The Monkey and The Peacock

Although he doesn't act it, Monkey D. Luffy is a very knowledgeable and insightful person when it comes to his nakama. He has noticed over the past few weeks that his first mate, Roronoa Zoro, and their newest nakama, the archaeologist Nico Robin, have been starting to get over their initial disliking of one another.

Luffy looked around for Usopp for a bit and saw him writing letters back home to Syrup Village for Kaya, the girl who gave them the Going Merry. He watched, well rather overheard, as Usopp spoke while writing his letters. He would mention words that Luffy would use to describe his emotions for food, such as love, adore, and cherish. However, Luffy heard these expressions of the words and feel that they didn't mean the same when Usopp used them.

Being surrounded by his sharpshooter writing letters, the actions of his first mate and their archaeologist, and even noticing how their navigator Nami has been acting lately with the cook Sanji, Luffy let out a sigh as he sat on his favorite seat as he looked out over the ocean known as the Grand Line. His mind began to wander, which isn't that hard for him, over earlier times. He began to think about his earlier adventures, such as saving Nami's island from Arlong, fighting Buggy the Clown, and entering the Grand Line. As his memory of his entry into the Grand Line continued, he recalled their encounter with Vivi inside Laboon.

Luffy's heart felt a bit lighter as his thoughts began to focus around his former crew member with the long light blue hair. "What is this feeling?" he said to himself as he placed his hand over his chest. "Is this how Usopp feels for Kaya, or how Nami feels for Sanji, or Zoro for Robin?" He blinked as his thoughts began to come together with this new realization.

Many miles away on Sandy Island, the Kingdom of Alabasta continued to flourish after the escapades of the Strawhats to save a land that is not their own. Behind the palace walls sat the princess of this entire kingdom, Nefertari Vivi, as she looked out the window over the lands and towards where she saw her nakama sail off with their left arms held up, signifying their eternal friendship. These thoughts brought a smile to her face as she looked down to the two fliers in her hands. In her right hand, she saw that the man she referred to as Mr. Bushido, Roronoa Zoro, had attained a bounty of 60 million berries for his feats of taking out 100 bounty hunters at Whiskey Peak and Mr. 1 Daz Bones. She looked over to her left hand and a gentle smile crept upon her lips as she looked at that cheeky grin of the man now worth 100 million berries. "Monkey D. Luffy" she said as she chuckled a bit. She recalled all of the hilarious times that they encountered on their journey to her island.

As she began to think about the young raven-haired pirate, Vivi began to fill with a feeling of such joy and elation. She began to wonder about this new sense of emotion. She felt like this whenever she was with the boy in the straw hat. She felt as her hand began to feel light and feathery. She looked out the window again as she placed her left hand still clutching onto the poster over her heart. "This feeling" she said as the doors opened. She turned to see that it was her father, King Nefertari Cobra.

"How are you, my dear daughter?" asked the king as he walked in. He noticed the fliers in her hands, especially the one clutched to her chest.

"I'm fine, father. Just going through my memories. What brings you here?" she asked as she stood up. She placed the fliers onto the chair that she had just occupied.

"I was wondering how you were. Can't a king, no can't a father worry about his daughter and her happiness?" he said as he placed his hand onto his daughter's shoulder.

"Wh-what are you talking about? I am happy. The kingdom has settled down, Koza and Toto are making Goza flourish, and Crocodile has been locked up at the Navy's best prison. Why wouldn't I be happy?" she said as she rambled off reasons for her to be happy.

"Vivi." said the king as his daughter heard the tone of his voice. "I may have been blind about Crocodile's plan, but I am seeing clearly what is wrong with my daughter." he said as a gentle smile crept upon his face as well. "You miss the young boy in the straw hat, don't you?"

Vivi's skin changed from her delicate pale color to a sudden flourishing of red. "Wh-wh-what are you saying, father?" she said as she turned away to hide her reddened face.

Cobra laughed loudly at his daughter's reaction. "I knew it." he said as he walked over to her and placed her hand upon her shoulder once again. "It's alright, Vivi. I knew that boy was special from the moment I saw him. I take it that it was the same thing for you, or rather it was a bit more?" he said as he laughed a bit more. He turned around and began to walk out of her room. He stopped and turned around again. "You know, this reminds me of something nearly like this." he said as he smiled at his daughter.

Vivi turned and looked at her father in the doorway. Confused, she began to ask. "What's that, father?" she said as awaited his response.

The king stood there and stroked his beard. "Reminds me of a girl about your age who was just as rowdy. And though she was rowdy, she was the most beautiful and lovely girl I had ever seen." he said as his daughter began to look at him intently, waiting to hear more. "This girl captivated me, and I wanted to be with her. Do you know who this girl was, my dear daughter?" Vivi shook her head as her eyes grew with anticipation for the answer. "This young girl later grew up to become the great woman known as Queen Titi, your mother." he said as he watched his daughter's eyes well up with tears. "I want you to be happy my dear daughter. If that means that your heart will belong to that young pirate who has the same spirit as your mother, I will support you every step of the way. Nothing is more precious to me than you, Vivi." he said as he watched his daughter run up to him and hug him with all her might. He returned the hug as he watched his daughter wipe away her tears of joy.

"Thank you, father." said the princess as she walked over to her chair and picked up the wanted poster of Luffy. She smiled as she looked upon that grinning face of the young boy wanted by the government.

These two people, who original meeting was by chance, are now linked together by the emotion that they share for each other. The concept of love being blind is being proven now more than ever as these two have shattered the constraints of what can dictate the choices of the heart, as a pirate and a princess from two different worlds have developed this emotion known by for little letters: l-o-v-e.