Chapter 17: Mona Likes Big Brother Sakazuki the Most!
The captain's quarters were located at the very rear of the flagship. If the ship were divided into four segments, the final one belonged exclusively to Ross and his family.
It was a privilege—one no one dared to question—because even the ship itself was technically the personal property of Ross's wives.
In a strict sense, Ross could be seen as "living under someone else's roof."
But of course, that's not the full story.
"We're back! Golly, Lua, Molla—and Moxxi, Ator, Alisan, and my adorable daughter Mona!"
Ross pushed open the door, calling out each person's name seated around the dinner table.
First came his three wives, followed by his apprentices and children.
"Wahoo! Presents, presents! Papa, where's my gift?!"
Mona was the first to spring into action. She wriggled out of her mother Molla's gentle grasp, bounced over to Ross, and looked up at him with wide, sparkling eyes filled with excitement.
Laughing joyfully, Ross bent down to scoop his youngest daughter into his arms and turned to Sakazuki with a smile.
"This time, it's your big brother Sakazuki who picked out the gift. He put a lot of thought into it! Of course, everyone else gets something too."
The "everyone else" referred to Ator, Alisan, and Moxxi, who all perked up at the news.
Moxxi, knowing Sakazuki's personality, guessed correctly that Ross had probably pushed him into buying the gifts—just like he had been helped once.
Still, who could say no to a present? Not even him!
"Really? Really?! Let me see! I knew Big Brother Sakazuki was the best! All the big brothers who go on adventures with me are good guys!"
Mona leaned so far forward in Ross's arms that, if not for his support, she would've tumbled straight into Sakazuki's lap searching for her present.
Compared to her, Ator and Alisan—being boys—remained composed. They quietly stepped down from their chairs and approached Sakazuki, waiting patiently.
Sakazuki grew visibly nervous. Truthfully, he had no idea how to handle situations like this—especially not Mona's fiery enthusiasm. After struggling to find the right words, he gave up and silently placed two boxes on the ground, slowly opening them.
The moment he cracked open the small case, Mona's nose twitched. She practically lived around explosives and immediately caught the scent.
"Gunpowder! That's gunpowder! I've never seen this kind before!"
This time, Ross didn't stop her. He crouched down and set her on her feet, letting her scamper over to the box.
With quick, nimble fingers, she unwrapped the packaging and uncovered ten small bundles of explosive materials—eleven in total!
Eyes gleaming like stars, Mona cupped her cheeks in her tiny hands, stood on tiptoe, and stretched as far as she could toward the box.
"Wow! Mona loves Big Brother Sakazuki!"
In a flash, she jumped forward, arms and legs wrapped tightly around Sakazuki in a full-on hug. Her crumpled clothes clung to him like a second skin, perfectly expressing her overflowing excitement.
This was the first time she'd received a gift she truly wanted—from someone other than her father.
Sure, Moxxi and the others sometimes gave her plush toys, but they never really hit the mark.
Only the world's best dad brought her fireworks and bombs. But now, Big Brother Sakazuki—second-best in the world—was right up there with him!
Sakazuki froze, his arms awkwardly suspended in the air, unsure what to do. He glanced helplessly at Ross for assistance.
Ross chuckled and finally stepped in. "Alright, Mona, your brother Sakazuki is about to die of embarrassment."
He gently peeled her off and hugged her close again.
"You can play with the gifts tomorrow, alright? After dinner, you can take them to your room, but don't open them yet. Promise me?"
Mona nodded sweetly, then turned to her mother with bright eyes, silently begging her to hurry dinner along—she couldn't wait to study her new explosives and prep them for her next adventure!
Ross took his seat at the left end of the dinner table—beside his three wives—with the seat between them left open for the three boys.
For Ator, Sakazuki had prepared a collection of sweets. He had noticed the boy had a strong sweet tooth, though his mother allowed sugar only during meals.
For Alisan, the gift was a set of adventure books. Unlike Mona's brand of "adventure," Alisan's fascination was rooted in exploring the unknown.
Ever since their father brought them to the legendary Sky Island, Alisan had been captivated by the thrill of exploration.
Sakazuki had noticed him reading tales of rare discoveries and myths and was surprised to learn that the Sky Island wasn't just a myth from the stories of "Bluff King"—a bestselling children's series.
Ator and Alisan thanked Sakazuki politely and returned to their seats, clearly happy with their gifts.
Finally, Sakazuki presented the last gift—technically chosen by Ross—for Moxxi .
The Demon Blade: Ashura the Third. One of the 50 Skillfully Crafted Grade Swords in the world!
"This is from Mr. Ross to Big Brother Moxxi . I hope you like it."
Sakazuki held out the long, sheathed blade—nearly two and a half meters long—with both hands.
Schiiing!
Moxxi stood, unsheathed the sword, and the crisp sound rang through the room. A clear tone like that spoke volumes of its quality.
Magnificent. Absolutely magnificent.
"Thank you, Sakazuki."
Moxxi gave a respectful nod, then turned to Ross. "Thank you, brother-in-law. I'll carry this blade and become a great swordmaster—no, the world's greatest!"
Ross gave a small gesture for him to sit and eat, then waved Sakazuki to join them as well.
Candles flickered on the table, casting warm light on their silhouettes, shadows dancing across the windows.
From the outside, it looked like one big, happy family enjoying dinner together.
As night fell, the Sea Kings returned to the deep, and the three ships floated quietly on the water with sails drawn.
On the deck, fires were lit in clusters, and dinner was served table by table—one for each cluster of children, laughter echoing into the night.