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“What’s your favourite thing about dad?”
Crocodile looked up. Dulcinea stood in the open door, a pastel pink break in the horrendous pattern of the corridor wall outside.
“Hello Dulcinea,” he commented dryly.
“Good day to you, Sir Crocodile,” she answered with the sweetest smile, the implicit reminder to mind her manners acknowledge. “Your door is open,” she added. “And I have a question.”
“And who am I to deny you my time,” Crocodile said and leaned back in his chair. Dulcinea grinned, just as wide and toothy as Dragon always did, before she came into the room and sat down properly in the chair in front of his desk. He noticed that she had a folder, paper and a quill with her. He first assumed it might be homework but quickly realized it wasn’t. Dulcinea couldn’t exactly be called a messy girl, but she wasn’t particularly neat either; when she placed the thin folder down, some of the pages slipped past the cover. He saw a thick piece of paper that showed just a hint of the familiar letterhead of Morgan’s World Economics Newspaper peek out of the folder.
“Why do you want to know?” Crocodile asked.
“I’m doing research,” she announced. “Robin agreed to help me.” Crocodile lifted his eyebrow.
“You will have to explain your research topic,” he said. “As I don’t see how your father’s qualities might be of relevance.” Or of interest to Morgans. Dulcinea had submitted reader letters and even short articles to the newspaper before, some probably snuck in by Vivi as a favor. Once he had realized who she was, Morgans did not want to give up on the chance of getting his feathers on an inside scoop, even if what Dulcinea mostly wrote about were travel accounts and cafés she visited with Doflamingo. Maybe Dragon’s comment that in times of struggle and growing anxiety one shouldn’t focus too much on the consumption of overpriced patisserie had inspired her to write about something completely out of the ordinary.
“It explores qualities that those of the D. lineage might be interested in! I’m trying to find a red thread through everyone’s dating history!” Dulcinea explained and she did seem excited. “And who knows! It might be relevant for my own future!” Amusement rose in Crocodile. He laughed, then crossed his arms over his chest.
“That does seem interesting. However, no journal under the control of the World Government will print this kind of research. The D. clan is a taboo topic. And the particular mating habits of the Ds would fall under the same ban.” He studied her, seeing that her expression had not changed in the slightest, not that he had expected it. If Dulcinea wanted to do something, she would, unless she understood that her actions had unwanted consequences.
“That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth conducting this research,” Dulcinea argued.
“Sure,” he said, “it must be worth something if Morgans has asked for it.” Now Dulcinea’s sweet expression faltered. Surprise made her eyes widen, which was quickly followed by a disappointed pout.
“Did dad tell you?”
“Miss Monkey,” Crocodile drawled. “You suspect treason in your ranks, instead of first questioning gaps in your own defense?” He reached out and tapped his finger on the folder. Dulcinea looked down at it, noticed the corner of a paper sticking out.
“What?” She frowned and then looked back up at him. “You can tell that this is a letter from Morgans?
“In this line of work, you learn to notice everything,” Crocodile told her. Dulcinea huffed, then opened the folder and handed Crocodile the letter.
“I will apologize to dad for suspecting him, though he does tell you basically everything anyway. It’s nearly impossible to keep secrets in this family,” she said but she sounded cheerful instead of grumbling.
“We don’t keep secrets from each other. That’s the deal,” Crocodile said, then scanned the short note.
“Dear Dulcinea,
I’ve been thinking about your last letter (the entertainment never ceases!) Has it ever crossed your mind to write about the dating habits of your family? Everyone in your family seems to be dating someone that makes one’s head spin. Powerful, influential, legendary are among the words that come to my mind just thinking about your grandparents alone! Maybe it is a coincidence or maybe it is because the air is thin up there among the most powerful and most depraved (depending on how you’re looking at it). It’s a bit like royalty, isn’t it? Your dating pool becomes small if you move in exclusive circles. Yet you still have your preferences.
No offense, but I always thought my father suffered from bad taste when he tried to flirt with your father, but maybe bad taste just comes with the territory. Whatever territory the D might be… somewhere between C and E! (Sweets, I am losing my mind. I’m sorry for my attempts at jokes.)
Maybe this fate awaits us too.
Love,
Vivi”
“I strongly expressed my offense at her accusing her father of bad taste. Obviously, anyone who shows interest in you has great taste!” Dulcinea said once Crocodile had lowered the letter to look at her, wholly unimpressed. “And let it also be noted, that you weren’t entirely correct! It was Vivi who got me onto this!”
“Right,” Crocodile said and held the letter up closer to his face. He detected a faint scent of Vivi’s perfume. His sense of smell had been slightly out of order for a while now. “You shouldn’t carry the incriminating evidence with you. Burn correspondence, Miss Monkey, that’s one of the first rules I teach my agents.”
“Why would I burn Vivi’s letters?” Dulcinea asked with a gasp. “I’m keeping them all so future generations can have an edited volume of my correspondence!”
“Well, good to know you already have your long-term goals and post-humous affairs in order,” Crocodile said with a snort, then he handed her the letter back. “Considering that you are an ancient 14-year-old.”
“I’ve got an over-thinker as a father, it’s genetic,” she said with another one of her big grins. He couldn’t help the swell of affection, so he reached out and patted her head. She giggled to herself, looking pleased. Once Crocodile straightened her hair and withdrew his hand, she grabbed her pen and dipped it into his inkwell, miraculously not splattering ink all over his bounty calculations. “Now! I will repeat my question. What is your favorite thing about dad?”
Even though it was his daughter who was asking and the question was innocent enough, the idea that someone else was going to read it made him reluctant to divulge something so close to his heart. Even if this would never be published, Vivi and Robin were going to read this. Also, he had not forgotten Vivi’s comment about her father’s bad tastes. How rude, coming from a child he practically raised. She had wandered into his office like a stray cat and refused to leave, getting attention, affection, food, entertainment and education from him. Maybe she had bad taste in replacement parents too. Whatever. Instead of answering and for the lack of a cigar he could twirl in his fingers, he tapped his hook on the wood of his table. He had to understand the parameters of this question.
“Did you already ask Dragon?” Dulcinea huffed.
“Of course! Ease of access determined that he was my first interview partner. And I’m not telling you what he said, so as not to influence your answer!” Crocodile rolled his eyes. Fine.
“At least tell me he gave you an age-appropriate answer.” Dulcinea laughed and her eyebrows went up, for a second the almost cheeky expression reminded him of himself.
“What do you mean age-appropriate? Do you think grandma is going to give me an age-appropriate answer?” He clicked his tongue. She got him there.
“Your grandma will, but what she considers appropriate for a 14-year-old probably varies from the general public.”
“None of us are the general public, baba,” his daughter helpfully reminded him. “So? What is your favourite thing about dad?” He looked away from her expectant face, bright and cheerful, to look out of the window to buy himself some time. The palm leaves were moving in the wind, a nice breeze chasing away the sweltering heat of Karai Bari. He looked back at Dulcinea.
“It is difficult to stay kind and hold on to hope if you are constantly confronted with the worst parts of the world,” Crocodile eventually said. “And yet he does. He stays kind, playful and gentle. That he still could remain so sweet in a world that is as shaped by violence and ambition as ours is, has always impressed me.” He heaved a sigh. “It’s also infuriated me. How could he continue to be such an idealistic idiot? By the time I was older, I had grown weary and pragmatic. Or I thought I had. Dragon still brings out the hopeful dreamer in me.” He reached over the desk and tapped her forehead. “And that’s why I ended up having a family. Because despite my better judgement, I had hope that I could do it, when I found myself pregnant.” Dulcinea continued smiling, even as she leaned over her paper to write down his answer.
“That is so sweet,” she announced and he wrinkled his nose. It wasn’t like Crocodile never praised Dragon to their children, he often did, but this felt different. Not just a curious conversation between daughter and parents. Reports of him being sweet were going to damage his reputation with the Underworld! Unless…
“Besides, what made him attractive as a partner – which made me forge our initial alliance – was how strong he was. Just because he can be kind and hopeful, doesn’t negate that he is a monster when it gets to power. And that was back when he was in his early 30s. He’s not the world’s worst criminal for no reason. And, of course, I had no small part in getting his army off the ground. Because as smart as your dad is, he’s not really all that good with money.” Dulcinea rubbed the feather end of her pen against her nose, pursing her lips.
“You want it noted how strong and scary dad is, so readers don’t forget to be in awe of the Revolutionary Army?” She pointed the feather towards him. “Or you, for winning such a partner and being filthy rich?”
“Yes, clever child,” he praised. Dulcinea laughed, then she finished writing her notes. She put them into her folder and then slipped off the chair.
“Thank you for your time, baba! I’m going to ask Doflamingo to fly me over to Eclipse Bay, so I can interview grandma. She told me pops is visiting too!”
“Good luck with that,” Crocodile said. “And send them my greetings.” Dulcinea walked around the desk and gave Crocodile a big hug, nuzzling into his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. She was getting big but she was still his baby. “Save travels.”
“Thank you! Love you, baba!”
“I love you too, Dulcinea,” he answered. She let go of him, wearing a big grin, then she skipped out of the room and down the hall, most likely on her way to find that insufferable flamingo.
He just hoped that if either Vivi or Morgans were ever going to publish this so-called “research” of Dulcinea’s, it wouldn’t be too embarrassing, even if all of it was true. He had an image to cultivate after all.
“Determination, Dreams and Devastation. With a Dash of Dumbassery.
A look into the romantic life of the most powerful pirate dynasty of the current age.
By MDD
“Most of all, they’ve got to be able to give me a good time,” my grandmother told me. She is blunt and to the point, and yet there’s always that smile tucked away in the corner of her mouth that made her look mysterious. Witches, I believe, must keep some of their secrets to maintain their irresistible powers.
She has always been forthcoming with everything about herself apart from her life before taking to sea. Going into this interview, I was therefore already well aware of her type: tall, handsome and powerful.
“I would like to say that I picked my partners like I picked who I was going to pursue as a crew member; by their skill and power.” 40 years ago there was nobody sailing the seas as powerful as her. She commanded a crew that would bring forth future emperors; Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido and Whitebeard counted among the strongest members of her crew. One of them, Whitebeard, is also her romantic partner. There is no doubt that grandfather fulfilled all her requirements.
“But to be honest,” my grandmother had confided in me, with the usual mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “There’s something disarming about them being idiots. What united many of us were dreams. This is what we are about. A dream carried through the ages, dreams that outlast death. Many pirates go to sea to chase adventure, fame and treasure. Not few of them are also partial to violence. I thought I knew what to offer my crew. And then there comes this buffoon who tells me that the thing he wants is neither treasure, nor fame. Not even power. He dreams of a family. What idiot goes to sea to find a family? I was instantly smitten.”
My grandmother had left her clan behind in pursuit of a dream and while she insists that the only life you can live as a pirate is one where you do not look back, there was loneliness too for many years of her solo travels. Maybe it was a desire for connection that made sure her bed was rarely empty.
“I’ve had pretty much all of them. The idols of the past. Resisting temptation is not in my vocabulary and sometimes the lines between fighting and fucking get blurry in the adrenaline rush. The sea was awash in guys who went wild over a pair of tits, though many of them handled their sword better than they did their dicks. Not Newgate though. Once he got over himself, he knew how to fuck.”
Even though Whitebeard has withdrawn as an Emperor to make way for a new generation who dared to chase their dreams, none of his power and presence has left him. Despite this, the forceful admonishments to mind her language around me hardly impressed grandmother. I have seen Whitebeard become enraged enough that the very air seemed to vibrate. Not that day. He seemed surprised when I asked him what he loves the most about my grandmother. To her credit, grandmother had smiled instead of resorting to teasing when even the world’s strongest man blushed.
“There is no woman like her,” he had eventually admitted. “None as strong or beautiful like her. None as irritating either. She’s like the ocean to me. A call you can never resist if you want to feel alive, but unfathomable and deadly.”
Power attracts power. Is this a theme in my family tree? I pursued this further when talking to my other grandfather. As a legendary marine, grandpa Garp is difficult to fit into this family tree made up of enemies of the World Government. When it got to pirates, power was definitely a determining factor of whether he considered someone worthy of his time or not. After all, the pirate king had been his most ardently chased target. This passion for clashing with someone who could match his power, did not extend into his romantic life. All romance that befell him seemed to be mostly accidental and not something he actively sought out.
“It’s a bit of a miracle Dragon was born,” Garp told me. “Though it’s even more of a surprise that he managed to stay alive so long, considering that the fool decided to make the world his enemy!”
You might assume that romance holds no importance to the Supreme Leader of the Revolutionary Army, who has dedicated his life to preventing people from having their dignity, humanity, freedom and life stripped away from them. However, even the Revolutionary Army was once a defiant dream to end the cruelty that Dragon had witnessed. Just as his movement grew over time, romance was something he learnt to appreciate over the years. He was at the beginning of his journey, when he met my other father.
“He kept the lights on,” dad told me, a familiar fondness on his face. “And I don’t just mean that he provided the funding my movement had always lacked. When I met him, Crocodile was like a breath of fresh air. He had ideas, ideals, and dreams in abundance. Wholly selfish ones, for the most part. It was refreshing to see his determination and even though I was ornery about it, I needed the reality checks. Just like I needed the permission he gave me to admit that even though I was trying to change the world, I was also still just a man, who had needs and wishes, who could relax, have fun, love. Besides, Crocodile is resilient, resourceful and extremely driven. He’s had a lot of set-backs in his life, but he always gets back up.”
When I asked him about whether power had ever featured into their relationship, he seemed confused by the question.
“That’s never mattered to me. He impressed me in other ways.” Of course, it is difficult to impress the man who the world has named the World’s Worst Criminal. Today, he has power in abundance, however, Sir Crocodile provided him with a power that Dragon had previously lacked: military might.
“Power is a function to me, not an attraction. I wish I did not need to have power or weapons, but I cannot fight with ideals alone. Even as a rookie, Crocodile had a eagerness to serve this function to me.”
“Your dad considers violence in the pursuit of freedom a necessary evil. But I am more than willing to spill blood with very little provocation, and make the sacrifices he cannot,” was what my father had said on the topic. “I’m a pirate after all.”
As the son of two legendary pirates, there had never been any doubt for him that he was going follow in their footsteps. The Rocks pirates had been known for their knack to amass wealth. Crocodile inherited the skill to handle money and ruthlessness from his mother. His name holds power not only within the world of pirates but also in the Underworld.
But while both Dragon and Crocodile undeniable have it, power does not seem to provide a main attraction, like it had to my grandparents. Instead, in my parents’ generation power was something they pursued towards a particular aim. They had grown up in an era after the fall of Rocks D. Xebec, where a struggle for power among those who strove to fill the gap she left behind, created the very system of Emperors dominating the seas that we know today. And they came into their own in an era that was shaped by Gol D. Roger’s death – rang in by the pursuit of dreams.
Even though Crocodile shared his mother’s interest in powerful men, their mutual ability to bolster each other’s dreams has endured in the near 30 years of their relationship. “What made him attractive as a partner – which made me forge our initial alliance – was how strong he was. Just because he can be kind and hopeful, doesn’t negate that he is a monster when it gets to power. And that was back when he was in his early 30s. He’s not the world’s worst criminal for no reason.” While Crocodile enjoys the power Dragon has, he shares Dragon’s appreciation of wholly different character traits: “He stays kind, playful and gentle. In a world that is as shaped by violence and ambition as ours is, that he still could remain so sweet has always impressed me. By the time I was older, I had grown weary and pragmatic. Or I thought I had. Dragon still brings out the hopeful dreamer in me.”
Both appreciate qualities that they credit the other for preserving. Dragon could still see a world beyond grief and anguish because Crocodile did. Crocodile could still hope and dream because Dragon had a steadfast belief that Crocodile was a determined dreamer.
When they had found themselves facing parenthood, Crocodile’s pragmatism and Dragon’s knowledge of the depravity of the world nearly made them decide to give up their child for its own protection. That they kept their son and then continued to grow their family is a testament to how well they complement each other.
And with the birth of their son this pirate dynasty entered its third generation. What guesses could we make about the future of it based on what we’ve learnt about the dating practices of this family? What attracts my generation? Power? Dreams? Or Freedom?
Of course I posed this query to all of my siblings.
When thinking of bloodlines and inherited taste in partners, the opinions of Portgas D. Ace, the biological son of Gol D. Roger, might be of interest.
“There have been people, but usually what I’m looking for is a connection. I need people to see me and take me seriously. That’s not something a random fling in a port town will get you. I do not want to keep secrets or hold back with a partner. They get the whole me and I expect to get all of them in return. Pirate’s greed, maybe,” he told me with a grin. Then, after some consideration, he added: “Also, they have to be able to handle my family. This takes a guy who’s fearless, has humor and is stress-resistant. Someone who’s already in the family is ideal for me, you know what I mean?” Of course, family for pirates goes well beyond blood ties – a crew can become just as important, especially to someone who was part of the former Whitebeard pirates. Equally as relevant are shared values.
“Do what you want, I’m not the police,” Sabo told me. “But I wouldn’t date someone who’s not part of the movement.” Sabo has always shown a strong desire for freedom and a disgust for the oppression of people at the hands of the upper classes. What he has seen in our native Goa is only a mirror shard of how the world operates under the control of the Celestial Dragons and their instruments of oppression – the World Government and the Marine. The Flame Emperor has risen to prominence in recent years and with it he carries not only the flame of revolution on his back, but also a target. “They have to be strong, for their own sake. I’m looking for a partner, an equal. Everything else will follow.”
When I posed the question of attraction to Luffy, the youngest Emperor to date, he laughed. That is hardly unusual for him, but I was surprised that he did actually have some thoughts on the matter: “People who are fun, intense, out of the ordinary, that’s what I like! I can party and have fun with anyone, but long-term relationships are different. Look at dad and baba. They’re partners. They trust each other. Sometimes they get on each other’s nerves, but they also have a lot of fun together. I like that. That’s what I want.” Similarly to his brothers, Luffy does not think that he will be dating anyone who is not used to the kind of lifestyle Luffy envisions himself to live, even after he has achieved his dreams. Again, power is not something that seems to feature into his consideration.
While my brothers were relatively vague about their interests in partners, highlighting having common values, next to simply enjoying their presence, my only sister has a very different approach to things. It is her dating history that started this deep dive into the dating habits of my family.
Kite was the only of us who, despite her better judgement, followed the path that grandpa Garp had wanted all of us to embark on. She enlisted as a marine because it was her goal to protect ordinary people. The truth of the marine however is, that their main purpose is not the protection of ordinary people, but the enforcement of the will of the World Government. She learnt this the hard way when she was stationed at Marineford to assist in the execution of her own brother. Understandably, she quit in the aftermath.
Still, that seems to not stop her from ill-advised sexual encounters with marines.
“It’s not like I target them. It just happens. Maybe there’s something wrong with me, but at least there’s also something wrong with them, to a) be marines and b) desire me.” Kite does not allow me to reveal a list of names of marines that she has slept with, though when looking through Cross Guild’s bounties, I do notice that none of them have below five stars and there has been a fair amount of crowns as well. [Editor’s note: Typically, Cross Guild awards five stars to Vice Admirals, though individuals of particular interest might be awarded higher bounties despite a lower rank. Crowns are awarded to admiral rank and above, with the previous mentioned exceptions.]
“The bonds I forged during my time as a marine were dear to me. I do share values with some of them, but how we go about achieving our aims is different. My boyfriend has his heart in the right place. He wants to protect people and, like me, he chose the marine path for it. He’s very strong, he’s dedicated, he cares, he’s cute, that’s what I always liked about him. But there’s a limit to how naïve a person can be before it becomes willful ignorance. And he’s tethering on that line.”
Crocodile folded down the paper, his eyes seeking out his daughter sitting at her desk, reading.
“I can feel your eyes on me,” Kite said after a moment and then, with a sigh, turned around. “What is it?” The article had been a lot to absorb, but this? He slapped his hook against the article. Kite’s eyes dropped down to the newspaper but she didn’t seem particularly worried.
“What did Luffy do?”
“Not Luffy! You!” Crocodile exclaimed, then put the newspaper down. He could read the rest of it later. He definitely needed to have this conversation before the contents of the article got through to Dragon.
“What did I do?” Kite amended and now she was furrowing her brow, just the tinniest bit.
“Dulcinea’s article was published in today’s World Economics Newspaper,” Crocodile told her but there was no understanding on Kite’s face. By Davy Jones, did Dulcinea not tell her that she’d be writing an article? “On our family’s dating habit.” And now Kite widened her eyes just enough to show surprise, before her face turned neutral. She did inherit his poker face and not Dragon’s, so it was almost convincing. If it weren’t for her nervously putting her hair behind her ears. “You’ve been sampling the men who have been gracing my bounty lists.”
“So? Am I in trouble?” Kite asked, her voice flat and if he didn’t know her so well (though maybe not as well as he had thought!) Crocodile would have suspected her of bratty defiance. But he knew that under the disinterest, she was anxious.
“Not from me. You’re an adult. You can fuck the Fleet Admiral himself if it gives you a thrill,” Crocodile said and Kite’s mouth flattened into almost a grimace, but she recovered quickly. “It’s true then? You are dating a marine?”
“Yes…” Kite admitted and Crocodile could tell that she was uneasy. Crocodile sighed, then he turned to sand and crossed the room to sit down on her desk. “I know dad won’t like it.”
“No,” Crocodile confirmed and saw the very minute fall of her expression. “He won’t. He wouldn’t like it either if Sabo dated a marine or someone who worked for the World Government. This goes beyond him being a worried father, he’s your boss too.”
“That was not my choice,” she insisted.
“You know you can quit. I’ll take you on at the Cross Guild. I offer better working conditions, better pay and I have no qualms about you dating one of the targets. I’ll even give him preferential treatment and mark him as an “alive only” target.” Crocodile said with a grin. He tapped his hook against her nose. “And you can expect favoritism.” His words had the desired effect to make the corner of his kid’s mouth tick up just a little bit. Kite heaved a sigh, then leaned back in her chair, head tilted backwards.
“I appreciate the offer, but I do still want to help people, which I did not hear as a perk in your job pitch,” she said. Crocodile crossed his arms over his chest.
“That’s your problem. You’ve got a moral compass. Even though its needle is spinning wildly when it gets to men. You must have gotten this from Rocks. If she told me she fucked the king of the world I would not be surprised.”
“Don’t give her any ideas,” Kite warned. After a beat she added. “I’m messed up, baba.” There it was again, the same sentiment that Crocodile had stumbled over in the newspaper. That something was wrong with her.
“You’re not,” Crocodile told her. “You just want things that are difficult to justify due to the aforementioned morals. Loving someone even though it’s a bad idea happens to the best of us. But how does your boyfriend handle it? Does he try to arrest you or can he bend his morals too?”
“No. He maybe could, if he has no order to bring me in. But I obviously lie to him about my job,” Kite says. Crocodile hummed, still a grin on his face.
“Solid basis for a relationship,” he commented. Kite put her elbows on the table and dropped her face in her palms. “But you cannot lie to your fellow Revs about this. And it’s out now. They’ll have questions. They’ll have to be able to trust you. Dragon has to be able to trust you.” Kite didn’t answer, so Crocodile put his hand on the back of her head and petted her hair gently. “I know, it sucks trying to do the right thing.” Crocodile refrained from offering further parental advice, which probably wouldn’t really help her too much. She needed assurance from Dragon. Crocodile’s flippancy about this wouldn’t calm her doubts.
He could feel that the air was shifting, so Dragon had most likely been informed. It didn’t take long for a burst of wind to announce his arrival on the balcony of Crocodile’s Momoiro office. He strode into the office with quick steps and then noticed that Kite was here too.
“You’ve started already,” Dragon said. His tone was very measured and Crocodile watched him control his stormy expression. Crocodile did not remove his hand from Kite’s head, not that she made any effort to lift it.
“Indeed. It was going to be a very compassionate,” he said, lifting his eyebrows at Dragon, “talk with our daughter about her heartaches that come with star-crossed love.” He did finally lift his hand and got up from the desk. “Just like we’ll have to have a talk with our youngest that she has to tell everyone that what they’re saying is going to be released in a newspaper with a global readership.” Dragon wrinkled his nose, but Crocodile could see that he was composing himself, though he did shoot Crocodile a look that promised that he was going to walk circles around his office while ranting later on. Fine, as long as Kite didn’t have to be here for it.
“So… your boyfriend is a marine. Why?” Dragon said. Crocodile frowned at him but Dragon just looked at him with a “what?” kind of expression.
“I’ve liked him since I’ve been a marine myself,” Kite said but still didn’t lift her head away from her palms. Kite kept very tight-lipped about her marine days, but it didn’t take a lot of guessing that the boy in question must be Koby, Garp’s star pupil and the boy Luffy had freed. (Stolen, according to Alvida.) Dragon must have come to the same conclusion but it made his expression stormier.
“You understand why this is a problem, do you? You said yourself that he’s bordering on being willfully ignorant. Is that not cause enough to leave him? It’s not going to get better with his type of marine. He’s dad’s pupil. He’s going to believe in the ideal of the Marine more than what is right in front of his face.”
“He stepped into the Fleet Admiral’s path during the Paramount War,” Crocodile offered in the boyfriend's defense. “That takes conviction and personal morals.” Dragon wasn’t convinced. His willingness to trust any marine was at zero percent, for good reason.
“And yet he serves in the Marine that Sakazuki commands,” Dragon said. “Kite said it herself. Willful ignorance. What does it take for him to stop following orders? Another God Valley Incident? And what if he gets the order to arrest Kite because she’s a revolutionary? Or because she is our daughter? Then what?”
“Can you have this conversation without me?” Kite asked the table. Dragon wrinkled his nose, but when Crocodile merely raised his eyebrow at him, he relented.
“What does he know?” he asked instead and now Kite looked up. With a sigh, she turned her chair around to face him. Ready for the interrogation.
“He does not know that I’m a revolutionary. He thinks I’m doing odd-jobs while I find myself,” she said. Dragon’s mouth twitched, but he kept his comment to himself.
“What will happen if he does find out? Because he will, whether you want it to happen or not,” Dragon said. Kite opened her mouth, but Dragon lifted his hand. “And do not say you’ll cross that bridge when you get to it.”
“I was not going to say that,” she lied. “I know he’s strong, but I’m training hard too. If he got it into his head that he has to arrest me, I'll make it out. And then he’ll be my ex-boyfriend.” Dragon cast a look at Crocodile, then heaved a sigh.
“You should tell him the truth,” Dragon told her. “What’s so great about this relationship that it makes you carry this anxiety and guilt with you?”
“The sex?” Kite answered and Crocodile burst out laughing, especially when Dragon just let his head hang at that.
“She gets that from you,” Dragon said accusingly, when Crocodile had recovered.
“I’ll happily take that compliment,” Crocodile said. “And you should be glad that I did a lot of my thinking regarding you with my-“
“Okay, I get it,” Dragon cut him off, then he looked at Kite again. “That’s not it.”
“No. I do like him. He’s a good man. He’s just… on the wrong side and hasn’t realized it yet…”
“And you never tried to talk to him?” Kite snorted.
“Of course I have, but it’s like talking to grandpa. There are bad people in the marine, most are good and dedicated and if you just replace the bad apples, it’ll be sunshine and rainbows. There’s always an excuse,” she admitted. When Dragon didn’t say anything, she took a breath and relaxed her features. But she would have to get better at masking her presence, because if Crocodile could sense the anxious bumping of her heart, then Dragon could probably too. And if that wasn’t enough to make him get off her case just a little bit, Crocodile was going to intervene.
“What now? Are you going to fire me for being a liability?” Dragon looked surprised.
“No. And I’ll talk to the other leaders to clear you of suspicion, if you can tell me with absolute certainty that you are never going to share sensitive information with outsiders. That includes your boyfriend.” Kite nodded but didn’t say anything else on the matter. He heaved a sigh.
“Right… Then I’ll go back to work. There are some fires I have to put out,” he said, then he sent Kite a warning look. “You might want to talk to Sabo before he does something rash like invading HQ and cashing in Cross Guild’s bounty.” Kite breathed in sharply, got up without another word and hurried out of the room. Dragon shook his head, then he turned towards Crocodile.
“What now?” he repeated what Kite had asked earlier, with quite a bit of resignation. It made Crocodile chuckle.
“What do you mean what now? Usually, I’d say let Kite deal with it, but she is clearly not opposed to some parental support. So, we give it to her. And I’ll have the kitchen make her a cake to celebrate her first serious relationship.”
“You have no problem with it, even though I suppose you must have a rather high bounty put on Captain Koby’s head,” Dragon observed. “Cross Guild might get Kite’s boyfriend killed.”
“You would be correct, I don’t have any qualms about this. Though I will change it to alive only, as a courtesy,” Crocodile said. At Dragon’s chagrined expression, Crocodile laughed and approached him. He put his hand on Dragon’s shoulder. “You can curse and yell and storm as much as you like. But later. Don’t you have fires to put out?” Dragon pressed his lips together but eventually inclined his head in acknowledgement. Crocodile kissed the displeased pout.
“Good. I’ll see you later.” Dragon left his office, this time through the door, gently closing it behind him. Crocodile returned to his desk, where the newspaper was still lying open. Dulcinea’s thrilling conclusions would have to wait. He picked up the receiver of the telesnail and dialed. Daz was very quick to pick up, as always.
“Sir.”
“I need a bounty poster edited. Koby. Alive only.”
“I take it he is the boyfriend the newspaper spoke of?” Daz asked, his voice neutral enough. Crocodile knew how much this man enjoyed gossip, even though he didn’t look like it.
“Indeed. Let the clown know he’s to see to this personally.”
“Understood,” Daz answered, then they terminated the call. Crocodile tapped his hook on the newspaper, under the title. He dialed again and it took a bit longer for the phone to be picked up.
“Fu fu fu, I was wondering when you’d call,” Doflamingo answered. “Quite the interesting article. I’m almost offended your blond brat didn’t interview me. I would have been able to serenade you.”
“No thank you,” Crocodile answered flatly. “What you can do is bring Dulcinea home. She’s grounded.”
“Grounded? Oh, she will be quite devastated as we got exclusive tickets for dinner on the viewing platform of Sunset Tower. May I ask why?” Doflamingo asked, sounding very amused.
“Kite was not aware that Dulcinea was going to publish an article on this topic. What must have been told in confidence is now read all over the globe.” Doflamingo laughed.
“How unfortunate. But it is quite amusing, is it not? A revolutionary falling in love with a marine! I bet Dragon was thrilled.”
“Evidently. Bring her here, now.”
“I will oblige. Because I am such a responsible adult,” Doflamingo said, then before he hung up, he called: “We’re heading to Momoiro, you’re in trouble.”
Crocodile could hear Dulcinea’s surprised voice in the background: “Eh?! Why! What about dinner?! Can’t I be in trouble after dinner?!” then the call terminated without finding out whether Doflamingo was enough of a responsible adult to actually bring her home before their dinner. Crocodile doubted it.
He went back to his table, picking up the newspaper. He walked to the balcony and sat down on the railing. The wind was agreeable in his hair, the sun mild under a cover of pinkish clouds. The Momoiro girls were frolicking on the beach. He opened the newspaper again, thinking a cigar and a glass of liquor would make the moment perfect. As he had neither on hand, the nice breeze would have to do.
“Maybe these examples are not enough to paint a complete picture or make predictions about the future,” he read on. “I went into this project with the aim of finding out more about what my family found attractive in their partners. While there were similarities in the answer along generational lines, one thing that this nosy quest drove home to me was that even among the most powerful, love cannot be underestimated. In itself it carries the potential to motivate people, just as much as dreams do.
And isn’t that sweet?
-MDD ♥”