Welcome back to One Piece Cinderella Chapter 3! So far not a lot has happened to our hero. But you are not going to meet our hero in this chapter. There is a whole new list of characters in this one! So read and review!

Note: I do not own One Piece or its characters. They all belong to Eiichiro Oda. (Darn it!)


One Piece Cinderella

Ch 3

Farther away from Zolo's castle, a white castle sat on a hill, opposed to Zolo's black one. Red banisters and flags lined the walkway towards the front gate. Every servant was whistling cheerfully or smiling as they did their chores and duties, unlike the servants in Zolo's castle who always looked paranoid and fearful. But in Shank's castle there were sad or fearful faces to be found.

In a large, ornate room, decorated with tapestries and paintings lining the walls, a red-haired man with red facial hair on his chin, a crown on his head, a red and white ermine-lined robe draped over his shoulders, a red shirt, white pants and black boots, looked at someone with a smile on his face, like a fatherly smile.

That 'someone' was an orange-haired teenage girl, wearing a sea blue and green dress with high-heels on. King Shanks, the red-haired man, who was also the king of the entire realm and the father of the girl who was kneeling.

"Nami, you can stand now my child." He said as he reached a hand out and cupped the girl's chin so that she looked at him. Nami, who was the daughter and princess over the whole land that her father ruled, looked up at Shanks and smiled as she stood up with her hand on his.

Her father looked at her in pride.

"Your mother would be so proud of you if she was here. You have grown up so much. Which is why we must find you a husband."

Nami wasn't expecting this at all. Her face fell. "Now?" she asked, shocked. "But I'm not even the right age yet. Why now, Father?"

Shanks was amused at his daughter's answer. "Because Nami, you are of age. And if you are of age, then you should be looking for a husband that could be an heir for me and make you able to produce children."

"But Father!" Nami protested. "I don't want one. I don't feel like I'm ready for one."

Shank's smile was soothing and kind as he stood up and took her face in his hands. "My darling, don't worry. If you are nervous about this matter, then I am thinking that we should have a ball so that you might meet some young men that you might like and ultimately want to marry. What do you think to this?"

Nami frowned a little bit as she was contemplating, then smiled, making her father smile also. "I think I could live with that. Thank you Father!" she said as she stood up and hugged him, which made Shanks hug her even tighter, picking her up off the floor.

When they were done, Shanks put Nami down and put his hands on her shoulders. "Remember, if you do meet that special young man, consult me first so that I may meet him and make my decision before you two decide to 'do anything'."

He gave a wink at the last part, which made Nami laugh. Her father was never strict with her, even when she got in trouble. To him, she was the greatest treasure that any man could posses.

Nami gave the wink back to her father. "Don't worry, we won't." she said as she gave him a smile.

Shanks kissed her cheek. "That's my girl. Now, I have some work to do and you have to be planning for the ball, don't you?"

His daughter bowed and went out the door, and as Shanks watched her, a tear came to his eye.

"Feeling sentimental sire?" a voice from behind him asked.

The king turned his head to see that it was Ussop, a duke that lived in the castle and Shanks' best friend. Ussop had this distinguished air about him that made people think that he was too stuck up for his own good. Dressed in the colors of the castle that was fancier than most with a glass monocle hanging from his nose, he had made their opinions finalized.

Shanks laughed. "I very well could be." He then turned and looked off into the distance as he thought about how grown up Nami was. "She is just growing up so fast. I feel as though it were yesterday that I was holding her in my arms and now she's looking for a husband to settle down with and get married." He smiled as he turned to the duke. "Have you ever felt that way, Ussop?"

This question made Ussop turn away from the king, close his eyes, sticking his nose up in the air and snort with indifference. "Well I never have had any children, so no, I have never ever felt that way and I plan not ever going to. It will be good when she is gone, sire. Mark my words; it will be quieter at least."

But Shanks laughed again and patted his friend on the back. "Maybe you feel that way, but I don't. It will be lonely without her." He went off into a daze as he was thinking about his statement, but then another thought penetrated his mind and he snapped out of the other. "Ussop, do you have any news for me? Important news first."

Ussop unraveled a scroll that he had procured from his pocket, and skimmed it. "Well, your majesty, you have received a message from Lord Zolo commanding that your monthly tribute is due to him or else he will become king and you, the princess, and I will become servants to him and his sons. In a condensed version or course." Ussop skimmed some more down the document. "There were also various threats if you do not. But not to worry, your majesty, you always pay on time." He paused as he went down, talking in mutters. "But on to other news…"

He looked up to see if Shanks was listening, but as he did, he saw that the king's face was ashen and a look of horror was in his eyes.

"Master?" the duke asked, as he reached out to the red-haired man.

"RRRGHHH!" Shanks suddenly smashed a fist into a table beside him, leaving an enormous crack, but also making Ussop scream in fright, widening his eyes. "How does that man, t-that man have the power to order me, the king, around like a common servant?"

Ussop, frightened by his master's fury, shook and stammered. "W-well, y-your majesty…he does have the forces to back up the threats, and you did agree with the deal that you two made a long time ago."

"But isn't there some way to break it?" Shanks asked as he paced the floor in front of Ussop. "Some possible way to but without angering him too much that our lives are in danger, especially Nami?"

Ussop shook his head. "I'm afraid not sire. Lord Zolo will be angry if you do. And I also have another announcement concerning him. He has ordered you to come and having a meeting with him."

"I will agree with the meeting, but I will not agree with him telling me that I have to give him the monthly payment. I shall have to talk to him about that in our little 'meeting'."

"But sire, he has a much stronger army than you. If you don't give him what he asks for, the might of his armies will come and we will be doomed!" Ussop franticly said.

Shanks patted the duke on the back. "Not to worry, my friend. All will be fine. Lord Zolo will not hurt you, me, or Nami if he is happy with what he wants."

Ussop slowly glanced up at him. "You mean you will give him what he asks for?"

Shanks only smiled and went off to his room. "After the meeting I will." He shouted back.

The duke, alone, slumped to the floor in utter exhaustion.

"We're doomed." He thought


So now you got to meet the king, princess, and duke. There is just one more character to meet and that is in the next chapter. Will Nami be able to meet the man of her dreams at the ball? Who will it be? Find out in the next chapter of An One Piece Cinderella! Thank you Osaka-chan2 for editing! See ya!

~Tatertwig45