Author's Note: Number 53...it's been so long...but remember! I told you I'd never give up on this fiction! It might be a long long time in between...but I'll do it sooner or later! We're getting close to the heart of this arc! I hope you guys really enjoy it. As always, reviews are always loved and, even tho it might not seem like it, they do encourage me to continue writing. Anyway! Enjoy!

Past Chapter Reviews:

Previous Chapter Reviews:

Pokemonjkl: Haha yes! Yes she does !

Girl-luvs-manga:Haha i kinda just took a guess, my bad if I'm wrong! Enjoy

DBZGirl182: Thanks so much! So sorry for the long wait! Ugh I feel so bad!


"Mine...?" Kuki gasped, glancing back at the black twiggy plant, "How can you be sure?"

Robin bent down and examined the centre piece of the room a little bit more before she answered the tiny girl.

"It says so on the walls."

Lily scratched at her chin with her metal covered arm, "You can read those old things? They've been around since this islands been inhabited. This whole tower was built first for the sake of this tree. The castle was actually built a while after around it." she explained.

"Wait so...it says what about me on the walls? How can that be possible!? They're way older then me!" The Helmsman exclaimed, trying to catch her breath.

Everything was just too weird...too coincidental... From the islanders reaction to her, too the eyes of the Queen and past Queens, all the way to this gold crusted room and this weird dead plant of sorts.

"Not quite..." Robin started, moving towards a part of the wall, signalling that Kuki should follow, " Here it shows the black tree bearing a fruit with swirls on it, a pear more correctly, which is the universal symbol for Devil Fruit."

The archeologist's gentle fingers ran of the well taken care of engravings.

"Then a wedding is shown, taking in the crowns and the exchange of rings shown at least, I'd say the King and Queen's wedding. Over here it shows the Queen eating the fruit and wind encircling her, which makes me come to the conclusion that this is your Devil Fruit tree."

Kuki stared dumbfounded at the wall, slowly letting it all in. How was this possible?

"The engravings have aquamarine gems as the Queen's eyes... leading me to think that your eye colour comes from he fruit..." Robin continued slowly.

Did she...did she really come from this island?

"You were right up until that point!" Lily laughed out.

Was she really the Princess?

She walked over to the two girls and patted the older woman on the back.

"Everyone on Tochihana is born with the same skin tone and eye colour, its weird but whats weirder is the Queen is decided by a baby girl who is born with your strange bright blue colour!" the inventor explained pointing at Kuki's eyes.

Was she really supposed to marry that guy?

Robin chuckled, " That does make more sense now, since her eyes were pictured that colour before she ate the fruit."

Stay here and rule?

"Yes, it's a tradition on this island. Always has been, always will be now that your back."

"Why the Queen and not the King?"

"Well the King isn't supposed to have any weakness so..."

"Ah I see."

Leave everyone...Luffy, Nami, Robin, Chopper, Ussop, Franky, Brooke, Sanji...Zoro?

The two ladies finally took this time to both look at Kuki, awaiting her reaction.

The small blonde glanced at the two with a dumbfounded face and slowly, ever slowly, fell back unto the floor...utterly unconscious.


"Wait, so your saying she actually is the Princess and this is actually where she's from?" Zoro grumbled out, pacing back and forth on the stone cobble floor.

One of his hands were currently gripping at his hair in frustration while the other was strapped to the hilt of one of his swords. The entire crew, minus a certain small Helmsman, where currently meeting in Robin's room. Kuki was residing in her bed for now, as the Archeologist had informed them, under the care of one of the castles many doctors. Chopper had demanded to see to her but the Prince had pleasantly declined the offer saying his doctors were very well trained and could see to the Princess fine. Robin had taken it upon herself to fill the others in meanwhile.

"Apparently yes. She is actually what everyone here thinks she is."

Zoro swore, hitting the wall, trying to relive some of his built up anger.

"What's wrong with you marimo? Kuki-Hime is the real Princess I thought her too be!" Sanji sang, squirming around in his fantasies.

"Do you know what this means?!" Zoro asked glaring at everyone else.

How could they be so calm?

"Zoro's right." Robin muttered, making everyone tilt their head.

"What are we missing here?" Nami asked, voicing the thoughts of the group.

"That Jerk is her actual Fiance." Zoro said angerly.

With those words Sanji got zapped out his daze, reality hitting him.

"Kuki-Hime can't marry him!"

Robin sighed, of course that's all the swordsman would think of, the problem went further then that.

"Shishishi,then we'll have a new nakama! Hopefully the Prince can fish or something!" Luffy laughed, getting caught up in all the hype.

Zoro and Sanji both hit him at that comment, making the Captain laugh even more sticking his tongue out at the two. As they started to get into a playful scrap.

"That's just it..." the older woman began, catching everyone's attention once again, "Kuki just found her home, who's to say she doesn't come with us?"

"Who's to say she won't just stay here?"


The girl had just been walking down the hall to shake off the current feeling that encased her, the castle doctor had just given her the okay, stating that it was a case of major shock that cause her to faint and hit her head. She received no serious damage just a headache and small bump at the back of her head. Suddenly a loud, angry voice echoed threw the halls behind her, scaring the girl in her still jumpy state.

"Kuki!"

The girl spun around to see an enraged Luffy racing after her, red in the face and steaming.

"W-what!?" she sputtered, spinning around, trying to run away from him.

"Kuki get back here!" her captain ordered, still chasing her.

"NO!" she screamed back, not wanted to get caught, knowing all to well what would happen to her if she did, witnessing what happened to Zoro when Luffy acted like this to him, "What did I d- eep!"

Too late, Luffy caught hold of her waist and they went for a tumble.

The dust had settled by the time the rest of the crew caught up their Captain. Only to see Kuki on her stomach spread on the floor clutching her head as Luffy sat cross-legged on top of her, hand angerly placed on his hips as he looked down at her.

"Ouch..." the Helmsman whined, the bump on her head was going to get bigger, she could feel it, "What did I do?"

"Luffy get off of her." Ussop began to say only to be glared at by his Captain.

The crew fell silent, this was one of the few times he was actually serious, so they let him do what he had to do.

"You're part of my crew Kuki!" he began, not letting her up from her struggling.

Kuki stopped her squirming and looked up to his face.

"I don't care if you are a Princess or not, you made a promise by joining this crew and you are not allowed to stay here. You're one of my Nakama!" Luffy's bottom lip stuck out by the end of his sentence, looking like a mad, spoiled child.

Kuki couldn't help herself, she busted out into laughter.

"Of course! You're all my family! I'm not staying here!"

Sanji shook his head and lightly kicked the boy off of her as he helped her up. The rest of the crew giggled at their Captain's actions.

"Hey! Robin was the one who suggested it!" Luffy whined, glaring at his crew mates in protest.

Kuki raised an eyebrow and looked at everyone, "You all thought I would stay here?"

"Well you just found your home..." Nami continued, not knowing what to say.

"My home is on the Sunny with all of you." she laughed, " Don't get me wrong I'd like to stay a while to get to know this place and to see if my Dad lives still, but I'm not letting you guys go out on adventures without me!"

"What about the Prince?" Zoro mumbled, looking at her expectantly.

He wanted to leave this island quickly, to make sure that guy didn't try anything.

"I'm not marrying him!" Kuki squeaked, cheeks reddening at the thought, " Not even in the equation!"

Franky and Brooke laughed at the poor girl's embarrassment.

"Well now that that's settled, let me see your head Kuki!" Chopper giggled.


"Ughhhh..."

Kuki sighed as she fell onto the bed. She could really enjoy the bed now that she knew it was actually hers. She had just gotten back from dinner and was heading to bed. She wanted an early day tomorrow, she wanted to know everything about this place, but more importantly she wanted to find her father. She had to of had family here, right? Grandparents, aunts, uncles, maybe even cousins or siblings! It was all so crazy. Her eyes were idly staring straight to the ceiling. This is where she was from...this was her home...she was supposed to be a Princess! It was so strange, too weird to fully accept. Right now anyways. She wasn't going to be royalty, no way was she going to marry that guy. No matter what island tradition said she had too, they couldn't force her into anything, and the Queen could find someone else for her son. Nothing was wrong with him as far as she knew...she just couldn't stay here and leave everyone...as well as...

"Princess?" a voice came from the other side of her door.

Kuki's body shot up...it was him...it was the Prince.

"Yes?" her voice came out shaky and scared.

"May I come in?"

Her eyes widened as she tried to swallow the ball in her throat.

"Of...of course!"

He opened the door with a charming smile.

"May I sit with you?"

Kuki couldn't find her voice so she just nodded. The man walked over and sat on the edge of the bed next to her, making her cheeks redden by the mere placement.

"I came to talk about the wedding plans, tomorrow night we're to meet with the planner to get it started. I know it's a little rushed but we were supposed to be wed a while ago." the Prince explained.

Kuki coughed, edging away from him.

"I... ugh, I can't marry you...I'm sorry but I can't stay here. This was all an accident of us coming to this island. I belong on the ship with my Captain and crew mates."

His face fell to utter disbelief, "But you belong here, with me, this is your home."

She cowered a little at his tone, " No, I might have been born here but that ship in the harbour is my home."

The silence was thick and unnerving, to Kuki at least. She wasn't good at these kind of situations, as Nami had put it a while ago Kuki was a push over. She wasn't great at human communication.

The Prince stood abruptly, making Kuki suck in a breath in surprise, "It was my mothers last dieing wish that I follow tradition."

The Helmsman's eyes widened, the Queen was dead? But...well it did make sense...

"You should get some sleep, you're speaking this craziness from your head injury."

His voice was strained and painful.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know..." Kuki tried to apologies, looking down at her fingers, "but that doesn't change my answer, I can't stay here. I made promises."

She tried so very hard to keep her voice smooth and steady, she needed to be strong in her opinion here for him to understand that her will did not waver.

The man in the dark blue dress clothes walked over to the door in silence. Pausing as if in thought at the handle before opening it and looking down at his feet, "We'll see."