Chapter Text
There was a new rumour going around.
And Crocodile fucking hated it.
The fact that pirates, marines and ordinary people alike believed it made Crocodile’s skin blister and his blood boil. He knew that it had started off as a joke by some no-name newspaper, but then Morgan- the feathery bastard- picked it up and somehow made it front page news. It didn’t help that only a few days later, the root of Crocodile’s troubles actually arrived at Impel Down and broke him out.
Crocodile's face wasn't an overly expressive one, often somewhere on the scale of apathy to disdain. But recently, he'd found himself with brows furrowed and eyes stormy, teeth grinding his cigar. So unaccustomed to this level of work, the beginnings of a headache told Crocodile that he was tensing his jaw too often. Even now, Crocodile stood apart from the others on the ship, resisting the urge to massage his temples.
How in the flying fuck , did these idiots believe that he was Monkey D. Luffy’s biological mother?
It didn’t even make sense!
Crocodile was a man and had been a man all his life. All it took was one stray comment from Ivankov and everything about him was being called into question. The next time the fishnet wearing freak walked past him, he’d need to have a strong word with him. Especially concerning that .
Crocodile took a deep breath of his cigar, basking in the familiar warmth that had been stripped of him in Impel Down. If he was being honest, the worst part about that place was having to give up his favourite cigars and coat. As he breathed out, Crocodile was reminded of Jimbe who was in the cell next to him. They had never spoken more than a word to each other before their imprisonment and it certainly didn't start then. But the Fishman didn't need words to radiate his dislike of Crocodile through the bars. Crocodile took a deep breath of his cigar again. Scratch that, the worst part about his short tenure as a prisoner was definitely the company.
The fishman was a poor sport, though he seemed to find the new rumours very funny. Crocodile and Jimbe’s relationship had always been rocky, but Jimbe seemed to be enjoying Crocodile’s annoyance a bit too much. In fact, his blasé manner about the rumours served to empower lesser men to enquire about it. It had only been a handful of days and yet he had gotten many annoying questions from his fellow escapees.
Crocodile had managed to scare them all off with a glare, but the most awkward encounter by far was when Mugiwara himself brought it up. Considering the boy’s inherent ability to annoy Crocodile (and be clueless to the world around him), it was no surprise that the brat snickered when he found out. Any one of the prisoners could have told him, since it seemed that they all know anyway!
Personally, Crocodile suspected it was the clown.
“You could never be my mom!” Mugiwara cackled as he walked away.
Crocodile whole-heartedly agreed but the sympathetic glances and coos were less bearable. Crocodile took another deep huff of his cigar. They had better things to worry about then the latest gossip.
He gazed at the blue sky over his head. It had been a while since he had last seen it. The salty air in his face and the familiar feeling of a ship beneath his boots brought back many memories. His golden hook gleamed, having undergone a quick polish in Crocodile's spare time, though he knew that it was about to be bloodied soon.
Ahead of their ship, marines stretched as far as the eye could see, along with just as many pirates. Crocodile couldn't be bothered with the rabble and his eyes scanned for the man he was most eager to see; Whitebeard.
********
It is by some ironic coincidence that Crocodile is the closest to Fire Fist Ace when the execution finally comes. He sees the blades start to swing down and he knows that it is up to him whether or not this boy lives or dies.
Whitebeard was a disappointment. He had weakened so much that Crocodile was almost certain that he would die in this battle. Only his name held strength and after this, no doubt the Whitebeard pirates would be permanently weakened. There wouldn’t be a point for Crocodile to fight him. Crocodile knew that it wouldn’t give him the satisfaction he wanted when he won. His interest in staying in the war was waning, but as his interest waned, the passion of his fellow pirates grew.
Crocodile had never met Fire-fist before, but he heard that he was Mugiwara’s older brother. No doubt that brat would be broken if he died. Crocodile had seen Mugiwara’s attachment to his crewmates and nakama in Alabasta. It would break him to see his brother executed before his very eyes.
Crocodile’s felt his face wire into a scowl again. All this drama and death, just for the World Government to make a point.
Tch. Crocodile started to dissolve into sand.
Well fuck the World Government and fuck the marines. He'd had enough of being their dog.
Crocodile morphed into two thin sheets of sand with razor sharpness, thrusting upwards. He cut through timber, steel and flesh. Distantly Mugiwara was screaming his brother’s name.
He hears Sengoku’s befuddlement and that almost makes Crocodile smirk. But as he rematerializes amongst the marines, he understands that he has permanently destroyed any chance of being a Warlord again. Crocodile can't really find it within himself to care. The Marines pride themselves on their justice, yet Crocodile knows better than anyone how blind their justice can be.
It was because of the Marines that he was able to rule Alabasta for so long. And it was because of pirates that he had been imprisoned. The irony made Crocodile's lips curl. After all the years he tolerated the World Government and snuck around them, maybe it was time to finally take his pound of flesh.
Crocodile stands there, amidst the confusion and the failure of the Marines, and he glares at Sengoku. He needs to keep his guard up. There are many dangerous figures on the field and-
“AUNTIE!?”
Crocodile’s thoughts screech to a halt. As does everything around him.
Fire-fist’s mouth is still wide open from his previous outburst. Everyone on the field is caught between looking at Ace, to Crocodile, to Mugiwara.
Crocodile's face goes red hot, “I’m not your fucking auntie brat!”
“Uncle then?” Ace tries again. There’s a shadow of a smirk indicating that the brat knows exactly what he’s doing.
Before anyone can move, Crocodile is unleashing his devil fruit and dissolving into a sandstorm, ripping moisture from skin and tearing upwards. The stone of the executioner's block gets sanded into pebbles until Crocodile is face to face with fire-fist Ace.
And he decks him. He punches him so hard that the chains that hold Ace tighten and force him to ricochet back into Crocodile’s fist. At least it wasn’t the arm with the hook.
Gasps of horror, outrage and confusion echo around him and Sengoku finally makes his move, telling everyone to fire at Crocodile. Crocodile quickly glances down at his charge and studies the chains. They’re seastone and he can’t touch them unless he wants to be filled with holes. They need to be unlocked with a key. A key he does not have.
Mugiwara is moving again, a new urgency to his movements as he and his allies realize that the fight isn’t over.
“Don’t get in my way,” Crocodile sneers at Ace, before turning into sand and blocking the bullets. The boy is looking up at him with wide eyes and Crocodile hates how he knows exactly what is going through his mind.
Jumping down to get rid of the marines firing at them, Crocodile runs into another problem. A pink, feathery and annoying problem to be more exact. Crocodile turns to sand just in time for Doflamingo’s strings to go slicing through his neck, decapitating him.
“Crocodile!” many think that this is the end, but Crocodile is unperturbed and he builds his head back on.
Doflamingo is stalking towards him, visibly pissed off at Crocodile's chosen loyalties.
“I guess the rumours are true then,” Doflamingo sniggers, “You are a mother.”
Crocodile doesn’t even bother responding and starts his attack. Birds seemed to be getting on his nerves a lot lately. He’ll have to deal with this problem while waiting for the rest of the pirates to show up. At the very least, Crocodile knows they have ample time. Sengoku won’t execute Ace straight away, he still wants it to be a spectacle and he’ll try and regain as much control as he can before he tries to kill Fire-fist again.
Crocodile dodged another kick from Doflamingo, dissolving into sand and rushing at him. Crocodile loathed to admit it, but his time ruling Alabasta was akin to a fat cat basking in the sun. He had gotten lazier and it took Impel Down to sharpen himself. In the meantime, Doflamingo had always been a powerful menace that Crocodile never intended to face head on. At least not yet. Whitebeard had better tell his crew to get a move on!
Doflamingo hadn't stopped chattering about Crocodile’s unfortunate family situation and as long as Crocodile fought against him, he was forced to listen to it.
“Now I understand why you didn’t want to team up,” Doflamingo teased, “It’s your baby boy calling the shots!”
Doflamingo continues, “I always thought you were pretty!”
And continues, “You seem so adamant that you’re a man. Why don’t we go somewhere private and you can prove it to me?”
Crocodile’s attacks start to get more and more vicious as his anger and frustration builds. He knows that Doflamingo is doing this to get a rise out of him. He also knows that Doflamingo is saying this because he has a twisted sense of humour and thinks it very funny. Ironically, it gives Crocodile some sort of relief that at least Doflamingo doesn't take the rumours seriously.
Crocodile attacks again, using his hook to land a blow on Doflamingo’s face. He raises his arm in the air and means to bring it down when he realises it’s stuck. Doflamingo wiggles his fingers and Crocodile quickly turns to sand to escape the man’s strings. It’s an annoying ability. So far, none of the strings have been infused with haki, so he has been able to escape them but it is only a matter of time before Doflamingo gets bored of their dancing.
They’ve migrated a little from Fire-fist and Crocodile is distracted when people start screaming and shouting again. It appears that Sengoku is about to join the fight, starting with Ace’s execution.
Doflamingo notices Crocodile’s distraction and slices him across the chest. Crocodile dodges just in time but is too late to notice another string zipping straight towards his neck. This one, he can sense, will be able to draw blood. Crocodile shifts his head and neck so it is out of line of the string, but he is too slow and it feels a sharp line of pain.
It is shallow but blood still trickles down his chest. His suit is ruined. Damn.
He lands opposite Doflamingo whose smile has turned upside down, “You know, I wasn’t kidding when I said we could team up.”
Crocodile raised an eyebrow, “You don’t seem to be much of a team player.”
“Oh?”
Crocodile gestured to his strings, “Don’t pretend that you’re not just playing around. You don’t really care about the World Government.”
The bird grinned, “And you care about the boy?”
Crocodile didn’t bother asking about which boy Doflamingo was talking about. “I don’t” he huffed, “I just don’t want the World Government to win.”
Doflamingo laughed and wiggled his fingers. Crocodile tensed, ready for the strings to come back, but Doflamingo only chuckled and turned around. He shook his hands free from any strings he used and shrugged at the air.
“I’m bored already! Come find me when you’re ready to accept my proposal!”
Crocodile watched him go. Doflamingo was one nihilistic bastard who didn’t care about the World Government or the pirates he was facing off against. True to his words, it did seem that the Warlord had gotten bored. Crocodile filed away Doflamingo’s offer and returned his attention to Fire-fist and Mugiwara.
Mugiwara is quickly approaching, allies pushing him forward with every step. It seems that everyone on the battlefield is placing their bets on the rubber man, and Crocodile has no choice but to join them.
Rescuing Fire-fist will be the biggest loss that the World Government has seen in years, especially since it was so highly publicised. The shame and humiliation will follow them for years and their failure will be reported on for months. That fact alone makes satisfaction curl up in Crocodile’s belly. All he had to do was ensure that Mugiwara made it to his brother.
As ordered, Mr. 1 is close to Mugiwara and is keeping an eye on him. While the rubber man was strong, his single-minded determination to get his brother left him open to many other attacks. So far they had been easily managed, but Crocodile spots a familiar sword and curses as he begins to speed up.
Mr 1. Is an accomplished fighter, but Crocodile knows he is no match for Mihawk. The Warlord looks prim and proper, even on the battlefield, and is taking down pirates like they’re nothing more than flies. Crocodile inwardly rolls his eyes at the weakness of the marines. They had to bend so low as to side with pirates to get the job done.
Crocodile is almost there when Mr. 1 gets struck down, taking a powerful blow meant for Mugiwara. Crocodile moves quickly and is blocking the next blow with his hook in a second. He sees Mihawk’s eyes widen, obviously not expecting Crocodile to be free from Doflamingo so quickly.
Honestly, that’s why you should never trust a pirate.
Mugiwara is behind him and Crocodile is painfully aware that he has stopped running. Crocodile turns around and glares down at him, “I don’t need you here Mugiwara. Get going.”
Mugiwara’s eyes are fierce as he glares right back at him, “You know…”
The boy stares at him for a while longer as if he is making up his mind about something.
“You know, you could be my mom after all.”
Even Mihawk falters and Crocodile pushes him back to yell at Mugiwara but the boy is already running away.
“Damn idiots!” Crocodile curses under his breath. He feels heat on his cheeks from frustration. It has been a trying few days and not even his favourite cigars could ease the mortification of it all.
“Sir Crocodile…” Mr. 1 wheezes from the ground, “I’m so happy for you!”
“Me too!,” a nameless pirate buts in, “You haven’t been the best parent but I’m sure you guys can work on it.”
A mixture of pirates and marines are commenting on his mended relationship with his ‘son’ and Crocodile is a grain away from turning into a sandstorm and killing everyone in the vicinity.
A few steps in front of him is Mihawk who seems a little uncertain of what just happened. Crocodile knew the swordsman to be an intelligent man so he must find it just as ridiculous as he does. And yet Mihawk is shares his input with his same stern gaze, “I did think it was strange of you to be here.” There was a note of disapproval in his voice, as if it was Crocodile’s fault that all this was happening.
Crocodile relaunches his attack, “I’m not his damn mother, you idiot!”
Mihawk readies his sword, focus returning to the fight, “It does not matter. Gol. D Ace will not leave here alive.”
And they began to fight again. Like Doflamingo, Crocodile can sense that Mihawk is not giving it his all. The other man doesn’t seem to care much for the Marines cause and is more focused on stalling Crocodile then defeating him.
They’re at a stand-still when Mihawk looks over Crocodile’s shoulder and frowns. He lowers his sword, somehow confident (or distracted) enough that Crocodile won’t take advantage of it. Crocodile can’t help but follow his gaze.
Boa Hancock is running towards them, a pretty grin on her face. Crocodile didn’t know much about Hancock’s way of fighting but he knew enough to be sure that he would be in trouble if she teamed up with Mihawk. He began to dissolve into sand again but was stopped when she reached out and grabbed him with surprising speed and force. Her haki forced him to revert back to flesh.
“Sir Crocodile!” she squealed, “I’m your daughter-in-law!”
Crocodile blinked before he realised that she was completely serious, “You’re delusional Hancock.”
She ignored him and fluttered her lashes, “Luffy and I… well…”
She looked down abashed and with a scarlet face and Crocodile tried to piece together what was happening to him. He tried to shake her off but she clung onto him with all the strength of a jungle python. Perhaps this was a new way to try and get him to lower his guard. In all the years they had been warlords together, he had never seen this side of her. She had always treated with with disdain and aloofness.
But…
Earlier he had seen Hancock help Luffy avoid the Pacifistas. Crocodile studied the blushing woman again and tried to imagine Luffy propositioning her in any way. For the life of him, he couldn’t do it.
And then he caught himself and wondered why he even cared.
Meanwhile, Hancock was still trying to explain herself, “We… Luffy and I are…”
“Married?” Crocodile dared to ask.
Hancock wore an expression Crocodile had never seen her wear before as hearts erupted from her eyes. He was starting to feel vaguely uncomfortable. Mihawk looked amused at the whole situation and Crocodile wished he would hurry up and free him with a well timed chop.
“Oh! Not yet! But when this is all over we will be,” she reattached herself to Crocodile, “I’d love to have Luffy’s mother’s blessing! I always thought you were a man, but this changes things!”
“I am a man!” Crocodile snarled but the woman wouldn’t be deterred. Crocodile tried something different to free himself, “Mihawk! Don’t just stand there. Aren’t you under orders?”
Mihawk hadn’t moved an inch, and all marines and pirates around the trio had avoided them like the plague. In fact, some were fighting very lightly in order to witness the spectacle unfolding before them. A marine bonked a pirate on the head but his only retaliation was a half-hearted swipe that missed by a whole foot. Both their eyes and ears were glued to the scene.
Hancock glared at Mihawk from Crocodile’s side, “If you dare to harm Luffy’s family I’ll kill you.”
They’re interrupted by an outsider some distance away. “HANCOCK!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” a marine shouts at her.
Unashamedly she declares, “Love is like a hurricane!”
Whatever the marine says back is unknown, as a giant explosion rocks the execution stand. The battle comes to a halt as friend and foe alike fixate on the smoke and rubble. Hancock gasps and holds a hand over her mouth, the other one pulling Crocodile even closer. He can feel her breasts through his clothes and he wonders why he ever crossed paths with Mugiwara in the first place.
Crocodile cannot see exactly what is happening, but in he knows that Mugiwara wouldn’t be defeated just like that. Everyone waits in bated silence for something to happen. The calm before the storm, even Crocodile’s can’t look away. His eyes scan the rubble for movement.
A beat pasts.
Then he sees it.
At first it’s only a flicker of gold. Like a spark. It’s so small that Crocodile unconsciously finds himself leaning forward and squinting his eyes.
In a millisecond, that spark turns into an explosion. Fire erupts from the rubble in triumph and blooms red, gold and orange. The two brothers emerge together with the biggest grins on their faces that Crocodile has ever seen. Fire-fist Ace is free. And he lets the whole world know that Whitebeard is free too when he paints the Whitebeard insignia in the sky.
Crocodile ignores the feeling of relief in his chest in favour of scoffing at the ostentations display of loyalty. He glances to Mihawk who is also transfixed by the scene in front of him.
“Looks like the war is over,” Crocodile remarks.
Hancock squeals in delight and lets go of Crocodile. Distracted by Mugiwara, she rushes over to him, kicking pirates and marines out of her way.
Mihawk looks back at Crocodile with a measured face. The motivation to participate in the fight seemed to be lacking the longer he stayed. Mihawk knew that he was a good match for Crocodile and any pirate there. But was it truly worth the effort?
The decision seemed to be made for him as the marines resumed the fight, desperate to save their reputation. Crocodile cocked a smirk started forming a sand cloud around himself. He took a step forward, and that was when a new surprise emerged.
The ground under his feet began to rumble and shake. The sound of rocks grinding coincided with the very earth moving, sowing panic and chaos in the already tired soldiers. Crocodile growled and looked to the man who was causing all the drama. The old pirate was looking worse for wear, blood and bruises everywhere.
What a disappointing end of an era.
“You had better get going, Crocodile,” Mihawk suggested, taking a step backwards from him.
“Giving up so easily?”
Mihawk didn’t take the bait, “I didn’t realise you wanted to go back to Impel Down so badly.”
“Tch,” Crocodile bit into his cigar again. If that was how the gothic man wanted to play it then he’d let it be. Whitebeard had already given the order to retreat and the pirates were scurrying away into every nook and cranny they could squeeze themselves into.
Running away wasn’t exactly something Crocodile stood for but his job here was done. The mission was accomplished and he could finally get on a ship that would take him far away from Mugiwara and his blasted luck. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, Crocodile dissolved into sand and weaved through the sea of legs before Mihawk changed his mind. When Crocodile looked at him one last time, the swordsman had his eyes focused on something in the distance. And he didn’t look awfully pleased about it.
Crocodile knew there were very few people that could ruffle Mihawk’s feathers. One of them in particular was a man that Crocodile was not keen on seeing.
Saving one last glance for Mihawk, Crocodile dissolved into a sand cloud and rushed back to the ship. As a sand cloud, his senses were dulled but he was able to move quicker and the boots attempting to kick him were futile. It was easy to make it onto Whitebeard’s ship. The last time he had been on it, he had suffered a humiliating defeat. Now, he stood with the Whitebeard pirates as they rescued their brood from their common enemy.
A pirate shrieked when he materialised next to him. Crocodile ignored him and wondered what was taking so long for the ship to move out. The war wasn’t over yet and it was no time for mushy celebrations.
Whitebeard was reuniting with Fire- fist and the two were dragging on. There were smiles and tears, and then indignance when Akainu called out to them.
Crocodile was unsurprised that Mugiwara’s brother was just as hot-headed and impulsive as he was. Fire-fist turned his back on the retreating ships and declared war all over again on the marines. As a rivulet of blood dripped down Crocodile’s face and he crunched his cigar between his teeth. Crocodile was ticked off.
He had not fought two warlords, get manhandled by another and become a public enemy of the World Government, all for some idiot’s brother that he was forced to come save anyway. Crocodile made his move.
Whitebeard was always soft on his sons, one of his greatest weaknesses. While he shouted at Ace to come back and ignore Akainu, Crocodile could see that Fire-fist was ignoring his Captain’s calls. Crocodile had no such softness in him, as unforgiving as the silica crystals he could turn into. Fire-fist was too worked up to notice, but bit by bit, the objects surrounding him began to shift and sway with the wind as they slowly turned to sand. As he took a step forward to attack Akainu, his world turned shadowy as the ground erupted around him and swallowed him whole.
To those watching, they saw a golden mass swirling in the air. It rippled like a thousand bees and those close enough could hear the sand whipping in the wind as if they were in the desert. The ground beneath the giant orb was scratched and laid bare as the sand crystals turned everything around them into grit.
There were curses from the pirates as they worried for their friend’s well-being. Crocodile was no where to be seen, already a part of the sand storm.
Angry and confused, Fire-fist had been in a weakened state for the past few hours. All it took was a carefully placed blow to the back of his head and he was out like a light. He slumped against the sand bed which lay soft, still and warm.
As the enemy’s son snored against his boot, Crocodile allowed the sand ball to disperse. He was met by a rain of bullets and a very angry molten admiral.
Crocodile looked into the magma eyes of Akainu and smirked in the face of his rage. He would love to fight the Admiral and show him the true weakness of the marines. But not yet. It wasn’t the right time yet. Crocodile still had plans to put in place, which meant that today it was necessary for him to retreat.
Taking his cigar out of his mouth leisurely, he blew out one last cloud of smoke before flicking at the Admiral. It landed at his feet where it was quickly burnt into nothing.
“Crocodile!” Akainu growled, “I’ll kill you along with Roger’s blood.”
Crocodile opened his mouth to say something scathing back but a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye distracted him. A fleshy coloured object was propelling itself towards him and Crocodile blanched when he realised what it was.
“Oi! Mugiwara, don’t you dare!”
In front of him, Akainu was turning into magma and raising a fist that promised justice.
Crocodile was weighed down by Fire-fist and as much as he wanted to abandon him, it would defeat the purpose of his intervention. Crocodile raised his hook in one last shred of retaliation.
“You’re losing your touch Akai-”
Without warning. Crocodile was yanked backwards by Mugiwara, whose rubber arm acted like some sort of reverse sling shot. Crocodile was bent forward in an undignified manner while desperately holding onto Fire-fist. He turned around the check his trajectory and to curse Mugiwara but his eyes widened.
“Mugiwara,” he snarled, I’ll kill you!”
And then he was hurtling into Whitebeard’s chest, slamming into blood and muscle. The rubbery arm retracted churlishly.
Mugiwara’s voice is laced with annoyance as if he had right of way, “You’re in the way old man!”
Whitebeard’s arms automatically wrapped around Crocodile and Ace so they wouldn’t slide and hit the ground. In a horrifying moment, Crocodile realised he was literally being cradled.
Crocodile had endured defeat, he had endured the worst prison in the world. But he had never felt so stripped of his dignity until now; when he was being held in his greatest enemy’s arms with his stupid hot-headed son snoring next to him.
Whitebeard, the old bastard, looked positively gleeful as he looked down at them.
Burning with indignation, Crocodile dissolved into sand and fell to the ground so he was finally free. He adjusted his coat and addressed Whitebeard crossly, “Hurry up and retreat. We’re done here.”
Mugiwara had closed the distance between them and was jumping impatiently, eager to leave as well. He stood next to Crocodile, grinning at Ace in Whitebeard’s arm. He was so joyful you would have thought that they had already escaped. Mugiwara turned his grin to Crocodile and nodded.
“Good job Croco! I knew we could count on you!”
Maybe it was just his presence. Or the happy-go-lucky tone of voice but Crocodile looked down at him with a glare that would have levelled fields. Mugiwara wasn’t phased. On the contrary, his grin grew wider “Oooh! That’s a scary look Croco!”
Crocodile didn’t say a word. If he opened his mouth, he’d probably try to kill him. Again.
The next few minutes were a blur as Whitebeard happily carried a still unconscious Ace back to the ship. Despite his heavy wounds and most of his crew yelling at him, the old man wasn’t slowed down at all. He was practically skipping. They were all still being chased by Akainu and the marines, but the tides were in the pirates’ favour. The current was with them and their sails were full of wind.
Amidst the bustle and activity, Crocodile refused to talk to anyone or even look in the general direction of Mugiwara or Whitebeard. They had caused him enough trouble. Mr. 1 was dutifully by his side and blessedly silent. Every now and then a bullet would whiz through Crocodile but they lessened over time.
Crocodile made sure to savour the look of the marine’s ships turning into specks. Whitebeard’s crew were ruthlessly efficient and were already working on saving Whitebeard from his wounds. Crocodile was disappointed to learn that the old man would live after all. Another rookie from the worst generation was given permission to board the ship, his moniker not the most comforting one for a man as injured as Whitebeard. Mugiwara seemed very fond of him and was clinging to him as he tried to work.
Crocodile eyed the Surgeon of Death’s skills and movement. His devil fruit was certainly one to watch out for. Crocodile made a note of it for the future; it would certainly come in handy.
For now though, he would wait until they reached the nearest island where he could leave. He’d have to lay low for a few months but his old contacts were still reliable and were more than enough to trick the marines. A few well placed red herrings and-
Crocodiles reverie was halted by a wall of flames and a familiar voice.
“OYAJI!”
Fire-fist Ace had finally woke up. And of course the first thing he did was create a ruckus.
“ACE!”
And there went the other one.
Crocodile groaned to himself. He would not know peace until he was far away from the blubbering brothers.
There were cheers of celebration from the other Whitebeard pirates, particularly the commanders who had gathered on the ship to check in on Whitebeard’s status. They were tense around Crocodile, probably remembering his last attack, but they loosened up considerably now that Ace was back amongst them.
Far enough away from danger, food and booze started to be brought out as the celebrations truly began. Whitebeard’s laughter boomed around his ship and those surrounding them. The waters came alive with the voices of victory, and while Crocodile wouldn’t admit it out loud, he found that he didn’t mind it as much as he thought he would.
Tucked away in his own little corner of the ship, no one bothered him and Crocodile felt his shoulders finally relax. A clean cloth had been given to him a little while ago to clean the blood and dirt from his face and it now served as a makeshift cushion. Mr. 1 brought him food and drink to share and left him to enjoy some quiet. Ignoring the rowdy bunch on the other side of the ship, Crocodile watched the sun set over the sea and closed his eyes, letting the last of the rays say goodbye. With his eyes still closed, he thought of his rooms back in Alabasta.
He'd enjoyed many a sunset from his balcony in Alabasta. Though a pirate, Crocodile enjoyed his luxury and fine bedding. As he breathed in the salty air, he decided that his first order of business when he finally got of this ship was to find somewhere decent to sleep. Somewhere that had a decent thread count and no mysterious stains.
Pleased at the thought, Crocodile’s fingers itched for another cigar. Gently selecting a new one from his pack, he placed it in his mouth and searched for his lighter.
“Allow me.”
Crocodile had barely sensed Fire-fist’s presence- a testament to his skill. But he did not let his surprise show and fixed the boy with an unimpressed glare. Ace was undeterred though and let his index finger turn into flames, illuminating the world around them.
Figuring that he deserved to reward himself, Crocodile allowed Ace to light his cigar. The familiar feeling of smoke in his lungs was a relief and it must have shown in his face because Ace relaxed as well. Uninvited, Ace sat next to Crocodile lighting a lamp that he had brought so they didn’t sit in absolute darkness.
Crocodile raised a brow, “What are you doing Fire-fist?”
The other chuckled, “Figured I’d say thank you for saving me and Luffy.”
“Tch,” Crocodile turned his head away, “Don’t think this means I’m on your side. We just happened to have a common enemy.”
The blunt reply didn’t break Ace’s spirits and he affirmed that he expected nothing less from a man of Crocodile's reputation. They fell into a comfortable silence. It was a little surreal for Crocodile, who never imagined that one day he’d share a light with the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard pirates. The rest of the crew were probably passed out by now since the ruckus on the other side of the ship had begun to die down.
Ace was the first to break the silence, “So about those rumours…”
Crocodile didn’t even bother looking over at him, “They’re ridiculous.”
“Sure are!” Ace laugh loudly at the absurdity of it all, “But I think you’ve gained Luffy’s interest as a friend.”
Crocodile could think of nothing more punishing.
“If he gets in my way, I won’t hesitate to kill him.”
Ace’s grin turned sharp and the lantern flickered ominously, “Maybe, but today you saved him. And as his older brother I’ve got to thank you.”
Crocodile looked up at the stars, “I don’t intend on crossing paths with you lot any time soon.”
It was as much as he would concede and the conversation drew to a close. With an exaggerated sigh, Ace got up and offered Crocodile a hand.
“We’ve got spare rooms if you want one. And medical supplies since I heard that you refused to get checked.”
Crocodile ignored the hand but got up anyway. A bed was the leas they could offer him for all his trouble.
Ace took his silence for the grudging acceptance it was and turned to lead the way. He took a step forward and began to pitch forward. Crocodile watched in exasperation while not lifting a single finger or grain of sand to help. Fire-fist landed on the ground with a loud thunk and began snoring immediately. Crocodile sighed.
“I’m surrounded by idiots.”
*******
Crocodile and Mr.1’s departure was not without fanfare. To Crocodile’s great embarrassment, Mugiwara saw him off with a grin and only added fuel to the fire when he affirmed that he didn’t mind Crocodile’s presence. This lead to a bombardment of congratulations and knowing looks from the few level-headed pirates on board.
Even Whitebeard gave Crocodile a nod of acknowledgement to which Crocodile sneered at.
Disappearing into the crowded port, Crocodile took one last look at Whitebeard’s ship as it sailed away. It looked as big and as imposing as ever, and sitting in the crow’s nest was Monkey D. Luffy himself. Crocodile recalled the boy’s ambition to become the new Pirate King. He had certainly gotten stronger since Alabasta, a fact that both irked and excited Crocodile.
“Sir…”
Mr.1 looked nervous about something. His lips were stiff and his face was carefully blank. Crocodile’s body tensed, “What is it?”
Wordlessly, Mr. 1 thrust the latest newspaper article in Crocodile’s face.
Printed in large bold letters was the new headline:
“ Mystery Solved: Crocodile is Whitebeard’s Daughter !”
Accompanying it was a photo of when Crocodile and Ace had been held by Whitebeard after Mugiwara catapulted them there. Crocodile held the newspaper with both hands as he tore it into pieces and threw the remnants of it onto the ground. The ripped pages bounced and it’s pages ruffled as though it was laughing at him.
And if Crocodile listened closely enough, he could pick out the booming sound of Whitebeard’s laughter echoing across the sea.
The End.