One Piece: The Princess and the Villain (Vivi x Crocodile) - Fanfiction

07 - THE PRINCESS DECISION AND THE MASK OF NATIONAL HERO

The desert winds blew softly, carrying the cool night air as Vivi and Koza rode toward the distant silhouette of Alubarna, the capital of Alabasta. The dark horizon seemed to stretch endlessly, but Vivi's thoughts were not on the long journey ahead. They were tangled in the complicated web Crocodile had spun around her life. Even now, free from his quarters, she couldn't shake the weight of his presence.

Koza, riding beside her, had remained quiet since their escape, but Vivi could sense the questions burning in his mind. His loyalty and concern were unwavering, yet his curiosity had become impossible to contain any longer.

"Vivi," Koza finally broke the silence, his voice filled with a mix of relief and confusion. "Can you tell me what happened? I never knew you were in Crocodile's quarters all this time... If it weren't for one of my connections that told me he was seeing a woman who looked like you during one of his business meetings, I wouldn't have known. What exactly happened here?"

Vivi's heart tightened at the sound of his words. She bit her bottom lip, unsure of how to respond. The truth was too dangerous, too destructive for Alabasta. Yet she couldn't simply lie to him outright. For a brief moment, she stayed silent, her mind racing to find a delicate balance between truth and deceit.

Then, after a long pause, she turned to Koza and forced a wide smile, trying to appear carefree. "Koza, about this... Crocodile... Can you make a secret of it?" Her voice wavered slightly, betraying the tension she was trying to hide, though she did her best to keep the atmosphere light.

Koza stared at her, incredulous. "What? What are you talking about? Hey, Crocodile captured you all this time, right? How can we not tell the palace—how can we not tell your father, King Cobra, what happened?!" His voice grew louder, filled with disbelief.
"That national hero has done something unforgivable, hasn't he? He captured the princess of Alabasta... How can we let this slide as if it's nothing?"

Vivi's expression hardened, knowing just how absurd her request must sound to him. She had anticipated this reaction, but the sheer gravity of exposing what had truly transpired between her and Crocodile weighed heavily on her heart. If the kingdom found out, it would throw them into chaos, and Alabasta might not survive the fallout.

But Koza needed to be convinced.

Forcing another smile, Vivi spoke again, her voice soft and slightly playful, though the strain was still evident. "Koza, you're wrong. I was only there for a few months, not as long as you think. And I wasn't really a captive... He treated me as a guest."

Koza's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "A guest? That doesn't make sense, Vivi! If you weren't a captive, why didn't you return to the palace? Why did we have to go through all this just to get you out of there?" His voice wavered, struggling to make sense of what she was saying. "And where were you before you ended up in Crocodile's quarters?"

Vivi exhaled slowly, her mind scrambling for a believable explanation. "Eh, I was on an adventure," she said, trying to keep her tone light. "Living in the palace can be boring sometimes, you know." She pouted slightly, her voice playfully teasing. "I ended up causing some trouble, though... and I got hunted by this underground organization."

She paused, gauging Koza's reaction before continuing. "Crocodile helped me. He hid me in his place until it was safe for me to leave. Heh, that's all. He didn't do anything to me." She smiled again, but it felt hollow even to her.

Koza frowned, still confused by her sudden shift in tone. "So you were really just a guest? In his quarters?"

Vivi nodded, forcing a brighter smile this time. "Yeah, totally. Three meals a day, two snacks, and even those nice dresses." She gestured to her attire, offering a brief chuckle. It wasn't entirely untrue—Crocodile had indeed provided all the necessities for her needs—almost excessive, even as his control over her tightened like invisible chains.