Choosing Names!

Could it have been arranged by Woonan?

This was Vidal's first reaction. But this shouldn't be the case. This kid has always been aloof, only showing enough enthusiasm for gold and treasure hunting. He doesn't seem like the type of person who would do these things on his own initiative.

Hello.

Vidal first responded to the enthusiastic children, then glanced at Woonan, and sure enough, he had regained his stunning good looks.

"You arranged this?"

"Brian suggested it," Woonan replied softly. Vidal thought for a moment, finally recognizing the name, and his gaze immediately fell on Brian, whom he had mentioned.

He was actually one of the twenty members who remained from the original Golden Pirates. He seemed to be a navigator and had previously gone to the Boin Archipelago with Woonan.

Brian didn't seem to have fully lost weight yet. He was about 1.8 meters tall, but his face looked a bit chubby, though his belly was fine. He was wearing a light yellow outfit typical of Alabasta.

"Hehe, Master, I was just trying to make it easier for you to meet the children!" Brian said with a smile when he saw that he had been mentioned.

Vidal nodded. He wasn't a particularly sentimental person. Although the scene of children greeting each other in unison had a strong sense of déjà vu, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

"Well done!"

With the patriarch's approval, Brian's smile widened even more; he was now quite accustomed to his status as a vassal of the Forest family.

He believed that as the family grew stronger, his status would rise and his treatment would improve, which would be much more comfortable and stable than being just a pirate.

As for freedom, he didn't feel restricted much. On the contrary, he felt that he had roots, a place he could return to no matter where he went.

He wasn't the only one who thought this way; as far as he knew, most of his old friends also enjoyed their current lives.

They are no longer pirates! They are now respectable people who can proudly declare their identities even when facing Marine warships!

"Brian has been managing the manor these days." Woonan wasn't stupid; he could see through his old subordinate's thoughts, but he wasn't angry, after all, the Golden Pirates were gone.

Upon hearing that Brian was a managerial talent, Vidal immediately took him more seriously, at least making a mental note of him.

There's no way around it, he's desperately needing it right now!

"Let's go inside."

Although he really wanted to ask about the specifics of the situation here, he decided to wait until he saw the children, since they were his main purpose in coming here.

The group entered the manor one after another, and Brian led them to a small hall furnished with many tables and chairs. It was said to be the children's dining room and the largest room in the house.

Vidal glanced around at the surroundings. To be honest, it was quite ordinary, even shabby. It was just a large, earthen house, but he knew that this was what ordinary Alabasta dwellings looked like, not a royal palace with its smooth marble and brick walls everywhere.

Everyone took their seats, except for Woonan and his retainers, who stood, since he, as the head of the family, was seated.

"You may have heard of my name and identity from Woonan." Vidal, standing at three meters tall, could easily look down at the children even while seated. He began his speech with a gentle smile.

But I still want to introduce myself.

"My name is Vidal, and I am currently a Commodore in the Marine Headquarters, as well as the current head of my family."

As he spoke, he carefully observed them and found that these children seemed to be very precocious. Even the four- or five-year-olds sat there quietly, listening attentively.

"But above me are Mr. Cornell and Ms. Enid, my parents. Look, it's them." With that, Vidal took out a family photo he had prepared beforehand from his coat pocket and pointed to the two people in the photo.

"The other three are my children. This is my eldest son, Bullet; my second son Enel; and my third son, Rosinante. You must remember their appearance and names, understand?"

"Understood!" the children answered in unison.

"Alright, at the same time, you must also remember that you are also members of this family, members of the Forest family. No matter where you go or what you encounter in the future, the family will be your greatest support, understand?"

"Understood!!"

Vidal was in a good mood as he watched the atmosphere gradually rise. He didn't directly use the term "retainers," as they would naturally understand these things as they grew up.

"By the way, I heard you don't have names, is that right?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"Yes."

"Yes, I have one. My name is Little Fish!"

"I'm a little bird!"

The children's answers were varied, and some of the more lively ones even stood up and shouted out their names.

"Hehehe, children, these are called nicknames, not names," Vidal laughed. "I've come here to resolve this issue of your names."

Do you want a name? A real name that will stay with you for life?

The children looked at each other, then nodded in agreement. They weren't stupid; they all realized that their names were indeed different from those of the adults around them. Some of the older children, who were beginning to learn to read, understood Vidal's meaning even better—it was what they had just said about not having a name.

"Therefore, as the head of the family, I hereby stipulate that when you turn twelve, you will receive names personally chosen by me, and you will wear the family uniform and leave here to live in the Forest Palace of Forest City!"

Most of the children were a little confused by his words. They didn't understand what family uniforms were, nor did they know what Forest City or Forest Palace were.

However, they all understood the part about having names by the age of twelve. Immediately, one boy stood up, excitedly pointing to the three people sitting in the front row and shouting, "Sister Xiaoxue, Brother Xiaoxing, and Brother Xiaoyu will be twelve years old soon!"

Immediately, many children started chattering, until Brian stepped forward and coughed twice, at which point they quickly quieted down, which made Vidal look at him with even greater respect.

Well, this guy is interesting. No wonder he's a navigator; he certainly has the air of an intellectual.

"Yes, they'll be twelve in a month, so while I'm here, I've decided to name them a month early!" Vidal said with a smile, looking at the three expectant boys and girls.

As for birthdays, well, the nobles of the Fire Country wouldn't keep such detailed records.

"Let's start with Xiaoxue first snowfall in the lunar calendar). I'll ask you a few questions, and you'll answer them. I'll use your answers to name you, so please answer carefully."

The white-haired little girl immediately stood up and nodded heavily.

Do you prefer it hot or cold?

"It's cold, I hate the heat!"

Although she was in Alabasta, Xiaoxue didn't hesitate to say that she didn't like the climate there, otherwise she wouldn't call herself Xiaoxue.

"What color do you prefer?"

White, blue.

Do you prefer daytime or nighttime?

"Night."

Over the next five or six minutes, Vidal asked twelve questions in quick succession. After asking them, he pondered for a moment, and then, under the girl's nervous gaze, gave her the name she had been waiting for.

"Camille!"

"This will be your name from now on."