Margery looked a little confused.
But after listening to her daughter Emily's translation of the hand signs, her expression suddenly turned into one of joy and urgency.
Margery quickly gestured again and stepped out from behind the stall, walking up to Hibari.
Emily followed closely, her small doll-like face showing a bit of bewilderment.
"My mom says that the flavor of our Aqua Meat... was something my dad created himself. It's different from how other people grill it. She... she also wants to ask the honored guest—what did the man grilling Aqua Meat in Sabaody look like? Do you know his name? Thank you so much."
Hibari's mouth slowly fell open in realization, and she suddenly exclaimed:
"Wait a minute... could it be that the grilled meat vendor, Old Tommy, is your husband? Emily's father?! No wonder your Aqua Meat tastes exactly the same—it's a family recipe!"
At the mention of the name Old Tommy, Margery's eyes instantly reddened, shimmering with unshed tears.
Her body trembled slightly, and she bit her lip, suppressing the emotions surging within her as she signed again.
"Mom says—was this Old Tommy a bit chubby? A little older? With some white hair? Taller than my mom by a bit? And does he limp when he walks?"
"Sorry, I didn't look that closely… but yeah, Old Tommy was kind of chubby. Rorschach-nii, do you remember?"
Hibari scratched her head awkwardly and turned to Rorschach for help, sensing the anticipation in both Margery and Emily's eyes.
Rorschach moved his lips slightly and nodded.
"Yes, the Old Tommy we met in Sabaody looked exactly as you described. And while chatting with him, we learned that he had a beautiful, kind wife and a lively, adorable daughter back home in Water 7's lower district…"
Hearing Rorschach's words, the tears Margery had been holding back finally spilled over, streaming down her cheeks.
As she wept, her expression grew more urgent, and she once again began signing rapidly.
Little Emily clung to her mother's pants, looking up at Rorschach with innocent eyes.
"My mom asks… is Dad doing well over there?"
Rorschach's heart clenched. He forced a stiff smile and nodded.
"He's doing well in Sabaody. Old Tommy is an excellent grill master, and his barbecue stall is quite successful. He told me he wanted to earn a bit more money before returning home to give his wife and daughter a better life."
Margery laughed through her tears and hugged her daughter tightly.
Thank goodness.
That stubborn old fool, Tommy, didn't die in the tsunami all those years ago.
So he had gone to Sabaody…
Margery had no idea where Sabaody was.
But she imagined it must be a safe place, free from the threat of tsunamis.
Tommy was always like this—talking about earning more money.
Years ago, he often complained about the poor living conditions in the lower district. Every year, when the Laculana Tsunami struck, their home would be flooded and soaked by seawater.
Although Mayor Iceburg's protective measures ensured that lower district residents were never in any real danger, Tommy still dreamed of buying a house in the upper district—where he could move Margery and Emily.
Ideally, he wanted a home near the Galley-La Company.
That way, not only would their family be safe from tsunamis, but even if reckless pirates attacked, the powerful shipwrights of Galley-La would be there to protect them.
At the time, Margery had laughed at him, calling him naive—dreaming an impossible dream.
Even though Tommy swore he would make a fortune using his newly developed grilling recipe…
How expensive were houses in the upper district? Didn't he know?
Ordinary lower district folk like them could work for generations and still never afford one.
But to Margery, their home in the lower district wasn't so bad.
At least, every year after the Laculana Tsunami receded, it left behind deposits of high-grade sea salt on the rooftops and streets.
That was always the happiest time for the lower district residents—because they could collect the salt and sell it to upper-district merchants for a generous sum of Beli.
Still… he was safe.
That was all that mattered.
Thank the heavens.
Margery wiped her tears, took a deep breath to calm herself, and bowed apologetically to Rorschach and the others before returning to her grill—busy once again.
She wanted to serve the most delicious grilled Aqua Meat to the three guests who had brought her news of her husband.
About half an hour later, after the guests had finished their meal and left satisfied, Margery began packing up her stall.
Today was truly a lucky day.
Not only had she received news that her husband was still alive, but she had also encountered a group of kind guests who had bought and eaten all the ingredients she had prepared for the day.
Even though she had given them a 30% discount as a token of gratitude, the money she earned was still equivalent to what she usually made in two or three days.
As she wiped down the stall, she suddenly noticed a thick stack of high-denomination Beli bills placed in the corner of her cart.
Margery's heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly picked up the stack of Beli and turned in the direction where the guests had left.
This isn't good!
The guests must have accidentally left their money behind.
Losing such a large sum would surely make them anxious.
Without a second thought, Margery quickly signed to her daughter, instructing her to stay put. Then, clutching the thick stack of Beli tightly, she dashed off in the direction the guests had gone.
She ran as fast as she could.
Ran until she was out of breath.
But as she kept running, her footsteps gradually slowed…
Margery's expression shifted from urgency to blankness.
She came to a stop on the pathway beside the water canal, staring at the winding waterway that stretched endlessly into the distance.
Images flashed through her mind—Hibari's cheerful smile, Rorschach's stiff but kind smile, and the silent presence of Law, who had barely spoken.
Margery lowered her gaze to the thick stack of Beli in her hands.
And suddenly, this woman—who could neither hear nor speak—seemed to understand something.
All the strength drained from her body.
She slowly crouched down, gripping the money tightly, as her hollow eyes filled with a grayish despair.
Just as burning-hot tears, like molten lava, were about to spill from her eyes—
Margery saw the silver-haired, blue-eyed young Marine running back, panting heavily.
He clumsily gestured toward her, then pointed at the stack of Beli in her hands.
Margery was stunned. The gray in her eyes slowly faded away.
She wiped the corners of her eyes in embarrassment, stood up hastily, and nervously extended the money toward the young Marine.
"Auntie, thank you so much! I'm really sorry—I was too focused on eating earlier and left my money at your stall. It was so kind of you to bring it all the way here. I really appreciate it—this is my way of saying thanks."
Rorschach scratched his head and smiled awkwardly. Then, without hesitation, he pulled two 10,000 Beli bills from the thick stack and stuffed them into Margery's hands.
Margery refused to accept it.
She couldn't hear what Rorschach was saying, but she could tell from his actions that he was trying to thank her.
But she couldn't take it.
She immediately tried to push the money back into the young Marine's hands.
But when she looked up, she saw that he was already waving at her with a bright smile—just as carefree as when he had arrived—before dashing away like the wind.
Margery pressed her lips together and stared down at the two crumpled 10,000 Beli bills in her hands.
Then, slowly, a smile spread across her face.
She took a deep breath, carefully folded the bills, and tucked them into her pocket before making her way back to the barbecue stall.
From afar, she could already see her thoughtful daughter, Emily, clumsily cleaning up the grilling tools.
A look of tenderness flashed in Margery's eyes, and she quickly ran over to her.
Tonight, she decided, she would tell Emily all about her father's story—
And teach her what it truly meant to be an honest and trustworthy person.
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Soul Land 2: Golden Dragon King]."
"If you want an early access join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"