Here you have chapter number 4!

This chapter is a little shorter than earlier, sorry about that. I'll try to hurry with the next update instead! Enjoy!

This will be the last time I apologize for the English, but it still goes for the rest of the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of One Piece.


"Why don't you mess around in someone your size?" Roger said in an bemused tone.

The three teenagers turned around with surprised but pissed faces. They had been doing their morning routine, mugging people and treating kids to give them their lunch money. They had just found a ten-year-old redhead. He looked though, but he was tiny and they were three. He had been putting up a fight, but one well-aimed punch to his gut and he sank down to the ground. They were just about to search for valuables, when the two geezers showed up.

"Just stay out of this old man", the kid, who looked to be in charge, said with a snort. "This doesn't concern you."

"'Course it concerns me!" Roger said in a sudden perky voice. "You are stealing on my territory."

"You're Gold Roger", a tiny voice from behind the teens.

The three punks first looked back at the red haired kid, then at each other with confused expression before Roger's fist made a full connection with the leader's jaw.

"That is a warning", Roger said in a very serious tone, looking at each of the shocked and scared teens. "Don't mess around doing worthless thing on my land."

The three kid stumbled up and quickly ran for their lives, finally getting who they had messed with. Roger chuckled in a pleased matter. He looked over at the kid with red hair, still with his knees on the concrete.

"You okay kiddo?"

"A-always captain", the kid said and stood up quickly, flinching slightly at the sudden pain in his stomach.

"Captain?" Roger said with surprise.

"Yeah", the kid said and walked closer. "You're the greatest man alive! I've heard so much about you. You act and work just like a pirate captain!"

"Is that so", Roger said with a grin so pleased Rayleigh had to roll his eyes. "What's your name and age kid?"

"Shanks", he said, eyes almost sparkling. "I'm almost eleven."

"You know what Shanks", Roger said and twirled the moustache between his fingers in thought. " I could use some young once out on the field. You're good at keeping your eyes and ears open for the words on the street?"

"The best, Captain", Shanks said in a proud voice, blowing up his chest.

"Great, I'll let you join my little secret group then!"

"Roger!", Rayleigh said in an outraged voice.

"When you're older", Roger finished, glaring at Rayleigh for thinking he would be just that irresponsible, then he turned back to Shanks. "That is, if you want to of course."

"Yes definitely!" Shanks shouted and jumped up from his seat. "I promise you Captain Roger! I'll follow you to the world's end!"


That autumn morning seemed to become a really good one. According to the forecast, the sun would be shining that hole week, making it warmer than usual for that time of the year. The street were empty from most of its usual business, since it was holiday and most people were home being lazy after the annual autumn festival.

Crocodile felt fine when he woke up. The sun, which most people deemed as pleasant, stung in his eyes and blinded him. He grunted and rolled to the other side, hoping to get a few more minutes sleep. But the sun wouldn't let him. Sure, it wasn't annoying his eyes anymore, but its rays made it through the big french-doors leading to the terrace and they burned his back, making it too warm and uncomfortable to stay in bed. Crocodile cursed and sat up on the other side of the bed, safe from the sun's light.

He rested his elbows on his knees, letting his head fall into his hands. He slowly rubbed his tired face awake, all the while trying to remember yesterday night. He had never suffered from memory loss because of drinking, and if he just gave himself a little time, he was sure he'd remember everything. He had been drinking with Mihawk for most of the evening. Rouge had officially introduced him to her fiancé Roger. Crocodile shuddered at the memory. He might be Rouge closest friend, but he would refuse any sort of dreamy talking about that man.

After that unpleasant image, he went back to the sequence of events at yesterdays party. After the introduction, he and Mihawk and relocated to a bigger table with Rouge and her new friends. Crocodile smirked slightly as he remembered the heated looks of jealousy the young boy Shanks had given him for his conversation with Mihawk. Then the blonde had joined their group... oh. The memories came back in full force and clear as day. Well, the blonde wasn't in his bedroom now, so he had probably left already. All the better, Crocodile usually preferred that his partners left before he woke up. Those terms usually was for hotels, since he rarely brought strangers to his home, but there were always exceptions. Now he could feel the hangover slowly creep over him

Crocodile stood up and cringed at the slight sting he felt in his hips. Well, he had had a great night, but it did not help his mood. He went through his walking closet and into the bathroom. A shower would surely ease his throbbing head and dull ache in his lower back.

He was planning on staying under the spray for a long while, but suddenly his stomach reminded him that too much alcohol and not enough food made him just a tiny bit cranky, crankier than usual that is. After just ten minutes, he stepped out of the water spray, turned off the shower and toweled himself clean.

He walked into his closet again and though for a few seconds if he was going to put any effort in leaving his flat anytime during the day. He decided against it and grabbed a pair of unused sleeping pants and a plain grey tee. He toweled his hair absentmindedly when he reentered his bedroom and noticed the discarded clothes on the floor, the pink discarded clothes.

The pale man did a one hundred and eighty degrees turn out of the bedroom. Unless the blonde had decided to leave his apartment naked, he was still here somewhere. As soon as he stepped out of his bedroom, he could smell toasted bread and fried eggs oozing in the air. In a quick pace, Crocodile walked towards the kitchen. When he rounded the corner and the bar-table, he was met by the strangest sight. The huge blonde man he had brought home last night was walking around in his kitchen, making breakfast, without any clothes to cover his body.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty ", Doflamingo greeted with a big grin and winked at him. "Any hangover yet?"

"What are you doing?" Crocodile asked with a displeased and in a very hoarse voice.

"Making breakfast", Doflamingo explained and motioned for the toasted bread and the sizzling pan filled with scrambled eggs.

"I can see that you, bird-brain", Crocodile hissed. "But why the hell are you naked."

"I like when it's airy", Doflamingo said with a sly smirk, waving his hips slowly.

Crocodile rose an eyebrow, and cursed himself when he realized he had been staring just a few seconds too long on the blonde's appendage. His guest grinned at him and Crocodile's cheeks would have heated up in a slight blush if he hadn't turned and stormed out of sight. Doflamingo made a surprised face at the sudden disappearance, but Crocodile was soon back and threw something towards him. Doflamingo caught it and realized it was a dark blue silk robe.

"At least cover yourself up when you are at someone else's place", Crocodile complained and sat down by the dining table.

His hangover had grown slightly worse, and didn't want to deal with anything for the moment. A plate was placed in front of him, together with a glass of water and a rehydration tablet. Crocodile glared at Doflamingo from the corner of his eyes, but he reached for the fork and started eating.

Doflamingo, pleased with Crocodile's reaction to the food on the plate, took his own plate and sat down across from him. They ate their meals in silence and when they had finished, Crocodile took their dishes and put them in the dishwasher. He felt a little better now. The headache was almost gone, but his body still felt weak. He walked two steps down to the living room area and laid down on the couch. He grabbed yesterday's newspaper and continued reading where he left of yesterday when Rouge stormed into his apartment and started dressing him up.

He felt the couch dip and tilted his head backwards, seeing that Doflamingo also sat down beside him. This time he had gotten himself dressed in everything except the feather coat. The disturbing coat was thrown over the couch armrest.

At first, Crocodile tried to ignore the blonde. He would leave eventually. But he was wrong, after forty minutes, one paper and two magazines later the blonde was still sitting beside him, tapping away on his Smartphone.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Crocodile finally snapped, sitting up in the couch.

"No", Doflamingo answered without looking away from the screen of his phone. "No school on Saturday's, and all homework is done."

Crocodile was about to tell the blonde to leave anyway, but something he said caught the older man by surprise.

"You go to school? Which one? Marineford University?"

Doflamingo stopped tapping on the screen, but he didn't remove his eyes from it. To Crocodile's annoyance, a big grin spread over Doflamingo's face.

"I'm a junior, at Loguetown High school, eleventh grade."

Crocodile's face paled.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

The silence was deafening. Crocodile's brains had stopped. How the hell could such a huge person be only seventeen?

"You okay there, reptile-man?" Doflamingo asked and poked Crocodile's forehead.

"How the hell can you be seventeen?!" Crocodile shrieked and stood up abruptly. "You're huge!"

"I'm big for my age", Crocodile said with a shrug.

He was very used to these kind of reactions. The best one had still been Dracule Mihawk. When Kuma introduce them, the duelist had almost dropped his chin to the floor. How hilarious it had been.

"This day is just getting worse", Crocodile said with a defeated sigh and sank down in the couch. "Not only have I slept with an underage brat. He also succeeded to get me completely drunk and dragged me home before it. Rouge is never gonna let me live this down."

"If that's a bad day, I really want to know how one of your good day looks like", Doflamingo wondered out loud and laid down on the couch, head resting in Crocodile's lap.

"I tend not to have good days", Crocodile grumbled and pushed Doflamingo off the couch.

The soft thud of the teenager's body hitting the floor was followed by a loud ringing noise.

"Great", Crocodile groaned. "Now someone is by the door."

"And inside," Doflamingo continued when he heard the sound of the door opening and closing. "I'm sure I locked the door when we got back."

"It's probably Rouge", Crocodile explained and stood up. "She has a spare key."

And indeed, in a few second the strawberry blonde beauty stood at the top of the steps looking surprised at Doflamingo who was lying comfortably on the soft rug he fell on.

"You stayed the night Doflamingo?" Rouge asked with surprise.

"Yep", Doflamingo confirmed with a grin that danced on Crocodile's nerves. "But I'm about to leave, got lots of stuff to do."

'Lair', Crocodile thought, but he didn't protest out loud since he had tried to get the blonde to leave or a while now. 'So Doflamingo was his name huh? A weird name for a weird brat.'

"You don't have to leave just because I came", Rouge said

"I'm not, as I said, I have things to do."

Doflamingo threw his feather coat over his shoulders and pushed his arms inside it. He was about to step up the two steps in one go when he remembers something. He walked back to Crocodile and gave the unsuspecting man a quick kiss on the lips.

"I'll see ya around reptile-man", Doflamingo said and grinned at the reddening face Crocodile got.

He walked passed Rouge with a polite bow and a 'good bye' before he quickly escaped through the door. Rouge looked after the retreating blonde with a baffled face. She quickly turned to Crocodile. She couldn't believe her eyes. The blonde teenager had made her longtime best friend blush!

"Oh my God", she said with a happy laugh. "You have to tell me everything!"

"Nothing interesting happened", Crocodile muttered and hid his face behind the magazine.

"Crocodile, he kissed you goodbye, and you where blushing!" Rouge shrieked with happy glee. "Something definitely happened."

Before Crocodile could make yet another denial, Rouge bolted away to the bedroom. Crocodile couldn't understand what the woman was doing until she came running back, face all happy and grinning.

"Your clothes are everywhere. There is a used condom in the trash bin in the bathroom, and the bed looks like it just had a damn good shag. Now please tell me again nothing interesting happened."

Crocodile looked his friend up and down with calculating eyes. She was standing on the top of the two steps, arms crossed over her chest and legs a shoulder length apart. Her face and pose was determined, and Crocodile knew he wouldn't get out of this without having to spill the information about his evening, and knowing Rouge, she wanted all the details that made the information, according to her, juicy. At least unless he found a way to distract her, which was tricky. Crocodile swept his eyes over he once more, and that caught his eye might actually be able to help him.

"Oh my miss Portgas, that is a huge gleam on your finger."

Rouge looked down on her left hand. The sparkling ring reflected in the sunlight seemed to be winking at her. A fond smile grew on her lips as she remembered how Roger had given it to her earlier that morning.

"Is that a smile I see?" Crocodile asked in a teasing voice. "Really Rouge, I hadn't been excepting you too get this hooked on his money."

"I'm not", Rouge argued and walked over to the couch, joining Crocodile. "I just thought back to this morning, when he gave it to me. We were lying in bed, and he started kissing my shoulder and-"

"Please stop", Crocodile said with a horrified face. "I really don't want to hear. Rouge, I'm not fond of your relationship, but I'm not gonna oppose or interfere. But if you're gonna start telling me sunshine stories about your mornings together, I might just have to."

Rouge giggled and patted Crocodile on the shoulder.

"You're right Crocodile, sorry. I'm not put you through my lovesickness."

Pleased to hear that, Crocodile grabbed the fair hand and inspected the ring closer. It was gold-banded with a 30 carat ruby.

"Is this an engagement ring?" Crocodile asked with a slight concern in his voice. "Aren't you going a little too fast now?"

"It's not an engagement ring", Rouge said with a pout and jerked her hand back. "He just wanted to give me something as a late birthday gift, and this whole relationship is moving fast. We already know we are perfect for each other, so why wait?"

Crocodile rolled his eyes at Rouge determined mind. Why was she always like this? He shouldn't even be surprised. Rouge always did whatever fell into her mind. Maybe they weren't going to get married tomorrow, but with impulsive people like Rouge and Roger, something would probably happen sooner or later.

"Aren't you afraid that it will all fall apart?" Crocodile suddenly asked.

Rouge looked with a surprised face at her friend. Crocodile was staring right in front of him, hands clasped together on his lap. His question had been asked in such a strange voice, Rouge first thought she had misheard it.

"Of course not." Rouge said with a comforting smile, putting her and over Crocodiles. "I could never find the right person if all I would ever think about was how it could be ruined. Pain and hurt will of course be a part of it. But I promise you Crocodile, in the end it will be worth it. It always is."

Crocodile finally met her gaze, and Rouge stomach squirmed in concern when she saw all the deep hurt that had been so visible the first day they met so many years ago. Crocodile had a bruised and battered soul, but during his years he had become great at hiding it away, but it didn't mean it wasn't there, tormenting him when no one saw.

"You know what my little crocodile", Rouge said in a soft voice and laid a arm around her friends shoulder. "I'll make sure you'll get happiness sometime in your life, thrust me!"

"I never said I wanted anything like that", Crocodile muttered.

"You don't have to silly", Rouge said and kissed his cheek. "I'm your best friend, I just know."

"Women", Crocodile snorted and earned a punch on his arm from Rouge.

It hurt surprisingly much. Crocodile rubbed his arm when Rouge left to make lunch in the kitchen and was out of sight.


Rayleigh looked at his watch for the hundredth time. Shakky glanced over the paper she was reading and saw her partner's new ticks and the same old twitching in those shriveled old hands. At least he wasn't tapping his fingers against the table like a beating drum.

"Don't worry Rayleigh, Roger and the others will show up in a minute."

"I'm not worrying", Rayleigh protested and watched the clock again. "I'm impatient. Roger is always late, and it's clear that his sloppiness is starting to affect those brats too."

Shakky opened her mouth to answer Rayleigh's statement, but was interrupted when the bell over the front door started to jingle. Someone was entering.

"Ah Rayleigh!" Roger exclaimed with a big grin. "You are here early as always I see. Hello Shakky!"

Shakky waved with a slight chuckle while Rayleigh glared at his boss.

"I'm not early, you are late!" Rayleigh stated and turned his attention to behind Roger. "And you two, you should know better than follow the example of an idiot."

Behind Roger, Shanks ignored him stubbornly while Buggy squirmed slightly, eyes on the floor. At least one of the damned kids had the decency to feel guilty for being late.

"Now, now Rayleigh", Roger said with an apologetic look and patted his friend's shoulder. "Don't blame the boys, they are just kids!

Rayleigh glared at his boss, until he realized that it wouldn't help getting the Mafioso to confess to being tardy. He sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose while showing the others to their usual booth. Their meeting had already been delayed, so arguing with a mindless fool wouldn't help.

"Let's see then", Rayleigh started when he finally had gotten them to sit down and gotten served coffee and lemonade by Shakky. "I will remind you again Roger, that the meeting with Newgate is next week. We all know that man isn't as overseeing with tardiness as I am, so please be on your best behavior. It is extremely important for the company's image that you don't behave childishly."

"I still don't see why this company has to have a smokescreen", Roger said and pulled his moustache. "Let's just all come out to the world as the gangsters we are!"

As quick as a cobra, Rayleigh reached over the table and wacked his boss so hard the raven's face smacked against the hard wooden surface.

"Don't be stubborn Roger", Rayleigh said in a serious voice. "I've explained to you plenty of times already. If we want to have and underground organization to better get rid of the drugs and criminality in this town, this 'smokescreen', as you call it, has to work perfectly down to the smallest cogwheel. It also helps us to get in more money."

Roger thought about Rayleigh's words as he rubbed his red, aching nose. Then his face broke out into his usual grin.

"You are right as usual, Rayleigh! This is why you are my right-hand man, bwahahaha!"

"Do we really have to listen to this every damn meeting?" Buggy muttered to himself.

Their boss surely wasn't the smartest fish in the water.

Rayleigh, probably thinking the same thoughts as Buggy, shook his head in resignation and went to the next subject on the agenda. He was, however, interrupted by Roger who was more interested in the talk on the street.

"So Shanks, Buggy, what are the words on the street today?"

Shanks shrugged his shoulders and looked with an apologizing look at his boss.

"Nothing new Captain. Just the same old stories about drug dealing spots and where to buy cheap vodka."

"I've heard something that definitely will interest you boss."

Three pair of eyes turned to the boy in the red clown nose. Buggy didn't usually know things that Shanks hadn't heard of. Even Rayleigh was interested in what the youngster had to say.

"So spit it out boy", Roger demanded with a child's patience.

"I don't know", Buggy said and tapped his lower lip with his index-finger in thought. "My memory is a little foggy. I suddenly can't seem to remember what it is."

Rayleigh snorted and turned back to his paper, and Shanks chin dropped. How did Buggy dare to demand something in return for his information, especially from Gol D. Roger? This was his boss for Christ's sake! To Shanks surprise and dismay, Roger just chuckled and removed the expensive Rolex that was placed in his right wrist.

"Okay red nose", Roger said with a grin, knowing that his little nickname would aggravate the young boy. "If you are so sure that the information is of value to me I will give you this watch, after you give me the information of course."

"You can't be serious captain!" Shanks shouted. "That is an really expensive watch you know!"

"Nah", Roger said with a shrug. "It's not like I use it anyway. And if I don't wear it, Rayleigh can't blame me for being late on purpose anymore bwahahaha!"

"It's because you have it on the wrong wrist you brat", Rayleigh said for surely the thousand time since his boss got that stupid watch.

Roger ignored Rayleigh's comment, choosing to dangle the watch in front of Buggy.

"I will give you this watch if the information is valuable, Buggy. You have my word."

Buggy, as well as any person that mattered in this town, knew that Gol D. Roger was a man of his word.

"Fine", Buggy said. "I was walking home from the arcade two nights ago, and I overheard two people in an ally outside of the Grand Line hotel downtown. Apparently one of them had heard, from a very reliable source, that Shiki, the Golden Lion, is back in town. Later, I saw one of Shiki's men, that stupid clown-wannabe Dr. Indigo, pass right by me on the street. I wouldn't even have noticed him if it wasn't for his stupid squeaking shoes."

"Well, Shiki and his crew has never been exactly discreet", Roger said with a sour face. "Great work Buggy."

Buggy's face lit up, more because of the Rolex being thrown to him than the praise.

"You have any idea what he's doing here?" Roger asked.

"Nope, not at all", Buggy said honestly, focusing on the watch and what prize he might get for it.

"Thought so", Roger muttered and turned to right-hand man. "What do you think about this Rayleigh?"

"Nothing, yet", Rayleigh answered, not really listening since his interest was on the papers in front of him.

"Right", Roger nodded and turned to the youngsters. "I will inform Crocus and the others about this new information right away. You two keep and extra eye and ear out from now on, got it."

"Sure thing captain", Shanks said with a grin.

"Great, meeting dismissed then."

Roger quickly stood up and walked to the door, the two young boys hot on his heal.

"Not so fast Roger, we still have things to discuss about the upcoming week", Rayleigh's voice called out.

"Damn it", Roger cursed under his breath. "I thought he wouldn't notice. Tricky bastard, pretending to be engrossed in all his paperwork."

Without a choice, Roger walked back to the booth, glaring daggers at the two boys who sniggered and left, probably to spend the money from Roger's Rolex in the arcade.


The story is finally starting! Crocodile has a bitter past and Roger's enemy is back in town. What to do? Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review!

Love Milow