I'm sorry that this chapter is very short. I thought we should take a break from those guys, I forget their names, to check on Nami, but I was lost for ideas.

Nami sighed and adjusted her position in the throne yet again. "Just what am I supposed to do here?" she snapped. "The only people that have come in are my crew and that weirdo Outlook from Goa. Aren't there any other duties as a monarch? I'm bored to death here."

"Of course there are many, Princess," John said, looking down at her from the left. "However, our kingdom is thankfully in a time of peace—relatively, anyway, considering that Erika has been missing for years."

"We are not at war," Larry clarified, looking up at her from the right. "Our current relations with neighboring countries are good, and there has been very little unrest in our nation as a whole for the past few years."

"Look, it's nice that you're all happy and friendly," Nami said, adjusting the silver tiara on her head. "And I'm not saying that I want a war or anything, but honestly, I can't just be sitting on this throne all day."

"As a princess—one below the status of king and queen—not much is normally expected of you," John said patiently. "Even with you as the acting monarch, the king and/or queen's official signature must be put onto important documents; your signature alone would not suffice. If any neighboring countries have the need to discuss political matters, you'll be there do so, but in the meantime—"

"—I sit here and do nothing," Nami completed. "I don't know, aren't there any books around here? Maybe some maps to study?"

"Princesses don't study maps!" Larry exclaimed.

"I'm not a princess, am I?" Nami retorted.

"Even so, my lady . . ." John mumbled.

"Fine," Nami snapped. She stood. "I'm going to go into town."

She began to head for the door, but Larry and John moved to stand in her way.

"Please, my lady, stay inside!" Larry beseeched.

"The last time you went into town, you were kidnapped!" John cried.

"Are you two delusional!?" Nami yelled. "That wasn't me!"

"Oh, right," Larry muttered. "At any rate, you should stay indoors—"

Nami shoved past them and went for the exit. "You two can come if you like, but I'm going into town."

Larry and John frantically hurried after her.

"It's wonderful to see you've returned, Princess Erika!"

"Princess Erika, how are you?"

"Good morning, my lady!"

"Are the king and queen well?"

Questions and well-wishes such as these were directed at Nami nearly everywhere she went. She awkwardly answered them with goods and they'll recovers and thanks while avoiding their gazes.

"Would you like to return to the palace, my lady?" John offered hopefully.

"No thank you," she said. "It's a beautiful day and I'm not going to spend all of it indoors!"

They reached an open market, where a large group of people milled around, examining the various stalls and goods.

At some point, Nami lost Larry and John in the crowd. She shrugged this off and continued on her own, stopping occasionally to look at what someone was offering.

The crowd thinned out and Nami headed down a deserted street, thinking that she would make her way to the harbor to see if her crew had returned.

"Well, well," said a nasty-sounding voice. "Little girlie, all alone!"

Nami whipped around to see two rather ugly men step out of a side alley, leering at her.

"What do you want?" she said with a scowl.

"What do you want?" one of the men mocked. "Aw, look, she's got a little tiara! Playing princess, are we?"

"You're a nice catch, girlie," said the other man. "Whaddya think? Should we take her?"

"Yeah," giggled the first man. "Today's your lucky day, girlie! You get to be my wife!"

"Hey, she's gonna be my wife!" protested the other.

"We'll share her!" said the first. He reached out for Nami with grubby hands; she backed away and quickly reached inside her dress, pulling out the pieces of her baton, which she snapped together and swung at their heads. She hit the one on the right, pushing him into the one on the left and knocking both out with a satisfying hollow CLONK.

"My lady!" yelled John, hurrying to her.

"I saw those two men harassing you!" yelled Larry, coming after John. "Get away from her, you brutish—"

They stopped when they saw the unconscious thugs on the street.

"Oh," said John.

Nami took apart her baton and stashed it back inside her dress. "You know what, I've had my fill of the town," she said calmly. "I think I'd like to head back to the palace now."