One Piece Fan Fiction ❯ Tangerine Orange ❯ Ch. 2: The Queen and Her Loyal Hunter ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Maybe if I tattooed it on my body people would see that I don't own One Piece? I would hope so.

Chapter 2: The Queen and Her Loyal Hunter

While Sanji and Nami were having their little moment, Alvida was in her sleeping quarters deep within the castle. Nobody was allowed in there unless she invited them in, not even the maids. The reason for this was very simple: Alvida kept something very precious in there that she didn't want anybody to see, much less steal. Hanging over her vanity was a very old mirror. However, it wasn't an ordinary mirror. It was an enchanted mirror, and it was the main source of Alvida's power other than her Devil Fruit. It always told the truth, and allowed her to see anything in the world at any time. She mainly used it for spying on her wretched little stepdaughter. She also used it for an ego booster. She would constantly ask it who was the fairest of them all, although knowing full well that she was. She just liked hearing it again and again and again. On this day, however, she got a bit of a shock.

While primping at her vanity, she felt an urge to hear those words again. She rapped smartly on the glass, and then barked, "Mirror! Come to me!"

On the mirror's surface appeared the face of a young boy with pink hair and large glasses. A very frightened and somewhat abused young boy. "Eheh, yes, oh beautiful one?"

Alvida smiled conceitedly and asked, "Mirror mirror, on the wall, who in all the four seas is the fairest of them all?"

The mirror looked absolutely terrified, and it squeaked out, "M-my apologies, oh great queen. Though thou art fair and wondrous, `tis true, there exists another who is fairer than you."

Alvida's mask of graciousness and confidence quickly dissolved, leaving in its place a look of pure fury. "What is this!? How dare you! You dare to say there is somebody more beautiful than me!?"

The mirror was quaking in its frame, but stayed on its hanging. "I c-cannot tell a lie, oh mistress fair. But there does exist a maiden more beautiful, a girl with orange hair."

Alvida's eyes blazed like a firey inferno, and she cried, "You cannot mean Nami! That little brat doesn't have an ounce of the beauty that I do!"

The mirror really was shaking now, but answered dutifully. "Y-y-yes, exquisite mistress! The one I speak of is Tangerine Orange, the hidden princess."

Alvida grabbed a brush from her vanity and brandished it at the hapless mirror. "You had better not be doing this for kicks, you stupid mirror!"

The mirror squealed and hid its face. "Please don't break me, o fairest queen that I see! It would only bring seven years bad luck upon thee!"

Alvida let out her breath in a violent huff, but replaced the brush. "This can't be happening. Mirror! Show me where Nami is, right now!"

The mirror reappeared, looking slightly relieved. "As you wish, oh beautiful queen." Its surface clouded white for a moment, then wiped clear to show Nami standing by the well in the tangerine grove, with a handsome, blonde young man holding her.

Although seemingly impossible, Alvida's anger doubled. First she hears that she's not as beautiful, but now the little tart was seeing boys behind her back! That was unforgivable. If there were any handsome, young, eligible men in the kingdom, they should come to her first! And if her eyes weren't deceiving her, that boy was the prince of the neighboring kingdom; the one whom she had been graciously attentive to, but he had brushed her off. Extremely unforgivable!

"So, the little wretch is conspiring with that prince, eh? Trying to find an ally to overthrow me, is she? I won't allow it! I've dallied with this for too long. It's time to take out that god-forsaken tramp for all and good!"

**

Nami allowed herself to be held by the strange young man until her tears ran out. It was a strange feeling. Normally Nami hated to let anybody see her cry, but she felt oddly comfortable with this boy. It was like being with him let our all her bottled up feelings and let her be refreshed. Being held by him gave her a warm, safe feeling that she was so unused to experiencing. She sighed and leaned her head on his chest, feeling content for the first time in years.

Sanji stood stock still, fearing that a muscle twitch would upset the fragile creature he was holding. He was basking in the glow of the knowledge that he was comforting her, and loving every minute of it. It was strange. Although he loved all beautiful specimens of the opposite sex, none of them made him want to comfort them or stay with them always. It had always been a physical attraction. But this . . . this was like he was connecting with her on a deeper level. It was like he was sharing a bit of his essence with her, this girl whom he had never met before.

The girl finally made the first move and shifted her weight so she could look him in the eye. Her eyes finally dry, she smiled beatifically at him. "Thank you."

He blinked. "For what? I was just doing what anybody should do when somebody is suffering."

She shook her head slightly and said, "There are so many people who wouldn't and never do that. Nobody's certainly done that for me in a long time."

He smiled at her and said, "Maybe if you got away from here you could find more people who would do that for you."

She lowered her eyes uncertainly, then looked at him with slight desperation. "Do you really think I could escape from here?"

"Well, I've only known you for a few minutes, but right away you struck me as the type of girl who can do anything if she tries. And you're certainly not getting any happier staying here, are you?"

Nami mulled this over in her head for a minute. He was right, she wasn't. She had tried to kill Alvida several times, but never tried escaping herself. Maybe it was time to find a different future.

Sanji meanwhile was trying to muster up the courage to ask the girl to come with him. He wasn't sure why, and he knew that he'd get in trouble for it, but he wanted to be with this girl to make sure she was safe. But before he could speak an ear-splitting scream cut through the air.

"NAAAAAAMMIIIII!!! Get here right this instant! If you don't I'll come myself and burn down your tangerine trees!"

Sanji cursed the old hag a thousand times inwardly, but reluctantly pulled away from her. "It looks like I'll have to split. But I'll see you again, Nami! I promise! And don't forget what I said!" he cried as he ran back to the wall and started to climb it.

Nami was momentarily frozen but snapped out of it when she saw the young man running away from her. "Wait, Mr. Prince! How can you be sure to find me?"

"I just will!" he called over his shoulder as he dropped over the wall.

Nami stood there motionless, trying to figure out what just happened, but another shriek from Alvida brought her back to reality. "Damn it, I am seriously going to get rid of you one day, you bothersome old hag!" she swore as she trudged into the castle.

**

Alvida had called one of her most loyal and skilled hunters before her. A thoroughly disreputable man with a large red nose, named Buggy. He too had eaten a Devil Fruit, and was extremely useful. His love of treasure had made him easy to buy, and he was also too stupid to be a threat to her. Hence why she was very fond of him.

"Buggy, I just called for our little tramp. When she arrives I want you to take her to another island to look for herbs. At least, we'll tell her that. Once you get there and her guard is down, I want you to kill her!"

Buggy grinned maliciously, then looked puzzled. "But why do you want her killed, o beautiful queen? I thought you enjoyed torturing her."

She swatted him over the head with her fan and hissed, "Does it matter why I want her dead?! Just kill her and be done with it! And bring me back her heart as proof! We can let the rest of her body rot in the forest."

Not one to refuse his queen or pass up a chance to have some fun, Buggy twirled one of his daggers effortlessly and said, "It's as good as done, oh queen."

Nami walked into the throne room and looked at her stepmother and Buggy with concealed contempt. Alvida and Buggy had been talking, that probably wasn't a good thing. "You shrieked, my queen?" she asked through clenched teeth.

Alvida smiled at her with all the warmth of an iceberg and said, "Nami, we are in need of medicinal herbs. I want you to go to a neighboring island to collect them for me. I shall send Buggy along as a bodyguard in case of trouble."

That did it. They were definitely planning something. Nami worked the wheels inside her head quickly, trying to think of a way to get out of this. Then Mr. Prince's words came back to her. I know that if you found the chance you could get away from here. This was a good chance for her to get away, and she wasn't going to waste it. Still, if Buggy was coming along she would have to be crafty.

"I shall do as you say, my queen. But before we go may I go to my room to get my cloak and bag? I shall need them if I'm going to pick herbs."

Alvida waved her fan at her nonchalantly and said, "Do as you please. But hurry! I want these herbs as soon as possible!"

Nami nodded then quietly spirited out of the room, heading down to her own tiny room in the maid's quarters.

Once she had left Alvida leaned down and hissed at Buggy, "Remember! Bring me back her heart and don't fall for any of her little tricks!"

Down in her room Nami dumped a bunch of her things into a bag, then searched in the back of her wardrobe for something her mother had left her. She would need it if she was going to get away from Buggy.

**

Once they had come ashore on a large island, it didn't take much time to find a clearing full of medicinal plants. Nami bent down and pretended to be industrially picking herbs, waiting for when Buggy would strike.

Buggy watched her carelessly, picking his teeth with one of his daggers. He supposed that now would be a good time to kill her and get it over with. He detached his hand from his wrist and sent it flying at her unprotected back.

Nami sensed the flow of rushing air, and quickly dodged to the side. As she had suspected, Buggy had used his Devil Fruit powers in hopes to catch her off guard. Well, that wasn't going to happen. She dashed to the other side of the clearing and held up her hands to ward off another attack. "Please wait! Don't kill me!"

Buggy's hand reattached itself with a snap, and he gave her a bloodthirsty grin. "Sorry, girlie. Queen's orders, and I have to pay up."

Nami fell to her knees and tried to put on a good performance. "Please! Don't kill me! I can pay you for your silence!"

He stopped in mid-throw of a dagger, his eyes lighting up. "Pay me? With what?"

She cast her eyes downward and reached a hand inside her sleeve. "With this." She brought out a beautiful ruby pendant, embedded in wrought gold. "Th-this is the last heirloom my mother left me. I'll let you have it if you'll let me live and tell Alvida that I'm dead."

Buggy's eyes were going wild at the sight of the ruby, but he refrained from taking it. "But I'm supposed to bring back your heart as proof. What am I supposed to do about that?"

Nami grit her teeth, cursing Alvida for actually thinking of obtaining evidence. "Then you can kill a boar or something and take its heart! Just please, let me live, and this pendant is yours!"

The cogs in Buggy's head turned (albeit very slowly), but he finally nodded. "All right, girlie, it's a deal. But you'd better not come back to the kingdom ever again! Alvida'll have my head if she knows you're alive!"

She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You have my word! I never want to see the kingdom again anyway!" She threw the pendant down at her feet, and then sped off into the forest to get as far away from Buggy before he could change his mind.

Buggy giggled gleefully and he picked up the sparkling piece of treasure. This sure was an added bonus to the job! And he hadn't even had to taken the trouble of killing the girl!

**

Nami ran through the forest like a deer running from certain death. But in her mind she was exulting. I did it! I got away! Did you see, Mr. Prince? I escaped! And I'm never going back! As she ran she thanked her lucky stars that Buggy was too stupid to realize that he could have just killed her and taken the pendant from her dead body.

**

Author's notes: For those of you who aren't aware, Buggy's Devil Fruit is the BaraBara Fruit (BitsBits Fruit). It allows him to detach pieces of his body and fly them around. And if he gets sliced up he simply pulls himself together again.

Alvida's Devil Fruit is the SubeSube Fruit (SlipSlip Fruit). It gives her frictionless skin, so any weapon that comes in contact with it just slides off. Hence why none of Nami's assassination attempts worked.

Oh, and did you catch the little cameo? Yep! That's Coby as Alvida's Mirror! I figured he be best suited for the job, since he's used to praising and sucking up to Alvida.

Next time! We talk with Sanji again, and see just where he stands in his kingdom. AND! We get to meet our "dwarves"! >D Mwahahahaha!