Wonder Aboard the Lulusian Pearl

Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of the Servant Who Will Rule the Seas! And I got a special announcement for this chapter, or rather an announcement from the requestor of this story. You see, redfang19 is looking for someone to do a collaborative work on a crossover story involving One Piece and Yu-Gi-Oh GX. So if any of you other writers out there feel like tackling a unique combination like that, let redfang know! And also, don't forget to check out my book, Plains Riders, on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Now I think that's about everything and with no guest review questions this week, let's dive on in!

The Kingdom of Lulusia: The Foothills

Komane hissed a little as Luffy finished wrapping the final bandage around her arm. "So you really forgot I was riding on top of the pack," asked the Princess. She was currently sitting in front of a fire with the Pirate Captain next to her. They'd set up a campsite after her close encounter with the bandits.

"Yeah, I got a little carried away," said Luffy as he went to chomp on some more meat, "this isn't the first time I've had to dodge guards and escape from an island, that's how I knew your guys wouldn't be able to catch me. But you barely added any weight to the pack so when I ran away I forgot to check and see if there was anything I should've been leaving behind."

"I should honestly be furious with you right now," said Komane as she ate some food of her own, "I was holding on for dear life for who knows how long and then I was nearly taken by bandits! But you came back and saved me. I still don't understand why, though. Why would you come back and save me after I've caused you so much misery?"

"It wasn't really that much misery," said Luffy with a shrug, "yeah I didn't like being ordered around and causing all kinds of messes but I do like the food this kingdom has and I've been in way worse situations than being forced to be a butler."

"That's right," remembered the Lulusian Princess, "we were supposed to talk about some of your adventures while we were out here. Though I guess after everything that's happened, I won't force you if you don't want too."

"It's not like I can go anywhere right now," said Luffy, "I'm totally lost and now that it's getting dark I'll be way more lost if I try to run off right now. So, what story would you like to hear?"

"I guess what I'd really like to know is, how did you become a captain in the first place?" Asked Komane, "you're obviously incredibly strong but running a ship takes more than just strength. At least that's what all of our sailors say."

"How did I become captain," said Luffy with a smile, "I've been the captain ever since I recruited my first crewmate, Zoro. But I got my first ship, the Merry Go, after meeting Usopp. I met Nami before Usopp but she didn't officially join until after I beat down that creep, Arlong, so she technically joined after Sanji did. We picked up Chopper and Robin after we got to the Grand Line and then met Frankie when our ship needed to be fixed."

"But you said the ship you have right now is named the Thousand Sunny," Komane pointed out, "does that mean he wasn't able to fix your other ship?"

"Yeah," said Luffy as he looked a little downcast now, "the Merry did great and carried us way farther than any of us would've thought possible. But by the time we got to Water Seven, she was too broken for anyone to fix. We had a funeral for her and then Frankie made the Thousand Sunny for us. Then we met Brook on one of our first adventures with the Sunny after that! And we've gone on all kinds of crazy adventures since then."

'He sure bounces back quickly,' noted the Princess as she took a sip of some tea that Burt and Dugan had brewed. The two guards, who'd caught up with them a little while ago, sat a short distance behind her, glaring occasional daggers at Luffy due to earlier events but he didn't seem to care. Instead he was laughing again at something that had crossed his mind. "I guess since we've got a lot of time right now, could you tell me a bit more about how you met your crewmates?"

"I mean sure but are you really certain you want to listen to all of it?" Asked Luffy, "I had memorable meetings with all of them so there's a lot to tell."

"As I said we have time," replied Komane, "I just feel like, I should actually try understanding you better. Ever since I forced you to become my personal servant, I don't think I ever bothered to wonder what you really thought of all of this. Yet here you are, rescuing me from bandits and acting like everything I've done is no big deal."

"'Cause it ain't that big a deal," said Luffy, "since you're asking, why don't I tell you some of the things my other crewmates did when they first met me. I can tell you not all of us started off as friends!" For whatever reason, the Princess was finding the Pirate Captain's smile contagious now as she couldn't help but smile a little herself before nodding to Luffy that he should begin. And so she sat and listened while the Straw Hat Captain told about the start of his journey and the finding of the first members of his crew, thankfully in order this time, and the many early adventures they went on. And this time, Komane listened intently, fully committed to actually learning about this person she'd try to make into a simple servant.

And the more she heard the more amazed she found herself. Even the more mundane adventures he mentioned seemed to have a partially ridiculous quality to them, almost like the crew was a magnet for the strange and peculiar. Then again, they were clearly no ordinary crew and Monkey D. Luffy was no ordinary captain. He'd accepted people who'd once been his enemies, came to the defense of those who couldn't help themselves, stood tall against threats others had been too scared to even contemplate facing.

He'd even looked the Yonko, Whitebeard, the strongest man in the world at the time, in the eye and proudly proclaimed that he'd be king of the pirates. And it was also then that a question entered her mind, one the princess decided to voice. "Luffy," she said, surprising even herself that she'd used his name without any form of spite, "you've mentioned this a few times now, about being king of the pirates. Why exactly is that your dream, why do you want it so badly?"

"'Why do I want to be king of the pirates?'" He repeated before smiling, "that's easy, because being king of the pirates means having the most freedom in the world!"

"Freedom," repeated Komane in confusion, "but you're already a pirate. Aren't you pretty free already since you don't obey the law and basically do whatever you want?"

"Yeah we're pirates alright but it's still not as good as it could be," said Luffy, "there are still a lot of guys out there who want to give us trouble and not everyone lets us go where we want to go. But," he clenched his fist then, "we get closer every day. Maybe it'll be a few days, a few months or another couple of years, but one day we'll reach it: One Piece. I'll be king of the pirates and then we can sail to the end of the world, able to have fun whenever and wherever we want."

"Then the others will be able to achieve their dreams too. Sanji's found the Great Blue, Robin will find that pony thing she's been looking for, Nami can draw her map of the world, Zoro will get good enough to kick that Hawk guy's butt, Chopper will learn how to be the best doctor ever. It's gonna be great."

"Guess there's a lot more to pirates than I thought," admitted Komane, "or maybe it's that you're different from any other pirate that I've ever met. Either way, I clearly misjudged you." And it was also now that she realized something terrible. Luffy's dream was freedom like no other, and here she was, keeping him locked in her castle just to spite her father. The moment this thought entered her head, a strange feeling welled up inside of her.

'Is this what guilt feels like,' she thought at the aching sensation in her chest, 'is this how it feels when you know you've done something wrong?' Whatever it was, she knew she needed to make it right. She owed him that much. "Hey, anyone home over there," said Luffy, startling Komane from her thoughts, "helloooo?!"

"Oh, sorry," she said, again surprising herself that she was being so polite, "I was just thinking. There's a festival we have here in the kingdom around this time of year. They should've actually started setting everything up already. There are games and shows and fireworks, and yes, lots and lots of food."

"Wait, you guys throw parties here?" Asked Luffy, "and there's food?"

"I know it doesn't seem like it since you've been here," said Komane, "but yes, we do have fun in this kingdom from time to time. I know I've given you a horrible impression since you wound up here and now, I feel I should make it right."

"Hey just give me plenty of food and we'll call it even," said Luffy with a thumbs up while smiling. The Princess was starting to wonder if he spent a lot of time smiling on a daily basis, when he was with his crew.

The Next Evening: Port Town in Lulusia Kingdom

"Holy cow!" Exclaimed Luffy as he looked at the lit up port town, "this is awesome!" A fair understatement, given the transformation the town had undergone. The last time the Straw Hat Pirate had seen the town it didn't seem all that different from any other where ships docked. Now, though, stalls of all shapes and sizes lined not only the streets but even extended out into their own area outside of the town, making it seem as if the place had grown throughout the last two days.

There were games, arts and crafts, little souvenirs to buy and yes, lots and lots of food. Something Luffy took immediate advantage of as he wound up with an armload of delicacies from different stalls within fifteen minutes of entering the town. "I'm glad to see you like it," said Komane, having dawned a slightly more elegant pink skirt and jewel-embroidered top for the occasion. It was more or less expected of royalty to look good during times such as these celebrations.

For Luffy, though, she let him wear whatever he wanted. A decision she was still figuring out whether or not she regretted as he strutted around wearing a black, silver-embroidered version of the red shirt she'd found him in with black shorts and fancy sandals. As before, he left the front open to expose his stomach and the scar across his chest. And as ever, his straw hat was still on his head. "Princess," whispered Burt while Luffy was busy bouncing from one stall to another, "how was it you convinced the King to let him come along for this after what happened?"

"I gave him a false rendition of the events which transpired," explained Komane, "I also know Dugan's the one who usually submits the reports, so I told him to leave out the part where he ran off and that I'd explain the rest to Father. What I told him was that Straw Hat helped fight off a group of bandits, which he did."

"Okay," said Dugan, "is that also how you explained your injuries?"

"It was easy to sell," said Komane, "ever since that bastard, Blackbeard, became a Yonko, bandit attacks are worse than they've ever been. At least Whitebeard did something useful with his riches and influence while he was alive."

"You sound a lot more concerned about them now than you did before," noted Burt.

"Of course I am," said the Princess, "they were bold enough to attack royalty in broad daylight! I can't just ignore them any longer and I'll make sure father won't either. They and every last one of those criminals will pay for daring to make a mess in this kingdom!" 'Sounds more like a personal vendetta,' thought the two guards who were relatively familiar with their Princess's more vindictive nature.

In all honesty it was because of this nature that they wound up with Straw Hat as a servant in the castle as well as the following series of events leading up to the current moment. But of course, neither of them were going to point that out. They had other concerns anyway now that Luffy was returning. "So I went to all the food stalls right here," he said, "what else is there to do around this place?"

"Come along and I'll show you," said Komane as she beckoned the Pirate to follow her. The first stall they went up too was one that had a large round tank with numerous fish swimming in it. "This game is relatively simple. You just take one of those small nets there and try to catch a fish."

"And of course a royal discount for you as usual, your highness," said the man running the stall who had long grey hair and the familiar suspenders of a fisherman. Komane quickly paid the man who handed a net to her and Luffy. "Now remember to keep this particular breed in salt water. They come straight from the ocean, ya know, in those large pools you find just beyond the shallows in the bea-SPLASH!"

"Hey, a little help," exclaimed Luffy as he somehow found himself slowly sinking in the large tank, "I can't exactly swim!"

"You've got to be kidding me right now!" Exclaimed Komane as she quickly reached in and pulled with all of her might. She was quickly reminded that Luffy was a rubber man as his upper body stretched briefly when she pulled him out before snapping back into its original shape. The force of it sent the two of them flying into the stall across the street which was, funnily enough, a stall selling fancy towels. "How…in the world…did that happen?"

"I tried swiping at them with the net but then it broke when I tried to catch more than one," explained Luffy, "so I dove in to catch them myself."

"Even though you knew you couldn't swim," asked the Princess in confusion.

"I wasn't worried about that," said Luffy, "you three were here so I figured you'd pull me out if something happened. Guess that makes us even, huh."

"Even," repeated Komane, "no, this doesn't make us even at all. You saved my life even after everything I put you through, even after you figured out you could escape. No, we're not even, I still owe you a lot more! I don't even care that my dress is wet right now, this is your night to have a good time and I'll not have you drowning on me in a fish tank!"

"That would be kind of embarrassing after all the other stuff," admitted Luffy with a goofy grin. The Princess tried to keep being angry but found that she couldn't. Instead, she burst out laughing and was followed shortly after by the Straw Hat Captain. Komane didn't know why, but she was starting to find things far more amusing when Luffy was around.

"I guess we'll start taking note of the bills," said Burt as he and Dugan both sighed.

Later That Evening: Royal Ship on the Docks

The rest of their time spent at the festival grounds was a bit more pleasant now that the remaining tension was out of the way. Expectedly, their wet clothes were ruined after Luffy's little incident at the fishing stall, so the next place they stopped were stalls that sold clothing. Komane was able to find a number of things she liked at one stall but settled for wearing a blue corset top that left her shoulders exposed and a pair of black pants that reached to just above her ankles. Obviously, Burt and Dugan were concerned about such an outfit, but Komane made it clear that it would be easier for her to move around in while still looking fashionable.

And for whatever odd reason, she found herself wanting to show off a bit in front of Luffy. He might have been thinking the same thing, given that he tried on numerous outfits ranging from simple sailor outfits to complex captain's coats to even a full-blown animal suit at one point. Eventually, though, he found a match of sorts when he put on a white, long-sleeved baggy shirt with a red button-up front, that he again left open. He also chose a red version of his usual blue-jean shorts and wore his yellow sash around his waist along with his signature sandals.

"What do ya think," asked Luffy as he moved his arms around in the outfit a bit, testing how loose it was. "I was trying to find something that would work great for parties but would also work for a good souvenir."

"It suits you," admitted Komane, genuinely admiring the outfit this time, "there's one more detail that needs to be adjusted on it, but we can worry about that later."

"Detail, what detail," asked Luffy with a confused tilt of his head.

"Oh look, an apple dunking game," the Princess said instead of answering the question. Not that the Pirate Captain would remember said question as he'd forgotten it the moment he heard the word 'apple'. Thankfully, the tubs for dunking the delicious fruits were much smaller than the fish tank from earlier, so there was no danger of Luffy falling in. They continued through the festival like this for some time, playing other games like ladder climbing, making candy portraits, attending an eating contest.

It was honestly the most carefree night that Komane had ever had. She couldn't put her finger on it, but for some reason just letting Luffy be himself and following along with his antics actually made her smile. She didn't think about her royal responsibilities, the fact that she was royalty, the worries of her day-to-day life or the situation the kingdom might or might not be in. 'He said something about being free yesterday,' she recalled then, 'I wonder if this is what being free feels like?'

She didn't dwell on the question long, but it would develop an annoying habit of popping up whenever she was really really enjoying herself. And it became most prevalent when they stepped onto one of the royal family's bigger ships, The Lulusian Pearl. It was the second largest ship which had ever been used by her great grandparents before being retired due to its age. Even though it was more of a tourist attraction now, it was still an impressive sight.

The giant ship had five decks not including the top deck and was decorated in a type of light red that was almost pink. It had a figurehead which resembled a heron of sorts and, as its name suggested, what appeared to be giant pearls mounted on the top of its masts and around the back and sides of the ship. Its insides were ornate, meant to mimic the castle to a degree as her family had always liked having a little bit of home wherever they went. Tables were set out all over with every kind of food the kingdom had to offer with waiters and waitresses moving expertly through the crowd with trays of drinks in hand.

Performances, dances and ceremonies of all sorts were often held here, but at this point in time the main attraction wasn't on the ship itself but rather something everyone would be seeing from the top deck. "So what exactly are we doing all the way up here?" Asked Luffy, his mouth full of food yet again.

"You'll just have to wait and see," replied Komane, feeling somewhat mischievous despite having only planned this part of the evening less than an hour ago. In all honesty she'd just remembered it after rereading the schedule of events. But it would do well enough as a finale, at least in her opinion.

"Okay," said Straw Hat after swallowing the last of his meal, "but there's still fun stuff we can do so why bother standing around?" Komane simply winked at him in response, getting a confused look out of the Pirate Captain. But, as if on cue, that's when it began. The first firework launched into the sky, lighting up the night with it's brilliant, blue sparks. It was followed by a couple more after that, red and yellow circles.

Even more colors were added to the mix before the shapes suddenly grew in complexity. As more fireworks went up, images were formed such as herons, whales and sea kings of all shapes and sizes. Luffy's eyes widened in wonder at the sight as he excitedly asked over and over again how they made the fireworks do that. Instead of answering his question, though, Komane directed his attention to the water below which reflected the fireworks almost perfectly.

"The tide moves in a strange way during this time of year," explained Komane, "those who study them on the island have managed to figure out which days they occur most frequently and that's part of what led to this festival. If you look at the next batch of fireworks, you'll notice something amazing." Luffy was obviously skeptical but shrugged and looked down anyway. Indeed, the waves were moving in a strange pattern with large sections of water somehow rolling in without the surface seeming to be disturbed all that much. When the fireworks went off and formed a shape in the sky, it was reflected on the moving water.

The image would seem to swim towards the bay before turning into a wave which would crash against the shore. "Wow," said Luffy as he watched more reflections seeming to swim towards the island, "that really is cool!"

"It was always my favorite part of this festival when I was a little girl," explained Komane, "seeing the images move almost as if they were alive. I used to make believe that they'd all swim under the island somewhere to sing and dance with all the others that came before. It's amazing, how something so dangerous can be made to look so beautiful."

"What do you mean dangerous?" Questioned Luffy as he turned to her for a moment.

"Even if there wasn't a show going on, it's not safe to be on the beach when the tide is like this," explained the Princess, "the amount of water coming in and going back out is too much for even strong swimmers to fight against. Many people were lost to those strange tides before they came up with the idea to use the fireworks in such a way. It was a little depressing when I first learned about that, but I still look forward to seeing the show they put up. And I've come to understand now that just because something can be dangerous doesn't mean it can't still be a good thing."

She reached up a hand towards Luffy's face then, staring into his eyes as she did so, and ripped the fake mustache off of his lip. "YEEEEOOOWWWW!" Exclaimed the Straw Hat Pirate as he rubbed under his nose, "what'd you do that for?!"

"Because I've decided that I'm done letting my more petty nature get the best of me," replied the Princess, "I was foolish enough to think that I could keep the future king of the pirates here for my own ends. I nearly got captured or killed because of that and it's made me realize there are things I'll never have full control over in this life, or things I shouldn't try having control over." She reached up again and inserted a key into Luffy's collar, turned it until there was a click and pulled it off of his neck.

"Hey, I don't get it," said Straw Hat as he rubbed his neck, "why'd you take my mustache and collar off? I thought I needed those to stay in the castle."

"You don't have to stay in the castle anymore," said Komane, "and we're not going to try keeping you on the island anymore, either. Your friends have been waiting for you, after all."

"You….know my friends have been waiting?" Asked Luffy, more surprised than he thought he'd be.

"We collected the wanted posters of all your crewmates after we captured you," replied Komane, "that chef of yours isn't as stealthy as he thinks he is. I'm personally more surprised you didn't try escaping sooner or having them bust you out. I suppose having a nearby marine base helps with things like that."

"Well we've been trying to lay low for a bit ever since our fight in Dressrossa," said Luffy while rubbing the back of his head, "can't do that if the marines know where we are. And Frankie's been fixing the Sunny up ever since we were attacked."

"I imagine he has it fixed by now," said Komane, "if any of your friends happen to be around right now, tell them they'll be free to bring the Sunny into port tomorrow. You'll have to leave quickly, though, I doubt I'll be able to stop word from getting to father."

"So you're….letting me leave…..just like that," said Luffy.

"I wouldn't say 'just like that'," corrected the Princess, "It would be nice if you stayed long enough to enjoy the rest of the festival."

"Sure," said Luffy with a big smile, "the food here's great and there's plenty of it. And once my friends hear that I'm on the way, they might show up too!"

"Either way," said Komane, "I feel this festival is going to be a little more special than the others." And indeed she would remember this as a night where she laughed and danced and had more fun than she'd had in years. It would also prove to be the night before everything changed.

The Next Day: Large Dock

"Thanks again for the party and all the food," said Luffy as he and Komane stood on the dock. The Sunny was next to the pier just in front of them and the Captain knew his crew was waiting, so he decided to keep things short. "Sorry I wrecked some of your royal stuff while I was here."

"Don't worry about it," assured Komane, "I tried to make you be something you're not, so it's little wonder things wound up in a mess."

"Maybe," said Luffy, "but we still had a great time in the end, so I can't complain."

"It makes me happy to hear you say that," replied the Princess, "I don't know why it took me so long, but I finally learned that being a royal doesn't mean my actions won't have consequences. Though, there is one last selfish action I'd like to perform before you go." Luffy was clearly confused by this, as usual, but that was all Komane needed to reach up, grab his face and pull his rubber head towards her. The Rubber Man almost didn't register what was happening as the Princess's lips brushed his before releasing his head to snap back into place.

"Good luck on your journey for freedom, future king of the pirates," said Komane with a sincere smile before turning and walking back towards the town.

"Now what in the world did you do!" Exclaimed a blond man who must've been Sanji from the Sunny's top deck. Komane couldn't help but laugh a little at the antics which were clearly unfolding behind her as she joined Burt and Dugan on the way back to the castle.

The Road Back to the Castle

"I know he's been nothin' but a pain," said Burt, "but are you really sure you should be letting him go like that?"

"As fond as I've grown of that pirate," said Komane with a sigh, "it would be wrong of me to try to keep him here. The best thing I can do for him, the thing that will make him the happiest in the world right now is finding One Piece and becoming King of the Pirates. He won't be able to do that if he's a prisoner here."

"That's a surprisingly mature thing for you to say, your highness," noted Burt.

"Oh, and how immature have I been up to this point, Burt," said Komane with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, not super immature, just a little, uh," the Guard struggled to find the right words but stopped as he noticed Komane was laughing.

"You're right, though," she said, "I guess it took my life being in danger to finally get some perspective on things. Now I just need to think up a good excuse or apology for Father. I'm thinking of…why are we stopping?"

"I don't know," said Burt as he turned and opened a small sliding window in the carriage, "Dugan, everything okay out there?"

"No," replied the Bodyguard, "we've got a problem blocking the road." Komane, deciding it was better if she saw for herself, opened the door and poked her head out. And there, standing in the middle of the road was a gigantic man. He must've been over eleven feet tall with a wide upper body, large arms but surprisingly skinny legs. The jean pants he wore were the only normal thing about his outfit as the belt he wore looked like the kind a wrestling champion would wear.

In fact, the rest of his appearance screamed 'wrestler' with the brown and orange mask that covered his head and nose, the black and white striped sleeveless shirt with vertical lines and the brown gloves on his hands. He also had a long beard and mane of curly, violet hair. "Good mornin' there," said the large man with a wide, malicious grin, "I hear you've had a visitor recently, of the rubbery kind. Mind helpin' me get a hold of him? Wiiihahahahahaha!"

And things were going so well too. Seems the Straw Hats really are magnets for trouble and this time it comes in the form of one of Blackbeard's Ten Titanic Captains. What is it he wants with Luffy and how does he expect to get it through the Princess? Those answers and more shall be revealed in the next chapter. In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Also, don't forget to check out my book, Plains Riders, on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Stop in next time as our heroes learn of an enemy's return! 'Til then.