"Princess? Is everything alright?" Pell asked, knocking and peeking into her room. He'd been walking past when he heard the noise.

"Yes. Everything is fine, Pell." She said stiffly, not turning to look at him from her spot by the window.

Pell didn't quite believe her, and slowly entered (without gaining her permission first), stepping beside her, he noticed the strangle-hold she had on a wanted poster. The newspaper laid forgotten at her feet, but he knew what the headlines read. The Strawhats had stormed and leveled Enies Lobby.

Naturally, he didn't believe everything that was printed about the event. From what Vivi had told them all about the crew, and what he himself had observed in the few hours he spent with their captain, they didn't do things like that without very good reason.

He hadn't yet had a chance to study the new wanted posters with today's paper, though.

"Princess?" He asked again, slowly reaching for the poster. She relinquished it with a half sob, half laugh.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. This is Luffy. He has this uncanny ability to gain friends out of the worst enemies. He's an excellent judge of character, so he must have seen something..." With a curse, she whirled and slashed at her desk again.

Luckily it wasn't the centuries old desk in her office. When had she even drawn her slashers?

Concerned, he glanced at the poster and immediately saw the problem.

Staring up at him was Nico Robin. Miss All-Sunday. In the corner, where it used to be blank for this particular woman, was the Strawhat skull-and-crossbones.

Oh.

"He probably saw something in her. Besides, remember what your father said happened in the catacombs? He saved her, despite her protests, and then she in turn saved him from the poison." He reminded the princess.

"I know that!" She yelled before collapsing on her bed. "I know that." She repeated, more quietly. "It's just... after everything she helped Crocodile do to our kingdom, to my people. I..." She trailed off.

"And you know the worst part?" She asked rhetorically while Pell pulled up the desk chair, which had somehow survived the desk's destruction, and sat down. "I can't even be angry with Luffy for it! Because I know him. I know how he thinks, how he sees people. The lengths he will go to for his friends..." She huffed a laugh.

"I didn't ask them to fight in our war! Nowhere in our agreement was anything ever said about them doing any more then dropping me off at the docks! But instead they fought. Not for the kingdom, I don't think they really cared about that. They fought for me. They fought to save Alabasta because I was fighting to save Alabasta."

"It was for her." Pell realized. She was the only one he could think of that the Marines would take to Enies Lobby." He explained.

"Probably. But it's because I know what he will do for his friends that I know he probably saw something in her. After everything she did to me... And that's why I can't be angry with the captain for it." She sighed, emotionally drained from her outburst earlier and the revelation that she couldn't even stay mad about it.

"I don't know what he saw in her that made him save her down there. What made him let her board the ship, let her into the crew. Rampage through a World Government stronghold for her." Vivi sighed and took the poster back.

"I almost went with them, you know? Back to the sea. Back to a life of adventure and freedom... But this is my home. This is my people. I couldn't abandon them." She said softly as she stood up and took the poster to a pile of frames, some already sitting up, already housing the bounty poster inside, displaying it prominently.

"Who on earth is that?" Pell deadpanned, staring at the horrible drawing in revulsion.

Vivi giggled, not even needing to look to know what he was talking about. "According to the name, that's Sanji." She said dryly. "I wasn't sure about putting it up, because the picture is so awful. It doesn't even look like him. But it wouldn't feel right not to... Besides, I'm sure they'll have cause to update them soon... hopefully with a better picture." She flashed Pell a grin, which he just shook his head at.

The Princess had obviously gotten over what was bothering her, so he excused himself and went back to what he should have been doing.

Somehow, he wasn't surprised to see the King framing copies of the Wanted Posters... only he was trying to hang them in the throne room.

That... probably wasn't the best idea considering how many World Government officials he received there on a regular basis.

Thankfully, Igaram was talking him down.

Chaka was absolutely no help, whatsoever.