Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Eichiro Oda and Rising of the Shield Hero belongs to Aneko Yusagi. I own nothing but the plot.

Rescuing the Princess

"I would like to ask for your help in rescuing my daughter Adelita," King Tacos said with all humor gone from his voice. His earlier friendly gaze was replaced by a serious, almost pleading look. "You would be rewarded for your efforts, of course. And you don't even have to take on the bandit chief; having my daughter brought back safely is enough. That should be your highest priority. She is very important to the kingdom not only as its princess, but to our culture as whole. Of course, if you manage to defeat the bandit chief, we'll add his bounty to your reward. "

Naofumi crossed his arms and thought. The king had quickly felt his hesitation, so he dangled a juicy reward carrot. It was clear he was desperate, but Naofumi could probably squeeze him a little more if he wanted. The princess sounded more important than your average royal daughter.

"Very well," the shielder finally said. "I'll help you, but I have two conditions."

"And what would those conditions be?" the king asked.

"First," Naofumi said while raising a finger, "I expect to be owed a royal favor for this. Second, I want all the information about this group and this land available. I want to know what I can expect and how to move around."

"Those are acceptable conditions, so long as your favor is within reason. Muy bien, I accept your conditions, muchacho."

"Excellent. We'll bring the princess back for sure," the hero confidently proclaimed.

"As your sword, I will do my best, Mr. Naofumi," Raphtalia said with conviction.

"Yaaay! We're gonna rescue the princess!" Filo also chimed in.

"I am very glad to hear that," King Tacos said. "Now, it's getting a little late. Why don't we discuss the plan during dinner? I'm sure the señorita over there is hungry. Join me and we can look over the rescue preparations."

All of the other-worldly adventurers' stomachs growled at the same time, as if accepting the invitation. The king couldn't help but give one hearty laugh before ordering the servants to prepare a feast. Not long after that, several maids came into the room carrying trays filled with different kinds of food.

"I won't be able to provide you with any manpower, but I can give you tools and weapons if you need them," King Tacos said as he picked up a corn-on-the-cob covered in spicy powder. "Anything I can provide, let me know."

"In that case, I would like to see if you have any materials used to make armor or weapons. Some expensive accessories, as well," Naofumi answered while he grabbed a burrito and put it on his plate. "Travelers with valuable goods are the perfect bait for bandits."

"Looks like you've had experience with bandits before," the king said, eyeing the hero's armor.

"I am not a bandit!"

"Even if he acts like a villain sometimes," Rahptalia commented before taking a spoonful of red soup. "This is hot!"

"This is a special menudo. The king loves his spices so we make this one hotter than usual," one of the female servants explained.

"I see. It tastes so different than the food we're used to."

"I think it's all yummy!" Filo happily ate anything that was within arm's reach.

"Glad you like it, chamaca. Ñahahahaha!"

"Can you tell me more about the bandit chief? You mentioned he was a captain in the army," Naofumi asked. "I will imagine he is strong. What can I expect?"

"His name is Pozole," King Tacos sighed. "He used to be a powerful wrestler that later signed up. He was strong enough to quickly rise some ranks. After a brief skirmish with some pirates that invaded, he left and formed the Cactus Bandits I suspect that had something to do with his betrayal. Parka was already a known criminal, so they joined forces. Pozole is even stronger than Parka, so be careful with him."

"You think these pirates made Pozole betray you?"

"That's what things point to. He has always been obsessed with power, so that's why it made sense. Many pirates are very strong. Maybe they offered him something to make him stronger. Kidnapping my daughter is probably just a way to keep me from interfering with his group."

"I see… A wrestler, huh? Sounds like he's pretty good in hand-to-hand combat," the shielder theorized.

"He is undefeated when it comes to wrestling matches, but I'm worried he has more up his sleeve now that he's been dealing with pirates. I suggest you be extra careful, muchacho," the king warned.

"What about their hideout? Where can I usually find them?"

"West from here is Macarena Desert," King Tacos answered as he drew a map of the island and pointed to the western edge. "Across the desert you'll find the western coast. Their base is located in a cove somewhere on those beaches."

"That looks pretty far…"

"We will provide means of transportation."

"Good," Naofumi nodded. Already he was formulating a plan to infiltrate the place. "Are there any other people I should watch out for?"

"Not according to the information we have about the bandits," the king answered, "but since they have been dealing with pirates, I would watch out for any pirate ships."

"Understood." The shielder put his hand on his chin as he considered some things. Finally, he spoke again. "Do you have an old carriage we could borrow? The easier it is to transport the goods, the more attractive the bandits will find us. If Parka was the second strongest among them, then we can easily take them on. We will lure the bandits to us and extract the information we need from them."

"Sounds like a solid plan, muchacho," The king said with an impressed tone. "You seem to have a good head on your shoulders."

"Mr. Naofumi is very good when it comes to strategy," Rahptalia added with pride in her voice. This caused the hero in question to blush a little.

"Now that we know how you kids will proceed, we can enjoy the rest of the feast," King Tacos said as he grabbed a plate filled with his namesake. "I'll provide rooms for you to rest after dinner. As much as I want my daughter back safely, it would be foolish to send you tonight when you're that tired."

"I appreciate it, king," Naofumi said with a tired smile. "It has been a pretty long day."

With their plan ready, the group finished their dinner. After being led to their room, which was quite large and had several beds, they decided to sleep pretty much instantly. They had fought a Wave, fought L'Arc and his group, got transported to another world, had to swim to the island, walk to civilization, fought some thugs, and discussed a rescue plan with the king. Yeah, exhausted didn't begin to describe them.

None of them stood watch that night, so when Naofumi woke up in the same room they fell asleep in, and with none of their belongings missing, he breathed in relief. Despite the open arms with which the king welcomed them, the hero couldn't help but feel paranoid. He cursed Bitch for his trust issues, but quickly focused on his companions.

Raphtalia and Filo were still asleep on their beds. This brought a small smile to his face. They had fought just as hard, if not harder, than he had so he figured he'd let them sleep a while longer. In the meantime, he'd go prepare the things that they would take to rescue the princess. Surprising his friends with some breakfast on bed would be a nice touch too, he figured.

He got up and stretched. Despite his worries, his sleep had been very restful and he felt great. He got out of the room and decided to fetch some food for his party. They would need the energy today. Just outside his room, a maid greeted him. Being offered breakfast, the hero accepted and went back to the room. Not long after, Raphtalia stirred and woke up.

"Good morning, Mr. Naofumi."

"Good morning, Raphtalia."

"Filo is still sound asleep," the raccoon girl noted. "It's rare seeing her like that."

"Yeah, but she also did so much yesterday," Naofumi said. "She spent a lot of time swimming during the battle of the wave, and also swam us back to land when we entered this world, not to mention all the fighting we did. Let's let her sleep for a while longer. I'm sure we'll be busy today."

"You can be really kind when you want, Mr. Naofumi."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing."

Before the hero could push the matter any further, a knock on the door brought their attention. A maid carefully peeked her head. "Master Naofumi? I brought breakfast, as you requested."

"'Master?'" Raphtalia quoted as she glared at Naofumi with jealousy.

"Just honorifics," he explained. "Thank you. We'll eat in the room. You can tell the king we'll meet him after we eat."

"Understood," the maid vowed. "He will be waiting at the courtyard while he prepares the stuff you asked for. I'll lead you there when you finish eating."

"Thank you."

"Is there food?" Filo's sleepy form rose at the scent of food. "Good morning, master. Good morning, big sis."

"Good morning, Filo," they both answered.

Their breakfast consisted of fried eggs and a side of beans mounted on a tortilla and bathed in a special sauce made with tomatoes. Coffee and horchata water, accompanied them on adobe pots. Dessert consisted of toast with an assortment of jellies.

"Fuah! That was yummy!" Filo said with her usual energy.

Once they finished eating, the maid took them to the palace's courtyard. The king and some soldiers were there, preparing a wagon with some empty barrels and a crate filled with some shiny trinkets and several pieces of jewelry. To add some flair, a few crafting tools were thrown in. The front of the wagon had a seat just big enough for three people to sit. Attached to its front, was a donkey-looking animal. It looked smaller than a usual donkey, but compensated with longer legs.

"Good morning, muchacho, señorita, chamaca," King Tacos greeted. "I went ahead and prepared a wagon for you. I rather liked your idea of luring the bandits to you, it was very ingenious. Given, of course, that you lot can handle yourself in battle?" He threw one last questioning glance.

"Don't worry, we have quite a bit of experience in battle."

"Good to know," the king nodded. "Very few things here have any real value, so don't worry about returning them. But I figure the wagon will be useful to bring my daughter back. The desert can be tough to traverse."

"This will be perfect," Naofumi confidently said while absentmindedly petting the donkey, who neighed in content. "I appreciate the thought."

"Anything I can do to have my daughter back."

"Leave it to us," Raphtalia confidently said. "We'll bring her back safe and sound."

"One thing, thought. What's with this donkey?" Naofumi asked while still petting the creature. "It looks too small to carry that wagon with the stuff and us."

"Ah, this is a sand donkey," a soldier explained. "They are actually quite strong and won't have any trouble taking you through the desert. They are quite valued by the merchants and travelers of this country."

"Is that so?" Naofumi kept petting the donkey, which didn't hide its happiness. He thought what Filo would look like with donkey ears as she pulled a cart.

"Mr. Naofumi, please don't think of creepy things…" Raphtalia said. She had a knack of knowing exactly what Naofumi thought at times.

"Filo is not a donkey!" Filo could read him very well at times, too.

"Fine," he sighed.

After double checking their wagon and the shiny bait, the shielder, demihuman, and angel sat on the wagon and left for the desert. They confirmed first-hand how strong the little donkey was. It pranced as if it weren't pulling anything.

A few minutes later they were in the desert. Pulling out a map and confirming their route, they headed west towards the coast. According to King Tacos, they would find a road near the coast where bandits liked to ambush travelers. That road was their current destination.

"I'm jealous…" Filo pouted and threw the donkey a dirty look. The donkey looked at her and grinned triumphantly. "I wanna pull the wagon!"

"I know you want to, but I'm counting on you to surprise the bandits and disrupt their attack," Naofumi explained, "so that's why you have to stay in human form."

"Okay..." Filo replied dejectedly.

Some time later, the air started feeling less dry, and a few minutes later, the ocean was visible in the distance. The road that the king mentioned was also visible. Naofumi scanned the area for any potential ambush locations. Sure enough, the road passed by a small gorge where carriages could be easily attacked from above. They had made sure to make the shiny objects visible, so if anyone had seen them from a distance, they'd know they were carrying valuables. If bandits were targeting travelers, they made sure to be as juicy a target as possible.

"Alright, we're gonna slow down and head to that gorge over there," Naofumi said. "Stay alert. The moment you see bandits, take them out and capture them. We need to extract information from them, so try not to kill them."

"Yes, sir."

"Okaaay!"

The wagon slowly approached the gorge. The party stood alert, ready to react at the slightest sign of an attack. Even the donkey pulling the wagon looked nervous as they approached the gorge. They kept going until the exit was on sight, but it was at this point that the bait finally worked. Six men jumped from above, surrounding the wagon with three men in front and three behind. All of them were armed with daggers and swords.

"Well, lookie here. A charming family with even more charming merchandise," one of the men said with a sneer.

"You folks should be careful. There're bandits around here," another mocked.

"Why don't we help you guys out? We'll take all your valuables so you don't have to be attacked," a third one said. The rest of the ambushers laughed.

"Are you the Cactus Bandits I've heard so much about?" Naofumi asked.

"And what if we are?"

"You will lead us to your hideout," the hero declared. The response was more laughter from the men. "Raphtalia! Filo! Shield Prison!"

"What the hell?!" The laughter died when a spherical prison made of shields and chains enveloped the three men covering the back. The interdimensional party jumped to action. Raphtalia sliced the guy on the right with her sword, Filo slashed the one on the left with a magic claw, and Naofumi punched the one in the middle as hard as he could. The crunching sound under his fist was morbidly satisfying. Satisfaction only grew when he followed by a devastating shield bash.

Man, it felt good to deal direct damage!

"Mr. Naofumi, you're making a scary face. I hope you're not enjoying this too much." As always, Raphtalia read him like a book.

The three bandits were taken out without any trouble. Naofumi grabbed one by the shirt and dragged him to the back of the wagon, where the other three bandits were imprisoned. Once Naofumi deactivated Shield Prison, he made sure that the trapped men saw their companion's beaten face. Their squeals of terror told him his intimidation tactic worked.

"I'll repeat what I said," he said with a very authoritative voice. "You will lead us to your hideout and you will tell us everything we want to know. If you lie to us or lead us to a trap, I'll kill you and feed you to my shield." The shield transformed into the Black Dog Shield, and the two dog heads and their shining red eyes backed the shielder's threat.

"Please! Don't kill us! We'll tell you everything!" They begged.

"Good choice," Naofumi gave them an evil smirk and his shield transformed back to his normal small shield. "Now drop your weapons and strip. I'll be taking your stuff. And lead the way."

"Hey, what are you even saying?" one of the bandits asked.

"Was I not clear?" The shield transformed into the Black Dog Shield again. More terrified squeals and obedience from the now-victims was his answer. "Good. Now move."

"You really enjoy intimidating people, don't you?" Raphtalia said with mild disappointment.

And so three whimpering men in their underwear lead a trio of interdimensional fighters to a cove by the coast. According to their information, the group was only 18 members strong and they were all pretty much average thugs. The reason they were so successful was because of Pozole and Parka, the true powerhouses of the bunch. Parka had already been defeated, but if these guys were to be believed, Pozole was the strongest member; and he was even stronger now that they got a Devil Fruit from a group of pirates, whatever that was.

"There it is! The boss is in that cave over there," the bandits said. "He likes to stay there and drink while we go out and work. All the treasure we've stolen is there as well. Please believe us!"

"Very well," Naofumi replied. "Just know that I have ways to track you down. You better not have lied to me. And if I ever see you stealing from people again, I will personally cut you into strips of flesh and feed you to my shield."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!"

"Now go. I don't want to see your faces any longer."

The semi-naked men wasted no time in bolting out of there and escaping the madman of the demonic shield. The party, however, got closer on the wagon before getting off and walking the rest of the way.

"Be on your toes," the hero said to his companions. "We're entering enemy territory. Remember we don't have to win, we just have to take the princess and escape. If things get dangerous, you two focus on getting the princess and escaping. I'll buy you time." His companions nodded.

They approached a big cave by the side of the cliff. The cave was spacious enough to house a big group of people. The sea made its way into the cave making a pool in the middle. The ground around it was high enough to stay dry, however. As they approached, strange beastly growls were heard, as well as the sound of someone grunting, then loud thuds.

Peeking inside, Naofumi was able to see what the place was like. Near the entrance were several chests and crates with treasure and other miscellaneous, no doubt the stolen goods and other supplies. In the farthest end of the cove, right next to the wall, were three cages lined up. The left cage held a woman with light brown skin wearing a very colorful dress, though it seemed to have seen better days. She wore a big black hat with what looked like candles decorating the brim. Her long black hair was tied in two braids that went to her front. Her intense gray eyes oozed with hate at her current situation, accentuated by several bruises throughout her visible skin. She must've been the captive princess.

The cage next to hers was empty, but the cage on the right showed the source of the growling noises: a beaten-up interdimensional fishman creature that attacked during the Wave back in Cal Mira. Naofumi briefly wondered if this world was their world of origin or if it had just been sucked into this world like his party was. His musing didn't last long as a massive fist punched the beast in the face a few times before it went limp and silent.

"I told you to be quiet" The fist belonged to a massive man wearing red shorts and a darker red tank top that looked more painted on than worn. He had a long golden cape and his face was covered by a wrestler mask with coyote motifs. The guy was huge, around three meters tall. His abdomen, torso and arms were bulky with bulging muscles. His head and legs, however, looked too small on that body. "The only reason I don't kill you is because Captain Blast said he wanted you alive. Filthy fishman."

"You really are a brute, Pozole. It won't be long before someone takes you out. I don't need any items to see that," the princess said while standing inside her cage.

"Ahahahahaha! I'd like to see them try. Besides, I know you like what you see," Pozole replied while flexing his oversized muscles.

"Pendejo."

This angered Pozole, who struck the princess with his foot between the bars. She fell, but wasted no time to stand back up again defiantly.

"Why don't you be a good little princess and stay on the floor?"

"I would rather die standing than live while kneeling," she calmly responded.

"Tch. You're as stubborn as you old man. Stupid woman." Pozole was about to kick her again when he screamed in pain. His chest now sported a long slash wound and blood was freely oozing from it. "What the hell?!"

A flapping noise got his attention and he turned, only for his face to meet a speeding bird leg that kicked him with such force that we went flying, crashing into the empty cage and completely destroying it.

"Are you ok?" Raphtalia asked the princess as her invisibility spell dissipated. "We're here to rescue you."

"This guy is tough!" Filo, now in her powerful filolial form, said while landing beside her older sister figure.

"Graaaaah!" Pozole emerged from the cage's wreckage. Despite the bloody wounds on his face and chest, he didn't look too hurt. His face was twisted in anger, though. Without missing a beat, he shot himself, with surprising speed for someone his size, towards Filo and Raphtalia. However, just before his fist could crush the demihuman's skull, Naofumi jumped before her brandishing his new shield: the Whale Magic Core Shield. This shield's special effect was a heat ray counter that activated the moment Pozole's attack connected. He screamed in more pain as his entire arm was burnt.

"Who the hell are you?" the wrestler asked as he jumped back and made some distance, gauging his opponents.

"Why should I answer you?" Naofumi challenged with a mocking grin. "All you need to know is that I have a better use for the princess than a mere hostage."

"You bastards!" Pozole yelled. "An invisible girl, a talking bird, and a beam-shooting shield… I see you're all devil fruit users."

"What?"

"Heh!" the wrestler's scowl quickly turned to a victorious smirk. "You're not the only ones with abilities."

"Raphtalia. Filo. Be careful," Naofumi warned. "He's up to something."

Indeed, Pozole's brown skin changed to a vivid green. His thick arms grew even thicker and spines began popping all over his body, the ones on his forearms being the most prominent. Finally, a small pink flower popped up on his head.

"How do you like that?" Pozole boasted. "I just got my hands on a devil fruit. Specifically, I ate the Kaku kaku no mi (Cact cact fruit) and now I'm a cactus man.

"Is this some kind of transformation magic?!" Naofumi asked in surprise.

"Pozole Olé!" The wrestler shot at Naofumi in a lariat with impressive speed. He attempted to block with his shield, but Pozole proved smarter than he gave him credit for. In a swift motion, he used his non-attacking arm to force the shield away just before striking the hero with devastating force. Despite his impressive durability, Naofumi felt an intense wave of pain travel his body, made especially worse due to the added damage of the needles all over the villain's arm. The sheer force made Naofumi spin a couple of times in the air before landing hard on the ground.

"Master!" Enraged, Filo went to attack with her black metal claws. The bandit chief braced for impact and managed to tank one of Filo's kicks, then spun her and grabbed her in a bear hug. Moments later, be bent backwards and suplexed the filolial hard.

Raphtalia attempted to attack while he was distracted, but Pozole managed to right himself just in time to intercept the demihuman mid-leap. His gigantic hand wrapped its finger around her neck, and with no effort at all held her over the pool of water in the center of the cove.

"This is the end of the line for you," he threatened. "If you don't back off right now, I'll throw your little companion to the sea."

What? Naofumi barely managed to suppress his confusion. Did he assume Raphtalia couldn't swim for some reason? Or was he planning something? Either way, Naofumi grit his teeth and stood on guard, ready to react at the slightest movement.

"On the other hand…" Pozole let go of Raphtalia, taking great satisfaction in seeing the splash. He laughed and turned his attention to Filo and Noaufmi. "Pozole Ajua!"

This time he rapidly swung his arms in a circular motion, as if he were throwing a tantrum. But as silly as it looked, the attack came in the form and many cactus needles launched from his flailing arms.

"Shooting Star Shield!" Naofumi yelled. A spherical barrier formed around him, enveloping Filo and the princess with it. The needles bounced off the barrier harmlessly, which irritated the chief.

"Pozole Olé!" Pozole once again shot himself to attack with his lariat. Noafumi, however, was ready for him this time.

"Air Strike Shield!" A green floating shield appeared before him. The attacking bandit slammed hard into it, caught completely off guard.

"What the hell is this?!"

"All Zweitte Aura!" Naofumi followed. A green aura surrounded him and Filo, who launched herself to attack once again. Thanks to the aura, she moved much faster. The bandit didn't react on time to brace himself from the powerful kick, made even more powerful thanks to the aura that utterly smashed his abdomen. And just to cement his loss, the raccoon girl somehow hadn't drowned and instead burst out of the water and made a series of slashes that not even his needle-covered body could defend against.

Pozole falling face-first on the ground signaled the end of the battle.

"Just who are you guys?" Princess Adelita asked from her cage after witnessing the fight.

"The king sent us to get you," Naofumi answered. He made his way to the cage and started fumbling with the lock for a moment, before getting a pin and unlocking it. "There, you can come out now."

"I thank you, brave warriors, for your rescue. Let us return to the palace," the princess said with genuine gratitude.

"Yeah, we'll go as soon as we tie this guy up and I help myself with the stolen goods," Noafumi said as he went through the pile of treasure that was by the entrance, picking whatever he found useful or valuable and taking it back to the wagon.

"Are you...are you for real?" Adelita was speechless at the shielder's antics.

"All this was stolen anyway. What's the problem with me taking some things?"

"Please excuse Mr. Naofumi," Raphtalia said with a disappointed tone. "He still has issues he needs to work on."

"Hey, I heard that."

They finished packing up whatever they found useful and tied the defeated wrestler up, attaching his rope to the wagon. They would have to drag him through the desert since there was no more space on the wagon.

"Master! I wanna pull the wagon this time!" Filo asked with excitement. Naofumi found no reason not to let her.

And so they made their way back. Naofumi, Raphtalia, and Adelita took the seat while Filo pulled. The little donkey that had brought them was riding Filo. The poor thing looked rather frightened, but the filolial paid it no mind. The party decided to pass the time with some chat.

"I would like to thank you for rescuing me," Adelita said with a smile. A smile that faltered when she saw all the loot on the wagon. "Despite your greedy nature… Anyways, I would like to formally introduce myself. I am Adelita, daughter of King Tacos and princess to the kingdom of Shihano. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I am Raphtalia," the raccoon girl said. "And this is Mr. Naofumi. The bird pulling the wagon is our filolial, Filo."

"Nice to meet you, hat lady!" Filo greeted.

"So you're adventurers that father hired to save me?" the princess asked.

"Something like that," Naofumi answered. "To be honest, we kinda just got roped into it. But they promised a reward so we accepted."

"Mr. Naofumi! You're making it look like we just did it for money!"

"You're a real piece of work, aren't you?" Adelita rhetorically asked, completely unimpressed. "Still, I'm safe thanks to you. I'll make sure your reward is worth the trouble."

"Master, I can see the city. We're almost there!"

"Good job, Filo! Keep it up!"

They arrived at the palace in the afternoon, where a squad of soldiers were ready to receive them. They parked the wagon and took Pozole into custody. With that taken care of, the party went into the palace, where King Tacos anxiously awaited them.

"Mija!" the king made no effort to hide his excitement. He ran towards his daughter and held the princess in a big hug. "I'm so glad you're back safely."

"Likewise, father," she tenderly replied, enjoying the embrace. "I never thought I'd be so happy to be back at the palace."

Naofumi watched the scene uninterested, while Raphtalia had a glad smile on her face. Filo...Filo was distracted looking at birds through the window.

"Amazing work, muchacho!" the old man congratulated the shielder after he broke the hug with his daughter. "I knew I could count on you."

"Why are you talking as if you knew me?" Naofumi was annoyed for some reason.

"Ñahahahahaha! It's those eyes. They are the eyes of a hard worker and someone that keeps their promise." The king didn't seem bothered by the guy's rude comment. "And speaking of promises, you have earned a royal favor, as agreed. Is there something you have in mind?"

"There is, actually," Naofumi answered. He briefly debated if telling his situation to the king would be a good idea, but figured he had nothing to lose and much to gain. "I'll be honest with you. My friends and I are not from around here. We arrived at this land by accident. We need to find a way back to our...home. The problem is, we are completely lost and don't even know where to start looking."

"I see…" King Tacos stroked his chin as he pondered for a few moments. "We can ask Madame Guadalupe for help. She's a fortune teller, but she's not very popular because her predictions are often hard to understand."

"A fortune teller? That's...convenient."

"Keep in mind her predictions are difficult to understand," the king reminded. "She may not make any sense to you or you might understand immediately. I suggest not to get your hopes too high. Besides, our country is famous for other things! Why don't you take some time to know our city?"

"I'll happily guide you through town," Adelita offered with a smile.

Both Raphtalia and Filo looked at Naofumi with excited, expecting eyes. He sighed and accepted the invitation. "Fine, we can take the rest of the day off, but only after we've visited this fortune teller."

And so they walked to town, guided by the princess. Judging by the friendly waves from the citizens, she was liked quite a lot. She led them through a plaza, where the aroma of food made their stomachs grumble. A few stops at several stands and different snacks later, the group went to the edge of the city, where a vast graveyard was located. Despite the nature of the place, most of the people visiting were overall in a happy mood.

The place was littered with many altars with several offerings on them. People visiting the altars were for the most part sporting smiles, some happy, some wistful. Naofumi couldn't help but think back on his own country's tradition of remembering the deceased, only here people seem to focus on the happy memories.

"We worship the dead here," Princess Adelita began explaining. "Seeing people die is always sad, but we make it a point to not mourn the dead forever. Instead, we celebrate the happy memories and strive to live to the fullest in honor of those that are no longer with us."

"So that's why you call it the Kingdom of the Dead…" Raphtalia mused, a neutral expression on her face. "I can understand your philosophy."

"Yes," Adelita acknowledged. "Not many countries understand our point of view, but we accept that. Those people that do, however, like to visit regularly. Even one of the Four Emperors, Kaido, likes to pay visits from time to time. Tourism is a big part of our economy, complementing our many exports. I'm sure you've tried our famous tequila."

"Say…" Raphtalia shyly began. "Princess, what do you personally feel about seeing your loved ones die?"

"Raphtalia…" Naofumi was at a loss on what to do. He remembered how much his demihuman companion had suffered. It was a big inspiration for her to dedicate herself to fighting and prevent as much suffering as she could. The hero couldn't help but feel his pride swell at her determination.

"Do not misunderstand," Adelita said with a solemn tone. "Sadness is a natural part of losing someone. Death is tragic. But isn't it more tragic to live the rest of your life in sadness? It's ok to mourn your loss, but don't let sadness keep you from doing the rest of your life."

"You sound like you've experienced this," Naofumi noted.

"Yes, that is my role in this country," the princess said. "Accepting death is not easy. Sometimes, people need a little help. That's where I come in."

"How can you possibly help people with that?" the hero asked incredulously. "Are you some sort of therapist?"

"You could say that," she replied with a cryptic smile. "As a way to thank you for rescuing me, I'll show you."

The trio looked with curiosity as the princess touched Raphtalia's forehead and closed her eyes to concentrate. The candles on her hat lit up, but the normal orange fire turned black for a few moments, then the black turned to a ghostly blue. Seconds later, Adelita's body burst into blue flames, eliciting concerned and surprised reaction from the trio. Her body burned only for a couple of seconds before the flames died down.

Raphtalia's eyes teared up and her hand went to cover her mouth in complete disbelief.

"Hey, Raphtalia-chan!" Instead of the princess speaking, now stood a completely different girl. She looked much younger and shorter. Gone were the intense gray eyes, they were gentle red now. Instead of the colorful dress and hat, the new girl sported only a simple pink sundress. Her long black hair was replaced with shorter, light pink hair, adorned with cute weasel ears. Her face showed a happy smile with a tint of sadness.

For her part, Raphtalia could do little more than take a tentative step and reach out to the owner of the voice. "Ri...Ri...Rifana-chan?"

A/N: Second chapter done! I just love how over-the-top Oda can go with his characters, and I gotta say coming up with some of them was really fun.

I'm sorry for leaving the chapter there, but I wanted to end on a high note. For those of you anxious to see the Strawhats, next chapter for sure! Please be patient. Enjoy!