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A Chance Encounter
They never crossed paths, which meant Ace hadn't accidentally arrived here while pursuing Blackbeard. In other words, the butterfly effect had prevented Ace from reaching this place during his search.
As long as Hikaru approached her parents first, winning Moda's heart would be simple.
"How could anyone do such a thing?" Hikaru said gently. "You seem like such a well-mannered and sensible girl. I can't imagine who would have the heart to abandon someone as lovely as you."
"Thank you..." Moda felt Hikaru's kindness and gradually lowered her guard.
"Moda, have you been here all alone these years?"
Moda nodded and picked up the milk bottle beside her, somewhat embarrassed.
Will he think I'm just trying to appear pitiful? she wondered to herself.
After a moment of silence, Hikaru floated toward Moda and half-knelt before her. He set aside his usual commanding presence, and with his handsome features relaxed into a gentle, approachable expression that made it easier for Moda to trust him.
"You've been waiting all these years for your parents to return. Working so hard to survive at such a young age... It must have been painful, right? But that's all over now. Moda, come with me. From this day forward, I'll be your family."
"Really?" A flicker of surprise and emotion flashed in Moda's eyes, but she lowered her head with insecurity. "But is that truly possible? I... I'd just become a burden..."
Hikaru chuckled. "I'm the sovereign ruler of an entire nation. I could support millions of people like you."
Sensing that such a self-reliant person might not be comfortable accepting help, he added, "If it bothers you, you could work as my secretary and assist me with the 'troubles' in my daily life."
"Could I really? But I'm worried. What if my parents return and can't find me? They'd be heartbroken... what should I do then?"
"Tell me, do you know where your parents went?"
"Yes. Before they left, they said they were going to work at the Marines GL 2nd Branch Base. They promised to send living expenses and letters home every month, but after the first two times, I never heard from them again."
Moda's eyes welled with tears, but having lived alone and remained strong for so many years, she no longer cried easily.
Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she looked at Hikaru with hopeful eyes. "I see you can fly—are you truly some kind of god?"
If he really is a god, he must be able to help me see my parents... even if just once.
Hikaru smiled gently and replied honestly, "You'll find out soon enough. Let's go. Tonight, you'll be reunited with your parents."
Moda's eyes lit up. She was just a pretty girl from a small town, and the man before her was clearly of noble status—there would be no reason for him to deceive her.
The next moment, a sweet milky aroma filled Hikaru's nostrils as his cheek felt something soft and warm. Moda had excitedly thrown herself at him, planting a grateful kiss on his cheek, carelessly tossing aside her bottle of milk.
Hikaru took advantage of the situation and lifted Moda by her back. She tried to pull away shyly but found herself awkwardly burying her head against his chest instead.
"Moda, where is your home?"
Hearing his question, Moda raised her head despite her embarrassment, struggled briefly, and seeing her efforts were futile, muttered softly, "Lord Hikaru, please put me down. I can show you the way..."
"Just point in the right direction, and I'll take you there."
"Well..." Moda turned awkwardly and continued in a small voice, "But I haven't grabbed my milk bottle yet..."
"Look behind you—what's that?"
When Moda looked, she realized there was no escape. Her milk bottle was floating above their heads, controlled by Hikaru's power.
"Oh..." She gave up, pointed in one direction, then buried her face in her arms again.
Hikaru didn't tease her further. He lifted her into a princess carry and flew off.
They hadn't traveled far when they arrived at a small cattle farm. At Moda's walking pace, she couldn't have gone very far anyway.
After landing beside a small house, Hikaru asked, "Moda, do you have any photos of your parents?"
"Yes... they're inside."
Hikaru nodded, pushed the door open, and carried her into the cabin.
He took a quick look around and saw that Moda's cottage consisted of just a living room and a bedroom—a very simple layout. There wasn't much money or many possessions to speak of.
However, the cottage was immaculately clean. Though she lived alone, she had made the space warm and inviting. Perhaps this helped comfort her lonely heart.
Moda's parents are quite careless, Hikaru thought. As parents, they went off to work and left a young girl alone to tend to the cattle farm. They're remarkably unconcerned about potential accidents.
After Hikaru set Moda down, she led him to the bedroom where she retrieved a photo from her bedside—a picture of herself with her parents.
The photo was spotless, clearly wiped clean regularly.
"Lord Hikaru, I found it!" Moda held the photo with both hands to show him. Her parents had spent precious money on this photo to comfort her when she missed them.
Hikaru observed that Moda's parents appeared to be ordinary, honest people.
With no stool in Moda's house, he sat beside her on the bed. The bed was quite small, and his tall frame occupied most of it, pressing him close against Moda.
Seeing Moda's hopeful eyes, Hikaru smiled knowingly. He playfully pinched her cheek, then pulled out a Den Den Mushi from his storage space right before her eyes.
Moda watched in amazement at his ability to produce objects from thin air. If only I were a god too, she thought. I wonder what a child between me and Lord Hikaru would look like...
After sending the photo, Hikaru calmly ordered, "Tina, you and several priests will lead the God's Guard to the Marines GL 2nd Branch Base and bring the couple in this picture back to the Kingdom of God."
The Marines GL 2nd Branch Base wasn't far northeast of the Kingdom of Lulusia. Moda's parents worked in the Marines cafeteria, so they would be easy to find.
Vice Admiral, the base commander, was a veteran dual-sword wielder who believed in a measured approach to justice. However, he had grown quite old, and Tina's team would have no trouble handling such an elderly officer.
Garp, Jinbe: Come find me if you dare! Hikaru thought to himself.
With everything arranged, Moda's happiness was evident. Knowing she had no way to properly thank Hikaru, she gave him another sweet, milk-scented kiss of gratitude.
Hikaru happily accepted it, savoring the sweetness briefly before getting down to business.
"Float-Float: Earth Dragon Rising!"
He lifted Moda's entire dairy farm from the ground and set course for the sky island.
Milk was truly valuable in this world. There was a curious property here: if you had broken teeth or fractured bones, drinking a glass of milk was the best remedy. This was truly the finest milk.