Chapter Text
You knew you needed to leave.
There was no more debating it, no more what ifs, it was either now or never. You had spent the past four years under that man's thumb; obeying his every command without question, and it was beginning to become too much weight to carry. When you thought of being a pirate this was not the life you had imagined, the life you dreamed of; since when did being a pirate mean you'd be shackled by the very person who promised freedom—liberation.
You had been following the Strawhats from the shadows (by Crocodile's orders); just who were they? Did these gangle of teens truly believe they could defeat a warlord? You pitied them, truly, their captain especially. He seemed so passionate, so young, if he was lucky enough to survive this ordeal you'd bet your life that he'd be a threat in a couple of years. Deep down you hoped he would win.
Maybe, just maybe, he would be your ticket out.
You were sitting at the top one of the many buildings of Alabasta, staring at your gun with lifeless eyes as you reloaded it. The top of these buildings were your safe space; the one place in all of Alabasta where you could clear your head. Decorated on its metal was the Baroque Works Jolly Roger. When Crocodile had given it to you when you first joined you were excited; it became a source of pride for you. You finally achieved your dream, you were finally apart of something. But now, every time you look it, it became a painful reminder of your imprisonment. It was a branding of sorts.
"Miss. New Year."
You lowered your gun as you turned around, resting it in your lap as you looked up at the figure behind you.
"Miss. All Sunday," You greeted, the two of you sharing a small smile of greeting.
Nico Robin; You both joined around the same time. The two of you didn't talk much, preferring stay at arms length of one another. Neither of you trusted each other, but the two of you did share some pleasant conversations from time to time. But, then again, the two of you were Crocodile's right and left hands.
"Crocodile's asking from your presence."
"Really? For what?"
"He didn't disclose."
You knew what that meant.
"He just asked me to watch over those pirates," You mumbled to yourself in annoyance before standing up. "Where?"
"Casino."
"Well, isn't that just my luck," You said with fake enthusiasm.
As you stood up you placed your gun back into its holster. Stretching as you got up, you pulled your hood over your head and covered your body with your massive cape. You felt like a witch at times with your mysterious appearance, but many of the employees of Baroque Works didn't know you besides your name (which struck fear into them due to your status). As you walked past Robin you tucked your excess bullets into your pockets; you never knew if you might need them for later.
As you walked through the casino you definitely stood out like a sore thumb. All the people within the casino were dressed head to toe in luxury. You could hear people's declarations of victory and failure. You couldn't lie and say you didn't find it amusing; you weren't the greatest person after all.
The closer you got to Crocodile's office, the deeper the pit in your stomach got. None of this was new; after the first few months you thought you'd learn to get used to it, to adjust, but time and time again you were proven wrong. Two things could happen when you walked through that door, and neither of them were good. Standing in front of the door you took a deep breath before turning the handle.
You were greeted with the sound of silence and the smell of cigars. The room was empty and quiet, something not too uncommon, but in this situation it was a bit off for it to be left in such a state. Your hand hovered over your pistol as you fully entered the room, closing the door behind you as you did.
"Crocodile?" You called out, looking around the room for any sign of a response.
Nothing. Something isn't right.
You took a few steps closer to the desk before examining the items on top of it. Most of it was random paperwork and task assignments, but then something caught your eye. It was a tan piece of paper peaking out from under all of the other papers. Grabbing it you realized it was a wanted poster, multiple actually.
"Strawhat," You said to yourself as you looked at Luffy's wanted poster.
As you looked at each of the posters, you failed to notice the sand in the air. You felt the presence of someone behind you just in time, your mind subconsciously grabbing the hook that came dangerously close to your neck. Your hand grabbed the curve of hook in an attempt to push it away, but the attempt remained unsuccessful.
"Y/N."
You froze. Looking up, you met the gaze of Crocodile; the very man whose made your life a living hell for the past four years. You felt small under his gaze, and with his shadow looming over you it only continued to make you feel even smaller.
As you looked up to meet his gaze, you could see the anger in his eyes; what did you do this time? You tensed up as his hand wrapped around your neck, keeping a firm grip as you two locked eyes. Your hand continued to hover over your pistol even though you knew that you were at a disadvantage.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Crocodile asked in an irritated tone.
"L-Looking for you."
"Not now, before you came here. You weren't watching those pirates like I asked."
You tensed as the grip on your neck got tighter.
Please, let me go.
"Is this your sorry excuse of a rebellion?" Crocodile mocked as he grabbed your face, fully extending your neck to face him. "Are you finally growing a backbone after all these years? Is that rebellious drive starting to form?"
"N-No, sir."
"Oh Honey, there's no need to lie to me; I can read right through you. You're planning something."
He released you from his grip as he made his way towards the desk, taking a seat on the chair as he lit up a cigar. He patted his lap as he sat, and you obediently followed his command. You didn't know what to call your relationship with Crocodile; it was definitely more than a boss and employee, but it was too uncomfortable to be anything meaningful.
"Talk to me. What are planning in that little head of yours?"
"Nothing."
"Don't lie. You know I can get you to talk; do you want me to go to such lengths?"
You remained silent.
"My little sniper," Crocodile said as his hook grazed your neck, causing a chill to go down your spine. "You know what it means to betray a warlord, do you not?"
Shit, he knew.
Through your observations of the Strawhats you started to grow fond of their love and care for one another. You forgot what it felt like to be loved and cared for; you had grown used to being used and lusted after. You were a smart woman, a strong one too, but not strong enough for a warlord. You were playing your cards right, waiting for the perfect time to escape, but it seemed like Crocodile was catching onto your plan. Your loyalty now was shaky; you could become a liability if he wasn't careful. He could always get rid of you now; all he needed to do was shove his hook through your throat, but, he stopped himself. He didn't love you by any means, but he was fond of you. You were quite the help, and at times he found you more reliable and trustworthy than Robin. It wouldn't kill him to keep you around longer, and even if you did try to escape he could always bring you back. It didn't matter if you wanted to admit or not, but at the end of the day he would always have you under his thumb. You were scared of him; he's hurt you before, what's stopping him from doing it again?
"Yes sir."
"You've sworn loyalty to me; that's not something you can just take back."
You could feel his eyes analyze your every move. Your body tensed up as his hands began to travel.
Don't fight. Y/N, don't fight.
"I've given you everything you could ever ask, have I not?" Crocodile said before pulling the gun out from your holster. "Even the very gun you want to shoot my brains out with."
He knows. He knows. Don't fight. Don't react. Do not give him what he wants, you know how this ends.
As you felt the coldness of the metal rest against your head, your mind went blank. You immediately grabbed the gun and jumped out of Crocodile's lap, landing in front of the door with your pistol aimed right towards his head.
"…I can't do this anymore," You said numbly as you stared at the man with wide eyes, your grip on the weapon tight as your pointer grazed the trigger. "You lied to me. This life is nothing like the one promised."
Your eyes began to water as anger filled your body. "I don't…I don't want to be your toy more."
Laughter. A loud, mocking laugh filled the room.
"You truly are pathetic! 'You lied to me, this life is nothing the one you promised.' Please, are we children? Don't kid yourself, it's truly embarrassing."
You didn't even hesitate. The sound of the gun firing filled the room, and just as the bullet flew through the air, Crocodile disappeared into sand. You knew your shot wouldn't hit him, it was far too obvious. But, it proved something to you; you were finally confident enough to try and kill Crocodile.
But, this victory was should lived as you were pinned to the ground, your pistol being pushed across the room as you fell.
"That's was new."
"You're…"
"Come on, use your big girl voice."
"You're the most pathetic pirate I've ever seen."
You struck a nerve. Out of all the rules in Baroque Works, there was one rule that you would never want to break; don’t you ever disrespect the boss.
Crocodile's cocky demeanor dropped. Within the blink of an eye, you were knocked out cold.
He grabbed your body by the collar of your shirt and placed your upper body on the top of his desk. He stared at your limp form for a few moments, brushing your hair out of your face as he did.
"Such a beautiful woman," Crocodile said to himself. "If only you weren't so stubborn."
Why did he keep you around? He's killed employees who messed up over little things, but yet you're still alive. Was lust this strong of an emotion?
Placing his cigar on the ash tray, Crocodile began to take off your pants. He saw your face scrunch up as the cold air hit your legs. Flipping you onto your stomach, he caressed your body.
Unzipping his pants, he started.
You don't know how much time went by before you awoke, but when you did all you could feel was pain. You knew what was happening, but you tried to disassociate the best you could. But, the pain quickly became too much to bare.
"S-Stop," Your voice cracked out as tears began to well up in your eyes. "I-It hurts…"
Don't cry. Don't cry.
Your pleas fell on deaf ears as Crocodile hooked your mouth, pulling at cheek scarily hard enough to pierce it through. You knew not to plea any further. You could hear his low, pleasure-filled moans as he used your body. Each time you tried to doze off, to separate yourself, you would feel his mouth latch onto your neck, pulling you back in. He knew what he was doing; did he enjoy seeing you suffer?
As your body began to adjust, you couldn't help but feel shame as the motions began to feel pleasurable. After all these years he knew exactly where to touch, where to hit, and how hard to go.
Give in.
You don't know how long the ordeal last for; all you could remember was falling to the floor and the sound of the door closing behind you.
Pulling your legs close, you finally allowed yourself to cry. Is this all you are to him? Some glorified sex slave that also served as his vice president? You knew you were capable of more, better things, but the opportunities felt fleeting. Hundreds of pirates have gone through Alabasta; why were you so drawn to the Strawhats?
Ah, that's why. They're the crew you've dreamed of.
Using the help of the desk you slowly got up from your seated position. The mixed smell of sex and smoke, along with the pain throughout your body, made you nauseous, and you inevitably threw up into the trashcan next to the desk.
Grabbing your pants off of the floor, you couldn't help but feel dirty.
"Sticky…," You whispered.
After getting dressed, you picked up your gun, pulled up your hood, and quickly made your way out of the office.
But, you stopped.
"I need to leave," You said to yourself. "Another day of this and I think I'll die."
"He might die if we leave him here," You said to Robin as the two of you stood above the crater in the earth.
Deep within the pile of sand laid Luffy, bloody and passed out. Robin had stopped him from sinking into it by pulling him out with her hands. You were quite envious of the woman's devil fruit; sometimes you wished you had possessed it; it would be quite convenient to have multiple hands to shoot with.
"Shall we do something about it?" You continued, looking at Robin for guidance.
"It would be an act of betrayal," Robin replied before stepping into the crater.
"So we will," You said, saying what Robin was thinking.
Neither of you had said it out right, but you both knew of each other's fascination with the Strawhats. Maybe it was your combined fascination, or maybe Robin was becoming aware of your loyalty fading, but a trust was starting to form between the two of you. Who would've thought the vice presidents of Baroque Works would both hold similar goals. As the two of you approached the young pirate, you made sure to pick up Luffy's strawhat.
As if he had sensed your presence, Luffy slowly opened his eyes, and looked at you and Robin. His face was covered with a mixture of pain and shock.
"T-Tha-nk y-you," Luffy strangled out.
"Why do you fight?" Robin asked. "You people who carry the name of D."
"D?" Luffy asked before coughing.
Robin paused for a few moments, her face twisted in thought.
"It seems I shouldn't have asked."
Assuming that Robin was done speaking, you placed Luffy's hat on his stomach. You could see the gratitude in his bloodshot eyes.
"I think you'll need this," You said as you placed it. As you stood up, the sound of footsteps caught you and Robin's attention. Turning your heads in the direction of the noise, your pistol already in hand, you were both surprised to see Pell.
"I've found you!" Pell exclaimed as he limped towards you, using his sword as a cane. "Where is Vivi-sama?"
"You're awake? That was pretty fast," You said, lowering your pistol.
"Don't push yourself," Robin stated, a small smile on her face. "You're severely injured."
The two of you continued to walk towards the crocodile.
"What perfect timing," You said to Robin, causing her to nod in agreement.
"Help that boy there," Robin said, pointing to Luffy.
"He's the one whose brought your princess all this way," You added on, securing the boy's safety.
Pell stopped in his tracks before turning to face Luffy. Within the blink of an eye, you and Robin had rode away.
"Y/N," Robin said, earning a hum from you. "You want Crocodile dead, yes?"
"How'd you know?" You asked jokingly. "Is it that obvious?"
Robin let out a chuckle before continuing. "I have a plan, and I'd like your assistance in it."
"I'm listening."
As Robin explained her plan to you, you couldn't lie and say you didn't feel a little dumb.
"Water?"
"Yes. Once I tell him where the weapon is located, I'll no longer be of use to him," Robin stated as the two of you traveled through the vast desert. "He'll kill me once our deal made—if he keeps his end."
"…Why are you telling me this?"
"We share a common goal. I don't want anything from you nor do I expect you to help, but, my offer stands none the less. I know you won't tell Crocodile of my plans; it wouldn't benefit you to do so."
"True."
There was a pause for a brief moment before a question came to your mind.
"What will you do once Crocodile is dead?"
"…I'm not sure, but I'll figure something out. What'll you do once he's dead?"
"Same answer as you. I still want to be a pirate, but what good is a pirate without a crew."
The two of you remained quiet for the rest of the ride, and the only thing on your mind was the dead body of Crocodile.
The plan had failed.
Your eyes widened in horror as you watched Crocodile's hook pierce through Robin's body. When Robin tried to wet Crocodile, you both went in for the attack. You had fired your gun while Robin had run towards him with a knife, but he was able to dodge both of your attacks. Seeing him stab Robin stopped you in your tracks.
"I'll forgive you for everything, Nico Robin," Crocodile said before pulling out his hook. "Because I never trusted anyone right from the beginning."
In that moment you were conflicted; should you run away and save your skin, or should you try to help Robin? But, your train of thought of was cut off as you met the gaze of Crocodile.
"It seems I was right to question your loyalty," Crocodile said as he approached you. "What a shame."
"Stay away," You demanded, using your gun as a way to maintain distance as you backed away.
"I don't tolerate traitors, Y/N," Crocodile said, a serious look on his face as he closed the distance between the two of you. "I did warn you."
Silence.
What? What just happened?
You coughed as blood expelled from your mouth. Why did your body hurt? What just happened?
Looking down your torso, you eyes widened as you saw Crocodile's hook pierce through you.
H-How? Is he that fast? No. This…this can't be real.
"It's truly a shame, Y/N. I did enjoy our time together."
As Crocodile retracted his hook, you fell to his feet as you continued to cough up blood.
"What a waste of beauty and talent. A shame to see what dreams do to fools."
It seems your journey will end here; a true shame.
The coldness of the air caused you to shiver awake. Grabbing your stomach, you felt your body calm as you felt the softness of bandages. Looking up, you saw Robin standing next to you, staring into the ocean, her eyes fixated on a ship.
"Robin…?"
Robin flinched at the sudden noise before turning to look at you. "…You're awake…"
"And you're alive…"
You both shared a smile before turning to look at the ship ahead.
"What happened?"
"Strawhat saved us, and Crocodile is defeated."
"WHAT?!" You exclaimed before standing up. "That kid defeated Crocodile?"
"I'm just as surprised as you," Robin responded. "He really is something."
"Yeah…," You whispered as you stared at the ship. There was a few moments of silence before the light returned to your eyes; an idea popped into your head. "I think I know what I want to do now."
Robin looked at you, and you looked at her. The two of you shared a look, like the two of you had the exact same thought.
"I think I know too."
"WHAT?!"
You and Robin were seated at one of Going Merry's tables. The Strawhats had just woken up and shocked to see your presences.
"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?!" Usopp exclaimed.
Luffy was standing in front of the two of you. He had a curious look on his face as Robin began to explain.
"You let me live when I wanted to die. That's your crime. There's no place for us to go or back to."
"Sooooo," You added on. "You should let us join your crew."
"Hm…that's fair," Luffy said as he shrugged.
"LUFFY!" The crew yelled.
Nami and Usopp had a shocked look on their faces, Zoro looked irritated, Sanji had hearts in his eyes as he looked at the two of you, and Chopper just watched from the stairs. Luffy turned to his crew with his signature smile on his face before reassuring them.
"Don't worry, they're not bad people!"
The crew looked skeptical, but they knew that Luffy wouldn't go back on his decision.
Maybe…Maybe this isn't over.
For the first time, in a long time, you felt hope.