Crocodile

Tell me Caesar Clown did you know that the state of a logia's powers is effected by their state of mind. If they're exhausted then their powers are far weaker than if they weren't. If they're terrified then those powers don't work. And if they're permanently traumatized they never heal from that injury no matter what they're powers can do for them. So scream now. You'll be screaming for the rest of your short miserable life even if you escape my custody.

Alabasta was a hot, dry place at the best of times. The sand was coarse, rough and it got everywhere. It wasn't a place Luffy liked to visit. Personally the Warlord preferred cold, icy locations as demonstrated with the various bases he had set up, notably on Drum Island. Killing Wapol had been a chore but the gains had been worth it.

"We'll I'm surprised by you showing up," admitted Crocodile as he received the keys to the dungeons, "Usually other Warlords don't actively come an seek me out."

And that was why Luffy was here. Business required that he meet Crocodile in person. In wasn't the best circumstance but it was necessary to make sure neither of them were screwing the other over.

"Just a bit of common courtesy," politely explained Luffy as the two of them walked down the dungeons.

Neither fully trusted the other but Luffy certainly wanted to talk to Crocodile a little bit at the very least.

"I got him captured like you said," explained Crocodile, "Also I took all the measures you said. What you do with him when he transfers over is up to you."

Luffy regarded Crocodile's words before handing him a small folder from his bag, "In the folder are the photographs of the thing you wanted."

Fortunately none of the marines knew that the two were in regular contact with each other.

"How did you get it? Usually the Minks are very defensive of people who roam into their territory," questioned Crocodile as he opened the folder checking to see if the pictures were genuine.

They seemed close enough for Crocodile. Unfortunately, with Nico Robin dead there would be no way to know for sure. Luffy made a mental note to ask if Hagit wanted to see her grave.

"Usually. Let's just say that physical strength matters nothing if your body breaks down due to lack of nutrients," elaborated Luffy darkly.

"You gassed them and then slaughtered the entire island didn't you," chuckled Crocodile.

Crocodile knew Luffy's style. The man avoided the direct approach whenever possible. Instead he used proxies, tricks and other expendables. That didn't mean that the Warlord wasn't strong. The scares on Crocodile's left shoulder proved so.

"I'm not apologizing. What you did for me was a very important favour Crocodile. It's the least I could do as compensation," disclosed Luffy as the keys jingled from Crocodile's hook.

"That I'll admit," imparted Crocodile, "Catching him was very difficult. It took me personally getting involved in the matter to settle it once and for all. I had to dry that bastard like a raisin."

It had been the equivalent of fighting a commander of the Whitebeard pirates. The task had been difficult but not impossible. The real challenge had been to cover up the entire operation and prevent outsiders from knowing of their involvement.

"You have my thanks," stated Luffy, "Although you should also be thanking me for keeping the marines off your back. I can't have the prisoner be captured back by the revolutionaries."

Another problem had been the handover. Both sides needed the presence of the other for the transaction. Bribing the appropriate people and calling one of those scummy bastards had been a nightmare.

"Oh really," queried Crocodile as the two of them descended another flight of stairs, "I thought my special prisoner was what was keeping the marines off my back."

The whole dungeon was massive for a reason. Crocodile needed a location to put the two thousand or so people in. Despite the horrid conditions of the whole prison complex it still required a massive amount of space, something which Luffy was observing.

Luffy gaped in shock at that statement, "You didn't? And the marines still wanted to send three Vice- Admirals? They must be really desperate if they wanted to go so far as to spit in their faces."

Then those twenty million spent had been somewhat useless. Alabasta was now facing a four way war at the moment with Crocodile winning.

"I wouldn't say it's desperate," vaguely revealed Crocodile, "But thanks to your efforts I only have to deal with a single Vice-Admiral. Lacroix has been causing some trouble but not something I can't deal with."

The World Government had been one of the four factions, who in this case was being led by the Giant Lacroix. With an assembly for maybe five thousand marines Lacroix was greatly outnumbered.

"People have lost hope. With the country destroyed, the world government all but abandoning them to their misery and a massive war on the horizon there looking for any sense of stability," reiterated Luffy, "That's you for Alabasta."

The second faction was the mis-matched leftovers of what had been the rebels and royal guards. They were barely holding out as it was due to internal fighting, devastation caused by Crocodile's initial appearance and the fact that important documents and figures had a habit of defecting to Crocodile. All that was left now was Chaka.

"Ironic isn't it," smirked Crocodile, "Although what you're doing with Teach is none of my business."

And the final faction was the fanatics who hoped to topple all the other factions in hopes of establishing a theocracy. They were quite a nuisance for Crocodile but mostly because they fought against the marines and the remnants of the former guards and rebels. Some guy named Mansour was leading them at the moment.

Altogether it would take Alabasta decades to recover from this civil war if that.

They walked down to basement 4, the air getting drier the lower they went. Luffy expected that much at the very least. Crocodile's room had been air-conditioned to be as comfortable as possible. The prisoners he had captured were not so fortunate.

"I want to show you something," professed Crocodile as they kept walking. This was an opportunity to great to pass over.

"Is it about her?" inquired Luffy hoping he wouldn't have to face her. This meeting was meant to be a secret between as little people as possible.

Then again Crocodile seemed to have other plans.

"Yes. I heard about that letter and I'll admit that it did have me worried for a moment," testified Crocodile as he continued to admit what had been his worries for some time, " Had Cobra accepted that letter's request I wouldn't be ruling this country as easily as I am now."

"You came to gloat you smug bastard," intoned Luffy. It was just like Crocodile to do something like this.

"Of course. She forgot her duty," surmised Crocodile stopping at the appropriate cell, "What else than to remind her than you."

The first thing that came to Luffy's mind when he saw the cell was the smell of semen and blood. There must have been quite a bit of it as well if he could pick it up. Yet the more he looked through the cell the more he was disturbed by how clean it seemed in comparison. Yes there were still some dirt marks but that more or less because of the prisoner. Crocodile must have been cleaning the cell on a regular basis simply for hygiene reasons if nothing else.

There was a small toilet and wooden board that must have been the prisoner's bed. All this could easily been seen from the amount of lightning in the room which was caused by the barred window. It was almost as if Crocodile was torturing Vivi with the temptation of escape and the longing for the outside world.

Unsurprisingly Prince Vivi was a complete mess. Whip and bite marks could easily be seen through the clothing she had been given during her time in prison. A steadily healing black left black eye and a couple of sawed off fingers were what Luffy could see from an initial glance. Her blue hair had lost all the lustre it had once had, instead now being filled with grime and dust.

However it was her devastated look that marked a complete surprise for Luffy. The Princess he had seen two years ago when he snuck into the Reverie had been headstrong, proud and beaming with happiness. Crocodile had snatched all that away and left her a slouching husk of her former self. Nefeltari was black and white body with none of her emotional colour.

"Hello Ms. Wednesday," mocked Crocodile snatching Luffy out of his thoughts, "Or should I say Princess Vivi."

Crocodile seemed to be relishing this altogether, something which was made Luffy deeply uncomfortable. Certainly he did all sorts of tasks but that was for pragmatic reasons. On the other hand the man had seemed to have set this up as a routine.

"Did you bring another customer?" choked Vivi, "Or was it one of those demons in human skin that say their Kings of the World."

Luffy had to wonder how many customers Crocodile had been serving and how they could have stayed quiet about it for so long. Certainly high-class individuals talked about this in select company. Luffy himself had a net worth of fifty million beli but keeping something like this shut was something he hadn't expect Crocodile to be capable to pulling off.

"Neither," passed on Luffy.

"Monkey D. Luffy?" croaked Vivi, "Your helping him?"

The accusation was clear in her voice but there didn't seem to be any surprise in the statement. Perhaps it was because of how much of the army had betrayed the other to the point that it collapsed.

"Yes and no," explained Luffy as he reiterated what he knew, "I didn't take part in Crocodile's coup d'état. However I did have solid evidence that it was going to happen weeks in advance."

The information had been given to him by Rusetalam and confirmed by Bon-Clay during his defection.

"And you didn't stop it," shrieked Vivi, "Some spouse you would have turned out to be."

"In all honesty I would have had you agreed to the letter," shot back Luffy, "Had you agreed to marry me instead of turning down the offer from a pirate it would be Crocodile in a cell right now instead."

Luffy owed nothing to Vivi and Crocodile knew that. He was like many of the people who had known that a coup was forming. Anyone with half a brain and the resources of a Vice Admiral would have suspected as much from the beginning. It was something Crocodile did.

"Hagit would have killed me," chimed Crocodile exaggerating Luffy's feats to drive Vivi further into despair, "Not to mention that you would have caused most of my organization to defect. You've already gotten Mr.2 somehow."

Then he dipped his head at the likely outcome of the entire war. Baileara, Hagit, Felicity, Varendick, Rusetalam, Bon-Clay would have all decimated the forces of Baroque Works.

"Then it would have been merely half a day of blood, fire and slaughter. And if all else failed you would have used that," darkly sighed Crocodile.

Kuzan owed him one for his daughter. For something like this he would have agreed.

Luffy merely nodded, "And if Hagit had somehow lost to you, then I would have easily taken you down. I still remember our fight over Mr. 2's defection."

Crocodile's left shoulder twitched at the memory. The spear driving into it, electrifying the man's insides and paralysing him. The reason Luffy hadn't killed him had become imminently obvious the day he got that letter.

"You do know that I was absolutely livid when I heard that," growled Crocodile, "Although I do have to ask what gave me away."

"You weren't a horrible person to your country or abused your position," replied Luffy without missing a beat, "All Warlords of the sea had at best benign neglect for their countries expect for Jinbei but he doesn't count. Had you been slightly more malicious and abusive then there would have been no doubt that I wouldn't have started investigating."

I could see the understanding reach Vivi's eyes. All the struggles, all the hardships seemed to have become useless or unnecessary to her.

"Then that was all?" watered Vivi was tears slowly started to fall from her cheeks, "All this death, misery and suffering. All if I had accepted that offer?"

Crocodile was right. Vivi had forgotten her duty. Luffy didn't consider himself a sexist but Vivi's ignorance was outstanding. The primary goal of royalty was to provide a stable and relatively prosperous and safe situation in their respective domains. Being powerful was a single way to do so.

Securing alliances with other powerful members of society was another. It didn't matter how moral or evil you were. So long as it was justifiable as to why excesses and death was necessary then royalty were untouchable.

Luffy bluntly confirmed, "Yes."

Vivi had forgotten that as a member of royalty you had to be willing to have people die at your command. To not realize that was naive.

Idealism got people killed. With her naivety and social status it had gotten other people killed.

That single word seemed to have collapsed what little resolve that she had. Crocodile could easily see the gears turning in her head at their respective statements. Being willing to beg for the benefit of your people was an excellent trait in a ruler.

What would Vivi give to save her country? Her life? Her freedom? But what if she didn't have anything else to give?

"Then can please save Alabasta. I'm sorry," cried Vivi tears flowing out of her eyes, "I'm sorry. I'll be your concubine. I'll be your fuck toy. I'll even be your sex slave but please stop Crocodile."

But begging also made you weak if you begged at the wrong time. Vivi giving up her body was something completely expected from the duo.

"No deal," stated Luffy as he looked to Crocodile, "I enjoy my business transactions with Crocodile. Not to mention that I've already found someone and I plan to stay loyal to her."

Nobody hurt those he cared for. However everyone else was fair game.

"You should have taken that deal two month ago when he first became a Warlord," mocked Crocodile knowingly, "But thanks to your stubbornness and pride all your friends are dead. Your kingdom is in ruins, your father's buried underneath the palace and I've won."

Every point was undeniably true.

"Even if you did somehow escaped from my prison," laughed Crocodile, "There's nothing left for you to fight for."

All her companions had been slaughtered. Crocodile had even fed Luffy as very nice roasted duck when he arrived today. A religious fundamentalist was growing to the point that many of the citizens were turning to Crocodile because he was looking like the only person strong enough to face them. All according to the plan.

"Personally I don't like it. I don't get what you're keeping her alive," argued Luffy as the two of them walked down to the final floor.

Had Vivi actually taken Luffy's offer like he had requested a lot could have changed? But that wasn't exactly saying much. What if he had decided not to hold a grudge against Ace and hadn't hacked Dadan's limbs off when he was strong enough to? There were endless possibilities to this whole situation.

Crocodile knew that Luffy would have treated her appropriately. He just knew that. Luffy may have been one of the coldest and pragmatically ruthless people he had had the pleasure of meeting but his fellow Warlord deeply cared for what was his. Luffy expected a lot in return from the people he served but he also committed in always being the saviour of the same people who served him. A marriage between the Warlord and the Princess wouldn't have been a very happy one but it would have been far more comfortable than quite a few.

"Remember when I said that that I had very important people who came into this kingdom just for my special prisoner? Well yes, yes she's the one. Some come as far as Mariejois just for her," described Crocodile, "The Princess is my insurance that the marines don't come down too hard on me. Not only that but she's in the perfect place of being a toy for any World Noble who comes this far. Together with their hatred for her family and the fact that she's one of the World Nobles, I'm inclined to leave her alive."

"I don't really care," retorted Luffy. He was just stating facts.

Keeping women alive for rape is something Luffy disapproved of. Not because Luffy disapprove of the practice. It's next to impossible to prevent rape from occurring in conflicts. Quite a few of the revolutionaries were paid primarily through the practice.

No Luffy disapproved of the practice primarily because it causes unnecessary offspring from the coupling. Not to mention that he prefer extermination to ethnic cleansing. Less problems in the long run.

If Luffy needed to use rape as a weapon however he prefer to use animals instead. Dogs and apes are my general methods. There no emotional connection between two members of such radically different species. Not to mention that it prevents the very man doing the act from actually gaining feelings for his victim. He didn't want a hero.

" That's disturbingly calm but I disagree. Letting her live is too easy. Not to mention no unprofitable at the moment." Acknowledged Crocodile as he blew a puff of smoke, "I do plan on disposing of her once her value has gone down in two years or so."

So Doflamingo was one of the people who had known this was happening the entire time. It wasn't surprising. The Joker had his finger in all the pies in the world.

"Are you planning on selling her later at the Human Auction House?" queried Luffy.

"Perhaps," grunted Crocodile "But that's something I'm still deciding."

The negative publicity may have been too much even if the profit would have been exceptional. However all it took was one story.

Finally Crocodile showed Luffy the cell of the person he had come here for. A month of planning and preparations, six thousand deaths and the testing of a new chemical weapon had been done all for capture of the man in the cell.

It was a blonde haired man dressed in gray and blue rags. It was easy to see that he had been well-built but the slow torture of hunger and inactivity has sapped him of much of his strength. Gashes of blood could easily been seen in three spots of his body. The cell itself smelled of human waste and sweat. Down here there was no light. Crocodile had made sure of that. Only a select few actually knew the location of this cell, none of whom would be inclined to say.

Nevertheless with the torch in his hand, Luffy could easily see the man himself. He had outgrown the looks he had received as a boy but then again so had Luffy. There was much Luffy wanted to do at the moment but that could wait until later. Right now he needed to wake the prisoner up.

"Wake up Sabo."