#I can see her being the one to remind Sanji of Zeff’s advice and the act of reading to Zoro being a way to process the sort of.

[hylianane]

And when OPLA calls back to Zeff telling the crew to read stories to Zoro so he can hear their voices and recover faster, by having Sanji sit by his bedside on Thriller Bark and read him a book about the All Blue. What will you do then?

[chimaeraonwards]

freedom, choice, and dreams - a perspective of a newbie one piece fan from opla

I am scared of saying what my dreams are. It feels stupid hanging on to something I don't know if I'll ever see come true. These dreams are the ones I hold to my chest, afraid that someone would find it.

Would they treat me with pity? Would they laugh? Would they tell me to give up?

It gets harder to believe in dreams as you grow older. My escape that was books and fandom became reminders that I simply wasn't the chosen one who gets to do something and be someone. I'm the side character that gets killed off in episode 2 in a flashback in someone else's story.

I wasn't destined to be the one who can make change on the world since before I was born like Harry Potter. I'm not the one who gets chosen by a master in the field I love to be his successor like Midoriya Izuku. My parents are not secretly some kind of god like Percy Jackson. There is no wardrobe, no lion, no witch to take me away where I can finally be somebody.

I'm just me, a nobody, stuck in a house haunted by my ghosts, with my dreams out of reach. The stories that used to be my escapism start to feel like painful reminders.

And then I watched the One Piece Live Action. For the first time in a long time, I saw adults who were not the chosen ones, on the wrong side of power, stuck in everyday monotony.

They were surviving, but they weren't alive.

If you look in the mirror, would it sound more familiar?

The One Piece Live Action showed me characters who have beautiful dreams and yet, don't believe that they could ever reach them? By all means, how would they? Nami was stuck in a situation she had limited control over her freedom, Usopp was literally all alone and no one believed him, Sanji was held back by obligation and realism, and Zoro was lost wasn't strong enough. Heck even Koby was stuck on a ship being mistreated with literally no way to escape.

And then Luffy came around.

Luffy, the goofy embodiment of freedom, joy, silliness, and has the emotional intelligence the size of the entire ocean.

He showed them that there was a choice. You had the choice to believe that you can reach your dreams. He showed them that no dream was too crazy, too big, too small, too unimportant. You deserve to make it a reality.

Immediately I was hooked. Diving into the manga, I think that what Luffy does is gives the space to people to let their heart want their dream.

And then he fights for them.

Think about what's stopping you from reaching your dream. Is it money? Support? Access to power? Strength? Knowledge?

Fighting for your dream isn't as pretty as faith, trust, and pixie dust. It's brutal. It's heartache. It's sacrifice. But most of all, it's never giving up, even when you're broken.

The Straw Hats show that having the freedom to chase your dreams isn't a lonely journey. You need to lend a hand to people on the way there, and they will do the same for you.

On the other side of this idealist dream chasing optimism, One Piece beautifully shows the harsh reality, that some dreams won't be reached in your lifetime. But like Gol D. Roger, Red Leg Zeff, Otohime, maybe, just maybe, you can help someone else reach that same goal you had. We will all die someday, but our dreams can live forever. And isn't that a beautiful thing?

The Straw Hat Pirates unapologetically declare their dreams out loud, not afraid of what anyone else has to say about them.

Maybe I should take some advice from them.

👟 I'm going to find a way and be able to continue my education.

[forcedapotheosis-blog]

Promise

So, I somehow had the urge to write another oneshot. At least I think it’s one, as it has a rather soft ending that would enable me to continue this story. First things first, it’s AU taking place in some fantasy middle ages, I’ve deliberately not been very precise when it came to that. Second, I can’t deny that the main inspirations were drawn from (besides One Piece, obviously) A Song of Ice and Fire, a little Berserk (though not nearly as dark and crapsacky, thank you very much), Demon’s Souls and probably something I forgot mentioning. Beware that Sanji is probably more than a little OOC since he uses weapons in battle (small nod to a tad of realism, sorry about that), but I tried to stay in character when it came to the others, only adjusting them a bit to fit the setting. Also, I have some literature concerning the design of coats of arms, but I didn’t really look into it because it would have disturbed my flow. If you’re a connaisseur of the middle ages, please don’t be offended. I swear I could’ve done that part a little better, but I just didn’t feel that it would add depth to the story as a whole. Well, I don’t think there’s a whole lot more to say for me, as always: Try to enjoy the story and, if you would, please let me know whether or not you think I should continue writing it since I’m pretty indecisive right now. 

Promise (AU; Possible Oneshot)

If someone was to put his mind into it, I'm sure he'd be able to actually grab the tension in this shitty tent., the Prince thought, straightening his back and stretching his arms to the sides, so his two squires could continue their work. Personally, he hated wearing heavy plate armor. Usually, in sparring sessions and even mêlées, he preferred light leather armor, relying more on his agility and sharpened reflexes. But a battlefield was just so very different from sparring or fighting duels. On a battlefield, a stray arrow or spear that he'd never see coming would be enough to either knock him out cold or kill him. Can't have that now, can we?, his trail of thoughts was interrupted when Sir Usopp spoke out to voice his concerns once again.

"Even if we could somehow manage to join forces with the defending troops, the Sawshark and the traitors will still outnumber us two to one. And not only that, but their soldiers are most likely well rested and, as our vanguard found out, their main camp is well enough entrenched to repel even a force of knights for hours! There has to be another option for us, my dear friends!", he waved his arms around to support his statement.

"Don't be so timid, Usopp!", a deep voice interrupted his gestures. "Each of our men is worth five of theirs, and if that doesn't suffice, I'm worth a thousand of them!", the Prince sighed silently. If every other man would've said that, he would damn well have laughed. But, even though he'd never admit it aloud, Count Zoro was right. He was a warrior of unmatched prowess, boldly leading his troops from the front and wearing the heaviest armor the Prince had ever seen. Granted, he wasn't much of a tactician, but he was one of the finest fighters to ever walk the earth. It was annoying though that he never grew tired of mentioning it. "I'd say we strike directly into the heart of his host and get the Sawshark's head. That would kill the morale of his troops and put an end to this play right away.", again, he wasn't wrong about one thing. Many a soldier would instantly lose his lust for battle if they managed to kill the Sawshark, but the price would be too high.

"I'm not going to sacrifice the lives of my men to satiate your lust for glory, Count Marimo.", the squires were nearly finished with cladding his body into the armor. Shit, it's heavier than I remember. Been a while since I was in the field, huh?, the Prince stood up, trying to once again get used to the additional weight. At least he would be on horseback when the fighting began, but there was always the possibility to lose the horse and be forced to fight on foot. "What's your grandiose plan then, Prince Eyebrow?!", Zoro did nothing to conceal his aggravation and if one was a stranger to the court of the Kingdom of Baratie, it would have possibly been quite shocking to see a count talking like that to a son of his king. But things were different here, the royal family had well established connections to their vassals and all of them, even the somewhat timid Sir Usopp and the wayward Count Zoro, were fiercely loyal to them.

"First of, the situation is not as bleak as Sir Usopp describes it. Two days ago, word reached us that the Ape has pledged his allegiance to the Kingdom of Cocoyashi and took to the field right away. Since then we've received many reports of him reinforcing their left flank, which has been unwavering since. Chances are that the Sawshark will attack him with most of his available forces to save the morale of his troops. That could be the opportunity you're looking for. On the other hand, since this is a coinflip, if the Shark was to attack the weaker right flank, he could very well force his way into the capital. And I probably don't need to remind anyone of you that we're not sufficiently equipped for a siege, especially not against greater numbers than ours.", he started to walk around in the tent while his body was trying to get used to the weight of his armor. "Sword and shield, boys.", he ordered his squires and both were quick on their feet, fastening the kite shield to his left arm and his sword-belt to his hips. He unsheathed the sword and and threw a few strikes into thin air. At least my arm remembers how to use this., he contemplated, somewhat satisfied, before sheathing the weapon again.

"I'm fairly sure that Arlong will be trying to crush the Ape as soon as the fighting resumes. Father told me that he's reckless on the field, not giving a damn about his men or strategy. It mostly worked out for him in the past, I have to admit, but he never faced a foe such as us. As you know, he's relying on heavily armored infantry to slowly crush and overwhelm his opposition, so it should be rather easy to follow the movements of his banner on the field. That is were you come in, Marimo. As soon as he attacks the Ape, I want you to attack his rear. If in any way possible, take him out of the equation. Maybe you shouldn't go all out as you're used to, since the success of it heavily depends on how the Ape will react to your attack. If he starts advancing his troops, commit to the fight. If not, just make sure the flank doesn't break. And don't give me that look! I know that you're itching to face the Sawshark, but I value the lives of your men higher than your lust for glory.", he shook his head, turned to the long-nosed Sir Usopp and pondered for a moment. He had to make a decision. On one hand, there was the matter of honour. Defeating the Sawshark and saving the city were the most prestigious tasks to be fulfilled, no questions asked. But someone had to reinforce the capital's right flank against the attackers. Sure, there also was fighting to be had, there were names to be taken. But the Sawshark's vassals were rather small fish in the pond, maybe two or three of them were worth mentioning.

"Usopp, you will be leading the main part of our host. When the battle begins, you'll be riding with me and I'll be sure to clear a path for your force to get into the city, after that I'll be reinforcing their right flank. Your task is to secure the city as quickly as possible, throw out all eventual invaders or traitorous troops and when that's done, secure all of their gates. There's four of them, the main gate, that's the eastern one, will be were most of the fighting will take place, you might want to keep a special eye on that. After that, send out troops to where they're needed. I'm afraid that we won't be able to carry supplies into the city, so we have to achieve a quick and decisive victory to keep the townsfolk and our troops fed. You might be able to secure one of the gates quickly enough for our troops to get additional supplies in, the northern gate might be predestined to be the best place for a maneuver such as this. And before any of you asks, I was fostered here for a few years, that's the reason I know. And .. if any of your men, the same goes to you, Marimo, try as much as to lay a hand on a civilian or steal food from them, I expect them to be gelded. No matter their rank.", both of them simply nodded at the remark. Of course, they trusted their troops. But soldiers could turn into beasts at any time. Their objective was to relieve the city, not to harm the inhabitants or steal what little they had left. "Usopp, one last thing. When you've secured the city and you somehow get the opportunity, try to capture the male members of the families of the traitorous lords. The chance is slim, but maybe some of them are still in the city. The women, you will protect and escort to their families. Maybe we can enforce submission if we hold the men as hostages. It's not the most honourable thing to do, but there is no honour in war, anyway."

"Two hours until the break of dawn, my Prince.", a soft, female voice resounded within the tent and the three of them turned their heads towards the owner of it. The Prince wasn't surprised to see her at all. His father was adamant about Nico Robin travelling with the host since she was his most trusted adviser, and even though the peasants and some nobles were wary of the air of mystery surrounding her and the knowledge she possessed, she was sure to give sound advice regarding almost any problems. The first time that the word of her being a witch, a dark sorceress, a seductress and whatnot reached the ear of King Zeff, he let out a booming laugh and challenged the respective noble to a duel on behalf of protecting her honour. Needless to say, the noble renounced his words and after that, no one dared to publicly denounce her again. Sanji, that being the name of the Prince, was mildly amused to see Count Zoros reaction to her appearance. Whenever he strode over the field of battle, no man could stand against him, but when she was in his vicinity, he seemed to shrink, sometimes even remembering how to behave in a courteous fashion. Not that I wouldn't understand his behaviour, she's as fair as a woman can get., he thought with a slight smile on his lips, walking towards the entrance. "Count Marimo, Sir Usopp, wake your men. I want them to be ready in one hour, we will engage the enemy before the break of dawn. Oh, don't forget to fly the king's banner next to your own. We don't know if word reached the Queen and her daughters that we finally arrived. Sending a messenger would be too dangerous, since I don't want to give away our current position and the blockade might prove to solid to get him through. And then we'll see if my plan gets all of us killed. Squires, head out and arm yourselves.", arriving outside of the tent, he waited for a few seconds to catch a breath and enjoy the peacefulness of the night. It would be gone in less than two hours now. Usopp was quick to follow him to rouse his men. The man was cautious, sure, never reckless, but steadfast in his loyalty. And whenever the task arose, he was there to help, usually very well prepared.

Just as the Prince started moving to wake his honour guard, he heard the faint voice of his father's advisor from within the tent, obviously talking to the Count.

"Don't look so troubled, dear Count. No harm will come to me.", he couldn't make out what Zoro replied and didn't have any interest in eavesdropping, only when he heard her last words, he stopped again. Those were the words of a very old blessing, not only in the Kingdom of Baratie, but all around the known world.

"Let strength be granted, so the world might be mended."

- - -

15 years ago, Kingdom of Cocoyashi

"It's an honour to me to finally make your acquaintance, King Zeff. And that of the charming young man hiding behind your leg.", the fair woman – no, the Queen of this country – rose from her throne, smiling gently when she took the hands of the two girls who kept her company. "These are my daughters, Lady Nojiko, my firstborn, and my dear Nami.", the three of them approached Sanji and his father. The Queen herself was striding in the most graceful way possible, her daughters trying to imitate her every step. When they were finally close enough, both of the girls curtseyed rather clumsily and Sanji felt the strong hand of his father grabbing his neck, forcing him to give up the hiding spot behind his leg. "Don't dishonour me, eggplant!", he hissed and Sanji was compelled to kneel in front of the three women. Surprisingly enough, he didn't do bad at all, at least for such a young age. He was able to hold his balance quite well. Whilst he was kneeling, he recited the words his father figuratively (and sometimes literally) beat into him during their long travel. They came out in a rather shy, silent voice, but the Queen with the fuchsia-coloured hair did understand them nonetheless. "Queen Belle-mère, on behalf of my dear father and myself, I thank you for the honour of offering your home as a foster home to me. And if you would, please hear my .. my solemn oath.

In .. no, no, no!

Before the eyes and ears of all the Gods who might listen and those who don't, my dear father, King Zeff, you, most honoured Queen Belle-mère and your most venerable daughters, the ladies Nojiko and Nami, and before the eyes of every honourable man and woman in this venerated hall, I, Sanji, Prince of the Kingdom of Baratie, solemnly swear that I will always pay the utmost respect towards your family, your house, your country and your laws, heed your wise guidance and will never, neither in foul thought nor deed, raise sword or voice against you. And if the hour of need ever arises for you or your family, now or in the future, I will be your most stalwart defender, forever revering the gracious deeds you're bestowing on me by offering your hearth and home.", he paused, trying not to look at his father's reaction. Did he do it correctly? At least there was no slap, maybe he actually did alright?

Sanji was still staring at the ground when he heard her steps drawing near. The next moment, he felt gentle hands on his shoulders, helping him to stand up. The Queen herself looked at him with a warm smile on her lips.

"May the Gods heed your words, Prince Sanji of the Kingdom of Baratie, for I, my daughters and every honourable man and woman in this hall have. I hereby accept your oath and promise to treat you as if you'd be mine own child, offering you the warmth and shelter of my hearth and home and the counsel you're so eager to hear. If the hour of need ever arises for you, I shall be your shield, if sickness ever befells your body, I shall nurture it back to good health and if you ever grow hungry, it shall never go unheard.", with those words, she cupped his chin and raised his face. Gracefully kneeling herself now, she breathed the customary, soft kiss of friendship on his cheek.

In the very next moment, he was blushing in a most radiant red colour, forcing even his father to smile.

- - -

10 years ago, Kingdom of Cocoyashi

"I'm sorry, Zeff, but there is no other way. The fate of my kingdom is at stake.", Sanji was in a sorrowful mood, sitting down next to a heavy wooden door, trying to make out what his father and the Queen were talking about, giving his best to understand the muffled voices from inside the conference room. Had he done anything wrong? It seemed like it, his father wasn't paying any attention to him when he arrived, heading straight for Belle-mère. Would he be forced to go away now? Silent tears were running down his cheeks as he pulled his knees closer to his body. He didn't want to disappoint his father, the queen or her family. And somehow, it seemed, he had done it anyway.

"My vassals have grown distrustful of you and your son, Zeff. Many of them think that you gave him to me to secure marriage with one of my daughters. And the more I try to deny it, the more distrustful they grow. And you know as well as I that a kingdom is dependent on it's vassals, no way around it. Don't be mistaken, Zeff, I beg you. I and my daughters, especially my younger one, have grown very fond of the boy, but that only nourishes the flames. I can't guarantee his safety anymore, you have to take him with you. And, even if it pains me to say, we have to cut ties until the storm has calmed down. It's not only my vassals, but the whole of this situation. Year after year, the crops yield less and less, marauders and reavers from the neighbouring kingdoms are terrorising my people and without the full support of my vassals, there is no way to stop them. Zeff, take him with you and .. don't let him return. At least not until both my daughters are in wedlock. I wouldn't know what to do if my subjects would rise in rebellion."

In this very moment, his heart was breaking. Sure, he was just a boy of twelve and anyone would have told him that he didn't yet know what love really meant, but the prospect of never seeing Nami again, who had become his best friend over the course of the last five years, did nearly physically hurt him. How would she react to these bleak news? What would her mother tell her? The truth? No, probably not. The truth was hard and Nami needed to be able to trust her vassals, and if he knew her any good, these facts would put a very dangerous strain on this relationship.

Only years later would he learn that Belle-mère had told her daughter that Sanji left not only because he was homesick, but because Zeff had arranged a marriage for him. She felt terrible for lying to her beloved daughter, but the truth was too complicated to explain to her back then. The young boy had grown too close to her young heart and she couldn't risk straining the affiliation to her lords any more just because her daughter was stubborn and hurt. Someday, if the Gods were kind, she would understand.

There was nothing else to do for Sanji but cry and when his father finally left the room, he surprised him by taking his hand. Both of them respectfully bowed to Belle-mère, the young Prince didn't even try to conceal his tears. For years now, even the thought of being forcefully seperated from Nami, maybe forever, would break his heart a little more.

"We must take our leave, then."

- - -

3 months ago, Kingdom of Baratie

Everyone of importance was here. All of them seemed to grasp the gravity of this situation.

About a minute ago, the ambassador sank to his knees, but he didn't stop at that. This heavily scarred man with a majestic black moustache went further, putting his face against the ground, stretching out his arms to the sides as if he was nailed to a wooden cross. Talking in a position like this was incredibly difficult, but that didn't stop him either. He raised his voice as for every man in the hall to hear him. Because their decisions mattered too.

"Wise King Zeff, war has swept over the lands of Cocoyashi. The dreaded Sawshark, Arlong, has gathered a massive force and is by now threatening our capital. Several former, traitorous vassals of my beloved queen have been drawn to his banner and unsheathed their swords for his horrible cause. Our allies are of no help either, as they do not dare to wake the wrath of the Sawshark and the situation is dire, if there will be no help, the capital will fall and he will take my Queen's crown. Therefor I took this long and perilous journey, to beg for your help, since I am one of those who always aspired good relations with your proud realm. Please, wise King Zeff, heed my words. I would rather die here of starvation, outstretched on the cold floor, than to leave kingdom without your support. The Queen and her daughters need you, the people of Cocoyashi need you. The land would lie down on agony when the Shark would take the crown. Please, wise King, I beg of you."

There was silent talking in the room. Sanji knew what the nobles were thinking about. If this was some kind of a rescue and relieve-task, there was no loot to be gained. Plundering was forbidden and King Zeff was strict about how to handle civilians, no matter if they were subject to friend or foe. For the nobles, it would be the same as sacrificing their time and men, even putting their own lifes on the stake. What Sanji didn't know was what his father was thinking. After he was expelled from Cocoyashi, they rarely talked about the incident and even his time there. There was no way of reading the old man.

"Even if I was willing to lend you my support, ambassador, what would it matter? I'm too old to play these war games, and, as you might have seen, I'm lacking one leg. And my nobles have a mind of their own. They know that there will be no plunder, no looting. How many, do you think, would be happy to sacrifice their men, their lives and their ressources for nothing but honour to be gained?", the situation was even more dire than that. Usually, when an ambassador arrived with a plea of such gravity, secret negotiations would have taken place. But time was of the essence and as soon as the ambassador arrived, he took his pledge right to the king and his court. Nobody was really prepared for it and it showed.

"Then .. I have failed. My Queen, my country .. please, let me die here or end my life with thine own hands, for I cannot return to see Cocoyashi go to ruin. For the kind Queen and her daughters to be dishonoured. I have failed thee and am not worthy to live another day.", his words, even though Sanji thought they were touching, did not move the majority of the nobles. Most averted their gaze from him, he observed. When he himself looked to his left, he saw his father staring at him, as if he wanted to say 'Don't you have anything to say about that matter, eggplant? The nobles know that out of all the people in this court, sans the ambassador himself, your ties to Cocoyashi have been the strongest.'.

But he has been banished. Were past ties of any importance anymore? He was forced to leave his best friend behind, just because people thought that his mere presence was part of a ploy to find a suitable match for one of the princesses. They destroyed the happiest time of his life, and now they begged his father to save them? Even though, what did it matter?

He rose from his chair next to his father's throne and silence fell upon everyone in this hall. "I can't stand to see you starving to death, ambassador, it would be an unworthy end for a brave man such as yourself. Thus it shall be me who will grant you your wish. Sword.", he gracefully and slowly strode towards the lying man and one of his squires rushed to his side, kneeling down and offering his longsword to the Prince. While he was still walking towards the ambassador, his right hand took hold of the hilt of his weapon and unsheathed the delicate blade.

"I have been banished from the Kingdom of Cocoyashi, for people feared that I was part of a ruse. I have been banished from the Kingdom of Cocoyashi, for the very nobles who are now begging for help, wished my father and myself ill. I was banished from the Kingdom of Cocoyashi and had to leave my best friend behind, living with a lie, forced to never talk to her again, for your nobles trembled in fear of a boy of twelve.", his voice was as cold as ice, tediously containing the wrath that was underneath. The Prince had finally reached the ambassador, sword in hand and ready to grant this old man his last request.

Raising his sword a little, he finally stabbed. The point of his blade hit the cold floor, but nothing else. All throughout the hall, hearts skipped a beat. And then Sanji finally knelt down besides the lying man, leaning on his sword's crossguard with his left arm, gently touching the ambassador's shoulder with his right hand. His voice was but a whisper, but the hall had grown silent enough for every man to hear.

"Rise, Genzo. You were there, fiveteen years ago.

'And if the hour of need ever arises for you or your family, now or in the future, I will be your most stalwart defender, forever revering the gracious deeds you're bestowing on me by offering your hearth and home.'.

I swore a vow and have not yet released myself from it. Have you forgotten the veritable words of a seven year old boy?"

Sanji helped to man to raise himself into a kneeling position, leading the right hand of the ambassador towards the hilt of his sword.

"You have my sword, and others will follow. Rise now, my friend, kneeling does not befit a staunch and true servant of the good Queen Belle-mère."

The old man's eyes were filled with tears of gratitude, and finally he was smiling.

"I have not forgotten one word, young Prince, but .. I thought that you had."

- - -

The present, Kingdom of Cocoyashi

He hated the minutes before a battle began with all of his heart. But they were ready, finally, and the sun had not yet risen. Even though Sir Usopp and his men had taken every possible precaution to conceal their position, by now word must have reached the Sawshark that another force would enter the field. They could only hunt down so many scouts.

Sanji put on his adorned helmet and fastened it, leaving the visor open for the time being.

"Take that hill, we will start our assault from the high ground. It's still dark, so order your bowmen to loose only when they know for sure that the arrows are going to hit the Sawshark's troops. As soon as the hill is taken and our troops are gathered, we will push through the center for you to be able to secure the city.", Sir Usopp nodded in agreement and closed the visor of his helmet that looked like it was having a the bill of some sort of bird, owed to the rather unconventional form of his nose.

"Marimo, lead your troops towards the left flank of the capital now, when our assault has started, you'll only have a few minutes until the fighting will resume. Make it quick and decisive. If you manage to crush the Sawshark's forces, join the Ape and sweep over the battlefield. Be wary of his heavy infantry and don't sacrifice too many of your knights against his spear wall.", finally, Count Zoro put on his own helmet. A beast made of steel, fashioned to look like a demon from the deepest pits of Hell. He never cared about the horns being impractical on the fields, the terrified look his foes usually gave him was enough to go with it. That man is a force of nature on two legs., Sanji thought and closed his eyes.

"Don't you dare get yourself killed, Eyebrows. Your father would be upset with me.", he grumbled, unsheathing one of his swords to raise his men, setting them in motion.

"Queen Belle-mère, Lady Nojiko .. Nami .. Nami .. Nami .. I, Sanji, Prince of the Kingdom of Baratie, have come to uphold my vow. May the rays of the sun kiss thine realm for the sake of a new morrow."

With those silent words on his lips, he closed his visor and attached the heavy war lance one of his squires was holding to his right arm.

And finally, all the fighting began. The force Sir Usopp lead was quick, brutal and efficient with taking the hill, only taking minor casualties. Even though by now Arlong should have known of their presence, the time was too short to move enought troops onto the hill to defend it. Plus the surprise attack, even though it wasn't entirely unknown, did what it was supposed to be. The cover of the night worked perfectly to their advantage. Soon after, Zoro and his troops had taken position, ready to sweep down the hill and encircle the forces of the Sawshark. Sanji and Usopp had taken to the top of the hill when the new dawn finally arrived to take a first glance at the field.

"Looks like everything is happening just as you expected. Arlong knows that we're here and he's trying to take the city with all the forces he has left. See, his banner and at least three of his vassals are marching on to crush the Ape. God speed, Count. He needs you.", he handed over the nifty little tool he was looking through to his Prince. The telescope had time and time again brought advantage to them and it would be more than useful now, too.

"I earnestly hope that the Mosshead remembers my advice and doesn't commit until the Ape started his counter offensive. The Sawshark is wary of our presence and positioned some troops in his back to repel our cavalry. God, those spears look ugly..", after that, he fixed the sight of the telescope to the already wavering right flank of the capital. "We're not too late, there's something good to be found in here .. but we need to make haste, the Ray has started to reinforce his attack. I fear that their lines might be breaking sooner rather than later. And who do we have here ..?", he stared at the new banner he laid his eyes on for a few more seconds until he spoke again.

"I can see the Queen's banner, the Crowned Tangerine Tree, but there's one I can't recall. Squires! Three storm clouds on a background of orange and blue?", both of them looked at each other and simultaneously shrugged. "Might be a new vassal, my Prince. Maybe a landed knight or some other upstart, I don't remember that banner.", the one who was holding his personal ancient, consisting his coat of arms, replied dryly.

But why would an upstart be allowed to ride next to the Queen's banner? No, there's something more to it .. weather .. storm .. could it be?! No, she would never be allowed to take the field .. and if I'm wrong? What if .. just for the off chance ..?

"Usopp, we ride. Now."

The knight seemed to be taken aback. "Didn't you want to wait for an opening?! What about sacrificing your men?! Sanji, we need to wait for a better opportunity!"

The Prince shut his visor and spurred his horse. "Sorry Usopp, can't wait. I need to crush the Ray now or it might be too late! Men! Rally now and prove to me that your oaths are made of steel and stone! Follow Sir Usopp through the center and secure the town! Honour Guard, I want you at my side all the time! We're going to annihilate the Ray! Spear point formation! Advance!", with a last prayer on his lips, Usopp also shut his visor and took the lead of his division and only a minute later, they were riding down hill in full force. The Prince had taken his place to the left of him to support the capital's right flank and with his silver-white armor that was glowing in the rising sun, he looked like some hero from the old tales.

But this was war and not some old tale and every vision of heroism faded the second as the mighty war lance of the Prince pierced right through the armor of the first foe he reached. His force crashed into the rear of the ever advancing troops of the Ray and took a heavy toll on their lives, having such a powerful impact on the soldiers that some of them just let their weapons fall to the ground to flee this screaming madman. Somewhere along the line, he had lost his lance, buried too deep into the chest of a dying foe. But there was no more time to think about that, now he was riding sword in hand, flanked by his two squires. One of them held the banner of the Kingdom of Baratie, a wooden  leg crossed with a sword on a red background, while the other was outfitted with his personal coat of arms, a crystal blue sea with a bright orange sun above it. Close behind followed the knights of his honour guard, all of them young men very well versed in the arts of war, second sons of noble families from all the realm.

"Take them right on, don't let these thugs scare you! Follow me to the Queen's banner!", he shouted again, felling another foe with a vicious blow from the back of his horse. And soon enough, surprisingly, they reached what they were looking for. The knights stuck to the plan and formed a protective circle around the defenders to offer them a little respite from the battle. The Prince though rode straight ahead towards the unknown banner. As was expected, the defenders greeted them with cheers and prayers, but that was not what he was here for. When he laid his eyes on the person holding the banner, he felt his heart beating heavily against his chest, and not from the exhaustion of battle. An elegant figure on horseback, holding the banner in the left hand and a short spear in the right. The person looked at him from beyond a closed visor and the voice he was greeted with seemed strangely familiar and female, if muffled because of the helmet.

"And whom do I have to thank for the honour of this heroic rescue?", there was gratefulness in her voice, mixed with sarcasm. Maybe because she thought that they could have come earlier?

The Prince sheathed his sword for the time being and answered without opening his visor.

"I, Sanji, Prince of the ..", but before he was able to finish the sentence, he witnessed her throwing her spear into the ground, letting go of her banner and unhorsing, rather ungracefully and frantic. And she nearly ran to where he was standing, roughly loosening the buckles of her helmet and, after finishing, throwing it to the ground.

His heart might have skipped more than a couple of beats, then.

Gods ..

A stranger to his own body, he didn't have any control over his actions. Or at least that was what he would say in the aftermath of the battle. Grace and elegance were forgotten when he dismounted from his horse, throwing his own helmet to the ground while he was approaching her.

And after ten years, they were finally together again, sharing a rather clumsy embrace (though that was owed to the fact that both of them were still wearing armor), but an embrace nonetheless.

"I knew you'd come ..", she whispered softly.

"I feared for your life ..", his voice was sore from all the shouting.

"Will you leave me again?", she asked, sounding all the more afraid.

"Never.", he made his stand.

And then, to shock and awe of every surrounding person, be he peasant, knight or even lord, the fiery woman grabbed Sanji's hair at the back of his head and pulled his face down to hers. And the two of them shared a kiss so passionate that every other kiss paled in comparison, no matter if they had been taken from the real life or a fairy tale.