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

Bonus: Letter from a writer

Sigh.

Hello.

I survived.

... How emotionally and mentally draining it is to create fanfiction about them, especially in the beginning of the story when their dynamic is still pure of predator and prey relationship. My heart aches to make Vivi go through those hardships. Sorry Vivi... T-T

Actually never in my life have I thought to create fanfiction of these two pairs (^^;)
I am not their shipper, never one. If I had to ship Crocodile with anyone, the closest one actually would be Nico Robin—perhaps. (not that i ever thinking about this pair too)

I started writing this fanfiction based on a casual conversation with my friend, while we were chatting about 'what if scenarios,' imagining what kind of relationships might happen between characters. Like the dynamics that could occur between Zoro x Robin, Luffy x Nami, Luffy x Hancock, Nami x Sanji, Robin x Law, Crocodile x Robin, Sabo x Koala... something like that. Then, an interesting question came up when my friend jokingly asked: then how about Crocodile x Vivi?

At the time, I just laughed and said, "No way... this one's way too hard to make a couple, I can't picture it at all... not at all." As we laughed together...

...and the next thing I know, until 2 a.m. the next morning, I couldn't stop thinking about them.

All the 'what if' scenarios started flooding in, and I couldn't stop them.
Before I knew it, my hands started typing on their own.

About Crocodile and Vivi-

I tend to create or imagine something based on their real situation.

And in the case of Crocodile and Vivi, I can't picture any form of relationship happening between them except through something like this.

Both of them are too different. In any way.
Let's break it down.

Crocodile isn't the kind of man who can just fall in love with a woman easily. He's ruthless, very controlling, and he values power and his success above everything else. Well yah... a typical Alpha male—damaged version.

And like most dominant men who rely heavily on logic and rarely tap into their emotions, the way to break through to someone like this, in my opinion, is through physical attraction at first. Because this method can catch them slightly off guard—they think they'll just use the person as a tool, until they reach a point where they're addicted to the feeling... (whoops) and that's where the cracks in their emotional side can start to form.

And Vivi, my sweet Vivi, she's a woman who is very in touch with her feelings. I even think that's her strength. She has a tremendous love for her country and everyone in it. She possesses a strong sense of justice, is brave, and has a very strong mentality.

It's extremely unlikely for a woman like Vivi to fall in love with her enemy, especially a villain who could potentially overthrow her kingdom. In normal circumstances, this is almost impossible.

So... sorry but I have to crush her mental state, heart, and her dignity first to the point of a phase where this could (possibly) happen. (cry)

Once Vivi enters a state where she's no longer in touch with her dignity and feelings, there is another step—the empathetic Vivi must view Crocodile from every angle, not just know him as her enemy. Rather, she has to experience everything about Crocodile. The time they spend together (should be) gradually opens Vivi's eyes to a new perspective on Crocodile... and that's what I'm trying to portray in this fanfiction.

Still, by the end of this fanfiction, I continue to struggle to find the right ending for them, especially a happy ending one. The issue is definitely not on Vivi's side, rather with Crocodile—this guy is so stubborn! (angry) It's so hard to imagine a plot where Crocodile finally acknowledges—bows down to his feelings for Vivi, no matter how strong those feelings actually are.

I don't really like the typical storyline—where suddenly, with the power of the princess's love, the villain surrenders and turns good.

So, I have a hard time creating closure between them. After considering it for quite a while, I decided to make it as 'open ending,' where they neither truly end up together nor completely separate (with the hope that if I'm ever in the mood, I can develop their story further).

But for now... I'll leave it that way.
So, that's more or less the picture of the origin of how this fanfiction is made.

Hope you enjoy it!

Oh and last, please, do not hesitate to leave a comment on my works to your heart content, i really happy to read all of it! 🖤

XXX,
CEIN_