At dawn, on the coastline of Oykot Kingdom, the first rays of the rising sun touched the sea, shrouded in a light mist. Roy's figure flickered in and out of the morning fog, each teleport precisely landing him at the hiding spots of pirates attempting to flee.
"Swish!"
A pirate ship, laden with stolen goods, was quietly raising its anchor. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed on the deck. "Faster! Let's get away before sunrise—"
"BANG!"
With a violent explosion, Roy's fist came down like an iron hammer, directly shattering the entire ship's deck. Wood splinters and seawater flew everywhere as the pirates screamed and fell into the sea, creating splashes.
On the broken deck, the black-haired boy's silhouette stood as proud as a mountain. The sea breeze howled, his hair flying. He slowly exhaled. "That's the last of them."
His Observation Haki spread out rapidly, covering a five-kilometer radius. After confirming there were no more pirate presences, Roy finally relaxed, his gaze turning to the slowly rising sun in the east.
"Time to go back."
"Swish!"
His figure flashed and disappeared into the morning mist.
Inside the temporary medical tent.
Bell-mère was propped up against the headboard. Her face was still a bit pale, but she looked significantly better than the day before. Nojiko and Nami were nestled beside her, their breathing steady, finally able to sleep peacefully.
The tent flap was gently lifted. A cool morning breeze carrying a hint of the sea blew in as Roy walked in quietly.
Upon seeing him, Bell-mère immediately tried to sit up, her eyes full of gratitude. "Mr. Roy, really... thank you so much..."
Roy quickly walked to her bedside and pressed her shoulder. "Don't move, you'll open your wounds!"
Bell-mère let out a relieved, wry smile. "Sorry, I was just too excited."
Roy shook his head and sat down in the chair beside her. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better." Bell-mère looked down at the two girls in her arms, her eyes gentle. "Thanks to you, they were able to survive."
Roy smiled slightly. "I just did what a Marine is supposed to do."
Bell-mère looked up, a hint of confusion in her eyes. "Mr. Roy, which branch are you from? Once I recover, I must write a letter of thanks to your superior."
Roy paused for a moment, then smiled. "I'm... not from a branch."
"Huh?"
"I'm a cadet at the Marine Headquarters' Zephyr Training Camp."
Bell-mère froze, her eyes wide. "A disciple of Head Instructor Zephyr?! No wonder you're so strong!" Then, as if she realized something, her pupils constricted. "Wait... a training camp?! Then how old are you this year..."
Roy shrugged. "Twelve."
Bell-mère was completely僵, as if she had heard something out of a fairy tale, her lips slightly parted. "T-Twelve...?!"
The monster who had single-handedly wiped out hundreds of pirates, whose body was covered in Armament Haki, and who stood over two meters tall... was actually a 12-year-old kid?!
Seeing her expression, Roy couldn't help but chuckle. "What's wrong? Don't look at me like that."
Bell-mère covered her face and sighed. "No... I just suddenly feel like I've been a Marine for nothing all these years..."
Roy shook his head and looked at her seriously. "No, Bell-mère. You protected them. That's what's most important."
Bell-mère was stunned. She looked down at Nami and Nojiko in her arms, her gaze gradually softening. "You're right... This battle made me realize a lot of things."
She took a deep breath, as if she had finally made a decision. "...I want to adopt them."
Roy nodded, his expression calm. "Mm."
Bell-mère pursed her lips, her voice lowering slightly. "But I'm worried... a Marine's job is so busy, I'm afraid I won't be able to take good care of them."
Roy smiled, his tone gentle but firm. "Adopting them and being a Marine are not mutually exclusive."
Bell-mère looked up, a hint of struggle in her eyes. "But..."
Roy looked at her, his eyes resolute. "These two little girls need someone to protect them, and you also need to become stronger. If you encounter a similar pirate attack again, how will you protect them?"
Bell-mère's pupils trembled slightly, the sense of a mother's responsibility fully awakened within her.
Roy smiled softly. "Besides, you're not alone."
Bell-mère was stunned. "What do you mean?"
Roy: "Old Man Garp has already applied for housing for you in the Marine family residential area. You can live there in peace from now on."
Bell-mère was shocked. "Vice Admiral Garp?! The 'Hero of the Marines' Garp?!"
Roy nodded. "Yes, that's him."
Bell-mère's mouth hung slightly open, her brain almost shutting down. "Wait... what is your relationship with Vice Admiral Garp?!"
Roy raised an eyebrow and said simply, "You could say... I'm an unlucky guy he happened to pick up for special training."
Bell-mère: "..."
"What is this kid's background?! Is he trying to show off?"
Just then, a hearty laugh came from outside the tent. "Hahaha! Roy! Where did you run off to, kid? I've been looking for you for ages!"
Before he finished speaking, the flap was violently thrown open, and Garp strode in, holding a large bag of rice crackers.
Bell-mère was completely dumbfounded, staring stiffly at the entrance. "V-Vice Admiral Garp?!"
Garp glanced at her casually and grinned. "Oh! You're the female soldier who almost died protecting the kids, right? Not bad! You've got guts!"
Bell-mère's voice trembled with excitement. "Y-Yes, sir!"
Garp laughed and slapped her on the shoulder (almost knocking her back onto the bed). "Rest up! Stick with me from now on, it's a much better prospect than rotting in the East Blue branch!"
Bell-mère: "...Huh?"
Roy rubbed his forehead, exasperated. "Mr. Garp, please don't just poach people like that..."
Garp laughed heartily. "What does it matter! Sengoku is short-staffed over there anyway!"
He turned to look at the sleeping Nojiko and Nami on the bed, then suddenly leaned over and pinched Nami's cheek. "This little one is pretty cute!"
Nami groggily opened her eyes to see a stubbly face right in front of her and instantly burst into tears with a "Waaahhh—!!"
Nojiko was also startled awake and hugged her sister tightly.
An awkward silence fell over the tent for a few seconds.
Garp scratched his head, then grinned like a chipmunk and pulled two bags of candy from his pocket. "Here, want some candy?"
The two sisters looked at him with teary eyes for a few seconds. Finally, Nojiko reached out her chubby little hand towards Garp.
Garp laughed. "That's more like it!"
Roy sighed helplessly. "Old Man Garp, don't scare them."
Garp waved his hand. "They're just kids. Scare them a few times and they'll get used to it."
Bell-mère's mouth twitched. "This 'Hero of the Marines'... he doesn't seem very reliable..."
A few days later, the reconstruction work on the streets of Oykot Kingdom was in full swing. The application for the Marine family residential area was quickly approved, and Bell-mère officially adopted Nojiko and Nami.
At the port, Roy and Garp were preparing to depart for Headquarters.
Bell-mère, holding Nami and leading Nojiko, bowed deeply to Roy. "Mr. Roy, really... thank you so much."
Roy smiled slightly. "It's nothing. Just live a good life from now on."
Nojiko suddenly ran forward, tugging on Roy's sleeve, her eyes shining. "Big brother, will you come see us again?"
Roy smiled and knelt down, ruffling her blue, short hair. "I will."
Nojiko asked in a small voice, "Can we come find you at Marine Headquarters in the future?"
Roy's smile was warm. "Of course. When you grow up, maybe you can even become my junior."
Nojiko's eyes lit up. "I want to be a Marine! Even stronger than you, big brother!"
Garp laughed and patted her on the head. "That's the spirit! I've got high hopes for you!"
Bell-mère watched from the side, her eyes full of gentleness and hope.
Roy stood up and looked at Bell-mère. "Take care."
Bell-mère nodded, her eyes firm. "You too."
Garp waved a large hand. "Let's go, Roy!"
Roy took one last deep look at them, then turned and followed Garp.
"Swish!"
The two figures vanished in the morning sun at the port, leaving only a gentle breeze.
Nojiko's eyes widened, and she clenched her fists in excitement. "Wow! So cool!"
Bell-mère gently hugged them, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon, a determined smile on her face. "Yes... really cool."
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (56 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (164 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (170 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (60 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (50 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (217 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (60 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (30 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(30 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.