Nami Mere followed the wizard elder of her academy into the hall, her presence commanding an immediate, heavy silence. She didn't seem to care; her sharp eyes were already scanning the room for her seat. Unlike the long, rectangular communal tables of the other academies, she found her name placed at a large, elegant round table.
"Sit here, and they will serve you," the elder whispered. "The teachers' banquet is on the other side of the hall. Call me on the snail if you need anything."
"Okay, Teach," Nami nodded.
She sat down, but she didn't just wait for food. Spotting a stack of neatly arranged newspapers in the corner of the hall, she rose with effortless grace. Every eye in the room followed her as she strode across the floor, grabbed a paper, and returned to her seat. She was completely unbothered by the hundreds of stares; to Nami, the news of the world was far more interesting than the local audience.
Back in the kitchen, Sanji jolted awake on a medical cot, shaking his head. "What... what did I see? Angels? Wait—the food! I have to serve the food!" He scrambled out of bed and sprinted back to the line.
Zeff let out a gruff snort. "Oh, look who decided to stop sleeping while we're actually working."
"Cut it, old man! Just give me the cart!" Sanji snapped.
"You're just going to pass out again, you brat," Zeff warned, but he handed over the cart.
"Ha! That was a sight to behold! Angels were coming for me!" Sanji declared, his chest high. He grabbed a cart piled with steaming dishes and rushed into the dining hall. As he stepped out, his eyes began to glow with hearts. His nose began to twitch. Control... control yourself... He tried to look away from the crowd, but then he saw her—a goddess reading a newspaper in the corner.
Sanji was stunned. His legs nearly gave out, but he forced himself forward. With a bleeding nose and a determined look, he skidded the cart toward her table. He dropped to one knee, gently taking Nami's hand in his.
"It is a blessing to witness a goddess today," Sanji swooned. "Fate has given us this moment, my lady. Would you spend some time with me?"
Nami froze, staring down at the blond man in the black suit who was currently kneeling and holding her hand like a knight. Before she could find her voice, a roar of protest erupted from across the room.
"Get your hands off her, you curly-eyebrowed freak!" Mineta screamed, standing on a table. Dozens of other boys joined in the shouting.
Sanji didn't even look back. "Shut up, you purple balls! Can't you see I'm serving a goddess?"
BANG!
Zeff appeared out of nowhere, his leg connecting with Sanji's ribs and sending the blond chef flying across the hall. "Hahaha! Sorry about the kid," Zeff laughed, setting the food down on Nami's table with a practiced hand. "He has some... mental problems. Please, enjoy your dinner."
"Oh... thank you," Nami managed to say, watching as Zeff dragged Sanji's limp body across the floor by his collar.
With the "murder scene" over, the hall began to settle again. Then, a beautiful woman in a light green dress and a yellow jacket walked in, radiating a porcelain-like kindness. Beside her was a small, cute reindeer wearing a round hat. This was Kaya and Tony Tony Chopper from the Doctrine Academy.
Chopper was so small he couldn't see over the tables. "I'm hungry! Where do we sit?" He suddenly grunted, transforming into his "Heavy Point" human form. Now towering at over seven feet, he scanned the room until he spotted the round table in the corner. "Hey, Kaya! There are seats!"
He shrunk back into his cute, small form as they approached Nami. "Hello," Kaya said softly. "I'm Kaya, and this is Chopper. We're from the Doctrine Academy."
Chopper gave a determined nod. "Nice to meet you!"
"I'm Nami, from Meteorology," Nami replied, smiling at the duo.
As they sat down, a blue-haired girl in a flowing pink dress approached the entrance. Every step she took was the definition of royal elegance.
"Vivi?" a voice called out from behind her.
Vivi turned to see her childhood friend, Shirahoshi. The two girls ran toward each other and hugged tightly. "Shirahoshi! You're here too?"
"Father gave me a mission and sent Tiger and Jinbei with me," Shirahoshi explained excitedly.
"What a coincidence! My father gave me a mission as well, and sent my guardians," Vivi replied. "Let's go in together!"
Side by side, the two princesses walked into the hall. The chatter died down instantly. The sight of the blue-haired princess and the towering, pink-haired beauty of the fishman island caused the room to fall into a deep, stunned silence for the third time that night..
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To be continued