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The Chef's Princess	By : Lady_Kae Category: +M to R > One Piece Views: 9739 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor am I making any money from this fiction.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
A/N: I won't deny I've had a lot going on lately. I've only just gotten back into writing, as I was unable to keep my left arm in one position for too long because I was recovering from an injury that made it uncomortable to put any pressure on the bottom of said arm. I've also got two other stories that I've been working on that I've posted here, both in the video games section, and I've been writing a bit in each one daily in an effort to keep each one from getting to long between posts. Nonetheless, thank all of you for sticking with me as long as you have and Chapter 7 will be in the works very soon!
~Kae

The Chef's Princess
Chapter 6: The Search for a Smith
A One Piece Fanfiction

Sanji looked at Tamara in shock as he watched her cart off the man she had just defeated. What the hell had she been thinking, taking on a man of his size? On the same note, Sanji begrudgingly admitted to himself that Tamara had to be allowed to fight her own battles. It was the only way she was going to get stronger.
Then why the hell did he hate the idea so much?
Sanji saw Zoro shake his head in exasperation as Tamara walked away. Why the hell wasn’t he going with her?! That bastard! Sanji had told Zoro that he needed to stay with her at all times! “ Zoro! What the hell are you thinking?!” Sanji bellowed as he advanced on the swordsman. His foot came up to clobber Zoro upside the head and suddenly unbelievable pain spread like wildfire through his body. What the hell had happened?!
“ You’re really not in any shape to be picking a fight with me, love cook.” Zoro said with a sigh. His finger was just barely digging into Sanji’s chest where he had been shot. “ Tamara’s got her reasons to go off on her own. To be honest, it’s for the best that she does do this on her own. That man claimed that he killed her mother.” He pulled his hand away and Sanji’s foot still hit him upside the head. “ Watch it, dumbass prince!”
“ Don’t call me a dumbass, you shoddy swordsman.” Sanji growled out. Damn this man always seemed to bring out the worst in him! His entire torso was on fire now and there was little Sanji could do to stop the pain flaring through him. There’s no way in hell Chopper’s going to clear me for anything right now. Damn it! Wait, I can always use…..Sanji thought with a scowl. “ He was part of the pirate force that helped Magnus with the slaughter in Denebra five years ago?” He pulled his pack from his breast pocket and he lit a cigarette. Okay. That made a little more sense. “ He’s got a bounty on his head then too?” The exhale did a little to help calm his racing heart. He was worried as hell that someone else was going to hurt her. It did raise one other question. Tamara had said that Magnus had hanged all the pirates that helped with the coup de tat. How had this one escaped?
“ Yes to both questions. Tamara’s the only logical choice to turn him in, on top of the fact that she’s the one that beat him fair and square. The Navy has no clue who she is or that she’s part of our crew. For all they know, she’s an up and coming bounty hunter.” Zoro replied. He scowled as some of the smoke got into his face and he leveled a glare on the chef as he waved his hand to clear the air. “ Do you have to blow that crap my way?”
“ Can’t help the way that the air flows.” Sanji said with a smirk as he exhaled again. “ Is she coming right back?”
“ She promised as such. I need to start looking for a smith however. Did you want to head back to the ship?” Zoro eyes were looking over the wares of a smith and he clucked his tongue in disapproval. They were all crap.
Sanji weighed the options. He wanted to stay here with Tamara to make sure she didn’t get into anymore trouble, but he knew that he had to get back to the ship before Luffy could get his hands on any of the food that came on the delivery. “ I’d better head back. Quite frankly I don’t trust Luffy with all the food we were able to get today. Don’t mention anything to Tamara about me being here. She’ll kick my ass for not taking it easy.” Sanji grumbled. His face fell at the thought of crossing his fiance’s ire. She was pretty damn scary in her own right, despite her diminutive size.
“ Mum’s the word.” Zoro reiterated blandly. “ You might want to head back now. She’s coming this way. I can smell those flowers you bought for her coming closer.”
“ Right. I’ll see you both later then. You had better not let anything happen to her or I swear I’m going to fillet you.” Sanji said as he began walking away. He paused for a moment before leaving and his eyes leveled seriously on Zoro’s. It was killing his pride that he was asking another man to protect the woman he loved. “ I think I’ve proven the lengths I’m willing to go to keep her safe, Zoro. You had better treat her like the princess she is. There’s no telling what I’ll do if I find out otherwise.”
“ Yeah, yeah. Got it.” Zoro replied again, his tone terse. “ Get moving. I’ve got work to do here.” His brow was furrowed in his ire as Sanji left and the swordsman was still grumbling under his breath when Tamara made her appearance beside him again.
“ Any luck?” Tamara asked him. Her eyes were scanning over the wares of the booth that Zoro was at. “ I guess not.” They continued browsing through most of the shops and Tamara scowled the longer they went. None of these men were flying by either of their standards.
“ Sword wielders of your apparent caliber won’t find what you’re looking for here. You need to find Kenshin Jairo.” an old man said while he played chess with another old man as Zoro passed by their shop. Both were ancient by the look of them. “ You’re wielding Wado, Shusui, and Kitetsu, right? Jairo is the man you need to see for your swords if you want them repaired.”
“ You know your swords, old timer I’ll grant you that.” Zoro replied. “ Any directions on how to get to him? Hey, Tam! Over here!”
The first thing she saw was the chess board as she came up and she began looking around the rest of the shop. Seriously, Zoro called her over for all this outdated stock? “ Checkmate in three.” Tamara said absently. She had barely glanced at the board.
The first man looked at the board in shock and he blanched. She was right about the amount of moves until he was in check mate. “ Wow, you must be pretty good to have figured that out.” he whispered. “ Care to play a game?” He gave Tamara a bright smile and she sighed.
“ I don’t see why not. Any reason why you called me over here Zoro?” Tamara asked as the board was reset. The other man offered her his seat and Tamara smiled him as he pushed in the chair for her. “ Thank you very much.”
“ These guys might have a lead for us on a smith.” Zoro replied. His brow rose curiously at the speed in which Tamara was playing. Hell, he’d give anything to see a game between her and Sanji. Knowing how smart the man was, he’d probably give Tamara a good run for her money.
“ Really now?” Tamara paused a moment before she made her next move and she laughed as the old man before her began swearing as she captured one of his bishops. " Is he honestly any good?"
" Jairo is the best smith on this island. Most men come here wishing to apprentice under him, but they don't make the cut. Ah, check." the old timer said with a small laugh.
" WHO?!" Tamara demanded in her shock. Her attitude had changed very suddenly and it had Zoro a little worried. " What's his full name?"
" Kenshin Jairo. He and his grandson live up far on the hillside there. OH! Wait a moment, what about the game?!" the old man called out to Tamara as she took off running in the direction he had pointed in. He laughed when Tamara came careening back if only for a moment to move her last piece.
" Check mate!" she said with a broad grin. Tamara gave the old man a kiss on the top of his bald head and he blushed brightly though he was smiling as broadly as the Grand Line. " Thank you for the directions!" she called out over her shoulder as she took off again.
Who would have thought that old goat was still alive, much less here!
" Care to tell me what's going on Tam?" Zoro questioned as he kept pace beside her.
" Kenshin Jairo is the man that forged this blade to begin with." Tamara began. Her eyes held something that Zoro wasn't used to seeing there. Hope was burning brightly now. " It used to be my grandmother's blade, and I inherited it from her after her death. Her name is Cygnus, also known as the Star Swan. He's more than likely the only choice to reforge it!" Tamara exclaimed happily. She couldn’t help but jump high mid stride in her glee. " I can't believe that man is still alive! I’ve known him since I was a child before my grandmother passed on, but damn! That old goat was as old as she was and Grammy was in her seventies then!" Then again, she remembered that he had come to visit Denebra not long ago either.
Zoro whistled low as he followed her. " That would put him in his nineties now, wouldn't it?"
" More than likely. Not only that, you're swords are probably going to be in the best shape they've ever been in once he gets through with them. The same with Sanji's knives. Dear god, I can't believe it...Oh shit!" Tamara came to screeching halt and she swallowed hard. " He might know where Aden is. They're both here on Sensenbor, so it would make sense that Jairo would possibly know him."
" You're starting to ramble Tamara." Zoro said with a chuckle. " To be honest, I haven't seen you like this in a while, not since Sanji showed you that letter at least." He immediately regretted his words when her face fell. " I was trained to notice things like that Tam. It's not that obvious alright? But you've been a little more driven than you have been happy for the last month. Last week certainly didn't help matters either."
Tamara shook her head. " I'm okay, really. Let's just get going, alright?" she said softly. Zoro was right that she had been more driven than ever. Ever since Sanji had shown her that letter from her parents, ever since she had learned Aden was alive, Tamara wanted to get stronger so that she could beat Magnus. That had been the goal she had been striving for for the last month. “ Hey, over there!” Tamara pointed to the right where a cottage could be seen. The smell of a forge was unmistakable as well along with the telltale ringing of a hammer striking metal. Someone was definitely hard at work out here.
Zoro and Tamara came to a stop and she looked around in awe. Blades of all shapes and sizes were perched everywhere, some needing sharpening, the others completed and gleaming splendidly in the afternoon sun. “ Wow…” Zoro whispered. Even the blunt ones were nothing but works of art. “ Hello?!”
“ Go the hell away, I’m busy right now!” came a man’s voice. He was probably almost as old as Zoro. Tamara’s brow furrowed at the sound though. He sounded so familiar…
" Get the princess!" No...That wasn't his voice. The man speaking didn't have as much of a baritone as the man who had rescued her.
“ We’re looking for Kenshin Jairo.” Tamara replied. “ Is he here?” She turned the corner to the man talking hard at work at his anvil. “ Aha! I knew you sounded close by.”
The smith looked up, immediately displeased to be interrupted. “ Gramps stepped out about an hour ago and unfortunately he’s not going to be back for a day or two. He’s making a delivery over to the other side of the island. I’m not taking on any jobs while he’s gone so forget it.”
“ Tch, rude much?” Zoro shot at him. There was something about this man that was already rubbing him the wrong way. He was very sure of that.
“ Zoro, shut it.” Tamara warned. “ My name is Tamara and this is my friend Zoro. Are you sure you can’t even give us the tiniest bit of help? What I need is probably out of the question but…”
The smith groaned. Damn it, he couldn’t say no when a lady asked for help. Old man Jairo was going to have his head on a platter if they wanted something custom made. “ What is it?” Dean asked gruffly.
“ Can you sharpen these knives for my fiance? And repair his blades too?” Tamara said with a smile as she pointed over her shoulder to her moss haired friend. The man was probably mostly bark, she mused, despite outward appearances at least. She was sure that he was probably a nice guy.
“ The name’s Dean by the way.” he grumbled as he looked over the knives. His eyes took in the edge of the blade and he nodded approvingly. Whoever had owned these had gotten them second hand, but they had been taken care of very well. He’d have to wager these kitchen knives initially came from the south blue, as that was the only area he had never been through. Dean had come from the north blue, had sailed through the west blue into the east blue, and from there they had come to the Grand Line. They had only settled here at Sensenbor about two years ago. Dean had never seen this kind of craftsmanship when he had started traveling with the old man about seven or eight years ago. Had it really been that long? “ Sharpening all of these won’t be any trouble. Two hours max. You mind?” Dean motioned to Zoro’s three blades and the swordsman handed him all three sheathed katana. Dean’s blue eyes went wide. “ Holy shit…You’re carrying Wado?! Damn, Gramps would shit his pants if he saw this blade here!” Dean smiled brightly as he unsheathed the blade to look at it and both Zoro and Tamara chuckled at his statement. “ Why don’t you two sit down and relax. I’m almost done shaping the fulcrum of the claymore I’m working on and then I can get to work on those for ya.”
Zoro and Tamara smiled as they sat at the table. Well, that had a good turnaround at least.

Sanji smiled as he looked at the completely full pantry. It had been a while since it was this full and he looked over at the clock. Hopefully Zoro and Tamara would be back soon. Nami had said that they would be staying here at Sensenbor for a week. Well, that would give him and Tamara a chance to go on a couple of dates. After being cooped up on the ship for so long, Sanji was itching to do some walking.
" Hey Sanji! Is it lunch time yet?" Luffy declared as he burst into the kitchen.
Sanji laughed a little. " Yeah, I'll get something going. How does some cold cuts sound? It's pretty hot out today."
" Woohoo! Meat!" Luffy exclaimed and Sanji laughed again. Sometimes the captain was too easy to please.
Sanji went to reach for one of his carving knives and he grabbed open air. " Huh? Oh damn. I forgot, I asked Tamara to take my knives with her." he muttered. " Hey Luffy, did you spot any good restaurants in town? I can't do anything here in the kitchen at the moment."
" Why?" Luffy pouted. His face was set in a petulant scowl and he crossed his arms.
" Mara's got my kitchen knives right now. How about this..." Sanji began as he pulled his jacket back on. "...We'll go back into the market and find the biggest cuts we can get our hands on for dinner and we can get some lunch while we're there. I've got a bit left over from the grocery budget and besides, we can splurge a little tonight."
" Alright! Hey Nami! Robin! Usopp!" Luffy called out as he booked it out of the kitchen.
Definitely too easy to please. Sanji thought with a chuckle as he followed the captain outside.

Dean was uneasy as he watched Tamara and Zoro leave to head back to their ship. There was something nagging incessantly at the back of his mind about her. Something familiar, ridiculously familiar. What ever it was, Dean wasn't all too sure he wanted anything to do with it. He walked into his house when they were out of sight and quietly he made his way to the kitchen. Everything had taken long enough earlier that Tamara had made lunch for the three of them, but Dean was surprised to see that not only was kitchen spotless; it was much cleaner than either himself or Jairo had left it in a long time, but there was a boxed meal waiting for him on the counter.

A soft smile crossed his face. Zoro and Tamara had admitted they were both pirates, but they were unlike any that Dean had ever met before. Dean dug in with gusto, the food still tasted wonderful. " If she's this good a cook, makes me wonder just how good her fiance is." he murmured to himself. Tamara had mentioned that she was going to marry one of the best chef's sailing the seas. " Nonetheless, the bastard certainly bagged himself a keeper." Dean's brow furrowed as he thought over what Tamara had said earlier. That what she needed done would have to wait for the old man to return from his errand. What could it be?
It was probably better not to dwell on that, mused as he began walking towards the shower. His thoughts turned to Tamara once more. She had looked familiar for some reason, even though he was positive that he had never met her before. There was something about her that called to him, not in a romantic way either. His ocean blue eyes turned up to the mirror and Dean looked long and hard at his reflection. Jairo always said he looked like his real parents, though he had never met them before. Who had they been?
It didn't matter now. They were dead and gone. The man he had known as his father had killed the only family he had ever known. Dean couldn't help but wonder if his foster mother was still alive too. He hoped she was. She had been the only mother he had ever known, had been such a sweet, mellow woman.
It didn't stop the tears from coming as he thought of the tragedy that had befallen five years ago however. He missed his home, missed watching the horses as they ran over the fields.
" I swear I'm going to kill that bastard if I ever get my hands on him." Dean hissed.

It was nearly sundown when Tamara and Zoro came back onto the boat and they heard Luffy announce their arrival. What had him so impatient, Tamara wondered. She was confused when she got a scowl from the majority of the crew on deck and she shrugged, feeling completely confused as to what she could have done to earn their ire when everyone had been in such good spirits this morning.
Sanji walked out from the kitchen and Tamara laughed at the dark look on his face. Luffy was right behind him pestering the poor cook to hurry up and start cooking the rest of their meal. " Did you guys find someone?" he grunted.
" Yes we did. Here. Before Luffy really starts in on it. I think I now know why I've had glares shot my way since I got back. It's my fault Luffy's been going bonkers for food." she giggled. Tamara handed Sanji the bundle that carried the tools of his trade and she smiled as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek before hurrying back to the galley. " Hey Nami, a word alone if you don't mind?"
Nami sighed as she got up. " Sure thing Tamara. Thank goodness you two finally got back. What took so long anyway?" she asked as they made their way towards the library.
" Zoro's swords. Did you honestly want me to leave him to his own devices considering how easy it is for him to get lost?" Tamara giggled. She opened the door and she smiled at the sight of all the books. She had added quite a few of her own since she had joined the crew a few months ago.
Nami's face drooped a bit. " Point taken. Why are we coming in here anyway? All of us know that the safe is in here."
Tamara smirked as she slid the bag from her shoulder and she began fumbling a little for the zipper. " Do you want to kiss me now or later?" She asked the navigator as she opened her pack. " Finding a smith wasn't all that I did today in town."

Usopp was currently tinkering with something he was working on for Chopper when Nami's scream carried into the room. He practically jumped out of his seat, and he held his racing heart as her voice continued to shrilly and excitedly proclaim her undying love for Tamara.
" What the hell did I miss?" he mumbled to himself.
" Did you hear that?" Franky asked as he came into the room a moment later.
" Yeah. Don't know what Tamara did to get such a reaction out of Nami." Usopp sighed as he shook his head. " Think it has something to do with money or treasure?" He gave a knowing smirk to Franky and the shipwright laughed.
" Knowing that little miser? Definitely." He chortled. " We might as well head up. You know how Sanji is about meal times." Again Franky snickered. " I'll bet you anything he's got a bunch of pervy thoughts running through his mind about those two right now.
It was Usopp's turn to laugh raucously. " You're probably right." He set his tools down and Usopp stretched as he stood. How long had he been at it? " Might as well go find out what's going on."
The dining room was already full of boisterous activity when Franky and Usopp entered the room. A large roast was the crowning glory of the table, though both their stomachs growled at the sight of the rest of the accompanying feast. Sanji had gone all out tonight.
" What was all that racket about earlier?" Franky asked as he sat down. One look at Tamara made him smile. She was wearing a cocky smile as she rested her feet against the table, thus leaning her chair back. It had been a while since Franky had seen her like this, the last time being was the day before they had left Romoria. He had last seen her smile like that just before she presented Nami with her wedding dress. The confidence that she had then had all but oozed from her. He was glad to see it back, even if it was only temporary.
" Nami found out about the bounty Tamara snagged in town today." Zoro replied with a chuckle. " I was in here when we all heard it. You should have seen the look on fancy brow's face."
One look at Sanji relayed that yes, he had the exact reaction that they had surmised he did. His cheeks were still tinged a bit pink in his embarrassment, and if he didn’t know any better, Franky was sure he could see some dried blood near Sanji’s nostrils that he hadn’t been able to wipe away.
" Come off it already." Sanji grumbled even as he cast a glare at Tamara. She was going to put him into an early grave if she kept that up. He was eating his own supper as he put the finishing touches on the food he was cooking. There wasn’t anyway in hell he was going to let the knowledge of those recipes go to waste, or what they could do for him either. He was barely halfway through this bowl and he was already feeling less tightness where he had been shot.
" It's not our fault you're a perv!" Zoro called out over the din. Again everyone began laughing, and Sanji's brow twitched in his ire.
" What was that moss head?!"
" Looking to pick a fight, you stupid cook?!"
Sanji was getting to retort once more when Tamara shoved a dinner roll into his mouth as she came up beside him to help him finish setting the table. He looked down at it cross eyed until he began chewing to get it out the way. Sanji wasn’t anywhere near through yet!
" Both of you can it! Can we get through one meal without the two of you fighting?" she snarked. While her eyes were casting hellfire and brimstone at both parties, the scowl on her face was all but telling Sanji to let it die.
As much as he loved her, that was a hell no.
" No." came the reply from both parties.
Tamara groaned even as everyone else began laughing once more. So much for one peaceful meal, she grumbled under her breath as she sat down. Ah well, if anything, Sanji and Zoro certainly made it lively.

Tamara stretched lazily the next morning and she yawned tiredly. Almost instantly, she felt Sanji's arm curl around her and he groaned a little bit as he too started waking up. " We can sleep in this morning you realize." She yawned again as she snuggled against him. " It's not like we have anything to do today."
Sanji opened a bleary eye and he smirked. The thoughts that Tamara and Nami had put into his head last night were all he had been able to think and dream about. " I can think of a few things." He purred. He pressed his morning erection against her and Tamara groaned this time. One of his hands slid over her hip and between her thighs to tease her all the more. Sure Chopper had told him not to over do it, but then again, Sanji hadn't been the best at following orders. Not only that, he was feeling much better than he had in the last couple of days.
" Sanji..." Tamara whined as his fingers expertly rolled like ocean waves over her nethers. " I'm not even awake yet."
Sanji chuckled sexily in her ear and he gently nibbled on the outer shell of it a moment later. " Think of this as our morning cardio then."
Before Tamara even had a chance to move, Sanji had her leg up and his fingers moved the crotch of her knickers to the side. Just as quick, he was sheathed inside of her. Shit! When had he even had a chance to free himself?
I’m gonna kick his ass if he hasn’t been okayed by Chopper. She thought numbly as Sanji rolled his hips deliciously, twirling his cock a bit inside her and making her jaw go slack.

Zoro couldn't help but chuckle as Sanji held his head a bit when he walked from the living quarters to the kitchen. Even from here Zoro could see the goose egg that Sanji's fiance had given him. " Got put in the doghouse huh?" He asked knowingly. That had happened enough between him and Nami for him to know.
" Yep." Sanji replied. The hit that Tamara had given him when she found out that Chopper hadn't cleared him for rough physical activity had been worth making love to her that morning. Especially considering that Tamara had pinned him to the mattress and had her way with him after a few minutes. The only reason Chopper would have disclosed that was because he also scolded Sanji for it when the doctor had needed to come and fix his stitches that they had busted. On the same note, there were less this time than there had been when Chopper had stitched up the initial wound. " Worth every minute." He added with a smirk. Sanji wasn't about to feel guilty for expressing his desire for her.
" That's assuming you last longer than three." Zoro scoffed teasingly. He had heard them enough to know that Sanji's stamina was unreal.
" Ask Tamara." Sanji retorted, that same smirk still in place. The two laughed it off and Zoro's head flew forward as something hit him. Nami was standing on the second level glaring at both of them. Tamara must have told her about why Sanji had been hit in the first place." Men will be men, Nami. Don't forget that." Sanji teased her. His gaze grew curious the longer Nami glared at him, obviously waiting for something now. What had she thrown at Zoro? Without warning, something hit him in the back of the head and Sanji began cursing up a storm. Nami had used her cyclone tempo to hit both of them.
" You two are idiots." Nami hissed under her breath. Those two were nothing short of incorrigible.Zoro sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. " Looks like you're not the only one in the doghouse." he groused.
Both men smiled a moment. " Definitely worth the laugh though." They busted out laughing again and Sanji began walking towards the ladder going to the docks. " Where you headed?"
" Just going to stroll around for a bit. That way Tamara has a chance to cool off. I love her, but I didn't realize how hard a kick she's got until I got it upside my head." Sanji was still smiling even as he spoke. His princess was certainly something else.

Tamara sighed as she looked at the dress form before her. This was going to be her magnum opus, the wedding dress that would make her dreams come true. Mr. Harrod must have sensed that she was already working on this, as he had sent along bolts of the finest white silk that he could get his hands on. " When will I get to see you in one of these?" Tamara felt a lump in her throat as she thought of him. She hoped he was well, that he had found another seamstress or tailor to help him while he recovered. She missed Harrod very much, he had been such a constant in her life for the last five years. " Hopefully soon..." she whispered into the empty room. " I promise you, you will get to see me in this dress, Mr. Harrod." There had been another box that Mr. Harrod had sent with her, and it was one that had Tamara perplexed. There had been gemstones inside of it, not pearls of different shapes and sizes as they were wont to use on the dresses they made. What was it that he wanted her to do with these stones? There were gleaming white diamonds, rich green emeralds, bright sparkly peridots, and pale purple amethysts. He had always told her she looked pretty in purple. There were also five spools of golden thread. It was pure, spun gold. Where the hell had he gotten such a thing?
Again, Tamara was confused why he had sent such delicate stones with her. They weren't very large, most were less than a carat and some were cut more like slivers as opposed to gems.
A knock on the craft room door stirred Tamara from her thoughts. " One second!" she called out. She didn't want to chance that it was Sanji coming in and seeing this dress.
" It's just me Tamara." Robin said cordially as she walked in. " Sanji asked me to come get you for lunch. You've been down here for hours."Tamara scowled in annoyance at the mention of her fiance. " I'm gonna kick him in the head again if I look at him." she grumbled. Tamara was none too happy with him and his antics this morning. Oh, she was definitely going to kick him again if she saw him. She adjusted the sheet she had thrown over the form and she huffed out a sigh in her ire.
Men!
" What's under there?" Robin asked curiously. She leaned against the drafting table; Robin had spotted some sketches of designs that the seamstress before her would probably have completed by week’s end. Especially the fetching one that she was glancing out now. She’d have to ask Tamara to make her a matching vest. It looked amazing!
The ire she felt was leaving her as Robin turned her direct line of thought from what had happened and she flicked an imaginary piece of dust from the cover. It was bad enough this project had been gaining as much dust as it had. " Hopefully what will be a dream come true. I've been working on this dress for almost three years now." Tamara said with a soft smile. " Oh! I've got the blanket you asked me to repair done by the way." She walked over to one of the shelves and she pulled it down for Robin to inspect it.
" Thank you. Nami and I were thinking of taking over the library later for a girls night tonight. You game?" Robin asked with a small smile. The poor girl was in desperate need of a girls night like they had had when they had been in Romoria. They had been so happy there, even if Tamara had been hiding her real identity from them at the time.
" Will there be alcohol involved?" Tamara asked with a smirk.
" You'd better believe it." Robin laughed. " We haven't had a chance to have that much girl time over the last week. I figured that this would be a good way for the three of us to unwind without the boys pestering us all the time as they have been for the last couple days."
" Sounds good. I could probably use a night with just the three of us." Tamara replied with a broad smile. " I'll whip up a couple of futons real quick for us and we'll make a night of it."
Robin returned the smile. " We'll be waiting then."

Sanji was a bit surprised when he didn't see Tamara in their room a few hours later. She had made a brief appearance for supper at least, but had shot out the door just as fast. Curious, he walked from their bedroom to the one Zoro and Nami shared. He rapped his knuckles against the door and he heard a slight thud to answer it. Well, by the sound of things, he had woken Zoro up.
Again.
The door opened to reveal a bleary eyed swordsman and he gave a big yawn. " What?"
" Have you seen the girls? Tamara's not in bed by now and come to think of it, I haven't seen Robin or Nami." Sanji asked. He was trying to rack his brain on where they could be.
" Beats me." Zoro replied tiredly. " I'm going back to sleep if you're done." His eyes were already drooping the longer he was standing in the door.
Sanji rolled his eyes and he walked away. Well, scratch that thought. Might as well just head up to the crow's nest for a bit. I can't sleep right now, and on top of that I have no clue where the girl's are. Sanji thought morosely as he turned back towards his room. Well, he could probably dress down for this anyway.

“ For the love of all that is good and holy, do not make me say it again.” Tamara squealed, utterly embarrassed, and she buried her face in her hands.
Nami and Robin were both howling with laughter against their futons. Both had tears of mirth streaming down their cheeks and Robin was clutching her sides as she struggled to stay upright. “ You just seriously hit that on the head!” Nami wheezed as another wave of giggles bubbled forth. She fell backwards, barely able to breathe she was laughing so hard, and she rolled against the futon. “ You just...HAHAHAHAHA!!! And the face you...HEHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHA!!!”
In a moment of alcohol induced brilliance, the girls had decided to to imitations of the guys. Tamara had just asked Robin to see her panties while speaking like Brook. Even the face she had made would have probably been spot on if the skeleton were still alive.
“ Franky next!” Robin called out, her eyes wide in excitement. “ One of you two has to do Franky next!”
“ OH! I’ve got this one!” Nami said with a bright smile on her face. She quickly popped up to her feet and she mimed tipping up a pair of sunglasses. A second later she was popping his iconic pose. “ A man should always resolutely drink every last drop of his beer. Yow!” Suddenly she smirked, though Robin and Tamara were already laughing. Her voice had almost been spot on. Nami then threw both hands between her legs as if she were clutching something. “ Let go! Let go! I can’t stop my tears because of the pain!” Robin’s eyes went wide in remembrance as she started laughing all the more, though Tamara was puzzled beyond belief. “ Oh my god.” Robin laughed. “ You seriously just did not!”
“ Oh I did. Remember that Robin?” Nami teased.
“ What was that about?” Tamara asked in confusion. Robin was still laughing to hard too be able to get a straight answer out of her. She took a sip of her drink and she grunted a little at the burn of the alcohol as it went down. “ Oh that hits the spot.”
“ Let’s just say that Robin got a little touchy feely with Franky in an effort to convince him to join the crew.” Nami replied. She had a sly look on her face even as Robin blushed brightly. She couldn’t keep herself from laughing as a look of realization dawn on Tamara’s face and the seamstress soon doubled over howling in both laughter and pain. Her sides felt as if they were going to split. “ My work here is done.”
“ I wasn’t kidding when I said I had a treasure in my hands.” Robin purred with a wink. This only served to lengthen Tamara’s peels of laughter.
A knock at the library door quieted all three. They hadn’t told anyone they were going to be here for the night. The door opened a minute later to reveal Franky. “ Sorry to bother you ladies but…” he began, though all three of them looked as if they were trying to keep from laughing. Even Robin’s lower lip was trembling and a small snort escaped her. What the hell had just happened in here? “...ooookay. Has anyone seen Sanji? Usopp and I are trying to fix one of the pumps in the engine room and he was the only one besides Tamara not slated for watch tonight. We really need the two of you to take over for us while we get this fixed. We’ll take over the minute we’re done however.”“ Damn.” she groused. Duty called. Well, now that she had had a chance to cool her ire, it would be a little more bearable. “ He’s not in bed?”
Franky shook his head. “ There aren’t many places that he would be in all honesty.” he said knowingly. He wasn’t in bed, here in the library, or in the kitchen. “ Keep looking. If you find him, please tell him that I’ll meet him up in the crow’s nest then.” Tamara’s brow furrowed in annoyance. Now she had to get a raincheck on the girls night they had been having.
“ It’s fine, Tam.” Nami said with a smile, divining her friend’s thoughts almost immediately. “ We’ll clean up in here and try to reschedule for another night. Sound good?”
Tamara nodded and she walked out of the library. It was a quick climb up the rigging, the night was fairly cool and still. She'd love to just perch on top of the roof for a bit to watch the stars. She opened the hatch to climb up further and Tamara paused her movements.
Sanji was already here.
Her eyes couldn't stop watching him as his leg flew out towards an invisible opponent, and Tamara couldn't keep herself from licking her lips. He was shirtless for the moment, dressed in a loose fitting pair of shorts that showed off his long, lean legs to her appreciative eye. He was honestly the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on, his body was the perfect mix of strength and speed. Tamara knew how unreal Sanji's strength had become in the last five years since she had left Baratie.She had witnessed it first hand just a few days ago when he had moved faster than the blink of an eye to protect her." Are you just going to stay there on the ladder?" Sanji teased, though he had not missed a beat as he kept moving.
" I'm not adverse to the idea. You shouldn't be moving around like that too much, you know." Tamara replied. She could tell he had been at this a while thanks to the fine sheen his skin had. It made her think of all the times she had made him that sweaty too. Dammit, now is not the time to be having such lusty musings. she thought, mentally scolded herself. Not that she could help it though, Sanji was a wonderful and attentive lover who liked to give one hundred and ten percent with a gorgeous fucking body.
" You know as well as I do this isn't all that strenuous on me." Sanji chuckled. He paused his movements to help Tamara up fully into the room and he pulled her in close to kiss her.
" I'm still upset about this morning." she grumped a little. Tamara was more upset with herself than him for busting his stitches when she had gotten a little rough.
" I'll be fine." Sanji said with a smile. Besides, he liked it when she took what she wanted every now and again. He cupped Tamara's cheek affectionately and she nuzzled his palm. " Did you have any plans for tomorrow?"
Tamara shook her head. " No. I checked over the sails today and they look great, and anything else that needed to be done is complete. I'm going to see if Nami will let me pick up some leather while we're here. I came across a nice little shop that sells it and it's top notch. I'm thinking of a little bit of a wardrobe change while we're traveling."
" Care to drop any hints? You know I'll love whatever you choose of course." Sanji purred flirtatiously. Tamara laughed and she gave him a gentle squeeze. He was so full of life it was hard to imagine that he was still injured.
" Nope. You get to be surprised with the rest of them." she replied. She stood on tiptoe to give him a quick kiss and Sanji hummed happily at the contact.
" Does that mean I'm forgiven?" he asked her playfully.
" Not by a long shot, but you're getting there. Just don't go pulling another stunt like you did this morning and I'm sure you'll be in the clear soon enough." Tamara replied. She pulled away from him and Sanji pulled his shirt back on after a moment. " I wonder how everyone's doing..."
" On Baratie?" Sanji asked her. Tamara nodded and he smiled. " I'm sure they're fine. I miss them too."
" Do you think this will ever end? All this needless violence I mean. I'm still trying to rack my brain as to why Magnus would do such a thing..." The melancholy in her voice pulled at his heart and Sanji sighed heavily as he grabbed a cigarette. " I don't even know if Aden is still here on Sensenbor Island. It's been five years since he was sent here. What if he left, and I have no clues to his whereabouts?"
" I know it will someday, Tamara. As for Aden, we'll find out for sure when that smith gets back into town. His apprentice said he was only going to be gone for a day or two right? Maybe he'll be back tomorrow and you can find out." Sanji offered.
Tamara nodded once again, clearly wrapped up in her thoughts. Sanji couldn't blame her. He knew how heavily everything had been weighing on her since she had decrypted that hidden message from her father. " I've been meaning to ask you for a while now...I know you and Zoro have been helping me, but there's something I want to learn. Can you teach me the Skywalk? I want every edge possible when it comes to Magnus."
Sanji chuckled a little. " You're going to have to get faster before you can do that, but I can teach you." he replied. Sanji knew Tamara could do it, she had been so driven to get stronger lately.
He had the utmost belief that when the time came, Tamara was going to beat Magnus, devil fruit powers and all.

The sound of metal against metal was like music to his ears. It meant Dean was still hard at work. Good. At least the boy had kept busy like he had promised for the few days he had been gone. Jairo walked up to the forge with a small smile on his face. " Oi, did you get that sword done yet?" he asked as he looked over to his apprentice.
The young man looked up from his work in surprise, though a smile split across his face. " Gramps! I wasn't expecting you back until tomorrow!" Dean exclaimed happily. " By the way, a young woman came looking for you a couple of days ago."
Jairo smirked. " Oh really now? Did she say why?"
Dean shook his head. " No. Only that she was sure that she was going to need your skills for whatever it was she needed." the young man replied. " The claymore is over on the rack, I got a head start on something else though."
Jairo walked over to the forge and his brow quirked in curiosity. " Are you sure about this Dean? I thought you never wanted to work on that sword again."
" You said this blade belonged to my father. I can't explain why, but I felt the urge to fix it after she came here. She's Denebran, I know that much." Dean replied. An ornate blade that had been visibly broken in three pieces was currently sitting on the anvil, and the cracks in the blade were slowly disappearing every time the hammer came down. It felt as if pieces of him were healing every time he brought the tool down on the red hot metal, felt as it he were reforging his spirit at the same time as the shattered blade. " She cooked up some lunch for us the other day, all of my favorites...It was as if she knew some how." Again the thought of how familiar she was came to mind. Why did he feel as if he knew her? Those eyes...Those eyes were so hauntingly familiar.
Jairo was all the more curious now. Dean would know if she were Denebran as he came from the same country. Who was this young woman who hailed from the north blue? " Do you know what ship she's on?" He asked. Dean shook his head. " Should be easy enough to find them though. They're part of the Strawhat crew." He replied nonchalantly.Jairo laughed loudly as he took his seat at the table. Dean hated pirates with a passion, yet now he was willing to help some? Just who was this girl so he could shake her hand? " They're that personable for a bunch of pirates, hm?"
" The girl that came by a couple days ago is at least. Didn't care too much for the other guy. Something about his was rubbing me wrong I guess." Dean laughed as he rubbed back of his neck and he looked towards the town. " Honestly though, I can't explain it but the young woman that was here seemed so familiar to me...I would remember a pair of eyes like that without a doubt." Dean began hammering away at the sword again with relish and he smiled to himself. This sword was practically telling him it was time for it to be whole again. He was ready to be whole again too. Even if that meant never seeing the old man again.
" Do you remember what I told you Dean?" Jario's voice was contemplative behind him as he carried on in his work.
" The day I finished this sword, I would no longer be your apprentice." Dean replied softly. " I know...It's time." He plunged the sword into the water and he looked it over. Dean was finally ready.

Sanji and Tamara were walking arm in arm as they strolled through the marketplace again and the two were borderline giddy as they talked in hushed tones. Sanji was taking great delight in the bright smile on Tamara's face, beside the fact that he had such a breathtaking woman on his arm. He had felt some men shoot him jealous glares, but Sanji paid them no mind. After all, they had every right to be jealous.
Tamara pulled Sanji towards the forest and he followed with a slight roll of his eyes. " Do we have to get right to business? I was hoping we could have had a date." He grumbled petulantly. Why did women always have to do things the roundabout way? He paused a moment, forcing Tamara to stop and he pulled her flush against him. " I daresay there's a couple of places just waiting for us too..."" Who says we can't? It might take a couple days for what I need done anyway." Tamara purred consolingly. " It'll be smarter in the long run to do this first and then we can do whatever the hell we please from there." She stroked his chin as she spoke knowing full well the effect it was having on Sanji. Hell, she could feel his arousal pressing into her hip the longer he had her nestled against him. Sanji thought that over for a second and he gave her a small grin. " Okay then. Let's get this done and over with." Besides, he could hear the sounds of a waterfall to the left of them. Maybe he could convince her to go skinny dipping for a bit.Tamara smiled and she gave him a sensuous kiss for the concession. She knew Chopper had given him the okay for his regular activity earlier as Sanji was a fast healer. She wondered what his secret was, as he hadn't been eating the same thing as the rest of the crew at meal times for the last couple of days. No...There is no way in hell that a man like Sanji would ever go there. Tamara thought absently. " Thanks hun. I promise we won't be long."

Jairo was smoking his pipe when he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching. " I'll be right back Dean." He said nonchalantly. The old man grunted as he got to his feet, mumbling a curse about old age, and Jairo made his way to the front. Sure enough, there was a couple coming towards the cottage. " You two didn't get lost did you?"
" No sir, we didn't." Tamara replied as she came to a stop in front of the old man. He hadn't really aged much since the last time she had seen him. That had been seven, almost eight years ago." What's your business here then?" Jairo grumped. These two looked like they belonged somewhere else entirely then near his forge. There was something familiar about the young woman however. Jairo's brow furrowed a little as he kept staring intently at her face. She had been in the paper with Old Grigori. Hadn't he just seen that old coot a year or two ago when the tailor had come here on vacation? The two of them had been friends for decades, stemming from when they had both lived in Denebra. Wasn't she his employee? Jairo was sure of it as he kept mulling it over. She even had the scar Harrod had mentioned his protege had. " Aren't you Genevieve Cygne? The renowned dressmaker working at Harrod's in Romoria?"
Tamara smirked. Oh this man was going to have a heart attack she was sure. Maybe they should have brought Chopper with them. " I need to get my sword reforged. It was broken in a fight five years ago. I was referred to you by a couple of smiths in town." She replied, completely skirting around his question as she drew the box holding the shards of her blade from her pack.
" Why would a seamstress have need of a sword, or one as delicate as you need to fight to begin with?" Jairo pressed intently. That drew a derisive snort from Sanji and the old smith shot the young man a scowl. The nerve of that boy! He leveled his gaze on Tamara though he took the box from her. She again hadn't answered. " Speak up girl. I don't have time for games."
" You'll get your answers if you open the box, sir." Tamara replied cryptically, though her gaze had not left his. There was something hauntingly, and saddeningly familiar about those eyes of hers.
Funny, hadn’t Dean mentioned a girl like that just earlier when he had gotten back?Jairo grunted as he looked at the box in his hands and he shook his head as he opened it. Pushing away the fine blue velvet, Jairo's eyes went wide at the sight before him. He knew this blade, hell he had crafted it himself! His head snapped up to look at Tamara again and he saw tears shining in her ocean blue orbs as recognition dawned on him. Of course her eyes would look so familiar. She had her grandmother's eyes, though the girl before him favored her mother in looks. " You were presumed dead..." he whispered as he closed the box. " It was thought that you had died the night the Golden Swan was attacked." He had read every article about the decimation of the Leonias royal line. Jairo set the box down with shaking hands and he walked over to Tamara. Wordlessly, the old man pulled her into a hug. " I haven't seen you in the last seven years. You have no idea much of a relief it is to know you're alive." He whispered emotionally.
Tamara returned the hug and she wiped away her tears. " Can you fix her?"
Jairo scoffed at the question. " Without a doubt. Please tell me that blood belonged to who I think it did." He asked as he took the box in hand.
" Most of it is his. There's something else I need to ask you Jairo. Do you know where I can find Aden? My parents wrote me a letter telling me that he's still alive and that he's here on Sensenbor Island." Tamara asked in return. The look on her face was one of sheer trepidation, though the young man beside her looked unfazed at a first glance. Behind the cigarette he was smoking, Jairo could see that same nervousness.
Jairo smiled. Of all the questions she had to ask, it would be of her brother. “ I can’t really say right now. But you can rest assured he is safe. However, he doesn’t honestly know the truth, though I’m at a loss as to how you found out, princess.”
“ My parents told me in their last letter. They told me I could find him here. It’s imperative that I find him as soon as possible, Jairo. Just as important for me getting the blade reforged.” Tamara said, worry evident in her tone.
Jairo nodded. “ All in good time. I promise you, Aden is more than safe. I’ll take you to him as soon as we get your blade repaired. For now, both of you need to head on off. It’ll take two or three days for us to get this done and done right. I’ll have Dean bring it by when it’s finished.” Jairo replied in an attempt to reach a compromise. In all honesty, he didn’t want Dean sidetracked from what he was doing right now.
With a heavy swallow, Tamara nodded. “ Okay. Thank you Jairo. I can’t wait to hold that sword in my hand again.” She looked at the box in his hands nervously. It would be the first time in five years that she had parted with the broken blade. If all went well, she’d have it back; whole once more, in her hand before they left.
Jairo’s face was grim as he watched Sanji gently steer Tamara back the way they had come from. He was fairly certain Dean wouldn’t know who this blade belonged to now, but he would damn well know it was made by Jairo’s very hand. If anything, he could always say it was a recreation made to look like his work. There was plenty of them out there.
Jairo as determined that the boy not find out before it was time, his hand was more than likely about to be forced.
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The Chef's Princess