*2 years ago, on the island Seinaru... *
It was the start of a peaceful day on Seinaru. The sun slowly rose on the horizon and graced the rich forest and land with its warmth and light. Startled awake by the soft sunrays falling upon her face, Juli slowly opened her eyes. With a soft yawn, she rose to stretch herself. 'What a wonderful new day~' She thought happily, her mood clear and bright like drops of morning dew.
It was then she was startled out of her usual morning routine when someone knocked onto her door. Quickly fixing the fabric of her dress, she straightened herself while her attention now rested upon the visitor.
"Juli-sama, can I come in?" An elderly voice asked her gently, hoping to not disturb the princess if she was still asleep.
"Oh, Maria! Sure, come in~" Juli told her cheerily as she placed her diadem carefully upon her head, smiling at her reflection within the mirror.
The door opened quickly and a friendly looking elderly woman in her early fifties entered the room. She had warm brown eyes that were graced by soft wrinkles at the corners. Her short hair was of an ash blonde and freckles graced her light sun-kissed skin. "Did you finish dressing, Juli-sama?"
A sigh escaped the young woman at that, shaking her head as she turned to her with a cute frown. "Yes. But Maria-san I already told you a hundredth times... Don't call me Juli-sama, just call me Juli! After all, you are like family for me!" She told her in a scolding manner but then smiled softly.
Maria merely gave her a pointed look. "I know that, Juli-sama, but you are our princess and ruler, so I can't disrespect you even if you tell me to!"
Juli rolled her eyes fondly, a sigh of defeat escaping her at Maria's stubbornness. "Okay... okay... I give up." She gave in but then paused in realization. "Wait. Why did you come here so early in the morning? Did something happen?" Worry sparked within her heart as she immediately spun around to her with a concerned frown.
A soft chuckle left Maria's lips at her worried antics. " No. Nothing happened, calm down please."
Juli sighed in relief and glanced at her mother's old friend in curiosity. "What is it then? Don't tell me you just came up here to say breakfast is ready."
Maria chuckled amused. "No, that's not why I came here. Although breakfast is ready, I came here because you got an important letter of urgent matter."
Juli looked at her surprised. "A letter?! From who?" She inquired as her brows furrowed gently. 'There shouldn't be any important events this month... Why did I get such a letter then?'
Maria frowned and furrowed her brows with hidden concern. "It's from Marine HQ..." She told her slowly.
"From Marine Headquarters?!" Juli repeated in shock, clearly not expecting to ever be addressed by the marines. 'What do they want from me? Seinaru is not under their protection, so they don't have to call me to some meetings... My ancestors were never part of the Levely either...'
Maria smirked gently. "Maybe you should read the letter to find out what they want from you..." She suggested with an amused tease.
Juli's eyes widened and she blushed in embarrassment. With a small giggle, she nodded softly. "Oh, yes, you're right! Where is the letter?"
"It's downstairs on the breakfast table."
"Thanks, Maria-san. I will go then... If I need your help with writing a respone, I will call you." Juli told her quickly, smiling one last time at the woman before she ran downstairs.
"And no running in the hallways, Juli-sama!!!" Maria shouted after the princess, who simply giggled fondly and slowed down a little. After making her way through the winding corridor, she quickly descended the stairs before stepping into the kitchen with a thoughtful expression.
"Good morning Juli-hime." Annie, the youngest daughter of Maria, smiled at her and placed her favorite breakfast on the table.
Juli eyed the strawberry cheescake happily as she sat down on the table, a smile once more lighting up her features. "Thanks, Annie! Your strawberry cheesecake is the best!~"
Annie blushed at the compliment but waved her off quickly. "Oh, I don't deserve such flattery, you know that! What do you want to drink?"
"Mhm... orange juice will be fine." Juli mumbled in response, slowly starting to eat even when her thoughts seemed to be somewhere else. Her gaze wandered around the table as she looked for the letter Maria had spoken off. Yet, it was nowhere to be found, something that seemed to really confuse her.
Annie ignored her obvious search for something as she hummed and poured her a glass of orange juice.
"Say, Annie.... Did you see a letter somewhere?" Juli asked her with a small frown, clearly bewildered by the absence of such an important letter.
Annie simply smirked mischievously. "Yes... But you will only get when you finished breakfast!~" She told her with a soft laugh and a wink at the others protest.
Juli huffed but then pouted in defeat, knowing she only had her well being in mind. "Okay fine... First I will eat and then I'll read the possible very important letter..." She said not so subtly and looked at her accusingly.
"Thanks, Hime-sama, you're oh so forgiving." Annie teased her in return, what caused both of them to burst out laughing.
After Juli finished her breakfast, Annie finally handed her the letter. As soon as she had gazed upon it, a sigh escaped her lips. 'From Marine HQ, Fleet Admiral Sengoku to Princess Kurama Juli, ruler of Seinaru.' She read and furrowed her brows. 'What does the Fleet admiral want from me and possibly my island?' Juli sighed again and just now noticed her surroundings. She had started to move while reading and now stood in the middle of the hallway. 'I should go somewhere else, where I can read this letter in peace... I don't want to bump into something.' So, with that in mind, she quickly made her way outside the palace. Her steps crunched softly on the ground as she bent in to the path into the holy forest.
A few minutes later, she arrived by her favorite spot. It was a small clearing where the gentle sunlight graced a big waterfall that flowed into a little lake. The landscape around the waterfall was filled with beautiful flowers of any kind that lifted their little stems and flower heads towards the sunrays. It was almost a magical sight, the natural beauty always spending her comfort. With a soft sigh, Juli finally sat down on the side of the river, her bare feet dangling in the warm water. Small fish and water creatures lifted from their slumber to greet her as the soft ripples of water was like a relaxing melody to her ears. She hummed softly in content and closed her eyes to listen to nature's sounds for a moment. This spot truly was her private little place where she could come to relax and let the stress of the day fall off her. The natural water was the source of all the hot springs around her island with rumors of its healing abilities spreading across countries. Sometimes she really wondered if it was true. After all the hotsprings didn't gain such popularity for no reason. The masses of different people who came to make vacation on Seinaru spoke for it. Just like the name of the only city in Seinaru was Iyasa tamashī, healed soul.
As she noticed how her thoughts started to drift off, Juli shook her head and sighed again. 'There's no time to dwell in the history of this island.' She looked at the unopened letter next to her, took it into her hands. For a moment, she stared down at it in clear hesitation before she prepared herself and opened it with a fluent movement.
'Dear Kurama Juli-sama,
Fleet admiral Sengoku solemnly invites you to Marine HQ. The World Government strives to protect you as one of the kindest people in power and wishes to protect your island for its great importance in history. It's known that Seinaru is an independent kingdom. Regardless we've heard Seinaru is protected by one of the Yonkos, but without counting as one of his official territories. Therefore, the World Government offers protection for your island as followed, without any disadvantages for your kingdom, yourself or the protection of the Yonko. If you are interested in the offer or wish to take that opportunity to visit Marine HQ, please respond to this letter immediately and we will send a Marine ship to pick you up in one week at Seinaru.
Sincere regards,
Fleet Admiral Sengoku.'
Juli stared at the letter in shock and surprise. "W-what...?" She whispered in astonishment and blinked in confusion. 'What's going on? Why does the World Government and Navy want to protect me?...Is it because of my family's powers? But nobody of my bloodline ever had the key to the Engeru pasu...' Juli shook her head and frowned in thoughts. 'I should not condemn them without knowing them. After all, the marines count as good people...' Another sigh escaped her lips as she felt a headache coming. 'My head is hurting... Maybe I should talk with Maria about this. I know she dislikes the marines, but she always has tried to be neutral in giving an opinion. And she was the consultant of my mother after all.' With determination now filling her spirit, Juli rose to her feet and quickly made her way back to the palace. The decision she was about to make isn't going to be an easy one. But she couldn't dare to take this casually or she might miss out on a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her kingdom.
And so after a long and in depth discussion with Maria, Juli decided it wouldn't hurt to go to Marine HQ and listen to their offer. If she accepts or declines, it would prove to be a good opportunity to learn more about the people in the Navy.
'Whatever happens, I will not resign the protection of the Yonko!'
Determined and excited, Juli replied to the letter from Marine HQ, in which she accepted the invitation of Fleet admiral Sengoku.
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One week later...
Captain Smoker from the Loguetown Marine Base was more than a little pissed. Not just was he forced to leave his Marine Base and thus couldn't catch pirates for three weeks, no he also had to pick up a haughty little princess and take her to Marine HQ. Smoker sighed in sheer annoyance, for once wishing he could simply ignore orders. 'Why do I have to pick up this haughty royal ass and take her to Marine HQ? Can't they just send someone else?'
He looked at his crew who were going to travel with him for three weeks. Most of the marine soldiers joked around and seemed to be glad about their trip to Seinaru.
"Hey, did you hear the news?" One of the men whispered to another.
"What?" The other asked confused.
"We're going to Seinaru! And not just that, we will pick up Princess Kurama Juli and accompany her!!"
"No way! The Princess Kurama Juli?!"
Smoker furrowed his brows as he listened to the conversation, slowly exhaling the smoke from his cigars.
"Yes! We will meet the Princess Kurama Juli! The kindest princess in the entire world!" The man said in way too much excitement.
"Yeah! And not just that, she counts as one of the most beautiful women in the world!" The other man blushed with the sheer imagination of the princess filling his mind.
"I'm really excited about how she will look like... I have heard she's only 15, but her body is said to look incredible sexy."
"No way!"
Smoker shook his head at their stupid conversation and glanced back at the horizon. 'I've heard of her before... Maybe this isn't going to be as bad as expected. But my expectations are low, royalty is always the same.'
Two hours later...
"Captain Smoker, we have Seinaru in our sight!" A marine soldier reported with a salute.
"Okay... Anchor by the beach! Fleet Admiral Sengoku said we should wait there." Smoker ordered and walked towards the railing. He studied the harbor and beach of the island. 'Looks like a really peaceful island... I wonder why the Government have their eyes on it...'
As soon as the ship was anchored, Smoker jumped onto the beach. He took a deep breath from his two cigars and crossed his arms impatiently. He observed how a big crowd of people formed around thirty meters from him. The whole village seemed to have gathered, from old women to little children- everyone waited for their princess to come and say goodbye. Behind the crowd of people next to a path that winded its way from the beach to the palace, a group of animals of all kinds gathered in the shadows of the forest.
Smoker studied the crowds in silent astonishment, one of his eyebrows rising at the sight. 'I really didn't think all the villagers and animals would come to say goodbye to Juli-hime. She must be really popular... Maybe I was wrong about her being haughty. Or maybe she just likes flashy exits. Who knows...'
With Juli...
Juli put on the final pieces of her outfit before looking at Maria and Annie with a small smile. She was currently wearing her diadem and collar paired with a short, white and pink dress with golden ornaments, heart neckline and cut-outs by her hips. An elegant pink glove graced her right hand and ended shortly above her wrist. Instead of wearing a matching glove on the other hand, she decided to leave it off to not cover her full moon tattoo. Her legs were mostly covered by heeled white and golden shoes that ended above her knees. To give herself more of a 'marine-inspired' look, a white satin cape was dangling upon her left shoulder and connected to her other with a golden chain.
"Are you nervous?" Annie asked her gently but gave the girl an encouraging smile.
"A little bit..." Juli admitted sheepishly and bit on her lip nervously.
"You don't have to! You look beautiful! I bet all of the marines will fall for your beauty." Annie told her with an excited cheer. "Besides, wasn't it your dream to travel and see other islands?"
Juli couldn't help but laugh softly at that. "You are right. Thank you, Annie. You always know how to cheer me up.." She shook her head with a happy smile before hugging the older girl in goodbye. "I guess we will see us again in three weeks. Please take care of everything until I am back."
"Yes, don't worry. Be careful on your journey, Juli-sama." Maria told her seriously, yet a small proud smile danced along her lips. "I'm sorry we can't celebrate your birthday here, but I will make sure to prepare a celebration for your return."
"It's fine. I don't really need a celebration anyways. So, don't worry about such unnecessary matters." She replied gently.
Maria nodded softly yet wiped a traitorous tear away from her eyes. 'She really has grown up, Rose... I wish you would have been here to see this.'
After another round of hugs, Juli took a deep breath and waived at them in goodbye. "See you in a few weeks!" She shouted with a big smile and quickly walked outside the palace before her nervousness caught up to her again.
"Will she be fine?" Annie asked her mother in concern. "You know she can be quite oblivious to men's intentions... I'm afraid she won't know if someone is flirting with her."
Maria chuckled and smiled softly. "She will be fine... I'm sure she will find someone to protect her, after all, her charm can be irresistible."
Without knowing what the two were talking about, Juli walked towards the pasture where her close friend Shiro waited for her. Shiro was a pure white stallion with a white mane and deep, sky blue eyes.
As soon as she spotted her friend, a bright smile lit up her features. "Hello Shiro!" She shouted with a giggle. The horse turned around and raced happily towards her. As soon as he had reached her he nudged her playfully, causing a soft giggle to escape her. "I have to go oversea for three weeks, so you have to protect the forest yourself. But I know I can count on you. I will really miss you!"
Shiro whickered in agreement, making Juli smile in fondness. "Okay I will ride you to the beach." She gave in and jumped onto his back before they both galloped to the beach.
Meanwhile, at the beach...
Smoker stomped with his foot onto the sand impatiently, already annoyed by how long this princess seemed to make him wait. He didn't have all day to stand around after all. But when a murmur suddenly went through the crowd, he couldn't help the small spark of curiosity within his chest. The chatting of the crowd broke off completely as they grew silent and turned around to the arriving princess. Soft cheering immediately lightened the mood as the present children seemed to be overjoyed to see their princess.
Smoker followed their gaze with a grumpy expression, his eyes widening ever so slightly when he spotted her. She majestically rode a pure white stallion while her brown hair shimmered red in the sunlight along with her gorgeous turquoise eyes that gleamed softly. Without even noticing it, he held his breath at her beauty as she slid elegantly from her horse and smiled softly at the crowd
Smoker felt his heart skip a beat at her beautiful smile, before he was able to snap out of it. He quickly shook his head and coughed awkwardly, a frown quick to settle back on his features. Crossing his arms once more, he observed her with an indifferent expression now while he tried to make sense of his confused thoughts.
Juli smiled softly at the villagers as soon she had slid down from Shiro. "Thank you all for coming here. You don't know how much this means to me. I know you want to properly say goodbye to your princess, but first I have to say my farewell to the sacred animals. I hope it's fine if you wait for just one more minute." She spoke up softly yet with the strength of a leader swinging within her voice, a smile of apology gracing her soft lips.
The more mature villagers nodded in understanding while the children continued to cheer happily. Juli smiled and walked with Shiro besides her towards the forest animals.
"My friends, I know you will protect the holy forest while I am gone. I thank you for that. When I come back, I promise you will receive a feast with all your favorite food as compensation for your hard work." She smiled as the animals nodded their heads. Birds flew onto her shoulders and nestled her hair in goodbye whilst some bigger animals walked towards her and nudged her gently. "Thank you all... Shiro will be your person in charge. If something is wrong, talk to him. I will see you in three weeks!" She smiled brightly at the animals as they vanished back within the depths of the forest, Shiro at the head of them.
Smoker blinked in surprise as he saw her talking to the animals. He was even more surprised as he saw the animals nudge her softly before they retreated back to the forest. His eyes narrowed slightly whilst his thoughts circled around the odd princess. 'How much more will this princess surprise me?' He couldn't help but question himself as he felt rather stunned already, not like he would ever show that however.
Juli quickly made her way back towards the villagers, eyes gleaming with soft determination and fondness. "I'm sorry I have to leave you all alone for three weeks." She spoke up slowly while the villagers smiled in understanding.
"You don't have to apologize Juli-sama. If someone had to apologize it's us. You did so much for this island and finished the dream your ancestors had. We could not be more grateful." An elderly woman spoke up gratefully and the other villagers cheered approvingly.
Juli felt her eyes water at their words, smiling touched as she quickly brushed over her eyes. "Thank you so much..." She whispered in genuine gratitude.
The children of the village took that moment to race towards her and hug her. "Juli-nee, when you're back you have to tell us about all the adventures you had on your journey!" A little girl shouted excited.
"Yeah!" The other kids cheered loudly.
Juli giggled softly, amusement dancing through the depths of her eyes. "Certainly!" She agreed with a cute shout, giving each of the children a long hug.
The other villagers smiled and formed a passage for her. She smiled thankfully and nodded at them before focusing on the marine captain. Once she stopped in front him, a coy smile immediately lit up her features and made her eyes twinkle in a welcoming yet enchanting manner. "My name is Kurama Juli, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" She greeted him properly and bowed her head slightly.
Smoker's eyes widened in surprise, not having expected such an introduction from her. "I'm Captain Smoker. I will make sure you reach Marine HQ safely, Juli-hime." He told her shortly, his voice gruff and rough like usual.
But Juli didn't seem to be bothered by that and simply giggled cheerfully. "I'm really glad for that, Captain Smoker. I entrust my safety to you gladly. And please, just call me Juli. I like to be on equal terms with the people around me." She said in amusement, winking at him before her attention directed at the ship behind him.
Smoker blushed at that before slapping himself mentally and coughing awkwardly. "Okay Juli. Just call me Smoker then. Come, I will show you around the ship while we leave the island." He grumbled as he quickly stormed ahead onto the ship.
"Thank you?" Juli thanked him, but couldn't help but feel amused when he raced onto the ship as if the devil was on his tail. 'I wonder why he wanted to get back on the ship so quickly... Mhm. Maybe he's just shy around new people.' She shrugged softly and quickly followed after him, not after waving one last time at the villagers.
Once she arrived on deck, Smoker glanced at her with a thoughtful frown but was quick to introduce her to the marine soldiers. "That's the crew." He said and pointed gruffly at the already blushing and love-struck marine soldiers.
"Oh, it's nice to meet you." Juli said softly and smiled happily. 'What a great day, I can meet so many new people!'
"No, it's nice to meet you~" The men shouted with hearts in their eyes.
Smoker's expression drifted to deadpan, staring at his men in complete annoyance for a moment. He felt his eyebrow twitch and exhaled a puff of smoke before he stepped in front of Juli. "Crew, make the ship ready to sail!" He ordered gruffly with a glare that caused the men to immediately get to work.
Juli smiled cheerfully and walked towards the railing whilst Smoker followed her because he did not trust his crew in the slightest. Juli smiled back at the villagers and waved in goodbye until she couldn't see them anymore.
Making sure to give her enough space, Smoker leaned on the railing in a safe distance to her. He made sure to watch over her and glare at any man who dared to walk five meters towards the princess. 'What a fucking mess...'
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How did you like this chapter? And who is the Yonko protecting Seinaru? Let me know in the comments! Next chapter Juli will go onto the journey to Marine HQ with Smoker trying to protect her from danger! Let's hope a certain grumpy marine can get some vacation after this! XD
Seinaru= holy
Iyasa tamashī= healed soul
Engeru pasu= Angels path
Shiro= white