Juli looked curiously around while she walked into the city.
"Oh, can I help you, pretty lady?" A man with a Yagara Bull rent booth asked her friendly.
Juli blinked and smiled at the man. "Oh, that would be nice, I'm new in this city and I don't really know where to go. Can you tell me where some clothes stores are, mister?"
The man blushed at her smile. "Yes, but I have something better. Why don't you take one of these Yagara's, they take you wherever you want to go." He pointed at the Yagara Bull's who all scrimmaged towards her.
Juli giggled. "I would like that. How much does one cost?"
"Oh no, no, no, no, no. You can choose one for free. I can't charge a pretty and polite lady like you." He said, still with a blush on his face.
Juli blinked in confusion. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. You can see it as a welcome present..." The man smiled friendly.
Juli smiled at him softly. "Okay, if you think so." She looked at all the Yagara's. Most of them stared at her and looked like they wanted to accompany her. She hummed thoughtfully and glanced to the one in the corner. He was smaller than the others and seemed to be a bit scared. She smiled softly and pointed at that one. "I want to take him."
The yagara owner looked at her in disbelief. "Are you sure? You can choose whoever you want, you don't have to take the little one."
Juli smiled cheerfully at the shy Yagara, who slowly swam towards her. "No, I'm sure. I want him."
"Okay, you can take him. He will bring you everywhere you want to." He said and let the Yagara out of his stall.
Juli giggled amused as the Yagara shyly swam towards her. "You don't have to be frightened... What's your name?"
The Yagara looked at her with wide eyes before answering her cheerfully.
"Okay, nice to meet you Shai. Let's go!" She giggled amused and jumped onto him, just as they began to swim away. Juli turned around and waved at the owner. "Thank you for your kindness."
The owner blushed heavily and waved back happily.
Juli turned back around and looked curiously at everything they passed. "Oh, I didn't tell you where I wanted to go. I'm sorry Shai. Let's go to some clothes stores and maybe you know where I can get some utensils for drawing?"
Shai chirped in understanding and they began to dash through the canals of Water Seven. Juli's delighted giggles rang through the city like a melody of the heavens.
A few moments later...
"Thanks Shai. Can you wait here until I come back?" She asked him and stepped onto the walkway.
Shai chirped cheerfully.
"Okay, thank you. See you in a few moments." And with that she began to walk away and looked at the stores in curiosity.
"Wow, I have never seen such a beauty!" One guy with hearts in his eyes shouted as he spotted Juli.
Suddenly a crowd of blushing guys formed around Juli.
Juli looked at them in confusion and tilted her head. "Is something wrong?"
"No...But we never saw such a Goddess like you." One of them shouted as he approached her.
Juli giggled and smiled at them innocently. "But I'm no Goddess. My name is just Kurama Juli and I'm a normal human like everyone else."
They all looked at her in shock.
"Kurama Juli?!"
"The Kurama Juli?!"
"Princess Kurama Juli!"
As they realized who exactly she was, they ran away in fear because they just hit on a presumed dead princess.
Juli blinked in confusion. "What weird guys..." She shrugged and went into a clothing store.
After Juli successfully bought some clothes and drawing utensils...
She walked outside a shop and smiled brightly. 'I've got all I wanted... Maybe I can meet up with Lu and the others now...' She walked back towards her Yagara with bags in her hands when she noticed someone with a white mask. The mask had eyeliner around the eye holes, red lipstick and on one side a red ornament and on the other side a green ornament. He or she wore a white and an orange checkered cloak.
The moment she passed him, her eyes widened as she could feel that he recognized her and their eyes met for a split second before he continued walking. Juli stopped in her tracks and looked after him in confusion. 'He definitely recognized me... But that's not what I'm worried about... He is downright overflowing with danger and power. Something is definitely going on in this city and I don't like it at all... I hope the others are alright...' She shook her head and walked back to Shai. As he saw her, he chirped happily.
Juli giggled. "Sorry it took some time." She put the bags onto his saddle/seat. "Next, I want to find my friends, but I don't know where exactly they are. I think we should go to some shipwrights. Do you know where some of them are?"
The Yagara nodded and answered her.
"Okay, you think we should look around Dock 1. If we are near them, I can sense them... So, I'm sure we will find them. But first, let's get you something to eat, Shai." She smiled softly as Shai cheerfully swam towards a meat booth.
Meanwhile with Luffy, Nami and Usopp...
Nami, Usopp and Luffy arrived at Dock 1.
"We're back at the entrance to the shipyard!" Luffy said cheerfully as he walked onto the walkway.
They looked around curiously.
"Good. The crowd from earlier is gone." Usopp said in relief.
"Anyway, let's look for him. That...guy... What was his name?" Luffy furrowed his brows in thought.
Nami sighed. "Iceberg-san." She clutched one of the three suitcases with held their money to her chest.
"Right! The Ice Ossan! Shishishi!" Luffy laughed cheerfully.
"I wonder who he is... I mean the old lady told us to look for him, but..." Usopp said a bit skeptical.
"Yeah." Nami nodded in agreement.
"Maybe we can walk in..." Usopp said and looked at the fence, where Luffy already climbed over it.
"I'm coming in!" He shouted cheerfully.
Nami and Usopp sweat dropped. "Not again..."
"Woah, there..." A Galley La worker suddenly spoke up and pushed Luffy down from the fence. "Hold your horses. I don't think you work here." The Galley-La worker has big black eyes with 3 eyelashes on top of his eye, and a long nose similar to Usopp's, only rectangular in shape. He wears a white cap, a high-collared orange shirt with blue sleeves, jeans and white sneakers. "Let's talk outside. Only authorized personnel are allowed in the shipyard." He smiled at them.
Usopp, Nami and Luffy gaped at him in shock when he just stepped over the fence.
"Do you need something?" He asked friendly.
"Hey, are you Usopp?" Luffy asked dumbly.
"OI, I'm right here Luffy!" Usopp screeched at him annoyed and slapped him across the face.
"You're right, his nose is a square." Nami said in realization.
"Oh...That makes him Square-Usopp!" Luffy laughed cheerfully.
Usopp face palmed. "No, I don't come in squares or triangles..."
"Oh right!" Nami said and took a step forward. "We wanted to see Iceberg-san."
"Mmh? Iceberg-san?" Kaku said in surprise. "Are you customers?"
After they spoke with Kaku and he began to race towards their ship...
"Woah! He's fast!" Luffy said in awe.
"But wait...if he goes over that wall..." Nami said in shock as they saw him jumping down the wall.
"HE'LL FALL!" They looked after him, flabbergasted.
"HE FELL OFF!" Usopp shouted in shock as his eyes bulged out.
"Sugoi!" Luffy said in awe.
"W-will he be okay?!" Usopp asked still in shock.
"He runs freely throughout the city." A voice behind them said. "He is called the mountain wind."
"Huh?" Nami, Usopp and Luffy turned around in surprise.
"He works at Galley La Company's N.1 Dock...and is one of the shipwright's foreman, Kaku." A tall man with blue hair and similarly colored lips stood before them. He was wearing a red and orange striped jacket over an unbuttoned orange shirt with a wide collar, black suit pants and black shoes.
"Woah! That surprised me. Shishishi." Luffy said cheerfully.
"He just jumped off." Usopp looked still surprised in the direction Kaku jumped off.
"Well...our shipwrights are not to underestimate." The man said casually. Next to him stood a slim, pretty woman with blue eyes and glasses. Her strawberry blond hair was up in a bun.
"Ah...who is this guy?" Luffy asked Usopp.
"Dunno."
"If you want fast sturdy ships...then you can't trust someone with run-off-the-mill skills. So, Califa?" Iceberg looked at her.
"Yes. I've identified them. Straw Hat Luffy. Pirate Hunter Zoro. Nico Robin." Califa said seriously.
Iceberg's eyes widened at the last name.
"Three among their crew are wanted...and their total bounty is 239'000'000 berries. They are originally from East Blue."
Usopp and Nami looked at them in shock and began to sweat.
"Their crew of seven is known as the Straw Hat Pirates." Califa told him.
'They know everything about us...expect that Juli is in our crew now...' Usopp thought flabbergasted.
"I see. You've come a long way. I am Iceberg, the boss of this city. And this is a mouse I picked up earlier." He said as he petted the white mouse in his pocket. "His name shall be...Tyrannosaurus. I still have to buy him food and a cage."
"That's all been taken care of, Iceberg-san." Califa said professionally.
Iceberg looked at her surprised. "Efficient as always, Califa."
"Thank you, Sir. But more importantly, you have a lunch meeting at the Chiza Hotel with the management of the glass factory in ten minutes. After that you are giving a lecture at Liguria Plaza..."
Luffy, Nami and Usopp looked at her in surprise.
"Don't wanna." Iceberg said a bit immature.
"Very well. I will cancel everything." Califa said and wrote something in her notebook.
"Oi?! You're letting him blow it off?!" Usopp screeched in annoyance and his eyes bulged out in shock.
"I'm powerful enough to do what I please." Iceberg said with a shrug.
"Well, anyway, you're Iceberg-san, right?" Nami asked him politely. "Look at this. It's a letter of introduction." Nami handed him the letter from Kokoro. 'I wish Juli was here...She could handle that polite talking a lot better than me.' She thought slightly nervous.
"Kokoro-baasan, huh?" He read through the letter and then ripped it into pieces.
Usopp eyes bulged out in shock. "What're you doing?!"
"Eh?! You mean you won't? Please fix our ship, we can pay!" Nami showed him the suitcase.
"Merry's in rough shape from too much sailing. We need your help, Ossan." Luffy said pleadingly.
"Okay."
"So flippantly?! It's that easy?" Usopp asked flabbergasted as he fell over.
"Sure."
"Then why did you rip up the letter?!" Usopp screeched in annoyance.
"That kiss mark on it was disgusting." He said nonchalant. "Well...that aside, Kaku is already on your ship. Everything is progressing smoothly. Don't worry." He said seriously.
Then he yawned. "Ahhh. It's such a boring day." He picked his nose. "I'll show you the shipyard."
"Cool. For real?" Luffy whooped excited.
"Now, this way please." Califa said professionally.
Usopp slumped over in defeat. "First, he canceled all his work and now he's bored?!"
Luffy grinned brightly. "Yosh! Let's go to the shipyard. Shishishi."
"Oh, right, the money..." Usopp said in realization and looked behind him. "The money...Eh?!" He shouted in shock and surprise when he noticed that the suitcases weren't behind him anymore.
"Hmm?" Nami turned around. "What's wrong Usopp?"
"The m-m-money...it's gone..." Usopp whispered utterly shocked.
"Eeehhh?!" Nami shouted in shock. "Look for it!"
"I did!" Usopp whimpered.
"Huh?" Luffy turned around in confusion.
"Hey! They've got it!" Usopp shouted in shock and pointed at a Yagara, in which some of the Franky Brothers sat, with their suitcases in their hands.
"Hey you bastards?! What the hell are you doing?!" Usopp shouted angrily. "Don't steal other people's money!"
They just laughed darkly as they sailed towards a bridge. "It's been a pleasure."
"Wait! Give our money back!" Usopp screamed as he ran after them.
"Those suitcases...they're ours." Luffy looked at them surprised.
"They have our money!" Nami cried anime tears and clenched her fist angrily.
"STOP PAULIE!" Some guys shouted angrily as they ran after Paulie over a bridge. "You won't escape this time!"
"I told you to be patient!" A man with a cigar in his mouth shouted. His denim jacket he was wearing had a flame detail, many of his cigars strapped to it and a big '1' printed on its back, most likely referring to Dock 1. His hair is blond and slicked back on his head while wearing a pair of orange goggles on top.
Iceberg looked at the bridge. "What's that?"
"That's Paulie." Califa informed him. "The bill collectors are after him again."
"Give back our 200'000'000 berries!" Usopp shouted angrily as he still ran after the Yagara.
"Sorry, bro." One of the Franky Brothers laughed. "We are going to throw a party."
"You jerks!" Usopp screamed angrily after them.
Luffy stopped next to him. "Did you give them the money?" Luffy asked him confused.
"NO, I DIDN'T GIVE IT TO THEM, THEY STOLE IT!" Usopp screeched at Luffy angrily.
"What?!" Luffy gritted his teeth angrily.
"Pay up!" The bill collectors shouted after Paulie.
"I'm telling you I don't have any money today!" Paulie shouted annoyed.
"That's not going to get you off the hock!" They stormed after him and slowly began to catch up to him.
Paulie began to sweat. "Jeez. They don't give up." He looked down from the bridge. "Great. Yagara Bulls." He jumped down from the bridge. "Rope Action." He shouted and ropes came out of the sleeves of his jacket.
"Ahhh. He's one of the Galley La shipwrights!" One of the Franky Brothers shouted in shock.
"Sorry, but I need to borrow the Yagara Bulls for a while...Round Turn!" The ropes twined around the Franky Brothers and Paulie crashed their heads together and let them fall into the water, just as he landed on the Yagara.
"Shit! He got away again!" One of the bill collectors shouted angrily as they looked after Paulie, who casually stood on the Yagara with the suitcases.
Paulie smiled and waved after them. "Well everyone, have a nice day! I look forward to running with you again." He looked at the Yagara. "Well, that was the perfect timing."
"That's great! He's one of your shipwrights, right?" Usopp said in relief.
"Yes." Iceberg said shortly.
"OI! Thanks! That money is ours!" Usopp shouted after Paulie.
"Eh? Money?" Paulie noticed the suitcases just now. "Oh!" He smiled happily and stars appeared around him.
"Oi..." Usopp was still waving. But he stopped as soon he noticed that Paulie didn't intend to turn towards them. He sweat dropped. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Oi! Get back here!"
Luffy narrowed his eyes angrily. "That bastard!" Just as he wanted to slingshot himself towards him, someone stopped him.
The one who stopped him was a very tall and slim, yet muscular man with arched eyebrows and a close-shaved goatee. He had shoulder length wavy hair. On his shoulder sat a pigeon. "I'll go." The pigeon on his shoulder chirped.
Luffy blinked in confusion. "Huh? The pigeon?"
A few moments later...
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow...let me go!" Paulie shouted as Lucci grabbed his ear and let the Yagara swim back towards Luffy& Co. "What the hell are you doing?! I'm not going to run away! I told you to lay off!" Paulie shouted angrily. "Let go off my ear!" He shoved Lucci's hand away from his ear. "Just when I got a load of money! You'd better remember this, Lucci."
"Don't settle your problems with other people's money you idiot!" The pigeon from Lucci scolded him.
"It didn't look like it belonged to anyone!" Paulie looked at him annoyed.
"They're back..." Iceberg said as they got closer.
"Wow, what a relief, Usopp. Shishishi." Luffy smiled brightly.
"Don't talk like you don't care! That was our money!" Usopp screeched at him annoyed.
"LU!" A soft voice called for him.
"Huh?" Nami, Usopp and Luffy looked in the direction the voice came from. And suddenly Juli was right in front of Luffy and hugged him.
"Juli?" Nami looked at her in surprise.
"Ehh? Juli-nee what's wrong?" Luffy looked at her confused.
Juli looked at him with big, turquoise eyes. "Lu, I don't know why, but this man is following me and he doesn't feel like a good man. He scared me a bit, too."
"Oi! Why are you running away from me little doll?! Come with me, you can have lots of fun!" A perverted looking man ran towards her.
"That's him!" Juli said to Luffy and stepped behind him in fear, being creeped out by this weird acting man.
Luffy took a step forward and glared at the man darkly.
Paulie and Lucci, who just left the Yagara, had listened to the conversation and glared at the man too, knowing really well what he wants from her.
Luffy took another step forward and glared at the man dangerously who stopped dead in his tracks. "What do you want from my sister?!" He asked him in a dark voice.
The man gulped and when he saw how two of Galley La shipwrights glared at him as well, he turned around and ran for his life.
Juli sighed in relief. "Thanks Lu."
'Why was I so angry just now?' Luffy thought in confusion and shook his head. He grinned at Juli. "It's fine. I will always protect you!!"
Juli smiled softly back and just then, she noticed Iceberg, Califa, Lucci and Paulie. She walked towards them and smiled cheerily at them. "I'm sorry we had to meet like this. My name is Juli, nice to meet you." She introduced herself way too casually.
Just then, the three men took in her appearance for the first time. Her beautiful long brown hair was a bit ruffled from the wind, but shimmered beautifully, slightly red in the sunlight. She had gorgeous turquoise eyes that gleamed softly. Her diadem and collar shimmered beautiful. Juli wore a black off-the-shoulder dress that went to her ankles, but underlined her curves and cleavage. The dress had a high slit on the right leg and you could see a black lace garter with a fan around her gorgeous long leg. She also was wearing black pumps and had three bags in her hands.
Iceberg and Paulie gaped at her and blushed.
"You can't run around like that!" Paulie shouted indignantly, while blushing heavily.
Lucci looked at her. 'There's no mistake...That's Princess Kurama Juli! Looks like she is alive, huh?' On the outside he was as sternly as ever, but in the inside, he began to purr. 'She is even more beautiful than I imagined and looks like my leopard-self likes her a lot too...This is going to be interesting...'
Califa looked at her in surprise. "You're Princess Kurama Juli! Excuse my bluntness, but how can you be alive?"
Paulie and Iceberg blinked until they realized it. "YOU'RE PRINCESS KURAMA JULI?!" They screamed at her flabbergasted.
Juli giggled amused and Nami sighed. 'I knew someone here would recognize Juli... Why did she have to give away her name like this...'
"The newspaper was wrong. I was kidnapped shortly before my island was destroyed." Juli answered her with a sad smile.
"Oh...I'm sorry." Califa said seriously and wrote something down in her notebook.
Juli turned back around to Luffy, Nami and Usopp. "So, guys, what did I miss?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing ..." Nami and Usopp waved with their hands dismissively, not wanting to trouble her.
Luffy laughed. "Shishishi. Our money was nearly stolen. But now we have it back." He smiled cheerfully.
"Luffy!" Nami and Usopp shouted and pulled at his rubber face till it stretched.
Juli looked at the group with wide eyes. "Oh my, is everyone alright?" She asked in clear concern.
"Yes. Nobody was harmed. I'm sorry that something like this happened in my city. My name is Iceberg, I'm the mayor. Nice to make your acquaintance, Juli-hime." Iceberg said to her politely and he took her hand and kissed it.
"Eeeehhhh?!" Usopp, Nami and Luffy shouted in shock and surprise.
Califa and Paulie just looked at him in surprise.
Juli giggled. "Nice to meet you too, Iceberg-san. And you can call me Juli."
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So, guys! :) That was this week's chapter! How did you like it? Looks like they now know that Princess Kurama Juli is alive. But what will be the consequences of that? Anyway, next chapter will be exciting! Juli will get a more and more dreading feeling and something different from 'canon' will happen that makes Luffy and more importantly Juli realize that someone really sinister and evil is near this island (not CP-9)... You will find out more about that in the next chapter! See you! :D
Shai = Shy