Chapter 19: Heart full of tenderness

"No, I refuse." Cheng Xi refused outright.

Ace: "I refuse your refusal."

Cheng Xi: ...

Cheng Xi was speechless: "I have the right to refuse."

Ace: "Then I also have the right to refuse your refusal."

Cheng Xi: "I refuse your refusal of my refusal."

Ace: "I refuse..."

Others: ... So childish, are you playing some kind of word repetition game?

In the end, Cheng Xi refused more decisively: "Really, no, I still prefer this kind of peaceful life at the moment, and I have an agreement with my elders that I will not become a pirate."

Because she was afraid that if the boy in front of her continued to invite her, she might really waver.

There was no way, he was too dazzling, and that smile almost murdered all of Cheng Xi's rationality.

"Okay then." After listening to Cheng Xi's reasons, the black-haired boy lowered his puppy eyes, looking a little lost.

Seeing Ace like this, Cheng Xi waved her hands helplessly, feeling a little sorry for some reason. Just as she racked her brains to explain to Ace that the refusal was just her personal reason and that she liked everyone in the Spade Pirates, the boy seemed to have thought of something again, and his eyes were still bright.

"Yo, then wait until Cheng Xi doesn't want to live a peaceful life before you come and adventure with us."

Cheng Xi was speechless: "Don't just listen to the first half of the sentence, kid!"

Did you block out the sentence that your parents don't let you be a pirate! ?

Obviously, the members of the Spade Pirates have long been familiar with their captain's out-of-line style and are accustomed to it. Not only did they not stop Ace's words, but they all raised their glasses to celebrate the upcoming Spade Pirates chef in the future.

Cheng Xi: "I haven't promised you yet!"

Maybe everyone has learned the essence of the captain, and they selectively didn't hear her words and continued to immerse themselves in the banquet.

Someone played the violin and sang Binks's wine. In this lively and cheering atmosphere, they sang and danced. Although everyone's dance looked funny, the smiles on their faces were sincere.

The sound of the piano, the sound of beer clinking, and everyone's cheers mixed together, forming a dreamy and beautiful curtain.

The sunset gradually rose, rendering the sea and the sky a golden color. The still brilliant and beautiful afterglow of the sunset was reflected on the sea, but was wrinkled by the evening breeze and scattered into colorful fragments.

After the banquet, the Spade Pirates' journey will never stop. They will set off for the next location, the Sabaody Archipelago, and there they will enter the new world through the Fishman Island tens of thousands of meters under the sea to start a more interesting and wonderful adventure.

Cheng Xi stood on the shore and said goodbye to them. The setting sun melted gold, reflecting a layer of haziness for her, bright and beautiful.

For some reason, the black-haired boy's heart trembled slightly.

After saying goodbye, Cheng Xi turned around to leave, but was stopped by Ace: "Wait a minute, Cheng Xi!"

After saying that, regardless of Cheng Xi's reaction, Ace jumped back on the boat and hurried into the cabin, leaving her confused and not knowing what he was going to do.

She waited for about a few minutes, and the boy finally showed up, jumped off the boat and came to her, and handed a box to Cheng Xi with expectation: "This is for you."

"What is this?" Cheng Xi asked.

Ace did not answer her question, but put the box directly in her hand, then rummaged around in his black shorts, and finally took out a key and put it in Cheng Xi's hand.

"Open it and take a look."

Cheng Xi looked at the box in his hand. It was a cubic wooden box with good material, about 40 cm in size, heavy, and a crisp collision sound when moving. There was a lock hanging in the middle.

Cheng Xi took the key and inserted it into the keyhole as he said. The temperature of Ace's hand was still on the key, and it was a little warm.

With a click, the lock opened. After Cheng Xi opened the box, he finally saw the true face of the things inside.

It was a box full of treasures, all kinds of beautiful and exquisite gold, translucent gems, pearls, diamonds, etc., which emitted a dazzling afterglow under the setting sun, gorgeous and brilliant.

"Ah... this." Facing this box full of jewels, Cheng Xi was indeed moved for a moment, but reason prevailed and wanted to return the box, "This is too valuable, I can't accept it."

Ace did not accept his return, and asked her a question: "Aren't we friends?"

"Of course."

The heavy treasure box returned to Cheng Xi's hands again.

Ace: "Then don't say these inexplicable rejections anymore."

"Aren't friends more valuable than treasures?"

The boy said this with a burning sincerity and a magnanimous spirit. Even the sun that was gradually setting at this time was not as warm as him.

Bang, bang, bang.

Cheng Xi heard the fierce heartbeat in his body like a drum.

The inspection of the hull has been completed, and everyone urged Ace to return to the ship as they were about to set sail.

"We will meet again on this sea." Ace waved to Cheng Xi, then quickly jumped back on the ship to start his new voyage.

"We will meet again." Cheng Xi murmured as he watched the ship go away.

At night, except for the two crew members who were on guard on the deck, everyone gradually fell asleep. Ace lay on the bed and looked at the sunflowers carefully placed in the vase on the table next to him.

Even in the middle of the night, they were still blooming golden and warm, full of vitality.

Ace's mouth curved into a smile. The sea was vast and vast. Finally, on this day, he met a friend he liked very much and was very important.

"Cheng Xi..."

"Ace..."

The two whispers from the sea and the island gradually dissipated in the silent night, and fell asleep with the memories related to each other.

The next day, Cheng Xi got up and opened the curtains. The weather was very good today, and of course she was in a better mood.

Unlike the bright sunshine on her side, the Navy Headquarters was simply overcast in every sense.

It was not even eight o'clock yet, but many people were already sitting in the meeting room. There were three admirals and several major generals and vice admirals. Each of them had a large stack of information in front of them. These materials included recent major events, such as a celestial dragon slave's defection causing a commotion, and a princess of a member country of the World Government being kidnapped by pirates.

Each stack of paper was nearly four or five centimeters thick, and it was a headache to read.

It was an old tradition of the Navy to use everyone's rest time to hold meetings.

The meeting king, Branny, took this pile of difficult information and explained these events to everyone. As he was talking, the topic came to the matter of Red Hair's repaired left arm and sneaking into Marinford a few days ago. His purpose was still a mystery.

Kuzan rarely took off his blindfold, picked up the stack of information in front of him and flipped through it casually. Suddenly, he saw the bounty order of the woman wearing a mask. He couldn't help but pull out the bounty order and look at it carefully, stroking it with his fingers. Although the whole face only showed one eye covered by makeup under the glasses, he still had a very familiar feeling.

Brannew tells us that there is no information about the real purpose of Red Hair sneaking into Marinford, but his left arm is most likely related to the masked woman on the bounty order. According to the investigation, they are now on an island under the jurisdiction of the Red Group in the New World, and they have not found the masked woman. It may be that she broke up with Red Hair, or they broke up after the transaction was successful.

"Masked woman?" A major general said with a gossipy tone, "Didn't the newspaper say that she was Red Hair's lover, broke up? Weren't they still in love a few days ago?"

Another navy said, "Morgans likes to exaggerate when writing things. The newspaper also wrote that the Four Emperors went to the milk tea shop on Street 8 to buy milk tea. It sounds like a ridiculous thing."

Milk tea?

Aokiji was startled when he heard this and stopped what he was doing.

Thinking of the scene that day, Sakaski was very angry. He angrily said that he must find out what the purpose of this group of damn pirates is. Even if it is Red Hair, he must be caught and taken to Impel Prison.

"If you want to know the purpose of Red Hair so much, why not call him and ask him?" Yusura, who had been silent throughout the meeting, finally couldn't help but speak.

Yusura, Vice Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, codenamed White Bird, captain of the Magnolia Force, double domineering swordsman.

And... she was once the adjutant of Vice Admiral Cheng Xi who died in the line of duty.

She has soft and shiny blonde hair like a waterfall and light glass-colored eyes. She looks gorgeous and delicate. She is a beauty with a strong face. Privately called the Flower of the Navy, she is said to be as beautiful as the Pirate Empress and the Mermaid Princess.

However, what is more worth mentioning than her beauty in the Navy is her strength and madness. She has not eaten the devil fruit and is not a power user. When facing the enemy, she is ferocious and cruel, like a fierce wolf and a poisonous bee. She only relies on physical skills to create a force of her own in the Navy Headquarters where there are many strong people. She has

a bad temper and is unpredictable. When she is angry, she dares to say a few words to even the admiral or the marshal.

Just like now.

Sakaski: "Yushura, you've been in the navy for so many years, you must know how bad those pirates are, right?"

Yushura: "How bad are they? Can they be as bad as the Celestial Dragons on Marijoa? Just to lose a slave, you have to make such a fuss that you have to trouble so many of us to hold a meeting to find him. Isn't that insane?"

Hearing her mention the Celestial Dragons so unscrupulously, some of the other people present couldn't help but shudder.

"This is the decision of the World Government."

"It's better to expect hairtail to learn to ride a bicycle than to expect the World Government to make the right decision!" She stood up, slammed the table, and shouted, "What is the duty of the navy? It is to protect civilians, destroy evil pirates, and be committed to maintaining the law and order of the world's oceans, not to waste troops to find slaves for them."

Sakaski: "Yusura, you are too presumptuous!"

"Do you hate the World Government so much!?"

"I not only hate the World Government, but also you, Admiral Akainu, and Admiral Aokiji next to you. If it weren't for you and CP0, how could the people I respect most die in the sea and sleep in the mountains."

Kuzan: "Yusura, you are too emotional now."

"Heh." Yushula smiled bitterly, sat back, and replied to Kuzan: "I will naturally calm down when I can't see you."

Before Kuzan spoke, his subordinate Helt was the first to feel unfair for him: "Lieutenant General Shiratori, aren't you going too far?"

Seeing her familiar eyes, Yushula became even angrier: "Get out too."

The atmosphere in the room was very quiet.

Borsalino, who had been watching the fire from the other side, broke the silence by teasing: "You have learned her rebellious look 100%, little Yushula."

"Look at my memory." Yushula smiled and said, "I was so busy scolding the two of them that I forgot to deal with you, Borsalino-san."