For an entire year, Crocodile and her crew sailed around the South Blue. They explored every island they came across, inhabited or not. And on almost every island that they stepped foot on, Crocodile found herself making a new friend. A fisherman here, a barmaid there. Each of her new friends offered her their comm codes and that familiar phrase, "If you need anything, let me know."
What Crocodile was going to do with this growing network of acquaintances, she didn't know. For the moment, she collected the codes in a leather journal. Listed with the owner of the code, their home blue, and their island. Almost a hundred names just of people from the South Blue.
But finally, finally, with a sense of growing excitement, they finished their exploration of the last island in the South Blue and turned their attention to taking their journey to the Grand Line. They prepared as best as they could, with Crocodile, Sin, Nikita and Remy's experience with actually sailing the Grand Line to guide their plans.
Crocodile and her still-unnamed and unbountied crew made for the reverse mountain. The ride up the mountain was a stressful experience, as much as it was exhilarating. Sin's capable hands guided the Eclipse up the Reverse Mountain so that Oliver had to only complete minor repairs on the Eclipse's hull when they reached the lighthouse at the exit.
While waiting on repairs to be complete, Crocodile gave Matthias a crash course in how the Log Pose worked and how the magnetic fields of each island worked. Once the navigator was comfortable with the Log Pose and its use, they took their time choosing their route while examining the map together. Everyone chimed in with their opinions, but the final decision was Crocodile's.
After deliberating over it, she chose Bolero as their starting island, a large summer island with a vast desert and arid climate.
With their destination decided and the Eclipse repaired to Oliver's exacting standards, they set out from the lighthouse, a three-day journey to Bolero ahead of them.
Far from any islands in the section of the sea still affectionately referred to as the Pirates Graveyard, the first two days of the journey were a blur of constant activity.
Lightning storms, whirlpools, an accidental drift into the calm belt and a nest of Neptunians. Even a blizzard. Crocodile forgot just how exciting sailing the Grand Line could be after the relative calm of the South Blue. The worst of it passed as they drew further into Bolero's climate, the weather settling into hot and getting hotter.
Crocodile had an opportunity to think up in the Crow's nest, watching the surrounding ocean and approaching landmass, even as her mind drifted a thousand miles away. Back in the familiar chaotic waters of the Grand Line… I should send a letter to Oyaji. She's been gone for only a year and a half, but Whitebeard would be nevertheless happy to hear from her. She hoped.
She'd be lying if she said she wasn't still wary about contacting him after leaving the Moby Dick the way she had. Sneaking off in the middle of the night, only leaving a letter with her goodbyes and only telling Marco and Thatch her plans.
If Oyaji was still angry at her for leaving, Crocodile didn't know what she would do.
Be angry right back at him, probably.
She wouldn't be herself if she didn't get pissy.
"Hey, Captain?" She jerked in surprise, and Walter squeezed her shoulder. She tried to ease the pounding of her heart.
"Woah, sorry, Croc. Didn't mean to startle you."
Crocodile glanced up at him, scowling slightly, "Time for shift change already? Didn't feel like two hours." Walter nodded as she stood up.
"Thought you were napping with how quiet you were," her sniper told her cheerfully as he took her place, his cowboy hat shielding his eyes from the glaring sunshine, resting his rifle within reach.
"Not sleeping. Thinking," She snorted, nudging his leg with her boot before turning to climb down. She slipped over the edge of the platform and began the climb down the rigging.
Reaching the railing, she jumped the last foot and landed gracefully on the deck. Sin was behind the helm, bickering with Matthias as usual. The others were all lingering about, melting in the sweltering heat. She retreated to her cabin, stretching her arms above her head, wanting to freshen up after sweating in the sun.
She headed into her small bathroom, deciding on a quick shower. The ship had a larger crew bathroom with a full tub and room for multiple people, but Crocodile enjoyed her privacy. She undressed, unravelling her inky black strands from the braid she'd put it into when she woke up that morning.
As she scrubbed herself clean, her mind went, as it always seemed to lately, to her kiss with Sakazuki. It had been months, yet the feeling of his mouth on hers lingered like a phantom. Haunting her waking hours as well as her dreams.
And she did dream of him. Dreaming nightly about what would have happened if they'd had just a few hours together. Crocodile was far from being a prude, and she'd had encounters with men since then. But she had the feeling that a night with Sakazuki would never be enough to satiate her desire for him.
Which was in itself a baffling predicament. They hardly knew each other. Two meetings, almost four years apart. One mind-blowing make-out session.
But, still…She wanted to see him again. Wanted to know more about him. Wanting to know every part of him.
It was undoubtedly a bad idea for them to meet each other. The more she thought about it, the more likely it became that Sakazuki was probably a Marine. The wisest decision she could make as a pirate and the daughter of one of the Yonko would be to never, ever allow herself to be alone with him again.
But no one had ever accused Crocodile of being wise. Clever and stubborn, certainly. Street smart and book smart if something interested her. But not doing something just because it posed a risk?
Where was the fun in that?
–
Bolero was the largest island in the first half of the Grand Line, yet it was scarcely populated by a nomadic tribe of people that thrived in the massive desert and scare oases. They travelled with their food source and were rarely in the same place for more than a few days at a time. The best part was that the desert folk had no problem with the pirates that opted to pick Bolero as their starting spot.
Crocodile and Bon-chan had listened to the tribe's Chief as he explained the island's history, "There was a time when the island was a retreat for the World Nobles. They set up an extravagant retreat for themselves in the lushest, greenest Oasis on the west coast of the island. Their near-constant presence in the Oasis caused the desert expansion to accelerate in the area." Chief Novak shrugged, a quick, expressive movement of his shoulders, "The sands swallowed their resort, and they never returned."
"They never moved further inland? Just abandoned the island?" Bon-chan asked.
Novak laughed heartily, "They never bothered to explore much of the island. If they had, they would have found many hidden gems," He grinned, looking around at the Oasis the tribe and their pirate guests were camped in the midst of, "A good thing, or we might have had to leave Bolero altogether."
Crocodile chuckled, understanding the Chief's amusement completely, "Any interesting spots on the island we can explore while we wait for our log pose to reset?"
Novak thought about it, prodding his fire before adding another log to the flame, "In the north, you'll find the Veil Oasis. It's a remote region about an hour from the coast, but well worth the trek through the dunes. And from there, you can get to the Veil Mountains. Lots of caves, hidden in the cliffs." Crocodile nodded, already thinking about what they might find there.
"That does sound exciting," Bon declared, rubbing his hands together, "What do you say, Captain?"
"We have a week before the log pose resets…how long of a journey is it?"
"Four nights through the desert."
Crocodile grinned impishly at Bon, getting to her feet and brushing the sand from her rear and legs, "Think we'll be able to convince the others to trek through the desert to get to the mountains."
Bon chuckled, bidding a quick goodnight to Novak, "Oh, I'm positive a few of them will be interested." They left the Chief's fire and returned to their camp, just outside the tribe's circle of tents. As they approached their fire, Crocodile hid a smirk when she found Gem cuddled in Oliver's lap, his head poking out from the grumpy man's heavy cloak. Bon didn't give Oliver the same courtesy, cooing loudly. Oliver squinted a glare but remained where he was. Crocodile thought it was sweet that he didn't bother moving the small boy from his perch, despite his embarrassment at being caught. Sin is stretched out on his side, across the fire from Oliver, his head propped up on his hand, snoring softly. The others had all already retreated to their tents.
Crocodile plopped down on the sand, lifting a hand in a wave when Bon said good night. She stretched her hands out to the fire to warm them.
"So, what did the chief have to say?" Oliver asked, tilting his head to see if Gem was still awake.
"Confirmed that it would take a week for our log pose, told us a little of the history of the island, and mentioned that the Veil region in the north would be an interesting place to explore," Crocodile told him quietly, tapping Sin's foot to wake him up enough so she could ask him for the island's map. He handed it to her with a jaw-creaking yawn, nodding back into sleep. Unfolding the map, she examined it, pointing the region in question out to Oliver when she found it, "It's the biggest Oasis on the island; more of a lake than your typical watering hole. And then the Veil mountains are farther north, a mile or so."
Oliver smothered a smile at the starry-eyed, child-like delight in Crocodile's eyes. Moments like these, it was hard to forget how young his Captain was, "If the Chief told you about them, I'm sure they'll be incredible. I'd be interested in exploring them."
Crocodile smiled, pleased that she had his approval. Oliver watched with half an eye as Crocodile planned their trek, Gem a warm weight in his lap as the sun started peeking over the trees.
–
They started their journey the following evening, sleeping through the day and travelling as only at night to avoid the dangerously high temperatures of the daylight hours. They were dressed as the native tribe had recommended, with as much of their skin covered as possible. As most of the crew travelled through the desert sands, Remy, Sin, and Nikita moved the ship to the island's north landing so that the others wouldn't have to backtrack through the desert to get back. Remy hadn't hesitated to volunteer. He knew he would struggle with his prosthetic leg in the loose sand.
Travelling at night and resting under the protection of their tents during the day didn't prevent Crocodile, Daz and Gem to bronze in the sun, even while the rest of the crew were turning shades of pink.
Near sunrise at the end of the third night, they reached the Oasis. It was beautiful, jungle-like and lush, at a higher elevation than the rest of the island. Crocodile stood for a moment when they finally saw it, at a loss for words, the greenery almost overwhelming after three days in the barren, golden sands. Passing under the trees was like passing into an alien world, the sounds of the jungle coming to life around them: birds, monkeys, and all manner of insects. Further in, the lake came into view. The water was a deep navy blue, the surface rippling as a group of large creatures swam around beneath the surface.
Gem shielded his eyes, squinting, his head tilted as he tried to decide if his eyes were playing tricks on him, "Are those bananas in the water?"
Walter, who had the best vision of them, looked to where Gem gestured, "Huh, sure looks like it."
"Bananawanis," Crocodile told them, "They're a species native to Alabasta, but you can find them on almost any desert island these days." Daz found the path down to the water, and as they got closer, they could see more gators lounging in and around the water, basking in the sun. Gem started giggling, amused by the strange banana-shaped growth on the animals' heads, trying to pull Oliver closer to the big gators. Oliver stopped him before he got too close, cautioning the boy about how dangerous startling one of the giant creatures would be.
Up a small hill beneath a palm tree, Crocodile and Daz stood together, and he noticed when something caught his Captain's attention away from the bananawani. She looked up into the foliage of the palm tree they were standing under, her eyes wide.
"What is it?"
She didn't respond, advancing towards the base of the tree to try and get a better look at what she thought she saw.
A devil fruit.
Pale in colour, with a swirling pattern on its skin, the prolate spheroid fruit had what looked like a small palm tree growing out of one end. Daz finally saw what she was looking at and gaped. The others hadn't noticed. Bon and Walter were farther along the shore's edge, and Matthias stood next to Oliver and Gem, admiring the gators.
Crocodile was having trouble taking her eyes off the fruit. Could hardly believe she was seeing it in the first place. She exchanged a bewildered look with Daz, "You're seeing this too, yeah?"
"Uh-huh."
"Okay." Crocodile took a deep breath, shaking her head to clear it., "Help me get it down."
Daz gave her a boost, threading his fingers together into a cradle for her foot and lifting her. Between them, they had just enough height to reach the fruit. Crocodile plucked the fruit of the branch that was bowed with the weight of it. It was much bigger and heavier than she thought it would be, cradling it to her body so she wouldn't drop it. When she was back on the ground, she rolled it between her hands, her eyes wide with disbelief. Seeing they were still in the same spot, Oliver wandered over to them, Gem hanging from his back like a little monkey, Matthias following.
Both men stopped in their tracks when they saw what she was holding. "Is that-?"
"A fucking devil fruit?"
Gem lifted himself a little higher, so he could see over Oliver's shoulder. "Aren't devil fruit supposed to be really rare?"
"Extremely." Matthias breathed.
Oliver, wrinkling his nose at the reverence in Matthias' voice, peered at Crocodile, "You're thinking of eating it." He didn't phrase it like a question, and Crocodile was a little perturbed by how well Oliver knew her. He may have been a cranky bastard most of the time, but he had an uncanny ability to read people.
"Yeah, I'm thinking about it." She knew what would happen if she ate it, never being able to swim again, and depending on what abilities the fruit granted, potentially even more weaknesses. She needed to try and find out what type of fruit it was before she ate it. That much was certain. Luckily, she had picked up a book about Devil fruits that described and detailed all known fruits, amongst several other books, before they'd sailed for the Grand Line. The fruit seemed at least a little familiar, but some looked so similar to each other that it was hard to really tell without reference.
She carefully packed the fruit in her bag but wasn't too worried about it being squished. The skin seemed tough, similar to the skin of a melon.
–
They travelled passed the lake and towards the jutting mountains in the distance. Upon reaching them, they explored as many caves as they could, finding at least a few stashes of treasure. They eventually crossed through the only pass through the mountains to get to the island's northern landing. They reached the ship in the late evening, and Remy greeted his exhausted crewmates with a hot meal. Crocodile went to her cabin to grab the Devil fruit encyclopedia. She flipped through the thick pages, comparing the fruit to the pictures in the book. She was well aware of the eyes on her as she searched, eating as they waited.
She paused for a long moment on one page, looking between the rough drawing and the fruit sitting in the middle of the table. Finally, she said, "Looks like it might be a logia type."
Daz choked on the bite of food he'd just taken, Sin slapping the eighteen-year-old on the back, "Which one?"
"The Suna Suna no Mi."
–
The decision to eat the fruit was simple once she knew which one it was. So simple it was almost a compulsion. It tasted disgusting, and the change was startlingly immediate.
She was a sand woman now.
Under Daz and Sin's guidance, she was able to start exploring the potential of her powers. She had to do much of it on her own; that was, after all, the very nature of devil fruits. Unless you knew who the last user of a fruit was or witnessed the fruit in action, it was on you to discover your abilities.
She learned her hands could suck all moisture out of plants and people. She learned that her very body was sand. She could be shot or cut, and her body would simply turn to sand around the bullets or knives, reforming behind them. She learned that with enough force, her sand could slice through stone.
Crucially, Crocodile learned that water could prevent her body from turning to sand. Could make it so that she could be seriously injured.
After eating the Suna Suna no Mi, she was one of a handful of logia-type users, and the Navy was quick to take notice. Especially after a sandstorm sunk a naval battleship in the middle of the ocean. Even with the unpredictable weather of the Grand Line, it was hard to explain that phenomenon away.
In her defence, all of the marines had lived.
The Commodore in command of that ship had really been to blame for the entire debacle. He'd followed them from their last stop, completely enamoured with Crocodile, trying to capture her attention.
She'd warned him what she would do if he kept following them.
It wasn't her fault that he hadn't bothered to take her seriously.
Crocodile had been amused when she'd seen her first significant bounty. Thirty Million berries. A decent first bounty. Oyaji would be proud.
"Lady Crocodile?" She smirked. Her crew was celebrating around her. She reread her bounty poster.
Wanted Dead or Alive, Lady Crocodile of the Sandstorm Pirates, $30,000,000.
Daz rolled his eyes, "Apparently, you left quite the impression on Commodore What's-his-face." He took a swig of ale, pushing a full mug at Crocodile.
At Daz's sardonic words, Crocodile started laughing, delighted by the thought that even while his ship was going under and he was demanding a bounty placed on her head, he was still singing her praises.
–
At Marineford, the Navy's headquarters, Commodore What's-his-face, also known as Pompeii, reported to the assembled Vice-Admirals, Admirals and Fleet Admiral Kong.
"Another logia type user?" Sengoku scowled, adjusting her glasses, "Why am I not surprised? The Suna Suna no Mi hasn't been seen in centuries, and now it's in the hands of a pirate. She needs to be taken out now before she becomes much more of a threat." There were rumbles of agreement from much of the room.
Admiral Zephyr shook his head but didn't disagree, "That fruit has immense potential if it's wielded by someone clever enough to use it."
"And based on what Pompeii has described, if she can already sink a battleship, she's likely already proficient in its use," Admiral Victoire sneered, cigarette dangling from her lips.
At the far end of the long meeting room, Kong didn't seem to be paying much mind to his three admirals. He was stuck on one detail, "I'm sorry, is she calling herself 'Lady Crocodile'?" He asked Pompeii in bafflement.
One hand rubbing the back of his neck, Pompeii looked embarrassed, "Ah, no, sir. That was me." A glazed, entranced look overcame his face, "She was just so beautiful, sneering at me like she was ready to grind her heels into my back," His voice was lovestruck. All three admirals shook their heads, and Kong growled and started giving Pompeii an earful.
At the back of the room, ignoring the commotion and staring at the Bounty poster, Vice-Admiral Sakazuki was in shock. He stared at that oh-so-familiar visage. Her face was more mature, her eyes hooded with cat-like cleverness. But it was still her.
Crocodile.
A bountied pirate.
He didn't notice Vice-Admiral Borsalina, Salina to her friends, seated beside him, shooting him a knowing look. Her mouth curled into a benign smile, dark eyes sparkling with amusement behind her yellow-tinted glasses. After a moment, he seemed to feel her gaze on him, and he glanced up, giving her a confused look.
"Something caught your eye, Saka?" Her voice was a drawling purr, faintly sing-song. Sakazuki clenched his teeth, irritated by the teasing note accompanying the words. Her teasing him was nothing new. She'd been doing it since they were children, but this time it grated.
Sakazuki gave her a dark look, shaking his head and dropping the bounty poster on the table in front of him—feigning indifference to its contents.
Salina didn't buy it for a second. She laughs softly, exuding her sweet girlish nature without much effort. "If you stared any harder at her picture, I'm sure she'd be able to feel it," She murmured, loath to tease her brother in such a way that would gain the attention of the officers around them.
He grunted, crossing his arms over his broad chest, "Let it go, Salina." He muttered. Salina's eyebrows jumped up, flapping one hand to let him know she would drop it for now, and she turned back to the front of the room.
Left to his thoughts once more, Sakazuki glanced back down at the photo on the poster. He wanted to be mad at her and hold onto the hatred he'd always held for pirates, but he found it difficult when he remembered that it was Crocodile. Charming, seductive Crocodile. A woman who looked at him with softness and desire.
Then he thought that was ridiculous because, honestly, he barely knew her even though he wanted to.
At the front of the room, with Pompeii thoroughly reprimanded and shooed from the room, Kong stared at the larger poster on the wall. He stood before it, with his hands behind his back, sighing. Sakazuki had to wonder why the Fleet Admiral looked regretful. Kong spoke, voice not betraying anything, "We'll keep an eye on her progress, and hopefully, she'll be brought in sooner rather than later."
There was some dissent about that, but the Fleet Admiral had spoken, and his orders left no room for argument.
The meeting adjourned shortly after, and Sakazuki tried to make his escape before Salina could start with the questions. He didn't make it, his deceptively delicate sister hooking her arm through his, pulling him down an empty hallway. As they walked, her spiked heels clicked against highly polished floors, the sound burrowing under Sakazuki's skin and making him antsy.
He resigned himself to interrogation, letting her tug him along.
"Are you going to tell me what's got you in such a funk, Saka?" She glanced up at him, and he hunched his shoulders when he saw her serious expression.
"...It's nothing."
The look she gave him was so unimpressed and disbelieving that Sakazuki felt scolded. Trust his sister to manage that with nothing more than pursed lips and raised eyebrows. She stopped in front of a conference room, "That is the biggest pile of bullshit I've heard all day, Sakazuki." Salina pulled open the door, double-checking that it was empty, before stepping behind Sakazuki and shoving him into the room.
Once the door was shut firmly behind her, she pointed one manicured nail at her brother, "You know her." It wasn't a question.
Sakazuki closed his eyes, mouth twisted, "I met her about five years ago on Reed. In the New World."
Salina stared at him through the yellow lens of her glasses, "I think you mentioned her once." She moved further into the room.
His eyes widened, "What?! When?" Raking his brain, trying to remember if he'd ever said anything about Crocodile to his sister.
Oozing smugness, she answered, "Three-ish years back. You were drunk and whining about the prettiest woman you'd ever seen," Salina grinned at him, her playfulness returning, hopping up to sit on top of the meeting table, her legs crossed.
Sakazuki flushed, slumping into one of the chairs near her legs, and scowled when Salina started giggling, "Dammit."
Salina's laughter subsided, and she looked once again serious, "Sakazuki... you're not prone to frivolous affairs or unsubstantial emotion." Sakazuki opened his mouth, but Salina held up a finger, and he snapped his mouth closed. "You've always been like that; if you didn't have a real connection with her...she would never have captured your attention or held it for so long." She laced her fingers together, placing them around her knee.
She beamed, "You've never been as cold-hearted as you pretend to be, darling."
Sakazuki doesn't respond, but he knows she's right.
As usual.
He pulled a cigar from his jacket pocket. He lights it using his Magu Magu no Mi powers. He puffed out a stream of smoke, agitated by Salina's astute observations.
Big sister intuition, she called it.
Salina pulled an abused-looking pack of cigarettes out, tapping one out, staring at him expectantly. Sakazuki snorted, lighting his hand. She leaned down and lit it, Sakazuki meticulous about how much heat he generated.
She straightened up just as the door was thrust open.
Vice-Admiral Kuzan stood in the doorway, eyeballing his fellow Vice-Admirals suspiciously. Sakazuki felt a strong desire to punch the other man in the throat. Kuzan's borderline obsession with Salina never failed to piss Sakazuki off.
Salina thought it was cute.
Her younger brother disagreed wholeheartedly and thought it was creepy.
Perhaps it was just his brotherly feelings for Salina talking, and Kuzan's feelings were a harmless puppy crush like Salina insisted they were. Still, Sakazuki had been on the receiving end of Kuzan's jealousy too often lately.
"Hello, Kuzan," Salina's voice was warm, and she leaned back onto her free hand, smiling at the younger man. Sakazuki noted her smile was far from flirty. Not at all like the smiles she would give to the men who captured her genuine interest. And there hadn't been any of those since the disaster ending of her relationship with Admiral Zephyr, "Were you looking for one of us?"
Guilt flashed briefly across Kuzan's face before he answered Salina, "Was wondering if you might be available to give me a hand with some paperwork," Lovestruck fool had it bad.
Salina shook her head, "I'm sorry, Kuzan, I'm just about to head down to my ship," She pulled a pocket watch from one of her jacket pockets, tilting her head as she checked the time, cigarette still held daintily between two fingers. "Actually, they should be finished loading up by now."
"Where to?" Sakazuki questioned, ignoring Kuzan, who was pouting.
"Back to the G5 for a few months while Kong looks for a new base commander," She glanced around the table where she sat.
"Again? Why not just take the job yourself? You're there so often." He muttered, holding out a hand for her to stub her cigarette out on. She smiled at him, patting his cheek, thanking him quietly.
"Because I like being on a ship, darling," She told him before looking at him more directly. "Think about what I said, hm? Don't be afraid to go after what you want." She slid off the table, straightening her pencil skirt in the same move. She leaves, bidding Kuzan a much briefer farewell. Sakazuki listened with half an ear to her walking down the hall, taking another drag on his cigar as he stood up, moving to leave the room.
Kuzan was still standing there, mouth set, ready for a fight.
Sakazuki sighed, a glare settling on his face. Kuzan opened his mouth, but Sakazuki held up a hand to stall his words. "Before you start talking out of your ass, Kuzan. I have always and will always care for Salina like she is my sister. Because she is. I have never, and will never be, interested in her romantically."
Without another word, Sakazuki pushed past Kuzan, taking some pleasure in the way he sputtered indignantly.