A/N: Guest reviewer Oh my gosh, the thought of Arlong walking Nami down the aisle at her wedding…I feel like it's something he might do, but I think Nami would be ready to kill everyone in the room by the time she reached the alter.

Chapter 6: Future Sister-in-Law

"You look like an idiot," Niji sneered at Sanji once their father walked away to make plans for what the navigator would do first. Sanji was still staring at the castle doors where the redhead had disappeared through. "Does she have you wrapped around her finger after just one meeting? I never thought you would be the type to fall down at a woman's feet."

A tight ball of jealousy was fixed in Niji's chest, making him want to punch something. Why was Sanji the one who got to marry the navigator? Of course it couldn't be Ichiji since he had to marry a princess, but Niji was the next oldest. He should be the first to get married if it wasn't Ichiji. He'd never questioned any of his father's decisions before, but he couldn't support this one. No red-blooded man would not want that woman. Especially if she would be the one to help lead the Germa Kingdom to victory in their conquest through her maps.

Judge should have at least given his sons an opportunity to fight it out among themselves to decide who would marry the beautiful navigator. And Sanji was the least strong of the four brothers, the most vulnerable. Nami was a valuable asset to the Germa Kingdom, and should therefore be married to and guarded by the best. Maybe he should bring that up to their father…

"Shut up," Sanji snapped, flushing red. "You think I didn't notice you guys salivating at her? She probably had to watch where she stepped so she wouldn't slip in your drool."

"I have no interest in some common woman with no royal blood," Ichiji said, his voice cold. "I pity you for having to marry someone inferior, but I guess it doesn't matter since you have no chance of inheriting the throne. Maybe your children can still be nobles in the Germa Kingdom since they certainly won't be eligible to be royals with their mixed blood."

"If that's how you feel, why did you looked so stunned when you saw her?" Yonji asked lazily.

Ichiji glared at his youngest brother. "I'll admit that she's nice to look at, but that doesn't mean I would want to be forced to marry her."

"Then it's a good thing she's not marrying you," Sanji said, crossing his arms. Niji's words had made him feel defensive of himself, but Ichiji's words made him feel defensive of Nami. Ichiji had no right to speak that way of Sanji's future wife. He didn't have to get to know her better to know she was an incredible woman. "I'm going to marry the woman who will make it possible for us to regain our ancestral kingdom and birthright. You marry someone who's greatest achievement in life is that she was raised to know which fork to use at dinner and how to sip her tea properly." That said, Sanji flipped his cape and strode away.

Yonji stared after Sanji as he left. He had a point. Judge had raised them all to value their royal blood and want to marry someone of equal standing, but Yonji had never been terribly impressed with any of the princesses he'd met. He'd been holding out hope that there was a country out there as equaling warring as the Germa Kingdom with a princess who knew how to hold her own, but he'd seen no evidence of one yet.

Nami, however, was a member of a pirate crew, so presumably had at least some experience with fighting. She wouldn't be on his level, of course, but that wasn't what he was looking for. Yes, he wanted someone gorgeous who would make all his brothers and his people jealous, but he also wanted someone he could actually carry on conversations with and bounce ideas off of, not some pretty figure to go to official functions with him. Nami, from everything he knew about her, appealed to him far more than any princess he'd met.

~.~

Nami felt awkward being stripped down to her bra and underwear in front of strangers, but at least they were all women. Seamstresses fluttered around her, taking measurements, asking about her preferences, gushing about how beautiful the dress would be, and telling her how lucky she was to be marrying Sanji Vinsmoke. Reiju sat on a nearby chair, watching the whole proceedings, which was probably what made the situation most awkward.

"Do you ever have to do this?" Nami asked Reiju, more for something to say than because she cared.

Reiju shrugged. "I've had to put up with being fitted for fancy attire for several occasions, but never for anything as big or as important as this. Normally, there's only two seamstresses measuring me at most, but, as I said, your wedding dress is a much bigger affair."

"Like, literally bigger?" Nami asked nervously, imagining a monstrosity of a dress that resembled a wedding cake covered in bows and ribbons.

Reiju laughed at Nami's expression. "Only if you want it to be. The most important thing is that the dress shows off the wealth of the Germa Kingdom. It can be a simpler style and still do that."

Nami just barely stopped herself from prying more into the 'wealth' statement. Her first day there was not the time to dig into how wealthy her future-in-laws were. That would definitely be in bad taste. She could probably figure it out just from wandering around the castle. She was very good at figuring out the price tags of things.

Nami went back to answering the seamstresses' questions about dress preferences until Reiju said, "So, what do you think of your captain forcing you into a marriage with a Vinsomke?"

Nami froze. Reiju's tone was casual, but Nami was sure Reiju's response to Nami's answer would not be. "I had never heard of the Vinsmokes before," she said, which wasn't really an answer. Or, at least, not the type of answer she was sure Reiju was looking for.

"Really?" Reiju asked, leaning forward in surprise. "Never?"

Nami shrugged, and was then chastised by a woman taking her measurements. "I guess your family is more well known in North Blue than in East Blue."

Reiju seemed to ponder that for a moment. "Still, it can't be easy being thrown into a marriage suddenly like this, especially to someone you've never heard anything about."

Nami bit her tongue to keep herself from snapping a response. Of course it was hard. She was being torn away from everything she'd ever known due to the schemes of the man who'd murdered her mother and enslaved her. She'd held vague dreams that once Arlong had all the maps he needed, once he'd gotten everything he could from Nami, she would be free. Free to chart all the oceans of the world as she'd always wanted to. She would never be free now. Instead, she'd be trapped in a marriage to some blond prince whose family wanted to conquer and rule over a whole section of the world.

Alrong may have ruled the seas of East Blue, but his power on land only extended so far, and he didn't rule the people as their leader as the Germa Kingdom seemed to plan to do from everything she'd heard about them from Hatchan and Chew on the voyage to North Blue.

"I wouldn't blame you if you were unhappy about it," Reiju said softly. "Someday, my father will force me into a marriage advantageous for the family and I promise you I won't be going into it with a smile on my face."

The room suddenly got quiet, the seamstresses' ceasing their chatter and staring at the ground or out the window as though pretending they hadn't heard the princess's words.

Nami gave her future sister-in-law a speculative look. Was Reiju lying to make Nami slip-up and say something she shouldn't? Or telling the truth in the hopes of getting Nami to open up to her? Why? If it was the former, then perhaps Reiju was spying on Nami for her father. If it was the latter, would benefit would Reiju gain?

When Nami still didn't say anything Reiju shrugged. "Well, maybe that's just me. Maybe you don't mind your captain using you like you're an item for him to trade when it's convenient for him."

Nami glared. There was plenty she wanted to say on this subject, but definitely not to someone she'd just met and knew nothing about.

Reiju shrugged again. "Well, I have some work I should go take of. Let me know if you need anything or just want to talk." She paused when she reached the door, her hand on the handle. "Sanji isn't a bad man," she confessed quietly. "Though with the right help, he could be better." Then she left.

Nami blinked after her. Had all Reiju's questions really been about Sanji the whole time? He hadn't even entered her thoughts, but it sounded like Reiju was being protective of her little brother. Nami's lips curled into a half smile. Protective older sisters were something she could relate to.