AN:

First chapter of Little Garden! I had a lot of fun writing this one but it took a bit to get everything the way I wanted. I appreciate you guys waiting for me,).

Not much to say about this chapter but I hope you all enjoy it and, as always, feel free to let me know what you think.

Chapter 52: Not So Little Garden

"Come on, Usopp!", Luffy exclaimed joyously, "Let's go exploring!". He dropped the wet ropes wrapped around his arms to the wood at his feet just as the anchor touched down into the water and waved his friend in his direction, "This place looks awesome!".

Usopp groaned in exasperation but couldn't help the smile that took over his face, unable to stop the small bit of excitement seeping into him, "Right behind ya, Luffy.".

Zoro sighed deeply before a grin rose to his lips, eyes drinking in the shadowed shapes he could see speeding through the forest. He didn't know what was out there waiting for him but he hoped it put up a good fight. He turned to the blond standing beside him and nodded to the coast, "Whoever brings back the least has to do laundry for the next two weeks?".

Sanji smirked at the words and his foot began to tap into the wood of the ship, a competitive edge entering his voice, "You're on.". The two looked at each other for a moment before sprinting toward the same rail Luffy and Usopp had exited over and following in their footsteps.

"Alright, Ladies.", Nami said just as the two leapt over the side of the ship. Karoo sent her an irritated quack and she giggled lightly, "And you, Karoo.". She waved them over and turned to face the island with curiosity in her gaze, "Let's go get a good look at this place.". She couldn't draw a map if she didn't at least get somewhat familiar with it.

Ms. Sun raised her hand to grab the girl's attention, "If you don't mind, Nami, I think I'd rather stay on the sh-".

"Sorry, Ms. Sun. But there's no way I'm letting you miss out on our little girl's trip.", the orangette responded before she could finish, making her way behind and coaxing the woman forward by the shoulders, "Come on! Have a sense of adventure!".

Vivi scoffed as she came to stand beside the other two, Karoo stopping at her side, "What? Is the big bad bounty hunter scared?".

"Yes.", Ms. Sun immediately replied, "As I said before… This place is dangerous.".

The blue-haired girl looked at her with a good bit of skepticism before turning away and getting another look at the 'dangerous' island. It looked like any other island to her… Besides the massive fauna… A large shadow moving through the forest caught her eyes and she unconsciously took a small step back… Whatever it belonged to… It was big… Ok, so maybe this place wasn't safe per se…

The black-haired woman sent the princess a knowing look, having caught a glimpse of the shadow as well. "Still don't believe me?", she asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah. We believe you.", Nami interjected, pushing her to Merry's side railing and leaning over it. "Hey, Nala! Levi!", she shouted down to the water below, "You guys mind giving us a ride over?". A deep rumble and a higher-pitched purr sounded from the two creatures and she sent them both a smile as they swam in her direction, "Thanks, guys!". She turned back to Ms. Sun, a look of not quite fear but something of the like on her face, and sighed, eyes dropping to her bound wrists.

The orangette looked back up and her brown orbs met a pair of large blue ones, a groan sounding into the air when she broke eye contact to stare up at the clouds. This was probably a bad idea… She brought her gaze back down and her groan turned into another sigh. "Would you feel better if I let you out of those?", she asked carefully, pointing at her bound wrists. It wasn't necessarily that she trusted the woman but… Honestly, she didn't really know. She just plain liked her and was starting to feel a little bad about the ropes…

Ms. Sun was shocked by the words, her eyes wide with bewilderment. Was she going to free her?… She shook her momentary paralysis away held her hands up, "I think that would make me feel much safer.".

"You can't be serious, Nami!", Vivi yelled while looking at the orange-haired girl incredulously, "She's our enemy!".

Nami sent a perturbed eye her way and stopped the princess in her tracks, "She's YOUR enemy, Vivi.". A gasp came from the girl's mouth and she stepped back almost as if struck by the words, the orangette sending her a thin-lipped smile, "And we know you just as well as we know her.". Well… They knew whatever she'd told them… Which, honestly, hadn't been a lot… But still… She turned back to Ms. Sun and sent her a wink, making to untie her hands, "As far as you know, we might end up wanting to help our new friend… We're pirates after all.".

The navigator groaned at the girl's stiffness. They'd been traveling together coming on two weeks now... "I'm kidding, Vivi. Lighten up a little.", she poked at the now pouting girl.

Vivi tried her best to hide the blush rising to her cheeks. "I still don't like it.", she argued weakly, already knowing there was no stopping her at this point.

"Well, it's not really your choice. It's mine.", Nami reasoned, slipping her fingers into the tight knots keeping Ms. Sun's hands tied, "Well... It's really Luffy's but he's not here right now.". She felt the rope loosen in her grasp but didn't let the woman's hands go, meeting her large blue orbs once again as she held them tightly in her own, "… I'm trusting you here, Ms. Sun… Don't make me regret it.".

At the nod of the bounty hunter's head, the orangette pulled her hands away and threw the rope up to the front deck while the shocked Ms. Sun rubbed at her wrists, seemingly still a little stunned, "Try anything sneaky and I have a feeling Luffy'll have something to say about it.". She looked over her shoulder as she turned back toward the railing and saw the knowing look in the woman's eyes, "And, as you seem to know, you probably won't like how that turns out.".

"Come on, Usopp! Hurry up!", Luffy shouted over his shoulder, his soaking form stepping onto the coast as he turned to take another excited look at the large trees in front of him.

The long-nosed teen groaned through his arm strokes. How the hell had he made it there already?! "I'm going as fast as I can, Luffy!", he yelled in return, trying his hardest to increase his speed so he wasn't left behind.

The pirate captain waited for his friend patiently and it only took another few moments for Usopp to step up next to him, his breaths coming out fast and short. He slapped the other boy on his wet back and was almost immediately on the move again, "Come on! We've got an island to explore!".

"W- Wait, Luffy.", the sniper groaned through his gasps for air, "Just lemme get a quic-". His words caught in his throat when the sand at his captain's feet cratered underneath his sandals and he yelped, crashing into the beach from the small shockwave that rolled over him. He lay face down for a moment before turning and slowly sitting up, breaths still ragged as he looked up at Luffy's form getting further and further away from him.

Another groan left him and Usopp made to stand while trying to get a beat on where the other boy was headed… It was gonna be a long day.

Luffy smiled widely at the wind ripping at his clothing and skin, eyes searching the treetops for anything of interest. His sandaled foot shot out behind and sent him even further inland, eyes turning to stars while he took it all in. This place was awesome! Everything was huge! The trees, the flowers, the mountains! There was even a volcano! He was definitely going to see what that was about at some point.

The pirate captain's body flipped forward until his eyes faced the sky and his leg shot out again, redirecting him upward. He wanted to get a better look at the place. When he reached his apex and stilled for a moment he looked down, searching for the most interesting thing he could find. Just as he began to fall again, he saw a herd of massive beasts with absurdly long necks and couldn't resist pointing himself in their direction. What the heck were those things?!

The teen's form screamed through the air as he fell, a sharp whistling sound accompanying his descent, and he turned to face the ground. With the ever-decreasing distance between them, he suddenly realized what it was he was looking at, a giggle of delight rumbling in his chest. Those things were dinosaurs! He didn't even know they were around anymore!

The comfortable silence consuming the herd of long-necked dinosaurs was suddenly shattered as Luffy's foot shot out just before he would have impacted the dirt, panicked roars leaving the animals as they scattered toward the surrounding forest. He landed softly in the crater below him before immediately taking off after one of the large beasts, his smile growing more joyous the closer he got, "Hey! Don't run away! I just wanna say hi!".

The boy's rapid bounds left cracks in a trail behind him and he easily caught up to the dinosaur he had his eyes on, pupils once again turning to stars before he leapt from the earth with his arms open wide. His flying form impacted the side of the animal's long neck and it recoiled from the momentum he carried, just barely managing to stay on its feet before it began to shake wildly. A yelp left his lips when he was almost thrown off and he gripped the thick meat in his arms tighter. It would've helped if he could have gotten his hands all the way around but this thing was huge!

Shadow suddenly consumed the two and Luffy took a moment to look around curiously while simultaneously holding on for dear life. Where the heck had the light gone?… Ice shot down his spine and his eyes widened, head shifting upward to find the source of the darkness. Unnoticed by the bucking dinosaur, was a massive tree trunk screaming down in their direction and he only had moments to enhance his body before it impacted, "WHAT THE HEL-".

A massive boom ripped through the air as the dinosaur's neck shattered underneath the blow and practically folded in on itself, Luffy looking on in shock. He braced himself as the trunk continued its descent and let go of his hold on the animal but it seemed it was already too late. The tree was moving fast… Like someone was swinging it or something… His forearms rose above his head just in time to catch some of the impact but it still sent him screaming into the ground right alongside the dinosaur he'd been so interested in, the hard dirt rupturing beneath their combined weight.

The pirate captain groaned from underneath the massive, likely dead, form of the creature on top of him and had to take a moment before he began to wiggle out… What the hell had just hit them?… He shook his head and focused on escaping, however, just before he would have made it to freedom, the largest hand he'd ever seen wrapped around the animal's limp neck and lifted it into the air like it weighed little more than a rabbit.

What met Luffy's eyes when he followed the dead dino rising into the sky was something he wasn't sure he'd ever get to see and, boy, if he was excited before… He was something even more now.

Usopp scrambled through the jungle with a bit of pep to his step… Maybe more than a little… He'd seen several shadows stalking through the forest in his pursuit of Luffy and he wasn't very keen on meeting their owners… The thought only made his legs move faster.

A loud boom echoed across the tops of the trees, scattering birds of various sizes to the sky, and the long-nosed teen groaned when he realized it'd come from the direction his captain was in. He shook his head and pushed himself to his max speed, form darting through large trunks with a deftness he wasn't honestly aware he had.

After running for a few more minutes, more booms of varying volume sounding along the way, the sniper caught sight of a clearing where he swore he could hear the noises of a fight coming from, a singular thought rolling through his mind. Who had Luffy managed to piss off this time?…

Usopp brushed his concern away, rushing toward an opening in the tree line, and almost immediately slid to a stop before he could make it all the way out, shock taking over his body at the sight that met his vision. That… That was a giant… An actual giant… He somehow managed to pull his eyes away, scanning the area for his friend, and it didn't take long to spot him shooting around the massive figure's head like a buzzing bee. His jaw dropped to the floor as he stared at the two combatants, slowly coming to realize the magnitude of the situation… Luffy was fighting a giant… An actual giant…

The straw-hatted pirate captain shot off to the left before immediately redirecting himself back in the direction of his attacker, the wind from the massive figure's missed blows making it hard to keep moving in the direction he wanted to. However, he managed to dodge all the wild swings of the large tree trunk and his eyes landed on the side of the giant's neck as he summoned his hardening to cover his hands like a pair of gloves.

"Sun Palm:", the straw-hatted pirate captain roared, folding the tips of his fingers inward. He extended his legs as sharply as he could, the friction of his outstretched palms against the air beginning to color his darkened appendages with a soft glow, and blasted off on a direct course for his target. The darkness of his hands dulled the brightness streaking behind him and his form seemed to blur into a thin line of grey light with an even darker point at its front, "Black Meteorite!".

The giant bearded man swiped his makeshift weapon through the sky but it was far too slow, his body jerking to the side from the impact of the smaller form. A boom ripped through the clearing and he stumbled to the side as his skin rippled in a circular wave underneath the weight of the one he was fighting. He grit his teeth and smacked his hand as hard as he could against his neck, scowling when the boy escaped once again. He didn't have time to be taking hits like this. He needed to be ready for his duel, as the call was sure to come soon.

Luffy groaned in irritation while he diced through the sky, dodging left and right to avoid being turned into a paste by the massive tree trunk the giant was swinging. It felt like he wasn't doing very much damage to this guy even with the use of haki. The most he'd seen was some bruising… That attack had been really awesome too!…

The pirate captain brushed the thought away and his legs flipped over his head as he extended them in the opposite direction, just barely keeping himself out of reach of a downward swing… For how big this guy was, he was pretty damn fast… He'd have to figure out something soon, otherwise, he was probably gonna take a pretty nasty hit.

Almost as if he'd spoken the words into existence, chills spread down his spine and the boy turned to the side to find a massive palm shooting in his direction. He desperately kicked out to send himself anywhere else but just before he could fully extend, the breath left his lungs. It felt like his body was momentarily thinner than a piece of paper before he shot off toward the ground like a bullet fired from a human-sized gun.

The earth shattered as Luffy impacted and the massive chunks of rock that were displaced smashed into the forest trees only feet away from where he landed. He thought he heard a scream come from somewhere amongst the cracking of wood but didn't have time to focus on it, ice shooting through him once again. As soon as he turned to face the sky, his vision was consumed by the sole of a giant boot and he paled… That wasn't good.

"LUFFY!", Usopp screamed in desperation, lifting his hand to reach toward his downed captain. He watched helplessly while the massive foot descended with a speed he didn't think possible for something so big, a boom shattering the air as it cratered into the ground. It took a moment for the echo to disappear somewhere in the distance and the area was consumed with silence as he stared unblinkingly at what he thought was his captain's resting place.

The giant looked down at his foot buried in the dirt and couldn't help but think something felt off… Why did it feel like his leg was shaking?… Surely this puny human had died underneath his weight… Right?

Luffy felt something like cracks run through the invisible armor that covered him but continued to push nonetheless. He'd already fought a wolf close to the same size as this guy so he was no stranger to having things try to stomp on him. Still, it took everything he had to push against the massive sole now trying to grind him into the ground. With an animalistic roar, he shoved upward as hard as he could and managed to give himself a window of opportunity, sandals shattering the already broken ground at his feet to push him to freedom.

The giant's foot slammed back into place and the shockwave it created sent the teen flying forward, body rag-dolling as he skid across the earth. He wasted no time in standing to his feet and rushing back into the fray, smiling up at the large scowl of the massive man before him, "You're pretty strong, Mr. Giant!".

"And you've proven yourself to be quite the nuisance, small one.", the large figure replied, gripping his makeshift weapon with both hands. His scowl morphed to match the look of his tiny adversary and he wasted no time in bringing his weapon down with all of the strength in his body.

Luffy dove to the side just as the tree impacted and turned to make his way back in the large man's direction. However, when he'd fully rotated, he wasn't ready for the weapon in his opponent's hand to violently explode from the force with which it was swung, eyes widening when a multitude of pointed brown projectiles consumed his vision. He curled inward to protect his vital spots but grunted when his enhanced body was assaulted with pain, the wood connecting like a shotgun blast and sending him careening back into the dirt.

Usopp's form immediately folded to the ground as he held the top of his head, the wind from what were practically wooden spears passing just over his head as they felled the trees all around him. The creaking of several trunks made him pull his eyes back up and he paled when they all began to fall inward, panicked gaze moving to the opening that led to the clearing… He really didn't want to go out there… Several rough snaps shot through the forest and he immediately began to sprint forward, nature having made his decision for him as trees crashed against the ground at his back.

The long-nosed teen screamed bloody murder at the feeling of displaced dirt rising up just behind his heels and didn't turn back for even a moment. He dove forward at the last second, the final loud boom of the falling trees coming from behind, and skid face first through the dirt. He lay still for a moment before groaning loudly and slowly bringing himself into a sitting position. That had been way too close…

A deep baritone voice brought him back to reality and Usopp looked up to find a pair of massive black eyes staring down at him from under the brim of a large steel helmet, a loud gulp sounding from his throat… Was he about to die?…

"Another small one, eh?", the giant laughed, finding humor at the thought that a second would make any difference in the outcome of this small spat, "Like rats, you lot are.". He smashed his fists together and took a lumbering step forward, wrenching his massive right arm backward.

"Move, Usopp!", Luffy shouted as he launched himself into the air. His form flashed in the direction of his friend just as the giant let his fist fly and he barely made it in time, feet slamming into his wrist to knock it off course just enough to not smash Usopp into the ground. He took no notice of the other boy being blasted to the side and shot off toward the underside of the giant's chin.

Another tingle spread across his skin and the pirate captain looked left in the middle of his flight to find the back of a hand moving quickly in his direction, body rotating so he could push himself out of the way. He shot downward and just barely dodged the attack before immediately shooting back up, streaking through the air like a beam of light. In an instant, he was in range and loading as much strength into his arm as he possibly could, teeth gritting as black spread over his fists once again.

For the first time since the fight began the giant's eyes widened when pain spread through the underside of his jaw, the boy's tiny hand colliding against his tan skin with a massive crack. His hulking figure lifted slightly from the ground, head violently snapping backward as eyes caught the sky. He had to shake away the slight dizziness the blow caused before he caught himself on his back foot, eyes once again shooting around for the boy who seemed to be more worthy of an opponent than he first thought.

Luffy growled at seeing the big guy still standing and went in for a second hit. Just as he shot forward once again, however, the giant grabbed the edge of the massive blue cloak he wore and whipped it in his direction, a hurricane-like gale following the action. He gasped when the breath was knocked out of his lungs, a wall of wind halting his movement and sending him careening in the opposite direction. He flipped wildly as he tried to regain his bearings and just barely had time to curl into himself before crashing straight into the ground.

The giant finished his rotation and watched the small one smash against the dirt, wasting not a moment before using the massive muscles in his legs to leap into the air. He pulled his hands over his head and clasped them in preparation to bring an end to the fight, however, just when he began to fall he was distracted by the loud boom of a volcano in the distance, head swinging in the direction of the noise.

Luffy chose to ignore the eruption and instead rise back to his feet, using the momentary distraction to dash out of his opponent's landing zone. His legs pumped wildly and he just barely made it far enough to escape the blast, watching wide-eyed as cracks ripped through the earth from the weight of the pair of massive hands slamming into it. He leapt over a crack that shot out in front of him and paled when he looked down into complete darkness. If he'd gotten hit by that he wasn't sure he'd still be alive…

The pirate captain shook the thoughts away and turned on his heel to pursue the giant once again. However, he almost immediately halted in place when the huge figure's deep baritone voice sounded into the air, his hand held up as if signaling to stop.

"I'm afraid we must wait to finish our duel, small one.", the hulking figure said, looking off to somewhere in the distance, "I have other, more pressing, matters to attend to at this moment.".

"... What the hell?! Why?!", Luffy groaned in annoyance, arms crossing in front of him in a pout, "We were having so much fun!".

The giant lifted his head to the sky and deep rolling laughter began to fill the clearing. "If you truly wish to know, I will tell you upon my return.", he answered after letting the throaty sounds fade. He sent a large smile at the boy before turning to make his way toward where he knew Brogy would be waiting for him, "For one of your stature, I believe your strength has earned you at least that much.".

Loud booms sounded off in the distance as Zoro tore his way through the forest but he ignored them in favor of continuing his killing spree, Kajiya and Kitetsu flashing out at anything that moved. He hadn't gone hunting for anything that couldn't talk in a while and was enjoying himself, to say the least.

"Nittoryu:", the swordsman growled, skidding to a stop. It also gave him the chance to try some things he hadn't had the chance to yet. He probed the heat of his enhancement and the power flowed down his arm and into the blades he gripped, eyes narrowing on the group of massive gazelles that sat in the clearing in front of him. His toes sunk into the dirt and he launched himself in their direction, "Dancing Lights!".

Zoro's swords struck outward and seemed to hit nothing but air as he arrived in the middle of the group of animals, the skittish creatures already making to escape off into the forest while the shing of his blades chased after them. The noise was odd, like it was the sound of multiple sword swings combined into one, and before any of them could take even a few steps, a latticework of small glittering purple lights consumed the area.

In a flash of bright violet, all of the animals in the small clearing ceased their movement, each of their bodies falling to the ground in multiple pieces as Zoro swiped his red-covered blades to his sides. He turned and grinned at the bloody sight that met him. He was proud of that one. Hopefully, he got to use it in a real fight soon. He shook his head and turned away from the dead animals, planning to let them sit for a while before coming back to see if something bigger would come to eat them.

Zoro scanned through the dense forest and shrugged before picking a direction at random and making his way through the trees. He didn't see anything else worth killing at the moment but held his blades at the ready just in case he ran into anything of interest.

"Just die already you shitty tigers! I am NOT doing Mosshead's laundry!".

The verdet perked up at the familiar voice and couldn't help but wonder how the hell he was so close. The cook had gone in the opposite direction of him… He grunted and decided to approach the place he could hear loud curses coming from. Stupid blondie had probably gotten turned around in the forest and come back in his direction without realizing it.

Sanji's leg snapped upward and caught a diving tiger in the throat, a crack signifying the loss of its life as it crashed into the ground. He spun on his heel and ducked underneath the reaching claws of another before pushing himself into a handstand. The soles of his shoes smashed into the fur-covered chest of the massive feline sailing over him and he felt its chest give way as he pushed straight through and out its back.

The blond heaved himself from the earth, the tiger's two halves falling at his sides, and flipped back up, heel flashing back down toward the blood-soaked grass. Before he landed, it found the top of a biting tiger's skull and its head compressed underneath his weight, eyes seeming to bulge before it splattered against the ground.

Sanji stepped off the dead animal and clapped his hands together… Not that it did much to get rid of all the blood… He sighed and looked around the area at the close to ten abnormally sized sabertooth tigers. They weren't big enough to be satisfactory, as he could only carry so much back to the Merry, but they might draw out something bigger and bigger was what he needed… The thought of having to do Mosshead's laundry sent shivers down his spine.

"Sounds like someone might have been having some trouble with these little cats.".

The chef whipped around at the sound of the voice and stared at its owner incredulously… Speak of the devil and he shall appear… He shook away his bewilderment and sent the swordsman a scowl, "What the hell are you doing here, Mosshead?".

"Me?", Zoro questioned in annoyance, stepping into the area and eyeing the kills spread around it, "It was you who came back in my direction.".

Sanji took in the words and stared at the other boy in disbelief, head tilting backward before he groaned into the air, "You might actually be the dumbest person I've ever met…".

The verdet grit his teeth at the insult, black orbs narrowing into slits, "That's rich coming from you, lost boy.".

The blond's head shot back up and he immediately began stalking in the other boy's direction a large scowl marring his face. He went to reach out and grab him by his white collar but stopped before he could get close enough… What was that noise?

Zoro let his hand drop from Kajiya's hilt when the cook stopped in his approach, a smirk spreading across his face, "What? You scared of me or something, Co-".

"Shut up, Mosshead.", Sanji interrupted, turning to face the trees opposite of them. He ignored the growl coming from the swordsman and listened closely for the sound to come again.

"Puru-puru-puru-puru.".

"You hear that?", the chef asked from over his shoulder. It sounded like a Den Den Mushi… But why would one be out there in the forest?…

Zoro's growl quieted and, despite the growing annoyance in his chest, he tried to listen for what the cook was talking about. He waited for something to hit his ears and almost went to tell the idiot off for hearing things but stopped himself, just barely catching a hint of something coming from deeper in the forest.

"Puru-puru-puru-puru.".

The area was silent while the two listened to the Den Den Mushi's ring for a moment before a grunt left the verdet's mouth as he shouldered past Sanji in pursuit of the noise, the chef turning to follow with a groan, "At least let me go first, Mosshead. You'll just somehow get us more lost than you already are.".

"Shut it, Cook! You're the one who's lost!".

"So, Vivi.", Nami said, grabbing the girl's attention from her place atop Karoo. They'd been walking for a while, Ms. Sun taking point as she seemed to have a keen sense for danger and how to stay out of it, and throughout almost all of their journey they only really talked to each other. She'd been trying to think of a way to get their third to come out of her shell a little bit when it finally hit her. She wiggled her eyebrows and sent the girl a playful smile as she looked down at her, "Got anyone special in your life?".

A blush washed over the princess's cheeks and she looked down to Karoo's feathery head in embarrassment, "I'm a princess, Nami!".

"… And?", the orangette asked expectantly, not really understanding why it mattered.

"I think she means that she's saving herself for a political marriage if the need ever arises.", Ms. Sun interjected from the navigator's other side, a small laugh leaving her lips at the turn their conversation had taken. She looked up at the princess and smirked when she caught her eye, "But that doesn't mean there isn't someone you have a romantic inclination toward.".

"Exactly!", Nami exclaimed, jumping up to sit behind the other girl before setting her chin on her shoulder, "So, c'mon. Tell us!".

Vivi's cheeks seemed to somehow grow redder and she scrambled to find words, Nami's close proximity making her even more embarrassed, "W- Well… I guess there are a few…".

"A few?", Ms. Sun poked, laughing lightly at the horrified look that took over the blue-haired girl's face when she realized what she'd said, "Quite the temptress, aren't you, Princess.".

Vivi waved her hands in panic as if the action would somehow dissuade the woman from her line of thinking, "It's not like that at all!… I… I just…". She paused in thought for a moment before slowly starting again, her embarrassment fading into contemplation, "… There's a man named Pell that I've known for as long as I can remember.". She paused again, biting her lip when she came to the realization that she was spilling her guts in front of someone who was supposed to be her enemy…

"And?", Nami emphasized, nodding at the princess to continue, "Who is he? What does he look like? Is he handsome? Cute? Both?".

The question made the princess laugh and she had to gather herself before answering. She glanced down at Ms. Sun and sighed, throwing caution to the wind. It felt nice to talk like a regular girl for once. "He's not really all that handsome or cute, to be honest.", she admitted, smiling at her hands, "He wears weird clothes and a lot of makeup… But he's kind and I've grown very fond of that kindness.".

Vivi thought on their relationship for a moment before her thoughts turned to another, looking at Nami out of the corner of her eye, "There's only one other man I would say 'I like'... And I'm not sure I can even say that much.". Koza came to mind for a moment before she shook her head. She hadn't seen him since she was a little girl. Even so, she had been quite fond of him back then... She hoped he was doing alright.

The blue-haired girl brushed the stray thought away and turned back to the front, a smile rising to her lips at the excited look on the orangette's face. "He actually isn't from Alabasta.", she said, already seeing the questions in the other girl's eyes, "I only really knew him for a couple months before I left the Kingdom around two years ago.".

Nami looked at her curiously, "So, how'd you meet him?".

The princess sighed and glanced over to Ms. Sun as her eyes darted through the forest. She'd already come this far... Nami would probably wring her neck if she stopped now. "The Alabastan Royal Guard has only ever consisted of natives from my country, but he was able to make a name for himself as he rose through the ranks of the army and became the first that wasn't.", she explained, trying to give a little context, "Because of his accolades, he was offered a place on the Royal Guard by my father himself a few months before I left.".

Vivi sighed as she pictured the man's face in her mind's eye, "Unlike Pell, I think I'm attracted to Sir Robert in a different way… Maybe a little more… Physical.". She blushed and shook the image out of her head, "H- He's very handsome and also quite nice, although he does have a strange way o-". She almost screamed when a pair of hands clasped over her mouth to stop her from talking, wide eyes shifting back to Nami to find her similarly panicked.

"Try to be a little quieter, ladies.", Ms. Sun uncrossed her arms when the two slowly nodded and she pointed through the trees to a large clearing with a massive figure sitting in the middle of it, "Unless you want him to hear us.".