Girls Need to Be Spoiled So They Won't Be Easily Deceived

"Yo, Uncle Makino, how have you been?"

Mo Xingchen pushed open the tavern doors and saw Makino's grandfather busy behind the bar. He greeted him with a smile.

The Old Man looked toward the entrance and saw a sunny, handsome young man in a black suit and Justice Coat, smiling as he led a group of soldiers inside.

He noticed that after more than half a year apart, Mo Xingchen had changed little from when they first met, aside from his longer hair and sharper attire. His easygoing personality remained the same, making people instinctively like him and want to get close to him. Pointing at his Marine coat, the Old Man answered with a grin.

"Heh, kid, you're doing pretty well now. You're all dressed up like a proper person."

Then he turned toward the kitchen and shouted.

"Makino, come out! The Mo kid's back!"

A burst of clattering came from the kitchen. Then a little pudding shot out at lightning speed, throwing herself at Mo Xingchen.

"Brother Mo!"

Mo Xingchen held Makino in his arms, affectionately ruffling her little head as he laughed at the Old Man.

"Say, Uncle, are you still making a child work like this? Look how exhausted Makino is. She missed me this much already, hahaha."

"Hahahahaha! This old man is getting on in years. Sooner or later, I'll have to hand this tavern over to her. How can that work if she doesn't start training young?"

"Don't be so formal, everyone. Relax. Consider today a holiday—we're not going home until we're drunk!"

The tavern immediately became lively. Mo Xingchen sat smiling on a barstool, telling Makino about the sights he had seen at sea: enormous Sea Kings, the towering Red Line, the majestic Marine Headquarters, the wondrous Sabaody Archipelago, and more. The little girl kept gasping and cheering in excitement.

The next morning, the tavern was a complete mess. Bottles and glasses lay scattered everywhere, while the soldiers sprawled about in every direction, snoring away. Looking at Makino sleeping curled up in his arms, Mo Xingchen could not help thinking.

In the manga, Makino had appeared holding a child in a thoroughly baffling scene. People online had endlessly speculated about who the child's father was. Most said it was Red-Haired Shanks, while some went even further and claimed it was Dragon's child—Luffy's younger brother.

The thought made Mo Xingchen want to drag Oda out and stab him a few times. Either make the child's father clear, or don't draw something unnecessary like that in the first place! He really just drew whatever came to mind and then tried to fill in the plot holes afterward! Just look at how badly the power scaling in Pirate King had fallen apart by now.

No matter what, the child's father was definitely a scumbag. He had left Makino to raise the child alone and vanished who knew where. Mo Xingchen raised his head and softly said to the Old Man.

"This time, I'll take Makino out to sea with me."

"You want her to become a Marine?"

"No, no. I'll probably be patrolling the East Blue for a year or so this time. I want to take the little girl to see different scenery and meet different people, broaden her horizons, so she won't be easily sweet-talked and deceived by some scumbag later."

"Then... if you run into pirates and fighting breaks out, will she be in danger?"

"Uncle, don't worry about that. I'm not bragging, but no one in the Four Seas can hurt the little girl while she's with me. In no more than two years, I'll return Makino to you safe and sound."

Uncle Makino thought for a while before nodding.

"All right, then. This old man doesn't have the means to let her see the vastness of the sea. It would be good for her to go with you and broaden her horizons."

Windmill Village, port.

Makino stood aboard the warship, jumping as she waved at her grandfather and shouted.

"Grandpa, I'll miss you! Wait for me to come back!"

Over the next year and a half, Kuzan upheld the fiery justice in his heart and captured many long-established Great Pirates. He became the first member of his Elite Training Camp class to rise to the rank of Vice Admiral. Meanwhile, Dragon, Gion, Momonga, and a number of other powerful Field Officers who would later become famous were promoted to Rear Admiral.

Garp refused promotion to Admiral as usual, infuriating Fleet Admiral Kong. Rumor had it that several desks in the Marshal's Office had been replaced.

For over a year, Mo Xingchen traveled with little pudding Makino through nearly the entire East Blue. Most pirates they encountered were handled by William and the soldiers under him. Mo Xingchen only stepped in to save them when they truly could not win.

Seeing that Makino had no desire to become strong, Mo Xingchen merely urged her to train a little alongside the soldiers during their voyages. At the very least, she needed some means of protecting herself in her little corner of Windmill Village, so she would not be bullied so easily.

"Purururu~"

Mo Xingchen lay on a beach chair wearing sunglasses. Without even opening his eyes, he called out to the side.

"Makino, answer the phone!"

Makino, who had been holding a horse stance nearby, jogged over and answered it. The Den Den Mushi transformed with a towering Mohawk, and an angry roar followed.

"You brat! It's bad enough that bastard Garp refused promotion to Admiral, but you're refusing advancement too! What do you take the Marines for? What do you take justice for? And... how much longer are you planning to wander around the East Blue? Get your ass back to headquarters! Immediately! Click!"

"Huh? Brother Mo, he hung up."

Makino stared blankly at the Den Den Mushi as it fell asleep.

Mo Xingchen lazily pulled his sunglasses down his nose and looked at the sun about to sink below the horizon. Curling his lip, he said.

"Vacation's over, Makino."

That bastard uncle Garp must have provoked Fleet Admiral Kong again, and Mo Xingchen had gotten dragged into it as well.

Mo Xingchen then called William over and had him notify the control room to set a course back. They would first take Makino home, then go to Shimotsuki Village to collect his sword, and finally return to headquarters.

Half a month later.

The warship finally arrived at Marineford. With a longsword at his waist and one hand resting on its hilt, Mo Xingchen strode forward like a general returning from a great victory.

It had to be said, the bearing of a cultivator paired with a treasured sword was simply dashing! The female Marines all stared with hearts in their eyes, utterly smitten.

As Mo Xingchen walked through the headquarters building, he occasionally saw Vice Admirals hurrying past him toward the main conference room. Curious, he knocked on the door to the Marshal's Office and saw Kong drinking tea inside. He quickly put on a flattering smile.

"Fleet Admiral Kong, I'm back."

"Hmph. So you still remembered how to come back? I thought you'd run off to become pirates with the soldiers under your command."

Kong glanced up at him. Seeing Mo Xingchen's cheeky grin, he snorted with a stern face.

"How could that be, Fleet Admiral? You can't wrong me like that. Over the past year or so, look how clean I've swept the East Blue. I've captured plenty of pirates, big and small. Even if I haven't earned merit, I've at least worked hard! Besides, I've bled for the Marines, I've sweated for the Marines..."

"Enough with your nonsense. Your superior is a bastard, and you're a little bastard too! Tell me, do you know where Garp went?"