Chapter 19 Daughter?

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"Larson."

"What happened?"

"The female marine is awake."

"Yes, I see."

Whitebeard looked at Larson's back as he walked into the cabin and grinned, saying, "This guy probably can't help himself anymore."

"What?"

Marco, standing nearby, was confused.

"Can't hold it any longer?"

Whitebeard smiled but said nothing. Gangplank added with a chuckle, "Kids, you should stop asking about adults' affairs."

"Cut."

Marco looked dissatisfied. "Aren't you just a few years older than me? Why act so pretentious? I'll be an adult in two years."

After a moment, Marco rolled his eyes and tiptoed toward the cabin.

Plank warned, "If Larson finds out you're eavesdropping, you're going to be in trouble."

Despite the warning, he followed Marco out of curiosity.

Marco didn't care about Plank's words; he was thinking about what Larson was doing in the cabin now. If he secretly grabbed Larson's pigtails, this guy would never dare to bully him again.

Whitebeard watched the eavesdropping scene and sighed helplessly.

Pretending to be casual, he stood up and walked towards the two of them, muttering as he advanced, "You two brats, lean back."

Marco: "..."

Plank: "..."

Gossip is just human nature.

...

In the dim cabin, Gion, dressed in a navy uniform, found herself bound by ropes and unable to move. Having just woken up, she quickly realized she was inside a ship's cabin, knowing that she had been captured by pirates.

Just before losing consciousness, her thoughts were still on which guard she would accompany to retrieve the heavenly gold. However, as she reached for the box containing the gold, she was suddenly knocked unconscious by someone. And now, here she was.

Hearing footsteps overhead, Gion's eyes widened as she saw a man walking in.

He was wearing trousers but was bare-chested, his bronze skin marred by scars. Since she was still on the ground, she couldn't see the man's face.

"You're awake?"

The man approached her, and to her shock, he kicked her as he spoke, seemingly to confirm she was still alive.

"Let me go!"

She twisted her body in anger, attempting to break free from the restraints, but the ropes only tightened with her movements.

"Don't get so excited."

Larson looked at Gion's fierce struggles with an expressionless face. He moved a stool, sat in front of her, and picked up Gion's sword, Kimpira.

Gazing at the famous sword in his hand, Larson couldn't help but admire it. "What a sword."

With just one glance, he recognized it as one of the Twelve Supreme Blades. There were only twelve such blades in the world, and each one was renowned for its unparalleled quality. He hadn't expected to come across such a weapon today.

He was so absorbed in the sword that he completely ignored Gion.

Gion gritted her teeth, finally getting a clear look at the man who had kidnapped her.

She was about to curse him angrily when her expression suddenly froze. Staring in disbelief at Larson's face, she stammered, "Pops..."

At that moment, a loud crash echoed from outside, as if someone had fallen.

Larson paused while handling the sword, then sighed. Finally, he raised his head, looking at Gion with a hint of helplessness. "Even if you call me Pops, I can't let you go."

He really hadn't expected the navy to be so desperate, pleading for mercy to the point of using familial terms with an enemy.

However, what Larson didn't expect was that Gion not only didn't stop after hearing his words but instead intensified her claims. She looked at Larson excitedly. "Pops, why are you here? Why did you abandon me back then? I've been searching for you all these years. Did you leave to become a pirate…"

Listening to Gion's endless outpouring, Larson's expression grew increasingly odd. The general meaning on his face was: 'What on earth is she talking about?'

Whitebeard, Gangplank, and Marco peeked into the cabin, and at this moment, they felt as if they had stumbled upon a new world. Marco clenched his fists, feeling excited. He never expected to learn such a shocking secret today.

'Larson, Larson, I didn't realize you were this kind of person!'

Whitebeard frowned as he observed the scene inside the cabin. Could this female marine really be Larson's daughter? Would that make her his niece? He pondered what kind of gifts he should prepare for this first meeting.

....

In the cabin, Larson waited for a long time until Gion finally stopped talking. He then said, "I think you have the wrong person. I am not your father, and I have never had a daughter."

It's a joke. He hadn't even had a girlfriend during his travels. How could he suddenly have such a grown daughter, and one who happens to be a marine? No matter how he looked at it, this was impossible.

Gion's eyes dimmed, and she slowly lowered her head. "Really? Pops doesn't want me?"

Her expression at that moment resembled that of a kitten that had been abandoned, looking extremely pitiful.

Larson's eyes widened. Why was she making such a face?

How did he suddenly seem like a truly irresponsible man?

He couldn't help but sigh. Had the navy's acting skills become this good? Gion's words paired with her demeanor—if he hadn't known he hadn't touched a woman in so many years, he might almost believe he had a daughter.

'Forget it, this woman is likely delirious. When the navy comes, we can exchange her and send her back as soon as possible.'

Larson stood up, having no intention of further communication with Gion.

He turned and walked out of the cabin. Gion remained kneeling on the ground, staring at his back in silence.

Once outside the cabin, Larson glanced at Pops, who was drinking and basking in the sun under the Grand Master's chair, pretending nothing had happened. He then looked at Marco, who was feigning interest in fishing on the deck, and finally at Plank, who was exploring with a telescope.

Of course, he knew these three were eavesdropping on his conversation with Gion. Larson calmly walked up to Whitebeard, casually picked up a barrel of wine, and said, "The acting skills of the navy are truly impressive."

Whitebeard burst out laughing, unable to contain himself. "Larson, when did this happen?"

Larson's head was covered with black lines. "Get out."

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