From the start of the Golden Age of Piracy, there have been bountied men and women selected by the World Government to be ranked amongst the Shichibukai to work alongside the Navy. To defend against the ever-increasing threat from people like Whitebeard, Big Mom and Kaido.

One of the Shichibukai was a man by the name of Mercurio Agresta, who had once had a bounty of over three hundred million berries. He was a charming, much-admired man who drew people to him like bees to honey, often surrounded by beautiful women and powerful friends.

When he had been offered the position shortly after Roger's execution and the rise of pirate activity on the Grand Line had begun, his acceptance had surprised no one who knew him.

Because Mercurio Agresta was not a good man. He was a vile, manipulative, depraved man, always on the lookout for new opportunities to gain the upper hand over his enemies. Everything he chose to do was because of the advantages that came with it. Being one of the seven Warlords gave him immunities he would not otherwise have.

The Navy left him alone, and the World Government turned a blind eye to all of the questionable businesses he owned and operated. Clubs, brothels, bars, saloons, casinos, you name it, he owned it—dozens of businesses on dozens of islands all over the Grand Line.

And the freedom from government oversight gave him a lot of chances he might not have taken.

Mercurio was looking for a poneglyph.

A specific poneglyph that was rumoured to detail the existence of an ancient weapon. Using Baroque Works, his bounty hunting firm, Mercurio searched for it. He sent Baroque Works into countries and had them disrupt things. Gathering intel in the resulting chaos. So far, he hadn't gained anything worthwhile. But finally, finally, he was on to something.

For ten years, he had been looking for that poneglyph, and he's sure now that the poneglyph is being protected by the royal family of Alabasta. He just had to find it now. He already had Nico Robin, so reading the damn thing wouldn't be a problem.

In the midst of drought and rebellion, Alabasta was on the cusp of breaking. And Mercurio only needed the smallest of chances in order to be able to slither his way in through the seams.

–

Sakazuki's warship was one of three that the Navy called an Admiral Flagship, personalized to represent his codename and corresponding colour. At about five times as big as the largest warships, they had been built to accommodate the thousand marines it took to sail efficiently. Six decks and a kilometre long, admiral flagships were a mobile navy base. They were still nowhere near the size of a Celestial Dragon's pleasure ship, but they were the biggest churned out of the Navy shipyards.

It was his home away from Marineford, and his quarters on the ship were far more lived in than the small officer's apartment he kept on Marineford.

And there was something right about having Crocodile on the deck of the ship he considered home. Bundled up in winter-appropriate clothing as they entered the climate of their first stop. She looked cute as hell, her hair fluffy in the cold air, the tip of her nose and cheeks red. She had her chin tucked into the collar of her heavy coat, looking mildly annoyed about the biting air, eyes watching the Marines around her dispassionately.

She was fearless.

Even when he'd brought her aboard three days before, she'd been unbothered. Standing off to the side as Sakazuki addressed all forty of his officers with her hip cocked, arms crossed, and a thin cigarillo smouldering between her fingers. Dismissive of the suspicious gazes scrutinizing her. Flanked on either side by the two members of her crew who had insisted on accompanying her. Before giving them their orders, Sakazuki had explained, with no room for argument, "Crocodile and her men will be aboard for the duration of our investigation into the mines; she is to be treated the same as any escorted dignitary. Inform your units; if any of them have a problem, they can bring it up with me."

He was only a little surprised when no Marines had spoken up about the pirates' presence, but he shouldn't have been. His officers knew how to quell any potential insubordination amongst the ranks, nipping it in the bud and assuaging any discontentment before it became an issue.

In general, most of his marines opted to give Crocodile her space, not willing to risk a reprimand if they treated her with anything less than respect. Whether deliberately or not.

Crocodile, for her part, kept to herself and reeled in her more mischievous urges to mess with the easily offended Boy Scouts amongst the marines. As long as they played nice, so would she.

Sakazuki found her standing on one of the ship's more isolated balconies, staring at the papers in her hand and feeling compelled to join her. When he leaned on the railing beside her, she peeked at him from the corner of her eye, a small smile curling her lips. "You know, I never thought I'd be aboard a navy ship while not being brought to Impel Down."

He huffed, amused. "We can move your room down to the brig if it'd make you more comfortable."

"Like I'd give up that room," She narrowed her eyes, a teasing lilt in her voice, "Or that bed."

The image of her laying on top of what he knew was a luxurious feather mattress was immediate and visceral, and his brain was quick to supply the memory of her naked body. The memory of her heavy breasts, the smooth, satin soft skin of her belly and the long, shapely lines of her legs. But there was also curiosity. What changes had happened to her body in the eleven years they'd been apart? Sakazuki eyed her, flickering up her body as he compared what he knew with what may be underneath her clothes now.

Crocodile smirked at him like she knew exactly what thoughts were running through his mind, her green eyes a few shades darker with an emotion he couldn't quite decipher but recognized.

She stepped closer to him, her breasts pressed against his bicep, and stared up at him, "You have a dirty mind."

"Not usually," Sakazuki turned, hand grasping her hip to tug her back against him. They hadn't had a moment alone since they'd sailed from Alabasta. Too many eyes, too much scrutiny. "It seems I can't get close to you without my mind wandering to some dirty places."

Her fingers trail along the lapel of his jacket, manicured nails scratching against the fabric with a faint rasp, "What sorts of dirty places?"

For a brief moment, Sakazuki stared at her, brown eyes almost black in the shade of the balcony. He caught her fingers against his chest, and Crocodile looked up at him. Instead of answering her question, he kissed her, the fingers of his free hand tangling in her short hair. Crocodile wiggled against him, a pleased sound at the back of her throat, red lips parting beneath his.

She was warm and willing in his arms. Every inch of her soft, lush curves pressed against him, the point of her hook digging into the meat of his shoulder, the faint sting of pain grounding him in the reality of her embrace.

Neither of them heard the footsteps getting closer. They do, however, hear the young lieutenant's yelp, and they pull apart slowly, eyes darting furtively to the side to stare at the young white-haired woman. With two unlit cigars clenched between her teeth, she was trying to look anywhere but at them.

"I–uh, sorry, Admiral," She stumbled back quickly, pulling the cigars from her mouth and sliding them back into her pocket nervously. "Was just looking for a place to…uh-doesn't really matter- I'll just. Hm."

Sakazuki sighed, trying to be annoyed by finding it impossible with Crocodile still in his arms. The most he can manage is mild exasperation, "Whitechase," Smoker stopped moving backwards, finally meeting his eyes. Sakazuki dropped his gaze to Crocodile's face, admiring the flush of her cheeks and the heave of her chest as she fought to catch her breath, "Not a word to anyone."

"Yes, sir." Her voice is high-pitched, but she manages a quick salute before scurrying away. Sakazuki watched her go, wondering idly if this was going to be a problem. He dismisses the worry; Smoker might have been a loyal and steadfast marine, but she was also a notorious rulebreaker.

Crocodile broke him out of his thoughts, nipping at the side of his neck. Sakazuki focused on her, and she went up on her tiptoes to kiss him. "We'll continue this later."

"I'll hold you to that."

–

They were sorting through the financials of the first mine, anchored just off the shore of the island, sitting in his office when her personal Den-Den Mushi started buzzing where the snail had been dozing on the corner of Sakazuki's desk. She answered it without looking up from what she was reading.

The voice that came from the speaker was very young and very nervous, and it caught both Crocodile and Sakazuki's attention, "Promise you won't get mad."

Crocodile cleared her throat with a furtive glance at Sakazuki, "Are you going to give me a reason to be mad?" Sakazuki tried to tune out the conversation, but he was too curious, and he stared blankly at the file open in his hand.

"Ah, well…I hope not?" The boy dragged out the 'well,' and Crocodile narrowed her eyes.

"Sabo," Exasperated, Crocodile sighed, "What happened?"

The boy, Sabo, giggled nervously, "You remember that red-haired pirate that was using the village as a base."

"Yes," Crocodile sounded annoyed at the reminder.

"Well, he and his crew came back to the village, and I guess Red-Hair found a devil fruit in a raid or something. But he didn't lock it away or anything. He kind of just had it sitting in an unlocked box–" Sabo was cut off for a moment by another boy.

"Like an idiot! Luffy got her hands on it! You know how she is with food."

"Ace!" The sounds of a scuffle were unmistakable. Sabo continued, "That was about a month ago."

Crocodile's brow furrowed, and she growled, "Your sister at a devil fruit a month ago and neither you nor Ace thought to tell me?"

"Luffy asked us not to tell because she wanted to surprise you when you came home," Spoken as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Ace cuts in again, "She's all rubbery now. Red-hair called it the Gum-Gum Fruit."

"Something else obviously happened for you to break a promise to your sister. What is it?"

A sudden gush of words as both boys tried to explain what had occurred. Something about some mountain bandit named Higima the Bear and a confrontation with Red-Haired Shanks. How the bandit had returned shortly before Shanks and his crew, and how Luffy Luffy had gotten into an argument with him. Then, Shanks returned, and a fight broke out. And then Higima had grabbed Luffy and ran out to sea. Then, (Crocodile got tired of the 'then's pretty quickly) the King of the Coast attacked the rowboat Higima had commandeered, but, "It's okay! Red-Hair was actually useful and swam out to save Luffy and got his arm chopped off in the process. But he scared the King away just by looking at him. The same way Grandpops can!"

While Crocodile was listening in disbelief, Sakazuki was working out the puzzle. For years, he had wondered why Crocodile had fallen off the face of the planet.

If she'd gotten pregnant, retreating from the Grand Line made perfect sense. She was a female Logia-type devil fruit user. Pregnancy would have left her almost wholly vulnerable without access to her abilities. Pregnancy plus some years to raise her child out of infancy would account for the time she was gone.

Or at least three children, based on the conversation.

For a moment, he's struck with unreasonable jealousy of the man who had fathered her children. Pushing aside the feeling, he shook his head. It's not as though she belonged to him, even while the primal male part of his brain whispered 'mine.'

Eventually, the words that came, slightly distorted, from the receiver strapped to the Den Den Mushi trickled to a halt, and Crocodile sighed, "Well, as long as she's alive, I can't really say much. Just…Please keep Luffy out of trouble until I get back."

Once she received confirmation from both boys, Crocodile replaced the receiver on the Den-Den Mushi's shell and smacked her hand to her forehead. She rubs her face tiredly, muttering into her palm, "I'm going to wring his scrawny neck the next time I see that red-haired bastard."

Sakazuki lets her seethe for a good half an hour before finally asking with deliberate blandness, "You have kids?"

Her eyes widened, and she looked at him. With more shyness than he'd ever expect to see from her, Crocodile smiled and raised her hand, three fingers extended, "Three—one that I gave birth to and two that I adopted. You asked me back in Alubarna why I disappeared…It was to have my daughter." Her back straightened, and she adjusted the stack of files still in her lap.

Sakazuki chuckled, dropping back against his chair and covering his face with one hand while he laughed.

Crocodile blinked at him, surprised. Not offended by his laughter but confused.

"Sorry…it's just, I'll admit I was imagining something worse."

Reassured by his lack of judgement, she snorted, "I suppose there are worse possibilities than getting knocked up and having a kid primarily comprised of chaos and anarchy."

"Chaos and anarchy?"

"I blame her sperm donor." When she met his gaze, the question was evident in his eyes, and she wanted to tell him. "I had a three-year thing with Monkey D. Dragon. We had already split by the time I found out I was pregnant with Luffy."

Sakazuki's eyebrows furrowed.

"…Monkey D. Dragon?" Sakazuki's mouth dropped open, and he reeled mentally. "You were with Dragon? Marine washout, leader of the revolution, son of Garp and Sengoku?"

Crocodile laughed, only slightly scathing when she admitted, "The one and only."

Sakazuki could only vaguely recall the intense-eyed former marine, who had been a couple of years ahead of him in the officer's academy. Then the other shoe dropped, "Your daughter is Garp and Sengoku's grandkid."

"Yup, all three of the kids are, technically." Placing the files on the ground next to her chair, Crocodile stood up and leaned across his desk. He held still, and she kissed him on the nose, grinning when she saw the tips of his ears turn red. "You gonna need some time to digest that tidbit?"

He snorted at her teasing words, "I can handle it, I assure you."

–

Nothing.

Four mines.

Painfully, squeaky clean accounts and records. Out of the only sixteen mines on record that produced even an ounce of silver. Crocodile tossed down another stack of papers, her head pounding and her eyes blurry. She pulled off her glasses, her fingers massaging her temples. In front of her, Sakazuki was in a similar state of numbness, eyes closed, head thrown back against his chair. He opened one eye to squint over at the clock opposite his desk.

He frowned, exhaustion settling in when he saw just how late it was—glancing at Crocodile, where she had gone from massaging her temples to her scalp, tousling her hair. Sakazuki admired the picture she presented. Her blouse is mused, the top few buttons undone, the swell of her breasts just visible, along with a hint of the black lace of her bra. Her feet are up on his desk, her skirt riding high on her thighs, leaving very little to the imagination, and her stocking-clad toes flexing on the wood.

"I don't think we're going to be finding anything tonight," He grunted, pushing himself to his feet.

She moaned, the green of her eyes barely visible through the fan of her dark lashes as she peeked at him, "You might be right."

Stepping around his desk, he nodded at the clock and stopped beside her chair, "It's half past twelve, Darlin'. I know I'm right." He cringed to himself when the tight control he had on his accent slipped.

Eyebrows lifting in delight, Crocodile grinned at him, "Did you just call me darlin'?" She lowered her voice and mimicked his slight drawl on the word, still lounging and looking even more like a pleased feline than usual.

Sakazuki snorted in embarrassment, rubbing the side of his neck, ignoring her question, "Come on, I'll walk you to your room."

"You did! You called me darlin'," She giggled, positively giggled, letting him pull her to her feet. Her grin softened, and she leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You can call me darlin' any time."

He rolled his eyes and spun her around towards the door, "I'll keep that in mind. Am I walkin' you to your room or not?"

She shot him a smirk over her shoulder as she walked to the door, "Keep talking like that, and you may as well just take me to bed."

Sakazuki stared at her, "You serious?"

Crocodile chuckled, "I'm completely serious, cowboy. Or am I wrong in assuming you're waiting for me to make the first move?"

"...I didn't want to rush you."

She scoffed at him, opening the door and propping her hands on her hips, "Well then, allow me to assuage any hesitation you may have. Take me to bed and fuck me until I tell you to stop."

"Bossy."

"And don't you forget it."

He amusedly shook his head and met her at the door, grabbing her hand and leading her down the corridor to his cabin. As soon as the door was shut firmly behind them, he was divesting her of her clothing, taking charge of their dance and laying her down on his bed.

He's not the nearly broken man he was when they met in Magnolia—the man who sought comfort and to soothe the demons howling in his heart.

Tonight, he decided, would be all about her.

He was determined.

With one foot up in the air, her toes curling and twitching, her calf propped up against his shoulder, Crocodile shuddered beneath him, her fingers clenched in the sheets above her head. Her thighs tighten around his head, his between her legs, his mouth and tongue tormenting and teasing her to overstimulation. Four fingers deep inside, stretching her wide, curling and twisting, working to pull another orgasm from her straining body. Crocodile was barely aware that she was making a low whining sound as he pushed her higher and higher, her breasts aching for his touch.

Sakazuki, despite his quiet confession of having only been with a handful of women since his teenage years, seemed to know just how to wring every ounce of pleasure from her body. Far from some of the selfish lovers she's had in the past, he seemed happy to take care of her needs first.

Her back arching off the bed, Crocodile came again, and Sakazuki wiped his lower face and sat back with a smug smirk pulling at his stubborn mouth. She panted and released her death grip on the sheets, glaring at him, "I don't think I told you to stop, cowboy."

He chuckled, "Yes, ma'am."

–

At the sixth mine, something caught their attention.

It was hard to miss, really, when the mine's manager refused the government-issued warrant they presented to him to give them access to the mine and accounts.

Crocodile didn't understand why. On paper, the mine was small-scale, producing barely enough to bother keeping it running. "According to the report they gave the government, the mine started to run dry four years ago." She muttered to Sakazuki and Bentham.

Sakazuki snorted, eyeing the bustle of the mine from the cliff where they were observing. "That's a lot of activity, miners and equipment for dry veins." He exchanged an unimpressed look with Crocodile.

Bentham rocked back on his heels, eyes darting over the mine, "Give me an hour, Croc," He grinned at her, "I'll get you what you want."

Crocodile glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, "Do it, Bon, but be careful."

Chuckling, he turned on his heels and disappeared into the gathering darkness. She shrugged at Sakazuki's raised eyebrow, "Don't worry, no one will know he's in there."

"Hey, you won't hear me complaining." He blinked at her, feigning innocence. "After all, we do have a warrant."

"Look at you, all easygoing."

"Blowjobs do that to me."

–

Bon loves this part of his job.

Espionage. Gathering intel. Making his dear, sweet Croc happy.

Although, he smirked to himself, it was more than information making his Croc happy lately. He got it; the Admiral was a fine specimen of a man who undoubtedly knew how to leave a woman well-satiated. And based on the energy Croc had been projecting, she was more than satisfied.

Bon, wearing a face not his own, opened the accounting office, locking the door behind him after entering the dark room. He pulled open drawers randomly, his baby Den-Den Mushi at the ready, taking snap-shots of whatever caught his eye.

This was the first time, in all the years Bon had known her, that Croc was more relaxed after being with a man. The closest he'd seen her like this was when she and Dragon first started seeing one another before she started coming back from their rendezvous bitter, all tense and hurt. He hadn't been the only one ecstatic when she ended that relationship. The Sandstorms hadn't wanted to push their notoriously stubborn captain but had been anxious for her to see that there were better options.

Admiral Akainu was a surprisingly cold man, for one with such a hot burning Devil fruit.

Calm and collected, with a tight reign on his temper and mature in a way that a lot of the men Crocodile attracted just fell flat on. Seemed to recognize that Croc wasn't a prize or a conquest that needed taming. And oh boy, were there some nasty men from Crocodile's list of exes that the crew would be delighted to slit the throats of. He seemed to get that she was her own person, who liked softness and cuddling as much as she enjoyed pure raunch and filth.

Bon hummed when he found a particularly juicy bit of info, the unfamiliar face stretching to accommodate Bon's more exaggerated expression.

If things went further between them, Croc and the Admiral would have some serious hurdles to jump in order to make things work. But Bon could see them going the distance. Hell, maybe they'd even have a couple of kids to add to Croc's existing brood. The demons would probably like having a couple more siblings, and Luffy would definitely enjoy not being the sole focus of her brothers' over-protectiveness.

Bon giggled to himself. He was getting too far ahead.

But a loyal crewmate could hope for his precious captain's happiness.

–

They stared at the list of transactions Bentham had found, beside the corresponding invoices and the file of the account they were all linked to.

The name on the account was Baroque Works.

"A bounty hunting organization." Sakazuki supplied.

Crocodile made a thoughtful sound, "The name's crossed my desk more than a few times." She tapped one perfectly manicured nail on the paper, "The silver gets sent to this refinery and then likely transported to them from there."

"They might have a location on file."

"If they're stupid." Crocodile allowed him to pull her onto his lap, a soft purr emerging when his mouth found the spot behind her ear, gently nibbling the skin. "And they're probably very stupid."

–

Her mother had always smelled like roses.

Roses with just a hint of Oyaji's ocean and smoke on her skin. Soft hands and a sweet, low voice. Her mama hadn't been a fighter. She'd been a thief once, a long time ago. And good thieves didn't have to fight because good thieves never got caught.

Crocodile didn't remember the last time she had dreamt of her mother. Must have been the small, potted roses Sakazuki had in his room that had started to bloom the morning before that triggered it.

She heard her humming and floated forward to get closer to the voice.

She recognized Oyaji's cabin on the Moby Dick and recognized the way it was before her mother had been killed. Raven's personal touches all over the room. Quilts tossed over chairs, the vanity nestled beside one porthole, and flowers on almost every available surface.

The humming is louder, and she knows the song, the same lullaby she sings to Luffy, Ace and Sabo.

She finally saw her mother. Rocking gently in the big rocking chair, cradling a bundle of blankets to her chest. Crocodile floated closer, curious. Certain it must be her in those blankets.

The humming tapered off, the lullaby finished, and then her mother was speaking. Hazy and a little muffled, like Crocodile had one ear pressed to the wood of the door. "One day, Crow, you'll be all grown up. You'll have your own dreams to chase: adventure, family, even love and heartbreak." Crocodile closed her eyes, listening to the heartacheingly familiar sound of her mama's voice. "Your daddy's already whining about the day you'll leave us, but I know he would never stop you."

Crocodile looked back at her and watched her mother as she spoke. Raven's face had been so much like the one that Crocodile saw in the mirror every day. The same bronzed skin, cat-like green eyes, proud nose, sharp brow, stubborn mouth, and chin.

"But no doubt about it, you're my kid, through and through. Which will please your grandfather to no end… and give Edward heartburn, I'm sure. "

For the briefest of moments, Crocodile wasn't sure if it was just a dream. She knew she had heard her mother say something similar before.

"One day, you'll meet someone who's gonna make your heart sing," Raven's voice was a whisper, and Crocodile strained to make out the words. "Just have to remember that love is hard work, and sometimes it hurts like hell. But even when it hurts, it's worth it." The room disappears, and her mother fades away.

Crocodile opened her eyes, vision adjusting to the early morning sunlight coming through the porthole beside Sakazuki's bed, her head lying on his chest. She tilted her head to gaze up at him, eyebrows furrowed, the words from her dream still at the front of her mind.

He's still sound asleep, his free arm crooked over his eyes to keep the light out. His naturally stern expression relaxed in his sleep.

She shifted her position, moving onto her belly, still inside the safety of his hold. She props herself onto her elbows, her eyes still fixed on him.

Someone who's gonna make my heart sing, huh? She wasn't shocked by the words. She had an inkling that she was already half in love with Sakazuki.

With Sakazuki, things felt more…substantial. More than whatever she'd had with Dragon. More everything.

Crocodile looked away from him, sighing inaudibly, her eyes going to what she could see of the ocean. She didn't know what the future would hold for them, but she wanted to see where it would take them. Green eyes shift back to him, placing a kiss on his chest, over his heart.

–

Sakazuki's fingers were gentle as he carded them through the hanging stems of a beautiful overgrown ivy, removing brown leaves and listening to her frustrated voice. She was on a call with her crew, "I need all the files we have on Baroque Works."

"There isn't much, Boss." Daz's voice was calm when he reminded her, "But we'll go pick them up if that's what you want."

Crocodile sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, and crossed her legs, "Yes, please, Daz. Something is better than nothing." She hung up, fingers drumming on the desk after returning the receiver to her Den-Den Mushi. She watched Sakazuki prune his ivy, taking the opportunity of the lull in their investigation and his work to give his plants some attention.

As an Admiral, he had command of one-third of the Navy, and his particular branch was the more militant branch. Lots of active patrols and strictly pirate-hunting units. Just like how Admiral Kizaru had the more espionage-based branch, stopping wars from inside and the like. And whatever it was that Admiral Aokiji's branch dealt with. It was rare for him to have the time to take care of his plants. Usually, it was the responsibility of a rotating handful of young ensigns, all of whom Crocodile had met over the last month as they bustled around Sakazuki's office with a watering can and determination in their eyes.

It was different, seeing Sakazuki with his shirt sleeves rolled up and hands covered with dirt. Crocodile couldn't help but admire him. The stern line of his jaw, the broad line of his shoulders, the musculature of his chest, back and arms. She didn't even have to wonder how a man in his position managed to stay so fit; she had the pleasure of watching him train with his marines every morning. Always trained the younger, less experienced Marines first, then got his own workout with a few of his officers. The fact that he was usually shirtless during his training bouts was only part of what had Crocodile so fascinated.

His primary Captain, Rin, had been more than happy to tell her that the sparing matches didn't let Sakazuki show off his full power. Not even remotely. With the offensive capabilities of the Magu Magu no Mi, Sakazuki couldn't risk a sparing partner.

Even without using his fruit, he routinely trounced his sparing partners, all while correcting their stances and giving them advice. Not only a natural commander but a good one as well.

He glanced up at her, catching her eye with a raised eyebrow, "Something on your mind, Darlin'?"

If a small pleased feeling settled in her chest at his now casual use of that drawled Darlin', she didn't address it. Instead, she smirked at him, "Just looking."

He snorted softly and went back to his plant. The peaceful silence between them was shattered when her Den-Den Mushi started to murmur behind her. She scowled, picking up the receiver, "Yeah?"

"Crocodile."

Crocodile snarled at that low, gravelly voice, "What the hell do you want?" Sakazuki looked up from his plant, startled by the venom in her voice.

"I hear you're looking for information about Baroque Works." Crocodile saw Sakazuki's eyes narrowed, his hands still in the leaves of the ivy. The leaves started to wilt.

"And how did you find that out?" Crocodile wanted to scream some obscenities but bit down on the urge, figuring that if Dragon wanted to give her the info she needed, who was she to turn her nose up at him?

"You're not the only one with ears everywhere, Crocodile." Sakazuki left his plant and returned to the desk, hands on either side of the Den Den Mushi, and Crocodile grimaced when she felt the heat radiating from his body.

"You have people in the Navy?"

"I'm not going to confirm or deny anything. Not when you have an Admiral breathing down your neck," Both of them tensed, and the microphone creaked in her hands.

"Get to the point."

"If you're investigating Baroque Works, you may want to add looking into a certain money-hungry Shichibukai to your list of leads. His behaviour has become increasingly odd over the last year or so."

"Money hungry… Agresta?" Sakazuki muttered, clearly still furious over the possibility of Revolution spies on his ship, but not so angry he couldn't still do his job. Crocodile extends the question to Dragon on Sakazuki's behalf.

"That's the one. He was one of the investors interested in purchasing Rain Dinners before King Cobra got involved." Dragon sighed, "I've been keeping an eye on Agresta for years. Before now, I've never gotten much on him. But he's gotten sloppy. He seems almost obsessed with the war on Alabasta."

"You think he has something to do with Baroque Works?"

"He owns the entire firm."

Sakazuki took a deep breath, Agresta's mention pulling out his ever-seething hatred for the man. On principle, he tended to dislike the Shichibukai, but Mercurio Agresta was a special kind of nasty. And they couldn't fucking touch him. All because the Five Elder Stars had decided he'd make a wonderful Warlord.

Yeah, Agresta could walk onto any battlefield in the world and decimate both sides. And you definitely wanted him on your side, for that matter. But he was the type of man Sakazuki would rather see locked up in Impel Down's level six for the rest of his natural life than have in such an advantageous position—complete immunity from any past or current crimes.

Because Agresta was precisely the type to take advantage of his immunity.

Crocodile's looking at him, brow furrowed at the emotion she sees on his face. "I'll look into it."

"Good," Dragon fell silent, and Crocodile prepared to hang up, but his next words stopped her, "How is Luffy?"

Crocodile froze for several seconds, and Sakazuki's hand on her arm brought her back to reality. "I was wondering if Garp had ever told you."

"He did. Shortly after you contacted him for the first time."

"She's seven."

"I know that."

She snorted, "She's fine. She's a happy, troublemaking child."

Dragon cleared his throat, "Good, good."

Through clenched teeth, Crocodile told Dragon goodbye and hung up before he could respond. "Asshole."

"You okay?"

"Mhm, talk to me about Agresta before I break something. You don't like him."

Doing as she asked with a concerned look, he told her, "He's a scumbag. Most of the Shichibukai I can tolerate, but Agresta sets my teeth on edge."

"That lines up with what I've heard about him. I have some contacts in some of his places, and none of them have anything nice to say about him. Barely pays his employees. And he buys most of his brothel workers from slave auctions and the black market."

"Yeah, that sounds like him." Sakazuki crossed his arms, one of his fingers tapping in agitation. "You have some information on him."

She gives him a pointed look, "More than I have on Baroque Works, surprisingly."

Sakazuki nodded, looking at her.

"I don't want to talk about it," Crocodile didn't let him ask.

"Okay. Just…I'm here if you need to."