Archive of Our Own ^beta

This is my first story in years, I hope you like it sweeties ;3
The story takes place just before the time skip. A few things don't match in terms of time and content. Sooooo, please don't hold that against me, but that's my fantasy and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. ^////^

Info for the first Chapter:

I'm definitelyyy not a submarine professional. ^^'

If something isn’t right... Please be nice and ignore it? XD

I have no idea about submarines and disaster management under water and pls don´t mind the physics :D

AAAAND before I forget; You don’t need to read the first Chapter.

It’s not necessary for the story but I still like it.

Have fun, kiss kiss ♡

The weather on the sea is stormier than it has been for a long time, but you love to watch the spectacle on the sea. No matter how wild the sea is, you could fall asleep on the spot. You close your eyes for a moment because the smell of the rain is just so soothing. You hardly get wet on the huge branch, of the even larger tree. You enjoy the sporadic and cool raindrops on your skin. You listen to the waves crashing against the cliffs. You don't even notice how you slide down slightly. It was already too late when you opened your eyes again but you were able to grab a vine just in time. Your white dress is partly sticking to your skin and partly blowing in the wind. Once again, you will be late.

"Grandpa won't like the way you look (y/n)" you chuckle to yourself as you put your free hand in front of your mouth and continue to hang on to the vine with your other hand. You swing back and forth on the vine to get back on the branch. Actually, you just wanted to do your task quickly and then go back to the village for the ceremony, but even as a child you were always drawn to the sea.

You still need some momentum to reach the branch when suddenly a sound appears in the sea. Your gaze wanders to the sea while you hold onto the vine with both arms.

Something unbelievable is happening before your eyes.

A huge, shiny, yellow vessel??!! - appeared from the depths of the sea? What is that? Your eyes filled with curiosity now look up at the sky and watch the shiplike part fly into the air. It's a little further away, but you can clearly see an icon on the side. A grinning face? Your breath is taken away. This symbol looks familiar, but one small detail is missing from that grinning face.

I swear by the gods of Tanata that I've seen something like this before.

You thought with a fixed gaze, not a word leaves your lips while you are hanging on the vine. You've seen navy ships, and you know your father came to the island with a ship, but their ships looked very different from the thing in front of you. Both in style and construction. Your father and his crew were archaeologists who explored the island because your land is rich in treasures and ancient history. However, they never expected to come across a forgotten civilization that lives in peace. And as life sometimes is, your father fell in love with your mother and for a long time the whole crew lived in the village and everyone was happy.

.. -Was happy-

Your father and his friends, who explored the seas, told you and your people many stories about the world. They bragged about their adventures at festivals and it was always a highlight for children and the curious. They told of all the different creatures on other islands or in the sea. You always found sea kings interesting and Nagi, your father's navigator, drew you a wide variety of sea kings. You've still kept Nagi's drawings safe, as it’s just a relic from your happy childhood. Sometimes your father wanted to talk about pirates and the battles they won against them, but the subject was taboo according to your mother.

Grinning, you think back to the time when your mother was always angry with father when he talked about pirates. She didn't want me as a child to hear about what kind of heartless people exist and what they do to their own species. Our people are good natured, and we firmly believe in the good in all souls. This was appreciated and respected by your father. Your father loved mother's kindness. Unfortunately, your father wasn't the last experience with some kind of outsiders. This brings you back to the familiar symbol that brought up all your memories.

Pirates.

Are they the same!? The same horrible people from 10 years ago?

The symbol triggers fear in you.

A rather crashing splash brings you out of the past, because with a force the thing crashes back into the sea and after it has been briefly swallowed by the surface of the water, it reappears.

"Okay, I'll just take a quick look at this! Only very briefly. They could be hostile people or even worse, pirates!" After all, you are something of a guardian or goddess of this island. You should definitely know what this vessel is all about. At least that's what you tell yourself, so maybe Grandpa doesn't freak out too much.

Slowly you let yourself slide down the vine, until the end. Nevertheless, you are still about 100 meters in the air, but that doesn't bother you. You just let yourself fall and be caught by huge plants that you can -move- with your devil fruit power.

Once on the ground, you quickly straighten your veiled sleeves, which always slip because the sleeves are attached to hoops that are around your upper arms. You look down on yourself. Your skirt is slightly wet and a bit dirty at the bottom, but that doesn't matter now. As you make your way to the cliffs, you hope for the best.

Hastily you move through the dense greenery. The island is your home and you know your way around. Gracefully you jump over every obstacle, swing with a vine over one of the many rivers that flows trough the island, until you reach the edge of the massive forest. Behind you are trees so big that you can hardly see into the forest, as the picture disappears into a deep green.

Barely set foot out of the forest, you encounter the salty breeze of the sea and the rain of the storm. You squint your eyes as you get used to the cool air on your skin. Your hair blows lightly in the wind. It's always warm in your forest. All life on the island is protected from wind and weather as the forest becomes denser at the edge, but the sun always finds its way to the ground and provides a tropical climate. The cool breeze doesn't bother you, quite the opposite. You love this difference, the unknown as well as the sea. The rain, however, is much heavier than it is in the forest.

Your eyes scan the sea in search of the unknown object. Weren't you fast enough? You ask yourself as you slowly walk to the edge of the cliffs. Crouching you look into the depths, but the yellow thing is nowhere to be seen, only the stormy sea as it rushes against the cliffs. You look to the right and see that one of the few caves in the rock walls is open. An entrance that you and your people have barricaded.

There are some entrances on this cliff island, these are actually river paths that lead from the sea through the island. However, this offers opportunities to get to the island. For many generations, these entrances have been closed and opened once a month to renew the water level. Since the island is something like a bowl, it doesn't take long for the rivers and lakes to fill up and then all entrances are closed again. Through the brilliant craftsmanship and knowledge of your father and his crew, the people have managed to make the traces of the entrances invisible. But that's not the only reason why this land is so pristine and protected. The regular storms off the island make mooring impossible, the danger of crashing into the fallen rocks is too high. The island exists on the map, but despite aids it is not possible to navigate here. Various natural phenomena hinder orientation. It is lucky to find this island even in good weather. You have a guess about the whereabouts of the unknown object. A few steps back, you turn on your heels and hurriedly run into the forest. You'll have to search the river and you're almost certain you'll find the Yellow Wonder. You're so soaked by now, but your blood is boiling. You're excited, you're scared, but your curiosity is what makes you boil the most. In the distance you can hear the water flowing, it occurs to you that too much water will enter the valley due to the storm, especially since only one entrance is open. You put your fingers to your lips and whistle into the distance, after a while a paradisiacal bird appears with magnificent colors and as big as a cat.

"Thank you for coming, Hetius." You gently stroke the bird's magnificent plumage and then reach into your pocket. You take a pen and your diary out of your shoulder bag. You quickly write on one page that a gate in the north is damaged and sign your name. You don't mention the Yellow Thing. You don't know yet if there's any danger, but your grandfather would send out soldiers right away.

You tear the page out of the book, fold it, and put it in the tube strapped to the bird's foot.

"Hetius, my faithful friend, please fly to Grandfather as fast as possible and deliver the news. I'll reward you fairly later," you wink at the bird, which chirps happily. These paradisebirds are animals with character and even if they are loyal, they will make you feel it if you forget the reward.

With one last chirp, the big bird takes to the air and without wasting another second, you dedicate yourself to the search of the yellow thing again.

In order not to be discovered, you decide to continue searching from the branches. You want to climb up the tree whose bark is as smooth as it is slippery, but that's not a problem for you. You put both hands on the tree and take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Branches of different sizes and curves in the bark quickly grow alternately, turning the tree in front of you into a climbing wall. Quickly you climb up, to where the first real branches start to grow. Since the trees here are quite close together, it is easy for you to jump from tree to tree. Further and further along the river you will see the yellow construct in front of you. It's bigger than you thought and you now notice that things have changed a bit. It now looks a little more like a ship because sails have been stretched out with the grinning face as a print.

Father had secretly told you that the pirates call this picture on the sails and flags their Jolly Roger. So they're actually pirates. You eye the ship sceptically. On the deck you see a few people in funny suits, who follow a certain workflow and you watch the spectacle from above.

The door of the ship opens and a tall, slender man in a white hat and black dots steps out onto the wooden deck. Close behind him follows… a white bear walking upright!!

Your eyes sparkle at the sight, your cheeks all red because you are so delighted.

Today is such an interesting day.

In front of the man from just now, gather three people. One woman and two men. Everyone wears these unusual suits except for the man with the hat. They salute him as he explains something to them with his arms crossed. Too bad you don't hear them. Apparently, the speech is over, because the three set off in different directions, while the man with the bear are going towards the bow and looks down. Apparently, the river is too narrow at this point and they are stuck. You'd like to get closer, but the risk of being spotted is too high. Even if their Jolly Roger made you feel uncomfortable, you no longer feel fear while watching the people on the boat.

More people come out the door, all in different, flashy clothes. You realize that there are two women among the group. But you don't see their faces because they have their backs to you. Opposite the women are two men, one with green hair and the other with blond hair. The green-haired man turns away from the three of them and walks towards the man at the bow. You watch as the people in the suits prepare a ramp to go ashore. The two women and the blonde guy leave the ship and look around. You lie flat on the branch to make yourself as small as possible while the two women come towards you.

Quietly and quickly you jump to another branch, which is closer to the ship. Even if it's risky, you want to take the risk. You definitely have a better view of the 3 people at the bow now. The bear is totally upset and hobbles back and forth, something seems to be wrong. The sight of the bear makes you giggle without realizing that you are still standing and since you are so close to the ship, this is very careless.

Your laughter suddenly stops and you quickly lie down flat. You just noticed that the green haired man is looking up at you and the heads of the other two are following. Nervously, you hold your hands in front of your mouth. With sweat on your forehead, you hope no one has seen you. Carefully you peek down the branch, hoping that their eyes are turned away from you. Unfortunately for you, all three of them look at you and the two men reflexively grab the swords they are carrying.

You get up abruptly because of their reaction. Do they want to harm you? Do they want to fight? The tension is broken when an incredibly loud noise appears. It sounds like a wave is coming towards us. The gaze of the 3 men goes forward and you follow their gaze. Already from here you can see what a monster wave is coming to all of you. The bear screeches in panic, while they are still frozen in place.

You wanted to take advantage of the situation and understand it when you heard a loud and deep voice.

"ROOM!" comes from the man in the hat. Now, you take a closer look at the man and stop again. With an interesting movement with his one hand, he stands quite calmly on the deck. His other hand holds his sword, which he leans against his shoulder. Amazed at what's next, you didn't really notice a kind of blue dome covering the entire ship. Astonished, you wonder what it is. The call of the green haired man takes you out of your thoughts.

"Oi! LAW! Nami, Robin and Sanji are already on the island. We have to get them back, otherwise they are in danger!"  He notes. Your gaze goes in the direction where you last saw the three. They are still there, looking at the plants and the surroundings, looking as if they are not aware of the seriousness of the situation.

You bite your lip as you look back at the ship. The dome is slowly getting bigger. What will the man do with it? Can he save them all?

You think about what you're doing and as you become more and more aware of the sounds of the water, you grit your teeth and close your eyes.

One moment you were still on the branch and out of nowhere you appeared on the deck, right in front of the men.

Surprised, the green-haired man takes a step back, hands on his sword again, ready to attack! You look directly into the eyes of the man in the hat, who just looks at you calmly as the mysterious space around you grows.

Ice cold gray eyes scrutinize your being. How the hell did you get down here so fast? With his eyebrows furrowed, he stares into your (e/c) eyes but he quickly concentrates on the wave again.

"tcht" Leaves his lips as he grimaces.

You quickly turn towards the wave, which seems unstoppable from now on. Slowly, you raise one hand. From the side you hear a women's screams. Obviously the others are back and know what the situation is. Your complete concentration is on the monster wave in front of you. You have to concentrate because it will take a lot of your energy. With a sharp breath you pause for a moment and focus on the sound of the wave. You feel the size and it feels like the weight of the wave is on top of you. With your eyes closed, you wait for the perfect moment. Just when the right moment comes, you open your eyes and whisper a tender:

-Freeze-

The shouting of the people on the ship stops. The bear is still running in circles in panic. The man, who was called Law by the green haired man, looks at the frozen wave with slightly dilated eyes. The wave stopped on the spot... right in front of the ship.

Slowly, with a friendly smile, you turn to the people who have slowly gathered. With a snap, the huge wave evaporates and small drops of water fly through the air. Silence on the ship. Some are just completely amazed at what just happened before their eyes. This huge wave is just gone. Even the bear slowly realized that there was no longer any danger.

Some eyes look at you with curiosity but the eyes of the two men in front of you look at you with scepticism. Your smile never leaves your lips. You think about how to break this awkward silence. It's starting to make you a little nervous. You're all alone in front of all these people and who knows who else is in this ship. Just as you wanted to open your mouth, the man in the white polka dot hat speaks.

“Who are you” … this was more of a demand than a question. You thought to yourself. You look at him in surprise, a little outraged at his boldness. He on the other hand just looked at you casually.

His gaze seemed so intense… so… attentive?

His sword still rests at his shoulder. The green-haired man steps to his side, his hands on his swords. Your attention is now on him, as you may have to defend yourself.

“We know you’ve been watching us, so answer his question.”

Is that a threat? Well… now it's getting fun. You think for a moment and quickly find your words. With a small smile you say, “Where I come from, you introduce yourself before you ask the name of the person you’re talking to.”. You put your hands on your hips and look with a smile, from the green-haired man to the silent hat-wearer. He just looks you in the eyes silently and a small grin appears on his face.

A somewhat arrogant grin.

“You can call me Law.” – “My name is Roronoa Zoro” The two introduce themselves without any further comment. Nice. Apparently they have some manners.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is (y/n).” You place your hand on your chest as you bend over slightly. You don't want a fight. On the one hand, you want to know what they want here, and on the other hand, you're just curious. You don't feel like fighting, even if you can fight.

Zoro’s posture takes on a more relaxed stance. The other three who previously came out of the ship with Zoro, have now joined them. One of the women, a little younger and with orange hair comes a little closer to you.

“You helped us, I would like to thank you for that!” Even when she expresses her gratitude to you, she seems slightly tense. You look over the crowd, in general they all look a bit tired.

“You don’t need to thank me, that was the best solution in my opinion.” You smile gently at her.

“OOOOH MADEMOISELLE! I thought I was going to drown because of the wave, but now it's just your beauty that's washing me away!” With a somewhat shrill voice, their blonde comrade kneels and woos you. You nervously try to keep your distance, your cheeks slightly red.

“I thank you for your... words…? But you don’t have to come so close to me” You cross your finger in front of yourself and everyone can tell that you’re embarrassed. You look pretty cute with how embarrassed you are about the situation. You look away from the blonde and notice how Zoro and Law are visibly disgusted. Yupp. You find this cringe too.

“SANJI DISTANCE!” The orange haired woman shouts and hits him on the head. Rubbing his head, the blonde man steps back and lights a cigarette. You breathe out in relief and your cheeks return to their normal color.

“My name is Nami by the way” She smiles at you as she clasps her hands behind her back. You find her very endearing for a brief moment, but Law's commanding voice takes you out of the moment.

“Can you tell us where we are right now?” You look into his strong, gray eyes “You are on the island of Tanata. Didn’t you come here on purpose?” you ask.

Are they just lost? You secretly hope...

“To put it briefly, we are more like shipwrecked people.” He answers you. You won't lose the feeling that they must have been through more than just being stranded. You look around. Almost everyone suffered injuries.

“You said we are on Tanata?” The second woman, who has been quietly observing everything so far, looks at you expectantly.

“My name is Nico Robin.” She smiles softly at you, and you smile right back.

"Yeah right. It is extremely rare that…” – “(Y/N)!!!!” You hear it calling from the forest. You also know who the voice belongs to. It is, of course, the voice of your uncle… the commander of the Kings army. The soldiers surround the ship and are ready to attack but your uncle raises his hand, signalling that the soldiers should stop and wait for his order. With just a few jumps he stands on the deck and comes towards you with heavy steps.

“I greet you Commander Zelos.” nervously you say and bow slightly to your uncle.

NOT. GOOD! You panic a bit.

I should have known that Grandfather would also send the army! I was so distracted by my childish curiosity.

As you bow, you bite your lip. You didn't expect that. If only you had a little more time to figure out whether they are friends or enemies.

“I’m listening.” his stern voice startles you and you stand bolt upright. You scratch your head tensely as you suppress a nervous laugh. You look into his eyes and give your uncle your sweetest smile, which would make everyone melt.

“I… got lost…” You clasp your hands together and shamelessly lie with puppy eyes. Your uncle is actually the sweetest person, but he takes his job as commander very seriously...

However, he always had a weak heart with you.

He exhales in annoyance and reaches behind his back, where his huge battle axe is attached. He turns to the strangers and taps the ground with his long handle, making a loud, dull noise.

“I give you the chance to leave this place without a fight. If you refuse to leave this island as quickly as possible, we will make sure that you leave the island or die." The aura around my uncle seems threatening and the situation is so tense that you can hardly breathe.

“We have several injured people and one person on board whose life is in danger. It was not our intention to come to this island. However, we cannot leave immediately because the ship needs certain repairs. We don't necessarily want to fight either." Nami tries to defuse the situation with her words while she pokes Zoro in the side with her elbow as he is already in a fighting position.

“Someone’s life is in danger?!” you startle, looking worriedly at Nami’s face. She nods slightly.

"We are pirates who fought in the decisive battle of the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates, and Law and his crew helped us out quite a bit." Sanji explains further as he blows out the smoke from his cigarette. Your uncle listens quietly to their words. He knows these people will only be trouble, but he also sees how worried you are. He already knows what's coming and he doesn't quite know how to prevent it. Because even if he is a commander, your rank puts you above him.

“Zelos, did you hear?” Hastily you grab his arm and look up at him. “One of them is very badly injured. I will help them. You know I can’t neglect my duty!” you press him as he rolls his eyes.

“Are you going to talk to the king?” What do you want to tell him?” He belittles you with his questions. You don't actually want to talk to Grandpa because the reason is beyond childish. You just don't feel like they're bad people, but your grandfather the king wouldn't accept that. You let out a heavy puff, but you don't want to admit defeat.

“I don’t like saying that…” You take a step back and straighten your back and elegantly clasp your hands together in front of you. Your determined gaze meets your uncle.

“...But you leave me no choice, Commander. I, (y/n), order you to leave with the soldiers. I will offer my help where I think it is needed. If you can't follow my decision, I would like to remind you of something important in life..." You look at the many strange faces who are watching the situation somewhat perplexed. A grin lies on your lips. You slowly walk forward to one of the injured people on the ship. You walk closely past Law and Zoro, whose eyes are on you as you calmly walk towards a young man. He wears a cap that has the word -Penguin- on it. He quickly looks left and right and blushes when he notices you walking straight towards him.

A really beautiful woman approaches him. Beads of sweat flow like a waterfall down his face. Your face is as beautiful as it was created by the gods. One step and he could smell your probably delicate and gentle scent... you're that close to him. Your gaze is on the untreated wound on his cheek. But the young man, without you really noticing, gets it aaaaaaall wrong. He must believe that you are looking at his lips. It's literally steaming out of his ears.

“Hey, what are you going to do to one of my crew members?” Law grumbles dangerously, now standing by your side and his sword firmly in his hand. Your uncle responds, standing on your other side with a tight grip on his axe. He watches Law very closely so that he can react in case of doubt.

You give Law your warmest smile before turning away from him. Law's eyes widen slightly, a flicker goes through his eyes. He briefly closes his eyes and relaxes his body as his eyes follow you again. Everyone on the ship watches intently.

You place your hand on the man's cheek where the wound is, calmly breathe in and close your eyes. The young man is startled when he feels your warmth and a feeling of well being spreads throughout his entire body. His cheek is slightly warm, and you open your eyes again, removing your hand from his cheek.

“I believe in the good in people’s hearts until they prove me otherwise.” You speak out loud as you look over your shoulder at your uncle. Your mother had said similar things to your uncle when they were children… You're so similar to her, he thought. Satisfaction appears on your face. The young man touches his cheek in disbelief, his wound has disappeared. With widened eyes, everyone looks at the man who was previously injured.

You turn to your uncle.

“Can you follow my views, and will you join me in believing in the good in people?” You asked him confidently. Your uncle gets down on one of his knees and lowers his head.

“Of course, my Holiness” – “Rise Commander” you say to him while touching his shoulder with your delicate hands.

You happily clap your hands once to break the silence.

With your eyes closed, you grin to yourself and say the following words, slightly embarrassed.

“I am very sorry for the way we welcomed you. We rarely have strangers here and prefer it that way. However, I didn't want to judge you too quickly and get an idea of you first. Please be our guests. I want to make the unpleasant situation better and offer you my hand.” With your last sentence you turn to Law, who looks at you intently. You hold out your small hand and give him a bashful smile. He hesitantly grabs your hand.

His handshake is firm and yet his hands are soft. You look at his hands and see his tattoos. “Death” is written on his knuckles.

- How gloomy-

Your gaze wanders back up, only to notice Law still watching you. With slightly reddened cheeks, you let go of his hand. Law's eyes are still on you as he begins to speak.

"We accept the offer. However, our submarine is still stuck.”

“Hmmm, that’s true,” you replied thoughtfully with your hand on your chin. “We probably won’t find a solution so quickly, but it’s safe on the island since the entrance is closed again.” Zelos speaks. You turn away from Law who has switched his gaze from you to your uncle and you do the same.

Nami arrives carefully and raises her hand slightly as if she wanted to say something important.

“That all sounds very good, but there are quite a feeew people… where should we stay? And apart from that, our captain is very seriously injured. If you can really help, we should get to your doctors as quickly as possible. Luffy has been through a lot and was even recently poisoned. Chopper and Law did their best, but Luffy still suffers,” she says, a little embarrassed and very worried.

Questioningly, you put a hand on your hip and look at the young woman with a slightly furrowed brow.

“What is a doctor?”

“EEEEEEEEHHH???!!!!” It sounds like a choir on the ship.

Eyes literally pop out of everyone's eyes. You said you could help, and you even made the man's wound disappear??? Pure confusion spreads across their faces.

In the corner of your eye, you see Law looking at you almost disturbed. How are you supposed to help without medical knowledge? He is aware that you have, somehow, healed one of his members. He's not entirely sure how you did it, but he definitely wants to find out.

You're not sure, but did you really just see Law smiling a little mischievously at you? You dismiss the idea; you probably just imagined it. You turn your attention back to Nami.

“We don't have any -doctors- but I assure you that I can help you. Please trust me” With an optimistic look, you grab her hands and squeeze them gently.

She remains motionless for a small moment but can't help but sigh softly as she looks into your kind face.

“We have no choice at the moment and I want to trust you,” she replies with a smile and returns the pressure on your hands. You grinned at each other. A clearing of someone’s throat brings you back. Your eyes go to your uncle, who was the one clearing his throat.

“It hasn't been decided yet where you want to accommodate all your guests.” Your uncle says with a raised eyebrow. “I already have an idea. I'm sure you won't like the idea, but my mind is made up." Everyone can tell that you're close. It seems very familiar between you and the commander. You give the tall, menacing man a cheeky grin and turn around.

“We should get going.” You look up at the sky. “The sun will soon set, the storm has subsided and I do not wish to become the prey of a Cerberus. The forest will be getting reaaally dark and you can't see well. With so many injured we are easy prey." - "There are Cerberuses here???" Robin says with interest. “Yes, and they are dangerous when they hunt in packs.” – “Okay guys, get ready to leave, secure the ship and prepare to transport the Straw Hat. You heard (Y/N). We shouldn’t stay here.” Law interrupts you as he calls out to the group.

The crew runs around hurriedly. Just like before when you were on the branch, you are observing a systematic process. You watch with interest as the sails are lowered and the ship is secured. Your uncle puts a hand on your shoulder, but your gaze doesn't look away from the scene in front of your eyes.

"I'm curious to hear what you'll say to Father." He speaks so quietly that only you can hear him. You recognize that teasing tone and nudge his side with your elbow.

“Grandpa may be the King, but I am the Holy Princess.” You wink at him.

Zelos is sure that HE will face the consequences, but how can he say anything against you when your face reminds him so much of his sister - your mother -. You don't have her fine blonde hair, but your face looks so much like hers and you definitely have the same personality. The same mind, the same compassion, the same curiosity in the heart. Your uncle rolls his eyes and huffs. You're bold and you definitely didn't get that from your mother... you got THAT from your father! But your father also gave you good qualities. You have become a strong woman even if you don't look like one.

From the outside it would look like the commander was annoyed, but you just laugh at him because you know he loves you like a father.

The door of the ship opens again and out comes a few crew members with a person on a hospital bed. You see a quite young man; he doesn't look good. There are bandages everywhere that are stained with blood in some places. He is white as a sheet and even from where you stand you can see the shadows under his eyes. It makes you so sad when you see someone suffering.

Shortly before the gates of Tanata you slowly realize what awaits you at home.

What will you say to Grandpa? How will he react?

Grandfather is a good man, but he isn't as friendly towards strangers as he used to be... Understandably. You clench your fists. It's been almost ten years but since you saw that symbol on the ship, all the memories come flooding back. You hold your arm and press lightly into your skin.

The gate opens slowly. The doors, just as high as the walls, shake the ground and a beautiful picture slowly emerges in front of the strangers.

A great old city in the distance, as magnificent as described in stories - stories of forgotten worlds. You all pass through the gate and guards greet you.

“I greet you, Your Holiness and Commander Zelos.” One of the guards greets and everyone bows slightly. When everyone has entered the ground of Tanata, the massive stone gate closes with a dull sound. Zelos lets his soldiers go home and follows you as an escort. Down the paved path, past the rivers and meadows, you arrive in the city after a short walk.

The guests look around in amazement. The pirates feel like they are in a fairy tale. Charming alleys and well preserved buildings covered with beautiful plants give the historic city a romantic appearance. You all hurry through the less visited streets on the outskirts of town. You move as close as possible and just as you're about to turn the corner you hear people laughing and talking. You stop abruptly and hold your hand up; those behind you also stop. A few people stumble over their own feet or the person in front of them. You don't notice it, but Law, who is right behind you, is having a hard time not falling into you because Sachi and Penguin have slammed into him. You carefully look around the edge of the wall and watch two women drawing water from a small well. You all listen to the women talk about the celebration and how they imagine themselves watching the ceremony with their crush. You're happy because everyone is always so carefree. Near the plaza you'll see a few people closing their shops, some meeting up with their loved ones, and they're all probably going to the festival. The people on the streets are dressed simply yet elegantly. “(y/n)? Why do they all look so similar when it comes to clothing?” Nami comes from behind you, with quick steps. She looks curiously at the clothes of the townspeople.

“Today is a day of remembrance in honor of Heraia.” You look into the crowd yourself from the shadows of the alleys. To you, they look the same as usual... of course, many are wearing their best jewelry and their whitest clothes, but their clothing is not that different from their everyday style. Some of them wear simple tunics and use jewelry. Others, on the other hand, prefer more ornate fabrics with gold accents and some also have elegantly embroidered capes. The women like to wear a veil or bracelets with sleeves like you are wearing. While the men, with a well built chest, like to just wear the pleated skirt with maybe a cape. But it's definitely very exciting for outsiders, you think to yourself and giggle. Your father and his friends were also dressed completely differently than your people.

“It’s nice how everyone follows tradition.” She says dreamily. “Do you have any customs or something similar for the day?” She asks you. You're happy about her interest but wince a little when she asks "Oh yeah, definitely. We’ll even have a ceremony early in the evening.” Nami’s right eyebrow goes up at your suspicious laugh. “A ceremony, yes?” she teases. You puff out and admit, “Yup, a ceremony that I’m late for.” – “Again.” Adds your uncle, who came out of nowhere. You boldly stick your tongue out at him. Dumbass.

“Commander, I believe your presence at the festival is necessary. Tell the king I'll be there in time for the speech to begin. I'll take care of the rest and heal the boy and come right away." - "Do you promise?" One of his hands on each of your shoulders "Promise." He's not entirely sure if you'll actually be on time, but that's the minor problem at the moment anyway.

You're almost at the palace. You only have to climb what feels like a thousand stairs because the royal palace is on a hill. Even from below, the columns look so huge and massive. From up there you have a breathtaking view over the city. At first you don't even notice how the group stops following you. From here everything looks so small and everyone briefly admires the timeless architecture. Eventually you realize that no one is behind you because you no longer hear the sounds of footsteps. You quickly grab Law by his clothes. “Go, go, go!” You scurry at him with a waving hand gesture. “We shouldn’t stay here so long before someone comes out of the palace!!!” You speak quietly but just loud enough to not be a whisper.

It's more than convenient for you that both the majority and Grandfather have their hands full with the upcoming ceremony... So you can take the troop of almost 30 people to the Hera Palace at your leisure. The Hera Palace is the residence of princes and princesses when they decide to not take the throne. Even if you as a princess have no interest in the throne, you don't live there. Even if you wanted to, you couldn't become Queen of Tanata. You have no right to the throne. Even though you are the Princess, you are also a Holy Priestess because of the Devil Fruit.

Besides, you just don't want to live in the Hera Palace... you'd be all alone there. Your uncle and his wife lived in the mansion but because of the tragedy they have moved back into the royal palace and are raising the next king to secure the throne. Your uncle is the commander of the army and even though the country is very safe, you have to be well prepared. Luckily, Grandpa is more than fit and is a wonderful king.

Between the royal palace and the Heras estate is the magnificent castle garden, with a long pool in the middle.

Like a secret special unit, you navigate the pirates through the castle garden. Hedges and trees give you protection (If someone were in the castle, you would be sooo seen... especially the pirates in the funny suits.) and little by little you arrive at Hera's Palace. You slam the heavy doors behind you and breathe a sigh of relief. In the reception hall, the team stands in front of you and waits for... you. You're still in your own head, leaning lightly against the door like you've had a hard day at work. Law's throat clearing brings you back.

"Ah yes, right!" You swing away from the door and walk towards the pirates.

“So! You can all feel at home, there should be enough beds available. On the ground floor there is a saloon, the large fireplace room with a bar, the kitchen and dining room. The royal family's bedrooms are on the first floor, and I allow you to use them too. The special thing about these bedrooms is that they all have their own bathroom.” You raise a finger and demand “But I have one condition. I want all women to have a royal room. The rooms on the top floor belonged to the employees and they all shared a bathroom, and I don't want to do that to the women" you wink at Nami and Robin "If I counted correctly there are only 3 women among you. There are a total of 2 double rooms and 8 single rooms, of the Royal bedroom floor. You can decide among yourselves who sleeps in the remaining rooms.” You clasp your hands together behind your back and smile at everyone around. A few crew members thank you for your hospitality and look very relieved. Then the bear comes running towards you with slight tears in his eyes and cuddles you. You startle a little but when you felt the cuddly bear's fur you couldn't help but snuggle up into him. Hyyaaaaaaa sooo soft!

"I think we should take Strawhat-ya to one of the royal rooms. He needs rest and you said you could help. We shouldn’t waste time.” He says somewhat decisively in a cool tone. You and the bear stare at him, eyes widening slightly at his voice, but he's right. You reluctantly leave the bear's embrace.

“That’s a good idea.” You nod to him and walk past him towards the stairs “Please follow me with the young gentleman. The rest are welcome to move freely.”

The pirates carrying the straw hat on the stretcher ran after you. They were followed by a few more. Among them Sanji, Robin, Zoro, Nami, which you already know. But there are also a few unknown faces, someone named Usopp, a skeleton??!! and an interestingly built man in ?panties? How obscene you think. You almost didn't see the next person because they were walking behind the big man in panties.

A little animal! It looks like a reindeer walking upright. How cute!

You're literally bursting at the cuteness… and that hat!! Like Sanji, you have heart eyes. You love cute things. With your hands clasped together, you bend down slightly towards the fur wearer.

“Well, we don’t know each other yet. A little reindeer! How cute, are you a pet?" The reindeer blushes and scratches his head in embarrassment... if you knew... he's definitely not a pet but at least you didn't think he was a Tanuki "Nooo!!! I'm not a pet... you idiot! hehe" he wiggles back and forth cutely as your eyes suddenly return to normal, staring straight down at him.

Two hands grab your arms from behind and try to support you, but you fall straight into their chest. A fairly well defined chest. You still hold one hand to your forehead while your eyes go up over your shoulder. You look straight into Law’s stormy grey eyes. When your eyes meet, you feel his grip tighten a little. You're so close that you feel his breath on your forehead, but you don't take your eyes off his and he doesn't move at all either.

Hmm, he looks a bit lanky in his sweater, but apparently he's built sturdier than he seems.

You blush at your thoughts. What are you thinking????!

Law looks at you with slight amusement and puts you back on your own two feet. His warmth leaves you and right now you're turning REALLY red.

“Eheem!” comes from the side. Your gaze goes down to the reindeer. "My name is Chopper and I'm the doctor of the Strawhat Pirates." He speaks. You lean forward slightly again and carefully hold out your hand. “Nice to meet you, Chopper!” My name is (y/n)” and you smile lovingly.

Law sees your smile and immediately notices the difference. You smile a lot, but this is definitely different. He doesn't understand why he's thinking about your smile. Generally about smiling. He stares at the two of you with a blank expression on his face.

The men carefully place the strawhat on the kingsize bed and leave the room. The people who came into the room gather around the bed with worried looks. You take a chair and place it on the bed, your arms resting on the back.

"Please explain to me what happened to him... He looks very worn out and the harder the injuries are, the more it affects me." Zoro explained to you what happened to the crew.

In front of you are all of the Strawhat Pirates; and their captain - Monkey D. Luffy - is lying in bed. Law is not one of them as he is the captain of the Heart Pirates... those funny clothed guys. Law and his comrades helped them in battle, by enabling the Strawhats to escape in their submarine. Sanji mentioned what kind of poisoning Luffy suffered when their small group tried to free his brother in a maximum security prison called Impel down. His brother was about to be executed and a fight was unavoidable. This leads to the story of the battle between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates, as Luffy's brother was apparently a commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.

There was a lot of fighting over a long period of time and with far too few breaks to regenerate. You listen quietly to the members and form your own opinion. How tragic.

Their looks filled with sadness.

It moves you very much to see them like that. You can literally feel what they must have been through. You sit down on the chair, your gaze is on the boy. His skin is so pale and he has dark circles under his eyes that are slightly purple. His breathing is rapid and unsteady and every now and then he lets out a pained moan.

You reach for his shaking hand, holding it in both of your hands and bringing his hand to your forehead. You focus on the cold from his hand, as if he had already passed away. The way he looks, he must feel like he's dying... you're sure of that.

The room is filled with silence and no one really knows what you're about to do.

You bring his hand to your mouth and kiss the back of his hand with your full lips. Right now you see it. Everything that happened to Luffy and you go back to just before when he was still fine. It's as if you are in a room where the images of the past pass by like a flashback. Horrible images stretch through your mind. A tear leaves your eyes, but you have to concentrate. You hear Luffy's breathing soften. It's almost done.

A few look at you worriedly while Law, Sanji and Zoro watch you closely. Basically you just kiss his hand...are you helping him yet? You don't see their looks because your eyes are closed. You have to focus. You have a very bitter taste in your mouth as the events unfold before your eyes where Luffy was poisoned. You feel your blood heating up and your heartbeat getting faster. Just before you want to let go, you feel a burning sensation in your throat and it's difficult to breathe. You feel like the poison is literally flowing down your throat. The burning is unbearable. You let go of Luffy's hand and fall into the backrest, gasping for air helplessly. You didn't expect that. Chopper and Law rush over and check you out. Law places two of his fingers on your neck to feel your pulse. Your pulse is beating like crazy, but he doesn't know what's wrong with you. He has no idea what you've done. His cool fingers on your neck make you realize how warm you feel. Not just warm, rather hot. You weakly open your eyes and try to lean forward. You're not done yet, you have to go back in time a little more. As if you and Luffy had swapped, your hands are now shaking and his are completely calm. The injuries from the battle are gone, but Luffy still has old wounds and the poison is causing you problems. But you're sure you can do it, you just didn't expect this boy to have endured all of this without dying.

Your lips back on his hand, you continue. Law and Chopper right by your side, not knowing what to do or how to help you...

Without overstepping your own boundaries, you found a moment where you were sure that Luffy was in good shape. After a while, you let go of his hand and fall back. Exhausted, you look at Law, who looks amazed at the calm Luffy. Luffy looks like he's just sleeping. His eyes no longer have purple circles, his skin color is back to normal and his breathing has stabilized.

“He just needs a good night's sleep and be fit again after a few days as I have completely healed his injuries. He was very damaged and when he is awake I want to know how he survived these immense amounts of poison!!!” You look stunned.

Sanji and Zoro grin while the rest laugh. Law remains silent and seems lost in thought. His eyes are on you again, but you are too exhausted to notice. “That’s just how our captain is. He won't be able to give you a plausible explanation how he survived that." Robin laughs with her hand in front of her mouth.

"If he's actually completely healed, why does he still need rest?" Chopper asks you like a cute child “If I use my devil fruit a lot on someone, it leaves certain marks on them. The more strength I use, the more exhausted the person becomes and falls into a long sleep.” you look to the side, a little ashamed. “If only I could use my powers more specifically, but unfortunately I’m not that good yet.” A light pink color appears on your cheeks. Nami comes to you and squats down. She wanted to tell you something but the silence was broken by Law.

"Room" a dome appears over Luffy and when it completely covers the boy he spoke the words "Scan" He takes a few steps back, somewhat disturbed “His... wounds” he says confused and looks into your half-closed eyes. “His wounds are gone?” he asks, he can’t quite understand how that could be. You just kissed him... He saw that Luffy's condition had suddenly improved, but he didn't expect that. His wounds are completely gone.

According to Law's spoken words, the others are also visibly surprised.

You can understand that it's strange, but you're just happy to be of help.

Satisfied, you briefly close your eyes.

“I definitely owe you all an explanation, but I’ll get to that later.” You slowly stand up, putting your hands on your hips. "I have to change quickly and go to the festival, the ceremony cannot begin without me." You breathe out “I ask you to stay in the manor until I have spoken to the king. I have to explain it to him gently and that's why no one should discover you." A distressed groan comes from the Strawhats.

“What a shame, I would have loved to watch the ceremony. I have heard the village people talk about it. Your performance should be a real spectacle.” Robin says with a small, melancholic smile. You think about the beautiful evening ritual and the corners of your mouth turn up unnoticed. “Yes, that’s right, it’s a real spectacle…” you say dreamily;

Actually, everyone should have seen this at least once in their life and with so many people on the street it won't be noticeable, right?

You think with a hand on your chin, “Oh you know what... if you want, I can take you to the festival site. If you dress up, you shouldn't stand out in the crowd." That's the idea. A small cheer appears from a few of the Strawhats, just quiet enough that it shouldn't disturb the sleeping Luffy.

You're looking at the skeleton man and panties guy.

The two definitely stand out too much... You interrupt the cheering and point out that it would be better if the two of them stayed in Hera's palace. They both stop in the middle of their dance movement and hang their heads depressed. You somewhat regret your decision, but you know how it will end. There are a few people here with different skin colors, but a skeleton and a metal man are far too unusual to not be noticeable. The two of them stay in the palace with Chopper while the rest decide to go into the city. But first you all have to change your clothes.

Back through the garden you make your way to the royal palace. Once again along the hedges, you are just as careful as before. You carefully check every corner before giving the others a signal and they follow you. There should still be a few servants in the palace. Most of the servants could be bribed with sweets or wouldn't say anything since you're very popular with the people, but better safe than sorry! But there could still be a problem and that would be if you run into Anatol. Anatol is not just an old good friend of your grandfather; He is also the Royal Advisor and very loyal to your grandfather. Your sweet nature doesn't appeal to him in the slightest! The smartest thing to do is to sneak into the palace from outside through the kitchen. The servants usually use separate entrances in the castle and you are sure that the chef is still wandering around the kitchen because he is waiting for you. You bite your lip a little, feeling sorry for him missing a lot of the festival because of you. But at the same time you're happy, otherwise you wouldn't be able to come into the kitchen. The doors are always locked and either you have a key or someone can open the door for you from the inside.

When you get to the side entrance to the kitchen, you listen at the door. You hear him humming.

Good! He's in the kitchen! You feel relieved.

The others eye you and you hold a finger to your lips to signal them to be quiet. You knock on the door three times and take a step back.

Three knocks and he knows it's you. The door opens and Philippos the Royal Chef stands in front of you. With his stature and all the tattoos on his body, he looks more like a huge, dangerous thug than like a chef to the others. Philippos stares at you all with a kitchen knife in his hand. He probably sharpens and polishes all the knives because the knife in his hand sparkles at you. Usopp and Nami look at you a little uncertainly, but you remain silent, smiling at Philippos.

"Princess. What have you done?" His eyebrow goes up. Ussopp and Nami now look at each other in fear, while the others look at the big man. With the polishing cloth in his hand, he polishes the knife and looks over your squad. Their clothing is very unusual for residents of Tanata, he wonders who your new friends are and turns around and walks calmly back into the kitchen. You let your guests walk past you and close the door behind you.

Philippos puts his knife aside and asks you all to sit down for a moment. The big man goes to the stove and puts on a kettle. You nod to the others in confirmation and sit down at the large marble table in the kitchen, where the kitchen staff usually work. Sanji's jaw almost drops to the table, he is so fascinated by this elegant kitchen interior. He would be happy to cook here himself. You watch with amusement. Apparently he doesn't just have a thing for women. Nami, who is sitting next to you, pierces you with her questioning looks. You lean over and whisper in her ear that she will soon find out why we should sit down for a moment. The others look around in silence. The kitchen is like a small hall with round columns and high ceilings with ornaments. Lots of plants decorate the room and the large kitchen counter made of marble is a real eye catcher. Light shines through the large windows giving a warm atmosphere. The room appears so simple and dreamy. Philippos comes to the table with teacups and small sandwiches and pours everyone a cup of tea. Then he sits down, picks up his cup and looks at you expectantly.

"Well, I'm curious what kind of tea you have for me, my princess." With an amused smile, he brings his cup to his mouth and holds his little finger in the air. His attitude always makes you giggle. You don't know anyone else who loves gossip as much as he does. But Law, Sanji, Robin and Nami's faces are even better. Everyone is a little horrified by the playful mood. They would have expected a little interrogation but this is more of a tea party where people gossip. You rest your elbow on the table and put your chin in your hand. An amused grin appears on your lips. Zoro and Usopp apparently didn't even notice what Philippos said, as the two of them were more busy eating the sandwiches. You look at Law across from you and exhale somewhat heavily.

“I was in the woods when I saw something amazing.” You look intently at the chef, creating tension. "You won't believe me! but I witnessed how a huge ship literally came shooting out of the depths of the sea!!!" With your hand movements you emphasize the words to make it more dramatic. Philippos listens to you intently and sips his tea. "And knowing the princess, of course you went to where the ship in question was. Right?" - "Mhm." you agree with him.

"I'm currently hiding about 30 people in Hera's Palace." you giggle. Philippos smiles “speechless” and holds a hand in front of his mouth. “Oh my goodness! You’ve done something great again.” he says ironically. Because of the casual conversation, the other two girls blossom and join in the conversation. Nami told Philippos how you first stopped and then dissolved the huge wave. Philippos listens to her with interest, aware of what an amazing show it must have been. After all, everyone in the kingdom knows your abilities. The only one feeling a bit lost is Law. He listens to your conversation but isn't sure why he came along in the first place. Sandwiches aren't to his liking and gossip definitely isn't to his liking either, but he still can't stop listening when he hears your melodious voice.

After the nice chat, Philippos turned away from the table to cook something on the stove. The room fills with the scent of fresh herbs. You and Nami talk about clothes while happily eating sandwiches. You wanted Law to eat something too but he refused. You're a little embarrassed that you didn't ask him sooner. The others happily helped themselves to the appetizers while Law calmly drank his tea. Philippos came back to the table and gave you a large cup of herbal tea. He grabbed a small bottle of black liquid from a locked cupboard and put 3 drops in your cup. You thank him and hesitate for a moment. "Come on, Princess. You know you have to drink the tea hot." You exhale in frustration and quickly pour the liquid down your throat. The hot tea burns your throat a bit but Philippos has already put a glass of cold water in front of you. You quickly reach for the cold water. Law is visibly interested

"What was that black liquid?" - "This is a type of syrup that strengthens the body. Our herbalists prepared this liquid for the princess." Philippos places the small bottle on the table in front of Law. He examines the bottle, smells it and grimaces. "That smells very strong." - "It doesn't taste good either." you completed his statement "But before every ceremony I have to drink this tea. It has to be fresh and hot, otherwise the syrup won't develop... that's why Philippos waited for me for so long" you look at him apologetically and he waves you off, with slightly reddened cheeks. "The tea ensures that I have enough energy for the ceremony" - "interesting" Completely fascinated, Law swings the liquid in the bottle back and forth. "I thought you didn't have doctors" he looks intensely into your eyes "y-yes, that's true. I've never heard of doctors. Our healers have a broad knowledge of plants and their effects, so they are doctors for you ?" - “Not really.” he answers shortly. You look at him puzzled while he puts a drop on his finger and tries the liquid. He doesn't say anything else and leaves the conversation unexplained.

Okayyy so he keeps things exciting. You guess?

After you leave the kitchen, you all sneak down the long hallway. You quickly hurry into your room, you are really glad that no one saw you.

"Take a seat in front of the fireplace, I'll bring you clothes." You say before leaving the room again. You go into the royal dressing room and pick out some simple robes for the 6 people.

As you pack a bunch of clothes and accessories for the girls, you wonder what you'll give the men to wear. Your uncle probably won't mind if you borrow some clothes from him. You chose rather simple skirts, with subtle embroidery in gold. At the back there is a kind of longer cloth attached to the waistband of the back, which you can throw over your shoulder. This means the chest is covered a bit and provides some warmth on cool evenings.

You quickly run back to your room. The six people were patiently waiting for you in your room.

"I definitely found something suitable for everyone." You give each of the men their clothes and a pair of sandals. "I just brought a small selection for you two because I can give you my clothes without making it too noticeable." You put the mountain down and Nami's eyes sparkle. Robin looks thrilled at the beautiful fabrics and veils. Both of them thank you for your kindness.

"Okay, if anyone wants to take a shower, feel free to freshen up quickly. My personal bathroom is up there." You point to a door to your left. "We still have about an hour until the main ceremony of the festival. We should hurry up because I can't be late!"

(Your bathroom is like a hammam bath. In the middle there is a slightly larger pool in the ground but the water is not particularly deep.)

You briefly discuss who would like to take a shower and decide that you women should go first because you need a little more time for your hair to dry. With the clothing of their choice under their arms, Nami and Robin follow you into the bathroom.

After you have finished your shower, you come out of the bathroom fully dressed. In your noble clothes, with veils on your arms and gold jewelry, you three look like goddesses. Apart from Sanji, the men seem rather uninterested and walk past you to freshen up in the bathroom. Only Sanji doesn't follow and falls to his knees in front of you with a nosebleed. His heart almost jumps out of his chest. A few incomprehensible sentences leave his lips as Zoro comes back and drags him by his collar into the bathroom.

In the meantime, you women do each other's hair and talk about Tanata's culture.

You choose your jewelry together with the ladies. Robin watches Nami place a golden leaf crown on your head and eats some pastries that Philippos gave you. “Some food for your nerves” he said to you with a wink and handed you the package with the tasty treats, as you said goodbye to him. You could definitely use something for your nerves, you thought to yourself and took a little something from the tray that Robin held out to you. After you've adjusted yourself a bit in front of a mirror, you collapse into the sofa next to Nami. You looked slightly to the side over your shoulder, as the bathroom door opened and the men entered your bedchamber again. You quickly stand up and move towards them. The four pirates look down on themselves and react very differently to the clothing.

Sanji enjoys the long men's skirt and adjusts the part that is thrown over his shoulder so that the material creates casual folds. He gently pats himself down and says, somewhat puzzled, where he should put his cigarettes. You chuckle at his mumble because actually all of your clothes don't have pockets. You go to a large wardrobe where your everyday clothes are and take out a small, simple leather bag. You hand it over to Sanji, who thanks you with a naughty wink. Usopp comments on how airy the clothes are and has wrapped a scarf with the material as he sits in front of the fireplace. Law and Zoro have quite a similar reaction to themselves as they look in a mirror. Their faces look almost disgusted, but in such a way that it's funny again. Somehow they still have to get used to this material. The silky smooth fabric lies prominently on the hips and emphasizes the V line. The two men are definitely impressive, but many of the men here in Tanata are also beautifully built.

“Does it have to be so loose?” the green-haired man fiddles wildly with his clothes. He can't quite cope with putting the material neatly over his shoulder, it's far too loose and his whole chest is actually exposed. Sanji starts teasing him and the two get into a little banter. Nami tries to end the argument between the two of them but it was in vain. In the end she was forced to smack them both and complained to them while she adjusted Zoro's clothes. A sweet giggle leaves Robin's lips as she watches the three of them. Your gaze falls on Law, who is looking at himself in the mirror with a dumbfounded expression. You stand sideways behind him and look at him through the mirror. You noticed his tattoos straight away. It's almost a shame how he desperately tries to cover most of his chest. The other men also have a body that deserves praise, but you still have a thing for tattoos. For a brief moment you're surprised which men would tattoo a huge heart on his chest, but there's one right in front of you.

Law coughs a small 'ahem' into his hand, making you look up. You see his gaze on you through the reflection and look at him a little ashamed. He definitely noticed your (e/c) eyes roaming thrilled over his torso. You try to distract him with a specific question.

“You don’t seem to be feeling very well.” Your eyes go over his appearance again and you put a hand on your hip. “I don’t really like the way this part falls across my shoulder.” He explains as he continues to tug at the fabric. You tap your lips thoughtfully and when an idea occurs to you, you hold your finger in the air. "Can I?" You ask him as your hands go to reach for the silk over his shoulder. He nods silently at you and leans back a little since you are very close to him. A little too close for him. This moment feels like an eternity as you wrap the silk cloth around him. With careful hand movements you swing the fabric around his hips. He quietly held his breath as you brushed against his side, you notice his flinch and look up at him innocently. You whisper a quiet 'sorry' as you tuck the end into his waistband and stand in front of him to look at the result.

Much better already. You note with satisfaction, but that's not all. With his tattoos he would stand out a bit, so now comes the second part of your idea.

"We should go back to the dressing room and pick out a cape for you." You wouldn't mind being able to continue admiring his beautiful body, but until your guests are not -official- guests, you should draw as little attention to you as possible.

The two of you quietly make your way to the dressing room while the others wait in your room. You rummage through your uncle and grandfather's closets, looking for a simple cape that will enhance Law's outfit. You don't think Law is the pompous type who likes flashy embroidery. Law watches you with his arms crossed over his bare chest as you throw one cloak after the other past him. Finally you found something suitable and proudly hold it up to him as if you were presenting him something very special. Your eager smile brings a sly grin to his face. With his arms still crossed, he looks at the cloak and realizes that he doesn't find it as bad as the cloaks he sees lying on the floor.

“I think-...” no more words can leave his mouth as you hastily press your small hand over his mouth. “psssht” you look intently at the door while Law stands straight as if struck by lightning. You're sure you heard a door close somewhere. Your eyes scan the room looking for a way out when you hear footsteps. Law, who came out of his stiffness at the sound of the footsteps, also tries to locate the footsteps whether they are coming closer or moving away from you. Unfortunately for you, they're getting closer!

You quickly grab Law and pull him into a closet.

Here you are now. Both in the closet and keep your breath shallow so you can hear every noise in the distance. You carefully look through the gap in the closet door and watch as someone comes into the room. It's just a maid who cleans up. You breathe out a sigh of relief because the servants wouldn't rat you out. Just as you were about to step out of the closet, you were pulled back by Law who was right behind you. Only now you realize how close you have been the whole time. With your back now pressed against his exposed chest, you feel every single muscle.

You look up at him and really hope that he doesn't feel your heart, which is almost jumping out of your chest. You notice how Law doesn't care at all how close you two are because his eyes are still fixed on the door and your gaze goes through the gap again. The door in question opens again and Anatol enters! You consider yourself lucky that Law pulled you back, impressed at how he could hear the fleet footed Anatol. You make sure there is some distance between you and concentrate on Anatol.

"Agata have you seen (y/n)? The king sent someone to check if she is in the palace." - "The princess seems to have been here recently, looking at all the things on the floor. I think she found what she was looking for and is on her way to the ceremony." You could cry at how lucky you are, because Anatol doesn't question the maid any further and leaves the room. Apparently the assumption of the maid is plausible for him but if he knew that you were in the closet and especially with a really lightly dressed man!

Oh dear… then all hell would break loose!

Relieved that Anatol left the room, you lean back relaxed... against Law's chest! As soon as your bare back touches his warm chest, you realize what, or rather who you are leaning against! You would like to jump out of the closet in one go, like a frightened cat but Law stops you by quickly wrapping his arms around you. You are startled by the sudden contact and inevitably make a slight squeak. Law quickly presses a hand over your mouth and presses you tightly to himself. The situation is very tense and apart from the fact that you are as red as a tomato, sweat is running down your forehead as you watch Agata, who is still in the room. Law's stature is so tense that he stretches you slightly, forcing you to let your head fall back a little and rest on his collarbone. Law on the other hand, ignores the steam coming out of your ears. You've never been as close to a man as you are right now! This is completely new and unexpected and makes you want to burst into flames.

Your luck has run out because Agata has apparently heard you and is looking across the room. She comes towards the wardrobe and opens them one by one to check what the noise was. The closet you are in is the last one in the row. Panicked, you look at Law, who still has one hand over your mouth and the other around you. This time he returns your gaze. His face more annoyed than panicked. He removes his hand from your mouth and brings his mouth closer to your ear.

"Hold on tightly" You don’t fully understand what he means. What should you hold on to? You stand in front of him stiff as a board... Should you hold on to him???!! You don't move one bit. A 'tztt' comes out squeezed between Law's teeth as he pulls you closer, his arm pressing lightly against your breasts. He whispers his 'Room' deeply, sending shivers down your spine because he's still so close to your ear and the already familiar dome surrounds you.

You don't even notice him saying anything else and the picture before your eyes becomes distorted. In a matter of seconds, your room suddenly surrounds you and the five who stayed in your room, jump back in surprise. You first have to process the fact that you are no longer in the closet but standing in front of the others in your own room. Everyone looks at you without saying a word when you realize why. Your back is still pressed tightly against Law, you're holding the cloak tightly with both hands and Law is holding his arms tightly around you again. The blood rushes to your head, you should get away from Law quickly, otherwise you could get brain damage...

urks, this is so embarrassing and in front of everyone!!

“Hey Law! What have you done to (y/n)!" An angry Sanji comes towards you. Law's hands leave your body and go up as he steps away from you.

"I only did what was necessary" - "Y-yes, yessss!.. He had to do it!" you react lightly embarrassed because that sounds a bit wrong.

"UH-uh, I mean he definitely didn't do anything bad!!!" You add, hiding your face in the cloak so Law and everyone else too, doesn't see the blush on your face. You wanted to disappear into thin air when you felt the cloak being taken away from you.

"The hour is almost over and I think we should go to the ceremony before you're late." You look up at him as he wraps his cloak around himself. The blush is still visible on your cheeks and Law scans your features; the only thing you can do is look into his gray eyes. Gray eyes, as stormy and hazy as the clouds when a storm blows over the sea. You stand straight and breathe in gently. You're already way too late so you have to pull yourself together now.

Near the amphitheater the 'Odeon', the seven of you discuss in an alley where you will meet again when the ceremony is over. You don't want to let the six of them wander around, not because you don't trust them but because you don't have time to talk to your grandfather before the ceremony.

"I recommend that you sit at the top, the view is much nicer from there" you say kindly to Nami "I'm excited to see what the ceremony is like (y/n)!" - "The Odeon... I once read something about an ancient theater in a book. It was more of a children's book but the theater in this book had a similar name." Robin said with a thoughtful expression as she looked at the theater from the distance. Everyone's eyes followed hers. "I believe the name was Odeon of Herode-.." - "..Herodes Atticus?" you finished her sentence. They all quickly looked at you because of your words and Robin nodded at you "That's exactly what the name was" her eyes sparkled slightly "It's interesting that the theaters have the same name... The history of the theater is quite romantic. If you like I'll tell you later what the story is." You offer to her. The story has been told for generations and serves as a symbol of love and endless devotion to a special person.

“I’m looking forward to it,” she giggles into her hand.

"Tell me (y/n)...who is Heraia anyway?" You flinch at Nami's question, which doesn't go unnoticed in front of the group. Silence. The only thing that can be heard is Sanji blowing out the smoke from his cigarette.

"Hey Princess, if you don't want to say it, you don't have to." Zoro says casually and unexpectedly wisely. Nami an Ussop nod wildly in confirmation "No, no, it's all good. It's just strange to tell someone. In Tanata everyone knows who Heraia was but you can't know." You give them a half forced smile;

"Heraia was our esteemed queen and my beloved mother but she died 10 years ago, hence the memorial day." You finish your sentence in a rather quiet voice.

"I'm very sorry (y/n)" Because of her sad eyes you can't help but hug her "It's okay. It's been a long time and the only tears that should be shed today are tears of Joy, because she lived... no matter how long. It is not the anniversary of her death. We remember and celebrate her birthday today."

"How beautiful!" Nami's eyes fill with tears as she hears your words. You feel a single tear running down your own cheek and you share a soulful hug while the others' faces go from stern expressions to deep grins. You and Nami collect yourself briefly and you look at the others with determination.

"Let's celebrate my mother's birthday!"

After the words you say goodbye to each other and the group make their way to the audience seats while you use a separate entrance to get behind the theater stage.

With quick steps you almost run down the floor to get to the stage. You hold your magnificent ceremonial robe in your hands so that you don't stumble because you don't have much time left. The orchestra played the final notes of their symphony and the audience cheered and called for an encore. The king will soon appear on stage again and give a short speech about the former queen. Right when he comes on stage you have to be at his side so you quicken your pace. At the side of the stage you see your grandfather with his back to you, his arms crossed in front of him and facing the orchestra. Once again they played a wonderful song. Every year they come up with something new that Mom would definitely love.

You breathe deeply through your nose and out of your mouth… The little sprint you just did increases your stage fright. Even if you're used to standing in front of large crowds at festivals, you're a little nervous today. You shake your head and silently join your grandfather as the orchestra gradually leaves the stage. There shouldn't be anything to worry about… Not only are you a public figure as a princess, you are also the only priestess of Tanata. You are a holy princess and are used to making appearances in front of people. Furthermore, the people of Tanata are all friendly people and the royal family has always had close ties to their people. You are all more like family than just people and royalty.

Your eyes follow the musicians as they clear their chairs from the floor and the theater workers prepare the altar. You see a small part of the audience from your spot but you haven't spotted your new friends yet.

"You're late (y/n). What a shame that you missed the symphony, you would have really enjoyed the performance. Callistus has once again outdone himself with this piece." Your grandfather's gaze doesn't leave the stage as he speaks to you, but you don't avert your gaze as you answer him either. "I'm reaaaaally, really sorry that I'm so late. Something came up and that's why I'm sooo late." He looks at you sideways with one eye and hums thoughtfully. "Normally I could say everything is as usual, but you were never late for your mother's memorial day. You always watched the play and listened to the symphony. So tell me what happened to you that made you not be on time today." Grandfather's big words make you small. He's right. It is typical for me that I am late for many public and private appearances, but never for my mother's memorial day. Never. And yet I only showed up for the ceremony today.

I actually missed everything. I didn't see what kind of performance one of my best friends put on in the play and couldn't applaud Callistus for his masterpiece. They've been preparing for a long time and I really intended to be there... but the situation is just so... so complicated. Your hesitation causes your grandfather to become skeptical. You feel his gaze burning on your face. You nervously look up at him sideways and give him a little anxious smile.

"I would like to explain this to you after the ceremony in the castle. At dinner?" - "So there's a lot to tell?" He raises an eyebrow. As wise as ever... Does he see through you? You don't know what he's thinking and it's hard for you to see where you stand with him. He's undoubtedly a great grandfather, but when he stands in front of you as a king, like right now, you always feel a bit like you're being targeted. He's not strict but it feels like he knows everything... or rather guesses? Damn old man!

“Maybe so,” you answer him vaguely. You don't want to give him more information so he can't make any conclusions and you quickly look away from him. It's just stupid that, it's exactly this short and curt manner about you that makes your grandfather more suspicious. You would have preferred to think of something first, but everything was so hectic that you didn't have the time to come up with anything. All you thought about was that you needed to talk to him quickly...hopefully he wouldn't let anyone follow you when the ceremony was over. If his spies see you with the strangers, things will be more complicated than they need to be.

"I understand. Let's talk at dinner, my child." Your grandfather offers you his arm and you hang onto him with a pout. "Grandpa, I'm not a child anymore!" you whine, LIKE A CHILD! This makes your grandfather laugh "You will always be my little angel (y/n)." He hums with a laugh and breaks away from you briefly to pat your head. You're still so small to him. You hook your arm around him again and wait for him to make the first move.

"It's time." Slowly, your grandfather moves forward with you at his side. As you come into view of the audience, the residents cheer. They praise the king and glorify the holy princess. You give them a bright smile as you and your grandfather walk elegantly to the altar. Your grandfather proudly waves to the crowd as they call your names.

Many friends among them came to celebrate Heraia's birthday with you. You excitedly wave to the familiar faces, friends, teachers and children from the city. You spot your best friend Thalia down by the seats with a few other friends. You light up at the sight of her and wave to her. She returns your gesture and starts giving you signs. She points a finger first at you, then at herself, and makes a movement with her hand as if her hand were speaking. She looks a little serious, a little pouty and sad. Your heart sinks and you nod at her, a little sad and ashamed. She definitely want to talk to you and know why you weren't at her performance.

Your grandfather breaks away from you again and leads you to the altar with his arm behind your back. The cheering of the residents faded as the king raised his hand and when there was silence, he began to give his speech.

"Residents of Tanata, we have gathered here today to present our gift to our beloved Heraia." You look through the crowd again as your grandfather speaks, looking for the pirates. Did they follow your advice and take a seat in the top row? Right in the middle you can see a spotted hat. Law's spotted hat! Next to him are the others who happily wave at you. You decide not to wave back and turn your attention to the king's speech.

"The moment is almost here but before that happens, I'll hand over the word to our holy priestess (y/n)" He finishes his sentence and points to you. All the attention is on you as you nobly stretch your arms out into the air and look up at the sky.

"May the gods forgive us for interrupting the flow of time. May they have mercy because the reason for this breaking of the rules has no evil background." As you speak the first words the clouds disappear. A true natural miracle takes place above the ancient theater. The light in the sky changes rapidly while the clouds move at an unnatural pace. After a while of the magnificent play of lights, the clear sky can now be seen with the setting sun. The highlight and end of the ceremony is the sunset that Haraia loved so much.

"If we were to look for souls in nature, then we would find the soul of our former queen in the afterglow of the sunset. She would dwell in the eternal red of the sunset and enjoy the moment before the sun lets its last rays shine over the world." Slowly, some strands of your hair turn in to a pure white and you lower your hands and wait intently for the moment when the red appears as intense as possible in the sky above you. You take in your breath one last time and say the word “Freeze” as you breathe out. The entire evening sky freezes. A silent and endless image of the evening glow appears before everyone's eyes. An intense and warm red with an orange shimmer gathers across the scene, which delicately grades into violet and pink tones.

With the sun almost gone below the horizon, people admire and enjoy the natural spectacle to the fullest. A sight so beautiful that it brings tears to your eyes. You notice that your strength is leaving you a little faster today. You were actually aware of that because you had to give up a lot of your energy when healing Luffy and stopping time for the sky is one of the secret techniques and requires even more energy than most techniques. A technique you've used for the second time today! After some more minutes, you put your hands on your chest and dissolve the freeze. Standing at the altar, you begin to light a candle in a paper lantern. A red sun is drawn on the lantern and with it in your hand you walk towards your grandfather, who was standing at the side of the altar. You share a very intimate and familial moment before turning to the audience.

"I, Leandros King of Tanata's, hereby mark the end of the ceremony and move on to the final part of Heraia's memorial day." Your grandfather takes you by the hand and together you take a few steps in front of the altar. Some people light their candles and lanterns and stand there. Together you all let the lantern rise into the blurry pink sky.

“Happy birthday mother.” You whisper quietly in a heavy voice.

You wait for the pirates at the meeting point and you're glad you were able to leave the theater without drawing much attention to yourself. Your grandfather didn't want to let you go at first and suggested that you go home together, but you told him you had to meet Thalia to apologize to her. Your grandfather eyed you calmly. Since you could no longer look him in the eyes, you gave him a small curtsy and quickly ran away from him.

You breathe out in frustration. The situation is becoming more and more heated and you can still feel your grandfather's blank stare. With your back pressed against the wall, you wait tensely for the others. You hear footsteps and you push away slightly from the wall to greet the pirates, but when you look into the person's face you freeze in place. It's Thalia with a disappointed look on her face. For a brief moment you think about running away but it's in vain as Thalia was already grabbing you by your coat.

"W- W- Why weren't you there and saw our play!!!!" Even if she looks really mad and is holding on to your collar, she cries like a little girl. She is an absolute carousel of emotions. Big tears roll down her cheeks and snot runs out of her nose. She shakes you back and forth because you don't answer her, you have no idea how to explain this to her or what you're even telling her. All the shaking makes you dizzy and you grab her by the shoulders and stop her by putting some pressure on her.

"I'm sorry Thalia!" You half scream at her to drown out her crying. She sniffles at you with red eyes. Her golden eyes burn into yours and you look to the side, at a loss for words. A little angry, Thalia wipes her tears from her face. Her delicate white skin turns slightly red in the face.

"Callistus is totally disappointed too!" At his name you quickly look at Thalia's face again. You're not happy with it yourself either.

"Say something (y/n)!!" Her voice seems desperate and her eyes fill with tears again. You make a painful grimace, seeing her like that isn't easy even if you've seen her cry many times before. She has been your friend since childhood and she has always been very whiny and full of energy but today was her big day and you were not in the audience. You carefully take her in your arms and stroke her back.

"Look, Thalia, I have no idea how to make this up to you... nothing can excuse the fact that I wasn't there to cheer on you." You squeeze her lightly and only hear her sniffle softly and are relieved when she returns your hug.

"Heeey (y/n)" you hear from behind you. You freeze at Nami's voice and lift Thalia slightly to turn around with her in the direction of Nami and the other pirates. Now Thalia's back is to the group and you see how the pirates came running towards you.

Nooo, does that have to be now?

You and Thalia are still in each other's embrace but now you hear Thalia's demanding voice.

"(y/n) who are these people?" You laugh nervously. Thalia knows everyone in this city and especially the people around you. Thalia pushes away from you and looks at you. Your eyes glance back and forth and you do everything you can to escape her intense eyes as she tries to force you to look into her eyes. You guys do a little back and forth and when she had enough, she shook you to get you to stop avoiding her.

"tell me!" Her sweet voice sounds so demanding, you only know her like that when she takes on a theater role. Astonished, you finally look into her eyes and drop your shoulders.

You grab her by her delicate shoulders and lead her to your side so that she is now standing next to you and can look at the strangers. She now looks at the pirates faces, somewhat surprised, without knowing that they are pirates.

"You're not people from Tanata. Who are you?!" Thalia builds herself up with a proud chest and appears brave and strong. You have to hold back your laughter. She's too cute to play such a strong role. Her fine blonde hair brushes her shoulders and arms, which she puts on her hips. She looks sternly at the group in front of her.

Your 'secret' friends look at Thalia a little surprised, she looks more like a little doll than a strict person. It's Law who ultimately breaks the silence.

"I heard that the people of Tanata introduce themselves before they ask for the other person's name?" He looks cheekily into your eyes, even though his answer goes to Thalia. You stand there with your mouth open for a moment and then look over at Thalia worriedly. You're glad that she's ignoring the way Law looks at you, but immediately after that feeling, the next worry comes. How does Thalia react to that? She is undoubtedly a ray of sunshine, but you can get burned in the sun! You tensely watch her expression. She has such a good poker face... you can't tell if she's about to start laughing or if she's about to go for his throat.

“Well, I don’t really need to know your name.” She replied and made a rather rude hand gesture.  Law raised an eyebrow and for a brief moment it seemed like he couldn't believe what she was saying.

“We’re pirates.” He said dryly.

Thalia froze like a block of ice at his words.

"P-p... Pi...?!" She stammered before taking weak steps backwards. You notice Thalia losing her balance and rush to her side before she falls over. She falls somewhat theatrically into your arms and before she loses consciousness, she finishes her stammering "...Pirates?!". Completely overwhelmed by the situation, you alternately look at Thalia's cute face and then at the pirates. Now you have to take care of the others AND Thalia.

"are you crazy?!" you ask horrified with a quiet voice so that no passers-by will notice.

Law just shrugs his shoulders a little like he would say; -at least we don't have to explain anything to her now-. With Nami's help you put Thalia on your back and carry her piggyback. Together with the pirates you bring Thalia home. Luckily she lives in a small townhouse near the theater. You avoid the crowded streets and after a short walk you arrive in front of Thalia's house. While the others wait outside, you put the unconscious woman in her bed but as you wanted to turn around to leave her bedroom, you heard Thalia rolling around in bed.

“(y/n)?” You turn to her and her eyes look at you a little tired. "You owe me something." She half whispers while barely pointing her finger at you. You nervously run your fingers through the ends of your hair.

“Yeah, a lot” you grin at her “I promise you, I have a good reason... See you tomorrow?” She waves you out of her room as she got comfortable in her bed "See you tomorrow (y/n)…"

In the fireplace room of Hera's Palace you let yourself fall onto the soft sofa. Nami made herself comfortable next to you while Robin looked at the paintings and artifacts on the walls.

"Hey Princess, you said we could feel at home. I'm going to have some booze, does anyone else want a drink?" Zoro asked while already rummaging through the bar. Nami was the first to speak up and moaned she could definitely use a drink. How much you would love to have a glass or two of wine right now but you shouldn't do that because you still have to talk to your grandfather. Even though you could build up some courage, you think back and forth. You shake the thought away. It's still not wise. You decline gratefully and watch as Nami happily sips from her glass.

"Straw Hat-ya's vitals are stable. Now will you explain to us how you did that?" He sits down in an armchair next to you and puts one foot on his other knee. His arms rest on the armrest as he leans back. His robe rides up and folds into his lap, exposing his calves.

"Hummm.. How did I do that... I have the abilities of the Taimutaimu devil fruit. In principle, I am able to control space and time." Law listens carefully to your words, when you said -space- he straightened in his seat and you think you saw a flash in his eyes.

His gaze is so enigmatic.

"Can you explain that in more detail?" Interested, he looks deep into your eyes, his fingers rest on his chin and lightly pass over his lips. Still, you recognize his little cheeky smile. You have the feeling that he is leading the conversation, as if he is allowed to question you more and more... You are a priestess and the princess and yet you like his arrogant undertone. It literally heats you up and you decide to get involved in its energy.

"For example, I can accelerate the growth of plants or skip processes until a specific point in time, like with the monster wave. First I stopped the time of the wave itself and-..." - "...-The water evaporated ...So you fast forwarded time to the moment when the water evaporates?" Law remembered when the wave suddenly froze and shortly afterwards 'shattered' into tiny droplets before settling into the air like fog. Well recognized, you thought to yourself as you gave him a satisfied nod in response.

"And since everything ultimately moves in space and time, I can actually manipulate everything to a certain extent. But there are limits and death is a consequence if I exceed them. Since I 'play' with time, my own time stands at stake." Nami shifts a little tensely in her seat and slides a little closer to you.

“That sounds tricky!” Nami puts a hand to her cheek worriedly. "That may be true but in this generation I am destined to be the bearer of the Taimutaimu devil fruit." You rise from the sofa, slowly letting your cloak fall to the floor and moving your hair to the side so that your back is visible. With your back turned to the others, you reveal a writing on your spine. An unknown language that resembles symbols more than actual letters.

"I can't believe my eyes." Stunned, Robin cautiously approaches you. You look over your shoulder at Robin, the others seem just as surprised as you are.

"~I know the past, live the present and create the future~" Robin read somewhat delicately. She has to approach your back because the symbols are quite small and neatly lined up one below the other on your spine. "You can read this ancient script?" You turn to her in surprise and a questionable emptiness is reflected in her eyes. A little off the mark, she answers your question with a 'yes'.

You hum in surprise. "Even my father and his friends couldn't read these writings. They said that outside of Tanata, this ancient writing belongs to the past and that no one can actually read it." - "Can you read them?!" Robin asks you hastily, her eyes full of expectation. "Yes, the most important people in the country can read and write this language. Among them are the royal family, the scholars, the priests and of course I as a holy priestess can do it." You smile proudly at her.

"It's just that I've never seen this writing on a human before... Always only on the Poneglyph's.. What does that mean?" A thousand questions are reflected in the looks of the four in front of you.

"Tell me (y/n), did you manage to complete your task in the forest today?" taken aback you pause for a moment before putting your fork in your mouth. You've completely forgotten what you were actually doing in the forest. You take a sip of water and dab your mouth elegantly with a napkin.

"Yes, yes... everything went well. There shouldn't be any more problems now." You lean back a little and smile at your grandfather. Actually, you're not hungry at all... or is it more because you are nervous?

"Hey (y/n) you should eat a little more darling. You used a lot of energy today... aren't you hungry at all?" Delia whispers to you from the side. Actually everything is as always, a harmonious life together. Dinner with the family... If it weren't for your grandfather, who looks at you warily every now and then. You distract yourself from your grandfather's gaze by having a relaxed conversation with Delia. She tells you what crazy name suggestions your uncle has made and how convinced he is that their child will be a boy. A little giggle escapes you at the unusual names your uncle had in mind.

"What do you think it will be, Delia?" you nod in the direction of her big, round belly. The child is coming soon and everyone is excited to find out the gender.

"It doesn't matter to me whether it's a boy or a girl. The main thing is that the child is healthy and strong." Dalia dreamily strokes her stomach.

"My dearest Dalia, tell me, have you been able to agree on two names?" Your grandfather intervened in your conversation. You look excitedly at your sister-in-law and an uncle. The servants took empty plates and used dishes from the table while your favorite dessert was served. You happily put the spoon in your mouth and you melt while holding a hand to your cheek. Deliciously sweet!

"We thought about naming the baby Costa." Your uncle said proudly. Dalia forcefully jabbed him in the side with her elbow, causing the tall, strong man to wince painfully. "You probably meant -if- the baby is a boy, then we'll name him Costa..." she raises her eyebrows and laughs at him. "But if the baby is a girl, then we'll name her Megara." Dalia looks dreamily at her husband and the two share a loving moment.

Oh, how nice it is to see them both ...

You feel the envy rising a little. Love is something beautiful that you feel every day but have never experienced directly. You would love to have someone with whom you have formed an unshakable bond but the only sweet thing you have is your dessert...

Grandfather seems to like the names and raises his glass.

"To the precious life."

You and your family raise your glasses and toast to life.

"(y/n) how come you were at the edge of the island. It's forbidden to leave the forest, you know that." Now the moment of truth has come and you must face your king. You nod at him, carefully preparing the words in your head.

"I am aware of that but in this situation it was necessary to leave the forest... otherwise there could have been serious consequences as the entrance was open." you defend yourself gracefully.

"But there is something I want to inform you about and I ask you not to be shocked."

“Shocked?” He raises his eyebrow questioningly up at your uncle and then back at you.

"I haven't been told that anything shocking has happened but now I'm all ears, my dear." Your grandfather is now piercing Zelos with his eyes. You yourself always have better cards compared to Zelos, but only because you are the holy child of the Taimutaimu fruit. Next to the king, you are the most powerful person and also his beloved granddaughter.

Will Grandfather forgive me for making such a drastic decision without him? You twirl your fingers nervously under the table.

"Zelos is not to blame, my king. I ordered him to remain silent and perhaps forced him to trust me a little...?" You shrug your shoulders with a grin. The king's laughter sounded loud and hearty. He waved a servant over to pour him more wine. He seems amused, even if it worries you a little, and you and your uncle exchange looks in silence.

"I don't want to talk about it for long, Grandpa... We have guests... and not exactly a few guests. The Hera Palace is full of guests." A little bored, the king swirls his wine in the glass and looks at you indefinably. You're half amazed at his calm manner and at the same time you didn't expect anything else. You already guessed it.

"You already know."

A knowing smile spreads across his face. You could explode, not with anger but with tension. The whole time you were worried about how and when, and where you would confess to your grandfather and he already knows it! You let yourself fall into the backrest, a little stunned.

"So you knew and were actually just waiting for me to tell you?" He doesn't answer you, turning his attention entirely to his wine.

“How long have you known?” you ask him eagerly.

"I knew you were hiding something when Hetius brought me your message. My seventh sense told me to keep an eye on you. Besides, I know you, my child. Better than yourself... We have the same blood." His deep laugh filled the room as he brushed through his long beard.

"So you fooled me!" - "No, my dearest. First of all, you were the one who lied. I didn't tell you anything because you didn't ask," your jaw falls on the table in disbelief. This old fart who thinks he's oooh so smart that he can talk his way out of it, with such a stupid argument.

Idiot King.

In your thoughts you're sticking your tongue out at him like crazy, but you don't have the courage to do it in real life. He's right. You lied to him about something. During the ceremony you told him how sorry you were that you were late, but in reality you would have decided to miss the ceremony a second time in order to get closer to the unknown guests.

Apparently he was aware of this.

Yawning, you leave the palace after the lavish meal and walk around the garden to stretch your legs. Aside from your little walk, you're planning on meeting someone special.

The garden smells of the finest and most gentle smelling flowers. Although the garden is well kept and a wide variety of plants grow there, the design still appears very natural and if a plant grows around the stone benches or statues, it doesn't bother anyone. Rather, it makes the whole garden romantic.

On your way to your favorite spot, you carefully pick a few beautiful flowers and a few blades of grass. On the side of the Heras Palace there is a small pavilion, which is a bit overgrown with wild plants, next to a small pond. You look around you in surprise, normally he would have been there by now. Without giving it a second thought, you sit down on a bench and place your flowers next to you. You cast your eyes over the palace wall and look at the balconies and windows and wonder if there were ever so many lights on in Hera's Palace.

You feel a bit like a creep as you look into the windows and try to distract yourself by making yourself a flower crown. However, you quickly realize how difficult it is to keep your eyes away from the windows and find yourself constantly paying attention to the moving shadows. Despite the distance, you can clearly see what's going on on the ground floor. The whole gang laughs and every now and then it gets a little louder and chaotic but you're amused just by looking at it. Your grin doesn't leave your lips as you turn your eyes back to the fine crown.

Out of the corner of your eye you notice a light on the first floor turn on and your head moves up on its own. Even though you can't see who has entered the room from this angle, you wonder who is there. From your memory it should be one of the royal family's single rooms, so Nami and Robin are already out since you assume they share a room. To the right of the room in mention, is another room and in this room is the Straw Hat's captain. Who decided to live in the room next door? With your thoughts no longer on this planet, you don't even notice that you've been knotting your crown wrong for a while. Only when you reach for some new flowers you see the mess you've made. you sigh in frustration as you fumble the stems apart.

Stay on task, girl... you have to scold yourself.

The familiar rustling in the trees makes you look up again and you see your familiar companion Hetius flying towards you.

"Good evening Hetius." you greet him gently as he flickers his wings to fold back as he lands. He lightly jumps closer to you and chirps happily at you. "hehe yes yes, I know you're here for your reward and that's what you should get." You take a small bag out of your shoulder bag and the bird moves back and forth impatiently, which always makes you giggle. "Now be a little more patient." you laugh as he almost has his beak in your pocket.

You didn't even notice how the balcony door on the first floor opened and someone was watching you and Hetius doing your evening routine. Not even the laughter and wild hustle and bustle of the guests downstairs distracts you from your conversation with your feather friend.

"I'm telling you Hetius, it's been a wild day. Does today mean anything? To be honest, I can't shake the thought that something big is going to happen." As if Hetius understood you, he waited until you had finished talking and gave you a chirping answer.

"Yes, I see it the same way. They're all a few odd birds, but they seem to be peaceful. Don't you think so?" You and your feather friend look through the windows where the pirates are still happily going about their business. The chaos makes you laugh as your friend croaks along with you.

You feed the last bits of treats to the paradise bird while you continue to entertain him with today's events.

"Oh hello Law, are you also enjoying the 'quiet' evening?" Nami's joking voice makes you look to the side and you notice another light on the first floor. You recognize Nami leaning against the railing of the balcony. The light from inside shines a little in her face as she looks to her left at the balcony next to her. The balcony next to Luffy's room. You recall her words. Your question is now answered because now you know that Law is the one who lives in the room. Your eyes scan the balcony and, slightly in the dark, you see Law sitting on the wide railing, leaning against the wall with one leg bent.

Luckily it's dark so no one should see you as you listen intently. Hetius also sits up excitedly but everything remains quiet. "Seems like you'd rather be on your own, huh?" Nami looks up at the night sky, not caring that Law doesn't answer her. Apart from the commotion from below, she enjoys the peaceful evening. "I wanted to thank you and your crew for helping our captain. I'm not sure why you showed up, but without you we probably wouldn't have gotten away with it." Based on their words, you wonder how well the Straw Hats and the Heart Pirates know each other. From the sound of it, they're more like casual acquaintances.

Apparently Hetius couldn't stand his curiosity and he flew towards the balconies. You had tried in vain to catch Hetius, but you hadn't caught a single feather. You watched nervously as your friend landed on the railing next to the startled Nami, but you decided against stepping out of the shadows and remaining hidden. A little nervously, you play with your flower crown.

"We'll talk about it when Straw Hat-ya is awake again." A little perplexed, Nami looks over at Law. You guess she didn't expect an answer. You, on the other hand, have been waiting for this. You look down, a little embarrassed. You're a damn stalker… You're just eavesdropping on strangers that you've taken in as guests. Embarrassed, you complete the crown and concentrate on no longer listening to their conversation. In fact, you don't hear from Law anymore and Nami is busy with Hetius.

The way everyone is behaving right now, no one could ever believe what everyone has been through. They sing carelessly, clink their mugs and a wild chatter fills the room. Everyone is having a good time and no one seems to be thinking about what was their problem a few days ago. The king sent servants to Hera's Palace to fulfill all of the guests' wishes. However, the only thing the team wanted was food and a lot of liquor. Apart from the normal servants, the king's personal butler also appeared during the evening trying to get the attention of the wild mob but his frail voice was not heard. He cleared his throat elegantly several times and with each time he became a little more desperate. But how the hell is anyone supposed to notice him when Brook puts on a little show with Chopper and Franky by his side? Most of the people were enjoying the show or having a conversation, the rest were doing mischief or were already too drunk to generally notice anything.

The Mink made himself comfortable on the carpet in front of the warm fireplace and fell asleep straight away. Law, who is standing at the window, has to grin at the sight. His gaze roams around the room, observing the situation. He sways his drink in the glass as he mentally tries to carry out the next steps of his plan. It's a problem that the Polar Tang got stuck in the narrow river, but on the other hand, this might be the safest place right now. His eyes land on the group of Straw Hats. Nami and Robin are elegantly served by the cook Sanji and chat. Zoro agrees to have one drink after another with his members and then he notices the desperate butler vainly seeking the pirates' attention.

"Oi guys!" Law's deep voice drowns out every voice and the room becomes quiet. All you can hear is the snoring polar bear and everyone else who is still there, looks at Law. Still standing at the window, he raises his arm, looks sideways into the room and points to the butler, who twitches slightly and quickly clears his throat as everyone's eyes were now on him.

"It's nice that we found a moment of peace, my dear guests." Before he continues speaking, the butler turns to Law again and bends slightly. "Thank you very much, sir...?" - "Law." - “Thank you, Mr. Law, for giving me your attention. My name is Giles, feel free to ask for me if you need any assistance.” Because of the butler's ostentatious language, a few pirates had to hold back their laughter, while a few cheekily giggled loudly. The butler elegantly ignored it and turned to Law again.

"The king would like to meet the representatives of your troops tomorrow over tea and biscuits." A gentle, warm smile spreads across the butler's face as he waits for an answer. “Will y/n be there too?” Nami asks the old man. “Of course, the young lady is responsible for you.” He looks sideways at Nami and coughs into his hand. "Please remember that in public and in front of the royal family you address the young lady by her title or at least call her princess." He folds his arms behind his back again and looks up into the air. "She will give you permission to call her by her name and that may be okay in private spaces... But she has to save face in front of the citizens." Nami nods understandingly at the man and he thanks her.

Before the butler said his goodbyes, he informed those present that he would pick them up from the salon shortly before lunchtime and that they were welcome to move freely around the kingdom until then. Law, who is only half listening, has turned his attention to something completely different. Through the window he watched someone walking in the garden a little further away in the shadows. When he takes a closer look, he sees you walking by the pond with your flowers. He follows you with his eyes as you look around and after a short while you sit down on the bench. He can't quite see what you're doing because the light is reflecting in the windows, but he's no longer interested in standing at the window and watching you. Just as you came into his field of vision, he thought of something he wanted to do. He said a brief goodbye to the cheerful group as he left the fireplace room and headed upstairs.

Law had previously asked the servants to give him a few books. Something about the general history and geography of Tanata and about the TaimuTaimu fruit. The maid seemed a little uncomfortable as she explained to Law that the information he was looking for was written down in books that were in the Royal Library. Access to these books is only available to scholars and the noble family. None of the staff are authorized to enter the library. But she could go to the city library. Law stares broodingly into her face while the awkward silence causes the young girl to blush a bit. Law gave her a brief answer that any books that related to the topics he mentioned would be ok.

Did she find something suitable? Law will find out as soon as he enters his room. Once in one of the royal rooms, Law's gaze wanders through the exquisitely designed room. His gaze finally landed on the desk next to the balcony door. There are a few different books stacked on the table. Not exactly much but better than nothing. Among the books is a quite old atlas with many maps of the seas and islands on the Grandline. Even if every card is useful, he can't do much with it because all the notes are written in a language he can't read. He glances briefly through another book as he sits down at the desk. The book in his hand looks like a fairy tale book. It is about a person who was once the user of the TaimuTaimu fruit. A laugh takes Law out of the pages and he looks directly at the open window.

"Now be a little more patient." he hears you say. He calmly goes to the balcony door, which is completely glazed, and tries to see where you are. There he sees you still sitting on the bench, only you are no longer alone. He watches you feeding a magnificent bird. With one hand on the door handle, the black haired man considers whether he should push it down and go out onto the balcony. For what reason? He shakes off the thought again. He turns away from the door and picks up the book he was about to leaf through when suddenly there was a knock on the door. On the other side of the door you can hear a few of the Heart Pirates standing in front of Law's door, arguing with each other and just being really loud.

"Hey Captain!!" There's a pretty wild knock on the door. "Sachi and Penguin painted Bepo in his sleep AND NOW.his.fur.is.RUINED!!" It roars from the other side. Law can also hear the Mink repeatedly apologizing and sobbing, whereupon the actually angry Ikakku comforts the bear in a sweet voice. “It’s not your fault, my darling!” Law, who closes his eyes in annoyance, doesn't hesitate for another second and finally decides to escape to the balcony.

They will figure out that a proper bath will solve the problem... He thinks so and flees into the cool evening breeze with the book in his hand. The night sky shines with countless stars and the moon illuminates the garden in a mysterious and cool white. Standing at the railing, Law can clearly see you feeding your feathered friend some treats. Even though all the commotion from below is a bit annoying, it's pleasant to listen to your laughter. In order not to attract attention, Law decides to lean against the castle wall and continue reading the book. He makes a few notes in a small notebook. The oracle predicts who will get the devil fruit... and he sets off to be able to deal with the powers. He writes down as he summarizes the words in his head. The story seems old but not particularly unrealistic. Lines described how the brave protagonist traveled out into the world to steel his body and then traveled back to Tanata, to undergo a daring ceremony and eat the fruit. It's written quite like a fairytale but it almost seems like a biography.

“I toootallyy ditched Thalia today…” a heavy sigh leaves your lips. "...She'll probably hold that against me for quite a long time." you giggle a little desperately while the bird answers you with its melodic chirping. Law's eyes peek just over the edge of his book. He studies your frustrated posture without a thought. A loud clatter from the ground floor takes you out of your thoughts and you look at the house with the bird. Because of your reaction, Law quickly went back to his book. He acts as if you weren't even there, even as he absorbed every word from your mouth and continued to make his notes on the book. The light in the room next door turned on and shortly afterwards a slight creaking of the door can be heard. Law glances slightly to his right as he sees Nami step out onto the balcony.

"Oh hello Law, are you also enjoying the 'quiet' evening?" This seems to be the end of Law's alone time, but he doesn't put his book down. He doesn't give her an answer either. After a rather brief conversation with Nami, a bird flew up to Nami, a bird that was very similar to the one that was with you. Law quickly looks down at you knowingly, but he doesn't see you anymore. You're already gone. Since Nami is now busy with the bird, Law devotes himself to the notes he has collected. One note in particular gets him thinking. He listed the skills described in the book in bullet points. A few remind him of the abilities he saw himself and what you told him, but there was more in the book. His eyes rest on a particular line.

Visions of the future.

As he understood's, the protagonist could only use this ability randomly rather than specifically. It was seen as more of a divine gift given to him in a war, than the power of the devil fruit. Law doubts whether that was really a gift. Can she do it? He circles the bullet point and decides to research it in more detail.

This seems useful.

You sneakily slide into the Hera Palace as if you didn't want to be discovered. On your way you get surprised looks from the servants because you are acting a bit suspicious rather than hiding well...

Curiously you look into the fireplace room and your eyes roam over the empty room, which is a bit messy. No one was awake yet, that's for sure.. It's quite early and who knows how long the pirates had fun yesterday. You lean against the door frame, feeling a little sad... You are sure that you will not find any of your guests there. At least not anyone who is awake, because you can hear soft snoring coming from your side.

Carefully you follow the noise and look behind the table, in front of the fireplace. You hold your breath briefly as you see the polar bear sleeping peacefully in front of the fireplace. Quietly you lean over the mink while absolutely enjoying this cute view. Every sound that leaves the furry lips enchants you a little more. You don't even notice how someone enters the fireplace room and approaches you.

"Oh.. Good morning princess!" A bright female voice greets you with a surprised tone. You quickly turn around with your finger pressed to your lips and silently gesture with your head towards the bear. The young woman immediately understands what you are meaning. She quietly placed the basket that she was holding, on the table next to you. With soft steps she comes closer to admire the big bear together with you, which is rolling back and forth in peace.

“He’s cute, isn’t he?” you whisper to the maid with a reddened face. She nods at you with hearts in her eyes. Behind you you can hear other servants going about their everyday duties and all the commotion causes the bear to wake up with a start. The first thing the Mink sees is you, leaning over him, looking at him in a lovestruck state. The bear blushes a little in surprise and rubs his face.

“Good morning.” you greet him with a friendly smile, which makes the polar bear blush even more.

"G-g- good morning!!!" the bear crawls away from you, somewhat embarrassed. Giggling, you straighten yourself and go to the couch to fall into it.

"You seem to have fallen asleep." - "hehe yeah it was so cozy in front of the fire.." The bear admits sheepishly. No one can take away your grin when you look at the bear. You would like to dress him in the most beautiful fabrics instead of having him wear such a strange suit. You rest your chin on one hand while sitting calmly on the sofa.

A loud rumble draws attention to Bepo's stomach, whose head is now as red as a tomato.

"Hmm, someone seems hungry!" you clap your hands together. "Camille, please have a sumptuous breakfast brought to the fireplace room." - "Uhhh, yes of course my highness but why don't you eat in the dining room?" - "Hmm, I just find it more comfortable here." Camille looks at you a little questionably after looking through the chaotic room. You just grin at her carefree.

The chaos doesn't bother you at all. If anything, you find it very pleasant that some life and chaos appear in this perfect castle...

The mess feels better.

With sparkling eyes and saliva at the corner of his mouth, the bear examines the breakfast feast.

"Go for it." you encourage him. The Mink doesn't need to be told twice and jumps in and tries out a wide variety of delicacies, that the chefs have prepared. You happily put your teacup to your lips while you watch him eat with pleasure.

One by one, pirates came into the room and joined you when you called them over. The pirates started their meal happily.

Camille, who always made sure that food was brought, almost couldn't keep up because the pirates finished the plates in no time.

"Luffy would clear the table in milliseconds." Nami remarks. You sense sorrow in her voice and look up from your teacup to her.

"Luffy…" you whisper to yourself. You remember what you saw in him. The battle of the pirates against the marines. How someone very important died right in front of his eyes... You felt this pain.. His pain! which was almost worse than the pain from the poison.

"I should go to him right after breakfast and see how he's doing." you tell Nami. “I’m coming with you!” interjects Chopper. After a very entertaining breakfast with the pirates, you decide to go to the Strawhat with Chopper.

However, before you entered the pirate's room, the door opened and Law came towards you. You greet the dark haired man in surprise. A closer look at him and you see dark circles under his eyes. His eyes rested on you for a moment before quickly finding another spot to look at.

"If you want to check the Strawhat, you don't have to do that anymore. I healed a few bruises and checked his organs. He's doing great and sleeps peacefully." He finishes his sentence quite quickly.

"Thank you Law." your genuine smile and little bow make Law freeze. He seems surprised why you're thanking him but doesn't say anything else.

"You should go down to the others and have breakfast." you try to keep the conversation going but you get no answer, just a slight nod. Beeeeetter than nothing - you think.

You quickly went back to the royal palace for breakfast with your family.

"Y/n, I would like you to go to the guests' ship today with a small group and write up a report. If you have an idea about how we can get the ship into the city, then don't hesitate to take the necessary steps. " Said Grandfather while making honey in his tea.

His gaze first over the tea, he went to Zelos. "Please prepare a small group that will accompany y/n. I want you to make Admiral Ambrosios head of the squad."

Your uncle reacts a bit confused and offended. "Father, I'm y/n's uncle and have always been her escort... It's..." before your uncle can continue whining, the king waves him away "I need you for something more important." As he speaks his last word, Zelos devours the words on his tongue. Your grandfather looks carefully across the room. The servants scurry around the room from time to time, filling up empty glasses, clearing away empty plates or waiting at each side to attend to our wishes upon request.

"I wish to speak to my family in private." He spoke a bit louder and all the servants left the dining room.

He clasped his hands together and looked at us with a serious expression this time.

"Last night a couple of runners* saw another ship floating around the island. They don't seem to be particularly close but the report says they are steadily circling the island." Firmly you cling to the armrest with both hands as your grandpa speaks. Zelos is silent and listens attentively.

"They are watching us but we don't know who is watching us." Delia makes a horrified noise and with her fingers in front of her mouth she carefully asks what that means. You can tell that the king is trying to choose his words carefully so as not to cause panic.

"I can't say for sure… I just want this information to stay between us for now." suddenly your grandfather looks at you with an intense gaze. You already know that the last sentence is especially meant for you. You look at him nervously "Hehe... yeah… I promise to the gods I won't spill anything." You look away ashamed. "So far... only the runners, Anatol and you know about it. The reason why you won't accompany y/n in the forest is because you will go south to the ancient ruins with a group chosen by me, and there you will build a temporary base." Delia looks up worriedly at Zelos, who looks determinedly into his father's eyes. "Of course my king." You look from your uncle to your grandfather, a little scared.

"I know it's a bad time..." His voice seems softer than before as he looks at Delia. "...but I assure you, my dearest, that I am not preparing to attack. Just a precaution. If we're lucky, they'll just circle the island, looking for a way out of the storm." - "I pray to the gods." Delia exhales with some relief again.

"I want you to head straight to Anatol after breakfast to put together the team for the ship recovery. He will also give you more details about the ship that was spotted. Then make your way to the ruins, with unit 7." - "Of course." Zelos answers firmly and salutes him.

"It's important that our guests' ship is recovered before anyone else sets foot on this island. Let's make it look like this island is deserted..." The three of you nod to the king.

Even if silence isn't a sound, it echoes through the room.

Your grandfather's sharp gaze makes you flinch and small beads of sweat run down your forehead.

“Back to you, my child.” You watch him quietly as he cracks his fingers.

"We'll have to ask a few questions later over tea with your guests. I don't want to insinuate anything, but it's a bit suspicious that another ship shows up shortly after they got here." He watches you carefully as you swallow hard.

"Yeah, I understand. Of course that's understandable."

You continue with your breakfast in silence and a little tensely. No one really knows what to think of the situation.

You exhale heavily and fall onto your bed.

The thoughts make your brain melt as you stare at the ceiling.

Damn it!

You put an arm over your closed eyes and try to sort out your thoughts. Inwardly you pray that the pirates aren't hiding anything and therefore aren't a danger to you.

You have to think about all the different people, about Nami's sad face and how friendly everyone seems. You think how exhausted the group was and how grateful each and every one of them was.

It's tearing you apart... Especially because you understand why your grandfather thinks that way.

He thinks like a king.

You sit up and go to your dressing table to distract yourself a bit.

Luckily I'll never become queen.

You admit to yourself in front of the mirror while combing your hair.

You would probably make the wrong decision.

Grandfather is always in control. He is always so calm and confident despite all the crises. As you think about what an praiseworthy king your grandfather is, you think of your mother. You carefully pick up the picture in front of you.

What would you do mom? Would you have helped the pirates?

It hurts you that you will never get an answer.

On the way to tea with your grandfather and the pirates, you come across Nami, Sanji, Zoro, Law and the Polar Bear.

Nami waves happily at you and you take your dress in your hands and run over to them.

"Hey guys! Are you the ones drinking tea with me and Grandpa?" Nami nods at you with a grin and Sanji moves between you and her to get on his knees.

"You look ravishing again, my highness. As if created by the gods." He places thousands of small kisses on the back of your hand. You stare rigidly at him while one of your eyebrows twitches uncontrollably.

"Sanji time out!" Nami shouts and punches him.

"Uhm, princess?" says the bear, a little shyly.

"My name is Bepo and I wanted to thank you for the wonderful breakfast..." You can't believe these bright people could be bad people who would intentionally put us in danger. You don't know why, but your gut just screams that they are good people.

Hopefully you aren't blinded by your curiosity.

"I'm very glad you enjoyed it, Bepo." You lightly stroke the bear's arm.

"Well then... are you ready to meet my king?" With both arms on your hips, you stand in front of the group and they nod resolutely at you.

When you arrive at the pavilion, you see that the king is not there yet. The servants set the table and assign the guests their seats. You take your usual seat at the short end of the table and look a little nervously at the empty seat across from you. The King's seat.

Your nervous looks don't go unnoticed and Law, who's sitting to your right, clears his throat.

"Does the king know we are pirates?" You look at him in surprise.

"I strongly assume that he knows. I found out yesterday that nothing goes unnoticed by him." A little tired at the thought of last night's dinner, you stretch your arms forward and place your chin in both of your hands.

"I advise you not to lie or hide important things. I have no idea how he aaaaaaalways knows everything, if it's not clairvoyant abilities then I don't know what is." At the end of your sentence, you look sideways at Law, waiting for his answer.

"I see, we'll keep that in mind."

After a short while and some tense small talk, your grandfather finally appears. You promptly get up from your seat and the others do the same after you give them a small hand gesture. The king goes to his seat and looks at you all with an unreadable expression.

"I greet you, my dear guests." - "I greet you, my king."

You give your counterpart a slight bow and the others mumble a little hello and bow too. Your guests look at you somewhat questioningly because they don't quite know what to do while everyone is standing. "Take a seat." At the king's words you take a seat and the others follow suit. The king inspects the guests while the servants set the table and pour each one a tea of their choice. The calming scent of your tea lets you breathe in deeply. You're just waiting for the king to start the conversation.

"My name is Leandros and I am the King of Tanata." He says with pride.

“Please introduce yourselves.” One by one they introduced themselves to the king and you looked from face to face a little tensely.

"As you may have guessed, there is a reason why I called you here. Aside from wanting to introduce myself and get to know you, there is something we should discuss." And with this introduction the conversation began. The king asked those present a few questions to get an idea of the crew and when his mind was satisfied, he revealed the problem.

"You have to consider how striking it seems to me that another ship is circling the island... It's been a few years since we had "visitors" and now we've had them twice." You can tell the pirates don't really know who it could be. They admitted that they cannot rule out the possibility that they were being followed.

You look to your right again and watch as Law looks thoughtfully into the distance.

"I still can't imagine how anyone could have followed us from the battlefield. Our ship is a submarine and we were so deep in the sea that it's actually impossible." The king thoughtfully strokes his beard.

You're glad that the situation has developed in a good direction. It is clear that your grandfather does not suspect the pirates. Their explanation seems plausible so far and you hope that he believes in their innocence too. With the experience and knowledge of the pirates, you discuss the topic with the foreign ship.

“Can you tell what kind of ship it is?” Nami asks.

"So far the runners have not been able to identify anything more precise. What is certain is that it is not a ship of the marines."

The conversation went better than expected and your posture became more and more relaxed. The king asked a few questions out of interest in the pirates and their story, which were answered without hesitation and pure honesty.

Suddenly the king's butler came running.

"My king. Please excuse the interruption, but I have something to tell the princess!" Giles bowed deeply to the king.

"Rise and speak Giles."

Before the butler turned to you, he bowed again.

"The boy is awake!" he said somewhat panicked.

*= A unit that observes the island and surrounding areas

You look at the strawhat in complete horror as he stuffs his mouth with food without stopping. You look around with wide eyes and notice that it doesn't seem unusual how much the boy is greedily eating.

At first you were surprised at his rubber arms and how his stomach was getting bigger but now you're so frozen that you can't get any more shocked.

The servants really had a hard time clearing the empty plates and putting filled ones on the table. After a while the round ball leaned back with a groan.

“That was super delicious!” he said a little out of breath. His crew laughed at the carefree boy. You look at the faces of the Strawhat Pirates. They look so happy and relaxed.. As if a stone had fallen from their hearts and somehow.. one fell from your heart too.

How strange. You don't even know these people ...

You remember, being a little confused about your feelings.

"Luffy, don't be so brazen and thank the princess!" Nami shouts at the boy and smacks him on the head. The bump on his head grew as he rubbed his head. He laughed a little boyishly and agreed with Nami's words.

"Weeehw. That was a good meal princess!" The round boy laughs at you and stretches his arms out towards you. He grabs you by your shoulders and the next moment you feel your feet leave the ground. Shocked, you look at the butler, who stares after you in bewilderment as you are pulled in Luffy's direction.

"Woaahh ahh!!!" what's going on now?! You ask yourself as you cling to Luffy's arms.

"Princess!!!" the butler tried a little helplessly to catch you, but in vain. In a flash you found yourself in front of the strawhat, which grinned boyishly in your face.

"My name is Monkey D. Luffy, thank you for saving our necks, please tell me your name."

Despite his very youthful appearance, he is quite outgoing and somehow that makes him truly charming. A sisterly instinct clicks in you when you look at the young man.

With your hands clutching your gown, you curtsy softly and smile at the young one.

"My name is y/n, the princess and priestess of Tanata." You smile at him proudly.

"Tell me y/n…" - "Ahem… princess…" the butler whispers, coughing into his fist.

"Where are we by the way?" he asks you as he caresses his tummy happily.

"You're on the island of Tanata." you answer him in a simple voice. "I see… ohoooo! is that chocolate pudding?" you giggle at Luffy, who is gleefully spooning the pudding into himself.

Oh my... how easily he get´s distracted from the more important things... funny. So he's the captain of the Strawhat Pirates...

A servant walks into the room and heads towards the butler to whisper some words in his ear.

"My princess, your troop for the ship retrieval seems to be ready. You should perhaps get ready now." - "Ship retrieval?" Law, who had been quiet until just now, suddenly becomes very attentive at the butler's words and pushes himself away from the wall he was leaning against.

"Yes, my grandfather gave me the task of salvaging your ship," you reply to Law's surprise. Law looks at you with determination in his intense eyes.

"I'm coming with you."

A little dazed, you meet his gaze.

"I think that should be fine, after all you are the captain of the ship…"

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" you study him from behind as he walks past you. For some reason, he looks like he's a bit in a rush.

You hurried after him.

"Yes, yes… wait a moment! I have to get changed… I can't go into the forest in a gown like this." Law turns around on one heel and at the very last chance you manage to stop yourself before crashing into his chest.

He eyes you up and down.

" All right." All right? "...AAAAll right.. you can come with me and wait in my room if you like." you offer, as you both start walking.

"Say Law, is there a reason why you want to get to the ship so badly?" Curious, you lean towards him and he just looks at you from the corner of his eye. Turning his gaze forwards again, he thinks for a second before speaking.

"It's my ship, of course I want to be there when it's salvaged."

His lips open slightly as he glances to the side again where he sees you pouting but this time your face is facing forwards as well. He quickly turns his gaze away from you and closes his mouth.

The silence between the two of you is almost unbearable as you walk through the garden. Occasionally you steal a few glances at each other.

When your eyes met accidentally, the tension went straight from zero to one hundred. You look nervously to your left and hide your flushed cheeks.

Somehow it feels strange.

You're curious by nature, but somehow you feel a bit embarrassed when your interest in Law becomes obvious. His deep throat clearing makes you look back up at him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound harsh. Actually, I just wanted to get some books from my study." He explains in his deep voice.

"Books, sooo do you like to read?" you ask him, getting a bit excited. You realise how close you've come to him and step back a little shyly as Law leans back because of your sudden closeness. You mumble an embarrassed 'sorry' to him. Law, on the other hand, looks at you with great interest. Even if you can't see it, he can't help but have a small grin because of you.

"You could say that. I need to do some research and I may need my books." You're glad he's keeping the conversation going.

An educated one. Hmmm…

You look up at him with a brave face.

"And what are you researching?"

Law's lips curl into a playful grin as he shows his white teeth.

"You're quite a curious princess."

You promptly cover your smile with your hand in shame.

"I know… hehe sorry." Of course you don't want to be intrusive...

...just friendly…?

When you arrive in your room, your personal maid is already waiting for you. Law walks over to the fireplace, leans his sword against the side of the sofa and makes himself comfortable on it.

You ask your servant to bring you some suitable clothes for the rescue.

"Preferably pants, please!" you call after her as she's almost through the door. She nods at you and you decide to sit down and join Law. Your gaze sweeps over his sword.

"So you're a swordsman?"

"Yup. This is my Katana Kikoku." Law reaches for his sword and elegantly pulls it out from its sheath. The blade gleams at you and in the reflection you find your own eyes.

"Beautiful." you gaze absently at the blade.

The 'clack' of the handle as it hits the sheath brings you back from your thoughts and you look at Law.

"It's a really good katana." - "It suits you." you say without even thinking about it.

Woopsie. I only wanted to think that...

You smirk at him, hoping he won't pay much attention to your sentence. Law raises an eyebrow, he heard you and from the look on your face, he has a feeling what you meant. But he doesn't say anything. Luckily for you.

The door opens and the maid comes into the room with a carefully folded pile of clothes in her arms. She places it on a drawer as you get up from your seat.

"Do you need any help princess?" - "No thanks Zoe, I can handle it. After all, it's not such a complicated costume as this one." You say jokingly as you reach into the sides of your gown to carry the fabric across the floor. She just giggles and leaves the room as quietly as she came.

Law looks after you, arms casually stretched out on the back of the sofa, as you disappear behind a beautiful room divider.

"Actually, it's a good thing you're coming along. I think we'll find a quick solution and then you can see where we're taking your ship." you say a little louder as you throw your clothes over the paravent.

He hums deep in agreement before he begins to speak. "Other than that, I think I will be a great help." He says in a nonchalant voice.

Curious, you poke out your head and look over at Law, who glances sideways at you. You raise an eyebrow questioningly and slightly nod your head. Law understands your silent question and continues.

"You know, I ate the Ope Ope no Mi Devil Fruit and the abilities I have as a result, are… let's say… especially for me - practical." You hold your breath for a moment and his cheeky smile makes you smile too.

"Ohooo… how exciting. I'll save you some words and let you surprise me." You quickly disappear behind the screen again before continuing. "I'd love to see you in action." Even if you sound cool, your blush would give you away.

Give away what? jeez…

You hear Law laugh for the first time. It's not a boisterous or hearty laughter. It's more of a mischievous, challenging sort of laugh.

Oh, how you wish to peek out and see Law's face.

"Princess-ya I must confess that we should be the ones who are curious and surprised. I have a lot of questions and would be pleased to get answers…" He looks at you intently as you come out with your changed clothes. Smiling, you think twice about what to say next.

"You know Law, I don't think we are that different." You take a seat right next to him so that he can feel your movement on the sofa.

"You.. you are meeting something hidden and I am meeting the world, wich is unknown to me…" You open your palm and reveal a small symbol, tattooed on your hand. Your gaze still fixed on Law's face as he studies the symbol.

"Of course I can tell you so many things that the world out there doesn't know, but the same goes for me… You live in a world that I only know "actually" exists… you know?"

"Then let's enlighten each other." He looks at you with a confident stare. His eyes literally flicker with curiosity.

Maybe you don't have to be awkward about being so interested. After all, you can see the same obvious interest in his eyes.

"Sounds good." You say in a more professional voice so you can play down your fluttering heart.

You stand up and smooth out your clothes. You're grateful that you have the luxury of wearing gorgeous clothes, but wearing pants is simply more comfortable, than constantly dragging long dresses behind you…

You swing a light cloak around your shoulders and close the brooch that prevents the cloak from falling down.

"Well then, let's go!"

Law releases his crossed legs with a swing and raises up, the strings of his pullover waving slightly. You think briefly about how good he looked in Tanata's traditional clothes, but without regretting it for a second, you admit that his modern attire has more personality. The fact that he has his Jolly Roger printed shows that he is a proud captain.

With the whole troop and Law right by your side, you set off into the forest. The forest is so dense that you quickly lose your sense of direction, but the people of Tanata know every tree and every river.

Law notices some old symbols carved into the trees. They are hard to recognise, but once you have seen one, you notice them everywhere.

"The symbols.. what does they mean?" Law asks. His eyes look around the area as he discovers the few signs.

"Most of them are for orientation…" you carefully step closer to Law so that you can whisper to him without getting overheard. "… but a few harbour secrets." You carefully point to a stone with a symbol on it, that Law recognises immediately.

You smile knowingly as he remembers and reveal the tattoo in your hand again.

"They're the same symbols." Humming, you nod at him.

"Right, I could imagine telling you what it's all about… iiif you tell me something about your world in return!" you ask him energetically and offer him an exchange of information. Law's familiar smile reappears as he looks ahead.

"That depends on which information you want." His gaze falls to the side, down to you. You don't hesitate because you have questions about a certain topic since day one.

"I want to know everything about your medicine." - Law huffs a little.

"That's quite a broad topic, it'll take a while." He waits calmly for your reaction and is clearly not disappointed.

"Yeah, I've got time!" - Law holds his chin with a smile.

"Since the topic is so broad, I'd like to be sure that the information you have to offer is fair to mine." - A grunting laugh escapes you.

"Yeah.. well, I'm pretty sure it's something you're interested in." Confident, you put a hand on your hip and give him a knowing look.

"I know from the servants that you've borrowed some books of Tanata's geography and history." - "Ahh… so we're being watched." - "We're a friendly people… Not stupid ones. So yes, you are being watched." The two of you share a kind of thrilling moment. You feel like a spy who already knows his counterpart's next move.

Grandpa would be proud of you, but you wouldn't admit that you're not watching the crew for safety. It's just that you're curious, obviously.

"This symbol hides some answers to your questions…" both your eyes rest on the symbol in your hand.

"I would also be willing to grant you access to our royal library. Of course in relation to a further exchange of information, which goes without saying… doesn't it?" you wink at him.

He licks his teeth with a soft laugh.

"Sounds tempting princess-ya."

You're on this strange ship again.

The 'Yellow Wonder' as you thought the other day. You look around curiously, the deck is quite simple but it is quite exciting to be on a ship.

Once upon a time, it was common on Tanata for people to sail on ships. You have read all the history books and writings about your own past.

The past of Tanata.

No matter what the written records say, there is not a single trace of ships on the island. The people of Tanata have not sailed for centuries…

"Princess?" - You flinch slightly and turn to look into the troop leader's eyes.

"Hey, don't scare me like that Ambrosios!" You put your hand on your chest.

" Sorry not sorry… but I have to tell you that there might be a problem…" - "Ahh man…" Annoyed, you put your hands on your hips.

Ambrosios does the same, but instead of an annoyed expression, he grins cheekily at you. When you notice how he copies you, you snort.

That cheeky guy.

You two have known each other since you were kids, he's Anatol's son and was raised to be a warrior. You've always trained together.

Your eyes roam over his upper body.

He is definitely not badly built, his armor is designed in such a way, that you can still see his impressive muscles.

"You know, princess, you don't have to stare, you are allowed to touch." He comes closer to you but you laugh and push his face away from you, kicking him lightly in the side.

"Come on. Tell me about the problem." He's always been like this and he's like this with everyone, but you know that he doesn't get into bed with everyone. You've always wondered why he never had a serious relationship.

"Not only is the ship stuck, it's also stuck in mud. It's much harder to get it out and we could end up damaging the ship." - "Do you have any ideas, my princess?" He leans down slightly towards you, his blond hair falling slightly in his face. He's quite the pretty boy, you have to admit.

But you just don't like blonde. You like the opposite.

Without intention, you glance over at Law.

Ambrosios follows your glance. You quickly look back at him, luckily he can't hear what you're thinking.

"I think, I have an idea… Someone has assured me that he could be of great help."

A smile appears on your face that Ambrosios has never seen before. It's a sort of cunning one.

With Law as your target, you make your way over to him. He was with a few soldiers and had his back turned to you. When the soldiers saw you, they interrupted the conversation and stood up straight.

Law didn't miss this behavior and turned around.

"Princess-ya." - "Princess.ya?" Ambrosios asks a little bewildered… and a little pissed off, because it seems so intimate… but you don't realize that anyway.

"Hey Law, do you have any ideas what we can do? Your ship is stuck in the mud and we can't lift it out of the river." - "I can deal with it, but there's one thing that needs to be done first."

Curiously, you watch as the soldiers heave a tree trunk onto the huge wagon where the ship should be placed.

Law said it was necessary and you are looking forward to what comes next.

"Okay, everything should work now." Law says casually as he claps his hands.

With a firm stance, he raises an arm and his low voice echoes a 'Room!

You've heard that before…

First you recognize a small swirl forming in his palm, which becomes a growing dome.

The dome surrounded you, the ship and the wagon that was positioned right next to the ship. He paused briefly and you hear him say 'Shambles'.

Suddenly the ship disappears from your sight and in the next moment you hear the loud creaking sound of Law's ship, which appears on the cart.

With your mouth open, you look in amazement at the Jolly Roger's broad grin as the log falls into the river.

Your gaze goes over to Law, who takes one step backwards.

"That was awesome Law!" - Law smiles at you, a little drained. You immediately recognize his irregular breathing and slight dark circles under his eyes.

"Are you all right?" you approach him worriedly. He quickly collects himself and tries to adopt a composed posture.

"Swapping such large object takes a lot of energy." You look at him sympathetically as Ambrosios steps to his side and places a hand on his shoulder. He is slightly taller and broader than Law.

"That was pretty useful, we'll take it from here." And walks past him to the wagon, where the other soldiers are getting ready.

Although Ambrosio might not look like it, if you can win him over, especially with strength, you'll have his respect.

"Pretty cool, I must say." - "Thanks, you could say I control the room" - "Sounds familiar…".

For a moment you both just smile at each other and it feels like time stands still. You definitely won't be the first to look away. You're enjoying the sensation waaaay too much.

"Aheem." comes from the side and you both look to Ambrosios who comes slightly between you to talk to you.

"We're ready then."

After securing the ship at the city border, you say goodbye to the soldiers and make your way back to the palace.

Now it's just the two of you…

Even if you want to ask a thousand things, you remain silent. At first it was a bit awkward again, but as time went on you found it quite pleasant. You become very calm around Law.

"Hey Law, when we get back I could do something to make you feel good."

What on earth did this woman say?

A little surprised, he looks down at you and raises an eyebrow.

"A-Also, only if you want to, of course." - "What do you mean?" he looks down at you sceptically.

Only then you realize what you actually said and turn bright red!

"UHH I MEAN… of course I meant that I can heal you!" Ashamed, you bury your face in your hands.

Oh my God, why do you express yourself so incredibly silly, huh?

It is now impossible to look Law in the face and you go your way in silence. You are glad when you arrive at Hera's palace and a few pirates greet you.

"Captain!!!!!!" Bepo comes running towards you.

"How's the Polar Tang??" - "Fine, it's safe at the edge of town. I would say that you help the people with the repairs. After all, it's not a normal ship." The Mink saluted his captain and scurried off to gather a couple crew members.

Law looks down at you. You can feel his eyes on you and carefully look up at him.

"You said you could heal me?" you nod hastily at him.

"All right, I suggest we go to my room," he adds as he makes his way to the stairs.

Once in his room, you suddenly feel like a complete stranger. It's your home and yet you're still tense.

Law makes himself comfortable on the sofa and looks at you expectantly.

You stand a little lost in the room. The thought of what you're about to do suddenly makes you feel strange. You start to feel a little uneasy at the thought of healing Law.

You sit down next to Law with your upper body facing him.

"Ready?" you ask as you carefully reach for his hand. With your delicate hands, you hold Law's hand and bring it to your lips.

Your warm lips meet Law's cool skin. With your eyes closed, you try to concentrate on his exhaustion.

Even if Law doesn't show it, he is literally overwhelmed by the warm feeling running through him. It feels as if waves are flooding his body without him feeling drowned. He feels rather light and safe.

He has never felt so good. Now he understands why you said it like that.

He closes his eyes. It's not that he feels like he is intoxicated by the feeling… it's more that he feels calmer than ever before.

He opens his eyes slightly to look down at you. Your lips are still on his hand. His gaze wanders from your long eyelashes to your full lips.

Why did she have to kiss Luffy and me when it was just a simple touch with Penguin?

A little tired, you let go of Law's hand. You used quite a lot of power yesterday and although it was only a small effort, it's quite noticeable now.

Law, on the other hand, spreads his arms out on the backrest and leans his head back with closed eyes.

The way you're both sitting, with your upper body still facing him, it looks like he's putting an arm around you. Exhausted, you lean back against the sofa. You don't care that you're touching Law's arm, and Law doesn't seem to mind either as you enjoy a moment in silence.

"Princess-ya?" - "Mhmm?"

"When you healed Penguin on the ship, you only had to touch him but you kissed me and Luffy… why?" - "It depends on how bad the damage or injury is…." You take his hand in your small hands and let some of your power flow into him.

"Can you tell the difference?" - Law nods silently at you.

"I'm not sooo good at controlling people's time yet… or rather, I can't without skin contact. There were some devil fruit users who could do it without any contact but I guess I'm a bit too uncontrolled… as my grandfather always swears." You can't help grinning.

"I build a direct connection that way, otherwise I'd use up too much energy myself." - "Why don't you heal yourself?" - "I can't."

He lifts his head straight up to look at you. Tired, you look into his eyes.

"You can't?" - "Yep. I've tried but nothing happens when I touch myself. I know from the old writings and stories that there were devil fruit users who could do it, but I never learned." You say with a hint of bitterness.

Law studies your face. Your large e/c eyes gaze into his stormy gray.

"Do you want it?" - "Absolutely." your eyes sparkle with passion. "But grandfather won't let me. There was a terrible incident back then and I strained my powers so much that I unleashed a terrible force…" You hold on to your arms and gaze into the distance.

"Apparently I've released something that's never been seen before. A power so terrible that it almost killed me. Since then, my grandfather has forbidden me from using my powers like that…"

You can't control yourself and a tear flows down your cheek.

You don't know what happened back then. You only know that it must have been so terrible because you were in a coma for a year. When you woke up again, you realized that your grandfather had burned all the textbooks that could help you with your techniques. In general, there were some forbidden techniques, but none of the previous users had ever been able to do what you did.

With his thumb, Law wipes away your tear and smiles kindly at you. You return a weak smile and the black haired man leans back again. He looks up at the ceiling a little thoughtfully and closes his eyes.

"You know, I feel really good."

You're glad Law can't see your face. You notice his attempt to refer to your words from before and lean back with a grin. You close your eyes and wonder why you feel so good... Even though you've remembered so many bad things.

After all you've known Law for less than 48 hours, you have shed a tear in front of him. Even if it was just one…

Law's voice, calm manner and slight arrogance trigger feelings in you that you've only read about in books.

It feels strange… No, rather good.

After a while, you say your goodbyes to Law. You're quite sleepy and if you don't get up now, you'll fall asleep and that would create DRAMA.

You can imagine the headline on the newspaper 'HOLY PRINCESS WITH PIRATE!!!'

When you get to your room, you throw yourself into bed. Your face is buried in the pillow.

What exactly do you feel? Is it sheer curiosity? No.

With the question still unanswered, you fall deeply asleep.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

You suddenly wake up in the middle of the night.

Tired, you gently rub your eyes and look over to your window. Someone is throwing little pebbles at your window and that could only be one… You suddenly realize.

Oh no, Thalia!

You quickly get up and rush to the window. The moon lights up the yard and you see her waving to you. She waves you over, she wants you to come out. Fortunately, she doesn't look angry. Because of all the things that happened today, you forgot that you wanted to meet her. You grab a cloak and step out onto your balcony.

"Hey y/n!" She whispers, but a little louder. It's quiet in the garden, the night doesn't seem young anymore. The whole palace should be deep asleep but night time animals are bustling around. And Thalia seems to be one too.

You climb over the balustrade and jump down to her. Just before you fully reach the ground, you leap into her arms.

"I reaaaaally wanted to meet you today, Thalia... but Grandpa gave me an important assignment… and then I somehow forgot…" You give her a gentle hug. Thalia pats you gently on the back, her voice very soft.

"I know dummy, Ambrosios told me everything." She leans back and grins mischievously into your face.

"That's exactly why I'm here! Come on, tell me EVERYTHING!" She urges you as you stroll through the palace gardens.

" Gosh Thalia, what time is it anyway? Couldn't it have waited until tomorrow? We could have had breakfast." You sulk in a tired voice.

"NO!"

"You're killing me, girl." You sigh in frustration and then smile at her. You're already out anyway. So whatever…

She just shrugs her shoulders as you stroll through the night. You tell her everything and she eagerly hangs on your lips.

"…And they're all really nice. You should have seen how much Captain Luffy can stuff into himself. THAT was crazy!" You put your hands to your head, emphasizing your last sentence even more.

"The fact that they're pirates is kind of hard to understand." You say a little confused and look at a field of flowers. Thalia doesn't miss the sudden change in your voice.

"But that arrogant blackhaired introduced himself as a pirate, didn't he?" She crosses her arms, a little offended. You can't suppress a laugh and burst out laughing.

Law? The arrogant blackhaired? She doesn't seem to be a fan of Law. You wipe a small tear from the corner of your eye.

"Yeah, that's true, but these people aren't like those people from back then." Your voice becomes more meaningful again. The blonde looks over at you with a worried expression. She can't forget the pictures from back then either.

The brutality. The screaming of the people. The hopelessness.

The first time you felt fear. Fear of losing your life. Everyone has lost a lot.

You are aware that you should be more careful, but this time it's different and you believe that not everyone is bad.

Back then, they were evil to the core and you could feel it right away. Unconsciously, you clench your fists and Thalia grabs your hand, which makes you relax again.

Hand in hand, you walk around.

Sunrays flicker across your eyes and you wake up a little grouchily. You turn over lazily and look at your friend as she lies comfortably snuggled up, next to you in bed.

You had decided to continue gossiping in your room and at some point you fell asleep… Actually, Thalia was the first to fall asleep, she always falls asleep quickly. You didn't had the heart to wake her up and just let her sleep.

Well, now we can have breakfast together after all.

You carefully get out of bed to avoid waking her up and get changed. You're still in your clothes from yesterday and haven't even managed to put on pyjamas.

Before you disappear into the bathroom, you arrange a pile of clothes for Thalia. It's a bit strange, but when you were kids you used to dress up and play princess at your place. That was obvious… and over time you actually enjoyed dressing up Thalia.

She's like a fine doll. She's definitely one of the most beautiful women on Tanata, but she's very modest in physique. Fine curves and a small chest.

You stop briefly in front of your mirror and look at yourself. Pants clearly highlight your curves and you actually love the sight of them, too bad you're about to change into a dress but you're a princess … and that's what you do… as eeeeveryone says. Ugh.

Steaming, you step out of the bathroom, where a now awake Thalia awaits you.

"Good morning sleepyhead." You grin at her as you rub your hair dry. Yawning, she lets herself fall back into your bed and stretches out.

"Come on blondie, off to the shower and then we'll have breakfast!" you command as you throw your towel over her face.

"Breakfast with who?" She asks you excitedly.

"Hmmmm, you know what? You may choose!" You grin smugly.

"Hehe okay, well you know my answer!" She hops out of bed, grabs the clothes and disappears into the bathroom.

With Thailia by your side, you walk quietly out of your room. You sneak carefully through the long corridors as you see a maid cleaning the dust in front of you.

"Heyyy Agaaata…" You say charmingly as you step closer to her. She shrinks back a little and raises an eyebrow.

"What do you need princess?" She knows that look from you and crosses her arms.

"I'd like to have breakfast with Thalia in my room… but you don't have to bring breakfast to my room… okaaay?" - "Ah hell no, please ask someone else princess but keep me out of this." - "Awww come on!"

"I can already guess that you want to have breakfast with the pirates, but you know how important shared meals are for the king!" - "I'll do it anyway." you say, as if making a silent threat, while looking at your nails.

The servant rolls her eyes.

"Ugh. Fine, but you should at least think of something better! When the king hears that Thalia is here, he'll insist that you have breakfast together anyway…"

She's probably right, luckily only Agata has seen Thalia so far and no one else.

She sighs at you and goes back to dusting the furniture.

"I'll tell the king that you're exhausted and want to sleep… That you didn't come up with the idea yourselves… Jeez, princess. Always with your head in the clouds…" She shakes her head.

You hug the moody woman and thank her a thousand times.

"I owe you one!" - "Then bake me something really delicious!" Her cheeks turn a soft pink. Yep, you bake and you do it better than any pastry chef on Tanata!

A delicious scent spreads through Hera's palace and you follow it to its origin. It is Sanji as he elegantly runs the kitchen and creates one delicious dish after another.

"Ahh Sanji, that smells delicious! Aren't our cooks preparing your food?" With his cigarette in his mouth, he glances sideways at you.

"Good morning princess. I'm cooking for the pack from today. You've already done so much for us and besides, I'm the Strawhats cook.“ He casually swings the ingredients in the pan.

" Can we join you for breakfast?" Thalia pushes you aside.

"I would never refuse a woman's request, especially if it's food!" He says in a flirty tone. Thailia giggles at him with flushed cheeks.

Ohoo Thalia…..!

Together with the pirates, you had a very entertaining breakfast. You sat with Thalia together with Nami and Robin and talked about women's stuff.

Nami really wanted to know a few boutiques and go shopping. Thalia was definitely the right address for her because she was a real fashion icon.

You listen to them with interest as it gets a little louder on the other side of the table. With your chin in your hand, your gaze travels over. A couple of Law's crew members are chatting lively and laughing.

You smile to yourself and lean back to eat the delicious pancakes Sanji made you. They are so fluffy that they give you butterflies in your stomach and Sanji definitely seems to be a gentleman. Before your cup is empty he pours you another cup of tea.

Pleased, you bring the cup to your mouth, taking in the aroma of the slightly floral and refreshing black tea.

You enjoy the almost chaotic atmosphere around you. As you look up from your cup, Law catches your eye. He is talking to Bepo and a woman. I heard a few others say her name, it's Ikkaku.

Ikkaku notices your gaze on her and blushes slightly. You didn't mean to stare at her like that and her blushing causes you to blush as well. You hastily put your cup down and dab your mouth.

Agata suddenly appears in the dining room. Completely out of breath, she puts a hand on her hip.

"Princess. You must go to the palace, right now!" Silence fills the room.

"Delia has given birth!" And you quickly rise from your seat.

"No way!!!" You smile.

"Thalia, I have to go now! I'll leave you here for a moment, is that okay?" - " "No problem y/n, I'll be fine here." She laughs as Sanji serves her a dessert.

That looks delicious!

A little sad, that you don't have time for dessert, you turn to Agata and go with her to the royal palace.

"It's a girl." Delia smiles weakly at you.

You walk over to her and gently pat her shoulder as she holds the little miracle in her arms.

Your uncle sits next to her and cries like crazy. It's pouring out of his eyes like waterfalls, but he pulls himself together to keep his voice down.

Delia hands Zelos their baby and quite enchanted, the father looks into his daughter's face for the first time.

"Oh my little Megara, you are already just perfect." You can no longer hold back your tears and hastily wipe them from the corner of your eyes.

The door opens and Grandfather enters the room. He quietly closes the door behind him and steps to your side.

"Hey, how are you doing?" His voice all caring.

"It's a girl." Says Delia.

"A girl? Hah, I knew it. Zelos you were just so obsessed with it being a boy, that it became a girl!" He hums a soft laugh.

Zelos doesn't really listen to him. He is floating on cloud seven.

"She's going to be queen. Just like your sister." Grandfather says with a broad smile.

Zelos looks up at him, his face briefly tormented by a bittersweet expression.

"And how she will be." He answers proudly.

"All right. I think we should celebrate. I'll have a magnificent feast prepared for the birth of our beloved Megara." The king announces.

"Let's have the whole city celebrate!"

You leave the room together and give the new parents some time to themselves.

You're already looking forward to the party and a question arises.

"Grandfather? Would it be okay if we let my guests join the party? They've been through quite a lot and it would be a great distraction, wouldn't it?" You look up at him innocently. He pats your head with his huge hand.

"You're too kind y/n. You don't know them, don't be so naive." - "Hmph I'm not naive, that's my seventh sense I'm trusting here!" - "Hahahahaha." the king's laughter roars through the halls.

"Tell me my child. If your intuition is deceiving you, what are you doing?" he looks at you seriously. You search for a suitable answer in the distance.

"No, it won't." You smile at him. Your grandfather bursts out laughing again.

"Sometimes I wonder if you've awakened the ability to see into the future without telling me, but then I think you're just as foolish as your mother." He pretends to be sulking and pats your shoulder.

"Invite them. Maybe I'm just too grumpy and need to get to know them better." You jump up and down happily and thank your grandfather.

With a big grin, you enter the fireplace room where a few crew members have gathered. Thalia is chatting lively with a bunch of different people. She's such a social butterfly, as always.

"Hey, listen up!" All eyes are on you.

"We're going to have a big celebration to welcome my first cousin. The whole town is invited and you can join us if you want!"

"Will there be alcohol?" asks Zoro.

"A LOT! And pleeeeeenty of food!" A joyful muttering spreads through the room.

This is going to be fun!

Before you know it, a week has passed.

It's been quite an exciting week and you're amazed at how well everyone has settled in. Some friendships have formed, not only between you and them but also between the pirates and some of the citizens of Tanata.

With a smile, you think back to these days. You are glad that everyone gets along so well.

Law and Chopper told you a lot about modern medicine and you were amazed at how professional they were in their element. Every evening you met for a cup of tea in the royal family library and talked about medicine. Even though it was always a lot of informative stuff, you still go relaxed to bed and sometimes with butterflies in your stomach.. because every time Law leaned over to you, to show you something in a book, you felt the heat building up inside...

With your eyes closed, you enjoyed the memories. You sit on a bench by a large training ground and calmly swing your legs.

You finished your duties a little early and you are apparently the first to arrive at the meeting point.

Ambrosios found a really good friend among the pirates, so it seems. He met Zoro in a pub yesterday and the two of them hit it off right away, or so you think…

Because this morning Ambrosios showed up at Hera's palace full of determination and challenged Zoro to fight. If you know Ambrosios then you know that's a good sign, because he only wants to fight those he respects or puts on the same level as himself.

You are really looking forward to the fight, which is about to begin, and a few others want to watch it too.

You can hear Thalia and Nami shouting in the distance.

You get up from the bench and wave cheerfully to the women.

"And y/n, who do you think is going to win today?" With an arm around you, she pulls you close to her. She's a little shorter and you have to bend a little, but you return the hug by wrapping an arm around her too.

You think about it for a moment.

"Uhmmm, so I've known Ambrosios my whole life… He's almost as strong as Zelos and I know that through experience." Even though you were a princess, Ambrosios never treated you gently when you fought together. You were a worthy opponent to him, more like a rival.

"But when I run into Zoro, it's either that he's training or drinking. They're quite similar in that aspect, so I'm really curious… It's 50-50." You can't quite make up your mind and remain neutral.

"I'm sure Zoro will be the winner!" Nami says proudly, with her hand on her chest. Together you burst out into a laughter.

Together you take a seat on a picnic blanket that Thalia had brought with her and Nami surprised you with a basket full of tasty treats from Sanji.

Your eyes lit up at the sight of the sweets. Sanji even included a little note: "Bon appetit, ladies." he wrote in a fancy handwriting. That gentleman.

Your eyes go over to Thalia, who is delighted with the dessert. Sanji had actually prepared her favorite dessert…

The two of them have started a 'little romance' over the days...

"Tell me, Thalia.. you and Sanji? How close are you guys?" You lean over to her. Your mischievous grin crosses your face. The blonde is startled, blushing in a deep red and is about to tumble backwards, but Nami reacts quickly and catches her.

"Well, it's the same as before…" She runs her fingers through her fine blonde hair a little insecurely.

The backstory to this: This 'little romance' the two of them are having, is truly a love drama...

They write poetic letters to each other, sometimes several times a day! And when the two of them met by chance in the city or when she is with you, they would talk as if they were in their own world. From the outside, they seem like soulmates.

Totally cheesy, but it suits your best friend.

Over time, more of the pirates and friends came to the fighting ground. Bepo came running up and happily called your name. Behind him you can see Law, Shachi, Penguin and Ikkaku following.

You girls give the new arrivals a friendly wave. They joined you on the meadow. Ikkaku took a seat on the blanket and took something out of her bag.

"I've brought us something really delicious!" she happily presents the bottle of wine. Yaaaaay!

You women cheer and pour yourselves some of the wine. You talk cheerfully like teenagers while you wait for the fighters.

Ambrosios was the first to enter the square. He proudly presented himself to you ladies in his golden armor.

"Greetings, beautiful ones. Greetings, my princess." he greeted you separately and kissed your hand. You roll your eyes at him. That Casanova.

"Where is the swordsman?" He asks energetically, spreading his arms. His muscles flex at the slightest movement.

"He's probably lost again." Nami makes a remark as she calmly drinks from her glass.

Your gaze wanders across the sky. The sun flashes through the trees, creating a beautiful play of light and shadow.

"Ahh, there he is!" Ambrosio's battle ready voice brings you out of your thoughts.

Zoro and Robin come walking up. Zoro and Ambrosios greet each other with a firm handshake, their looks are serious but eager to fight. They grin at each other.

"Hey Robin! There you are! Good thing you brought Zoro, we've been waiting for ageeeees." complains a slightly drunk Thalia. She has barely finished a glass and is already tipsy but she's a lightweight when it comes to alcohol anyway. Robin laughs a little at her as she settles down and closes the gap between you and Thalia.

"Yeah, I met him on my way here. He seemed a little disoriented." - "HAH! I told you so!" sneered Nami.

While the men warmed up briefly, people chatted amongst themselves. Some placed bets on their favorite and talked about why they were betting on the person in question.

You listen intently as Penguin and Shachi argue about the possible winner and Law sits between them... The back and forth between the two and the way the captain tries to get out of their argument, brings a giggle from you.

From the side, you hear the clink of swords being unsheathed. All eyes are now on the men, as they stand opposite each other in a fighting stance. All conversations came to an end and everyone waited eagerly for the one making the first move.

You never really noticed until now, but Zoro seems to be fighting with three swords. One in each hand and the third between his teeth. Ambrosios draws his sword and holds it firmly in both hands. The huge blade reflecting in the light.

He has taken the family heirloom out of the cabinet for this fight. Remarkable. It is a sword that has been passed down in their family for generations.

Ambrosios was the first to make a move. He dashed straight at the green haired man with insane speed, his blade pointed directly at him.

Zoro continued to stand in place, his posture firm. Just before Ambrosios could swing his sword, Zoro leapt into the air and spun around to make his first move.

"Oni Giri!" Zoro tried to charge a strike from the air but Ambrosios was able to deflect it with ease. The broad blade of his sword makes it easy to dodge attacks.

With quick movements, their swords clashed constantly. It was hard to keep up, even for you. It almost seemed as if their energy was limitless and you can see the passion burning in their eyes.

They both give their all.

You can see that they both find it downright thrilling to fight with each other. Those madmen. You think.

The fight has been going on for a while now and it looks like that both are on the same level.

"Oiii ZORO! COME ON! GO, GIVE HIM ALL YOU GOT!" Luffy shouts as he jumps excitedly into the air.

The crowd cheered for their favorite every time he landed a good hit or blocked a heavy blow. The fight is even and in your eyes you're just waiting for someone to make a mistake.

You know that Ambrosios is a man of perfection, but you realize that Zoro is also an attentive opponent.

Even when the two seemed visibly out of breath, it didn't change their fighting spirit. Their pride is too great for them to back down.

After countless blows, however, the unpredictable happened.

Ambrosios fended off a strong attack and began to falter. He lost his balance and fell to the ground. Completely out of breath, Zoro stood over him. His grin almost wider than his face. With one of his swords pointed at Ambrosios, it's clear who the winner is.

"I'd say the match is over." Satisfied, he puts his swords away and gives him his arm so that Ambrosios can pull himself up. As they both stood in front of each other, the Tanata warrior placed a hand on Zoro's shoulder.

"You are an excellent swordsman, my friend." Zoro holds him firmly by the arm, returning his words.

"I can only repeat that." The two come walking arm in arm towards the cheering group. This was never about who was the strongest. It was about the passion to fight.

The two have forged a noticeable bond through the fight and both toast to their fighting with a mug of beer.

"Now that I've warmed up, I want to fight your strongest man!" Zoro announces, as if the hour of fighting just now, was a piece of cake.

Ambrosio's laughter was very hearty at first, but towards the end his laughter had a sinister edge to it...

"Zoro you are insatiable." Ambrosios lies down on the grass, his gaze directed upwards.

"If you want to fight the strongest, I'll have to disappoint you. Zelos is currently on a mission and therefore not in the city."

Zelos is still in the process of building a line of defense, in the forests of Tanata. The strange ship still seems to be circling the island and from what the king says, it is now certain that they are not trying to get out of the storm…

Zoro groans unhappily. He looks like he still has so much energy he wants to get rid of.

"But there's one more person." Your eyes go over to Ambrosio's without moving your body.

Don't you dare, Ambrosios.

He looks at you without anyone noticing. His grin widens as you shake your head slightly.

"Is it the king?" Nami asks. Ambrosios bursts out laughing loud and heartily. The young woman looks over at you, confused. You shrug your shoulders a little warily and smile gently at her. You hope that Zoro will lose interest, but unfortunately you don't know him well.

"Come on Ambrosios, spit it out, who is it?" He shakes his battle partner and looks at him expectantly. Ambrosios sits up.

"No, it's not the king. The king is strong but he's the fourth strongest in my opinion." He answers Nami's question.

The people around you are very curious and no one makes a sound.

"Zelos is the strongest man, but there is one woman who is stronger than all the others." Zelos eyes are on you and quickly you realize that everyone is looking at you.

Zoro's broad grin disappears.

"And who is this woman?" Zoro didn't seem to get the message.

Luffy joins the confusion and applies some pressure.

"That's right! Tell us, who is it!" Excited, Luffy gets very close to Ambrosios. Without any problems, he pushes the boy away from him with his hand in his face.

Annoyed, Nami groans and pulls Zoro towards her by the ears.

"THAT'S OBVIOUS, YOU IDIOT!" She scolds him. You can literally see the gears moving in Zoro's head… but there is no sign of realization. Frustrated, she lets go of him, she just can't take any more.

"It's y/n!!!" She yells at him.

In a flash, Luffy and Zoro's eyes are now on you too. Luffy looks at you with a sparkle in his eyes while Zoro's combative grin returns.

"Uhhhh hehe, well now it's out." you admit in defeat "Surprise!" you add a little uncertainly.

You feel quite uncomfortable that all the attention is on you. Of course you're excellent with a sword, but you're pretty overpowered thanks to your devil fruit.

You know how hard the others train and even think it's unfair that they call you the strongest… Of course you have trained a lot and even if your fighting technique is excellent, you think that someone else could certainly be stronger with the devil fruit.

Zoro ignores the uncertainty in your voice and stands up, only to kneel in front of you.

"Princess, please do me the honor of fighting you!" he lowers his head.

"I can't Zoro. I don't fight for pleasure." you reply softly as you cross your arms in front of you. Hastily, he looks into your eyes with a serious look.

"This is not about pleasure. It's about honor and respect. I respect you my princess, so please do me the honor and let me fight you!" His hand tightens on the hilt of his sword. His eyes flash at you with a steely determination and to your disadvantage, the people cheer in unison 'Go princess!, go princess!'.

You admit your defeat and sigh. Your eyes meet his again. You can't shake the feeling that if you don't fight him, he will annoy you until you part ways.

…Until you part ways…

"You know what, Zoro?" Who knows, maybe one day you'll regret it.

Maybe one day you'll regret not showing the pirates Tanata's strength. The ambition, courage and technique.

"LET'S FIGHT!"

You jump up and some of the people cheer and follow suit.

"Alright little princess, are you ready?" The broad grin on Zoro's face looks almost crazy. His eyes narrow with confidence as you walk back onto the ground.

"How impatient Mr. Swordsman."

You give him a quirky grin, finding it funny how eager he is to fight you. He's very much like Ambrosios. If you don't consider their appearance, they could be siblings…

Maybe they're soul mates? lol.

Before you enter the field, you walk over to the others and Ambrosios who is lying on the meadow with his eyes closed. As you reach for his sword, he quickly grabs your arm, still with his eyes closed.

"What are you doing, my princess?" he looks at you with his one eye open.

"I need a sword, what does it look like, you dummy?"

The huge man straightens up and shakes his head slightly.

"No, no, no. Princess. That sword is far too heavy for a delicate woman like you…"

What? He treats me like a princess, of course, but he has never doubted my strength...

"Tzz a delicate woman like me can still be as strong as a man!" A little offended but with a grin on your lips, you swing the broad sword in the air and spin it like a basketball on your finger.

He doesn't answer you, he rather confuses you with his laughter as he leans back.

Around you, you hear the people express their amazement.

"Woah y/n, you're totally the surprise! And your outfit too." Nami gushes at you. You blush a little as you look down at yourself and sink the sword, which is actually as big as you are, into the ground. No one has ever complimented you on how you look in your training outfit.

Of course, people admire you for your beauty and you hear this so much, that it makes you sick…. But you're much happier to receive a compliment when it's about clothes you like, than the compliments you get when you wear tacky dresses.

"Okay, I bet y/n wins!" she adds. Luffy growls in disbelief that Nami isn't betting on Zoro… After all, they are a crew.

She just shrugs her shoulders and everyone starts laughing when she said, that she has to bet on the safe horse.

Finally, you and Zoro face each other. His stance is firmer than when he fought Ambrosios and for a while, you stare into each other's eyes.

Ambrosio's sword lays casually in your hand, leaning over your shoulder. You will not be the first to attack. Will he?

Without even taking his eyes off you, he draws his swords. His blades flash at you, but you wait.

"Oiiii Zorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooo!!! GO!" Shouts the strawhat impatiently.

Since you're so easily distracted, you look over at the boy.

A mistake.

The green haired man takes advantage of your carelessness and rushes towards you. Much faster than before.

Caught off guard, you look him in the eye when he is just a few centimetres in front of you. You barely manage to block his attack, but you quickly catch yourself.

It's still no trouble. All it takes is a snap of your fingers and you disappear right before his eyes.

Puzzled, he looks around but there is no sign of you.

"Up here, swordsman!"

His gaze went straight up and there you are, flying towards him like a falling comet. In mid air, you strike out and swing the massive blade. The force of the sword triggers a powerful shockwave that could shred everything. But Zoro is quicker and manages to dodge. The pressure from the impact spreads through the surrounding area, even the spectators have to hold on tight.

No problem. I still have a few aces up my sleeve.

You think to yourself as you watch him try to gain distance.

Over and over again, your swords were clashing. Zoro would never admit it, but he definitely underestimated you. His face shows the struggle.

But you also have something you would never admit. Ambrosio's heavy sword is slowly getting on your arms.

You wanted to use your skills as little as possible, but Zoro also had a few tricks up his sleeve that you didn't expect. Zoro is definitely too close for you, you're not much of a close range fighter and need distance. With a snap, you again teleport away from Zoro, but it doesn't take Zoro long to figure out where you are. He has realized that you can teleport in seconds, if not faster he guesses, but your range is not very wide. He quickly changes direction when he sees you and comes running towards you.

"Cut!"

You take a swing with your sword and an invisible cut races across the meadow. Possibly faster than a cheetah. Zoro makes the smart move and dodges. If that cut had hit him, he would have instantly froze, just as the plants froze when the blade whipped across the ground.

But Zoro doesn't allow himself to be defeated and uses another remarkable attack.

He creates a whirlwind in which he catches you and you cling to the hilt of the sword in panic. You can't see anything around you, your hair swirls around and into your face.

With your eyes narrowed you try to catch a glimpse of Zoro but to no avail. With another cut, you slice the tornado in two and the tornado freezes as well. You let yourself fall and see Zoro jump up to you while you are still falling.

While you were in the tornado, he seems to have released another attack, because it looks like he has three heads, six arms and nine swords. You squint your eyes to check if you are still dizzy from the tornado but when you open your eyes again you still see him in this form.

His body language is menacing, tickling a murderous grin inside you.

He respects me.

Then show him everything he wants to see!

You teleport again, but this time directly into the tornado and thrust a dagger into it so you don't fall.

Normally the tornado is just air, but anything that comes into contact with your ability changes its physical structure. The cracks in the tornado caused by the dagger flash golden and shimmer as if you had cut through space and time.

You know that Zoro will follow you…

You seize the moment before Zoro appears and let your sword disappear into your space and time dimension, before teleporting it back.

Zoro breaks through the frozen tornado and a few sparkling fragments fall to the ground.

He pauses for a moment as he sees you dangling around without your sword, but your knowing grin causes him to charge at you again. Maybe you've lost it?

You snap with your free hand, but instead of teleporting, Zoro's tornado disappears into thin air. This, of course, means that you have no more support and you fall into the depths. As you fall down, you pass Zoro and wave cheekily at him.

He looks at you in surprise but follows you into the depths.

Just before you hit the ground on your back, closely followed by Zoro, you teleport in the air again, but this time with your sword in your hand.

Zoro reacts in a matter of seconds on the ground, which collapses around his feet, looking straight up into the air as if he had sensed you appear above him.

His gaze narrows as he looks up at you.

Once again you take a swing with your sword but let it go. Zoro tried to block it, but before his blades can block Ambrosio's sword, you froze it. Zoro didn't seem to expect it and that's exactly what you were hoping for.

With the surprise comes your victory. You take advantage of the brief moment of carelessness and surprise. A victorious smile forms on your lips.

"Fast forward." You speak confidently.

The sword moves towards Zoro with lightning speed, so fast that it can barely be seen with the naked eye. Zoro doesn't stand a chance and Ambrosio's sword hits him on the cheek. Light as a feather, you land on the ground in front of him. With a casual expression, you approach the green haired man, who stands before you with his mouth wide open.

You close his mouth and heal his wound before he fully comes to himself.

Zoro accepts his defeat and bows slightly to you. He is aware that you only injured his cheek because it was a friendly fight… You certainly could have hit him directly and killed him on the spot.

You enjoyed the fight very much and return the bow. Together you walk back to your audience, which is visibly stunned. Only Thalia and Ambrosios cheer like crazy cheerleaders. Okay, only Thalia cheers like a cheerleader, but Ambrosios applauds and gives you a knowing nod.

A little out of breath, you sit back down with your friends. Of course you didn't have to exert that much force, since you only fended off most of Zoro's attacks, but all that freezing is sapping your powers.

"Woah, y/n you're so fast… well apart from your teleporting thingy…." Nami gets close to your face. "You don't have a single bead of sweat on your face!" she adds, surprised.

You laugh nervously as you look at the broken Zoro, lying on the grass, regulating his breathing.

"Yes, because I've hardly done anything…." you confess in a shy voice…

"Hardly done anything?!" Zoro looks at you weirdly, his voice a little shrill at the end as he's still struggling with his breath.

"Yeah… no wait, that's not what I meant." You collect yourself for a moment. Sure, you clearly won because you're stronger, but that's not what you were trying to say.

"I meant to say that I didn't really do anything physically. I can handle a sword, yes, but I'm definitely not as physically strong as Ambrosios or my uncle." - "Oh come on my princess, you're great with a sword and strong." - "Stop always praising me like that, just because I'm the princess Ambrosios!" you stand up angrily and find yourself quite puzzled when you realize how startled the others look at you. Only Thalia and Ambrosios look at you with gentleness in their eyes.

Urgggh don't do that!

Frustrated, you sit down again, you know he only means well, as this has always been a point that made you question things… Why are you the only one? That's a question you've always asked yourself.

"The Taimutaimu fruit only gives me an obvious advantage… but you are indeed strong. Your willpower gives you a strength that I can only imitate." You wrap your arms around your legs, smiling a little as you realize how envious you sound, but you don't mean it in a bad way, you just envy it. You admire it.

"What do you mean y/n?" Nami asks you a little confused, having trouble following your monologue.

"She means the haki." Ambrosios answers for you.

You don't look up… your eyes remain fixed on your feet, which you rub together a little nervously.

"Ahh the Haki." Robin intervenes.

"So you know it?" She nods at him.

"Good… There are three different types of Haki that can be used and two of them are trainable since everyone has Haki. The Kenbunshoku, Busōshoku are trainable and the untrainable is Haōshoku."

"Haōshoku? So the Conqueror's Haki?" - "Exactly." nods Ambrosios to Law, who was leaning against Bepo, listening intently to the conversation the whole time.

"Everyone on Tanata can use all three Hakis, it's never been the case before but y/n can't even learn the ones, that everyone can learn…. y/n has no Haki in her body."

The mood became serious but it's nothing new to you, it's just a little uncomfortable how all eyes are on you.

"No Haki?! But how is that possible?" Robin asks somewhat perplexed, the usually calm woman seems to be interested in this unusual phenomena.

"We don't really know ourselves, because y/n has a very strong will and her soul is pure, otherwise the oracle wouldn't have predicted that she would become the devil fruit user…." The Tanata warrior is suddenly interrupted by the blonde who pushes herself into Robin's field of vision

"Okay Ambrosios, that's not entireeeeeely true." Her eyes and yours meet, she waits for your approval before continuing.

You have no problem with that and nod at her. They already know so much now, and if you're honest, you'd think it's unfair to leave them to their own curiosity now.

"There was a 'Chosen One' a few centuries ago… He was soooo strong that he was somewhat feared, but since the user of the Taimutaimu fruit has a pure soul, they never gave in to the fear." Thalia speaks the words like a little story, the others listen intently, Luffy lies on his stomach and dangles his legs in the air.

"Go on, tell the story!" Ikkaku shakes Thalia. You have to laugh even if it makes you sad.

"Even if the user of the Devil Fruit can't become king, he did. But he wasn't a king, he was a tyrant and the worst years in Tanata's history followed, until his long awaited death." - "Oh my God how dramatic." Nami is stunned and drinks some wine to calm down.

You hold out your empty glass to her and, without looking away from Thalia, she pours you some.

"Oh yes… After his death, the oracle never again predicted who the next user would be and for aaaall those decades there was no one to fulfill Tanata's task." - "Tanata's task?" Law interrupts your friend but she shakes her head

"That's information that none of the citizens of Tanata know. Only the oracle, the devil fruit user and the royal family know what the real purpose, for example, of y/n is." - "We can't reveal it, I'm sorry." You confirm Law.

He seems a little disappointed, but he shows you his understanding.

"I understand, everyone has secrets they don't even share with their closest ones." His eyes pass between you and Thalia.

He's right, not even Thalia knows it… who usually knows EVERYTHING. Not even with her you've shared this knowledge.

Thalia clears her throat before speaking again.

"At that time, people said it was the punishment of the gods that no new devil fruit user is predicted anymore, because the oracle receives a vision purely by chance. She does not see the user but scrolls and the current oracle confirm that they hear a voice telling them very specific details of the devil fruit user. If another person were to eat this devil fruit, he would die on the spot, because the gods only want someone with a pure soul to be the bearer." - "And that's the point, that's nonsense!" Groans Ambrosios, annoyed.

"People say the gods punished us back then? For what? For choosing someone who didn't have a pure soul? That's not our fault and ESPECIALLY not y/n's!".

Ambrosios seems a little upset and if you look at it that way it sounds logical, but Tanata is a very religious country.

"But how come you can't use Haki?" Nami doesn't understand the context.

"Probably so she doesn't get too strong…" Law recognizes the big picture.

"Exactly." Ambrosios and Thalia speak at the same time.

"Woah woah woah, it's all pretty complicated…" Nami holds her hand to her temple "...So to recap; there was an evil devil fruit user, the gods were pissed off about him, didn't choose anyone for years and then?" - "And then there was a prophecy that shook up the kingdom." Thalia takes over the conversation again.

"It was predicted that Hera would give birth to a child, one that would never learn Haki, and this child would be allowed to use the devil's fruit."

All eyes are on you. A mixture of wonder and pity spreads across the faces of the others.

The history lesson is a little nerve wracking for you and you groan a little.

"Yup, and that kid was me. The gods must have realized that the task had to be performed again, so they chose me with restrictions."

Silence fell for a while….

"Hmmmmmmm, I don't think you seem that restricted!" Luffy's boyish manner made you and the others laugh, Zoro grinned at his statement and nodded at you.

That gave you the feeling that he wanted to tell you that the strawhat was right.

"I think you could be even stronger than that guy back then." Your eyes quickly go over to Law, who is still leaning against Bepo and looking up at the blue sky.

"Thinking about how you use your ability, I can tell you that strength isn't everything. You are smart and use your power well. I don't believe in gods but I think you do, so let me tell you one thing…" You swallow a little hard, your heart beating faster as Law took his time to say the next words.

"I don't think the gods wanted to punish you, I think they wanted to give you the opportunity to awaken the full power of the Taimutaimu Fruit without being blinded by strength." His gaze continued to look upwards.

His words make you feel quite different. The blush rises to your face, as well as the tears. You feel a little stupid, but you are still happy about his words, because it doesn't sound that implausible.

Maybe the gods just didn't want you to be distracted by strength. The meaning of the Taimutaimu fruit is so much more than just power and strength. You're just so ashamed that you've never thought of it that way and still let it affect you, that you're not as strong as the others.

"I've never thought of it that way." You say, almost happily, as the tears roll down your face.

The girls around you rush straight to you to comfort you. Even Law took his eyes off the sky when he heard you sniffle softly.

"You know princess-ya, I think the gods want you to be the wisest, not the strongest."

A sentence you will never forget.

After the fight, you hang out on the meadow.

The sun shines through the tree crowns and a gentle breeze blows occasionally. Together you enjoy the peaceful evening and people chat in their little groups. Sanji came with Chopper and Franky and brought dinner for everyone.

The day couldn't be more beautiful.

After dinner, Brook played a song for the group, a song about pirate life. The pirates around you cheered and sang the song with their arms around each other. Although you don't know the lyrics, the cheerful mood makes you swing along and you clap to the beat.

You are amazed at how everyone can actually sing along to the song and the lyrics make you curious. After the performance, you watched the sunset together.

I wonder what it's like to be a pirate?

Your father has always made you so curious and the stories he and his crew told you have awakened a longing in you. It made you want to get to know life out there and sail the seas.

And for the first time in years, you feel this longing again, which you had shut off back then.

Why? Well, because you didn't want to sail into a world where people are both dangerous and cruel.

But with the crew before your eyes you are pretty relieved…

They give you hope that not all humans and even pirates are like that. They are not like the people from back then, as they have proven in the last days.

"Princess, what are you thinking about?" Bepo appears in your field of vision and pulls you out of your thoughts. He takes a seat next to you and looks up into the sky you were looking a moment ago. You get out of your position and lean against the furry mink. Your gaze returns to the sky.

"Tell me, Bepo, do you ever miss home?" - "Miss my home? My home is the Polar Tang!" He says proudly and hums a little laugh. His expression is very soft as he watches the passing clouds. He wraps a paw around you and pulls you closer to him and you snuggle up further.

The way you two snuggle together has already become quite normal. Often you've joined Bepo when you've seen him lying in the sun, in the quiet palace garden and together you've looked for funny pictures in the clouds.

"But if you mean the place where I was born, then I can tell you that yes, I miss my old home, but there was an important reason why I left my home island…" Although he lies calm and relaxed with you, you can hear the sadness in his voice. You gently brush against his paw and pat him. You look caringly into his eyes and he returns your gaze.

"But when I'm at sea with my crew, the Heart Pirates, home is everywhere." He covers up his sadness and gives you a little Eskimo kiss on the nose, which you happily return.

"You said that very beautifully." You can't help but hug the mink tightly with your thin arms.

"But why did you come up with that, Princess?" You look up at him with sparkling eyes.

"I've always wanted to leave this island and discover the wonders of the outside world, but my family and friends are here…" You look to the side a little nervously.

You leave out the detail that your grandfather would never let you sail off anyway. Never. Not even if he wasn't the king. But you are also quite uneasy. Because as mentioned, the world out there also has a dark side.

But you're still sure that your curiosity will outweigh this feeling and you would take the risk… if only you were allowed to…

You laugh to yourself a little longingly.

"Hmm, maybe you just haven't found the right reason, that makes you want to break away from your roots." Bepo speaks thoughtfully. You look up at him, a little confused.

A real reason?

This question is written all over your face and the polar bear giggles again.

"Yes. For example, I wanted to find my brother." - "Did you find him?" You look up at him expectantly, but the mink exhales deeply.

"No…" There it is again. That heartbreaking sadness in his soft voice. This feeling goes straight through your chest.

"Not yet." You add to his sentence as you take both of his paws in your small hands and bring them to your forehead. You close your eyes as you feel Bepo bury his cheek in your hair. You whisper a little prayer to yourself and break away from your pose to look into his beady black eyes.

"Your journey just isn't over yet, I firmly believe you'll see him again." You could literally see it in front of your own eyes. Like a distant memory, you could see Bepo embracing his brother. You felt happiness and relief, but maybe it was just your deepest wish that sparked your imagination… Who knows.

"Even as a child I always wanted to see a Sea King, I'd say that's my reason!" Your voice seems so enchanted that a small laugh escapes from the polar bear.

"Nah, that's a weak reason." Your gaze goes up and there stands Shachi who has just casually butted into your conversation. You look at him with a raised eyebrow as he devours a few cookies with relish and offers you one too. You gratefully accept one as he takes a seat in front of you.

"Uh okay. Weak?" Blushing, you look at him questioningly.

"Hey, don't say it like that…" Penguin stands behind him with his hands on his hips, and as he takes a seat next to the cookie devouring man, he pulls his cap over his face.

"Hey, what are you doing?! I was just telling the truth!" Offended, he frees his face and gives the man next to him a dirty look. Penguin, on the other hand, shakes his head.

"HOW you say something is the point!" He declares with his finger raised. Politely, he turns to you with a hand on his chest.

"The princess's reason is not weak… just too easy!" You furrow your eyebrows, just as confused as before.

"Easy?" you look back and forth between the two men.

Then you look up questioningly at Bepo, who shrugs his shoulders and is just as confused by what the two guys are saying.

For a while you watch the back and forth arguing between the two men. Shachi says that it's the same thing, while Penguin desperately preaches about manners. You can't help but laugh. The two of them are just too entertaining, it would be torture for you not to laugh. If you're honest, you weren't even angry about Shachi's choice of words. You were more curious as to why your reason was weak or rather translated; too easy. Penguin's behavior warms your heart and the two in front of you seem like an old married couple.

"Hey what's up with you guys?" You open your eyes, which you had closed because of your laughing fit, and wipe the tears from the corners of your eyes. You look behind the men, who freeze in the middle of their quarrel, to look up at Law.

"Captain!" Bepo shouts happily. "Penguin and Shachi are just arguing about whether the princess's reason is weak or too easy." The men look back and forth from Law to Bepo in total shock. Bepo's words are so out of the blue. He hums a little skeptically and sits down as well. Law tries to understand the whole thing, but can't quite find the context.

Princess-ya's reasons? Weak or too easy?

He has no idea what the situation was before he came along. He was just curious because he heard from afar, how the two guys were arguing and you were laughing at full force.

Law looked into the Mink's beady eyes and made it quite obvious, that he was expecting a better explanation but the Polar Bear didn't get his signals and just grinned happily at him, now that Law was here. (lol llittle fangirl.)

"We've talked about how everyone has their reasons for leaving home, to sail out into the world… And Penguin and Sachi share the same opinion, that my reason isn't really good?" You're still a bit confused yourself, as you don't really know what they mean by that, but at least you can clear things up for Law.

With a raised eyebrow, he nods as he looks over at the men.

"Okay… and what's the reason?" Even though he's facing the men, his eyes are looking at you.

"Sea Kings" you speak a little quietly. You're nervous about what his answer will be.

"Sea Kings?" he repeats your word, clearly surprised.

"Yea Sea Kings…"

"Yeah okay, I agree with those two. That is indeed too easy."

Now, not only Shachi and Penquin are the two who are open mouthed but you and Bepo join in the shock. Law, on the other hand, crosses his arms and grins with his eyes closed.

You shake your head. Now you really want an explanation of what that means. If Law even thinks that, then he has to explain it to you now.

"What does too easy mean?" - "You'll meet a Sea King pretty quickly."

"Oh, okay." - "Your reason is definitely a tourists reason."

You're caught off guard by Law's direct manner and and your eyes blink with confusion, as your jaw dropped open. Law finds your reaction quite funny and decides to tease you some more.

"What do you do when you meet a Sea King? What do you get out of meeting a Sea King and what comes after?" You close your mouth, as you really don't have an answer for Law, and break the eye contact.

"You have the desire to meet a Sea King, but it's not really a reason to leave everything behind…"

You're confused by the whole reason thing. Law asks you things you don't understand.

"Why do I have to need a reason? Can't I see the journey as a reason?" To your confusion, the black haired man just grins at you and adjusts his hat a little. When his eyes look into yours again, you are slightly startled. His gaze goes right through you.

"Of course." His agreeing makes you study him closely, you can't figure out his true thoughts.

"Not everyone needs a good reason to sail the world, but you do, since you have a reason to stay." He looks at you as if he has read you like an open book.

Perhaps he already knows you too well, as you have spent a lot of time together in the past few days. But you can't get a single word past your lips. Law is visibly amused by your speechlessness, as you're usually a pretty talkative person.

"You have to understand that people either have a reason to leave, or to stay. You may want to see a Sea King, but that's not reason enough to leave; what's your reason for staying Princess-ya?" Slowly you follow the riddle that Law speaks and see his message.

"My family." you answer him absently.

"See… so "Sea King" isn't exactly a good reason, because it's not enough for you to drop the reason why you're staying." Law raises his arms a little as if presenting the answer that is becoming clearer to you.

"Woah that makes so much sense it hurts." Exhausted, you let yourself fall backwards into Bepo's arm. He gently pats your head.

You do realize that you don't have enough reasons to leave your homeland. You have wishes, but you know that not all of them will come true.

Basically, Law just wanted to show you that it's okay to have a reason to stay. You may not realize that many of the people here have led lives that are far from your imagination and that they had no reason to stay… but he's not sure if you understood it that way. He just doesn't want to go into it any further.

And as Law feared, you didn't take it that way.

As you all make your way back to the castle, you think hard about Law's words.

You want to discover the world, but you're a little scared. If you leave, what will happen to your people? What if they get attacked again? You have a great responsibility in this country and don't have the luxury of living out your desires.

Your duties. That is the reason why you stay.

You are envious that you don't have the privilege of choosing over your own life. Your life has been prophesized, carved into stone and tattooed on your skin.

Your life has been lived thousands of times and you are destined to begin and end your life here.

Your heart is heavy but you are proud to be the priestess of Tanata, if it weren't for the desire.

It's hard not to notice that your thoughts are elsewhere. You sip your tea absently while your grandfather and Delia talk about the current situation.

Grandfather had urged you to have a cup of tea with the family again, as most of your attention has been on the guests over the last few days, but the family shouldn't be neglected. You were a little annoyed.

If family is so important to him, why didn't he come and tell you in person?

[Yesterday]

When you came back to the castle, you went straight to your bedchamber... You just wanted to be alone and think about everything your pirate friends had told you.

You didn't even pay your grandfather a visit in his study, nor did you have your afternoon tea with Delia. These are things that are completely normal for you and your king noticed this unusual behavior immediately. He sent his butler that same evening to deliver "the king's words" to you. He wants to see you at tea tomorrow and you realize, that it's more of an order than a request.

Only ONCE did I not follow my routine and I was immediately addressed… Ughhh how annoying!

You angrily threw your pillows at the door that the butler had closed.

You're tired of doing the same thing every day and if it doesn't go the way you're supposed to, it's immediately pointed out.

Your whole life is planned. You already know what will happen in the future and even your funeral is already planned.

You will be buried next to all the priests, who were once the bearers of the devil's fruit. You have a statue that resembles you and the people of your generation will pray at your grave, when you pass away one day.

It makes you sad. You won't even be buried in the cemetery of the royal family... You won't lie next to your mother and father or get married... You are not your own person. You are just the holy child of the devil's fruit.

Your thoughts are running wild. The reason to stay is your destiny but your reason to leave is freedom…

But you are not sure if you are allowed to be free. You lack nothing here and you have everything one could dream of… You keep telling yourself that.

You pull your legs towards you and bawl your eyes out on your knees. But a twisted smile crosses your depressed face.

"I should be ashamed of myself." You know it's your duty and you're ashamed of your own desires.

[Present]

Absently you look into the distance, your gaze as empty as your heart. Your thoughts dance the tango and the sides inside you argue about which path is the right one.

Your grandfather can't help but notice how you struggle with yourself, but he doesn't speak to you. He knows that if you want to talk, you will come to him. Forcing or pushing you to do something is never a good idea.

What an irony.

Because he is very aware of the weight on your shoulders. The expectation you have to fulfill… in the last week it has become clear that you have different feelings about your life. But he won't let you go, not because you have to stay. He can't let you go.

"Hey my angel, you're not saying a word today. Did something happen?" Delia brushes a strand of hair out of your face while she looks for the color in your eyes.

You feel like a stranger in your heart and exhale a little heavily.

"Not really."

Delia looks over at your grandfather, hoping for support, but he just watches quietly.

The table is filled with the most delicious pastries and food. All your wishes are always fulfilled without you having to do anything. Your life is so full that it makes you incomplete.

Do this, do that. Don't do this and don't do that. Be kind and friendly. Be elegant but smart. Be dignified but cunning. Be the most beautiful but the purest.

Love everyone but let no one alone own your heart. Sacrifice yourself but never die.

You are supposed to be so much and to your surprise you have always listened and obeyed. You fulfilled and even exceeded all expectations. You are holy.

But you are so much that you don't recognize your true face when you look in the mirror. Through your new friends you were able to realize that you are more than the praised child.

You are y/n. You don't want to be a princess or a priestess. You don't want to do the same thing every day. But you also don't want to leave anyone behind, neglect your duties and leave people who still mean the world to you without protection. You don't want to betray the gods, especially not after they've given you a chance. You don't want to disappoint anyone.

So is this the price you have to pay?

You are aware of what your heart longs for but you are stuck in some sort of identity crisis.

You can't have it both ways.

Being so deep in your thoughts, the voices of the two others sound like you're underwater. You haven't followed the conversation for a long time and you don't bother to join in as if it were just a normal day...

You can see a few servants working in the distance. Gardeners tending the plants and others going about their duties. Everyone has a smile on their face, the day is beautiful and life couldn't be easier.

So why do you want to leave?

As if you had some kind of urge. Your stomach feels heavy, as if you've eaten stones, but it's your gut that wants to tell you something. You just don't know what. You've always wondered why it's so important for the holy child to stay on Tanata. Why do we avoid the world?

Your reflection in the teacup shows you your tired eyes. You racked your brains all night but all you got from it was a nasty headache. Barely audible, you exhale deeply out your nose… who can give you the answers to your questions? With your head low, your eyes go carefully to your grandfather.

"Grandpa, can I ask you something?"

The conversation between the two stops abruptly and they both look at you, almost surprised.

"Of course my child, tell me, what's on your mind?" Your grandfather leans back, with a worried look on his face but with a touch of skepticism in his eyes.

"Did mother wanted to leave Tanata with my father back then?" Your voice a little colder than intended. Was she forced to stay too?

"No." The king laughed as he ran a hand through his beard. His gaze was distant, as if he had remembered something.

A little unsure, you try not to lose your composure. The king realizes that you are serious and clears his throat.

"Quite the opposite." His smile fills with pride. "She forced your father to stay!" He falls into laughter again. Your gaze goes over to Delia, who just nods at you with a soft grin. You wait silently for the king's laughter to stop.

"She told him, that she had a duty to fulfill, and not just as queen…" He shook his head with a melancholic smile.

"I was quite upset when she told him, 'she had a prophecy to fulfill'." His eyes find yours. It was the prophecy that the queen would give birth to the holy child. That she would give birth to you.

"But hey, what could I have done back then? After all, she was already the queen and I was retired." He throws his arms slightly in the air as if admitting defeat. He takes a deep breath and you hear the tone in his voice change.

"No matter what we tried to tell her, she ignored it and blindly trusted your father… I was surprised that your father was willing to leave his life behind, but I wasn't thrilled." His gaze drifted away. Yes, you are well aware that Grandpa wasn't exactly happy that his daughter, the queen, wanted to marry a foreigner. And you know that your mother was forced to listen to his lectures, but she ignored them all.

"At that time I asked her if she could live with the punishment for bearing the holy child, tainted with the blood of a stranger…" His eyes filled with sadness as he gazed into the void. "The punishment will come, I told her…" There was regret in his voice.

He blames himself to this day… He believes he gave the gods an idea with his words and brought out the misfortune. But you know, of course, that it was all down to the sick people. The greed in the pirates when they burned down the city and slaughtered our people… It wasn't the gods. They were demons in human form.

"She told me in her determined voice, that she would overcome any obstacle." His gaze turns empty.

Delia reaches for the king's arm.

"My king, you know it's not your fault." Your heart breaks a little. Everyone has lost many things, but the worst thing is, that your grandfather has lost his faith. He lost faith in the gods, in people and cut himself off from everyone.

It was only when you woke up from your coma that a renewed faith awoke in him. But this man, who is probably the wisest man in the world, cannot accept the fact that the gods did not send us these pirates as punishment.

"The gods had nothing to do with it. If the gods hadn't wanted it that way, Heraia wouldn't have given birth." Delia tries to remind him of the obvious facts. The huge man looked at her with a weak gaze. A look that is rarely seen in the king's eyes. Sadness, pain and blame.

You're thankful that Delia interferes in the conversation, because you're so scatterbrained anyway that you can't get a word past your lips. The confusion in your heart pushes you to the edge and if you were to speak, you would have to hear your own weak voice.

But that's not the only reason why you're grateful to Delia. Delia is the greatest proof that the gods were not responsible for the attack. After all, Delia is the Oracle of Tanata and as a child she heard the gods and saw your face. It's clear that the gods wanted it that way. It was just bad luck… a sad fate in your world.

"I'm sure the gods were looking for two very specific souls back then, and they were Heraia and Isaac… You know it, the eyes are the greatest proof!" Your eyes meet.

Long before you were born, Delia was the first to see your eyes and at the time she was very confused, because you didn't have eyes like everyone else. Here on Tanata, everyone has the same eye color, but you are the exception. You had your father's eyes.

"Your mother just did what she wanted. She listened to her heart, as she would say. She was reckless but I wouldn't say she made mistakes." He remembers her only too fondly.

How much he missed her, his daughter. There is silence for a brief moment and your grandfather closes his eyes. He finds it difficult to get the words straight in his head, because he has to admit that he made a mistake.

"I made the mistake." You draw in your breath, your chest fills until it squeezes. Tears are already gathering. Your grandfather never really talked about it, if anyone ever told you something it was mostly Delia. But no one ever talked about how your parents died. You know that they died in the raid, but you don't remember any of it.

"Parents have to be there, to protect their children and when you were in danger, she protected you. But I should have protected her too... but I couldn't." His fists clench so hard that his knuckles turn white. He can barely get it past his lips.

"Grandpa stop. Please…" you plead. The whole time you couldn't make a sound and when you spoke, your voice was almost strange and stiff. As if your voice didn't belong to you, but now? You can no longer watch your grandfather suffer and your voice takes on its familiar warmth. Even with sorrow all over his face, he doesn't shed a tear, he only feels shame.

"I was always proud of your mother. She fulfilled her duty in her own way."

You're all ears; Fulfilled her duty in her own way?

"So you believe that you don't necessarily have to follow that one path to fulfill all expectations?" Excited, you ask. You grip the armrests of your chair to prevent yourself from falling forward.

The king senses what you're getting at and exhales heavily. All the vulnerable feelings that were still visible on his face a short while ago, have turned into a serious expression.

"What are you getting at, y/n?" It's getting dangerous, he doesn't use your name often. You are visibly surprised by the change in tone and wonder what you said wrong. In a low voice, you try to explain yourself.

"You know, Grandpa, I can't shake this feeling that there's more out there. That my place is somewhere else..." Your voice almost trembles, you know that your grandfather won't like these words.

"What if there's something out there waiting for me. A much bigger task. I can't deny the world my powers." You muster up your courage again. You've always wanted to make the world a better place.

You remember exactly how lonely you felt when you woke up from your coma. When you found out that not only your mother but also your father and all his friends had died in battle. You couldn't understand how there were people out there who were so cruel.

You wanted to experience the world as your father had always described it. The wonders of the world, the different islands with their wonderful creatures.

"I don't want to hear about it!" he announced and smashed the table with his fists, which collapsed immediately. The food and your tea crushed on the ground and the maids quickly rushed to you, to clean up the mess.

Meanwhile, you and your grandfather stared into each other's eyes. His breathing quickened and his nostrils flared angrily.

"Your place is here y/n. It's always been that way and it will stay that way. There is no other route for you. Your mother was something else, but you are the holy child and must protect this place!"

You stand up angrily, your hands clenched into fists.

"But everything has changed! My father was a stranger, I can't use Haki… why shouldn't more things be able to change?" You squint your eyes.

"And who will protect the island if you're not here? How are you going to perform the ritual if you think, you have to chase after your foolish dreams?" His words come across as mockery.

He takes a step forward and comes close to you. A few shards of glass crunch unpleasantly under his shoes, but you are not intimidated.

"And what if I find a solution to this? Will you let me go then?!" You also take a step forward, you won't back down even if your chest is shaking in agitation.

You are already very frustrated and it's no surprise that it's now turning into anger. Your emotions get the better of you and your otherwise delicate features turn harsh.

The king looks at you with not a spark of emotion in his eyes. He studies the anger on your face. How your nostrils flare in small rhythmic puffs and your narrowed eyes wrinkle, but in your eyes he recognizes devastation.

He couldn't protect your mother, so he must protect you at all costs and if it meant locking you away, he would. He's not in a position to leave the country himself and he can't protect you from the things out there, even if he went with you. He knows that only too well.

Even if you were to find a way, which he has no doubt you would, he wouldn't let you go. He knows how sick the world out there is, you just don't realize it. He knows, from contacts unknown to you, how the world out there has developed and he wants to protect you from that, no, he needs to.

It hurts him that he has to oppose your wishes so strongly, but it's only for your own good, how can he make that clear to you?

"No." The growl in his voice goes through your whole body. You don't understand why he's so against it. Even if you find a way, he won't listen to you. He won't let you go.

You roar in rage and throw your leaf crown on the ground, between your feet and among the broken pieces of remaining teacups.

You turn your back on him and leave without saying a word. Tears roll down your cheeks. You don't allow him to see your weakness as you run away from the pavilion.

Your chest feels like it's running out of oxygen and as you run through the garden you press your hand to your chest to fight the feeling.

Some servants who saw you tried to stop you, to calm you down. They ran after you but you had no intention of listening to them, you didn't want to show your tears to anyone in this kingdom.

You would only feel bad if they knew that their beloved priestess was unwell. You are there to give people hope and life... you don't want to know how they would react, if they knew, that their holy princess cried because she wanted to leave the kingdom.

Arriving at your favorite spot, you drop to your knees in front of the stone bench, put your arms on the bench and cry with your face on your arms. You are alone here because hardly anyone comes here and even if a few people have seen you, they don't dare come any closer.

A princess should always laugh but all you can do is cry. You cannot, but be unhappy with the life you lead. You can only be yourself in your dreams.

"Hey y/n what's going on?" A woman's voice makes you look up. It's Nami looking down at you worriedly, just a few meters away from you. You quickly wipe the tears from your face and try to look as cheerful as usual.

"Nothing, it's all right." Your smile trembles and your voice tells Nami that nothing is 'all right' at all. She slowly approaches you as if she doesn't want to frighten a deer.

"Don't lie to me…" Her voice is very soft. She sits down on the bench and looks down at you. Your red eyes find hers and you can barely hold your gaze without tears running down your face. It's somehow relieving that you can cry in front of her, but why? Is it because Nami doesn't expect anything from you? Or because she is a stranger? Is it because you don't need to show her your sunny side? Your smile? An elegant wave? Your purity?

The words coming out of your mouth are so hard to understand that Nami has no chance understanding you. She strokes your head and tries to calm you down, but you can't get a comprehensible word out of your lips and in desperation you let your face fall back onto your arms, letting all your feelings out through your eyes.

How are you supposed to explain to someone how unfair you think your life is? Would they laugh at you? After all, you were born as a princess, in luxury and a lot of love on all sides. What if even Nami gets mad at you for your selfish thoughts?

Can you even express your true thoughts to someone when not even your family has your back?

It hurts Nami to see you so upset and she has the feeling that it won't be enough if she just strokes your head and waits for you to calm down.

"Hey y/n, I'll be right back okay? Please stay here until then and don't go away." With your face still hidden from her, you nod your head. You have no intention of leaving. Where are you supposed to go? This is the only place you'd disappear to anyway...

Your wimpering and bawling attracts the attention of Law, who is flicking through some books in his room. He is a little annoyed that someone is disturbing his peace and as he reaches for the window to close it, he dropped his arm again.

For a moment, he just looks down at you as you let out all your tears. Furious, you bang your little fists on the bench and mutter 'Unfair' under your breath. You repeat yourself over and over again as your voice becomes increasingly blurred in the sounds of sobbing. [A/N: lol like a lil disney princess]

Law turns and lies back down on his bed, one arm behind his head and the book in his other hand. He tries to concentrate on the book but by now your crying has turned into swearing and he can't really overhear your words.

"Stupid old man!" you grit your teeth angrily, your voice a little shaky.

"I'd even come back!" you shout "…I just want to see the world…" you add, slightly whining.

Then it was quiet for a little while... and Law became even more attentive. The silence somewhat rattles him.

His book makes a muffled noise as he closes it in his one hand and throws it to his side. With both arms behind his head, he considers whether he should look out of the window again… and then?

Does he lie down again? It's not as if he knew what he could do, besides, he had heard Nami before and that she would be right back with her. Nami is definitely the better supporter at this moment. His thoughts wander a little and he reviews the last few days.

The people here are all very peaceful, harmonious and a strong community. It's like being in a Fairytale. Even if these people are not exactly up to date in general, they are far ahead of the others in their own way.

The people who helped repair the Polar Tang were constantly amazed like little children. Technologically they are definitely inferior to the world out there but over the days Law watched you for his own interest, which wasn't even that hard or conspicuous.

You're like a public figure here, performing your duties regularly in the community. You help people speed up the harvesting from the fields, heal the kids on the street when they get hurt playing and regulate the weather. He was quite amazed when you put out the huge forest fire outside the city walls. The whole town was in an uproar and many volunteers were on standby to help. The Straw Hats, being the people they are, immediately offered to help and in the end Law found himself in the forest too.

Their job though wasn't to put out the fire, no… their job was to rescue the animals and evacuate everyone to a safe place, so that you can heal them all in the end.

You took over the fire and it was a real spectacle. You had stopped time of this huge forest fire and suddenly the forest was calm again. The crackling and blazing sound of the destructive flames was muted and all the helping hands found themselves in front of a 'frozen' wall of fire.

You stood beside him and the Straw Hats, calm and unconcerned, and with a snap of your fingers you had turned the fire into smoke and fumes, as if you had jumped ahead to where the fire went out. If that's not superior to the world outside, then Law doesn't know what is…

They go about their lives so naturally and openly, do they even know that her power could become a target out there?

He thinks about how nice y'all are… almost naive. Even though they are strangers, pirates even, the people of Tanata have taken them in like old, beloved friends.

How foolish.

Law's thought is not mocking but rather concerned. They are good people and he has learned a lot here, especially about medicine. Herbs grow here that he has never seen in his life, not even in a book. Chopper and he have helped the herbalists a lot and shared their own knowledge in return, for which the people here were actually very grateful.

It is quite refreshing for Law, that despite his identity and pirate life, he is not resented or judged in this Kingdom.

With his mind full of you, the black haired man decided to get up and take a look. Maybe you're already gone anyway and then he could stop thinking about you… but you're still there. Only you're not crying anymore.

You just sit quietly on the bench and look at the pond in front of you. Law tries to take a look at your face but you're sitting with your back to him. He can slightly see the side of your face and how your gaze goes to the pond. Your gaze looks blank, but that's all he can see…

You never thought your grandfather would be so harsh with you. Just what is that supposed to tell you? You can't shake the feeling that there was more in his eyes than just anger. You're not quite sure, but wasn't it fear?

Maybe you should just enjoy your time with them and when they leave, you'll keep this memory in your heart like an little adventure. But the thought still makes you sad. A dull ache appears in your chest and robs you of your joy.

How can I feel like this? Like I have to say goodbye to myself when they leave?

You sigh a little with a depressed expression as you stare into the reflection in the pond.

"Princess-ya?"

You flinch violently. You would have expected Nami, but not Law. Your body remains fixed to the front and you try to avoid eye contact, especially with Law. Somehow it makes you particularly uncomfortable that Law sees you like this.

You don't want to look weak… that would be totally not cool. You can hear his footsteps coming a little closer, but he just stands next to you. You glance at him out of the corner of your eye, but Law's gaze is fixed on the pond.

"Everything's fine with you." He asks you dryly.

It is at this moment, that you realize, that behind you is the Hera's palace and Law's balcony… He must have heard you… You're not really used to someone living here, because this area has been quite neglected for years.

"Yeah, sure, everything's fine and with you?"

"Liar." Came it promptly in a deep voice.

"Maybe so." Your voice harbored a wounded undertone. You hear him sigh and immediately tense every muscle as he takes a seat next to you on the bench.

Now you sit there, both of you with your eyes focused on the water. The situation is a little awkward for you because you don't know what to say. Silence is louder than anything else right now and you find yourself unable to make a sound.

What are you supposed to say either? And what if you can't stop talking? You don't want to have a complete meltdown on Law.

"You shouted earlier, that you would come back… Where do you want to go?" You glance over at Law.

Where do I want to go anyway? It's not like I have anything ready at the starting lines.

"I don't know. I thought I could come with you guys and you would let me out somewhere." You mutter the words a little quickly and fumble nervously with your hands.

"With us?" Law scoffs in surprise. "I don't think that's a good idea princess-ya." Even though he has a grin on his face, he furrows his eyebrows.

"But why?" Your words come out more desperate than you intended. Yayyy another one who wants to get in the way of your dreams.

"We're pirates, you shouldn't forget that. We are criminals." The depth of his eyes engulf you, as if he is looking into your soul.

"I know that." Any risk is fine with you and Law should have seen what you've got in store.

"You're a princess, do you really think you should turn your back to the crown and sail the seas with pirates?" He asks you almost challengingly, as if he wants to test you, as if he's eager to hear your answer.

"Absolutely." You turn your gaze back to the pond and whisper to him so that only the two of you can hear your reply.

"Here, I'm just the holy princess… but out there I can be whoever I want." Your gaze goes back to Law, who looks steady into your gorgeous eyes.

"I can be y/n… my own person." A slight blush settles on your cheeks as you look into each other's eyes. It all seems too poetic and intimate. Thalia may be able to say such things but somehow you find it a little weird.

Law leans down towards you, so close that you can take in his scent. You look up at him with wide eyes, but you don't have enough air to ask him why he's getting so close to you now. Normally you would push anyone else away from your face, but with Law you find yourself unable to move. His eyes move over your face.

"You've been crying." - "Well guessed." You laugh at him. You can well imagine how miserable you must look, after all, you gave it your all when you bawled.

"And now what?" He straightens up again, but his eyes are still on you. Before you can answer him, you hear a shout in the distance.

"Sorry y/n, unfortunately it took a little longer because Sanji couldn't stop cooking." The redhead came running to you.

"Hey Traffy, you're here too." she remarks casually. She's carrying a small picnic basket in her hand and you can already smell all the yummy treats hidden inside.

Your eyes light up as she opens the lid and the snacks sparkle at you.

"Awww Sanji made all of this for us?" A little tear gathers in your eye. Nami shakes her head with a gentle grin.

"No no, he prepared this for you! I thought maybe it would cheer you up a bit." She admits a little shyly. You are totally touched by her attention and jump into her arms.

"Hey Traffy, I'll take it from here, I think y/n needs girl power now." She winks at him as she pushes you in the back to shove you forward. You look down over your shoulder at Law, a little flustered because you were actually quite enjoying his presence but you can't bring yourself to say anything.

He just nods at Nami and without you being able to do anything about it, Nami drags you somewhere else.

"Sorry y/n to interrupt your special time with Law…" She approaches you with a mischievous grin on her face and laughs in your ear. You frown at her as you walk side by side down the long hallway. What's up with that remark?

"Special time? Huh? What's up with you?" You roll your eyes and lightly push her away with your shoulder. Nami pouts a little, her eyes glinting at you knowingly.

"Oh come on, I've got you all figured out. Whenever you had your little lessons, you always ran around the palace with a huge grin on your face…." She stands in front of you and forces you to stop. With her hands clasped behind her back, she wiggles her eyebrows up and down like 'come on, tell me something'. You didn't realize how obviously you were behaving, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

"Oh, I was just happy because I was learning new things. Everything is a bit exciting at the moment… Besides, I wasn't alone with him… Chopper was also there and together with Law they taught me about your medicine." You talk your way out of it, but you're still unsure whether Nami will buy it. She looks after you with obvious suspicion as you walk past her.

"Nope, I don't believe you! After all, I just saw how close you were sitting to each other!" You suddenly stop in your tracks. A triumphant smile appears on Nami's face.

"I also saw how much you had blushed."

She comes closer to you and grabs you by the shoulders.

"Oh come on, he just looks different from the men who live here, of course I'm interested." You reluctantly admit. When you can't brush Nami off, you try to play it cool.

"Yeah, sure, and what about Zoro?" - "Eww Zoro? He's just like Ambrosios, all muscles and pride." You look arrogantly at your fingernails and ignore Nami's gaze. You don't let yourself get down, even if Nami is pacing around you like a wild cat.

"What about Sanji?" You put your hands on your hips a little appalled.

"Listen, the womanizer might be able to cook, but before anything happens between him and me, he'll already have died of a nosebleed… Besides, Thalia likes him!" - "Okay, okay, I get it. But tell me… how come, there's nothing going on between you and Ambrosios? This guy is hot as hell."

Ahhhh, I guess I figured out Nami's type. You save that info.

"Me and Ambrosios?! No way! I grew up with him, he's like my brother and he's totally annoying." You laugh a little. "He's just like a big brother who likes to get on his sister's nerves." - "Uh huh." She looks at you again with a look that confuses you. Like she knows things you don't.

"All right… On your nerves… You're so blind! That guy has a huuuge crush on you!" Your reaction is almost disgusted and you twitch an eye uncontrollably. Maybe Nami is just crazy, but somehow you really love that about her. Your disturbed face relaxes again and you burst out laughing.

"So what? It doesn't change anything anyway." Your laughter dies down and you shake your head slightly as you start walking again.

"Uh? What does that mean?" She catches up and now you're walking side by side again.

"Well, I'm the priestess and that means I can't get married or have a romantic relationship." Nami's face goes a little pale.

"And what about your womanly needs?"

You weren't expecting such a direct and intimate question and you blush in an instant.

"Heeey! what's this all about? Do you want me to pepper you with questions like that? With how many members have you hooked up with? hmm?" You stick your tongue out at her.

"Yeah, well, I'll leave the subject at that… But I'll stick to my opinion that you really like 'Mr. Surgeon of Death'." - "Oh, think what you want." You know you can't convince Nami anyway, so you just leave it alone.

When you arrive in her and Robin's room, Robin sits on her bed. She looks up from her book and smiles gently at you without saying anything.

You're not sure what Nami has planned, you more or less just followed her without asking. Nami puts down the picnic basket and turns to face you, hands on her hips.

"Okay! You can decide y/n, do you want to talk and eat the pastries or would you rather go shopping to distract yourself?" Her dynamic nature makes you laugh.

"Can I have both?" A little shyly, you make circular movements with your index fingers. Surprised, Nami thinks for a moment.

"Yes, of course!" She opens the picnic basket and takes things out, including a bottle of wine. Meanwhile, Robin had fetched three wine glasses and poured everyone some wine. Together you sat on Nami's huge bed, which had room for at least two more people.

"Do you want to talk about why you… you know… cried?" She starts the conversation a little cautiously. Her voice took on a soft tone and there was no sign of her quirky manner. She was genuinely worried about you.

You take a deep breath and briefly consider how to start the conversation.

"What would you do if you were forced to give up your dreams?" Nami and Robin look at each other knowingly, they both know exactly what it's like to live a life where dreams have no room.

"I wouldn't give a shit what the others say!" Nami laughs as she looks at you again. The answer is perhaps charming but unfortunately not helpful. You groan a little in despair and Nami realizes that she can't comfort you with that.

"You know, I can speak from experience that life doesn't always go the way you want it to. Sometimes you just need a little push in the right direction!" She makes a hand gesture as if she's pushing someone away from her.

"A push huh?" - "Yes, exactly. I was caught in a pretty stupid situation back then, but Luffy got me out of it!" You perk up and a mischievous grin appears on your face.

"Ahh, so you're into Luffy?" You want to get back at her a little, for cornering you like that before. She grabs a pillow and swings at you. You narrowly avoid her attack and you and Robin laugh at the redhead.

"Noooo! Oh my god…! Luffy has inspired me to make my dreams come true… He inspired each and every one of us…" She says proudly as she looks over at Robin, who nods in confirmation.

"Oh that's nice… I've hardly talked to anyone about it, but those who know my wish have tried to talk me out of it…" You look sadly at your wine.

"Well… what is your wish?" She tilts her head slightly to one side and raises an eyebrow.

"I wish to leave the kingdom and relinquish my title as a holy princess…" You don't dare to look into her eyes. You don't want to see her reaction. You wouldn't be able to handle it, if one more person had something against your dreams today.

"Ah okay, and what's wrong with that?" Your face goes up again abruptly and you look at her with widened eyes. She seems so unfazed by your statement, as if you just want to try out a new hobby like drawing.

"Well, I would have to leave everyone behind and I have duties, not only as a priestess but also as a princess. I can't be replaced, but even if I could find a solution, my grandfather wouldn't let me go." The two women nod attentively at you.

"You know, your grandfather is probably just worried. It's a crazy world out there…" You roll your eyes.

"Yes, I'm aware of that, but it's not like I'm weak!" - "That's right, y/n can fight back, she's proven that to us." Robin swings the wine around in her glass as she recalls her memory.

"Yeah that's right…" Nami taps her finger thoughtfully on her lip. "That's just how family is… They always worry, and sometimes too much." She shrugs her shoulders and you begin to understand no matter how strong or what solution you come up with, your grandfather won't be able to let you go with a calm heart.

"Who else advised you against your ideas?" Robin asks you.

"Law." - "Law?" says Nami in surprise.

"Yes, Law. He said it wouldn't be a good idea to sail into the world with pirates." - "Ohh what a gentleman..." She rolls her eyes and lets herself fall a little backwards. She sighs with satisfaction as her back touches the soft pillows.

"Maybe he just wanted to warn you how hard the pirate life is compared to your princess life? No more soft silk cushions, no servants to bring you anything you want with a smile, no expensive wine, no privacy, no carefree life…" Before she can add any more points, you stop her by pressing your hand over her mouth and she looks at you in surprise.

"Yes, yes, I know all that, but it's not something I would miss, for sure." You lean back and let go of her mouth. You groan with frustration as you empty your glass in one go.

"I don't want to be adored or wrapped in cotton. Besides, I want to learn more about my powers and that's something even my grandfather forbids me to do." Nami and Robin look at you questioningly. You tell them as much as you can remember about the big disaster back then. How you unleashed forces that almost caused more destruction than the pirates who attacked you.

They hang eagerly on your lips, their emotions wavering between amazement and sadness as you tell them about it. You talk about how your grandfather sank into a deep hole and a dark year in the history of his reign followed. Until the day you woke up from your coma.

"When I woke up again, I couldn't remember anything. A few memories came back little by little, but most of them are gone. My grandfather then made the decision, to burn all unimportant or dangerous scripts and hid artifacts about the Taimu Taimu fruit, so that I would never be able to unleash my true potential." - "But that only means you can't fully control your power..." Robin interrupts you. You nod at her with a smile.

"Maybe so, but explain that to the king." You shrug your shoulders "And your uncle? Can't he help you?" - "Zelos? He would never go against the king's word. He already gets himself into enough trouble to help me, but he can't do anything about it himself."

Talking to the girls was like balm for your soul. In the palace, you have no one you could talk to so freely about such things. Even though Thalia is always there for you, you can't even tell her certain things. You feel a bit bad because you don't even believe that Thalia would shun you. If anything, she's the 'don't just live your life, love it as well' type of girl.

"Hey, you look so sad again. You should try this!" Nami appears in your field of vision and holds up a pastry to your face. Chuckling, you take the treat and bite into it. It's so fluffy and sweet.

"Hey y/n what do you say? How do I look?" Nami grabs her attire by the sides and turns slightly in front of you so that you can see her from all sides.

The tight fitting of the satin gown emphasizes her figure and the folds of the fabric drape elegantly over her various curves. Colorful accents in soft shades of pink and gold are set into the fabric. The color is definitely hers.

"It looks so good on you! But there's still something missing!" You walk through the store while a few attendants trot after you, with dresses in their arms. You go to a stand where bracelets with silk shawls are hanging, searching for a certain color. Your eyes widen in delight as you find the perfect one.

You walk back happily with the bracelets in your hand.

"Here, you have to attach these to your upper arms. The fabric will blow behind you like a veil." You help her put the hoops on and smile at her as you take a step back to have a look at Nami.

"Aww those are so pretty! That rose gold goes really well with the gown and the veils even glitter slightly in the light!" Enchanted, she looks at herself in the mirror.

" I have to say, Princess, your country has such a romantic taste in fashion." - "If you say so." You laugh into your hand.

"What about you?" - "Me?! No no, I certainly have enough dresses in the palace." You cross your arms in front of you.

"But there's another store I'd like to go to." - "Oh yeah? Where do you want to go?" she calls out as she changes in the fitting room.

"There's a little bookshop here and the owner is an author himself. My favorite author, to be exact, and he's published a new book that I have to buy!" By the end of your sentence, your excitement was hard to ignore, you've been waiting for him to finish it for ages now. It's a sequel to a romance and the first part pretty much ended in a cliffhanger.

Nami steps out of the cabin in her own clothes. One of your servants stepped right up to her and held out his arm.

"Lady Nami, let me carry this for you." He spoke politely.

"I could reaaaally get used to this!" Laughing like a little princess with her nose up, she put her clothes on his arm. This would look arrogant on someone else, but Nami just has such charisma that you can't really be mad at her.

You hook yourself into her arm and walk towards the exit together. The shopkeeper thanks you for your visit and gives you a respectful bow.

"Hey wait!" Nami stops in her tracks and you fall back, a little in surprise.

"I forgot to pay for this!" As she turns back around, you hold her tightly and shake your head.

"Don't worry about it, the owner will just send us the bill and Grandpa will pay it." You gasp a little as Nami jumps into your arms with hearts in her eyes.

"This is a DREAM!" She cries wildly and the servants all rush to help her with tissues.

On the streets, people greet you with happy faces. They love you. They cherish you. They worship you… Of course you like attention but it always feels like they only love what you do and not who you are. With your distinguished manner, you return every wave, smile and chat with anyone who comes your way.

That's part of your job as a princess. You must be kind and generous to your people, because the harmony in Tanata depends on the royal house and the stronger the bond between the people and the royal house, the better.

"Hoowww you haven't finished it yet?!" You rest your arms on the counter in despair and hang your head.

"I'm sorry princess but somehow I'm lacking a bit of inspiration…" The bookshop owner is just as depressed as you are and you both compete in sulking.

"Inspiration?" Nami wonders.

"Yes, somehow everything I have in my head is so dull and nothing new…" The owner grips the back of his neck a little ashamed.

"Oh come on, this book is my only chance of romance." You cry like a waterfall. You've read the first part so many times that you have it all memorized by now. When you heard that he was writing a second part, you immediately rushed to his bookshop to confirm the rumor.

"Sorry princess… I was hoping I could get some inspiration from your guests, after all, today is the party for little Princess Megara!" Hope sparkles in his eyes.

"Shit!" slips out of your mouth and you quickly put your hand over your lips. Your servants and the bookshop owner react in shock.

"Your Highness, please watch your language!" you hold back the eye roll and smile apologetically at them.

"I completely forgot that today is the big banquet for the birth of Megara… we should get back to the palace Nami!" You grab the redhead by the hand and stormed out of the store.

"Hey, why are you in such a hurry!" you look over your shoulder at her "I still have to prepare the present for Megara!"

Back in the palace, you hurry into the dressing room and search through all the drawers until you come across a small chest. You pause for a moment as you hold the small blue chest in your hands. Your fingers run over the engraving and a small stab goes through your heart.

"Did this belong to your mother?" Nami asks when she sees the name on the chest.

"Yes." You say in a low voice. You hesitate slightly before you finally bring yourself to open it.

On a small cushion lies a beautiful laurel crown with unique details. The crown is adorned with fine moonstone dahlias and carefully you hold your mother's crown in your hands.

"It's beautiful." Nami swears.

You carefully place it in a flat gift box and tie a bow around it.

"I think it will look very good on Megara." You both smile at each other and leave the room together.

"Well then, let's get dressed up for the banquet!"

After you and Nami went your separate ways, you went to change your clothes and Nami went back to Hera's palace. You agreed with her that you would pick up the whole gang, when it was time for the banquet, so that you could all go into town together. When the time came, you started to get a little nervous. You're really looking forward to the party.

Arriving at the huge door of the Heras palace, you take a deep breath before stepping inside. As you open it, you are immediately struck by the sight of Law in the hall, talking to Zoro and Ambrosios.

He looks simply incredible in the traditional attire... You try to control your face as the guys notice you.

"Hey hey heeey, Ambrosios… What are you doing here?" You try to make your expression look like you're surprised by his presence. The warrior rubs his eyes as his gaze fell on your cleavage.

"Princess?!" He eyes you up and down. "Is that you? Yes, it's you! I thought I saw an angel…" He runs his fingers through your hair and smiles charmingly at you. You stick a finger down your throat in a symbolic gesture and imitate a gagging sound. You think of Nami's words, but no matter how hot he is, he doesn't trigger anything in you. In your eyes, he's just a typical heartbreaker.

"Distance big man." You turn away from him. Your eyes go around. The hall is large and the nearby fireplace room is always open. A few pirates have gathered there, the only ones you haven't seen yet are the girls Ikkaku, Nami and Robin.

"The girls aren't ready yet?" - "Nope, it'll probably take a little longer. Women…" Zoro answers you somewhat sneeringly. You have to laugh at his comment and playfully nudge him in the side so that his robe, which he must have struggled to put on, gets loose.

"Don't say that so loudly you greenhead, you know how hard it is to get into those clothes. The women's clothing is actually much more complicated than the men's." Ambrosios comes close to you and strokes your shoulders.

"And much nicer." He winks at you. You shake his hands off before he starts to laugh. He whispers 'Don't be like that' but you don't respond. He just wants to play with you.

"Law, did Bepo get my present?" you clap your hands together and get a little closer to him. You asked Law to give Bepo a cloak that you got specially tailored for the mink.

He no longer keeps his distance when you approach him, he's gotten used to it over time. This is good for you, as you no longer have to be ashamed because he always reacted a little awkwardly.

"Yes, he even wears the cloak." He mentions coolly while pointing at the polar bear. Your eyes follow his elegant fingers. For a moment, your gaze lingers on his tattoos. The black color on his knuckles flatters his skin color.

When you catch the sight of the bear, it leaves you flushed and you run into the mink's arms.

"Awww Bepo! That looks so good on you!" You literally jump into his face as you wrap your arms around him. The polar bear returns your hug and rubs his cheek against yours.

"Hehe… you're the one who looks gorgeous!" - "Awww you're so cute!" Gently, the Mink lets you down onto the floor, being very careful not to step on your gown.

You're always fabulously dressed either way, but today's outfit was a little more revealing than usual. After all, it's a party and you wanted to be a little more daring. Not only are you showing a little more skin, but your robe is tinted to match your eyes and it's obvious from a distance that you're wrapped in only the most expensive fabrics. Jewelry on both arms and a long veil is attached to your shoulders which blows slightly in the wind when you walk.

When the girls came into the hall and you were sure that everyone was there, you set off together into the city, to celebrate the birth of the new Princess Megara.

The refreshing cold of the water lets you breathe deeply while you let your feet dip into the water. In this overgrown forest there are several mysterious places just waiting to be discovered and one of these places is the bathing spot where you are now.

An enchanting lake with a waterfall, surrounded by trees and beautiful plants... and after dark, it takes on a magical appearance in the moonlight.

On one side, there are stones of different sizes from the ground up to the waterfall, forming a natural staircase.

A little further down, you have settled on the stones by the water. With a relaxed expression on your face, you let your feet dangle in the water while Law sits next to you with his legs crossed.

Sitting in silence, you enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and the soothing sound of the waterfall. Although it is quite dangerous to be in the forest at night, this place makes you feel relaxed.

“Say, Law. I don't know why, but you seemed to know those pirates…” You ask casually, while you playfully splash your feet in the water.

You're not sure, but you could swear that something changed in his eyes when he saw the ship. Something angry appeared in them.

Law's gaze was fixed on your side profile while your gaze was directed towards the water. His eyes shimmering somewhat indefinable, as if he carefully formed every word in his head before speaking it.

“I know many pirates.” you turn your face to him, your head automatically follows his deep voice.

“And I know these pirates too.” He finishes his sentence with more intensity

Law's gaze is cold and he seems to be mulling over a decision, crossing his arms. The black haired man closes his eyes and you can clearly see that he is deep in thought.

For a moment, Law is confused by the fact, that he is weighing up what to tell you, and it makes no sense to him either.

She'll never know anyway.

Law doesn't think you'll ever leave this holy land. Why would he tell you about him? About his past and his plans… That's not necessary.

When he got his thoughts back together, he opened his eyes and you waited tensely, your ears on full alert as he moved his lips.

"They call themselves the Donquixote Pirates and their leader is a dreadful man. Perhaps the devil."

“Do you know him?” Maybe he could have useful information, you think. You notice the barely visible, thoughtful look on Law's face again, and what followed was a lot of information about the one called Don Quixote de Flamingo.

Law told you many things about his crew, their strengths and, last but not least, about their leader Doflamingo, who also happens to rule a whole country.

Law's story makes it clear that Doflamingo is an evil man, and looking back, you can confirm this yourself.

One small detail, however, immediately comes to mind. Law seems obsessed with the subject of Don Quixote de Flamingo. Not in a passionate or aggressive way.

It's quite subtle, but Law seems very well informed about this devil and his followers. The way he talks about his activities and his evil regime in the country called Dress Rosa reveals, that he has a special interest in it.

You would like to ask him. You wonder if there is something behind your thoughts, but you hesitate and in the end no question comes over your lips. You'd rather leave it at that.

“He really sounds like a devil.” - “And the worst thing is that he has a kind of immunity thanks to the Marines and the World Government.” You frown in confusion.

“The Marines? But isn't he a pirate?” Of course you don't know much about the world outside, but your father and his friends never mentioned anything like that.

“The Marines are the protectors of the law, aren't they?” You are puzzled. What business do the Marines have with pirates?

The corners of Law's mouth turn up into an amused grin. You know nothing about the world and even if that makes you a little naive in his eyes, he knows that it's not your fault. Maybe he envies you, for not knowing the true, ugly face of the world out there.

You live in a prosperous, beautiful and loving city where you lack for nothing. Law himself has only a few happy moments to remember. He can understand that you are so desperate to explore the world out there, but he wouldn't recommend it.

“You've got the marine and the way they do justice terribly wrong, Princess-ya.” His serious tone makes you tense.

He explains the dark side of the Marines, which surprises you deeply. He speaks of events which are changing the image of the Marines. For example, there are a few pirates who are allies of the Marines.

In return for being mobilized by the Marine in case of emergency to serve the world government, they are allowed to get away with several corrupt things.

"They are called Shichibukai, the Seven Warlords of the Sea." - “That's not right!” You are outraged and confused by Law's indifferent look. What Law tells you about the Marines does not sound like justice.

"That's intentional abuse of power!" That's not right. That's the greed for control. You are shocked by your new knowledge, and the need to break the system arises.

“Something has to change!” Law looks at you with emptiness in his eyes as your eyebrows twitch with anger.

He sure likes the determination in your eyes and if he's honest, he had already thought about how some of your skills could be useful for his own plans, but would you like his methods?

You only know him as Law, the doctor who is a pirate, but what you don't know is, that he is a man with blood on his hands whose methods are also considered to be quite cruel.

In contrast, your entire being is like an oasis of peace that reaches for something greater. His eyes drift down slightly as he gazes at your face.

Would you despise me if you knew me, or would you understand?

However, Law himself doesn't think you would ever join him, so he quickly dismisses his question.

“The world is changing all the time. There are a lot of good people and others who are fighting against those in the shadows. For example, there is the Revolutionary Army, which is fighting against the world government and the Marines." He leans back and crosses his arms behind his head. His gaze is directed upwards, towards the dense leaves of the surrounding trees and the night sky that peeks through.

"However, their mission is a complicated process and takes time.” You listen to him attentively like a little girl listening to a bedtime story. Not a good bedtime story, obviously, but that's beside the point.

You can't help but smile as you lean back and support yourself on your hands.

“You know a lot.” His level of knowledge is impressive, but on the other hand, you are a little embarrassed. What if it's all basic knowledge?

“Knowledge is power.” A proud smile adorns his face. Law's posture is so confident that you blush slightly.

"You're right." it leaves your lips as if hypnotized by the dazzling sight of him.

You shake your head briefly, it's not your intention to stare at him like that. The heat in your face is a bit unbearable and you sheepishly avoid eye contact.

You keep concentrating on the pleasant feeling in the water and wiggle your feet. The water is crystal clear and a little cool, but not too chilly that you wouldn't like going in. Since it is a tropical climate here in the forest, this water is nice and refreshing.

Going for a swim to think about things would be the perfect distraction right now ...

Finding out that the pirates are back and are even worse people than you thought is pretty overwhelming… Swimming on your back and looking at the starry sky would be just the perfect thing for you right now.

You don't seem to care that Law is with you. It's not that you've forgotten about him, but you don't think it might be strange. Surely he's seen a woman in a bikini before, right?

Law's gaze rests on you as you rise. You smile at him over your shoulder as you drop your fancy cloak on the floor and Law looks at you, a little confused.

He doesn't say a word as you take off your dress, silently eyeing your beautifully chiseled body. Except for your underwear, you have undressed completely and with slow steps you walk into the pleasant cold of the water.

Law is clearly captivated by your flawless skin and well shaped figure. The clothes you're wearing already reveal your female beauty, but he couldn't have imagined how magnificent your curves are.

When your bottom disappears into the water, he wakes up from his little erotic fantasy and sits up again with a sudden jolt.

Slowly you turn around, your cheeks a little flushed and a small smile, which seems innocent in contrast to your luscious body, shines down on Law.

Law's confusion causes you to look questioningly at him, he looks unable to understand the picture in front of him.

Is it because I have undressed?

Maybe Law has some split feelings about you exposing yourself to him as a princess, but is it that much different from a bikini?

Somewhat ashamed, you cross your arms in front of your chest and lower your upper body under the water. Normally you're not ashamed of your body, but being looked at like this by Law makes you feel a bit weird.

“Don't you feel weak at all?” Law eyes you skeptically. Your eyebrows go up, you don't quite know what he means. Apart from the shame, you feel great.

“No why?”

Law straightens up and examines the water. He thinks for a moment before looking up at you again.

“Devil fruit users can't swim and…” As he tells you this, it comes straight to you.

“Ahhh yes that!” A little excited, you walk over to him, this will surely blow his mind and he looks down at you expectantly.

“Would you like to swim again?” you ask him, as if you would fulfill his every wish in exchange for his soul.

“You can do that?!” His eyes widen dramatically.

With a cheerful smile, you nod silently at him.

"How?" He's been surprised by you over and over again since day one, and now you come up again and tell him you could neutralize the greatest weakness of devilfruit users?

"With time." Your smile holds something mysterious and Law is sure he is completely unaware of the extent, how your power can be used.

“I can't fix it forever and I can't use it for long but I can make sure you swim in the water with me for a few minutes.” You look a little furtively at the stunned Law. Hopefully that wasn't too forward, but you inwardly pray to the gods that they will let you see Law's naked torso.

Without saying anything, Law hastily takes off his clothes. He can't refuse the offer. At the sight of his body, you dive further into the water so that only your eyes are above the surface and no one can see your red cheeks, but you can't miss the sight of him and literally stare at him.

Your eyes wander up his body to his face while he stands in front of you in just his boxer shorts. Ready for what comes next, he spreads his arms wide in anticipation.

"I'm ready to go." He says a little excitedly. It's been ages since he's been swimming, so he wants to feel that floating sensation in the water again, as soon as possible..

You realize that you need to get a little closer to him, so you walk in his direction. You leave the water, the droplets roll down your skin and the fine fabrics of your underwear stick nicely to your body.

Law's gaze unintentionally goes to your breasts, he can see your nipples through the wet fabric but his eyes quickly look to the side.

You've finally regained your confidence and giggle a little into your hand. His look was very obvious.

“When did you eat the devil fruit?” - “That was a long time ago. Back when I was a child." You swallow a little, the further you have to go into the past, the harder it gets and, more importantly, the more physical contact you need...

You take a deep breath and get out of the water to stand in front of him.

Law's body tenses the closer you get to him. Your skin glistens in the soft moonlight and as you wrap your arms around him, he flinches slightly. He is a little surprised and doesn't move.

The fact that you hug him out of nowhere, dressed only in your underwear, is a little uncomfortable, but his heart beats a little faster. You feel the same way but it's the next best thing, another option would be a kiss on the lips and the thought alone could make your head explode.

You notice how stiff his posture is, his arms hang motionless at his sides as you give him a gentle hug.

You bury your head lightly in his neck to prevent him from seeing your red face.

“Hey, it's a bit weird when you don't return the hug…” you whisper sheepishly.

Law swallows a little at your words and wakes up from his paralysis. Carefully, he brings his hands to your body, slowly, as if one wrong move would shatter your bones.

His hand on your cool, wet skin leaves you feeling a sense of exhilaration. With your chest close to his torso, he pulls you a little closer so that you can feel his warmth even more. The blush on your cheeks should have already moved to your ears, since Law has found the perfect spot to hold you with his hands.

Without saying another word, you stand in a tight and rather intimate embrace, both feeling a little awkward.

You would like to enjoy the embrace, but firstly you are too excited and secondly you need to concentrate on something else…

Slowly and evenly, you let your strength flow from your whole body into Law's. Thousands of images flicker before your eyes at extreme speed. You can barely make out a single detail, as the images are gone faster than they appear to be there.

You instinctively search for the day Law ate the devil fruit. You are getting warmer by every second, your underwear is drying and some steam is enveloping you as you run hot like a machine but you don't even feel it. Law is the one who notices and observes every little change in you. So far, nothing seems to change for him except the crazy feeling in his chest as your soft skin sticks to his skin...

Your skin on his is unexpectedly pleasant, even if he doesn't like want to admit but because you're standing half naked in front of him, he's forced to feel your feminine charms....

Damn you and your arousing body! he curses to himself as he banishes a few lewd images from his mind.

When you finally reach the moment, you go a little further before he eats the devil fruit and stop the time.

"Okay Law, I'm done." Your voice is a soft whisper to his ears and your bodies separate.

You lead the way and walk slowly into the water, watching him over your shoulder. You have to suppress a giggle as Law stands rather unsure of himself in the shallow water. He slowly continues and follows you.

He pays close attention to the familiar symptoms when he enters the water, but they do not occur.

The water is already up to his chest and bewilderment is written all over his face, while you float around him on your back. He dives down and allows the water to embrace him completely. There is no trace of the oppressive, dragging down feeling he usually has. A miracle.

“How do you do that?” he asks you, slightly stunned. He can't quite understand how you manipulate time in him like that, without him getting any younger?

"I always thought that this would only work if I turned back into a child." - “You have to understand it like this; your entire body, every cell, every vein and muscle stores this moment. It's also a memory for your body, you know?” He follows your words attentively as he floats carefree in the water.

"It's already enough if I take this particular memory from your blood…" His eyes look at you in disbelief.

“So that means that the blood of my childhood self is flowing inside me? When I hadn't eaten the devil fruit yet?!” - “Correct.”

Overwhelmed, Law looks up at the stars and mumbles something about it being unbelievable. You giggle a little, as he looks like he's been blown away.

You carefully watch him as he floats on his back with his eyes closed. He enjoys the weightlessness and the refreshing water. You can well understand him, after all, you also ate the fruit as a small child and as a child you were literally considered a little mermaid!

Being able to swim is actually not a known technique, you discovered it purely by chance as a child when you wished you hadn't eaten the devil fruit and just jumped into the water.

It was a happy accident, you could say.

“How are you doing, Princess-ya? Are your powers waning?” He asks you. You're flattered that he's worried about you, but you try extra hard to make sure this moment doesn't pass so quickly...

After you got out of the water, you dried yourself with your cloak before putting your gown back on.

A rustling in the bushes brings you back to the night and you both quickly take up a fighting position.

Your eyes scan the surroundings. The rustling was definitely too big to be something harmless. You can almost feel something dangerous lurking in the dense forest.

This isn't exactly the right time, you think to yourself, clenching your dress in your fist. Of course you complain that you can't move properly in such dresses, but you would rather be in that position than in your underwear…

Your eyes drift over to Law, he has his back to you and is observing the surroundings.

Suddenly, a giant lizard leaps out of the bushes, similar to a Komodo dragon but with many sharp teeth. Law quickly reaches for Kikoku but you stop him before he can draw his blade and you start running.

With the Komodo dragon chasing you, you dash through the jungle, dodging the beast's powerful claws every time it lashes out.

“Why are we running?! I wipe out the beast in a matter of seconds!”

Law asks you while following close behind. holding his hand, you lead him through the depths of the jungle. It all looks the same, but you know where you're going.

Your eyes fall back on him.

“We don't kill the animals of the jungle.” Law's eyes widen, he is visibly surprised by the friendly smile on your face but he doesn't answer. He can already guess what your answer would be, if he asked you what would happen if your life depended on it.

While you constantly jump around to avoid the monster behind you, you see a sign in the distance on a tree that promises your rescue.

“Ahh there it is!”

You pick up speed and focus on the tree with the symbol. Just as the giant lizard opens its jaws to snatch you, you jump ahead and land on the tree with your feet, opening a trapdoor and slide down a shaft.

When you finally reach the ground, you barely manage to avoid crashing face first into the floor and find yourself standing on your feet. What you only forget is, that Law was right behind you…

Just as the noise behind you grew louder, you turned around and Law came flying out and landed right on top of you. He gave you a solid headbutt, knocking you to the ground and you rubbed your forehead with a groan.

You completely ignore the fact that Law is half on top of you, because you are way too busy feeling the pain in your ass and forehead.

Law jumped up abruptly. He couldn't see you in the dark, but he felt you very clearly. Your soft skin and the fact that you are barely clothed...

Feeling the weight of Law being lifted off you, you sit up. The darkness down here makes you blind but you can hear the flat breathing of Law.

“Law, are you all right?“ - ”Yeah, I'm fine, it was just a bit turbulent…” You hear his voice in the darkness… and he is closer than you expected. You get up carefully and make your way towards the dark until you come across a wall.

Feeling your way along the wall with your hands, you find a wall torch and light it. You use the torch to light other torches on the walls, and the room, which is an empty room, is filled with light.

Apart from two doors, there is absolutely nothing. After picking up your clothes from the floor with Law, you head towards one of the rooms.

“Where are we?” - “We are in a safety shelter. The symbol you saw earlier means 'emergency' and behind each of these symbols is a hiding place."

You answer Law, who is looking around in the second room. It is modestly furnished yet it has everything you need for a temporary stay. There is a small kitchen and a table with four chairs, along with some non perishable food. Nothing tasty, but enough to fill your stomach.

Since it gets quite cold in these shelters, which are dug deep into the ground, there is a fireplace and plenty of firewood. Law went straight to work making a fire, while you pulled out a box from under a bed.

In the box you found some blankets and towels but unfortunately no clean clothes, but at least you can take a hot shower here.

“Hey Law, I'm going to take a quick shower.” He turns to you whilst sitting by the fire and nods at you. After you took the much needed shower, you shorten and tear your dress, in order to make it comfortable for sleeping.

After you went back to Law, you pressed another towel into his hand and Law also disappeared into the bathroom, saying a small thank you.

While he is freshening up, you search through the supplies and see what you can do to make something tasty.

Since there isn't much besides rice, dried meat and spices, you don't have much leeway, but your growling stomach would be satisfied with anything right now.

You have no problem lowering your standards, so you cook the rice with a few spices and fry it.

A spiced scent fills the room when Law enters again, seeing you dividing the fried rice onto two plates.

The seasoning smells quite delicious and Law sits down at the table while his stomach growls.

“It's nothing special but it's all we have.” He looks up at your embarrassed face and grabs the cutlery to eat some of the rice.

You watch him eagerly as he eats the rice and hope for a positive reaction. After a few bites, he hums contentedly.

“This isn't so bad.“ Your heart leaps at his words and it shows on your face.

“Here, have some of the dried meat.” You push the bowl over to him with a grin. He thanks you with a nod and you both continue eating your dinner together in pleasant silence.

Law's skeptical glances keep looking over at your carefree face. He's not sure if you really are the princess... a princess who is usually dressed in magnificent fabrics, served the best food... And yet there you are, sitting in front of him, happily devouring the dried meat that lives up to its name, with your magnificent ball gown torn at the arms and legs.

Usually, the royalty is the complete opposite: spoiled and pampered.

“Are you okay?” His stare does not go unnoticed by you.

“Sure, everything's fine.” Glancing down at his bowl of rice again, he thought it made no sense to think about what kind of person you are.

His gaze makes you wonder, but you are reluctant to force him to talk and so your meal continues, once again in silence. After your meal, you wash the dishes, while Law dries and stores them.

Happily, you hum a little melody and scrub a plate thoroughly. You like being independent and also enjoy the quiet time with Law, even though you find it a little difficult to ignore his scanning gaze.

Why does he look at you like that? Is he going to avoid the question again?

“It's extremely rude to stare at people like that, you know.” you mention in passing while you give him the last plate to dry.

You gave him the chance for not talking about it, but if he keeps looking at you with that scrutinizing look, then he owes you an explanation!

While Law is collecting his words, you take a seat on the floor in front of the fireplace and pat beside you for him to join you.

“Be honest, what's going through your mind?” You look up at him as he hesitantly takes a seat next to you. His eyes watch the glimmer in your eyes, created by the fire, while he ponders what to say.

“It doesn't really matter.” - “It doesn't really matter?” You repeat his words in confusion and pull your knees up to your chest, gazing into the blazing fire.

“I don't really know what matters. I just know that if it's constantly on your mind, it carries a certain weight. Doesn't it?” Under the glow of the fire, your smile creates a whole new feeling for Law, one that he can't even classify. His lips move all by themselves when he sees you smile like that.

“I'm just wondering about you…” - “About me?” you're not surprised, you just want an answer. His eyes are speaking more words than he realizes and you hear every one of them.

"A princess should be crying about being stuck in a situation like this, rather than ripping her dress because it's more comfortable." A small giggle leaves your lips. That's the thing, you think to yourself.

“I'm y/n, not a princess… Being born a princess doesn't mean I aspire to be one.” Law actually knows what your views are. What your wishes and dreams are, so why is he having such a hard time understanding you?

“I want to be free, Law.” His name sounds soft like velvet when it leaves your lips. You just want to know who you can be.

“You make no sense.” No matter how confused he may be by you, the curiosity reflected in his eyes brings a hearty laugh from you.

Which answer can you give? You can't deny that it makes no sense to leave your peaceful country, especially if your duties keep you here, but your heart knows that your life should not end here.

Drowsiness overcomes you and so you decide to test the bed. Law follows your movements but remains sitting in front of the fire while you plop down on the bed. The bed frame cracks a little but seems stable enough.

“The bed may be a bit small, but there should be enough room for both of us.” you mention as you make yourself comfortable on one side of the bed.

"F-F-for both of us?!" he stutters wildly and stands with both feet firmly on the ground.

Cluelessly, you look up at him. Law seems a little anxious, as if he is horrified by your words, yet the reason why is not clear to you.

“That's simply not possible.” - “huh? Why?” Your words seem so natural, like it's no big deal, while you fluff the pillows.

“Come on, I'm definitely not going to let you sleep on the floor.” With an innocent face, you tap on the free side of the bed.

Law shakes his head slowly as his body stands stiffly in front of you. An annoyed groan escapes from your lips.

“What's your problem?” - “You're a woman.” His answer is curt and incoherent in your eyes.

“So?” You throw your hand up questioningly but he just swallows. You breathe deeply through your nose.

What on earth is wrong with him now?

"There's no harm in it, right?" You stretch your arms and let yourself fall onto your side. You shared a bed with Thalia all the time, slept in the garden with Bepo and even took a nap with Ambrosios after training. All completely platonic.

"Sleeping in company is pretty comforting." You shut your eyes and think back to the nights you used to share a bed with your parents. It was nice to be surrounded by loved ones while you slept and always snug and warm.

Law holds his forehead and squints his eyes as if he's in distress because of you.

“Are you that naive?” Surprised by his blunt manner, you tilt your head to one side.

“I-…” He speaks loud and clear while pointing to himself with his hands “…-am a man…” He waits a moment and stares at your blank face to see if you can follow his words "… and you y/n-ya, you are a woman." His index fingers rest on you.

You squint your eyes in disbelief. He can't be serious…

"Are you for real? It's not like we're going to climb on each other just because we're in the same bed…" Oh my goodness.

You can't stop yourself from laughing and snort with laughter. If you're naive, then he's thinking way too much.

"Well, yeah, not exactly…" He stutters a little, he hadn't expected the answer and scratches his chin.

"You don't have to worry about me, I wouldn't think of such things." - “I'm more worried about me…” he mumbles under his breath.

“Huh? What?” - ”Nothing!” He cuts you off and lies down on the bed with you. Even though you're curious about what he said, you're happy that he's lying next to you. Sleeping in company was no lie on your part.

After all, you're finally lying next to each other with your eyes facing the ceiling. You notice how heavy Law's breathing is. His breath sounds nervous, but that's probably just because sharing a bed with someone is a rather intimate thing, especially when that person is of the opposite sex.

But It simply calms you down, knowing you're not alone when you enter the land of dreams.

“Tell me Law, what's it like to be in the middle of the sea with nothing around you?” He glances at you out of the corner of his eye.

“It's breathtaking and a little frightening.” - “Frightening?”

"Yeah… When the sea is standing still around you and there's no land in sight, you realize you have no idea what's waiting for you at the end of the horizon." - “Wow…” His profound words touch you deeply and the feeling in your heart only grows because of his words.

“Do you want to see it?” - “Absolutely.” You don't know when yet, but you won't give in to your grandfather. You are an adult.

“But there's still a lot to do first…” - “And what's that?” He turns his gaze back to the ceiling and tries to hide his interest.

"I discovered something interesting written in the ruins, something that could help me fulfill my duties… even if I wasn't present here." - " Is it really impossible for this country to survive without your powers?"

Since day one, Law has been curious about the ritual that prevents you from leaving this island. He had imagined how this island would die like a plant, but that seems too far fetched. You exhale feeling exhausted.

“Not really.” It's difficult to explain it when you're not allowed to explain anything, but you can't get any further on your own and you can't talk to the people you're allowed to talk to…

The secrets of the ruins are well protected and sometimes you have to solve puzzles to be sure you're worthy of receiving the following information.

"There's a ruin that I'm pretty sure I'll find what I'm looking for." You raise one arm in the air and look at the tattoo on the palm of your hand. It reminds you that your entire existence is a secret.

“And what are you waiting for?” - "It's difficult to find your way around in this building. The building is laid out like a labyrinth.” - “Well, there are a few tricks… For example: lay a trail.” You laugh a little, it's not as if you've already thought of it.

"The problem is that the labyrinth moves…" - “It moves??!” - “And not only that. There are lots of puzzles to solve… Puzzles that I can't solve on my own.” You look at him cautiously, allowing yourself to wish that Law would offer you his help.

“Maybe I can help you? After all, two heads are better than one.”

After waking up this morning, you decided against going back to the palace and made the decision to rather conquer the old ruins with Law, which you had talked about the night before.

Strangely enough, you are sure that you will uncover the secrets of this extremely well protected ruin... together with Law.

“Here, take my hand.” With a smile, you accept Law's help and let him pull you onto the stone wall. With the new view in front of you, you both see what kind of complicated structure was hiding behind this wall...

[ A/N: Hello my little sweethearts, it's been a long time since I showed any examples of the surroundings. Of course I firmly believe in your imagination, but here is a small example of how I imagine the ruin and the labyrinth. The pictures are made with AI and AI didn't get the labyrinth quite right, but it's better than nothing :D ]

“Apparently the labyrinth changes every five minutes.” Analyzes Law. Given the size of the labyrinth, it will be difficult to keep your orientation. Although you can see the end of the labyrinth from where you stand right now, this huge maze separates you from your actual destination...

"Well then, let's go into the maze!" And with that sentence, you jump down to the start, with Law close behind you.

Even if you have no problems solving the puzzles together, you will always find yourself back at the beginning of the labyrinth. No matter how the massive walls move, you can't make any real progress.

Law had the idea that every time your way leads to a dead end, you should place a sign on the wall before you continue, to monitor how far you have come.

Since the maze is constantly moving, the order of the puzzles you have to solve also changes, always sending you through unknown corridors that you have not yet discovered, until you come to an wall blocking your way completely.

To your dismay, you come to the conclusion that you never really get any further… Because the new paths, after a dead end, will always lead you back to the beginning...

On the wall you were standing on before, you look breathlessly at the constantly moving maze. You have tried to speed through the maze, but whenever you faced a new puzzle before you could move further, a new dead end was already waiting around the corner.

Law keeps watching the maze as you recover from the constant running.

"Judging from the layout, we don't seem to have enough time to get to the end. Maybe we need to wait for the right moment to enter the maze?"

At that very moment, the walls are aligned in a way where the signs you placed form a line.

"Do you mean a moment like this?" You look at him excitedly as if you've discovered a clue, hopefully one that will take you further.

Once again, between the massive walls of stone, you make your way past the puzzles until you reach the place where you were expecting a new puzzle, but instead there is just a dead end in front of you...

Exhausted, you sink to the floor. Despite your confidence at the beginning, you now fear that even with the help of Law you won't get to your destination.

You run your hands through your face in distress... none of this makes any sense!

"I don't understand…" you mutter to yourself as you lose all hope.

“WHY CAN'T WE GET THROUGH THIS DAMNED MAZE???!” you scream and your voice echoes into the distance.. Law, visibly confused too, looks at the wall blocking the way in front of you.

“…We're not supposed to get through the maze…” Law speaks as if he has finally understood the mazes concept. He looks around, examining the walls for clues, but apart from the traces of time, there is nothing to be seen.

“What do you mean?” You are exhausted and unable to go any further. All you want is for the puzzles to come to an end. Law turns to you, his hand on his chin and thinking hard.

"I bet that no matter how fast we go, no matter when we enter the maze, we'll never get through it…" - “Huh?! But that's the only way to the ancient ruin…" His words don't seem logical to you and with some struggle you get on to your feet.

Once again, Law places a sign on the wall and after it was time for the maze to move, you both were no longer surprised that the way lead you back to the beginning...

So you go back onto the stone wall, which gives you a perfect overview of the maze and check where your latest sign is.

"Look at the signs Princess-ya…" Your eyes follow the direction Law is pointing at. Right before your eyes, you see the same line created by your signs. But after a closer look, you notice something new.

"The signs we have drawn are now a complete row, that runs horizontally through the entire labyrinth…" You are surprised…

“Not only that... These were the dead ends we were facing, but that row never opens, instead another wall opened which only led us back to the start…" Your eyes watch skeptically as all the walls move except the ones you have marked.

"So you're telling me that we've only been moving in this half of the maze the whole time?" Your finger points to the area in front of the marked row and Law nods at you in agreement. You look at him as if you were going crazy and laugh slightly hysterically.

“If you look closely you will see that the second half isn't even moving…” With this new insight, however, only more questions arise…

“Maybe there's some mechanism that makes the second half of the maze move?” - "Maybe…" He replies. Together you rack your brains, as this appears to be another puzzle you have to solve.

"But looking at the signs, we've been already in front of every dead end and most likely walked every path, but I haven't noticed anything that could be a mechanism…" In fact, Law has a completely different idea and is strongly convinced that you both have to find a hidden path outside of the maze.

“I guess you're right, I didn't notice anything either…” Your eyes roam around. If the labyrinth isn't the path to take, which way should you go? Or maybe you need to create a new path?

"You know Law, all those puzzles had one thing in common... I always had to use my powers…” - “The flowers!” Law blurts out.

He freezes briefly and seems surprised by his own volume. Clearing his throat with reddened cheeks, he tries to distract you from how childishly he has been behaving, but instead of finding it childish, you find yourself liking the otherwise observant Law more and more.

Back at the puzzles, you try to figure out how you can use your powers. Even though the puzzles were quite different, in the end you always had to bring a flower, which was planted on the altar, to blossom.

“… Mhmmhm, okay…! The ruins usually block all devil fruit powers…” You talk to yourself and circle around.

For many years, an unknown force has surrounded the ruins, making it impossible for Devil Fruit users to use their abilities. The knowledge behind these walls is not to be gained through destruction or power. The only way to obtain the island's legacy is through knowledge itself.

Since most of the information is related to the Taimu taimu fruit, you can only use your abilities under certain circumstances, but you cannot use them freely.

“What a hassle. If I could use my powers freely, thousands of ideas would come to my mind, but no, of coooourse I can't use them...” You tousle your hair and have to stop yourself from wanting to pull your hair out in frustration.

Law is watching you, while you're going crazy during your monologue, trying to keep the corners of his mouth down but while you are at your wit's end, swearing at your ancestors, he can't suppress his grin. (You're both such dorks.)

Luckily for him, you're too busy to see that he's having a great time watching you.

“Wait a minute princess-ya… maybe there's some kind of device like the altars in the maze?” You stop in mid stride and look at him with wide eyes.

"Well of course!!!" you literally shout in his face and shake his shoulders. Law, who is obviously surprised by your sudden attack, doesn't flinch. He lets you have your moment and once again catches himself unable to take his eyes off your laughter.

“That's it! Clearly!” You jump around like a bouncy ball, looking for a mechanism that will allow you to create a path into the ruins. Law shakes his head at your behavior and joins the search.

And who would have thought it but the mechanism you were looking for the whole time, was on the same stone wall you were standing on. Together you remove the plants which are hiding a panel, picturing two hands with flowers and without hesitation you place your hands on top of it. Excited you look around to see what happens.

High above the maze, twining vines and blooming flowers grow into a beautiful bridge that starts at your feet and leads all the way to the ruins.

You leap into the air with joy... you have never managed to get through this damn maze and thanks to Law, you now know that this was never the right way anyway... After your little dance, you jump without thinking into Law's arms, who almost falls off the stone wall with you and hug him tightly.

"This is all thanks to you Law!" He awkwardly strokes your back while you thank him over and over again.

After a heartfelt embrace, you rest your forehead against his and close your eyes. Law, on the other hand, is completely unaware of what's going on and a soft pink blush appears on his cheeks.

What the hell is she doing?! Is all he can think of.

While he struggles with himself, trying not to touch you in inappropriate places, goosebumps spread across his back because your delicate hand rests on his neck.

For you, it's just a gesture between loved ones and a demonstration of the respect you have for Law, nothing unusual in your culture... but for him, It's beyond confusion...

“How can I thank you, Law?”

Thank him? He laughs a little nervously. For now, he would be very grateful if you would let go of him so his heart can calm down, but he cannot bring himself to say those words. Rejecting you doesn't feel right and as long as no one sees the two of you, it doesn't really bother him. He thinks.

“Ahhh, it's no big deal. Now let's finally go into this ruin.” He skillfully changes the subject and it works. You are very excited and quickly break away from him and sprint along the long bridge. With Law close behind you, you run along the long flower bridge while it continues to form and flourish in front of you.

You pause before stepping onto the last few stone steps leading to the ruin, your heart pounding with excitement. You carefully enter the sacred site of your ancestors, your heart beating faster, but not out of fear.

You are amazed and overwhelmed by the huge walls that neither time nor the weather has been able to tear down.

You carefully enter a kind of long corridor, your breathing is shallow, and the only sound to be heard is your footsteps echoing along the high stone walls. You can't see a thing in this dark place and you don't know where the path is leading, it's as if the darkness is drawing you in.

Without being able to avoid it, you step on a stone that sinks in a bit and you hear a strange mechanism moving in the walls. You cling to Law's arm in the darkness, feeling scared and insecure. You look around in the dark, but your eyes can't make out anything, nothing at all.

To your surprise, no trap is triggered, instead the long hallway is being lit up, bit by bit.

“Look, Princess-ya.” Law's gaze is fixed ahead and in the distance you can see the end of this hallway. You can make out some kind of hall. You look up at Law, who smiles at you reassuringly, which gives you courage and you nod at him. Together you stride down the hallway.

On the sides are numerous paintings describing stories and legends. With careful fingers, you brush along the wall, trying to understand the stories. Few inscriptions explain in bits and pieces, with each step further, what is protected in this ruin. There are stories you've never heard of, and one thing is repeated over and over again.

“The Eye of Chronos…” your voice barely a whisper. Law, who was just looking at another wall painting, turns to you because of your voice and steps to your side. Curiously, he looks at the mural over your shoulder. He can't read the symbols but he understands the painting.

In the middle is a person portrayed, left and right are doors with different worlds behind them. Both of you look at the picture in confusion. Even after all your guesses about the wall paintings, you are uncertain what to expect. While you memorize every picture on the walls in your mind, you slowly make your way to the end of the hallway.

With every step you take towards the bright room, your heartbeat quickens. You have to narrow your eyes as the oncoming light grows brighter. While you shield your eyes from the harsh light, Law puts his hand on your back and points forward.

“Princess-ya, look over there!” You cautiously peek through your fingers and when you finally see what lies before you behind all the light, your hand drops to your side.

So what could it be? A Poneglyph…

Without further hesitation, you run to the massive cube and decipher the symbols. You translate every single sentence while Law examines the stone with the same curiosity.

“Now I understand, Law…“ Your voice is a bit hesitant at first, but then it fills with clarity. You hastily go to another place where you read a certain line and put your finger on it.

“The Eyes of Chronos is not an object or some kind of device, as I first thought, it is an ability.” You catch sight of Law's face, somewhat taken aback. You are overwhelmed by what this stone wants to teach you here.

“An ability?“ He raises his eyebrow. That makes sense to him, but what exactly does it mean?

“What can the Eyes of Chronos do?” He whispers as if guarding a secret. You go around to the other side of the poneglyph and repeat its words:

“The eyes of Chronos see every place, at every time, and wherever they are…” Your voice echoes through the hall with intensity. Law doesn't understand everything yet, but he senses something. Then you turn to him, which takes his breath away for a brief moment. With a smile on your lips, you look at him full of knowledge.

“The writing says that those who are worthy can gain a special ability, and this huge block behind me is practically a description and instruction of that ability.” You point behind you with your thumb. You take a seat on the floor and lean against the cube.

Law raises his eyebrows, he knows by now that it is a special ability, but what it can do, remains unclear. He waits quietly for you to continue with your speech.

You hold your hand in front of your eyes and tilt your head back. You are actually getting a little emotional from what you have read. You take a deep breath before your lips can even start to tremble…

“With the eyes of Chronos, it is possible for me to see different places and to enter them as well. It is like opening a door in space and time and then… then you are just… there… at the place I visualize.” You are quite stunned.

“Does that mean you can travel anywhere, no matter how far?” He is noticeably shocked. That's an amazing ability. You nod at him while continuing to hide your face.

Law crouches down next to you and puts a hand on your knee. You were so brave and eager to learn just a short time ago, and now you seem so quiet?

“That's it, Law…” You can't avoid the tremor in your voice anymore, but there's a smile on your lips. Because you're happy.

“This is what I was looking for. I knew it wasn't just a stupid fairy tale!” You lower your hand and look into Law's eyes.

“My mother used to read me a fairy tale in which the hero could travel to different places… Stories about him being on an island, high in the clouds with real angels… Or a city under water with creatures that resemble humans but can live underwater like fish… There were countless places he went and as a child I always wished I could visit those places too.” While you dwell in your memories, Law's eyes widen. The places you are talking about are more than familiar to him…

“y/n-ya…“ He addresses you by name. Unused to hearing your name from someone who isn't a member of your family, you look up at him.

“These places, they really exist.” Your eyes widen in wonder. If places like this await you outside, even if they're only remotely as described in your books, then you have to see them!

“Law, with this ability, I'm one step closer to leaving this island!“ Your grin makes him feel a sudden tug in his chest. In his opinion, it would be better if you stayed protected. But why?... Surely because your abilities would be dangerous in the wrong hands.

“What do you mean, you're one step closer? What else?” He studies your sad face, isn't it enough just to keep coming back here for the ritual?

“I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to my people. I have to protect them, you know?” Your eyes gaze deeply into his. He knows exactly what it feels like, to make it your duty to protect your loved ones, remembering his crew and how often he left them behind to avoid getting them into trouble.

“I see. So you still have to find a way to keep your island safe...” He leans back and gets up. Perhaps he will be lucky and you won't find a way to leave the island, but who is he to entertain such thoughts?

“I'll definitely come up with something!” You jump up and clench your fist in victory.

“However, I first have to learn this ability…“ You walk around the cube and try to figure out how to control the Eyes of Chronos.

“Didn't it say that you have to prove yourself worthy?” Law asks, still standing in the same place and thinking. That's right, but you thought you were already worthy of the knowledge… after all, you made it into this ruin…

“Hey Law, come and lend me a hand.” With his help, you climb onto the cube and, as you had expected, there is a small altar here too. Once again, there are these moulds in which you can place your hands.

You move your hands carefully. What will happen if I am not worthy of such power?

As your hands touch the stone, you are overcome with an oppressive feeling. It's as if all your strength is being sucked out of you. Your entire life passes before your eyes, with both beautiful and memorable moments, as well as tragic ones.

Long forgotten and suppressed memories emerge before your eyes. For the first time, you see the moment when your parents died.. with your very own eyes.

All of a sudden, your eyes can see everything.

Exhausted, you break away from the stone as it seemed that it was over. Your ears are ringing and your vision is blurred, the only thing you can hear is your heartbeat. Suddenly, Law comes into your view. He grabs you by the shoulders, worried, but you can only see him as a blur...

After this state subsides and your breathing normalizes, Law quickly examines your body for signs of impending unconsciousness, but you seem to be fine again.

“Law, I think I passed the test...” You ignore how he examines your eyes, checks your pulse and body temperature. He puts his hands on his thighs and looks at your face with a concerned expression.

“You think so?” You nod weakly at him and get up. You're a bit shaky on your feet, so Law supports you and you raise a hand.

“Yes, I do… and now we'll find out.”

You swing your hand and a kind of shiny crack forms in the air. Bits and pieces of fragments come off, showing you more of what is behind it and what you can see resembles your room in the castle. Full of amazement, Law looks at this unusual phenomenon.

He walks behind the crack and looks around to see what is there, but even behind it, all he can see is your room. A little tired, you reach your hand out to him.

“Let's go home, Law…” He hurries back to you before you collapse into his arms. Exhausted, and together you walk through the crack and end up in your room…

He helps you over to your bed and tucks you in. It is already evening again and an unusual silence has fallen over the castle, though you don't notice it. Your eyelids are struggling to stay open, but with the little strength you have left, you hold onto Law's arm before he can leave. Without much emotion, he looks down at you and waits for your lips to move.

“You should stay here…“ For a brief moment, he considers whether that is such a good idea, after all, you are a princess and he is a pirate, but the tired yet beautiful look on your face makes him hesitate. There is something about you that he would like to know.

“I can't.” He suppresses his thoughts, because whatever arises in him, he shouldn't get involved with you.

You pull the blanket over you and settle into your soft bed. Should you pretend to be feeling unwell? Would that make him stay? You sigh. No, lying is not a good idea. You look up at him from the covers with your eyes and cling to the blanket.

“But I know that if someone sees you at this time, it will be even worse.” In the dark room, which is only illuminated by the moonlight, you try to see some kind of reaction on his face, but Law is quite good at keeping his composure.

“What would happen if someone saw me?” - “They won't let you go.” He tilts his head in confusion but with a smile. Do they want to imprison him just because he was in your room??

You hide your smile under the covers. It's just so refreshing to meet people who don't constantly have in the back of their heads, that you are the holy child AND a princess... You try to straighten up a bit and lean into the thousand pillows in your bed.

“You know, Law, if someone saw you, they might think you did something to me.” He laughs as if it were a ridiculous thought, but you turn a few shades red.

Rumors are already circulating. None that Law is likely to know about, but apparently they saw the way you looked at each other. If he were to be seen leaving your room, it would be problematic.

“I could never hurt you, y/n.” - “I know, Law but that's not the point… there are limits to being in my presence. Limits that we have already crossed…” you swallow. You don't really get to the point, because you are quite embarrassed, as one can tell by your red ears.

The moon moves across the sky, the bright beam of light moves around the room and lets you see Law's face. His face looks puzzled and a little upset, almost as if he were offended.

“I don't know what you mean.” Or he doesn't want to understand? You hesitate a little and your face turns red at your thoughts. It's not easy for you either, but maybe, just maybe, will he stay with you then?

“A man who is constantly alone with the holy priestess gives a bad impression. My soul must remain pure. Should a man come too close to me and defile this holiness, it will cost him his life.“ You play with your fingers. Hopefully he understands now.

“But we are just… friends?” he says, bewildered. Taken aback that he thought of you as a friend.

Your eyes shyly meet his and he raises his eyebrow. He has no idea what's going on here and especially not why you're fiddling with your words.

'Just spit it out.' is written all over his face.

“Just do me this favor, okay?” While trying hard not to beg, your eyes betray your actions. Irritated by the look you give him, Law lets his shoulders drop and sighs heavily.

“Okay, I'll stay.” he says as he sits down on your sofa. With arms outstretched, he crosses one leg over the other and stares into the crackling fire of the fireplace.

From the side, you observe his pensive expression and feel a little bad. Is he planning to spend the night on the sofa? Surely that's uncomfortable.

What you don't know, though, is that even this sofa is sheer luxury for him. On this soft couch, with those fine pillows and in this expensive room, he almost feels ridiculous.

Suddenly, the silence you usually appreciate so much in this otherwise noisy castle is driving you crazy. With every second that the clock strikes, you get more and more restless.

Does he feel annoyed that he has to stay with you? You feel guilty for making him stay, but you can't help it...

“Law, if you want, I'll open a portal to your room…” Your words come across your lips quite sheepishly as if you had betrayed him. You could have suggested that from the start... since you have the ability.

“No way!“ Before you know it, Law is standing in front of you, looking down at you seriously. You are a little surprised that he is standing in front of your bed again, but it quickly puts a sweet smile on your lips.

“You collapsed right into my arms, I won't let you push yourself to your limits again.“ he says. Your heart beats a little faster as the mattress moves and Law takes a seat on the edge. You look at him curiously.

“And even if they catch me and lock me away... I'm a pirate and I'll simply break out.” He smiles at you crookedly. A smile that makes your heart stop but your surprised face quickly changes into a broad grin and you burst out laughing, not realizing how easily Law captivates you.

“You sure are full of yourself, aren't you?” You chuckle at him and give him a nudge with your elbow. It's great that the mood with him is still light and relaxed, somehow playful.

Together, you share a good laugh, until the sound of Law's voice and your own laughter fade away. While you wipe a tear out of the corner of your eye, Law looks at you seriously, a little too thoughtfully for the friendly banter you just had... You tilt your head questioningly.

Law's eyes gave off something unusual, something you didn't know and something that made you nervous. Without thinking you ran your fingers through your hair, while his eyes gaze at you as if he were longing for something.

Although being stared at is nothing new for you, the way he's staring at you makes your heart feel like it's going to jump out of your chest. You try to avoid his intense eyes, but you keep catching yourself stealing quick glances.

Your eyes lock when you see that smirk on his face. It seems like he's enjoying the way you're acting because as always, your emotions are written all over your face.

His teasing grin doesn't make it any easier for you either, and you notice that a remarkable blush is spreading across your face. You tilt your head slightly, letting your hair fall across your face and try to calm yourself.

His eyes are just too damn sexy.

His sudden touch makes you look up briefly and you lose yourself in his eyes as he brushes your hair out of your face.

There is always a hint of melancholy in his eyes, even now. Between the glint in his eye and his distant manner, you feel like you are meeting him on a completely different footing, but you don't dare to close the distance between you.

Why do you feel like kissing his lips?

While you are lost in your emotions, Law has his own problems.

He is not sure why he suddenly wanted to get closer to you, nor why his fingers are in your hair. Somehow his body seems to be moving on its own, but it seems to be his conscious will.

The red color on your face suits you well. He thought it was a waste to hide it, and before he knew it, he was suddenly very close to you.

“Why so quiet all of a sudden?” He laughs rather teasingly but all your eyes can do, is get lost in the shades of his eyes.

Maybe he'll hate himself for it later, but maybe he'd regret it if he didn't. He gently caresses your cheek, his thumb just below your eye and his fingers glide along your ears to your neck.

Almost instinctively, you lean into his warm touch. You never would have thought that a touch could feel so soothing.

He watches you close your eyes, his heart racing and even though he hears the doubt in the last corner of his mind, he gently pulls you towards him.

Even for someone like him, seeing your face so close, the blush on your cheeks and the shimmer on your lips is enough to intoxicate him. It's almost absurd how much he wants to claim you here and now.

You carefully open your eyes and realize how close he is holding you, all the while he has his hand on your back and your hands are clutching onto him.

You're not quite sure how you ended up sitting on his lap, but apparently you were both driven by the same feeling, weren't you?

Holding him by the arm, you thought he was going to take his hand off your neck, but he just wanted to brush his thumb over your parted lips.

Feeling his deep voice resonating through your body, he whispered soft words to you, which you didn't quite perceive at first, but their meaning quickly became clear to you.

“Don't look at me like that.” His voice almost pleading. You pay no attention to the words he speaks, your focus is entirely on the feeling his thumb leaves. Surrendering to the feeling in your chest, you purse your lips to adorn his thumb with a kiss.

You have no intention of being seductive, but your eyes take away his sanity... It's only a matter of time before he loses himself and gives in to the desire for your lips.

What do they taste like? He thinks as if they were a forbidden fruit.

But he hesitates to come any closer to you. One step closer and there's no turning back, he knows that.

What will he do after that? It's hard for him, but it's harder not to do it. With his hand back caressing your neck, he closes the distance between you and his lips find yours hesitantly.

As if you had been waiting for it all this time, you close your eyes and let Law kiss you. It's completely different than you had imagined or read in one of your books.

You had always imagined your first kiss to be exciting and passionate, but you're not disappointed. Rather the opposite, your heart is beating like crazy as you exchange those slow kisses.

No book could have described the way Law kisses you.

While his lips explore yours, he holds you tight and presses you against his body. Uncertain whether you are feeling your own heartbeat or his, you cling to his shoulders for more support.

With no space between you, pressed against his sweater, you let yourself be soothed by his scent. The world could be burning around you, but you wouldn't notice. All you can pay attention to right now is Law.

How he gasps for air between kisses, never being separated from your lips for more than a second... His satisfied moan as you wrap your arms around his neck and run your fingers through his hair. How his touch on your skin feels. Even though his hands don't roam your body, they just hold you tight, but still, it makes you feel thrilled. He keeps you close as no one else could.

Is this what it feels like to be desired?

One thing is for sure; you really want him to desire you. You don't care what you have to do for it, you would do anything.

After what seems like an eternity of kissing, he leads you backwards with his hand still on your back and makes you lie down without taking his lips off yours once.

After gently laying you down, he lets go of your lips for the first time, the tip of his nose touching yours, while gazing deeply into your eyes.

To your surprise, he lays his forehead on yours and squints his eyes. He breathes out heavily before speaking to you.

“I'm sorry.”

huh?

You are a little disoriented as his warmth fades away and you watch him speechlessly as he lies down next to you with his arm over his face.

“You're sorry??” You're absolutely flabbergasted. You summarize the things that have happened. He got close to you, he kissed you and you kissed him back. Why is he apologizing?

“I don't want to make myself guilty of a crime, right?” His eyes remain hidden under his arm, however a slight smirk appears on his lips.

You are still confused, but isn't he implying from your previous words, that you can be punished if you have intimate relations with the Holy Priestess?

“So you did understand me after all!” You pout a little, you tried your very best to make him understand but he acted all clueless!

Law's smirk grows even wider and he struggles not to laugh out loud. He would love to see your face right now, but he forbids himself to.

“Tell me, if you didn't want to make yourself guilty of a crime, then why did you kiss me?”

This question makes Law move his arm away and you look at him with eyes that say 'you started it'. Not really sure what answer he should give you, he breathes out deeply.

Somehow one thing leads to another, but why? That's something he doesn't know himself.

“Some crimes are worth the thrill.” He turns on his side, looking at your face. With a comfortable distance between you, you lie in your big bed and silence falls over you.

After he has somehow rejected you, you are no longer able to maintain eye contact. You avoid his eyes. You wished for a little more, or rather said, his kisses made you want more. You can still feel them, his lips on yours and how he bit your lip every now and then. They feel a little swollen.

But Law still thinks it's for the best, even if he would have liked to have given you an unforgettable night or would that perhaps apply more to him?

In any case, it's not really his style to start things without finishing them. He is sure that it would be your first time and somehow it just doesn't feel right to take your innocence, when his own intentions are not even clear.

He has hooked up on some occasions, when he needed to blow off some steam and his flings knew this, but you are different. You are divine. You are not a quick lay, but he is not interested in more than that either.

He is confused.

No, you are confusing him.

Your silence is interrupted when you hear running outside on the corridors. Several voices can be heard, frantically discussing something, but their words fade away. You get out of bed and go to the door to listen.

“They obviously seem to be looking for me, after all we've been missing since the party and my uncle must be worried sick, but all this commotion is still unusual.” you say more to yourself than to Law.

“Shouldn't you just let them know that you're back?” Law, who had been in bed until just now, suddenly stood next to you.

“That's a good idea, then at least everyone will have a quiet night again.”

You grab the door knob and leave your room. You look left and right down the long hallway but don't see anyone anymore, they seem to have already left. Unfortunately, you couldn't make out exactly who you heard and what they were saying, but you will find that out soon enough.

You turn to Law and motion for him to follow you. Together you walk after the voices that you can still hear echoing in the distance. As you turn a corner, you see Anatol, who is accompanied by two soldiers, talking to one of the runners. [*= A unit that observes the island and surrounding areas]

You don't wait any longer and jog over to them to make your presence clear.

“Hey Anatol! I'm back again, you have nothing to worry about!” you call to them with a smile.

Anatol, who was in the middle of a serious conversation, looks at you in shock and somehow his look makes you uneasy.

“Is something wrong?” His expression changes back to his serious, stoic face and he grabs you by the shoulder. Something in his eyes tells you that something is very wrong indeed.

“Princess... Tanata is at war. The pirates attacked us this morning.” Shock is written across your face. You stagger back a little, your knees go weak, but Law comes to your aid and supports you.

Tanata is at war.

The song I heard while writing: Unlike Pluto - One on One

Stepping foot on the battlefield has always been a thought, but now that the time has come, it still feels unreal.

The sounds of the fighters as you rush past them, while trying to find your grandfather. The cries filled with rage and agony as the sides clash against each other... you're in the middle of a war but you don't really pay attention to it.

Everything around you blurs into the single thought that you have to get to your grandfather quickly.

While the voices are no more than muffled sounds, your eyes carefully scan the square, dodging all attacks with swift moves.

Luckily for you, your eyes didn't have to search any longer and with a snap of your fingers, you teleported directly to him. With a grand entrance, you appeared in the air and landed with steady feet on the ground, your gaze serious to the point where your presence could be felt even in the ground.

Law, who saw you only from afar, while he ran after you with all his might, just saw you disappear in an instant.

His eyes darted around hastily as the fighting around him didn't stop for a second. While he repeatedly defended himself against attacks and knocked out his opponents, he scanned the crowd for you. He doesn't have time to deal with these minions of Doflamingo.

Far more important is to quickly find out who of his crew is present. Guys who are a real threat.

Under normal circumstances, he would simply go find Luffy and Zorro, since he is more than sure that the Straw Hats will join the fight, but somehow he has to find you.

He knows that wherever Zorro and Luffy are, there are strong opponents, but even when he saw Zorro out of the corner of his eye, he didn't even check who the opponent was. The only thing he's looking for is... you.

It goes against his own logic, but thanks to this chaotic scene, he doesn't even realize it himself.

“LEAVE THIS PLACE Y/N! IMMEDIATELY!” A distant shout draws Law's attention and his head turns in the direction where he finally sees you...

Ready to fight, you stand near the king and your lips move in a calm manner. Law may not be able to read the words on your lips, but your confident expression is enough to convince him.

You will fight and no one will keep you from it.

On the other side of the situation, you face an opponent with a determined expression. Looking into his arrogant face, you can tell straight away that he is full of himself. However, you remember those red leather pants and the broad grin on this stupid face...

Another memory comes to you and you know that this pirate is strong, because... he has been here before.

Murderer.

You grit your teeth, just before they crack...

The murderer of my parents.

...Then you breathe calmly.

“Grandfather, your words will no longer hold me back.” Your fierce look makes even your grandpa, who is still built like a mighty warrior, catch his breath. Something cold and razor sharp flashes in your darkened eyes.

“Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in.” His grin gets impossibly wider as he approaches with casual steps.

“A little family drama? How heart wrenchingly exciting...” He mocks the tense situation as he licks his lips with joy.

“SILENCE!” With clenched fists, your voice echoes across the place and draws a few glances but the only thing your rage achieves is a laugh from his rotten chest.

Just a few steps in front of you, he comes to a halt and immediately the king and other soldiers stand between the two of you to give you protection.

Yet the pirate remains unfazed and looks down at you with a somewhat lewd look on his face.

Just for a moment you are a little disturbed by his expression but you quickly pull yourself together and give him your anger filled face. You furrow your eyebrows and don't give him the satisfaction of losing your composure. That's just what he's waiting for.

“HAHAHA that's exactly the look I want to see!“ His eyes look dangerously into yours, but in your eyes, this pirate does nothing but look pathetic.

“You know, you'd be the perfect souvenir for Doffy, he'd certainly be pleased… and on the journey home I'll have my fun with you.” There's something so repulsive about his smile that you feel like throwing up.

Suddenly, Law appeared and charged at him with his sword.

“Get lost, Diamante!” Law shouted while the pirate dodged his attack at the very last second.

“You disgusting being don't you dare to speak to me like that!” You walk towards him with disgust in your eyes, your steps firm and your voice proud. No idea what he thinks who he is in front of, but you'll let him see who you are!

“Wait, y/n, he's too dangerous!” But the king's words fall on deaf ears. You won't be held back; your steps are steady on their course.

On your way to him, you mutter curses in anger at the pirate in front of you and raise your hand to perform a slicing motion.

A line of golden light, like a crack in the air, draws itself from your finger, while you don't take your eyes off his figure for a moment. The pirate watches you with intrigued curiosity as your hand disappears into the line of light. His mistake.

Watching your arm disappear further into the crack is quite a sight... until, just when he least expected it, you pull your arm out again in the blink of an eye, holding a glowing sword in your hand and giving him a smile.

Does your smile make him lose his concentration? Absolutely, because the 'oh so confident' pirate hardens for a split second, long enough for you to appear right in front of him with just a snap of your fingers.

Your sword may not have the broadest blade, but depending on how much power you put into it, it has a different effect.

A golden aura surrounds your sword as you channel just enough power into it to send him flying backwards. While he's still processing how you moved with such extraordinary speed, it seemed like an eternity that his body crashed through the thick trees of the jungle.

Hopefully far enough away... and defeated.

You exhale slowly as if you had been holding your breath the whole time and turn around.

“Go back to the palace!“ Says the commanding voice of your grandfather as he approaches you, but you ignore him and head for Law, whose eyes still remain focused on the direction Diamante flew.

“How dangerous is this man, Law?” - “Quite dangerous, and even though you are strong, that blow won't do him much harm.”

You think about it with your hand on your chin, while Law's examining gaze rests on you. What are you doing with the pirates? How do you get rid of them?

But before you can pursue your thoughts, the king grabs you by the shoulder and turns you to face him. His grip is stronger, angrier, and those very emotions reappear in his eyes. In a calm but firm voice, he says,

“Go home.” You stare at him, somewhat speechless, surprised by the way he grabs you. He has never treated you so roughly, but you swallow the feeling and snap at him.

“You have nothing to say to me!” You shrug off his hand and take a step towards him. You won't let yourself be locked away.

“y/n, why don't you understand?” he says quietly but angrily through gritted teeth. His facial features change desperately on his face.

“I just want to protect you!” - “But I don't want to be protected!” You yell at him. For the first time in your life, you yell at him with real force and the sound of your voice makes you take a step back. Surprised by yourself, you take a moment to collect your thoughts and with a crunch under your feet, you turn around.

“I never wanted to be left in the dark. I always knew there were things I didn't know.” Your body remains motionless as you utter the words that have been buried deep inside you for so long, exposing them to those who have always kept you down. With eyes searching for the truth, you turn to face your king.

“…Things you all didn't want me to know.” Your voice is serious, but it breaks because it hurts. You don't even know why it hurts so much. It's almost ridiculous, considering you literally live like a princess, but those are your feelings.

You feel unfulfilled.

Always under the protection of the crown, yet celebrated as the greatest heroine, you know that you have to do more… that you can do much more. But your own family is holding you back from growing. From living. From your true destiny.

“Why won't you let me fight!“ you ask in desperation.

“Because you're not ready yet.” His tone is firm, but you feel something stirring inside you.

“Is it me who's not ready, or is it you?” you say bitterly. Your eyes light up, filled with clarity.

“Heraia would never have wanted you to go into battle… ever.” - “Would Mother have wanted me to be left in this uncertainty?” You approach him and examine his face.

“All my life, you have prepared me for battle, yet I must watch as friends and family are harmed while I am treated like a trophy!" You speak through gritted teeth, feeling the rage deep in your soul.

“At your mother's grave, I swore to her that I would protect you with all my strength, my child...” He tries to explain himself in a whisper, the tone of his voice both apologetic and sincere.

“You are the daughter of my only daughter, and you are stronger than anyone could ever have imagined.” His eyes look down at you with awful sadness.

He is aware, that he can no longer hide his secrets from you and right now you are offering him the opportunity to come clean. He knows that you already know a thing or two, but he can see in your curious eyes that you want to know everything. You want to master the abilities you have been given.

“You were so young when you had developed your own abilities, abilities that no one ever had before." He fondly remembers but sorrow remains in his eyes. Careful not to miss a word, you listen intently to his voice.

“You were only five years old when you ate the devil fruit. The council decided against me, that you must fulfill your duty... Given the circumstances.” - “Circumstances?” you ask, puzzled. Not all of your memories are intact; much remains hidden by your memory loss, but here and there you catch glimpses of the past.

“Yes... Things weren't so good in our country back then. A terrible disease swept through the kingdom.” You blink a little, something tingles in your mind and you remember what he's talking about.

Not that you forgot, no, it's just one of those typical memories, seen through the eyes of a child, that fade over the years but never disappear.

At first, you were a little confused. You couldn't remember seeing any sick people, but you did remember a time when you were only in the palace and the gardens. It was quite lonely. You couldn't even see your friends, and when you asked if you could play with the children in the town, all you heard were excuses.

You could remember how you hadn't really had any contact with anyone except a few people for a while and how people had been very concerned about your health. Doctor's visits were a constant occurrence, which puzzled you even at your young age, because you never felt unwell?

A child does not always pick up on the serious things going on around them, the things adults go through, and especially in your case, everyone made sure you didn't find out.

Sheltered in the palace.

“Why were you against it?” You never really questioned why you ate the devil fruit so early, but you remember the stories and records about your predecessor. You have to admit that no one else was ever that young.

Your grandfather glances briefly to the side. He finds it difficult to choose his words, not because he can't tell you, but because it still upsets him greatly. Especially because there was nothing he could have done to stop it at that time.

“Because you could have died.” he says dryly, the words coming quickly so that they leave his lips immediately.

“WHAT!?” you burst out. He sighs a little and decides to sit down cross legged on the floor, making himself comfortable if you're going to have this little chat. One would think he would look up at you now, but your grandfather is such a giant that you are looking straight into each other's eyes.

“Your body can only withstand the power of the gods after a certain amount of time. Until then; you have to train, find your inner peace, and undergo extensive preparation.”

“I don't want to criticize anyone, and I understand the circumstances, but how could anyone agree to something so risky? Especially when it comes to a child.“ Law, who had been listening attentively until now, interrupts genuinely interested.

In the eyes of the king, you can clearly see a whole different set of emotions. A little bit of desperation and something else but what?

“I didn't have the right. She's the bearer of the Taimu Taimu fruit, and it's her fate to serve the country and ensure its existence...” He speaks as if he's been repeating this to himself for years, with his eyes staring straight ahead.

“…Even if she is a princess.” he added, his voice growing quieter. Being part of the royal family does not protect you from the laws of the land. Even if it is an honor for someone in your own circle to carry out this task, it is difficult to accept when one knows what awaits the chosen one.

And who knows what awaits you? Only the king.

That is the biggest secret besides the ritual you must perform regularly. Not even you know what this secret is, but it's not that you suspect something. You are completely clueless, and in your grandfather's eyes, you always will be.

And your grandfather, the king, carries this secret in his heart like a heavy stone. Like a wound that torments him at night.

He would love to tell you what this secret is, but he is forbidden to do so. If this information reaches the wrong ears, the chosen one could end up acting against his duty, which is understandable. That's how terrifying this secret is.

“Time is precious... use your time wisely, my child.” In the end, he can't bring himself to say any more, and his true thoughts remain unspoken.

He's not even sure if things would change after you knew, and that's somehow worse. At least, that's what his gut feeling tells him. You would never hesitate, and that's clear in his eyes tonight.

You turn around and walk away with firm steps. You are trying to remain strong with an angry expression, but in reality, you just want to hide the tears in the corners of your eyes.

“...Such nonsense...” you whisper before your voice wavers.

Those are tears of anger, not sadness. You've had enough, and you're about to change history, you know that.

Law rushes after you, after casting a searching glance at the king. What just happened feels so suspicious. He totally gets why you feel like you're always being kept in the dark.

“Hey, Princess-ya, slow down.” He grabs you by the shoulder, his grip is much gentler, and you automatically turn around him but avoid his eyes. You don't want to talk about it.

“I know this is a pretty sensitive moment, but we have other things to worry about.” he says in a calm and clear voice.

He's right...

There are other things you should be worrying about right now... everything else can wait. Your chest fills with air as you take a deep breath. You pause briefly, the air still pressed into your lungs, and then you let it out all at once.

Don't lose your composure, you think to yourself as your eyes monitor the fights around you.

But you have no idea what to do?

Feeling frustrated, you watch as the people around you give their all to protect this sacred ground and protect everyone else in the kingdom. Yet what can you do? You nervously move your fingers.

Law watches as the fire in your eyes grows dim, your breathing becomes flat but not steady. He knows exactly what you're feeling just by looking at you, because he knows how it felt. The feeling when you don't know what to do next.

“Now listen to me carefully, princess.” His voice is serious but comfortingly low and the only thing you hear on this battlefield has now become his voice.

“I have an idea, but it might be a bit risky. You just have to stick to my plan.” You nod attentively as he holds your shoulders to calm you down.

“Okay.” His hands squeeze your arms lightly and then let go of you.

There's something very gentle about his eyes, but his words are so smooth and rational when he explains his strategy. You're kind of jealous of the way he handles things with such composure and intelligence.

“The difficult thing about this whole plan is that we don’t have much time, -..." You swallow hard. You aren't given much time because you have to stop the time and you cannot hold it for very long...

"...- but if everyone does their part, it should go down smoothly.” - “But the damage would be so great, a whole section of the island's edge would break away if we did that. That would make the island vulnerable.” You point out.

It's a clever idea to cut off a chunk of the island and push all the pirates away with it, but you're worried it's too big of a risk.

“Either take the risk or face our destruction." His profound words shook something inside you.

Without another word, you turn around and walk over to your grandfather, telling him about Law's idea. The king looks over at Law, surprised by his idea but still impressed but the look on his face gives nothing away.

The king gave a speech on the battlefield, his voice echoing across the ground while you and Law gathered a few important people on the battlefield. Those who were able to turn away from the fight gathered around the Kind and he briefly explained Law's strategy.

As the fighters from Tanata and your pirate friends lined up after cornering most of their enemies at the edge of the island, you gathered your energy and focused on the feeling, deep inside your stomach.

Law told you that he would give you a sign when you should stop time. While your eyes are closed, you can hear the battle cry of your comrades as they join Law and Zoro in ramming their swords into the ground with all their might. The combined force almost overwhelms you as you feel the Haki of your friends.

Beneath your feet, an increasing crack forms, slithering across the ground like a snake that keeps growing. The entire floor moves and the leaves of the trees rustle wildly while the people around you continue to push the enemies to the other side of the crack.

You blink briefly as a bright blue light shimmers through your eyelids to see Law with a firm grip on his sword, channeling all his strength through it.

The combined force of all the people is so intense that the wind blows fiercely all around. So strong that some even lose their footing and break away... but it's almost beautiful how Law's sweater blows in the wind and hiw his power strikes like a blue lightning bolt... if it weren't such adangerous situation.

“Princess-ya NOW!!!” He tries to say before finally losing his grip on his sword.

But you don't even get a chance to stop the time...

Yet time seems to stand still when you hear a painful groan behind you. A shiver runs down your spine as you recognize the voice.

Slowly, you turn your head. Your heart is beating so fast that any sudden movement would overwhelm your body, and when your eyes meet the sight before you, you feel like you're in your worst nightmare.

Your Dream.

That's exactly what happened. Your grandfather in front of you, stabbed in the back, right through his heart, by a monster with a hideous grin wich is painted in red.

You feel the pulse in your head as the king's lips move slowly with blood flowing out. In your dream you couldn't hear his words, but here on the battlefield, that's all you can notice. No matter how loud it is around you or how quietly he says these words, they echo clearly in your mind.

“Don't be sad, my child.”

Were his words as he sank to his knees and Diamante drew his sword from his back while pushing him with his foot. Before he could hit the ground because of the rough treatment, you rushed to him and gave him stability.

Frantically you tried to heal him, but the heart is a very complex organ and the time is already up before you had a chance to go back. Besides, there's not much left of the heart that you want to heal after seeing the hole in his chest.

Completely beside yourself, you stare wide eyed at your grandfather's blood smeared lips as they move one last time, but no sound comes out. Your tears flow like waterfalls down your cheeks, but you are so distraught that it seems as if you are somewhere else entirely. You can only watch as the light in your king's eyes fades away.

After his chest rose one last time, letting the last bit of air escape from his lungs, you came to your senses.

Tears streamed down your face as you sobbed uncontrollably. Your voice is filled with unbearable pain as you cry desperately across the place. Unable to accept what has happened, you bury your face on his chest, not caring that you smear yourself with his blood.

“This can't be true, it's all just a dream.” Your voice just a broken whisper.

Law came toward you weakly but with clear determination, putting his hand on your shoulder to pull you away from your grandfather, but you wouldn't budge.

He thinks about the plan, but he also thinks about you and the pain you must be feeling. He looks around to check on the others while you try desperately to convince yourself that it's all just a dream.

Most of the others are completely exhausted from the sword action and the crack continues to spread. He has to bring you back to your senses quickly so you carry out his plan, otherwise everything will have been for nothing.

When he looks back at you, he notices how a few strands of your hair float in the air and little by little your hair turns snow white...

Worried, he shook you by the shoulders, but you just whimpered, your hands drenched in the blood of your beloved grandfather...

Thanks to everyone who waited patiently. I hope you're still enjoying the story. I certainly am. I needed a little time, motivation, and inspiration to get back into working on my stories, but I think I've got my mojo back :D

Does anyone have any suggestions for what to read here? Obviously stories involving Trafalgar D. Law and Portgas D. Ace would also be great. Thanksssss :3

Kiss kiss, your yuri ♡