{zoro x oc} stick 'em with the pointy end

5. neso's past ~ crocodile

~ AGE 3 ~

Long before Crocodile ate the Sand-Sand fruit, he was still a ruthless and powerful sea captain. His ambition to take over continents and rule over countless lives had long been his driving motivator.

Crocodile, in his youth, had come upon a thick tome during a raid that had led him to this very moment. The tome was full of myth and legend. And, this particular legend says that when a sea captain captures and tames a sea nymph, he will be bestowed with fortune, fame, and all his hearts desires will manifest.

Crocodile watched with satisfaction as his crew stabbed, shot, and tortured the water spirits. They were beautiful creatures that had never seen such horror approaching.

Claro de Luna Grotto, it was a hard one to find. Its once lush greenery was now aflame. The crystalline waters flowed a deep red. The sounds of gunshots and swords brought about screams of horror that echoed throughout the limestone and obsidian walls. Storms were forming and dissipating too quickly too do any damage to his ship.

"Kill them all, save for this one," Crocodile held a young water nymph up to his eye level, her tail disappeared as the cool air dried her off. Tiny legs kicked and fought against him.

She struggled and reached behind the captain, trying to get back to her mother. Before she could, Crocodile's first mate swung his sword high, ending the life of the sea nymph who reached for her daughter, now in the clutches of evil.

The young nymph screamed in horror as her mother lay bleeding out, her scaled arm limp and still outstretched towards Crocodile's feet.

Crocodile smiled wide. To tame a sea nymph, one must strip her scales and carve one's own marks into her skin. These marks bind the sea nymph to obey her captor and her captor alone.

Claro de Luna Grotto was left behind as the tiny nymph screamed. Two men held her down as Crocodile ripped the scales from her soft skin.

"Captain?" a man asked with a shaky voice, "I think she's gonna pass out."

"Shut up!" Crocodile worked faster, pulling the scales from her legs, hips, forearms, and shoulders. Pinning her down, made him feel powerful.

Her tiny head struggled, she desperately needed to get away but couldn't. She was growing weaker the further they sailed from the grotto.

When the scales were removed, they lay in a bloody heap at Crocodile's feet. The nymph lay before him, unconscious. He sighed. There was still work to be done. The binding marks needed to be placed and he wasn't sure how to do it. The book hadn't detailed that part. He needed to do this, complete power was so close. within his grasp.

The tiny body before him was raw and bloody, ink would have a hard time sticking to the wounded skin. He took out a knife and pricked his finger with it. He grabbed a small jar of gunpowder. After all, stuff like this had a time limit, right? And, it was a good thing she was already unconscious.

The marking had to be personal to him and what better than the marking he had upon his face? Stitching that stretched from ear to ear, across the bridge of his nose - this is the pattern he chose to carve upon her limbs.

☽ ◯ ☾

~ AGE 6 ~

She woke to sunlight coming through a dusty porthole. Stretching, not paying any attention to the black lines that trailed the length of her arms and legs as she got dressed. Today was special because she would get to go on land for the first time in... ever.

She sat on the boxes she used as a bed until Crocodile came. There was no knock, only the sound of keys unlocking the various locks on the outside of her door.