Chapter 1
"I am your husband."
The man with a suture line on his face said this, his hand gently stroking your cheek with extraordinary tenderness. But your subconscious tells you that if you deny his words, a mere, cat-like squeeze of his hand will bring you back to your primal state.
You strongly resist close contact with people, especially strangers whose names you don't even know. Your survival instinct suppresses any thought of avoiding them, and your trembling voice, a result of the significant size difference, betrays your current state of mind.
"But...but I..."
Before you could finish speaking, the man chuckled as if it were nothing out of the ordinary, and the hand that was gently stroking your face moved to your vulnerable yet deadly neck.
Crocodile.
The warm, broad palm on your neck sent alarm bells ringing in your head. You tried to pronounce his name, stammering as you repeated it. He wasn't satisfied with the result, but he still released your hand that had filled you with unease.
"Don't forget again, don't forget my name again... I can't guarantee I'll have the patience to teach you word by word."
As he spoke, he pulled you into his arms with one hand, the pungent smell of smoke making you frown. There are many things you dislike, including the bitter and unpleasant smell of smoke. But the sharp, golden hook you caught out of the corner of your eye made your furrowed brow return to its normal curve.
The laughter coming from above was Crocodile's reaction to your movements. This realization made your breath catch in your throat, but thankfully, aside from the low, hoarse laughter, he didn't make any further moves.
This is your husband, the stranger and the dangerous Crocodile.
-
You don't know how you ended up in this land of yellow sand, let alone the husband who suddenly appears who doesn't look like a law-abiding citizen at all. You remain skeptical of Crocodile's words.
You can't voice your doubts. Having arrived in this strange world alone, all you can do is observe and obey. While amnesia provides an excuse to make your current actions seem more plausible, your nominal relationship doesn't significantly improve your situation.
Every night since you woke up, as long as Crocodile is in the room, he will pull you into his arms, his only hand wandering over your body, slowly and forcefully feeling your touch and body temperature.
In his hands, you tremble at the intimate touch, and with a trembling voice, he persuades Crocodile to let you go.
"No, I don't remember anything from before..."
Your refusal displeased Crocodile, but honest fear did work. Even though he had wanted to tear you apart and devour you since you woke up, he yielded time and time again to your unease.
But it won't work every time. At least tonight, the unwavering confidence in your eyes means your pleas will be useless.
"What are you going to say to reject me today?"
The hand that reached under the fabric to touch your abdomen was warm; as it caressed you, you could feel the calluses and the size of the palm. Compared to the two-meter-tall Crokdal, you were utterly insignificant.
But a cunning hunter won't spare his prey just because it's small. Perhaps, but Crocodile won't be that hunter. He's waited too long; even after his stomach has been full, the saliva still dripping from his gums when he sees you.
And you, who are starving him, are trembling beneath him, filled with unease.
"I...I'm still scared...Please, wait a little longer..."
You are truly afraid. Whether it's Crocodile's size, which surpasses your original world, the oppressive feeling he brings, or the other world that you haven't fully understood, all of these factors contribute to your unease and fear.
Reason tells you that obeying Crocodile would be safer. But your emotional side still resists, resisting everything that this other world is forcibly imposing on you.
Not to mention anything far off, just look at the hand that covers your abdomen right now. If you were to actually engage in sexual intercourse, the dry, rough fingers alone would be enough to fill you up, not to mention the erect body that hasn't even been honest with you yet.
Unfortunately, your pleas for mercy failed to persuade Crocodile, and his reply to you was a regretful whisper.
"I've been waiting for a month. Is it that you can't remember, or that you don't want to remember?"
When the male voice whispered the last word into your ear, the questioning and warning in his tone sent chills down your spine, making you already terrified and with a headache.
"Will you do it yourself, or should I?"
Crocodile's last ounce of patience is on the line; the hand gripping your waist tells you that you cannot refuse what is happening now.
Should you continue to beg for mercy, or compromise for survival? You don't know which is the best answer, and the eyes watching you silently urge you to give a reply. Besides, the hand moving down your waistline is also pushing you forward.
The overwhelming aura made you tremble, and out of your survival instinct, you chose the relatively friendly option.
"I...I'll do it myself."
Your answer earned you a soft, smiling hum from Crocodile. Clearly, he was quite satisfied with your reply.
Even if you lack experience in this area, the knowledge instilled in your mind from the last world clearly tells you that with your current physical condition, you'll definitely be the one getting injured. To avoid injury, you can only try to take control of the situation as much as possible.
The initial mental stimulation is far more pronounced than the physical sensations; the pleasure described in literature simply doesn't exist with such a large physical difference. You should be thankful you weren't injured, and that you've earned Crocodile's trust.
The overly stimulating first experience and the feeling of exhaustion were unpleasant. You didn't last until Crocodile was satisfied, but in the hazy moments, the smell of nicotine, mixed with the kiss on your lips, invaded your breath and consciousness.
You were about to faint. You were breathing rapidly, and through your tear-blurred vision, you saw Crocodile's rare, gentle smile. His large, warm palm wiped away the tears that had welled up in your eyes, a gentle touch unlike that of a ruthless pirate.
"Well done."
This is probably the first time Crocodile has praised you since you came to this other world. Even though you know this praise isn't an affirmation of your abilities, you, who are rarely praised, still feel a moment of relief.
Fortunately, you still have a use here.
-
Nico Robin is a very charming woman. She knows how to maintain appropriate boundaries in both conversation and etiquette, making it a real headache for anyone trying to glean information about Crocodile from her.
Even though Crocodile explains your amnesia as the cause of your strange behavior when you wake up, you still want to know more.
For example, how did you lose your memory? Why did you get together with Crocodile? And what is it about you that Crocodile likes?
Even if you can't know anything about this world, at least you should know what kind of person you share a bed with is like.
Perhaps it was a woman's unique sensitivity that allowed Robin to see the unease beneath your feigned calm and to say something that seemed to be comforting.
"Don't worry. Although the boss doesn't seem very friendly, he won't harm you."
"Won't hurt you...?" You mean someone tried to hurt you? You suppressed your inner suspicions and thanked Robin for comforting you.
"Thank you, Nico Robin."
In response to your thanks, Robin gave you a smile that was hard to read. You're familiar with this kind of smile; it's a "mask" often used in the workplace to deal with unfamiliar colleagues.
Clearly, Robin, who seemed to have revealed some information to you earlier, has done her best to tell you all the information she currently has.
If possible, you'd like to be friends with Robin. Partly because she's the first woman you've met in this world, and partly because you like her personality.
However, Robin's attitude towards you doesn't seem like he wants to be friends with you. This realization makes you give up the idea of taking the initiative to make friends.
-
Crocodile is very busy; at least during the day, you rarely have a chance to see him. You don't know what he's doing, and you don't dare to know.
Crocodile, who is always busy during the day and never shows up, is like a prince who only appears in dreams at night, sneaking into your warm bed.
Compared to the towering Crocodile, you, held in his arms, are more like a rag doll that parents buy to please their child, something he can hold without much effort.
His arrival made the post-bath fragrance smell strange because of the cigarette smell on his body. You didn't really like the smell, but due to the close contact between your skin and the environment, your uneasy feelings would calm down when you smelled it.
You were already drowsy and about to fall asleep amidst the familiar scent when the hand tightening around your waist jolted you awake. You looked at the person in front of you in a panic, but Crocodile, who had disturbed your peaceful sleep, remained silent, his eyes swirling with emotions you couldn't understand.
During the day, you might spend some time figuring out why the person in front of you is acting strangely. But when you're drowsy, you're relieved once you've confirmed that they won't have any physical contact with you other than sleeping.
"I'm sleepy."
You told him you were very tired, and he responded with a single, unintelligible syllable, without stopping you from using his arm as a pillow.
It wasn't until the next day, when Robin, who seemed to be in a good mood, gave you the newspaper she had finished reading, that you seemed to understand why Crocodile had been in a bad mood the night before.
"Oh, it was because of a fight..."
Crocodile was featured in an enlarged photograph in the newspaper. He was facing a man wielding a knife, and the caption read, "The Seven Warlords are in disarray."
Robin, who had nothing better to do, told you what the "Seven Warlords of the Sea" were and what the seven members were called, but you didn't know what the others looked like except for Crocodile.
Perhaps you've been staring at the newspaper for too long, because the thoughtful Robin is here to introduce you to another person in the photo.
"The other person in the photo is Mihawk, known as 'Hawkeye'."
You nod to indicate you understand, your gaze lingering on Mihawk in the photograph. Robin, having finished reading the newspaper, is called away by a phone call, leaving you in the lobby to pass the time reading the newspaper she left behind.
In terms of aesthetics and clothing, you actually prefer Mihawk's type. Also, you always feel that his appearance and name are familiar.
Thinking that you haven't seen anyone other than Crocodile and Robin since you woke up, you shook your head and denied your guess.
"You're overthinking it."
You say that, but your racing heartbeat betrays your lack of composure.
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