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

22 - THE SEPARATION

An evening after the intense meeting concluded in his grand meeting room, Crocodile leaned back in his chair, the weight of everything pressing against his mind. While he handled the business side of things effortlessly, his thoughts kept drifting back to the last time he had been with Vivi. It unsettled him. He had assumed that after all those months of frustration, after countless failed attempts to find satisfaction in other women, finally being with Vivi would give him the peace he craved.

He had indulged in her completely, spent all night consuming every part of her, fulfilling every hunger, yet as he sat now, instead of feeling satisfied, something gnawed at him—a deeper desire. What more do I want from her? he asked himself in frustration. He couldn't make sense of it. There wasn't a part of her he hadn't already taken.

His thoughts were interrupted by Robin's calm voice. "You seem deep in thought," she said, pouring a cup of black coffee and placing it on his desk. Her expression was as indifferent as ever, though there was a hint of curiosity beneath her mask. "Let me know when you're ready to continue the discussion."

Crocodile glanced up at her, his sharp eyes tracing her features. The night with her before actually wasn't so bad, her face, the shape of her body by technically— pleased his eyes. He could still feel his arousal rising that time, if only...

Tsk.

The frustration in him only grew stronger. He hated the tangled mess of emotions that came with thinking about Vivi—hated how she had somehow become more than just a physical distraction.

He can't bear these unsettling emotions any longer. He took a slow sip of the coffee, letting the bitterness settle on his tongue before speaking. "You never mentioned it," he said, his voice low but pointed.

"Mentioned what?" Robin responded, still flipping through her documents, not catching the shift in his tone.

"The last time we were...together." His words hung in the air. "Most women seek some sort of clarification about such things, don't they?"

Robin looked up from her papers, her expression unbothered. She raised an eyebrow, then let out a light chuckle. "Ah, that moment? I nearly forgot about it until you brought it up." There was no hint of attachment, no sign that she even cared enough to think about it. It was a transaction to her, a passing moment with no real weight.

Crocodile smirked darkly, her reaction exactly what he expected—and in some twisted way, exactly what he liked about her. She was never needy, never complicated. Always calculating, only focused on what she could gain. No strings, no attachments. She was everything Vivi wasn't.

"Of course," he murmured, leaning forward slightly. "That's why I like you, Miss All Sunday."

Robin's calm gaze met his. "Is there a reason you're bringing this up now?" she asked, though she didn't seem genuinely interested. Her voice was casual, as if discussing nothing more than business.

The frustration inside Crocodile built, angered by his own complicated feelings for Vivi, the attachments he despised so much. Attachment was weakness, and Robin... Robin was simple. No emotions, no complications. He could control this.

"Maybe you need a reminder," Crocodile said, his voice thick with a mixture of frustration and resolve. He moved toward Robin, his large frame looming over her. With little hesitation, he grabbed her and lifted her onto his desk, positioning her so she faced him.

Robin's lips curved slightly, more curious than surprised. "Is this due to the lovers' quarrel after the rather public display of affection with the princess of Alabasta?" she asked, her tone mocking as she referenced the previous day's scene in the hallway.