One Piece: Shanks' Little Jasmine

Chapter 125 Medicinal Cuisine

"Dad, I'm here."

The man in the chef's uniform that Moko had seen on the deck earlier pushed open the door and came in, followed by Marco, who had called out to someone and then returned with them.

As soon as Sachi entered, he saw Moko sitting on the white-bearded man's lap, and his eyes were instantly filled with amazement. Moko sat obediently on the white-bearded man's lap, with a fluffy ball of rice next to her. She looked like the most exquisite porcelain doll sculpted by the world's most skilled sculptor, so exquisite that there was not a single flaw.

In that previous battle, Thatch had actually caught a glimpse of Moko as a child from afar. Although Moko was quickly defeated and taken back to the ship by the Roger Pirates, preventing them from speaking to her, Moko at that time was already enough to show that she was an extremely gentle and beautiful child.

Despite being in the pirate crew, his aura remained spotless. Furthermore, no one at sea knew about the little one's affairs over the years, so he knew that Roger and his crew had protected the little one extremely well. However, he never expected that a group of roughnecks like themselves would be so good at raising children, raising such a cute, gentle, and cuddly girl.

Now, this little dumpling has grown up into a stunning young woman. Her beautiful face and gentle, clean aura are truly endearing. No wonder Marco cherishes this little sister he hasn't seen many times. After all, even though it's his father's order, Marco is far too serious and meticulous in protecting Jasmine in private.

“Sachi, this is Moko. She'll be your little sister from now on. You and Marco should keep an eye on her on the ship. If I find out Moko has been mistreated on board…”

“Let Marco go mining on the seabed with me.” Sachi withdrew his gaze from Moko, smiled helplessly and shrugged, picking up where Whitebeard left off. “Dad, you’ve said this countless times before Moko came. Don’t worry, if anyone dares to bully Moko, I’ll be the first to object. Besides, Marco is keeping an eye on things.”

Sachi's eyes were full of mockery when he said this, and he had a perfect grasp of the clueless Marco's thoughts. Whitebeard had also had women he liked, so how could he not understand the other meaning in Sachi's words?

He had noticed a long time ago that something was wrong with his son. He was going to Ophelian much more often than to other islands. He would say he was going to buy wine, but he never came back. Instead, he brought back a lot of flowers. For example, this time, the matter on Fishman Island was clearly resolved a long time ago, but he still said he needed to take another look. Now it seems that his real intention was not what he was looking for.

Sure enough, youth is wonderful. It's a pity that his son is still too green. He's so hesitant and coy when it comes to pursuing girls; who knows how many years it will take him to win her over? If he remembers correctly, that red-haired boy is the little guy's childhood sweetheart and was the first person to find him at sea. Marco, if you don't hurry up, the little guy will be married off to him. No, he has to tell his silly son later that he has to bring the little guy back to the ship no matter what. If he can bring Roger's daughter over, that would be a huge victory over him.

Sachi and Whitebeard grinned maliciously, making Marco's hair stand on end. He unconsciously nudged his arm. Wait, he hadn't done anything, so why were his father and Sachi staring at him like that?

At this moment, Moko was covering her mouth and tilting her head to chuckle because she saw Thatch's helpless yet indulgent expression towards Whitebeard. Naturally, she didn't notice the strange expressions that Thatch and Whitebeard were giving Marco.

"Ahem, it's good that you know. Isn't Xiao Mo going to teach Sachi how to make medicinal cuisine? Go ahead, your two older brothers will protect you. If those rascals on the ship bully you, don't hold back, just have your two older brothers throw them into the sea."

Whitebeard coughed twice and resumed his usual dignified expression, but when he looked at Moko, his expression was incredibly loving.

"Okay, Uncle Whitebeard, I'll go to the kitchen now. Uncle Whitebeard, please get some rest."

"Gulalalala, okay."

Whitebeard was in an exceptionally good mood today. He gently picked up Moko and Mika and placed them on the ground. He only withdrew his hands after Moko had stood up steadily. His attentive manner made him seem like a completely different person. Even Sachi, seeing this scene, had to admit that his father's heart was practically overflowing with affection. His father had never spoken to his sons in such a gentle tone before, and as for hugging them, that was even more out of the question. But, well, it was understandable. If he had a lovely daughter like Moko, he would gladly spoil her rotten. He would even pluck the stars and the moon from the sky if he wanted them.

The three chatted and laughed as they left the room. Mihua shook her fur like she was shaking off water, then flapped her short legs and immediately followed Moko.

The moment she stepped out of the captain's cabin, countless eyes turned to her. When they saw Moko without her hood, they couldn't help but gasp in amazement. Good heavens, no one had told them their little sister was so beautiful! Marco had such a beautiful little sister all to himself for so long, it was so unfair! They wanted to make their presence known to their sister too! Heaven knows how much they wanted a cute little sister to call them brother (=tェt=).

There were already many people curious about Mo Ke, and after seeing her beautiful appearance, the three of them attracted even more attention wherever they went, just like a mobile surveillance camera. The intense gazes made Mo Ke feel embarrassed.

When the three of them finally reached the kitchen, a large group of people had already followed them. Marco frowned deeply, waved his hand, and shoved everyone who had followed him out the door. Before they could complain, he closed the door. The whole action was so smooth and fluid, as if he had done it countless times.

It was a good thing to have so many eyes on her, but seeing Marco's practiced movements, Moko couldn't help but chuckle softly. Marco's eyes were full of affection, and the familiar yet strange irregular heartbeat came again.

While waiting for Sachi to prepare the kitchen utensils, Moko took off her heavy fur cloak and was about to put it on Mika when a large hand reached out and took the cloak, along with a brand new apron.

"It would be a shame to get such pretty clothes dirty. Do you need my help with the apron?"

"Thank you, Marco. I can do it." Moko looked up at Marco and smiled, then tied her apron.

Marco quickly concealed the disappointment in his eyes, making sure Moko didn't notice anything amiss, and said, "You're welcome, yoi~"

"Woo-mi~"

Ella, who was sleeping in her warm cloak, was suddenly jolted awake by the cold air. She grumbled in dissatisfaction and rubbed her sleepy eyes with her chubby paws.

Moko felt a surge of affection for Ella's adorable, sleepy look and couldn't bear to wake her. So, she tucked Ella into the fluffy coat of Mihua, who was always at her feet. Mihua was always warm and smelled of sunshine. Ella, who was still half asleep, felt the familiar warmth of the soft Mihua and drifted off to sleep again.

In this short period of time, Sachi had already prepared the kitchen utensils. Unfortunately, everyone has their own expertise. Sachi is an excellent cook, but he is a complete novice when it comes to handling medicinal herbs. Just now, when Marco went out to find Sachi, Moko handed the new prescription to Marco. The kitchen counter was now full of various herbs. Because each herb has different properties, it is necessary to understand the properties of each herb before making medicinal cuisine.

Herbs, when used correctly, are a good medicine; when used incorrectly, they can be poison. Therefore, extra care must be taken when preparing medicinal cuisine, and it must only be prepared by trustworthy people.

Only Moko, Marco, and Sachi remained in the kitchen, along with Mika and Ella who were squatting by the door. The rest of the people had been sent to the dining room by Marco. Everyone assumed that Sachi was trying to give Moko special treatment and did not realize that the three of them were making their father's potion.

"Eriol is generally used as a sedative ingredient and is not often used in medicinal cuisine. However, Uncle Whitebeard's internal damage is quite severe. Without some pain-relieving drugs, it would be difficult to bear the pain. But it cannot be used too much. If one is in a state of not being able to feel pain for a long time, one's perception of the body will become dulled, and one will often overlook some inconspicuous small wounds. The consequences of this can be unpredictable. Therefore, it is enough to make a medicinal meal containing iriol about once every ten days."

"Row."

Moko explained things carefully, and Sachi listened very attentively. This was a major matter concerning his father's health, and it couldn't be taken lightly. Seeing that Sachi had almost remembered everything, Moko then went on to talk about the other herbs, explaining clearly how to combine each herb, the dosage, and how many days to rotate them.

Marco stood aside, etching Moko's words into his heart. His gaze towards Moko grew brighter and brighter. Moko was truly like Pandora's box, containing all sorts of unexpected treasures. Every time it was opened, there would be different surprises. Marco's desire to explore Moko grew stronger and stronger, a pirate's innate pursuit and curiosity for treasure.

"That's roughly how herbs are classified. I'll write a list and leave it with Marco and Yubi. If you forget, you can check it out."

Since it concerned Whitebeard's health, Moko dared not let too many people know. There were only one or two people on this ship whom Moko felt she could trust, and it was best to keep the spare medicine prescriptions with her own people.

"Xiao Mo is so thoughtful. I was just worried that I wouldn't remember it."

Sachi is a chef, not a pharmacist. He can memorize ingredients, but Marco should memorize all this pharmacology.

As if she could read Sachi's mind, Moko smiled gently, "Then let's start making the medicinal cuisine."

"I'm good at cooking, Xiao Mo, you can just watch and give directions from the side."

His voice trembled with excitement as Sachi rolled up his sleeves, confidently waiting for Moko to speak. He was clearly eager to show off his skills. Seeing Sachi's confidence, Moko decided against it; she couldn't very well dampen someone's spirits, could she?

Moke directed Sachi to break down the herbs. The more precious the herb, the smaller the usable portion, making it more difficult to separate. Sachi felt he had never been so tired, not even when carving a cake. There were so many intricacies involved in just one herb. He was afraid he would spend his whole life doing such delicate work.

Time ticked by, and the lid of the casserole containing the medicinal food was finally closed. Sachi slumped into his chair, realizing for the first time how tiring it was to make medicinal food. He wondered how Marco could keep everything so organized and efficient.

Marco patted Sachi on the shoulder to show he had worked hard, and Sachi looked at Marco with a look that could only be described as sympathetic. Being a ship's doctor is really not something that just anyone can do. It's amazing that Marco can do the job of a ship's doctor and also manage the affairs of the ship. Marco is indeed Marco!