One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 221 Mom and the Empress

"It's been a whole year since you left home. Let me sort things out. You're now known as the world's greatest swordsman, with a bounty of 3.276 billion Berries, right?"

"Hmm."

"The so-called Emperors of the Sea seem to be extremely powerful. The entire Marine Headquarters plus the Seven Warlords of the Sea are barely enough to maintain a balance with you?"

"Hmm."

"Besides Kuina and Robin, you've added a pretty girl named Bonnie to your ship?"

"Hmm...Huh?? Nami was just talking nonsense on the phone, right? That girl is still a child! Mom, what are you trying to say by rambling on like this?"

"What did you say?"

At the dinner table, Bellemere twisted Shano's ear forcefully and said angrily:

"You're already nineteen, which is your twentieth year, or twenty-one in the traditional Chinese age reckoning. You're successful in your career now, surrounded by beautiful women of suitable age, yet you're still all alone. What do you think I'm trying to say?"

Xia Nuo's eye twitched.

So you rushed back to Cocoyasi from Frostmoon Village overnight just to urge me to get married!

Cocoyasi Village doesn't have the concept of age reckoning. It's because they've been staying at Isshin Dojo for too long and have picked up the bad habits of Wano Country.

He hates the idea of ​​being born in the Chinese age system the most!

"Why is someone who's not even forty yet in such a hurry to become a grandmother?"

Xia Nuo grabbed the honey-glazed roasted ribs in front of her and took a big bite:

"Mmm, delicious... By the way, did you come back by yourself this time, or did Koushirou send someone to bring you?"

The best way to appease your mom is to let things go in one ear and out the other while changing the subject.

really.

Bellemere's attention immediately shifted, and he exhaled a smoke ring, sighing as he said:
“I sailed back by myself. There was a child at the dojo who was very sick. I’ve been helping to take care of him for many days. Now that I’m leaving, I naturally have to hand him over to Koushirou, since he can’t get away.”

"Otherwise, he would really like to come along and meet you. Also, he asked me to pass on a message to you, telling you that those two brats, Sanji and Zoro, officially set sail at the beginning of the year."

"Really."

Shanuo was a little surprised.

If I remember correctly, these two are only sixteen years old, right?

Ace and Luffy both set sail at the age of seventeen, but these two started even earlier.

It seems that over the past year or so, Kuina has made quite a name for herself, which has certainly spurred the kids on.

It's unclear whether these two will work together or go their separate ways and compete independently.

If Zoro were to sail his own boat...

Well, maybe if you get lost, you'll just drift straight to Laugh Tale.

"I really look forward to seeing them in the new world in the future."

Xia Nuo laughed heartily, picked up the bowl of corn chowder in front of him and drank it all in one gulp. He patted his round belly with satisfaction, "Delicious, it's such a long-lost taste."

"Stop it."

Bellemere flicked her cigarette ash and said irritably, "With that old man Zeff with you, do you really need this food?"

"It's so sour!"

Xia Nuo pouted: "How can that be the same? No matter how famous the chef is, he can't compare to the taste of home."

"is it?"

Bellemere snorted, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

Let's just assume this little guy is telling the truth.

She stubbed out her cigarette and stood up to clear the dishes.
"Alright, stop flattering me. Go take a shower and change your clothes. You were so drunk last night that you just went straight to sleep, and you smell terrible. What kind of appearance is that?"

"No rush, let's get down to business first."

Xia Nuo helped clear the dishes: "I reckon Nami already tipped you off on the phone as soon as I left. So many days have passed, what's your decision? Do you want to come with me to the New World?"

"Eh?"

Bellemere paused, looking up at Shano with surprise: "I thought Nami was teasing me, are you serious?"

"of course."

As Shano picked up the bowl and chopsticks and passed Bellemere, he turned and chuckled, "I'm over there now, and I already have two territories, and there will be more in the future. You can live wherever you want."

"If you get tired of us and miss the three of us, come to my boat and stay wherever you want. I didn't take you with me before, and I forced you to leave your hometown because I was afraid of implicating you."

He blinked. "Things are different now. No one in this world can hurt my dear mother anymore."

"What a loud tone."

Bellemere kicked him impatiently, "Stop washing the dishes, go brush your teeth first!"

Xia Nuo brought his right hand to his mouth, breathed on it, and smelled it... It definitely smelled of alcohol.

"Oh."

The Sea Emperor immediately put down his bowl, took out his toothbrush, and went to squeeze toothpaste.

"Oh my, shall we leave the East Sea and go see the outside world?"

Bellemere leaned against the windowsill, one hand supporting her chin, gazing at the lush orange trees in the yard, and smiled slightly.
"Over the years, my biggest wish has been to watch you, Nami, and Nojiko grow up safely, and then save up a lot of money. Now that you are all doing well and have saved enough money, I feel like I can finally settle down and pursue my own dreams."

"Pursue your dreams? I'm all for it!"

Xia Nuo spat out a mouthful of white foam, then turned around with delight, "So, you agree?"

"Yes, the luggage was brought back from Shimotsuki Village and hasn't been unpacked yet, so there's no need to unpack it."

Bellemere was a frank and straightforward person. Once she made a decision, she didn't hide it and chuckled:
"Once you've finished washing the dishes, we can head out!"

She returned to the dining table, sat down, took out paper and pen, and began to write something quickly.

After brushing her teeth, Xia Nuo returned to the dining table to continue clearing the dishes. Noticing this scene, she casually asked:

What are you writing?

"Dream Travel List!"

Bellemere snapped her fingers. "The Kingdom of Totto Land, the giant kingdom of Elbaf, the land of love, passion and fairies of Dressrosa... these are all places I've wanted to visit for a long time. I can visit them one by one in the future. Hmm... but the place I want to visit the most is this one... I don't think I can get there on my own. It seems I'll need your help to make it happen."

"where?"

Shano leaned closer and looked down. Could it be Marineford?
That place is indeed quite special.

Bellemere was a former Marine, and Marineford might have been the holy land she had always dreamed of, but she was hampered by her lack of qualifications, strength, and combat achievements, and as an ordinary Marine, she was not qualified to enter.

If it were him who stepped forward, Sengoku would probably give him a lot of face.

For example, urgently recalling three generals and assembling 50,000 elite troops...

"Huh?" Xia Nuo was stunned when she saw the line Bellemere's pen was pointing to. "The Red Line?"

Yes, that's right!

Bellemere excitedly raised her head, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I've heard that standing at the top of the Red Line, you can see the entire world, the four seas, the Calm Belt... you can see everything. Years ago, I went to Loguetown with my superiors for an exchange, and after seeing the majestic Red Line in the distance, I couldn't forget it and have always wanted to climb up and see it!"

That's it?

Xia Nuo scratched his head, somewhat amused and exasperated: "Bellmere, your dream is too simple, isn't it? It's just the Red Earth Continent. I can take you there right now."

"Really?"

Bellemere's eyes lit up, but then she became worried. "That's territory directly controlled by the World Government. With your current status, isn't that...?"

"Don't worry, the Red Line is very large. Apart from that godforsaken place, Mary Geoise, which is indeed a bit risky, I can go wherever I want and leave wherever I want."

Let's find a spot near the top of the mountain that's closest to Cocoa West Village; it won't take long to get there.

"Let's go, Bellemere, let's set off!"

"What's the rush? I haven't finished writing the list yet. Go, go, go wash the dishes first."

"Oh, right, I almost forgot..."

……

That morning.

After a brief farewell to Uncle A-Jian, Manba, and the others, Xia Nuo left Cocoa West Village with Bellemere.

The two rode their hoverbikes at high speed, heading straight for the direction of Upside Down Mountain.

"so good."

Ah Jian stood on the dock, gazing enviously at their retreating figures.

Bellemere is so lucky. I wish I could have such a successful son.

What am I thinking...? He scratched his head, and as he scratched, he realized something was wrong. He took off his patrolman hat and was immediately dumbfounded.

Eh?
Where is my little windmill?

……

"We're almost there, Bellemere, can you see it!"

Two days and two nights later, amidst the roar of the hoverbike's engine, the outline of the Red Line gradually came into view.

The majestic mountain walls stretch for thousands of miles, seemingly endless, like the backbone of the world, reaching straight into the clouds.

Bellemere leaned out from the back of the motorcycle, looked up, his pupils dilated slightly, and his breathing unconsciously slowed.

"It's... truly magnificent," she murmured softly, her voice tinged with a hint of daze.

"Go up and see, it's even more spectacular."

Xia Nuo parked his motorcycle on a rock, put it into a capsule, and stretched out his hand, palm up: "Come on, hold on tight."

Bellemere hesitated for a moment, her fingers tightening slightly as she grasped his hand: "Just... just fly up like that?"

"That's about right."

Xia Nuo laughed heartily and stomped his foot hard—

"Take off!"

A wave of air surged from beneath their feet, and the two figures instantly rose from the ground, shooting straight into the sky like arrows released from a bow.

"Wow!!!"

Bellemere was so frightened that tears and snot streamed down her face. She instinctively gripped her adopted son's arm tightly. The wind howled in her ears, and the feeling of weightlessness made her heart pound wildly...

But soon.

The scene before her eyes immediately captured her attention.

As dusk fell, clouds swept past, and sunlight pierced through the thin mist, turning the rock walls of the Red Earth continent a reddish-gold color.

The islands and ocean below are rapidly shrinking, turning into tiny green fragments embedded in the boundless azure.

"This……"

Bellemere's breath hitched slightly as she stared blankly at the landscape she had never seen before.

Xia Nuo began to slow down, carrying her, and landed steadily at the top of the Red Earth Continent.

call……

The wind rushed in from all directions, blowing her hair. Bellemere stood there, stunned, with a sheer cliff below her feet and the vast, boundless Grand Line before her.

Where the sea meets the sky, it seems to be the end of the world.

She remained silent for a long, long time before wiping her eyes, smiling as she turned to look at the dashing young man before her, and softly spoke:
"That's wonderful, Shano."

She had a tough life; she lost her parents when she was very young and almost starved to death in her own home.

The kind-hearted people in the village felt sorry for her and raised her, but they were often driven to madness by her temper and would call her a naughty fool.

"Belmel! You've stolen all the coconuts from the village entrance again, haven't you?"

"Hey, Bellemere! You bastard! I fished in that barrel all day, and you released them all?!"

"Huh? Bellemere! You say you want to join the Navy? How could that be? Hahahaha, the Navy is a very strict place. They wouldn't accept a troublemaker like you!"

The scolding was always mixed with a helpless laugh; the adults shook their heads as they stuffed freshly baked bread into her hands.

She once thought that she would live carefree like this forever, stumbling and growing up, and then growing old in a daze.

Until she actually became a naval officer, and truly fought for the justice in her heart, and on that desperate battlefield in the pouring rain, she adopted those two poor little girls and a black-haired brat.

Suddenly, someone needed her to be a "reliable adult".

She frantically tried to cook the burnt porridge, clumsily mended the holes in her socks, and worked so hard in the orange grove that she couldn't straighten her back...

All for the sake of feeding three little fools who, in turn, gave her life again.

And now.

More than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye...

The little brat who once needed her careful care has grown into a man whom the whole world has to look up to, and today he stands at the top of the world with her by his side.

"That's wonderful, Shano."

Bellemere gazed at the distant sunset and murmured the same phrase again.

Xia Nuo smiled but didn't say anything.

I simply stood beside her, handed her two red bean buns, and then took big bites myself, quietly watching the sea with her.

I don’t know how long it will take.

Xia Nuo then spoke:

"Let's watch a little longer, and set off after the sun has completely set."

"it is good."

Actually, Xia Nuo didn't want to waste any more time on the road.

So when he came, he had the bear use its ability to send him flying, and when he returned to the New World, he planned to use the power of the teleportation scepter to teleport back directly.

Two thousand points per person, four thousand for two people, is quite expensive, but it can save at least half a month of travel time, which is affordable for Xia Nuo now.

But now, he has changed his mind.

Let's ride all the way back to the New World along the edge of the doldrums.

As boys grow up, isn't it only natural that they should spend more time with their mothers?

……

The afterglow of the setting sun cast long, golden-red ribbons of light across the sea. Shano and Bellemere sat atop the Red Earth, watching the last rays of sunlight sink below the horizon.

"It's time to go."

Xia Nuo stretched and turned to look at her mother. "The road ahead might be a little exciting. Are you ready?"

Bellemere clicked her tongue, stuffed the last bite of the red bean bun into her mouth, and patted the crumbs off her hands:
"Don't look down on me, you brat! I'm all about the thrill! Back when I took you three kids boating in a storm, you were so scared you clung to my waist and wouldn't let go!"

"Who remembers that kind of thing!"

Xia Nuo laughed heartily, took out the hover motorcycle from the capsule, and flicked his finger.

"Hold on."

Shano straddled the motorcycle, and Bellemere jumped onto the back seat.

With a roar of engines, the motorcycle soared into the air, leaped off the cliff, and hurtled down the rock face of the red earth continent.

At the same time, Bellemere's scream rang out—

"Aaaaaah, you brat, how can you keep going like this!"

……

After one hour.

The hoverbike sped smoothly along the windless zone, while Bellemere puffed out her cheeks and sullenly crossed her arms.

Ahead of her, Xia Nuo rode his motorcycle with a pitiful expression. His ears were red from being pulled, and three large bumps on his head were still swollen and emitting wisps of smoke.

Women, what contradictory creatures they are.

Even my mom is the same.

Along the way, every now and then, terrifyingly large sea monsters would notice the speeding motorcycle and menacingly crouch down and charge towards it.

But as soon as he got close, his body suddenly stiffened, and the next moment, as if he had been frightened, he turned around and ran away in a panic.

"These big guys are quite sensible."

Bellemere raised an eyebrow. "Do they also read newspapers and know your identity as the Emperor of the Sea?"

"It's Conqueror's Haki..."

Xia Nuo sighed, "Speaking of which, Mom, you actually have one too, right?"

"Me? How could that be!"

"Then why can you hit me so hard? Even the Navy Admirals and the Seven Warlords of the Sea would have a hard time doing that, you know... huh?"

Xia Nuo's motorcycle came to a sudden stop, and he looked up in surprise, staring ahead.

Does mentioning the Seven Warlords of the Sea mean they'll actually appear?
"What's wrong?" Bellemere curiously poked her head out and looked in the direction Shano was looking.

At the edge of the horizon, a large, uniquely designed pirate ship was slowly sailing.

The bow features two giant snakes responsible for pulling the boat. The hull is predominantly red and black, with vermilion sails adorned with a nine-skull and nine-snake emblem.

Both the buildings above and the figures standing by the railings exude a strong Amazon rainforest atmosphere.

"All girls?"

Bellemere immediately noticed the biggest difference and said with some surprise, "There are hundreds of people on the deck, but it seems like there isn't a single man?"

She was surprised, and the female warriors on the ship were equally astonished.

"Look, there's a man!"

"Where? It really is! And he's super handsome!"

"What is he riding? It looks a bit like a white horse, it looks really strange..."

Amidst the chattering, a cool and arrogant voice suddenly rang out from behind:
"Why did you suddenly stop? What are you arguing about?"

"Your Majesty the Empress!"

The female warriors immediately stopped what they were doing and respectfully made way for them.

A tall figure appeared on the deck.

Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and her exquisite face carried an innate arrogance. She wore a form-fitting red robe, and her slender legs were clad in high heels. She stood by the railing, her gaze cold and condescending.

(End of this chapter)