Tales

Title: Tales
Rating: T
Fandom: One Piece
Summary: Sir Crocodile isn't as ruthless as they say. He doesn't only care about himself. In fact, he cares about his adoptive family. This is the tale of Crocodile and his family. [Rewrite of The Tale of Crocodile and Alligator] [Rewrite of the Tales Universe]

October 1486
Crocodile: 8 years old
Alligator: 3 months old
Luna: 9 years old

Luna began to follow Crocodile around. Crocodile didn't really do much. He mostly played with Alligator but when his brother was sleeping, he would stare out the window. Luna walked over to his side and looked in the same direction. "You're always looking out to sea,"

"So what?" Crocodile glared at Luna in an attempt to make her leave him alone.

Luna chuckled. "One day I'm going to leave this island and see what lies beyond the horizon," She looked to Crocodile. "What's your home like?"

"Home?" Crocodile questioned. "Why do you want to know?"

"I want to know what other islands are like," Luna sat down on Crocodile's bed. "You're not from here so you know about the outside world,"

"My home is painful," Crocodile recalled his father beating him and his mother. "It is angry,"

Luna looked at him with a worried expression. "Painful? Angry? That's not what a home is supposed to be,"

"It is also loving," He added, thinking about his mother and baby brother.

"Hey," Luna's expression became dark. "Who hurt you?"

"Why do you want to know?" Crocodile asked.

"I'm gonna kick their ass!" Luna declared.

"It was Galen, our father," Crocodile answered. "We left Di—home because it was being attacked. I doubt you'll be able to kick his ass even if he is alive. You and the rest of the kids here are weak,"

"I'm not weak!" Luna claimed. "I'm strong!"

"Sure you are," Crocodile said.

"Then let's fight!" Luna suggested.

Crocodile looked down to his sleeping brother in the crib. "He'll be asleep for a while. Let's go to the forest. That way the other kids won't get in the way,"

XXX

"Are you sure you still want to fight?" Crocodile asked.

"You're not backing out now, are you?" Luna mocked.

Crocodile's eye twitched in annoyance. "Don't cry when you get hurt,"

"Hah!" Luna charged towards Crocodile and attempted to punch him.

Crocodile easily caught the fist and smirked. "Is that all you got?"

It was Luna's turn to grin and she grabbed Crocodile's wrist and pulled him forward. Crocodile lost his footing and Luna managed to knee him in the chest. Crocodile fell to the side and placed his hand on the ground, throwing Luna off balance. He then grabbed Luna's arm and threw her towards a tree. Luna's back made contact with the trunk.

'Did I overdo it?' Crocodile rushed to her side. "Hey, you're not dead, right?"

Luna jumped up, still full of energy. "Of course not! I told you I'm strong!" She smiled. "But you're pretty strong too," Her stomach let out a loud growl. "I'm hungry. Let's head back. FOOD!"

'This is one weird girl,' Crocodile smiled a bit.

"Hey, hurry up," Luna grabbed the back of Crocodile's shirt and started running with him in tow.

XXX

"It's lunch time," Catarina noted as everyone sat at the dining table. "Everyone's here except Crocodile and Luna,"

"Crocodile wasn't with Alligator?" One of the other workers of the orphanage asked.

"Surprisingly, no," Catarina replied. "Alligator was quietly snoozing away without his overprotective brother watching over him,"

"Luna is usually here before everyone else," Another worker added.

"FOOOOOD!" The door flew open and Luna rushed to her seat, dragging Crocodile behind her.

'This girl isn't weird, she's crazy!' Crocodile thought as he stumbled to his seat.

"Crocodile, where were you and Luna?" Catarina asked.

"We were sparring," Luna answered for him. "Crocster is strong,"

"It's Crocodile, not Crocster," The boy corrected, starting to eat his rice.

"Crocster sounds better," Luna claimed.

"No it does not," Crocodile sighed, knowing that Luna would ignore him.

Catarina smiled, happy that her elder son had made a new friend. She had been worried when he wouldn't socialize with the other children. But seeing his and Luna's interaction brushed away her fears. Even if it was only one friend, it was enough. She knew what Luna was like and she would go to great lengths to protect her friends.

XXX

November 1486
Crocodile: 8 years old
Alligator: 4 months old
Luna: 9 years old

Crocodile smiled a lot more and it was all thanks to Luna. She eventually had him join in on games with the other kids. At first, Crocodile was hesitant. They were still visibly afraid of him, but they trusted Luna's judgement. They began to play and hang out with Crocodile.

Catarina watched the children all play together outside. She gently rocked Alligator back and forth. 'Cratón is happy here and I know that Alistair will grow up happily here too,' Catarina coughed into her free hand and her eyes widened. 'Blood!?' She quickly made way to a sink and washed all evidence of the metallic fluid away.

'I can't let anyone know,' Catarina thought. 'I don't want to be a burden. I doubt we have enough money for expensive medicine, if there even is a cure for this illness. It might be an illness found only in Disparia or only Dispari can catch,'

XXX

December 1486
Crocodile: 8 years old
Alligator: 5 months old
Luna: 9 years old

Crocodile woke up in the middle of the night. He quietly left the building and ran for the forest, going farther than he had ever gone before. He stopped near a small river and took a deep breath. His eyes became a pale yellow hue and his pupils became slitted. His back gained ridges and a reptilian tail formed. The shape of his hands and feet shifted a bit and he gained claws. His teeth were sharper and those of a crocodile.

'It's been so long since I've shown my soul animal traits,' Crocodile dove into the river. The flowing water was cool against his skin and scales. He snapped his jaws around a fish but didn't eat it raw. He was stronger in this form but his mother had told him to keep their true species hidden.

As he exited the river, a net was thrown onto him. He immediately was aggressive, trying to get free. However the net was lined with barbs that dug into his skin, tearing open small wounds. A group of men who were responsible came into view.

"Looks like we'll be making a lot of cash off this brat,"