manynovel Page 41
Page 41
Is Ace... already old enough to run around the mountains?
time flies.
"Are they... alright?" Liu Jiu asked again.
"They're all great!" the shopkeeper replied readily. "Miss Rouge looks to be in good spirits, and Ace is as strong as a young calf. It's just..."
He paused, then lowered his voice, "It's just that when Lieutenant General Garp occasionally comes back, that kid is bound to get a beating, and the whole village is in chaos, haha!"
The boss seemed to recall something amusing and laughed.
Liu Jiu's lips curved almost imperceptibly for a moment before quickly returning to their straight shape.
It seems that Rouge and Ace's life here, though poor, is at least stable. That old man Garp really seems to be "training" Ace like his own grandson.
"Thanks," Liu Jiu said to the shop owner, taking a few pewter coins from his pocket and placing them on the bar. "Three glasses of juice."
"Okay!" The shopkeeper collected the money and quickly poured the juice.
Kuina blinked as she listened to her boss's words, then whispered to Robin, "Bookworm, who are Rouge and Ace?"
Robin shook her head, indicating that she didn't know either. She simply took the juice the shopkeeper offered and sipped it quietly.
Liu Jiu stayed in the tavern for a while, asking about some common matters. After he had eaten and drunk his fill, he left with the two girls.
Stepping out of the tavern, the sun was shining brightly.
Liu Jiu stood at the entrance of the tavern, his gaze fixed on the rolling Corpo Mountains behind the village.
Rouge and Ace are in those mountains.
The sunlight shone warmly on the dirt roads of the windmill village.
Just as Liu Jiu was about to take Robin and Kuina to Mount Colbo, a figure suddenly darted out from a nearby alley and blocked their way.
It was a little boy who looked only five or six years old. He wore a somewhat familiar straw hat, a white T-shirt with a navy pattern, was barefoot, and had mud on his face. He put his hands on his hips, trying to look fierce, tilted his head back, and asked loudly:
"Hey! Are you pirates?"
The voice was childish, yet it carried a strange stubbornness and... expectation?
Liu Jiu stopped in his tracks.
His gaze fell on the little boy's face, especially on the overly conspicuous straw hat, and a very faint, almost imperceptible look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
This characteristic, this age, appearing in the windmill village...
It's Monkey D. Luffy.
Ace's loud, stubborn, and impulsive sworn brother.
I didn't expect to run into him so soon.
Guina looked at the little kid, who wasn't even as tall as her waist, yet dared to block their way and "question" them, and found it somewhat amusing. She stepped forward, mimicking the kid's posture, put her hands on her hips, deliberately put on a stern face, and retorted:
"So what if they're pirates? So what if they aren't?"
Upon hearing this, Luffy's big eyes under his straw hat lit up instantly, as if he had heard something incredible. He completely ignored the option of "so what if it isn't," and excitedly waved his little fist:
"You guys are really pirates?! You must be really strong!"
His logic is simple and direct—pirates = awesome.
Kuina was amused by his reaction. Suppressing her laughter, she raised her chin and said, "Of course I'm strong! Much stronger than you!"
"I don't believe it!" Luffy retorted, his little face full of stubbornness. "I'm strong! I'm going to become the Pirate King! Stronger than all of you!"
Guina raised an eyebrow, thinking that this little brat had quite the nerve.
Before she could answer, Luffy had already assumed a very awkward and flawed fighting stance and shouted at Kuina, "Let's duel! If I win, you'll have to admit that I'm stronger!"
Looking at his serious expression and then at his thin arms and legs, Kuina couldn't muster any fighting spirit. In Frostmoon Village, she had beaten up countless junior brothers younger than her; she was used to it.
She pursed her lips and said dismissively, "Little brat, go play somewhere else. I don't have time to play house with you."
"I'm not a little kid!" Luffy was enraged and shouted, actually swinging his little fists and charging towards Kuina!
The speed... is pitifully slow.
The posture... was full of flaws.
Kuina was too lazy to even use a bamboo sword.
She simply turned slightly to the side, avoiding the soft fist, then extended her right hand, made a fist, and lightly tapped his little head, which was wearing a straw hat, with her knuckles.
"Ouch!" Luffy cried out in pain, his forward momentum coming to an abrupt halt. He crouched down, clutching his head, his straw hat tilting to one side.
"It hurts...it hurts so much..." He grimaced, tears welling up in his eyes, but he didn't cry. He just glared at Kuina with accusatory eyes, "You...you cheated!"
Kuina withdrew her hand, patted it as if flicking away some dust, and said with a matter-of-fact expression, "Who told you to be so weak and still want to challenge me? Go back and train for another ten years!"
After saying that, she ignored Luffy, who was squatting on the ground rubbing his head, and turned to Liu Jiu and Robin, saying, "Let's go, Uncle, bookworm, don't pay attention to this brat."
Robin looked at Luffy, who was squatting on the ground, looking aggrieved but still stubbornly glaring at them. She felt a little amused, and also a little... strangely familiar? It seemed like she had heard a similar slogan somewhere before?
Liu Jiu glanced one last time at Luffy squatting on the ground, his gaze lingering on Luffy's straw hat for a moment before looking away.
He said nothing, and continued walking towards Mount Colbo with Robin and Kuina.
Luffy squatted down, rubbing his still aching head, watching the three "very strong" "pirates" walk further and further away, his little mouth pouting.
"Damn it... He doesn't look that big... How can he be so strong... And, I'm supposed to be a stubborn rubber band person, so why am I in pain?!"
He muttered to himself, but the light in his eyes didn't dim; instead, it shone even brighter.
He must become the Pirate King!
When the time comes, I'll definitely beat that nasty woman who punched him on the head to a pulp!
Chapter 44 A Long-Awaited Reunion
The path leading to Mount Colpo is winding and rugged; the higher you go, the denser the forests become, and the fewer people there are.
Liu Jiu's steps were steady, as if he was already familiar with this road.
Robin followed quietly behind, occasionally stopping to observe some rare plant by the roadside or a blurry mark on a rock.
Kuina, on the other hand, seemed somewhat excited. Holding her bamboo sword, she cautiously surveyed her surroundings, even hoping that some ignorant bandit or wild beast would jump out of the bushes to give her a chance to stretch her muscles.
Finally, on a relatively flat spot halfway up the mountain, nestled against the rocky slope, we saw the familiar, somewhat dilapidated bandit hut.
There was no smoke coming from the chimney, and the yard was quiet.
Liu Jiu stopped outside the courtyard gate.
Almost simultaneously, the creaking wooden door of the cabin was pushed open a crack from the inside.
A figure appeared behind the door, peering out warily.
She looked a little fuller than she had a few years ago, and her complexion was very good. The melancholy in her eyes seemed to have faded with time, replaced by a calm and collected demeanor. She wore a simple cotton dress, and her hair was simply tied back.
When she saw who was standing outside the courtyard gate, the wariness on her face instantly turned into disbelief and astonishment, followed by a surge of joy.
"Mr. Liu Jiu?!" she exclaimed, quickly pushing open the wooden door and stepping out. She glanced at Liu Jiu's face to confirm his identity, then looked at Robin and Kuina behind him, her eyes questioning.
"It's me." Liu Jiu nodded, acknowledging the greeting. His gaze swept over the small house and the quiet courtyard, and he asked, "Where's Ace?"
Mentioning Ace, Rouge's face showed a helpless yet doting smile: "That kid ran out to play early this morning, and he probably won't be back until it's time to eat."
She stepped aside to make way for the doorway and warmly invited, "Don't stand outside, come in and sit down! And who are these two?"
Liu Jiu led Robin and Kuina into the courtyard and introduced them briefly: "Robin, Kuina."
Rouge's gaze lingered on Robin's face for a moment longer. This girl, holding a book and with a calm demeanor, gave Rouge a strange sense of familiarity. Meanwhile, the short-haired girl beside her, wielding a bamboo sword and with sharp eyes, exuded a vibrant, heroic spirit.
“You’re all good kids.” Lu Jiu smiled gently and quickly went inside to bring out a few simple stools made from tree stumps. “There’s nothing good in the house, so please make do with these.”
She then busied herself boiling water, preparing to brew some wild tea picked from the mountains.
Kuina curiously looked around the bandit's den. Unlike the fierce and menacing bandits she had imagined, the place was simple but clean and tidy, exuding a kind of... everyday atmosphere.
Robin sat quietly on a tree stump, her gaze sweeping over the herbs drying in the corner of the yard and some simple farm tools, then looking at the busy Rouge. This aunt looked gentle yet resilient, and living in the mountains must have been very difficult for her.
Liu Jiu sat on the stool, watching Lu Jiu's busy back, and suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, but it made Lu Jiu pause for a moment.
"Where are Dadan and the others?"
Rouge turned around, wiped the water off her hands, and explained calmly, "They... took on a 'big job' half a year ago and went to the next town. They probably won't be back for a while."
The "big business" she was referring to was naturally the bandits' profession—roadside robbery. However, judging from Rouge's expression, she seemed to be used to it and not worried at all.
Liu Jiu nodded and didn't ask any more questions. It was quite peaceful without Dadan and his gang.
Lu Jiu poured the boiled water into the teapot, and the delicate fragrance of wild tea gradually filled the air. She poured a cup for everyone, and then sat down on the tree stump opposite Liu Jiu.
After not seeing each other for several years, it seems like there's so much to say, but I don't know where to begin.
The courtyard fell silent for a moment, with only the rustling of the mountain wind through the treetops and the soft bubbling of the tea in the pot.
Rouge held the warm teacup, gazing down towards Windmill Village, and said softly, "That boy Ace... he's growing up so fast, but he's too mischievous, always causing trouble. Every time Mr. Garp comes back, he has to chase him all over the mountain..."
Her tone carried the helplessness of a mother, but also a deep affection.
Liu Jiu listened quietly, occasionally taking a sip of tea.
Robin and Kuina quietly drank their tea, not disturbing the long-awaited reunion.
Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows in the courtyard.
Life in the mountains is peaceful, but also lonely.
Rouge seemed to have had a peaceful conversation with someone for a long time, and she gradually became more talkative, talking about Ace's funny stories and life in the mountains...
"I am back!"
A clear, slightly wild boy's voice, accompanied by hurried footsteps, broke the tranquility of the mountains as it approached.
Rouge immediately smiled, stood up, and looked in the direction of the path:
"Ace is back."
A moment later, a figure darted into the yard as nimbly as a leopard.
He was a tall, dark-haired boy. His skin was a healthy tan from years of running around outdoors, and his face still had a flush from exercise and a few beads of sweat. A few strands of unruly black hair clung to his forehead. His eyes were bright, like they held flames, and carried a wild, untamed energy. His clothes were slightly dirty, and there was fresh mud on his knees. In his hand, he carried a large, still-wriggling fish strung on a straw rope, clearly his "trophy" for the day.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, his gaze was immediately drawn to the three strangers sitting there. Especially Liu Jiu, who sat in the center, his calm demeanor completely out of place with his surroundings.