After inspecting the scene, Carl ordered all the Marines, except for Lucia, to return to the warship anchored at the shore. He and Lucia, accompanied by the villagers of Foosha Village, proceeded into the village.
Upon entering, Carl turned to the village elder, Woop Slap, and said, "Everything is fine now. Have the villagers disperse. Lucia and I want to take a stroll through the village."
Woop Slap immediately began organizing the villagers to leave. Despite his age, he was quite efficient.
In no time, the gathered villagers began leaving in small groups. Throughout this process, Carl's gaze remained fixed on a certain person among them—Makino.
Lucia also noticed Carl's focus on Makino and asked in a low voice,
"Young Master, is there something special about that green-haired woman? You've been looking at her this whole time."
Carl replied, "You'll find out soon enough. For now, just follow her. Seriously, she's pregnant, so why is she walking so fast? We need to keep an eye on her!"
Lucia blinked in surprise. Carl's behavior made her suspect a deeper relationship between him and Makino. However, even if that were the case, she wouldn't be jealous. After all, Monet and the other women had been personally trained by her. She was merely curious.
Makino returned to her tavern alone, shut the door, walked behind the counter, pulled up a chair, and sat down, taking small breaths to calm herself.
Just then, the tavern door creaked open. Hearing the noise, Makino looked up and said,
"Sorry, we're not... Eh?! Fleet Admiral?!"
Seeing Carl and Lucia enter, Makino was so shocked that she lost her balance and nearly fell backward.
Swoosh!
In an instant, Carl appeared behind her and steadied her.
Makino's face showed lingering fear. Once she regained her senses, she hurriedly turned around and repeatedly thanked Carl.
Carl's expression darkened—he had been startled as well.
After carefully helping Makino back onto her chair, Carl let out a sigh and frowned.
"You're about to give birth. Why are you still getting startled so easily? And why were you walking so fast earlier? What if you had strained yourself? Do you even realize how fragile you are right now?!"
Carl spoke in an increasingly stern tone. Only after finishing did he notice that both Lucia at the door and Makino beside him were staring at him in astonishment.
Makino, still a bit dazed, nodded and said, "I-I understand... Thank you for your concern."
Realizing he had been too emotional, Carl coughed lightly and closed his eyes.
"As long as you understand. You must be careful in the future."
After all, the child in Makino's womb was his niece. The Figarland family was not exactly overflowing with descendants, so he needed to protect her carefully.
An awkward silence filled the tavern. Trying to break it, Makino hesitantly offered,
"Um... shall I prepare some drinks?"
Carl immediately raised his hand to stop her. "No need. I'll handle it."
Lucia stepped forward and said, "Young Master, let me do it instead."
But Carl had already started moving. He swiftly poured a glass of fruit juice for Lucia, a glass of red wine for himself, and then placed a cup of warm water in front of Makino, saying,
"For a pregnant woman, plain warm water is the best drink. Make sure to drink plenty."
Makino felt overwhelmed and flustered. At the same time, she sensed that something was off. Why would a Fleet Admiral be so kind to a mere village woman like her? Just because she was pregnant?
But when she thought of the father of her child, guilt welled up inside her. She quickly lowered her head, wrapped her hands around the cup, and took small sips.
Carl, seeing this, smiled in satisfaction. He then walked to the counter and sat beside Lucia.
Lucia whispered, "You've worked hard, Young Master."
Carl naturally wrapped an arm around Lucia's waist and chuckled. "I just poured some drinks. That hardly counts as hard work."
After taking a sip of wine, Carl looked at Makino and asked, "What are you thinking about? Shanks?"
Makino didn't react immediately. She gently nodded and said, "Yes, I'm very worried..."
Then, her voice abruptly stopped. She suddenly raised her head in shock and looked at Carl in panic, hurriedly denying,
"No, no! I don't know anyone named Shanks! I was just lost in thought!"
Her reaction was obviously a case of 'the guilty flee where none pursue.'
Lucia tilted her head slightly and mused, "Shanks... I see. I think I understand now..."
Carl waved a hand and said, "I already told you not to be so jumpy. Shanks has already admitted to your relationship. You don't need to hide it anymore."
Hearing this, Makino felt as if a thunderclap had exploded in her mind. She murmured in disbelief,
"No way... Has Shanks been captured?!"
Carl shot her a glance and said, "What are you thinking? That guy is my brother. Why would I capture him?"
Yet another bombshell was dropped. Makino was completely stunned. In a trembling voice, she stammered, "N-Nani?"
Seeing her genuine confusion, Carl frowned. "Wait, you mean to tell me he never mentioned our relationship?"
Makino stiffly shook her head. "Shanks never told me anything about you..."
Carl raised an eyebrow. "That brat... He never mentioned it even in the past six months?"
"Um... Fleet Admiral, actually, I haven't seen Shanks in almost six months..."
"Then do you two not communicate at all? No Den Den Mushi calls?"
"Shanks said that if we used a Den Den Mushi too often, the World Government's intelligence department might take notice and put me in danger..."
Hearing this, Carl's expression finally relaxed. Shanks' concerns had been reasonable.
With that thought, Carl reached into his coat and pulled out a Den Den Mushi with a tuft of red hair. He placed it on the table and dialed a number right in front of Makino.
After a few rings, Shanks' voice came through the receiver. "Brother, what's the occasion? How do you have time to call me today?"
The moment she heard Shanks' voice, Makino's eyes filled with tears, and she shouted excitedly,
"Shanks!!"
The Den Den Mushi's face mirrored Shanks' stunned expression. Then, with a look of shock, he yelled,
"Makino!? Is that really you!?"
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+210 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg