#ugh this took forever!!!!!

[artificialflav]

To preface this, I am not fully caught up with One Piece (I'm at the end of Wano, in the transition to Egg Head), so I'm sure I am missing some details. I will also be reiterating the timeline with added info.

I am dyslexic, I'll try to fix any typos or grammar issue I can see. But if there is stuff I miss, no complaining LOL!! If I worded something in a way that doesn't make sense, please ask my meaning.

Well, with that all out of the way, HERE'S MY THOUGHTS!! I have a lot to say, so BUCKLE IN!!!

-Ages-

Crocodile’s Age, 44 (debut), 46 (after time skip)

Iva’s Age, 51 (debut), 53 (after time skip)

Dragon’s Age, 53 (debut), 55 (after time skip)

-A Timeline of Major Events-

38 years ago, the God's Valley incident happened. Iva being a slave during this, survived, and escaping with other slaves.

The Freedom Fighters made headlines 25 years ago.

Roger was executed 24 years ago

The Freedom Fighters became known as the Revolutionary army 22 years ago.

Crocodile starts Baroque Works 16 years ago.

-A Timeline of What We Know of Crocodile-

Crocodile Witnessed Roger's Execution. (At the age of 22)

Crocodile gained the rank of warlord in his early 20s.

Shortly after becoming a warlord, he was defeated by White Beard.

-Other Facts That Will be Relevant-

Dragon was 17 when the God's Valley incident happened.

The youngest person to join the marines, that we know of, was 16 (Koby).

Crocodile’s Birthday, September 5th, Luffy’s Birthday is May 5th.

Crocodile and Ivankov knew each other in the past, and what Iva knows about his past is big enough to be used as blackmail.

Crocodile wears rings on every finger except his ring finger.

Crocodile has a single earring on his right ear. (This one really isn’t that relevant, I just thought it was a funny nod to gay stuff. This isn’t a well known rule of thumb, but it is a funny coincidence.)

-My Thoughts (here's the mess)-

Okay, Crocodile's origin could be a couple different things, and I'm not sure that I really want to speculate on that too much, that really isn't the focus here.

(also, here are some other posts about this topic that I think help expand or valid my thoughts, zombie-eats-world's post about the crocodad theory, eroguron0nsense's post about crocodiles characteristics and his performance of masculinity, midnight-in-town's post about Crocodile's past outside crocodad)

>THE BLACK MAIL

Ivankov is a character introduced right off the bat to being the Queen of the queers, an iconic figure and leader in queer liberation/celebration. You are shown Iva's ability to manipulate the hormones in people's bodies. Then you tell us they have black mail on Crocodile. With the wording of the vivre card data book, it is very hard for me to believe it doesn't involve Crocodile being trans.

You can't just introduce a character with the ability to transition people, say they have black mail on Crocodile, and have it not be something trans related lol.

I will say, the black mail could also have a lot more baggage to it. Because if the info is just "Crocoboy is trans!" that to me is a little flat. Like yes, of course Crocodile wouldn't want to be outed, he would definitely want to protect his image and reputation by not letting that info get out. But why would anyone give a shit that he's trans, like what would that change in the World Government's eyes? Why would that be a big deal?? Like no way the reveal is just "Croodile is trans" and now everyone starts being transphobic to him lol. Unless, revealing that history would make a lot of other things known as well.

>THE TIMELINE

Crocodile became a warlord in his early 20s, so that gives us 20-23 (that is what is considered early 20s). He soon after becoming a warlord picks a fight with White beard and is defeated. "Soon after" is very vague, that could mean right after the status was official or maybe a year after. All we know is that his warlord status was fresh.

Crocodile witnessed Gol D. Roger's execution at the age of 22. With how impactful Gol's speech was, and with Crocodile's hinted at dream of becoming king of the pirates, it would make sense as to why he became a warlord so quickly. That gives us either 22 or 23 being the age of when he was given warlord status, (if that happened after the execution).

Crocodile experiencing a defeat soon after that would be very devastating. It's understandable why he would have this big grudge against WB. Which makes it all the weirder that he put that grudge aside in Marine Ford.

Let's say Crocodile became a warlord at 23, a year after the execution of Roger. Crocodile is bright-eyed and bushy tailed, running around for a year with his new status. At the age of 24 he picks a fight with WB, gets his ass kicked so hard he is completely demotivated to keep following his dream.

Crocodile relocated to Arabasta at the age of 30 to intact his plans with Baroque Works. That gives us a gap of six years. (if we go along with my proposed timeline).

Lastly, let's say Crocodile is Luffy's other parent. Crocodile conceiving Luffy would have had to happen when he was 27, or right before he turned 27. Crocodile's birthday is September 5th, Luffy's birthday is May 5th. IF Crocodile had some birthday fun with Dragon and was officially pregnant a couple of weeks after, that gives us ROUGHLY 32 weeks of pregnancy. Then he leaves Luffy, and 3 years later he starts Baroque Works.

AND DURING ALL OF THAT, Crocodile met with Iva to transition.

>QUESTIONS AND MORE SPECULATION

*How did Ivankov and Crocodile meet? How did Crocodile get to know Dragon?

-25 years ago, the Freedom Fighters became headlines. Now, that doesn't mean they weren't a group until then, it just means the group became public knowledge at that time. Crocodile would have been 21, this was before he was given warlord status, and could probably still be considered a rookie.

-Unless Iva and Crocodile met each other before then, the Freedom Fighters becoming public knowledge would have brought Dragon and Ivankov's existence into Crocodile's orbit. This could have also brought to light Iva's devil fruit abilities, piquing Crocodile's interest.

-A year later (24 years ago), Crocodile and Dragon were in the same place at the same time, for Roger's execution. Now, Dragon and Crocodile could have met then and there, or after.

=Major speculation time, gonna try and condense thoughts as best I can=

-Dragon could have joined the marines at 16. Could have quickly risen in the ranks. Dragon was 17 during God’s Valley. Garp could have dragged him along to help. Dragon didn’t like what he saw and went separate ways with the marines, then went to help save Iva and the others. Then later down the line formed the Freedom Fighters group with them.

- If Crocodile was Rocks's kid, he would have been at God’s Valley. Crocodile would have witnesses his father’s death. With how much the government fixates on the kids of big pirates, they would have known about Crocodile. If Crocodile was a girl at the time, they would have been looking for a daughter of Rocks.

-WB being a part of Rocks Pirates would have known about Rocks’s kid. Seeing how everything was turning out and possibly helping in stopping Rocks. Crocodile would have seen WB betray Rocks. WB knowing Crocodile would be killed if the government found him, took him in for a period of time. WB not known for caring for daughters helped establish Crocodile as Crocodile to protect the kid’s past and identify from the world government. Crocodile got good at passing as male.

-Crocodile still having a grudge, stayed with WB until he could fend for himself. Which could have been at 17 or younger. (That would have been before Teach joined the crew.) Crocodile soon after starts gunning for the position, king of the pirates. WB doesn’t discuss the time he cared for Crocodile as to protect him, but also because WB never saw Crocodile as one of his sons.

-Crocodile later sees the Freedom Fighters in headlines, and is intrigued by Iva’s powers. He also sees Dragon, the son of the man who helped kill his father, is now against the government. Crocodile and Dragon finally me meet, Iva and Crocodile finally meet. Crocodile eventually fights WB and losses and gives up on dreams.

+SO TO GET TO THE POINT!+

I believe Crocodile didn't officially transition until AFTER Luffy's birth. Because Crocodile would have already been trying to pass as male to protect his identity. Maybe he only saw being a guy as a necessity for his safety, not realizing it's also something he preferred. So any discomfort or joy he felt in his presentation would have been viewed from the lens of "am I safe or will my secret get out". Also, with WB being the one caring for him during those beginning years, not sure how delicate that old fashion fart would have been.

So Iva, Croc, and Dragon get to know each other after Roger's execution. Not sure if Crocodile would have been fourth coming with Iva and Dragon right off the bat, but with Dragon's position as an opposition to the world government, I'm sure he felt somewhat protected by the Freedom Fighters.

Crocodile then becomes a warlord, proud of himself, ready to fight for his dreams, and to finally prove his worth by killing WB. Picks a fight he can't win, loses his crew and his arm, is in a very weak position, and reaches out to the one person he thinks can help...Dragon.

If Crocodile really did get his ass kicked at 24, that gives him 3 years of bonding time with the freedom fighters and or just Dragon. They get close, buddy up, and Crocodile winds up pregnant. Has Luffy, hands him off to Dragon, leaves to go find Iva, and to finally move away from his past transitions.

When Iva talks about knowing Crocodile as a rookie, that doesn't mean that he transitioned when he was a rookie. Iva was just aware of this scrappy up coming pirate they talked to at Roger's execution. Then later Crocodile confides in Iva about his past, Iva being at God's Valley and knowing how much the goverment would want to kill the child of Rocks, Iva knows the true weight of the black mail. Iva may not be aware of Luffy's existance, as Dragon definatly kept that a close secret. But would have seen how close Dragon and Crocodile were and then put the pieces together at impel down, adding another layer to the black mail.

+LAST THOUGHTS (angst)+

Crocodile doesn't wear a ring on his ring finger.

Other pirates that wear rings I have only seen wear a full set. So Crocodile missing his ring finger is very significant. If you're gonna wear all these rings why leave one finger? Especially the ring finger? Unless it holds a personal importance to you.

I personally think Luffy was an unplanned pregnancy, that led to a rift in Dragon's and Crocodile's relationship. I could see Crocodile thinking Dragon betrayed him by putting him in such a vulnarable position. Then all the emotions crop up with his gender, his past, and he is stuck for nine months of just sitting in this, thinking about his life, who he is and who he wants to be.

I could see Crocodile running away from Dragon when he finds out, then comes back to hand off Luffy, as a child isn't good to have as a pirtate, especially a child with his bloodline. Never connects with it, just leaves it in Dragon's hands, and off he goes to start Baroque works.

Or he stays by Dragon side during this time, but isn't taken care of like he needs. Dragon is a cold busy man, their relationship was could have been casual, Crocodile gets pregnant, and it puts a hinder in Dragon's plans. Maybe Crocodile is seen as a burden? Maybe Crocodile has to iniciate any of the support he needs? Maybe during his pregancy Dragon is barely around. Crocodile feels used, scared and out of control.

OR Dragon does stay and cares for Croc as best he can, but with all the hard emotions Crocodile would be dealing with, their positions in the world, and with Luffy being born premature (with the limited pirate health care). Maybe Dragon makes a hard decisition. Maybe Dragon tells Crocodile Luffy passed way after birth. GIving Crocodile an out to cleanly break away, even with all the pain.

Whatever it was, Crocodile recovers, finds Iva, fully transitions, and leaves. Not wanting to knowing or care about this kid, and stuck with his pain. As a reminder to keep his heart closed and of his foolishness, on the only hand hes got. He will never put a ring on a finger that could be a promise of trust, of care,and of a happier life. A reminder of what he's lost, and of the pain that comes with getting too comfortable or being opitmisic.

Crocodad analysis~

I've finished my reread of Impel Down and Marineford and spent most of today typing up this Crocodile analysis applying Crocodad theory ;3

Under the cut I went through Iva's threats, what info we have on when they met and what Iva might have done for him, then I go on to track Crocodile across the battlefield of Marineford. It's just text, no images, but it does have the chapters mentioned so you can go check it out.

I tried to structure these 3000 words a bit but don’t expect a clean essay.

Also, there is nothing new under the sun, I'm sure all of his has been said before by Crocodad scholars, I'm just sorting through it for myself.

(Disclaimer: I read an English scanlation so there’s a chance that there is a mistranslation or missing nuance.)

Iva’s powers

I'm generally someone who likes to work within the parameters provided by canon. But in terms of Iva's power I have been letting fandom (which displays an interest in a more real world depiction of transitioning) guide me more than canon. But Iva’s powers are not a reflection of the real world (other than maybe wishes that it could be so easy), neither do they even try to be.

Iva says that they can rework a person from the "inside out" (chapter 538) and there doesn't seem to be much of a limit to what they can do to someone’s body, apart from the cost of the healing powers.

If we go with the idea that Iva used their powers on Crocodile, it's likely that it would have been an instant effect. Therefore, the potential switch from female to male would have been complete and it would have been a one time application of Iva’s powers. Since we know what Crocodile looked like as a child, we know that they did not completely change his appearance.

The blackmail

When Luffy protests the suggestion that they free Crocodile, Iva says that they knew Crocodile “a little (…) back when you could still call him a rookie” (chapter 540) and that they are aware of one of Crocodile’s weaknesses which they will use against him/ reveal if he betrays them. Let’s first look at this secret weakness.

Since I have seen it mentioned before, I checked out the vivre card information that has been provided by thelibraryofohara (https://thelibraryofohara.com/2019/01/12/vivre-card-databook-vol-5-all-the-new-information/) in the January 2019 card releases. I quote:

“[Crocodile]’s got a “weakness” when it comes to his past that he can’t oppose. He definitely owes something that Ivankov gave him.”

I don’t know if the word choice is a matter of translation but it is rather ambiguous. That weakness is in quotation implies that it is most likely not an actual physical weakness like his weakness to water. Instead, it might be comparable to how Dragon calls Luffy his weakness. Additionally, what does “oppose” mean in the context of a weakness? Does it mean that if Iva revealed it, he would have no chance to refute it. Does it mean that the weakness is of such a nature that Crocodile would do what he can to avoid Iva from saying it? Maybe both? Considering the context the threat was uttered in, this would mean that he will not betray Iva and Luffy’s interests. (Which he doesn’t. When he goes off to attack WB and Luffy stops him, he calmly states that they had an arrangement (chapter 557). While Luffy forbids him from touching WB, Iva doesn’t threaten him into obedience, so Crocodile does pursue his attack on WB once Luffy is gone.)

Continuing with the vivre card quote, there’s also the fact that Crocodile owes something that Iva gave him – which can either mean that Iva gave him something that he’ll have to give back or that Crocodile has something that he only has thanks to Iva. I assume it’s the latter. What could Iva possibly have to give to Crocodile more than 20 years ago that Crocodile doesn’t want to be known (and can expect not to be known unless Iva shares it)? And, maybe more importantly, is it something that Iva can take back?

I am going to say yes, a reveal of the secret might as well come with Iva taking back what he has given Crocodile. Considering that Crocodile in prison has pretty much nothing but his hook, we can assume that what Iva gave this young pirate just starting out, was something to do with their powers. A change to his body in one way or another which of course means that Iva can undo it, revealing things about Crocodile that he doesn’t want to be known.

Considering what we’ve seen Iva’s power do, it does not take a big stretch of the imagination to wonder if he might have been a girl in the past. There’s of course the option that Crocodile has always been a boy, aware of his transness from the beginning. But even if that wasn’t the case, there are other reasons to want to change. The seas of One Piece are tricky to navigate and while there are successful female pirates, we have also been shown certain limitations and prejudices. How was it nearly 30 years ago, when Crocodile was just starting out? When there were pirates such as WB who would not have women on his crew? What did other men’s limited faith in a girl’s capabilities do to a teenager who wanted to chase her dreams? But that’s another layer of speculation. Let’s just assume that Iva gave Crocodile the body he now has.

Timeline

The complete female to male switch makes sense with Iva’s skills as I’ve mentioned above, but the timing is arguably tricky for Crocodad purposes. To repeat: Iva knew Crocodile “a little (…) back when you could still call him a rookie” (chapter 540). It’s unclear to me whether Iva’s comment that they know Crocodile “a little” is meant to be taken as an understatement and they do know each other well or if we should take it at face value. But even the offered time “when you could still call him a rookie” is very vague.

If they only knew each other when Crocodile was a rookie, then Iva would most likely have used their powers on Crocodile back then, turning him before he had properly ended up on the marine’s radar and before he could have had Luffy. What exactly counts as Crocodile’s rookie years isn’t particularly clear. At this point in the manga we do not know anything about Crocodile – his age, how long he’s been a Warlord, when he used to be a rookie, etc. However, we do know now that he became a Warlord in his 20s and challenged Whitebeard and lost to him shortly after (SBS, Volume 78). So his rookie years must refer to the time before that where “similar to Luffy (…) Crocodile's name spread across the seas with incredible momentum.” (SBS, Volume 78) It’s possible that at that time, due to the vastness of the ocean and the slower spread of news, people in general did not know what he looked like (even 30 years on it took a while for all the Strawhat crewmembers to get recognizable bounty posters). Due to that it’s possible that the meeting with Iva could have taken place during the time that he was gaining fame, but before he really got on he marine’s radar enough to make him a Warlord in his early 20s.

Interestingly (for me), around the same time as Crocodile’s was starting out, Iva and Dragon gained notoriety with their Freedom Fighter group (according to the Wiki’s timeline, it became the Revolutionary Army after the Ohara Incident, when Crocodile was 24), so it is likely that when Iva and Crocodile knew each other, Crocodile also met Dragon. (He might even have been part of the Freedom Fighters, but I think if his name was spread across the sea in connection to the Freedom Fighters, a link between Crocodile, Iva and Dragon would have been mentioned or taken into consideration by Sengoku. Sengoku did know of the history between Crocodile and WB and thought it would work in their favor. If he knew about a potential connection between Crocodile and Luffy – via Iva and Dragon – he would have been more wary I assume.)

As an aside, how did they even meet? Did Crocodile hear about Iva’s powers and seek them out? Was their meeting purely by chance and Crocodile seized the moment?

Long story short, if Iva only knew Crocodile while he was still a rookie and used their powers on him then, it would have been years before Luffy was conceived.

However! One could argue that Iva did not have the same control over their powers 20 years ago as they do now, so that the change was mostly external, affecting how Crocodile presented without changing him “inside out.” Which would still have meant that he could get pregnant if Dragon and Crocodile continued seeing each other (or at least saw each other one more time, 19 years ago.)

Now, since Crocodile at Marineford is somewhat of a part 2 of the Crocodile theories, I kept my Crocodad goggles on.

A look of Crocodile’s movement across the battlefield

One of the main arguments for Crocodad are his actions on the battlefield. Judged by the reactions of the other characters, all of Crocodile’s actions on the battle field of Marineford apart from his attack on WB are surprising.

The reason we are given by Crocodile for joining the prison break is that he wants to take Whitebeard’s head. (Crocodile could have escaped from the holding prison, but chose to go to Impel Down instead. However, Iva claims in chapter 538 that Crocodile isn’t too happy about ending up in level six.)

We know from the above mentioned SBS that Crocodile challenged WB shortly after he received his Warlord title. During this battle Crocodile was “completely and utterly crushed by him.” Whether that defeat is the main motivation to challenge him is unclear.

Just like he announced, the first thing that Crocodile does after posing for a group shot, is to go straight for Whitebeard’s head.

So far so predictable.

What are often seen as hints for Crocodad is a series of events that go like this: Dragon is revealed to be Luffy’s father (chapter 558). Everybody and their pet clown gets to have a reaction shot to that, but Crocodile does not. Crocodile is one of the first after Luffy to charge into the plaza after they’ve got the siege walls up and stops Ace’s execution (chapter 566.) He orders Daz to protect Luffy and one Daz is down he himself stops Mihawk from attacking Luffy (chapter 570). After Ace’s death he steps in between Akainu and Jinbei, making Luffy’s escape possible (chapter 578). He eventually joins a line of Whitebeard pirates to protect Luffy.

Now, Crocodile’s change of plans doesn’t present as an instant switch the moment Sengoku announces who Luffy’s father is. While he might have had an off-screen “oh shit, that’s my baby” reaction, it didn’t immediately make him drop everything to protect him.

I do of course believe that Luffy IS his baby because I find joy in that, but I generally see Crocodile as a pragmatic character. On one hand there is Luffy, a reckless but resilient kid that shares his blood (that he spilled and Luffy used against him) that is charging across a battlefield with a group of people protecting him. On the other hand here is Whitebeard right in front of him and other than the baby that has slipped out of his fingers, he held on to that grudge for 20 years.

Tracking Crocodile across the battlefield leaves plenty of gaps, but it still offers insights into why he changes direction. I’m presenting it here and then we can think if this hurts or helps the Crocodad agenda.

Tracking Crocodile

As mentioned the first thing we see him do on the battle field is to go for Whitebeard who is on the ship next to them. Luffy stops him and then he is approached by Whitebeard pirates, their weapons drawn. Luffy then leaves and takes the point of view away with him. When we see Crocodile again, two chapters after the reveal that Luffy is Dragon’s son, he is on the ice in front of Whitebeard’s ship. He must have been pushed back or retreated to join up with Daz, as they are fighting off masses of WB pirates, trying to get closer to the man himself. After he sends a lot of them flying with a sandstorm he is stopped by Yozu. The force of the attack makes him fly back (he is injured and loses his cigar) where he lands right next to Doflamingo. The man is of course not passing up the opportunity to be chaotic – he stops Yozu and asks Crocodile to join up with him which Crocodile rejects (chapter 560 – 561). When we next see him he is fighting off some invisible force (most likely more WB pirates) but at least he has a new cigar.

When WB is stabbed in chapter 563 he is still on the ice in front of WB’s ship. He has an agitated reaction, revealing that he has lost to Whitebeard in the past (“I didn’t lose to such a weak man!!!”)

Even though Sengoku tries to get the other fleets under WB’s command to turn against him, WB proves his integrity and power. And he also gives a speech about how even if he is attacked by his son, he still loves him and he also explains that the son does not bear the sins of the father. It is either this absolute display of love and appreciation of his sons no matter whose blood they have and what they do OR it is his display of power and integrity that Crocodile reacts to, visibly distressed, but no longer showing the explosive shock and anger of his previous outburst (I’m not horrible at reading facial expressions but I’m not great at describing them. Look for yourselves in chapter 563). Also, following right after the panel showing Crocodile’s face we get Whitebeard thinking to himself: “A “weak man,” am I…? What an insolent man… I’m only one man, with one heart… And you’re the same… They call me a demon and a monster… But I won’t always be the “strongest” out there…!!! If I can bring one young life into the future, isn’t that enough…!?” And then he joins the battle.

He now focuses on bringing that young life into the future (saving Ace) and this is the point where Crocodile’s unusual actions start. After a talk about unconditional love for his sons and the statement that protecting a son is worth much more than being the strongest. Could Crocodile too have decided that protecting Luffy (his son?) and Luffy’s interests is more important than his grudge against Whitebeard?

The answer seems to be yes, because in chapter 566 he is the first one to follow Luffy across the siege wall and into the plaza where Ace’s execution was supposed to happen. And he stops it after Luffy is pushed back by the Admirals. The reason he gives to Sengoku for his unexpected action is that he “wants to wipe the smile from your faces.” After Doflamingo chops off Crocodile’s head they engage in a fight.

It is after Luffy uses conqueror’s Haki, which again seems to confirm his relation to Dragon, WB gives the order for everyone to support Luffy in chapter 570. Whether Crocodile has chosen to follow Whitebeard’s lead or if he is acting for himself, he gave Daz the order to protect Luffy. Daz stops Mihawk’s attack and once Mihawk cuts him down and goes for Luffy again, Crocodile is there to stop him and allow Luffy to continue one. He must have shaken off Doflamingo in the meantime.

And then Ace and Whitebeard die (chapters 574 and 576 respectively).

And while the battlefield descends into further chaos and Luffy is unable to protect himself, we get a panel of Crocodile (chapter 577), apparently standing still in the chaos that is around him. He does not seem to face the same way as the retreating WB forces or the Warlords and Pacifista in pursuit of the retreating pirates. Maybe he is looking at Whitebeard one last time.

And then he’s off, apparently crossing the entire battlefield in an instant to stop Akainu from dealing Luffy the killing blow. And after that he gets physically between Akainu and Jinbei and Luffy before he sends them flying out of reach with his sands (chapter 578.) He yells the order for someone to grab them and get them to a ship, followed by one of my favourite lines directed at Jinbei who has tasked himself with protecting Luffy: “If you want to protect something, do it right!!!” Since we generally speculate that Luffy’s parents (or Dragon at least) chose to sacrifice their chance of raising Luffy in order to protect him from exactly what is happening on this battlefield, that line suits the Crocodad theory well. Whether Crocodile left behind his child to protect it from being punished for the sins of his fathers or if he left him behind because a child would get in the way of his ambitions, right in this moment protecting Luffy is all that matters.

He then joins a group of Whitebeard pirates, forming a protective barrier against Akainu. Akainu taunts them that all of them are willing to give their lives for Luffy. Marco repeats what Whitebeard thought earlier: they will see this boy off into the new age.

All of these actions could also simply point towards Crocodile maybe having been part of Whitebeards crew at one time, but the timeline has some difficulties. It does not seem like anyone who is on the crew now treats him like they knew him or at one point cared about him like a brother. We have also not seen Crocodile or someone who looked like him in the Wano flashbacks. Teach, who joined when he was 12 (and Crocodile would have been 18) doesn’t seem to know him as a crewmate either. If he ever was on WB’s crew, he would have left as a young teenager. (And as a sidenote, WB was an old-fashioned guy, he did not want any women on his crew apart from medical staff. This would not have been a good environment for Crocodile if he had been a girl before meeting Iva. And he clearly was making a name for himself as a rookie without being attached to WB’s crew.)

It could also symbolize how great of a pirate Whitebeard was that even Crocodile, bearing a grudge against him, shows him respect by following his orders. But that seems a little bit boring to me.

That said, I do think a Crocodad reading of his actions is rewarding.

After this battle we also get to see Crocodile read about Luffy’s actions so he clearly is interested in him now. And there’s this great exchange between Daz and Crocodile in chapter 593 where Daz comments that Luffy’s scars take a while to fade which Crocodile takes as a comment on his own (old) wounds. Crocodile insists that his scars are “fully healed” and that he’s ready to return to the New World now. He has put the old wounds of his youth to rest, he is ready to return to tackle the New World once again.

And maybe any wounds and scars left on him regarding Luffy’s birth have started to heal too. The kid will be fine.

If you read through all of this you have my respect X’D

And if you have comments, additions and objections let me know~

[quixoticprince]

When your medic leaves to go pocket another man or something

[michaelwheelers]

Good luck, Champ.

[rafey-baby]

trinket

prince!rafe thinks his maid is just the sweetest little thing...  

prince!rafe x maid!reader 

18+ mdni!

c/w: rafe being a menace, him flirting (?) w her, some royal cameron family angst?, brief descriptions of him having sex w another woman

wc: 2.3k

also this is by no means historically accurate which is why i’m not gonna name any specific era for this xx

moodboard & introduction

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Every mid-December, the palace comes alive in an entirely novel way with the bustling preparations for the annual winter ball that the king and queen host to celebrate ‘another wonderful year’.

The once quiet and calm castle transforms into something colorful and vivid with the mouthwatering smell of cakes and pastries cooking in the ovens of the royal kitchen, along with maids and other servants whirling around the long hallways as they place intricate decorations and shiny ribbons all over the broad staircases and windows. 

She’s grateful she doesn’t have to partake in the hustle and bustle all that much since her primary duties include taking care of the prince and ensuring he has everything and anything he could possibly need.  

Although right now, she sort of wishes she could be stringing up polished ornaments or garnishing elegant baked goods because apparently, being the prince’s personal maid sometimes means sitting quietly in his bedchambers (as per his request to keep him company while he’s reading) with her own thoughts and the sounds outside the door her only source of entertainment.  

Therefore, she’s elated when he suddenly turns to face her in his armchair— flitting his eyes over to her from the hefty book that seems to have made him exasperated rather than enthralled.  

“Will you join me for a walk? All this noise is makin’ m’head hurt.”

There’s enthusiasm in the nod of her head; a yearning to see the fresh layer of snow covering the trees and painting the entire kingdom with its powdery whiteness— the aftermath of last night’s blizzard. She doesn’t think there’s anything more beautiful than the crystalline snowfall glittering under the touch of the afternoon sun— or maybe a certain pair of aquamarine eyes, but that’s beside the point.  

“That would be my pleasure, Your Highness,” she easily agrees. 

“How many times do I have to tell you how much I despise that name? There’s no need to use it when s’just me,” he scolds her before he’s straightening up and stretching out his arms over his head. 

“My apologies, it’s a habit,” she rises to her feet as well; trying her hardest not to let her eyes linger on the sliver of his stomach peeking out from underneath the silky fabric of his shirt. 

“I don’t want your apologies, want you to use my name,” he says before stepping closer— standing tall before her and forcing her to blink up at him in order to meet his eyes. “Go on, sweetheart, say it,” he practically orders; eager eyes fixed on her face.  

She hesitates under the sudden attention. He’s always seemed so fascinated by her and she doesn’t know why.  

“Um…Rafe.”  

He lets out a hum of approval. “That’s good. You ready to leave?” 

“Y— yes, uh, Rafe.”  

“Good job. Not so difficult, is it?” he coos at her almost mockingly— fingertips grazing the skin of her cheek when he tucks a loose tendril of hair back behind her ear. 

She merely shakes her head— a warmth dusting over the apples of her cheeks when his touch lingers on the side of her face afterwards. And for a moment, she thinks she’s going to drown in the lagoons of his eyes, but then he clears his throat and offers the palm of his hand for her to take.  

And it’s rather unusual for someone of his status to do; a prince who’s bound to wear the crown one day holding his maid’s hand isn’t exactly something that’s written in any book regarding the royal etiquette. However, he’s never been one to allow for dreadful rules and traditions to dictate his behavior, especially not towards her.  

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  

“Are you looking forward to the winter ball?” she asks when they stop by the stables to check up on his horse, Jupiter.  

“You know I hate dancin’,” he mutters out as he watches its teeth grind on the carrot he brought with him.  

She smiles because she does know, before letting out a wistful sigh. “I wish I could attend.”

“You do? Why?” he’s perplexed by her enthusiasm towards something he considers as more tedious than anything— having to plaster on a smile for an entire night and socialize with people he doesn’t necessarily care for in order to humor his father never being something he’s particularly taken delight in.  

Especially when Sarah is going to be the one receiving all of their father’s attention anyway. Not that he cares (he does) but he would appreciate it, if for once in his life, his old man would show him even an ounce of the care he seems to so easily shower his sisters in.  

“Well, I’d love to wear a ball gown, but mostly for the food,” her feather-light voice brings him back to the moment.  

“I’ll make sure to bring you a plate ‘n you can eat it in my room then, yeah?” he promises as he runs his fingers through Jupiter’s black main.  

“You would do that?”  

“If you promise not to tell the other maids or they’re gonna accuse you of gettin’ special treatment,” his tone is playful. 

“They already do that,” she points out. “They think we spend too much time together.” 

“And what do you think?” he asks, genuinely curious. 

“I don’t mind. I quite enjoy your company,” she answers truthfully. After all, she has grown quite fond of Rafe throughout the years. Sometimes she just wishes he wasn’t so overwhelming, in every sense of the word. 

“Yeah?” a smirk pulls at the side of his mouth, seemingly pleased with her answer. 

She’s certain he’s well aware of the effect he has on her— the effect he has on everyone. And she thinks that he enjoys it; relishes in toying with her for his own amusement simply because he can. He can practically do anything he wants since his father is oftentimes gone for long periods of time; fulfilling his duties for the kingdom and whatnot.  

And she knows Rafe doesn’t particularly mind the fact that his father is rarely home because he’s always been hard on him, much harder than on his sisters because whether he likes it or not, he’s set off to be the new king one day. And his reputation of having female guests over more often than not whenever his father is away doesn’t necessarily help with gaining his approval.

After all, rumor travels fast around the palace.  

Rafe once admitted to her that he often felt like a disappointment, and that the pressure of everyone’s expectations sometimes made him wish he was nothing more than a stableman. After all, he does get along with horses better than he ever has with his family— it’s not exactly a secret amongst the royal court.  

“Would you wanna go for a ride with me? Think Jupiter’s gettin’ bored,” he suddenly asks.  

“Oh, I would love to but I’ve never, um, ridden a horse before,” she timidly admits. 

“No? You wanna know how it feels? You could jus’ sit behind me, don’t need to do anythin’, yeah?” he coaxes her to say yes with a seemingly sincere smile; already walking Jupiter out of its stable and leaving her no choice but to follow them outside.   

“Really?” the frosty air causes a shiver to crawl up her spine when she eyes him, hesitant.  

“Mhm. Promise nothing’s gonna happen, I’ll take care of you. ‘N I know you’ll like it, s’very freeing,” he assures her as he’s already saddling up the horse, seemingly aware that she could never refuse him of anything.  

“Okay...if you insist,” she tentatively agrees with a nod that he rewards with a beaming grin; the icy snowflakes sticking to his hair making him look like something straight out of a fairy tale.  

Then, he’s lifting her up to straddle the entirely too big of an animal that sort of still scares her— strong hands gripping onto her hips and leaving her momentarily starstruck at how effortlessly he does it; as if she weighs nothing more than the carrot Jupiter was just chewing on.  

He follows soon after, settling down in front of her with ease before looking at her over his shoulder. “Need you to hold onto me unless you wanna fall,” he instructs, seemingly reveling in the fact that he gets to be the one teaching her something new.  

“Oh, yeah, of course,” she says, gingerly setting her hands on his waist, movements uncertain.  

“Gonna need you to hold on tighter, promise I won’t bite,” he huffs out a laugh before he’s grabbing her arms and wrapping them around his middle more firmly— forcing her to fully lean against his back when the sudden clip-clopping of Jupiter’s hooves against the snow-covered cobblestone causes her to let out a surprised shriek.   

“Good?” he asks, seemingly amused at the way she’s practically clutching onto him as the cottony snow prances around them. 

She manages out a hum, wondering if he can hear her poor heart loudly thumping in her ribcage when he decides to pick up the speed some more, as if she wasn’t already terrified.  

“Rafe! Can you slow down?” she squeaks out when Jupiter seems to only accelerate further underneath them.  

“Where’s the fun in that?” he lets out a hearty chuckle in response, apparently finding amusement in her utterly frightened state while she wonders why she let herself think for even one second that he had pure intentions.  

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

“Y/N? Will you go look for my son? I fear he’s once again escaped his responsibilities to God knows where,” the king requests with an exasperated sigh while she’s crouching down and helping a servant clean up the sharp pieces of a shattered wine glass— the sound of laughter and dancing flourishing around them. 

And she could swear she saw Rafe conversing with a guest only a few short moments ago. However, as she looks around in an attempt to locate the missing prince, he’s nowhere to be found.  

“Right away, Your Majesty,” she’s quick to answer with a polite smile.  

“Thank you,” he nods gratefully, seemingly fed up with his son already.  

She ensures that the poor girl who accidentally cut her finger on the broken shards is not going to faint before tiptoeing up the broad flight of stairs in order to reach the higher levels of the palace— the loud music and blooming celebrations echoing around the halls. 

“Your Highness? Are you in there?” she knocks softly on the mahogany door leading to his bedroom.  

However, she isn’t granted a response. 

“Rafe?” she tries once more before pressing her ear against the wood separating her from the muffled sounds she can now hear from the other side— brows furrowing when something akin to a whimper reaches her ears.

It sounds nothing like Rafe; it has a higher pitch, something more feminine than his usual drawl. And as she stands there, contemplating whether something is wrong or if she should just leave, the volume only amplifies.

And in a moment of cloudy judgement, she finds herself pushing down on the handle.

However, she curses her curiosity the moment the door cracks open and she’s faced with the view of some woman’s naked back. Her long, beautiful hair reminds her of lady Lydia (a daughter of one of the dukes invited to the ball) with none other than the prince himself underneath her sweaty form.  

The sheets that she changed this morning are crumpled and creased around them and without the barrier of the door, she can now hear Rafe’s low grunts as well— can see how his big hands guide her movements. And they’re both panting heavily, seemingly lost in some haze— maybe the same one that forces her to stay rooted to her spot in the doorway.  

With her eyes as wide as saucers and mouth parted, she’s not entirely sure how long she stands there for. Until out of the blue, she notices Rafe’s eyes flickering over to her— a smirk tugging at his mouth when he catches her staring. 

She tries to move her legs but they won’t listen; making his lazy grin only grow in tandem with his strained groans that seem to only increase in volume as he locks his eyes with her.  

And she can’t breathe; the air clogging her lungs instead of flowing through as her dazed mind tries to get her to do something, anything to get her to leave the room but his heady gaze seems to have hypnotized her— compelled her to stay right where she is.  

All at once, a gravelly noise rumbles from his chest— his head dropping against the cushion of his fluffy pillows, seemingly reaching some sort of a peak in his search for pleasure as the woman above him begins to slow down her movements. And that’s when she’s finally able to step away; shutting the door behind her before scurrying down the stairs with bated breaths and heart pounding in her ears.

When she reaches the bottom, she accidentally stumbles into someone holding a golden serving tray— causing it to topple over to the floor with a loud clatter. 

“I’m so sorry,” she apologizes before her wobbly legs are scrambling off in an attempt to locate the nearest escape route to the garden.  

And once she’s managed to make it outdoors, she feels like she can finally breathe— the crisp December wind granting her heated skin an opportunity to cool down as she sits down on one of the wooden benches with a sigh.

[rjshope]

my favorite smile🤍

[flirtygh0ul]

[mrsimqle]

[theheartnexttophan]

I was finally able to upload the Denver preshow! My angle wasn’t great, cause they were on the floor for some reason (idk why, they didn’t mention it, but it made it so we couldn’t see them very well) Also so sorry I recorded this vertically, I think meeting Dan and Phil scrambled my brain! I’ll do it sideways in Grand Prairie!

[iizuumi]

Mermay time <3

[bellpeppersand-beef]

-“I think we’re gonna have to kill this guy, Jet.” -“Damn.”

[abnomi]

WRECK IT RALPH CHARACTER ASKS OPEN!!!!!

Calling all WIR fans 🥸 .... do you want to ask questions to your favorite character(s) from that one movie with a video game in it? well look no further because uhhh ummm i need writing + drawing exercises to cure my art block and to help myself get better at writing dialogue....

Thank u.... i cannot promise that I'll get to every one but damn it all i will Try Okay. also like general drawing requests are good too

[isbergillustration]

Post gig chilling🎸

[d1sapp01ntm3nt]

you were born bluer than a butterfly

alt version below ^^

(I just thought the orange looked kinda cool)

[doodling-junebug]

raise your hand if you drool in your sleep. i don’t but my cat does

peep shane’s top surgery scars i see you trans shane enjoyers

[neek00draws]

“Mother’s complain about how hard life is, and the kids just don’t understand.”

A faux post card I’m hoping Micky will sign when I see him in June!!

[katebeckets]

CASKETT in EVERY SEASON → Season Four