To the end of the sea [One Piece]

Ena asked Shanks if he would prefer a boy or a girl if he had a child.

"Girl." He didn't even hesitate for a second.

Beckman on the side couldn't stand listening anymore: "Ahem."

Shanks looked at him and read his disapproval in his old friend's eyes, even with a hint of warning.

"What's wrong?" he asked doubtfully, "Beckman, do you like boys?"

Beckman almost choked on his wine: "No! You..."

He lowered his voice: "You should say you like it."

Shanks scratched his head: "Ah, is that so? But, I do prefer girls. Although if it's a boy, I can take him to the hot springs together... When we grow up, we can drink together..."

The person who coughed this time was Ena.

"What are your excuses?" She said helplessly, "But I do think boys and girls are good."

"That's right." Shanks said, "Wouldn't it be nice for a girl to be as beautiful as her mother?"

"Just don't inherit your personality." Beckman habitually wanted to light up a cigarette, but immediately put it away, "It's enough for Ena to have one careless person in the family."

Eina laughed softly, her eyes caressing her belly softly: "Did you hear that, baby?"

"Get along well with dad."

------------

"I don't want to wear this." In the room, a little girl with long fiery red hair crossed her arms and glared at the man with the same hair color, "I don't like skirts."

Shanks put down his skirt helplessly: "Then you choose it yourself?"

"I don't want you to comb my hair anymore. You always hurt me." The little girl sat on the chair. "When will mommy come back?"

"Soon..." Shanks sat beside his daughter's bed with a headache, picked up her little stuffed bear and squeezed it: "You change your clothes first, and as for your hair, I'll give it to you when your Uncle Beckman comes. tie."

He put down the bear and walked out of the room, closing the door and letting out a long sigh.

It had only been three days since Eina went to attend Brynn's dessert party, and his old father was already beginning to be unable to bear it.

He finally chose to contact the old man. This arduous task requires sharing the joys and sorrows with the brothers.

+ + +

"Uncle Beckman!" Seeing his daughter pounce on the gray-haired man like a swallow returning to its nest, Shanks felt a rare sense of guilt.

It looks like he abused the child!

Beckman caught her easily, and his cold wrinkles instantly relaxed. He rubbed her little head: "Elena, what happened to your father?"

"He doesn't cook well." The little girl counted on her fingers. "No one tied my hair. He even broke my little duck and he didn't tell me stories at night."

"I told a story!" Shanks immediately protested, "It's just that she doesn't like to hear it!"

"You're not telling her a story about riding a horse and fighting, are you?" Beckman looked at Shanks suspiciously, and several old crew members around him also said, "It's something you can do, boss." Look at him.

"I didn't." Shanks said unjustly, "I specially found a fairy tale book about princesses and princes for her."

"Eh?" Lackey was surprised, "Is it really a storybook for girls?"

"I don't like it." Elena tugged on Beckman's hair with her small hands. "That Princess Tisi is so stupid. She wants to ask the prince for help with everything. She can obviously teach bad people a lesson herself."

Beckman laughed, hugged her and sat down slowly.

"Uncle Bu is good at this." He began to comb the little girl's hair patiently, "Let him tell you."

Jesus immediately cleared his throat: "What do you want to hear?"

"I don't want a princess," Elena said. "I want to hear adventure stories."

"Adventure story... That's not easy to handle." Jesus thought for a while, "Ah, let me tell you about that time we attacked the South China Sea."

"...Then the marine threw away the weapon in his hand and said to me: 'Shoot'." Jesus took a sip of the wine handed over by Shanks.

"Is he dead?" Elena leaned over nervously, and Beckman lifted her up.

Jesus smiled: "We just want to get something back from them, and we don't want to kill them all. Anyway, he has no ability to hinder the boss and the others, so I don't need to do anything to him." He said, pointing with his thumb. Pointing to Shanks aside.

A very confused expression appeared on Elena's little face.

"I know I can't defeat you, so why don't you run away?" She lowered her head, "The other marines have all run away."

Shanks and Beckman looked at each other.

"Although the navy and pirates are enemies." Beckman considered the words, "but we both have beliefs that we want to protect."

"Even though it was normal for him to flee under the circumstances, behind him were ordinary people who were involved," Beckman said. "He probably wanted to cover their evacuation."

"Speaking of which, the little marine was a newcomer at that time, right?" Lackey asked casually, "He was really stubborn."

"I guess he was a new guy. I didn't meet him again after that." Jesus commented, "There are not many people in the navy who are so responsible."

"The navy back then," Shanks said, "The new navy that was reorganized after the fall of the World Government is generally much better, especially in the past few years."

"It's not easy..." They talked further and further, and started talking about other things. It was difficult for these men to keep talking about a serious topic together, and soon they started laughing.

Elena couldn't understand what they were saying, so she snuggled back into Beckman's arms and pulled his hair to play with.

Beckman handed her a cookie: "Your dad didn't mean it, he was just careless."

The little girl nibbled on the cookie and said, "I know."

"Then, don't be angry with him?"

Elena smiled: "I'm not angry with him. I said that on purpose."

Now it was Beckman's turn to be confused: "Huh?"

The little red-haired girl blinked like a ghost: "Dad, his hands are inconvenient. Of course he can't tie my hair. That's why my little duck accidentally broke it."

"Also, I can actually tie my own hair."

Beckman raised his eyebrows and looked at the little girl in his arms: "What about you?"

"Mom won't let me lie." She stuck out her tongue, "So I can't lie to you, Uncle Beckman. But just now in front of dad, I can only continue to say that I can't."

"It's wrong to lie to your father," Beckman said. "You can't just confess to me."

"Keep it a secret for me!" She turned around anxiously, "Please, Uncle Beckman!"

"Then there must be a suitable reason." He smiled and stroked her pigtails, "Why are you deliberately torturing your father?"

"I just wanted him to comb my hair, although I found out later that it hurts." Elena lowered her head and whispered, "He rarely does something with me so seriously, just the two of us."

"Dad is actually very good... He never makes mom tired, and he always makes us laugh. He gives us hugs and kisses, and he also buys me bears and ducks."

"But he doesn't care about my life at all!" Elena said angrily, "He doesn't know that I don't like wearing skirts, and he doesn't know that I don't like that book. That book was bought randomly by Uncle Sanji."

"I need to punish him." She made a face, "Who makes mom always make excuses for him when she is around?"

Beckman sighed inwardly.

This family.

"Okay, I can keep it a secret for you." He said, "But you should tell your father these things directly. He may just not realize it, but if you tell him, he will definitely pay attention."

The little girl snorted.

"Well." She nodded, "I know."

+ + +

As a result, Ena returned home early that night.

"Huh?" The silver-haired woman bent slightly to catch her daughter who was running towards her. She raised her head in surprise and greeted them: "Beckman? Everyone? Why are you here?"

"Come and help look after the kids." Beckman raised his glass to her.

Shanks happily hugged his wife into his arms and kissed her forehead: "I thought it would take several days for you to come back!"

"It's not because I can't worry about you taking Elena." Eina snorted and kissed him back on the cheek, "You will really find helpers for yourself."

Shanks chuckled and held her hand: "I'm very diligent..."

"Dad accompanied me on my morning exercises, gave me hot milk, and told me stories." Elena, who had been robbed of her presence, said, "It's just that I don't like that story very much."

Eina bent down and gave her daughter a kiss: "Mom is back, do you miss me?"

"Yes!" she said, standing on tiptoes, "Did you bring Aunt Bryn's cake?"

"Do you miss me or the cake?" Eina smiled and touched her head. As she walked forward, she said to Beckman and the others, "Thank you for your hard work. I will clean up the house later. How long will you stay here?" sky."

"I'm here to help you," Shanks said.

"Help me put the cake in the refrigerator first..."

+ + +

into the night.

Eina sat in front of the dressing table and untied her daughter's braids tied by Beckman. She listened to her chirping like a little bird about the past few days with a choked smile.

"Then Uncle Beckman said that this was wrong." After Elena finished telling everything, she glanced at her mother with a guilty look from the corner of her eye, "I haven't had time to tell dad yet."

"Sorry." Eina slowly combed her long red hair away with her fingers, "Dad and I ignored this matter. Tomorrow we will find a chance to talk to dad and let him care more about your hobbies, okay?" "

"Okay." Elena buried her little face in her mother's arms, "Dad is stupid, but I know he is good."

Eina couldn't help but kiss her.

"What story do you want to hear today?" she asked while carrying her to the bed. "I told you about the Mermaid Palace last time, right?"

"Hmm..." Elena covered herself with a quilt, opened her green eyes exactly like Eina's, and thought for a while.

"Mom, what is the navy like?" she suddenly said, "You have only told me stories about pirates."

Eina was stunned.

"navy…"

"The navy catches pirates, and mom, dad, uncles and aunts are all pirates." Elena continued, "So I always thought the navy was the bad guy."

"But Uncle Jesus Bu and the others told me today that the navy's duty is to protect others." Elena turned over and turned towards Ena, "I don't quite understand, mom."

Eina looked at her daughter's young face and lowered her eyes as her thoughts surged.

Finally she laughed, sat on the bed and stroked her hair with her hands while saying: "The navy... exists to protect people; pirates live a free life on the sea. Whether it is a navy or a pirate , both good and bad.”

"Do you want to hear a story about the Navy?" she asked her daughter, getting a loud nod.

A vague nostalgia appeared in Ena's eyes, and she spoke softly: "A long time ago, there was a little girl who wanted to become a navy..."

"What happened to her in the end..." Elena asked in a sleepy voice.

Eina lowered her head and kissed her cheek: "She became a rear admiral of the navy and struggled for her ideals throughout her life."

Her daughter's little body rose and fell rhythmically, and Eina got out of bed gently and turned off the light for her.

--------------

"Elena ran away from home."

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room exploded.

"How could that happen??!" Nami rushed over and asked anxiously, "What happened?"

"When did it happen?" Sanji put out his cigarette butt and said, "Did I quarrel with you?"

"Everyone, calm down." Although Robin was also worried, she knew from Eina's calm expression that the matter was not that serious.

The mother of the child is not in a hurry, so she naturally knows it.

She sighed and took out a letter from her arms.

Just one sentence:

Mom and Dad, I love you; I'm going to be in the Navy, don't worry.

The shock caused by these words was more violent than hearing that she had run away from home.

"Hai...Navy??" Nami couldn't believe it, "Hey Ena, even if Elena has reached the rebellious stage, is she too full of temper?"

"Could he be kidnapped by the navy?" Chopper covered his mouth. This idea was immediately rejected by Robin: "The possibility of Eina and Shanks' children being kidnapped should be almost zero."

Eina sat down and said, "She left by herself. The room is tidy and the luggage is packed in an orderly manner. Shanks has already gone to inquire about the news, at least to confirm her safety."

"Then don't worry." Zoro added next to him.

Eina glanced at him and then looked back: "Yeah. Neither Shanks nor I are worried about her safety."

"You're not going to find her." Robin hit the nail on the head.

Eina raised her head, looked left and right, and sighed.

"I know she won't come back." She tilted her head toward the window, a strand of silver hair hanging down on her graceful profile. Time has been particularly forgiving to her, and she is still beautiful even though she is over forty. Even because of the passage of time, the temperament surrounding him has become more calm and elegant.

"She is sixteen years old and knows what she wants." Eina raised her lips, "Shanks is quite surprised...but I actually know a little bit that she wants to do something in the navy."

Everyone calmed down.

"We are also surprised." Nami sat next to her and held her hand. "I have always said that when she turns 18, we will send her to the sea properly... There are pirates in the family, how did she show up? Do you want to be in the navy?"

"Then we should interview Luffy." Eina laughed, "How did three generations of the family choose different paths?"

"But is it really okay to run away from home?" Sanji lit another cigarette, "At least say goodbye..."

"Hmm." Eina narrowed her eyes, "Who knows? She must be in her rebellious stage."

"This temper is really similar to yours." Zoro complained.

"Your apprentice, you should be more proud, right?" Eina responded to him as always, "By the way...she took Xiao Nashan Qiuye away."

"I was the one who gave it to her." Zoro said, "Tsk."

The door was pushed open and Shanks walked in wearing a cape.

Eina stood up and helped him take off his coat: "Is there any news?"

"Telegram from Navy Headquarters." Shanks waved her hand, she opened it and started reading, her brows gradually relaxed, and in the end she even couldn't help but laugh.

The telegram was sent by Kebi. It was clear that he had caused trouble to find Elena, but the tone between the lines seemed to be that he had abducted Ena's daughter.

"She's already a general..." Eina raised her head, "Just write a reply to him and say you don't need to give her any special care."

"So, it's decided like this?" Shanks hugged his wife, which has become his habitual action over the years, "Our daughter will go to the navy?"

She kissed her husband's face: "She has the right to choose her own life."

----------------

After Elena was promoted to colonel, her colleagues congratulated her one after another.

"Ilin, the boss said I would give you a holiday." The same person poked her arm, "Want to have a dinner? Or should we go home and see?"

"I'll treat you to a dinner party." The dashing red-haired woman snapped her fingers, "If you don't have the capacity to drink, bring your own drinks."

Colleagues laughed.

She turned around and made a phone call.

"I heard that you were promoted." The voice of the woman opposite came with a smile, "Do you want your father and I to give you a congratulatory gift?"

"No, no." Elena, who usually looks like a cold-faced goddess of war, smiled like a child. "I won't disturb your travels. I'll go see you when I go on a mission next time."

In their middle age, the old couple started traveling again, visiting relatives and friends, so Elena was not in a hurry to go home.

There was no one at home at all.

"Mom." She walked to a place where no one was around and said softly, "I have been having a dream recently."

"Huh?" A loud voice came from Eina's end, "What dream?"

"I dreamed - was that Uncle Luffy?" Elena said helplessly, "Did you go to Lovedrew?"

"It's Cocoyashi." Eina smiled and walked away, "The Orange Festival has begun, let's pick it."

The background sound on the other end quieted down, and Elena continued: "I dreamed of a silver-haired woman... wearing a navy uniform. It felt like you, but it didn't smell like you at all."

The mother on the other end of the phone was silent for a long time.

"It's a dream." She smiled softly, "Of course it's not like it. You probably miss me."

"Hmm..." Elena showed a rare shyness, "Maybe."

The silver-haired woman walked to Nami's lounge chair and lay down, smelling the fragrance of oranges in the air and feeling the warm sunshine shining on her body. She peeled an orange and put it into her mouth, and the sweet and sour juice spread instantly.

"Then I'll send you some oranges from Aunt Nuoqigao." She narrowed her eyes, "Remember to eat them in time."

"Because the oranges in Cocoa West are... the best."