Marine officers… they had Marine officers for dinner. Suddenly Yanopp regretted not even having asked why she had to dress nicely or who was coming over.

No, it was not that Yanopp had any-thing against marine officers in general, yes they were chasing pirates which included her father, yes they had been responsible for keeping the five oceans free people hostage since before Yanopp was even born.

But her father had always reminded her, they were just people, doing what they thought was their duty, all individuals, and there was no reason why pirates and marines couldn't work together when the situation demanded it, even if they were natural enemies.

Yanopp had heard the stories about Coby, Garp Iron-fist, Vice-admiral Smoker, Tashigi and the G-five, and the strange sort of relationship the straw-hat pirates had had with those marines, as well as many others.

No, it wasn't the fact that they were marine officers that Kaya had invited in, to show the good will of the island, that they were indeed peaceful and had no trouble working with the marines. That happened some-times.

No, it was the fact that these men gave Yanopp the creeps! Right down her spine.

Looking down, Yanopp bit her lip as she flattened her red dress over her lap. And lightly touched the rose in her hair-braid, that matched the dress so nicely. She was dressed up as a little doll as far as she knew, and she didn't like being that way when there were sitting men so close to her, giving her so many creeps, they just.. send out the wrong vibes.

"Are you okay?" Elly whispered as she sat beside Yanopp. Elly of cause looked extraordinary pretty in her simple light-blue dress, and her blond hair sat up in a little bundle. It didn't take any-more for her to look like a little princess, it was almost unfair.

"I'm fine." Yanopp sighed as she waved Elly away, then glanced at the marine Captain.

He was a tall broad-shouldered man, with dark skin and a bald head, they were all wearing uniforms, with their jackets over their shoulder and that justice symbol on the back, this tall Captain Lui-tang.. Yanopp knew nothing about him, she only knew that she didn't like him!

"Thank you for inviting us, it has been such a pleasure to finally meet the lady of the Gecko islands." Lui-tang smiled at Kaya.

Kaya as well smiled. "Well, you are out there doing a hard duty, I'm just doing what I can, to give back to the people that protects us." She told in a very kind voice.

"Your daughter as well, seems very lovely." Lui-tang stated, looking straightly at Elly.

And Yanopp squinted her eyes. "You got your eyes a bit to far to the left." She mumbled with crossed arms.

Lui-tang blinked, then turned to Yanopp, who sourly looked straight back at him. "Excuse me?" he asked.

Kaya sighed. "That's my daughter Yanopp." She told. "The girl to Yanopp's left is my apprentice Elly."

Lui-tang looked at them. "Oh, please forgive me." He asked. "Your daughter looks very little like you." He commented as he turned to Kaya. "But then I suppose, pirate blood floats deep and is a thing hard to suppress."

Yanopp's eyes widened and so did Kayas, in stunned silence.. it was hardly a secret whom Yanopp's father was, every-body on the island knew, but so far they had managed to keep it a secret from the marines at least.

Then Kaya frowned. "Sir, you are a guest in my home, would you please keep such accusations to a minimum?" she asked annoyed.

"It is funny though." Lui-tang sighed as he took up a glass of wine, and swirled it in his hand. "As you talk about re-paying the marines when you keep such a thing secret, how often do he come here? That longnose Captain? How often did you have the opportunity to turn him in?" he asked. "I must admit, the daughter looks just like him."

Yanopp swallowed as her hand under the table tightened into a fist, worried Elly looked at her with wide open eyes, then under the table, laid a gentle hand over Yanopp's shaking fist.

Kaya frowned annoyed then looked hard as the Marine Captain. "So I suppose that means you have actually seen Usopp?" she asked. "Have you ever met my husband?" she asked, making Yanopp's eyes widen.

It was a clear challenge her mother had just put out to the marine captain, openly stating that she was married to a pirate.

It was true that Kaya didn't wear a ring on her finger, but Yanopp knew that Kaya always had it on her any-way, in a chain around her neck as a necklace.

Lui-tang rolled his eyes. "The Longnose captain, yes." He muttered. "He is currently straddling in and out of the head-marine base as if he owns the place."

That made Yanopp look up. "What is dad doing there?" she asked wide-eyed.

Then Lui-tang turned to Yanopp. "Creating problems, he is a pirate you know, they just don't have an excuse to execute him currently." He commented. "But don't worry, they'll get him soon enough."

"As if!" Yanopp snorted. "You haven't been able to catch him for fifteen years, why would you be able to catch him now?" she asked. "I bet you are just scared, because my dad is about to do some changed to the world government! He probably all-ready did it, found a link in the government to work with, and make changes with all the alliances pirates in his back. HAH!" she laughed as she stood up and pointed right at Lui-tang. "You lost, and you hate it! So you came here to gloat over the family to make yourself feel better, that's how big a looser you are!"

"Why you little!" "Lui-tang hissed as he stood up, and so did Yanopp.

"Looser, looser! Big scarridy-cat looser!" Yanopp mocked the marine Captain in a singing voice.

"YANOPP!" Kaya then cut in. "Enough, sit down and eat your dinner."

"But.. mom." Yanopp looked at Kaya.

"Don't say another word." Kaya asked rubbing her tendrils. "Please! Leave if that is what you have to do, but don't say any-more."

At that Yanopp stood as she looked at Kaya, her mouth quivering slightly, then she yelled. "FINE!" before she turned around and ran out of the room.

"Hmpf." Lui-tang snorted as he looked after where the girl had run out of the door. "You sure let her get away easy, you should be more strict."

At that Kaya looked angrily at Lui-tang. "I treat my family my way, you can treat your family your way." She stated. "And now, no more about my family, it's a private subject, and you as a marine captain, should know how to maintain decency by not prying about things that doesn't concern you." She stated.


Yanopp had run out in the garden of the mansion, where she hissed and kicked into the grass, which probably was some-thing these nice black shoes weren't designed to, but she didn't care. She was just angry, bottled up and very annoyed.

"HALLOO!"

"Huh?" Yanopp looked up, and towards the gate to the mansion, where two figures stood leaning up against the bar.

"Yes you! Would you mind letting us in?" A young man asked.

Yanopp squinted her eyes at them, then she realised. "IT'S YOU!" it was Orion and Damon, standing down there by the gate. Quickly Yanopp raced down to the gate as she hissed. "Quiet you idiots! You'll make the entire mansion come out." She stated before she grabbed the bars looking at the two. "What the hell are you two doing here?" she hissed at them, through the bars.

"Ah." Orion blinked. "Yanopp!" he exclaimed. "I almost didn't recognise you, that dress sure makes you look different."

"Oh, so she really is a girl." Damon pointed out in a slightly amused smirk, as he stood there with his hands in his pockets. "Good to get that cleared up."

Yanopp rolled her eyes. "You are avoiding my question, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well." Orion looked up in the sky. "We sort of need a ship, and this seemed to be the best place to ask for it, hey!" he suddenly exclaimed as he looked at Yanopp. "You are all-ready inside, you could ask for us!" he stated.

"Eh." Yanopp swallowed as she stepped backwards. "Wha.. what makes you think I am in any position to ask for a ship for you guys?" she asked.

"Well you can always try." Orion pointed out in a grin.

"What are you doing on that side of the gate any-way?" Damon asked as his eyes looked straight at Yanopp, in a very calculated manner as he spoke calmly. "Dressed all up, so very nicely."

"That's none of your business!" Yanopp stated in a hiss.

"Will you at least let us in?" Orion asked.

"NO!" Yanopp responded loudly.

"But, whyyyy?" Orion asked in a very long disappointed face.

"Listen, there is no ship here for you to take any-way, you are wasting your time." Yanopp hissed as she held the bars, looking through them, so close that her nose accurately went through the bars to the other side.

"Why don't we ask that person?" Orion asked as he pointed behind Yanopp.

"Huh?" Yanopp turned around, and there in the door, stood her mother, Kaya, squinting her eyes out in the darkness, probably looking for Yanopp.

"Who's she?" Damon asked in a blink.

"Well erh.. she's the.. the mistress of this mansion, she owns this entire place, plus the land around it. It's Miss Kaya." Yanopp told lowering her eyes.

"Oh." Damon blinked looking at her.

Yanopp lifted her eyes. "You seem surprised." She told quietly.

"I just thought.. never mind." Damon shook her head. "I guess I had figured you out wrong, I thought you were the child of who-ever lived here, with the fine new quality of your clothes, even your trousers from before, the smell of perfumes coming from your hair, the man whom appeared to be your servant. I assumed you were a spoiled rich girl, full of hot air." he told. "But since this is the only place for any-one so rich to life on this island, and you obviously have lived here for a long time. If that is the mistress, she looks nothing like you. So you must merely work here, i'm sorry for the miss-judgement." he told in a slight bow of his.

Then Yanopp's eyes opened wide and her mouth dropped open. That long explanation, that man, this Damon, really was of the calculating thinking type! But.. his final conclusion! Had hit Yanopp like a ice fist in her stomach.

Damon frowned by her deep look. "What?" he asked.

"You idiot!" Yanopp hissed. "Just because I don't look like her, doesn't mean I can't be her daughter!" she stated.

Damon blinked and so did Orion.

And Yanopp sniffed as she turned around, just in time to wipe away the tear which had emerged. "Okay, you got me." She swallowed. "I'm Kayas daughter, her real, blood-related, daughter." She told. "And my mother is a hardworking, kind, honest woman, so there is no shame in that!" Yanopp stated pointing directly at Orion and Damon. "She doesn't just waste money or laze her days away, she's a person to look up to and aspire to become, JUST BECAUSE SHE'S RIGHT DOESN'T MEAN SHE'S WORTHLESS!" she yelled. "I hope, I can be as hardworking as dedicated as her! That's how she is! You should be lucky to ever be friends with some-one like my Mother! So hands off this property, you got that?" she asked the two.

The two didn't answer, just looked at her.

"Good." Yanopp stated in a stern nod. "I better get back to the little party I suppose." She muttered turning around, and was about to walk back towards the mansion, before Orion yelled.

"OI! YANOPP!"

At that Yanopp turned her head around and looked at Orion.

"I don't really give a shit about where you come from or who your parents are." Orion stated looking seriously at her.. and that was all he said.

Stunned Yanopp looked at Orion with wide open eyes, waiting for more.. but it didn't come, Orion was just looking at her, with those stern black eyes of his.

At last Yanopp nodded as she swallowed, and then turned around to go back to the mansion.

"Yanopp." Kaya spoke softly. "Who was those you were talking to?" she asked.

"Oh them?" Yanopp asked. "They are just.. you know, a couple of boys I met in town. Thought they could bring some trouble over here, no big problem." She stated in a slight shrug.

"Oh." Kaya sighed. "Well then, come in for some dessert." She invited.

"Hai." Yanopp nodded slowly, but then stopped in the door, and looked back to where Orion and Damon whom still stood by the gate, and Orions words rang in Yanopp's ears.

I don't really give a shit about where you come from or who your parents are…

Those words.. they felt important some-how, like.. that was the first time any-one had ever said any-thing like that to Yanopp. It was always. "Kayas daughter shouldn't" "Daughter of a filthy pirate." "Girl in the mansion should behave as such." … always.. it was always.. that.

When was she supposed to just be Yanopp?

Then, Yanopp lifted a hand and waved at the two, smiling ligtly.

Orion beamed as her reached up a hand and waved with big arm moments, Damon naturally, didn't move at all, just looked through his long black bangs.

Then Yanopp grinned at them, gave them a thumbs up, before she went back into the mansion and closed the door, then faced her mother.

"Yanopp." Kaya sighed as she looked at her daughter. "Why can't you be more careful?" she asked.

Yanopp blinked, then swallowed. "Mom I.." she tried.

"I know why you said the things you did, but can't you understand?" Kaya asked as she laid a hand on Yanopp's shoulder. "You only have to give the marines a reason, and they could take you." She told. "It's to dangerous to speak up like that for you, if they decide to take you in, to use you against Usopp, there would be nothing I could do!" she told. "I just don't want to see you get hurt." She told.

"Mom.." Yanopp exhaled. Then she looked down. "I know." She finally admitted. "I promise, I'll behave." She finally stated.

"Thank you." Kaya exhaled, then gave Yanopp a hug, which Yanopp returned, closing her eyes, and deep down knew.. there was no way she could actually behave for that long, it just wasn't her nature.