|Her Sea of Secrets| Rayleigh x Reader x Crocodile

Chapter One

Loud laughter filled the joyful ship known as the 'Heart-Locket.'

The ship was unique, having an almost heart shape, with a key-locked shaped hatch in the center which led to the cellar of the ship.

It was decorated in silvers, golds, and bronze, the whole ship resembled a piece of jewelery known as the Heart Locket.

The Heart Locket, was a sacred piece of metal held by the captain of this ship, the captain of the Rocketto pirates.

That was you.

Your hair bunched in a black, swirly mess as you fixed it this morning, brushing the knots and tangles out.

"Captain!" A male yelled, busting into the room.

His long, blue hair draped down to his waist, pulled up into a half-bun towards the top of his head. He was dressed in old pirate wear, the pirate wear you were used to seeing back then.

"Nozomu! Learn to knock." You sighed, slowly starting to smile, "what's up?"

"In a couple of hours, we'll be heading to dock on Lougetown." He smiled.

You gasped, and grinned, "Really?! I can't wait!" Pulling Nozomu into a hug, he slowly returned it, patting your back with less enthusiasm.

"I wonder if that old man is alive." You grinned, and shook your head. "Last time i visited, he looked to be on his last leg, i tell you."

Nozomu smiled, shaking his head. "I can't believe you're this excited to go out into the Grand Line again." He hummed, pulling away from you.

Looking down at him, you shook your head, "im not excited to go out there, I'm just excited to see all of my friends again."

Nodding in understanding, Nozomu began to exit the room, turning his body to face the door before he spoke. "Don't let your injuries get to you." With that, he shut the door gently, letting you stand there in silence.

Tucking your hair behind your ear, you turned to the vanity that had been bolted to the floor. The box that lay wide open, a shining sapphire sitting in a gold encasing. It was a ring fit for royalty.

You frowned, closing the box before brushing your hair out once more. You couldn't help but think of his words, and all that came with it.

You bit your lip, looking down at the floor. It's been thirty years since that day. Thirty years since your heart was broken.

The room began to shift, air getting slightly colder as you shook slightly. You could still feel the imprints of his hand on your body. It felt like they were searing flesh. Burning...melting.

Shaking off the feeling, you began walking to your closet. You flinched when you stubbed your toe on the door to said closet. Picking out a simple Black sports bra with a baggy pair of sweatpants.

Grabbing your heart locket, you placed it over your head, letting it fall between your breasts with care.

You looked in the mirror, fixing your hair before walking out, being bombarded by some crew members.

"Azzy, please stop trying to climb me, just call for me sweetie!" You grinned the the purple haired woman, who flushed and rubbed the back of her head, "Of course, my bad Cap'n!"

You grinned, shaking your head before walking out on the main deck. "So, are we ready to resume our trek along the grandline or what?" You asked, raising your hand into the air. "We're all in this together guys! I couldn't be here without you!" You exclaimed.

They all cheered, your 10 member crew all slipping down ropes from the mast to hug your giant form.

If you're wondering, why are you so nice to your crew? Well, thats something you'll find out later, but if you must know.

Everyone here respects eachother, we all have a goal in life, and if that goal means you leave the crew. You get sent off with a smile, some tears, and some booze to lighten the journey at it's darkest moments.

Everyone respects you. You're the captain. You command the ship. Everyone knows that you're the boss unless stated otherwise. They all respect the decision of who is chosen to lead while you're away aswell.

You had the perfect crew.

Your first mate interrupted this blissful moment by yelling, "Come on! We need to get the directions right people! We're approaching Lougetown!"

"Hold your horses Nozomu!" You retorted, sternly placing your hands on your hips. "We have at least an hour before we hit the dock, so relax."

He sighed, and nodded hesitantly. "Im sorry, I'm such a bad first mate, even after 3-"

"Don't play the 'poor me' shit Nozomu, you know i don't like that." You glared.

He began to sulk even more.

"Wipe that off your face, and smile! We're finally getting back out there! I wonder if they upped my bounty over the years." You questioned, "probably not, but last time i checked, it was around 4 billion, right? That was 3 years ago though..."

Everyone in the crew laughed, although newer members almost fell over in shock.

You, the sweetest person alive, be at the level of a Yonkou? Impossible.

"Of course they always made my bounty way too high! I'd say that im just at Shank's level with haki." You sighed, "speaking of Shanks, I wonder when I'll bump into that freak, probabaly after the red line."

"You want to go that far?!" A new voice chimed in, pulling on your sweatpants.

You looked down at the girl with ginger hair, and green, sparkling eyes.

"Yes, Maho." You said with a smile, patting her head.

She giggled, her head resting against your thigh as you stood. "Im so excited!"

"Remember, always stay close when we're on dry land. I don't want anyone to hurt you, Mo." You reminded, and ran your fingers through her silky locks.

A sudden gust of wind sent the ship flying forward.

"Nejirou! What are you doing?!" You yelled, "I gave no such order for you to use your Devil Fruit!" You exclaimed.

"I want to get there..." he huffed, and stopped using it once shore was minutes away.

You sighed, annoyed by the slight incompetence of your crew. You did this to yourself, is what your brother would say.

Looking towards shore, you tensed, this was Lougetown, right before the grandline. The feeling of happiness was lost as you longingly stared at the town you loved, yet hated at the same time.

Roger's town.

[NOTE: You may have seen a book similar to this one. I deleted it. It didn't feel right. I hope you like this one better.

P.S. There are minor love interests in this book, but none that make the final cut. Mainly having to do with your past.

ALSO! This books updates are really wonky, so expect random updates at 4am on a Saturday, or even a Sunday. I'm mostly busy during weekdays, so updates mainly come on the weekends. I'm testing out having a good schedule.]