed open again, and Aesop walked in timidly, followed by Kuzan. Despite having met the generals so many times, Aesop still seemed unaccustomed to it and was quite timid.

"Good morning, General Kuzan."

"Oh, good morning, Miss Moko."

Good morning, Aesop.

"Yes! Good morning, Miss Moko."

Aesop suddenly stood up straight, startling Moko. She blinked in surprise, then smiled and shook her head slightly.

Kuzan was all smiles when he looked at Moko, but when his gaze fell on Borsalino, who was leisurely drinking tea, his smiling face instantly fell, changing his expression as quickly as a Peking Opera face-changing act.

Although the two disliked each other, they didn't start arguing in Moko's office. Kuzan disdainfully withdrew his gaze from Borsalino and turned to Moko with a smile.

"I really like the gift from Miss Moko. Thank you, Miss Moko."

Kuzan pointed to the sunglasses hanging in his shirt pocket, and Moko smiled gently. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like them, Admiral Kuzan."

As she spoke, Moko returned to the small bar and brewed some more tea. The two of them liked different teas, and if she only prepared one of them's favorites, what would happen if twins fought? It's impossible to take sides, especially since the two of them were arguing so fiercely. Moko said she didn't want to put her ears through that.

Having anticipated that both of them would come, the snacks had already been divided into two portions. When Moko brought out the fresh tea and snacks, Kuzan was already lying on his personal recliner by the window, not disturbing Borsalino who was sprawled on the sofa.

Kuzan habitually raised his arm to shield his eyes from the sunlight, looking like he was about to fall asleep. Moko shook her head helplessly at this scene, placed the tea and snacks on the small table next to the recliner, and began to deal with the documents that Aesop had just brought over.

Borsalino and Kuzan's lieutenants also brought over the documents that the two generals were processing. Borsalino and Kuzan pretended not to see them and acted as if they were dead, their meaning was self-evident. Seeing the lieutenants' troubled look, Moko sighed and waved her hand. Iso quickly moved the processed documents in stacks to make room for the two generals' documents.

Mo now understood why those vice admirals had looked at her like that this morning. Apparently, they had been working tirelessly to find work for Borsalino and Kuzan during her month-long leave. No wonder they all looked like they were fleeing a famine, making her almost think the Navy was going bankrupt.

Looking at Borsalino lounging like Ge You and Kuzan who was almost beyond the reach of worldly affairs, Moko smiled helplessly. Sure enough, when people are speechless to the extreme, they really want to laugh. These two are the same. They clearly dislike their work so much, so why do they become generals? A general's work is several times more than that of a lieutenant general. They can't be here just to experience the feeling of being in the spotlight, can they?

(Borsalino & Kuzan: Because of their deep admiration for the general.)

Moko: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻, It's obvious you guys are after the general's high salary.