Author's Note: I would like to sincerely and deeply apologize to each and every one of the readers who have been following this little fic of mine for the ridiculously long wait. It's not that I've lost interest (far from it), it's just that I haven't had a sufficient amount of time to write. For this reason, I am very thankful for winter vacations, and therefore will try and utilize this free time as much as possible :P

On an important note, because of various reasons I haven't been able to keep up with the One Piece anime/manga as much as I would like, but I am aware of the potential of new recruits joining the Going Merry. Because I am unfamiliar with these characters, I'll only be acknowledging the Straw Hats present at the end of the Arabasta Arc as the set crew for my story – however, if anything changes, it will be noted.

And, finally, please enjoy!

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The sun was less fierce today. It had barely overcome the giant desert sand dunes, which undulated like a serpent on its side across the hazy morning horizon, when a tall, cloaked man and a reindeer carrying two pannier baskets emerged soundlessly from behind the shadows of Alubarna's ivory palace walls. The man was wearing orange-tinted glasses, the reindeer, whose nose appeared to be covered with some sort of soot, a red top hat. In the dim, gray light they appraised each other briefly. Yes—sufficient disguises for a simple trip to the bazaar, they decided.

Inching away from the palace, the duo found their way onto a quiet, lonely alley and from there began to weave their way surreptitiously through the city's many dusty side streets. As they moved, the man could not decline a small, clandestine smile from creeping onto his face. The food, the wine, and the revels from the night before were all having a positive effect on him, successfully combating the otherwise gloomy mood which exuded from the early morning atmosphere; not to mention he had also had the delight of waking from an excellent night's sleep (but then again—he reasoned, the secret smile growing wider—who possibly wouldn't after seeing the princess in her night slip?).

But there was another reason, one more applicable to his trade, which helped explain his cheeriness of mood as well as his current destination: the king, in all his generosity, had given him complete and unconditional access to the palace kitchens and supplies for the duration of his stay. And if that information wasn't tantalizing enough, Terracotta was even so gracious as to supply him a list of her own personal recipes to try, if he should be interested.

Oh, and interested he was, he assured her.

There was a recipe which particularly enticed the cook, but the kitchen was curiously without most of its ingredients (an occurrence which he couldn't help but connect to a certain insatiable captain of theirs), and so he had decided to buy the missing supplies the following day. He had awoken especially early this morning so that he might be able to reach the marketplace before all the quality produce were sold and purchased, when he realized that he would probably need help with carrying the items. This realization thus led the cook to the bedside of the soundly sleeping Chopper who—much to the poor boy's chagrin—didn't remain soundly sleeping for long since he was promptly rolled off his bed.

For quite some time, the pair walked through a world of sleepy silence. But as they began nearing the bazaar, the quiet slowly dissipated and a low, humming din took its place. With each passing step, the noise bubbled louder, and it wasn't long before they found themselves amidst an eruption of boisterous shopkeepers and bustling sounds, the smell of sweet, exotic scents overwhelming and intoxicating their senses. It took all of Chopper's will power to keep himself from pinching his nose and uncovering his guise as they walked passed an elaborate perfume stand.

"Sanji—" he wheezed, eyes burning and welling with unhappy tears, "Hurry."

"Patience, Chopper." Sanji placidly took a cantaloupe into his hand and gently tapped its center to listen for the hollow sound which would inform that the fruit was ripe. "And out here," his eyes smiled behind the glare of his glasses, "I'm only known as 'Mr. Prince.'"

Wobbling on his four legs, Chopper, feeling his head swell with lightheadedness, screamed in delirium, "I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, JUST HURRY, DAMN IT!"

A hand quickly appeared and clamped roughly over the reindeer's mouth. "Oi, Chopper. Do you want to cause a disturbance and have us leave? Because, you know, if I don't finish my shopping," Sanji paused, his smile gaining a more sinister edge, "I would have to use the emergency food supply…"

Chopper swallowed slowly, his sense of balance spiraling even more off kilter. "You liar!" he barked back, although this time his voice was more subdued and slightly shaky.

"Oh? Well, let me see." Sanji knocked on Chopper's head twice in mock inspection, "Just as I thought—hollow."

Chopper stared—horrified—at the grinning chef. He had teased him like this for years, and not once did the jest ever fail to terrify. The physician glared at the cook with deep, heartfelt malice. "Sanji… I hate you."

"Mr. Prince," he corrected as they once again began walking from shop to shop in search of the listed ingredients, "I hate you, Mr. Prince."

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Chopper grimly noted that it had taken them approximately three hours to finish their morning grocery shopping. This wasn't such an incredible number when one considered (1), the number of ingredients needed to be bought (2), the difficulty in finding such ingredients in the huge, unfamiliar marketplace and (3), the insane meticulousness of a chef who wouldn't settle until he had found what he thought to be the absolute best quality item in his hand. In all, they had probably circled the circumference of the bazaar a good half-a-dozen times. Chopper really would have killed the chef, that is, if he weren't feeling so terribly ill.

But the moment he saw one of the many exits of the bazaar, Chopper literally jumped from a new-found surge of sheer enthusiastic energy.

"AH! Sanji, look! It's the exit! Let's go out it—let's—"

And it was precisely at that moment—"Sanji?"—which Chopper realized—"Sanji!"—that the cook he had so wanted to kill—"Sanji…?"—was no longer standing next to him.

"…Mr.—?"

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"—Prince!" the shop girl giggled with the light, airy levity of a bright red balloon. She continued incredulously, "Is that really what you want me to call you?"

"What I want? No, no, no—a beautiful woman like yourself," beamed the chef, offering a simple, yet courteous bow, "may call me whatever she desires."

The auburn-haired girl, although quite against her will, could not help but blush at the young stranger's sudden and fervent forwardness. Chastising herself briefly, she grappled to gain composure from the event's initial, strange shock and continued, "Well, if that's the case, then I think I should like to call you 'sir,' since you are my customer. So then, sir, what may I be able to help you with today?"

For a moment, the man's face appeared genuinely glum at such a serious and formal answer, but he soon forgot his disappointment since she had reminded him why he was lured to the stand in the first place.

Sanji stared musingly at the lovely, sparkling trinkets arranged neatly on the wooden table. Now, what would his Robin-chan, Vivi-chan, and Nami-san like? His gaze continued to scan the table until it finally became snagged on a string of necklaces. Gold chain circled around a modest tear-drop pendant of various colored gems and designs. They were perfect, he thought—not too extravagant, and yet they possessed a kind of simple and charming elegance that could not be ignored.

"I'll take three of these," he informed the girl, but without bothering to look at her. His stare was still situated admiringly upon the pretty jewelry.

Although, if he hadn't had been so mesmerized, he could have caught the look of distress in the girl's eyes far before he sensed the bewilderment in her voice.

"E-excuse me? I'm sorry, I must have misheard you," the shop girl said with a confused chuckle, "Did you say want to buy three of these necklaces?" And she pointed to the gems to make sure she hadn't misunderstood.

It was now Sanji's turn to appear puzzled. "Yes," he said, at last lifting his bemused face to meet her own. "Is that…a problem?"

The girl merely stared at him quietly, her mouth slightly ajar as if from shock. After a moment or two of heavy silence, she finally answered, half-babbling, "W-well, yes actually—it, it actually is a problem." And then in an instant her disposition entirely changed to one of nerved assurance, "Though you may be wearing Arabasta robes, you're not from around here, are you?"

But she gave him no time to answer and continued in an ardent dialogue, "Because if you were from Arabasta, you would know that you could only give this particular necklace to the girl you truly love!"

Sanji paused, methodically taking out the cigarette resting between his lips, "I see. Only to the girl you truly love?"

The shop girl nodded, obviously relieved he had finally come to an understanding.

"I'll take three then."

Upon hearing the matter-of-factly uttered words, the auburn-haired young woman nearly fell over.

"Sir," she began, feeling a faint flush grow onto her cheeks (only this time the pinkness could be explained by anger rather than giddiness), "this necklace is a sign of engagement here in Arabasta. It would literally be an insult if you gave this necklace to more than one woman! Do you understand? It would—"

"So," he started, cutting her cold just when she was beginning to heat up, "who's the lucky man?"

A look of surprise and alarm raced fleetingly across her face, "E-excuse me?"

"You said that the necklace was Arabasta's way of saying you're engaged," and here he pointed with almost a touch of sadness to the clear, crystal tear-drop with gold filaments coming from behind to form a heart floating beneath her neck.

For the second time, the shop girl nearly fell over. Had she been so careless as to forget to tuck the tell-tale item underneath her robe? That's right. She had stopped to admire it right before the man came up to her and—because of his unexpected, whimsical actions—she had completely forgotten to hide it back within her garments. She mustn't be so careless next time. What if it had been her mother who had seen?

She was interrupted from her reverie by the sound of hooves. For a moment, her heart jumped, and then she noticed that standing next to her cloaked customer was a little reindeer, carrying what looked to be about his weight of market items.

"Is he…yours?" she began, unsure whether she should be surprised at the new arrival.

"Who, him?" Sanji smiled, "Oh, he's my pet reindeer. He's usually very obedient, but it seems that he managed to get away from me. But since he's found me again, I think I can forgive him. Isn't that right, b—"

And that's when the shop girl witnessed the obedient, little reindeer kick the man right in the stomach.

Sanji huddled over and glared at Chopper before muttering through gritted teeth, "Bastard."

"Are you all right!?" the girl gasped in alarm.

Sanji shot straight up like a pole and, laughing, answered, "Perfectly all right! That's our way of saying hello!" And, still laughing, the cook proceeded to give the reindeer a swift and hearty "hello" square across his face.

"I'm sorry. You were saying?"

The girl sputtered a confused "What?"

Sanji once again sadly pointed to chain hanging around her neck, "You were about to tell me about the lucky man who has now made it impossible for me to woo you."

"Oh, so I was," she began slowly. But then hastily added, "Not that you really have any right to know—I mean—I have only just met you." She paused, attempting to read his countenance which stared at her with a sincere curiosity. "But since it probably doesn't even matter…"

And that's when she began to recount their tale—how they were childhood friends, how that childhood friendship without warning grew into something deeper. How he had secretly proposed to her with that very necklace just before he had left to join the national army and was taken away from her to be stationed in a city some ways away.

"But hopefully," she mused, her voice far-off and lyrical in tenor, "he'll one day be able to join the Royal Palace Guards and be positioned here in Alubarna. Then—then we can finally be married, and possibly have our wedding blessed by the princess!"

He had been listening attentively and without interruption throughout the entirety of the shop girl's story, but at that moment Sanji felt his ears suddenly perk.

"The princess?" he asked.

"Oh, yes. Among many other things, she's made it a custom to be present and provide the feast for all the weddings of the members of the Royal Palace Guard. It's just one way for her to say thank you for their dedication and loyalty throughout the years." The shop girl sighed thoughtfully before continuing with a distant look, "The people of Arabasta are truly fortunate to have such a kind and loving princess."

Sanji watched the girl, feeling the overflow of her admiration. Turning his face away from her for a moment, he replied simply, "Yes—you are."

But the girl's voice was bubbling now, "Since you're not from around here, I'm sure you don't know, but about two years ago the entire country of Arabasta was on the verge of civil war. Our princess went undercover and joined the side of the enemy in order to obtain information that could help save the country. Then, once she learned their secret, she got the aid of a small merchant ship that was able to stow her away and land her safely here in Arabasta. Luckily, in the process she was able to tip off the Marines so with their help, they were able to stop Baroque Works and Crocodile from destroying the nation!"

The girl flashed her eyes to the cloaked man standing in front of her, eager to read the excitement and astonishment that was sure to be etched into his features.

But she was sorely disappointed, for the only expression she saw on his face was that of almost pure apathy.

"So," he answered stolidly, a chain of smoke escaping from his mouth and climbing into the air, "Is that the story they tell you?"

The reindeer at his side began to grow uneasy, stamping his feet as if in disapproval. The woman only stared at him with her head turned to one side, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing," the cook replied quickly. "I don't mean anything." And without further explanation he turned his attention back to the gem and jewels resting upon the table. Noticing this, the shop girl firmly stated that she would under no circumstances sell him more than one engagement necklace. He nodded and then asked what she would recommend for a woman with short, orange-red hair.

In the end, for Robin, he selected a pair of dangling blue, opal earrings; for Nami, he chose a different necklace with five red stones wrought along an antique brass chain; and for Vivi, he had decided upon a simple pearl ring. He was ready to pay the shop girl when he threw one last glance toward the direction of the restricted engagement necklaces. It was then that a necklace with a deep, royal purple tear-drop hanging from its chain caught his eye. Six golden filaments came from behind the gem, curling delicately at the tips. The entire necklace strangely reminded him of a miniature peacock.

After a brief deliberation, he turned to the shop girl smiling and said, "I've changed my mind about the ring."

"I hope for your sake," the girl said as she handed him the purchase items, "that you'll give that necklace to a woman only if you truly mean that you love her. The heart is a very fragile thing."

"My dear lady," the cook began with eyes speaking only the language of romance, "A woman's heart is the last thing I would ever want to hurt."

"The truth, sir," she called as the cloaked man and the reindeer turned around to walk away, "You will better guard her heart if what you say is the truth."

At that proposal, the cooked came to a halt.

"The truth?" he thought to himself before turning around and asking the pretty, auburn-haired shop girl for her name. She answered him with a smile, "It's 'Tybal.'"

"What if I told you," he began with a mysterious light in his eye that could be seen even through the orange-tint of his glasses. "What if I told you, Tybal, that it wasn't a merchant ship which gave refuge to the princess?"

It took a moment for the girl to realize what he was referring to. "What—?"

"What would you say," he continued almost mischievously, "if I told you that she was saved by pirates?"

Almost immediately, the girl grew visibly uneasy, her body notably tense. The serious of the matter caused her voice to come out as inflexible as cardboard, "I would say that you were lying."

Sanji then looked at her as a man who had unfortunately just proven his point. "So I was."

For a long time Tybal simply stared in the direction which the two odd characters had departed. It wasn't for several days until she stumbled across a stray 'WANTED' poster and realized who she had actually spoken to that gloomy, sunless day. But for the time she was ignorant, and as she looked up at the dark, pregnant clouds rolling languidly across the sky, she was even able to think herself lucky.

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Author's Note: Okay, I was debating whether or not to cut the chapter at this point or continue with what would be the next full chapter. As you can see, I have decided to end the chapter here, partly because I wanted to keep the chapters roughly the same length and also partly because I would feel more productive/motivated if I could see that I posted another chapter ; Trust me, I wish I was one of those amazing, prolific writers who could write 8,000+ words for each chapter, really :O However, I would like to assure everyone that I'm working on chapter 5 and it will most definitely not take another few months to be uploaded. Thank you to everyone who has been so patient with me I'm looking forward to writing the next few chapters; hopefully you'll be looking just as forward to reading them :D And as always, comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always welcomed and appreciated.