Anime Girls are Moist

Chapter 1168 1,167: Age-Age Fruit! Jewelry Bonney!

Nami's eyes lit up.

She reached out and pinched Bonney's puffed-up cheeks.

"Wow! Bonney, you're so cute when you're little! You're like a mochi dumpling!"

Bonney slapped Nami's hand away.

Her cheeks were still puffed up, and she looked thoroughly annoyed.

"Don't pinch my face! If it gets swollen, I won't be able to eat roasted meat properly!"

The moment the words left her mouth, her body suddenly grew larger.

In the blink of an eye, she was over two meters tall, even half a head taller than Yamato.

She reached out, lifted Nami up with one hand, and raised an eyebrow at her.

"You still dare to pinch me now?"

Nami let out a terrified shriek, flailing her arms and legs wildly.

"Okay, okay, I was wrong! I was wrong! Put me down already!"

"I'll even give you all the desserts I hid!"

Rei Ao chuckled softly and crooked a finger.

Bonney's body instantly changed back to its normal height against her will.

Nami, who had been in her hand, was gently set back down as well.

Bonney froze for a moment.

Then she threw herself into Rei Ao's arms and rubbed against his chest.

Still sounding aggrieved, she complained, "Why are you helping her instead of me? She pinched my face first!"

Rei Ao rubbed her pink hair.

"You already picked her up. Am I not allowed to help her?"

"And besides, didn't you want dessert? Keep bullying her and she really won't give you any."

Bonney huffed.

She didn't get out of his arms. Instead, she hugged him even tighter.

Inside, she felt sweet all over.

In the past, she had spent every day on the run, never even able to count on a single peaceful meal.

Her greatest wish had always been to turn her father back.

To restore his mind so he would no longer be a slave trampled under the Celestial Dragons' feet.

She had tried countless methods and begged countless people.

But everyone feared the World Government, feared the Marines, and no one dared to help her.

Some had even wanted to capture her and hand her over to the World Government in exchange for a bounty.

Until she met Rei Ao.

With a single thought, he restored Kuma's mind and body.

Even the traces of the modifications done to him had vanished without a trace.

That day, she hugged her restored father and cried for a full two hours.

She had searched for so many years and begged so many people.

Something she had risked her life trying to do, Rei Ao accomplished with ease.

From that moment on, she decided she would follow Rei Ao for the rest of her life.

Her Age-Age Fruit had once only been useful for running away, for disguising herself,

for barely surviving while being hunted down.

But now, she could use it to become whatever form he liked,

to bring him different kinds of delight.

She used to think all men were unreliable.

But Rei Ao was different.

He had helped her fulfill the greatest wish of her life and given her peaceful days.

He let her eat delicious food every day, without having to hide and run anymore.

She no longer had to fear waking up one day to find the Marines surrounding her.

Even if it meant spending the rest of her life grilling meat for him, she would gladly do it.

Thinking that, she lifted her head.

She took a bite out of the roasted meat in Rei Ao's hand and grinned.

"For the sake of you saying the meat tastes good, I won't hold it against you."

"Oh, right—I told the kitchen to roast a whole lot more. There's Sea King meat, deep-sea lobster, and even Wagyu from Wano. We'll eat it all together later!"

Rei Ao nodded.

He used a handkerchief to wipe the grease from the corner of her mouth.

"Eat slowly. No one's going to steal it from you. Don't choke."

Bonney's cheeks flushed slightly red.

She quickly lowered her head and kept gnawing on the roasted meat.

But inside, it felt like she was holding a piece of candy in her heart—so sweet she could hardly stand it.

No one had ever treated her this gently before.

Everyone else either feared her ability or wanted to use it.

Only Rei Ao cared about whether she had eaten enough.

Only he would wipe the grease from the corner of her mouth.

Only he would protect her behind him.

Meeting him in this lifetime really was the best thing that ever happened to her.

A maid gently lifted the bead curtain.

Two figures slowly walked in.

The one in front was Momousagi Gion.

She wore a wine-red kimono that set off her graceful figure beautifully.

Her purple hair was pinned up in an elegant style, and she carried a sword at her side.

There was mature charm in her features, but also the crisp decisiveness of a soldier.

Behind her was Stussy.

She wore a fitted black dress, with blonde hair and blue eyes.

A faint smile rested at the corners of her lips, making her look irresistibly alluring.

But beneath that was a sharp, capable intelligence in her gaze.

Momousagi stepped up to the couch, bent slightly, and gave a standard military salute.

Her voice was gentle, yet firm with strength.

"Your Majesty, word has come from Marine Headquarters. The pirates in the Four Seas have mostly been purged."

"The few scattered remnants left can't stir up much trouble."

"All regional bases have strengthened their patrols. There won't be any more opportunities for pirates to wreak havoc."

Stussy also bowed slightly and took over with a smile.

"That's right, Your Majesty. Everything in the underworld has been taken care of as well."

"Now, across the entire New World, no one dares disobey Your Majesty."

"Those black-market bosses who used to swagger around like they owned the world don't even dare step outside anymore, afraid of displeasing you."

"Arms trading, human trafficking, all those dark industries have already been completely shut down."

"Anyone who dares touch them can wait to be thrown into the lowest level of Impel Down."

Rei Ao lifted a hand, signaling for them to rise.

"You've both worked hard. It's been troublesome having you run around handling all these petty matters."

Momousagi straightened and sat down beside the couch.

She accepted the tea Robin handed her and said softly, "Working for Your Majesty is no hardship."

"It's just that although the Four Seas are temporarily peaceful, as long as the Red Line still exists, the Four Seas and the Grand Line will remain divided."

"The islands are scattered all across the sea. As long as that remains true, pirates can never truly be wiped out."

"Even if we clear out every pirate right now, it won't be long before new ones appear."

As she spoke, her brows drew together slightly.

There was a trace of worry in her eyes that would not fade.

She had served in the Marines her entire life, rising from an ordinary marine to an admiral candidate.

She had seen pirates burn, kill, and loot. She had seen countless civilians lose their homes and families.

Her greatest wish in life was for the world to know peace.

A world with no more pirates. A world where no innocent people had to suffer anymore.

But after dedicating her whole life to it, after risking everything to hunt down pirates,

she discovered that the more they were killed, the more they multiplied, and the more chaotic the world became.

No matter how hard the Marines fought, they could never protect the countless islands scattered across the sea.

Then she met Rei Ao.

With absolute power, he crushed the entire New World beneath his feet.

Even the Four Emperors bowed to him, and Marine Headquarters followed his every command.

She used to think that absolute power would only bring tyranny, would only bring endless slaughter.

But Rei Ao was different.

Though strong enough to destroy heaven and earth, he never slaughtered the innocent.

By destroying the World Government, he gave the people who had been oppressed for centuries a chance to live.

Not once in her life had she ever fallen for any man.

But when it came to Rei Ao, she willingly put down the sword in her hand.

She was willing to remain by his side, to help him manage the affairs of the Marines, and to help him protect the peace of this world.