manynovel Chapter 76 Please give me your guidance
Chapter 76 Please give me your guidance
Just as Tina said, not long after, the three prospective admirals left the Marine Headquarters again. Moko was actually still on vacation, but because of the aftermath of Fishman Island, she stayed at the Marine Headquarters and didn't go anywhere else.
At first, Moko was thinking about how to get involved in the aftermath of the Fishman Island incident. Unexpectedly, Sengoku coincidentally assigned her some of the non-classified Fishman Island handling plans, ostensibly to give her more experience, since those three guys definitely wouldn't be doing their jobs properly in the future.
Upon hearing this, Moko realized for the first time that those two lieutenant generals who didn't like working were still useful, at least allowing her to handle many matters she wanted to deal with. However, what Moko didn't understand was, if they didn't like working, why were they promoted to general? Wouldn't they have even more work to do?
"Moko-chan, Tina's here!"
To make it easier for Moko to get to work, Sengoku specially prepared an office for her next to the general's office. The interior decoration was almost exactly the same as the general's office, and all the necessary facilities were provided. Moko also had a small bar specially built so that she could brew some tea and make some snacks when receiving guests.
Since it's her own office, she naturally wanted to make it as comfortable as possible. Moko specially ordered a set of office furniture and had Garp bring it back from Sabaody. Compared to the Navy's setup, her own soft chair was definitely more comfortable.
Moko sometimes wondered if most of the navy's budget was spent on feeding the navy's food. As for accommodation, apart from the admirals who had better conditions, the accommodation for ordinary navy personnel, and even those with titles, was quite basic. Tina's room was renovated and remodeled with her own salary.
"Ah, as expected, Moko-chan's place is the most comfortable."
As soon as Tina entered the room, she plopped down on the sofa. The large sofa was covered with a soft plush blanket, and she could almost sink into it. This was Tina's favorite sofa, and she would lie on it for a while almost every time she came in.
When no one else was around, Tina sat quite casually, lying on the sofa and rubbing against Mihua, looking extremely comfortable. Smoker felt helpless that Tina was acting as if she were at home, but he didn't say anything. He sat on the single sofa next to her, poured a cup of herbal tea, and pushed it in front of Tina.
"The snacks are in the cupboard."
Moko smiled as she looked at Tina's lazy appearance. Upon hearing that there was some snack, Tina grabbed Mihua and ran to the cabinet, showing no trace of her previous lazy and unwilling-to-move demeanor.
Smoker was used to it and calmly drank his flower tea. Today he brewed jasmine tea, and Moko also added some heat-relieving herbs. It was just right for Smoker and Tina after their training.
"Rose cakes!" Tina's eyes lit up when she saw the pastries in the cupboard. She turned around and looked at Moko with excitement. "Moko-chan, how did you know Tina wanted to eat these!"
"I guessed it from how you kept staring at the roses in the garden yesterday."
Moko's tone was teasing and indulgent. Tina stuck out her tongue playfully, placed the soft, mushy rice puffs on her head, and returned to her seat with the snack box in her arms.
Besides the rose cakes, Tina also brought over the crispy pastries and placed them on the table. Moko usually prepares two kinds of pastries. Although Smoker is not a picky eater, he usually eats savory ones. As for the sweet ones, Tina usually forces them into his mouth.
"That's right!"
As if remembering something, Tina hurriedly swallowed the rose cake in her mouth, but unsurprisingly choked. She patted her chest, her eyes searching for water, and saw the flower tea in front of her. She quickly picked up the flower tea and drank it all in one gulp, finally managing to catch her breath.
Moko looked at Tina, who was acting like a child, completely unlike her aloof goddess persona when she was outside. She couldn't help but find it amusing. She piled up the documents she had finished processing and slowly began to speak.
"What came to mind?"
"Phew—" Tina finally breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Ain-chan is coming back! She's also Professor Zephyr's student. Moko-chan, Tina's got you covered. Don't let her quiet demeanor fool you, Ain-chan is actually super shy. It's so much fun teasing her, hahaha!"
"Tina-chan really likes Ain?"
"Yeah, Ain-chan is so cute when she's shy, Moko-chan would definitely love it too."
As Tina spoke, her eyes were full of amusement. Moko had only ever seen that look in her eyes when the kids at home wanted to play a prank. Although Tina was a few years older than Moko, she was still quite childish at times, probably because Smoker spoiled her. Thinking of this, Moko couldn't help but smile.
"Then when Tina-chan brings Ain to play, I'll make some delicious snacks for you."
"Tina knows that Moko-chan is the best!"
Tina reached out and hugged Moko, rubbing against her. The rice flakes on her head slid smoothly from Tina's head to Moko's head. The whole time, Tina was a completely calm cat. Oh, and another calm cat was Smoker, who didn't say a word the whole time.
Smoker is just too quiet; he's practically a perfect human wallflower. When he's not talking, he's really easy to forget.
"Speaking of which, Tina and Smoker are going on a mission soon, right?"
"Yes, Professor Zephyr is going to mentor new students, so Tina and Smoker are going to help out."
"Mentoring newcomers?"
"Yes, but it's basically Zephyr who's in charge. Tina just needs to keep an eye on them. But the new recruits this time all seem to have pretty good potential."
"To receive Tina's approval, it seems there are indeed quite a few promising talents."
"Hmph, of course, Tina-chan has very high standards."
Tina's proud lips curled up again and again, and it seemed as if there was a tail wagging behind her, just like a Persian cat showing off its achievements, making people want to touch it.
"Yes, Tina-chan is the best!"
Moko couldn't resist and stroked Tina's head like she was petting a cat. Moko's touch seemed to have a magical power, and Tina comfortably slumped against Moko, squinting her eyes in enjoyment, just like a cat. Smoker slightly turned his gaze to the lazy Tina, picked up his teacup to cover the corners of his lips that were curled up.
The bright, warm sun shone down, and the summer heat crept up the tall tree branches. Two young girls chatted and laughed in the cool room, as if they were in a dream.
After Tina and Smoker went on their mission, almost no one from the Marine Headquarters came to see Moko anymore. Garp was also away from headquarters because he was on patrol of the islands under his jurisdiction. For a while, the usually bustling office became quiet.
More than a month passed by in a shaky way. Moko breathed a sigh of relief, stretched, and realized that the matter of Fishman Island could finally be put on hold for the time being. From now on, she could continue with the original plan.
According to Sister Otohime's plan, Fishman Island will definitely undergo tremendous changes in the next ten years. Before that, it is necessary to improve the relationship between the land people and the fishmen to prepare for the changes that will occur. At this time, the business nature of Mako on Fishman Island is very important. If it develops smoothly, the exchanges between Fishman Island and the land will become closer, and the land people's stereotypes about the fishmen will also change to some extent.
"Dong dong dong."
"Enter."
Moko snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the entering navy personnel. As an assistant to an admiral, Moko did not have a title, but her status was much higher than that of other navy personnel, almost equivalent to that of a vice admiral. Therefore, the navy personnel treated Moko with great respect.
"Is there a problem?"
Moko's voice was soft and gentle; just listening to her speak felt like a gentle breeze, which made the navy man at the door blush.
"Ok?"
Seeing Moko's puzzled expression, the navy officer at the door finally snapped out of his daze and quickly stood at attention. "Yes, um, Vice Admiral Borsalino has returned and is currently in Fleet Admiral Sengoku's office."
"Do you need me to come over?"
"Yes! Marshal Sengoku hopes Miss Moko will come over."
"Okay, I'll be right there. Thank you."
"No trouble at all!" The navy officer saluted and quickly withdrew.
Hearing the footsteps outside the door fade into the distance, Moko breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't expected that Vice Admiral Borsalino would be the first to return. Was being an admiral really that terrifying? Returning so hastily after completing his mission, as if afraid that staying even a moment longer would bring a new one?
Without thinking too much, Moke picked up the processed documents and went out. The marshal's office was on the top floor, only one floor away from the general's office, so it wasn't far.
"Come in."
Before Moko could knock, Sengoku's voice came from inside the room, and the door opened in response. Borsalino's tall figure loomed over Moko, his nearly three-meter height forcing her to look up at him.
"Young lady, I'm the first one back!"
As he spoke, Borsalino very gentlemanly took the heavy documents from Moko's arms. Seeing Borsalino's obviously meaningful expression, Moko pretended not to notice and followed Borsalino into the room.
"Marshal of the Warring States Period"
Moko gave a slight bow, but Zhan Guo waved his hand dismissively, "There are no outsiders here, Moko, you don't need to be so reserved, please sit down."
Borsalino placed the documents directly on Sengoku's desk, then sat down opposite Moko, staring intently at her. Moko, however, seemed to see a hint of resentment in Borsalino's languid gaze.
"Have all the documents for Fishman Island been processed?"
"Yes."
"As expected of Xiao Moke, she's more reliable than some people."
When Sengoku said this, he clearly glanced at Borsalino, who was sitting casually to the side. Borsalino didn't realize that Sengoku was talking about him at all, and even nodded quite politely. It was hard to tell whether he was agreeing with Moko's prowess or with his own unreliability.
Seeing that Borsalino showed no sign of remorse, Sengoku snorted angrily and then ignored Borsalino.
"Xiao Mo, your document processing is excellent. In terms of external social interaction, many people in the Navy can't compare to you."
"The title 'Marshal of the Warring States' is too high."
"Xiao Mo, there's no need to be modest. But with your outstanding abilities, I have no worries."
Seeing Sengoku say this, Moko could pretty much guess what was coming next. Moko's previous promise to Borsalino and Kuzan that she would deal with whoever returned first wasn't just something she made up to appease them. Now that Borsalino was the first to return, it was naturally time for Sengoku to fulfill his promise.
"From now on, Xiao Mo, you should prioritize handling Borsalino's work. You can keep an eye on the other two generals as well."
Sengoku rubbed his temples. He wasn't worried about Sakazuki, but he was mainly concerned about Borsalino and Kuzan. When these two were lieutenant generals, they were always hard to find, and their work was always delayed until it was absolutely necessary to get it done. It was a good thing that there was someone who could keep an eye on them now.
Don't think he didn't know. Back at headquarters, these two guys were always running to Moko's place. He'd never seen them so diligent when it came to work. And last time, they even volunteered to help Moko with her work. That was great news! Finally, someone could keep them in check. Sengoku was incredibly moved. He'd never felt so confident that Garp was reliable.
"Borsalino, I've already told Moko what I promised you, so don't bother me anymore."
Hearing Sengoku's complaints, Moko raised an eyebrow. No wonder Fleet Admiral Sengoku was in such a hurry to find her as soon as Borsalino returned. It turned out that Borsalino had come to bother her. But then again, Borsalino and Kuzan were indeed quite good at causing trouble. Moko herself often had a headache from their bickering.
"Okay~, Miss, please guide me from now on~"
Borsalino looked nonchalant and spoke without much energy, but you could faintly hear the pleasure in his voice. Moko's lips curled up in a helpless smile. Taking care of a child is nothing new; it's just that this baby is a bit older.
"Please take good care of me, Lieutenant General Borsalino."