[b]Strawbella Parfait[/b]

"You are... A very precocious young lady, I shall grant you that." Strawbella smiled at Rita as she took another sip, trying her best not to get flustered. It was embarrassing enough that she was saying such things about a pure lady such as herself, but the fact that such things were coming from a child was just... She wasn't sure how to take it, really. So she just smiled and went along with it for now.

As for the other child... She couldn't help but admire Mushuro's spirit. The way he so passionately spoke about his dreams, and what it meant to be a pirate...

...Oh, pirates. A pirate had taken everything from her, but... That didn't mean they were all bad people. Even she had heard the tales of the legendary Pirate King Luffy, a man possessed of great honour and compassion. The legends stated that he was twenty meters tall, breathed fire and shot lasers from his eyes... That he lead an army of a thousand pirates including the master swordsman Roronoa Zoro, who fought using the fabled twelve sword style... And Nami, who legends told could control the very weather. And who could forget the most dreaded pirate of them all, the mighty Sogeking, who swore allegience to the pirate king after Luffy defeated his crew of one million giant, invulnerable, completely invisible pirates? And...

...Not all pirates were like her stepmother. She realised this. And Mushuro definitely seemed more like one of the legendary Strawhats than something like her. Maybe... Maybe it would be a good idea to tag along with him for now. Who knows, he did say he was headed to the Grand Line... Maybe, just maybe...

"Ah, the life of a pirate sounds most wonderful, Mushuro of the Hattori Clan," she said, clapping her hands together and smiling warmly at the young ninja. "It must be so exciting to sail off to foreign, exotic lands, too..."

And then opportunity knocked once more, as another man approached them. She couldn't help but giggle playfully as Hawk called her "madam".

"Oh my, I am much too young to be called "madam", good sir... I would much rather prefer to simply be known as Strawbella to you all, to be perfectly honest." With another sip of her tea, she nodded and smiled as yet another newcomer showed up, offering his boat for usage. "Well, I have no ship, but I am sure a group of privateers would be in need of an accomplished chef. I do not wish to boast, but I am rather skilled in the culinary arts, and would be most welcome to the idea in exchange for..." She hesitated for a moment. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to tell them just what she'd like in exchange just yet. They seemed like nice people, but she wasn't entirely sure she could trust them just yet. "...In exchange for a chance to see the world. I have heard that the Grand Line is a truly marvelous place... I have always wished to see the many wonders that lay upon it."

It wasn't a complete lie. She [i]had[/i] always wished to see the world outside of her life as an aristocrat, after all... Hopefully it was convincing enough.