One Piece: Adopting Akainu at the beginning, adopted son Barrett

Chapter 248 Looking for a Miracle
"Hahahaha, I'm fine! I'm fine! It's a miracle, a miracle!"

In front of a cherry blossom forest in the snow, a man with hair, head and neck shaped like a cross was jumping around like a madman.

Shilluluk, the most hated thief on Cigu Island, retired two years ago due to an incurable disease and has since lived a life of spending money on medical treatment.

Even though he was left with only the clothes on his back, he never felt despair.

However, the reality was extremely cruel and cold. Two years of snow and wind did not allow him to find a bonfire. Even after traveling all over Cigu Island, no doctor could cure his illness. Even the "Immortal Witch" was powerless.

However, reality is like a roller coaster, with ups and downs.

Just when he was about to die, he accidentally walked into a small cherry blossom forest in front of him, which was located to the east of the Cigu Mountain in the Cigu Kingdom, sandwiched between several hills.

The misty Cigu Kingdom never sees sunrise or sunset all year round, but today there is a bright moon facing the setting sun, and the reflected light shines on the cherry blossom forest, dyeing the entire moon cherry color.

This created an unimaginable spectacle: countless snowflakes looked like flying cherry blossom petals under the shining of the cherry-colored full moon. This miraculous scene magically cured Shiruluk's incurable disease!

Shiruluk had no idea how this worked, but he knew that his life would probably be very different from now on.

He decided to become a doctor and research a panacea that could cure all diseases!
“What? This is actually just a naturally formed landscape! Uwaaaaaaah~”

The girl's regretful voice came from a distance, followed by a burst of crying.

When Xiluluk heard the sound, he looked and saw a sturdy man over three meters tall with a helpless look on his face. He held the girl's back with one hand and carefully placed the other hand on her head. He wanted to touch her but didn't dare to.

The girl threw herself into his arms and cried loudly, like a willful child who failed to achieve her goal.

But he would not back down because of this. How could this miracle that healed him be just a simple natural landscape!

He made his hands into trumpet shapes and shouted vigorously in the direction of the two people:

"This isn't some natural sight, this is a cherry blossom miracle! A miracle that can cure all diseases! One day I will develop it and cure all those who are suffering from diseases!"

After saying that, without waiting for the two to reply, he raised his hands high as if he had made some kind of determination, then lowered them forcefully as if to cheer himself up, and then took a step and walked away into the distance.

On the other side, Barrett looked at the departing Shiruluk with confusion, and felt that this person was a little strange.

But his keen intuition told him that he was not lying. The scenery he had just seen seemed to be able to cure diseases?!

In Barrett's arms, Mona pretended to cry and slapped his chest twice. In such a good atmosphere, how could this fool be attracted by the words of that madman just now?

Hurry up and give me a pat on the head! This is... but this is an opportunity that she has to muster up a lot of courage to create!

"Mona...that person...did not lie."

"Ugh?"

Mona wiped the tears she had squeezed out on Barrett's clothes as if to vent her anger, then looked up with a puzzled look.

What did Barrett just say? That lunatic didn't lie?

She heard clearly the cry of Shiruluk just now.

Still lying in Barrett's arms, Mona looked at the cherry blossom forest in the distance with a blushing face. This was the only spring in the entire winter island, like a ray of hope in the warm weather. Even though there was thick snow under the trees, they still stood tall, with cherry blossoms blooming all year round.

"Then I want to see the same view as before, okay, Barrett?"

Mona asked with some inexplicable reason. She was really willful this time and asked Barrett to fulfill her wish even though it was almost impossible.

"it is good!"

Barrett agreed without hesitation. He could sense the authenticity of Mona's request. Compared to his previous silence, he chose to reply this time and said:

"There should be someone on Cigu Island who knows what happened just now. We may stay here for a long time."

"It doesn't matter... As long as you are here..."

Mona's voice was very soft. She was not a very open girl. Although she often created opportunities for Barrett in recent days, she would use each opportunity to cover up her shyness.

Although she knew that Barrett only had her in his heart, she couldn't wait if things were left to their own devices.

A girl’s youth is very precious!
Barrett is a man of action, but when he was about to leave, he lowered his head and looked at Mona who didn't want to leave, and didn't know how to start talking.

Time passed slowly, and soon five minutes passed quietly.

The two people stood motionless in front of the dim cherry blossom forest, both waiting for each other, one looking forward to making a change, the other hesitant.

"No~"

Feeling a strange touch on her legs, Mona buried her face in Barrett's chest. A big hand lifted her thigh, then slid down her leg, letting her sit on the strong forearm. The big hand straightened her lower left waist and buttocks.

The feeling of the wind and snow hitting her body gradually disappeared, and warmth gradually spread throughout her body, as if a piece of armor was blocking the wind and snow in front of her.

When Barrett realizes that change is needed, he will do it faster and better than anyone else.

He boldly held Mona in his arms, his armed aura radiating outward, invisible armor floating around him to shield her from the wind and snow.

"Shhh~"

He took big strides, and every step he took caused the thick snow to make a rustling sound. He continued walking towards a town that he perceived with his sight.

"I'm sorry, but I won't let you down."

Walking in the snow, Barrett promised.

Mona didn't respond, but just kissed him on the cheek and then fell silent out of shyness.

...............

"Wah-la-la, I'm Prince Valpo, and you unruly people must listen to me! From now on, the taxes in this town will be increased by 50%! Taxes increase, taxes increase!"

Big Horn Town, this is a small town in the Drum Kingdom. At this time, a purple-haired boy of only four or five years old was waving a golden cane in his hand and shouting loudly. In front of him, not only were the residents who were notified by the guards to come here all confused, but even the several kingdom guards who were guarding Walpo looked at each other, looking at the unreasonable prince at a loss.

"Hahaha, of course, we will definitely do what His Royal Highness asks, right everyone?"

A voice broke the silence first. The tone was like coaxing a child. Everyone instantly understood the meaning and said:
"Yes, yes, yes, Your Highness, what you said is very good. We will definitely pay the taxes according to your conditions."

"Yeah yeah!"

"How can 50 percent be enough? In my opinion, it would be reasonable for His Royal Highness to ask for a tax increase of double the amount!"

"Yeah yeah!"

The townspeople responded to Valpo one after another, but anyone could see that they did not take each other's words seriously.

But young Valpo didn't know that for the first time, he truly tasted the joy that power brought him, and he was extremely excited by the compliments of everyone.

Only when he felt it was almost time did he return to normal, his eyes rolling around in his sockets, his little head thinking about what new laws could be promulgated.

Just as he was thinking, a tall figure suddenly appeared in his field of vision. The burly man was walking towards him step by step, holding an extremely beautiful woman in his arms, who was several times more beautiful than his mother!
“Wahahahaha, I…”

"Walpo, you're messing around again!"

Before Valpo could finish his words while pointing his cane at the figure over there, a man who looked 70% like him suddenly came up to him, grabbed him and prepared to take him home to punish him.

"You bastard Vastodd, let me go!"

"You have to call me brother!"

Vastod said angrily, and then turned back as if he remembered something, and said to the townspeople of Big Horn who were still waiting there:

"I'm sorry, my brother's mischief has caused trouble to you all. I will have the kingdom's guards give you some compensation later. I'm very sorry!"

After saying this, he turned around and left without any apology at all.

In the hands of Vastod, the lifted Valpo struggled hard, with resentment and anger burning in his heart.

The damn bastard not only inherited the rights that belonged to him, but also meddled in his affairs! Sooner or later, he would get rid of this unnecessary guy and become the only king of the Iron Bucket Kingdom!
This little farce ended with Valpo being taken away.

In the distance, Barrett looked at the two brothers and a group of guards going away with a bad look on his face and was in a bad mood.

He is so bad at such a young age, really...

He had no intention of killing Valpo. Under Ross's teachings, he was willing to give every ignorant child an equal chance, even the offspring of his enemy.

But that doesn't mean he can't teach these nasty little brats a lesson.

Whenever Valpo pronounced those words, he would immediately teach the little devil a lesson with his ghost energy from dozens of meters away! He would have to spend at least a few months in nightmares.

Mona, who was in a different mood from Barrett, felt a full sense of security. Being in the arms of her lover and sitting on his shoulders were two completely different experiences.

Here, she doesn't need to be on guard at all, as Barrett will block all threats from her. Even if it's just a tiny bit of wind and snow, his will will protect her at all times.

This feeling is quite wonderful, but also very easy to indulge in.

"You two, are you from other places? You are quite strong and robust, and this little girl looks like a remarkable lady."

The two figures walked into the center of the town, and the townspeople gathered here soon spotted them. An elderly man in a thick white coat came forward to say hello.

Barrett nodded. Because of Tokos, he not only loved the young, but also respected the elderly. Especially the elderly who exuded a comfortable aura, he must be the best old man. He replied:

"Yes, old man, we did come here from other places to play."

"That's great, but you two look quite young, right? Drum Island has snow and wind all year round, and you can get lost if you're not careful. Where are your adults? Didn't they come with you?"

The old man asked with concern, worried that the two people had lost their families in the snow and wind.

Barrett shook his head and explained:
"There are only two of us. I have some strength, so I am not afraid of anything in the Grand Line."

The old man's kindness made him extra patient and he did not state his request right away.

The old man nodded. That was not surprising. It seemed that he was another talented young man. So he said bluntly:
"So you're looking for a town to rest, right? If you have any other questions, just ask me. I've lived in Big Horn for more than fifty years, and there's not much on Drum Island that I don't know."

"Really? That's great!"

Barrett smiled with a row of white teeth, and without hesitation, he directly described the beautiful scenery he and Mona saw last night, and then asked the old man:

"Old man, do you know how that kind of scene came about?"

"Hiss... Well, I've never seen this before! That cherry blossom forest is very far away from here. Didn't you cross all the way to the Iron Bucket City at the foot of the kingdom?"

"No, my intuition tells me that I won't gain anything there, but I should be able to find the answers or clues I want here."

Barrett didn't know whether the old man knew about Observation Haki, so he attributed everything to intuition.

And he did not lie. Although the Iron Bucket City was extremely prosperous and the most prosperous and developed city in the entire Magnetic Drum Island, the first town that his observation Haki sensed was Big Horn Town.

Perhaps it was his intuition that led him to skip Iron Bucket City and take Mona across almost half of the island before arriving at Big Horn Town near the coast.

"Is that so... Never mind. I won't delve into it any further. The person you are looking for may not be here. Look over there. There is a woman living on the mountain over there. If we talk about the most knowledgeable person on this island, she should be the first one."

The old man thought that Barrett had gotten lost and came here, but he did not say it clearly. Instead, he changed the subject and pointed to a mountain forest in the distance. Although it was a question, he said it with extraordinary certainty, and then said:
"I'll warn you in advance, her name is Kuleha, a woman who never seems to age. Even though she's over a hundred years old, she still looks like she's in her forties or fifties. She hates it when someone mentions her age, so remember to be sweet when the time comes."

"Over a hundred years old?!"

Mona covered her mouth and cried out in surprise. Is it true that someone can live to be over a hundred years old and still be buried?
And she looks like she’s in her 40s or 50s, could this be made up?
"Don't be false. Remember my warning, young man. Kuleha has a pretty good temper, but when she gets stingy, she can be very willful."

The old man saw through Mona's thoughts and reminded her again with a smile.

(End of this chapter)