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Chapter Text

You were the best in your field. You were a specialist in all possible poisons and had an antidote for them all. Even Crocodile noticed your talent. You stood behind his poisoned hook and you didn't settle for just anything.

When you invented poison, you immediately set about making something far more deadly and effective than before. Crocodile was amazed by your abilities and sponsored your hobby.

At first, he was just a boss to you, another high-ranking man who needed a secret lethal weapon in case of emergency. But Crocodile was also your last customer because you didn't even want to work for anyone else.

It also slowly happened that you developed a weakness and certain feelings for your boss. Crocodile was powerful, cold, confident and knew what he wanted. But you kept it to yourself.

Before you knew it, you somehow ended up together. It all started with small things, gifts, flowers and generally such things that slowly escalated. Without you having anything to say about it, your relationship became a given that you were together.

And even if all your meetings were held in private, you didn't mind. He invited you to dinners that were held in the privacy of his office, you fed his bananawani together, and sometimes even walked the secret corridors of his casino.

Your relationship was a secret to everyone around. Even to Daz Bonez. The only one who knew about it was Miss All Sunday.

Robin was also the only person who knew the negative effect your job was having on you. Without wanting it, the fumes from all those poisons slowly began to affect you.

You'd expect that by working on poisons you'd develop a resistance, but the opposite was true. Originally, antidotes worked for you, but they gradually stopped working.

You were getting more and more tired, all the color drained from your face and it got worse when you started coughing up blood. However, you knew how Crocodile viewed the weak. Every time you were supposed to see him, you acted like you were fine and at worst you put it down to tiredness.

“Boss, I have the new poison for you as promised,” you said cheerfully as you walked into his office. You had an appointment with him and you knew that no one would disturb you.

Crocodile was sitting behind his desk looking through documents and barely looked up to look at you. It wasn't until the door closed behind you as you reached his desk that he put the documents down.

He exhaled the smoke from his cigar and something like a satisfied smile appeared on his face. He took the small bottle from you and looked at it against the light.

“Here's the antidote,” and you handed him a second bottle before leaning back against the table. You smiled contentedly, but a wave of fatigue hit you again.

“Good job, as always, little one,” he complimented you, tucking the two vials into a hidden pocket in his coat. “You deserve time off for this,” he said, motioning for you to move closer to him.

When you walked over to him he put the cigar aside, took your chin and lifted it. He then leaned closer slightly before kissing you on the lips. You closed your eyes contentedly and enjoyed your reward.

“We'll have dinner tonight and then we'll continue,” he said as he pulled away and ran a thumb over your cheek. He wasn't blind and he knew very well how negatively your hobby was affecting you. He let you act strong, but he was waiting for you to confess.

“I can't wait,” you replied, heading for the door just in time for Miss All Sunday to walk in. With that, you left to get some rest and get ready for dinner.

At dinner, you wore the new dress that Crocodile got you and at the same time you adorned yourself with the jewellery that you got from him. However, you chose your shoes as you still feel the best. You didn't want your legs to buckle in the heels.

When you were ready, you went to his office. There was also a table spread with various delicacies, and behind it sat he, calmly smoking his cigar.

He smiled in satisfaction when he saw you and gestured for you to go sit down. As you headed towards the table you felt your head start to spin, your eyes flickered and a cold sweat broke out before your knees buckled and you fell to the ground.

The last thing you saw was Crocodile trying to catch you. Crocodile knew that you were not doing very well health-wise, but he was waiting for you to admit it yourself.

He wanted to let you finish your last poison and then find something else to focus your attention on. Little did he know, it was too late for that.

Crocodile had you carried to your room and made sure you got the best doctors around. He knew every step of your treatment and was determined to get you even the most expensive and hard-to-get drugs.

He visited you in your room every free moment he had, but it looked miserable with you. Despite all the efforts of the doctors, you were slowly disappearing before their eyes. 

He tried to continue to function and lead Baroque works to its goal. He worked all the harder to occupy his mind somehow, but it was a difficult task.

He was sitting in your room, smoking a cigar and listening to the machines beeping. He counted every day you were bedridden and wondered why you let it get this far.

At first, he blamed you. You should have been able to take care of yourself. But then he also had thoughts that he could have stopped it. He could focus you on something else, but he couldn't simply stop you from doing what you enjoyed.

"She looks like she could evaporate at any moment, huh?" came a voice next to his head. Crocodile immediately perked up and tried to catch anyone who was interrupting his time with you in the sand. But no one was there.

"Calm down giant. I came to help you," said the same voice from the other side. Crocodile turned to see a small man in front of him, who may have seemed harmless at first glance, but he was emitting a much more dangerous energy.

"Don't waste my time and talk!" he replied sternly and frowned. He didn't like this creature at all. The stranger handed him a new cigar which he lit before walking over to your bed.

“What a shame she doesn't have much time left…” he started and wanted to caress your cheek, but the sand prevented him from doing so.

"To the point! Or do you want to become food for my bananawani?!” he was slowly losing patience with him. Besides, only he or the doctors could touch you.

“I see,” he raised his hands as if to surrender as he disappeared and appeared a short distance away. "I have the power to heal her," he said, smiling confidently.

"Make fun of someone else!" and swung at him with a hook. The demon vaporized at the moment of the collision and appeared behind Crocodile.

"It's a little thing. Nothing big. But, let's just say everything has a price,” he floated in the air, contentedly watching the sand warlord puzzle over him.

"I'm not buying a rabbit in a bag," Crocodile replied, straightening up. He took a breath and once again an icy calm appeared on his face.

"Nothing like that! Do you doubt my power? How dare you?" he looked almost overly hurt by his words.

"First I want to see the result and then we can talk about the price," replied Crocodile calmly. He finally felt like he was getting the upper hand on this demon.

"Hmph, fine. Such a little thing. So you can see I'm serious, I'll give you some time to decide,” he said before snapping his fingers and disappearing.

You had the impression that you were in some kind of strange dream. You were there alone and even though you were in your office and actually in the casino, there was no living being anywhere. You were wandering around the building when you heard his voice every moment.

It was always just a few words, but thanks to him, you felt like you weren't alone. You tried to follow his voice, to find him, but every time you thought you found him, he disappeared.

You knew you passed out when you went to see him for dinner, but then you had no idea how you ended up in your study. Crocodile's voice kept you hoping to find him again. You had the impression that you had been there alone for an eternity.

You heard his voice again and it seemed much stronger and much closer than before. You followed him to the white curtain behind which you could see the outline of his figure. A feeling of happiness washed over you and you reached out to pull back the curtain.

But before you could touch it, someone pushed you from behind and you flew through the curtain like nothing. You closed your eyes on impact and when you finally untangled yourself from the curtain, you were blinded by the sunlight.

You groaned and turned your head to the side away from the light. You tiredly opened your eyes and finally saw him in front of you. He watched you with such surprise on his face that you were afraid the cigar would fall out of his mouth.

"How are you feeling, little one?" he asked you as he walked closer to your bed and took your hand. You felt much better. You haven't felt this good and full of energy for a long time. Moreover, Crocodile confirmed to you that you weren't so pale anymore.

“I'm sorry for worrying you,” you said when you saw his relief. With his help, you sat up.

"I hope you know that this will not go unpunished," he replied, and even though his voice sounded stern, there was a certain tenderness.

“I'm okay with that,” you tried a weak smile. You were about to get out of bed when he stopped you and pushed you back onto the bed with no problem.

"Your punishment won't escape you anywhere," he replied and leaned over you for a moment. You took this opportunity to pull him close. You missed this feeling of closeness. Crocodile made himself comfortable, pulled you close, and decided that one day wouldn't tear him away from work.

The next day you were already allowed to leave the bed, but despite all that Crocodile insisted that you not push yourself. Plus you had to be fit for your punishment.

Little did either of you know, the devil had been watching you the whole time, waiting to come out for his reward for his work.

🟉-🟉-🟉-🟉-🟉

Almost a week passed and everything went back to normal. You felt much better too. No fatigue or dizziness. You were healthy as a fish.

You served your punishment by having to close your poison workshop and the only way you could study them was through books.

At first, you didn't want to give it up, but when you saw how unpleasant it affected your life, you decided to find another hobby. However, it was a harder nut to crack than you expected.

You had too much free time so you headed to the warlord to see if there was anything you could do. It would be enough for you to sit next to him and just listen to what he was doing.

You were about to go inside when you heard voices from the room. You recognized Crocodile's voice, but you never heard the other one in your life. You didn't want to disturb him and were already planning to leave when the door opened by itself.

Before you could do anything, an unknown force pressed into your back and began pushing you into the room. Inside, Crocodile was standing behind the table, looking angry. You wanted to say something but you couldn't. The invisible force that pushed you into the room was now holding you in place and holding you tight.

The floor caved in on the stranger, but he didn't even care. He levitated over it like it was nothing. In addition, the room was littered with deep gashes from Crocodile's attack. What the hell was going on here?

More sand began to appear around the demon and soon surrounded him. However, before the warlord could complete his attack, the sand stopped listening to him and fell to the ground, while the devil did not have a scratch or a speck of sand on him.

“I hope you've had time to say goodbye,” the demon said nonchalantly, snapping his fingers. That was also the last thing you heard before the whole world went black before your eyes and you were completely enveloped in darkness.

This time Crocodile managed to catch you with the sand before your body hit the ground. He cradled you in his arms, while he launched the last attack on the devil. He sent the strongest sand attack he was capable of. However, as soon as the sand was about to touch him, the demon disappeared like steam over a pot.

Crocodile hadn't been this angry in a long time. How could he afford to lose you a second time? He was furious. He immediately changed the task of all Baroque Works to a single one. Find the demon and force him to heal you.

Meanwhile, he carried you to your room himself. Instead of going to bed, however, he put you in his arms and didn't want to let you go. You were so small compared to him and now he could see how fragile you were.

He lit a new cigar and thought about what to do next. He wasn't going to just believe that you were gone for good. He exhaled smoke as he felt someone else enter the room.

"Such a beautiful flower. Wouldn’t it be terrible to watch her wilt so fast?” came the familiar voice of the demon whispering in his ear. The Warlord didn't say anything to that though and just stroked your cheek with his thumb.

"Still want to get rid of me? Even though you know I can save her?” he exhorted. You weren't dead, but rather on the brink of death. You were still breathing, but your heartbeat was so weak that it was almost invisible.

"Price?" Crocodile finally asked.

"Nothing you need," he replied mysteriously. “It’s nothing that separates you from this desert flower. You don't even know you have it,” and he smiled mysteriously with a dark glint in his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked impatiently. He didn't like it when someone tried to outsmart him.

"And what would be the fun if I told you? Take it or leave it. And as a bonus, I'll add immunity to all poisons. Even those not yet discovered," offered the demon.

Crocodile just chuckled at that. He had the impression that he had become a spectator in the market, a victim of a salesman who wanted to sell his product without limit. However, he finally agreed.

"Great! It was a pleasure to make a deal with you. I hope that you will continue to be together. I'm rooting for you!” were the devil's words before he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

When it was just the two of you in the room again, it seemed at first impression that nothing had happened at all. Or the change was rather minimal. You were still unconscious, but slowly but surely your breathing and heart were getting stronger and more stable. Even the colour returned to your face.

Despite all that, however, you didn't wake up, and Crocodile was getting the impression that the devil hadn't outwitted him after all. Those thoughts left him as pain shot through his entire body. He frowned and balled his hand into a fist.

His whole body was burning, but he felt the worst and greatest pain in his lower back, where he felt as if someone had grabbed him by the spine and was pulling it out of his body. This at the same time as feeling as if his head was going to explode.

The scar on his face burned and his fingers became numb after a while. He was writhing in pain but still holding you so he had to be careful not to accidentally crush you. During these moments of agony, his teeth were so clenched that he bit through his cigar.

When he thought the pain had become somewhat bearable, he spat out a bitten piece of cigar and lit a new one. He had to sit down in another way because something was pushing him from behind.

He had no idea how much time had passed when your lids fluttered and you sleepily opened your eyes. However, the room was completely dark.

You couldn’t remember what happened before. Your thoughts were in a fog. You sleepily rubbed your eyes as you realized you weren't in bed but in someone's arms. You felt him caress your hand.

You settled down better and rested your head on his chest for a while longer. Even though you just woke up, you were tired. As you rested for a little while longer, you remembered Crocodile's panicked expression before you passed out.

You gently took his hand that he was stroking you and looked into his face. In the darkness that prevailed in the room, his eyes glowed s anilver d thus illuminated his face, which you did not recognize in part. That you were still asleep and this was just a weird dream?

"What happened? Does it hurt?" you asked him with concern in your voice. You knelt at his feet and carefully caressed his scar, which had sharp crocodile teeth sticking up and down.

“It's nothing compared to the pain of losing you,” he replied, caressing your cheek. When you touched his scar it hurt, but it was nothing compared to when he was changing.

"But it still hurts, doesn't it?" you said as you noticed how he closed his eyes whenever you touched a changed spot. "What happened?" you asked him again, even though you knew the answer.

"You don't have to worry about something like that. It's already settled. Are you feeling better now?” he turned his attention to you. He didn't want to bother you because you would probably blame yourself or feel sorry for him. He didn't need either.

"Probably yes. I don't have any pain and no fatigue…” you shrugged. You felt good. Nothing was bothering you at the moment.

"I'm glad to hear that," Crocodile smiled happily. He was partly relieved to hear that.

“You look tired,” you said after a while, feeling a little tired yourself. This time, however, it was not due to illness. "And it's still dark outside. How about we go to bed?” you suggested

Crocodile hesitated for a moment. It was true that he was quite tired after all of this and was still sore from the change. But part of him was worried that if you went to sleep now, he'd find you gone in the morning. He finally pushed that worry out of his mind, lifted you into the air and carried you to the bed.

There you lay next to each other and Crocodile pulled you closer to him. It was easy for you to fall asleep in such proximity.

The next morning, you woke up earlier than the warlord. You rolled over so you could look at him. It was strange to see him like this. It wasn't until now that you noticed a pair of horns growing out of the edges of his forehead and curved back.

Careful not to wake him, you sat up and noticed the long crocodile tail curling under his feet and sticking out from your side of the bed.

Sure, he looked a little different now, some might even say scarier, but you didn't mind. You noticed that he sleepily opened his eyes. They still glowed goldenly, but it wasn't as noticeable as at night.

You laid down again and snuggled closer to him. You had no idea what had happened while you were out, but you trusted him that it was resolved.

News of his change spread relatively quickly and thus earned him the nickname the sand demon. It did not harm his reputation in any way, on the contrary.

Chapter Text

You've been sailing with Shanks and his crew for quite some time now. You followed him from East Blue to the Grand Line. However, you had no idea what was waiting for you.

A few days after you got to the 3rd island, you got sick. No one knew what was wrong with you. You had fevers and chills for the first few days, but then that went away and all that was left was fatigue.

You originally thought you were cured, but when you passed out out of the blue, it was clear you weren't quite fit. Every day you got more tired and ended up lying in bed or outside in the hammock.

You spent most of the day alone in a hammock on the beach. Someone always came to see you and you also slept a lot.

Shanks was already slightly tipsy from the bar, but he still took the bottle and went over to you to keep you company.

"How do you feel?" he asked you and kissed your cheek.

“Tired,” you replied and gave a weak smile. You had no idea why, but his presence always cheered you up.

“Hongo is working on a cure and so are we,” he said taking your hand.

“I know,” you smiled weakly. You knew they had been working hard on it and that they too needed a little rest.

“You'll get over it for sure,” he said and in that moment you truly believed his words.

"You'll get better and then we'll have a proper celebration, as it should be." 

Shanks sat down next to the hammock and told you everything that had happened during the day. What happened that was interesting or what brought a smile to your face.

It was slowly getting dark and you still enjoyed the sunset next to the man you loved before falling asleep.

You still faintly felt him cover you with his coat and kiss your forehead good night before you fell completely asleep.

Once you fell asleep, Shanks went to get another bottle. He was worried about your health, but he knew that he wouldn't help you with worries.

With his new bottle, he sat down next to you again and drank. He wanted to help you get better, but he had no idea what could save your life.

He even thought about getting a devil fruit for you, but he didn't know of any free ones that could save your life.

Shanks was almost halfway through the bottle when he noticed a strange figure looking at you.

“A very nice flower. Although she looks like she's slowly withering away,” the stranger spoke before Shanks could say anything.

"I'm sure she'll get over it," Shanks replied, setting the bottle down and focusing on the stranger he didn't like at all.

"What if I told you I could heal her?" said the devil looking at the redheaded captain. At the same time, his eyes shone like two flames at night.

“Y/N doesn't need help from someone like you,” he replied sternly, resting his hand on the Gryphon's hilt.

"How about I offer you a new hand on top of that, hmm?" he didn't give up.

"Try making your offers somewhere other than my crew," Shanks said sternly. The devil tried to give him a few more tempting offers, one better than the other, but it didn't work with Shanks.

Demon tried another offer, but the captain ran out of patience and used Conqueror Haki on him. The devil crouches to the ground under his gaze before disappearing completely.

Shanks didn't see the demon anywhere for the next day and figured he had given up. He was glad for that and stood up for you that you were strong enough to overcome your illness. You didn't need any shady deals to get out of this.

On this day, the crew decided to take a day off. Although they drank yesterday, they also had enough from the hunt for the cure and deserved at least a day off. Despite all that, Hongo was working on your cure.

The rest of the crew had been drinking since morning itself, and of course, Shanks joined them. He went to get a bottle of rum when he noticed the box with the last bottle.

He had the impression that he had never seen such a bottle before, uncorked it and smelled it. He didn't have to think twice and drank straight away. He had no idea that he had such good rum on board. He guessed that you could have bought it while you were still well.

He followed the others with the bottle. He was having a good time and almost forgot about the devil. He was having such a good time that he didn't even notice when he put the bottle aside for a moment that it had disappeared. No one noticed this little detail at all.

Shanks managed to get so drunk that he barely staggered over to you. Before you could ask him anything, he collapsed next to the palm tree and fell asleep.

It was surprisingly strange to see Shanke so drunk. Most of the time, no one was enough for him to drink. You also fell asleep after a while.

After a few hours, you woke up full of energy like never before. You had the impression that your body was full of power.

You were even able to climb out of the hammock by yourself. You couldn't even describe how amazing it felt to stand on your feet again without someone supporting you, threatening to collapse to the ground.

As you climbed out of the hammock, Shanks, who had been snoring lightly until now, woke up. He stretched and squinted around before finally coming to his senses. His eyes then fell on you as you stood outside the net and a wide smile spread across his face. At that moment the hangover was gone.

"You stand! How do you feel?" he scrambled to his feet and took your hand. 

“Much better and full of energy,” you smiled. Shanks nodded his head in satisfaction before hugging you. It was as if a giant weight had been lifted from his heart. This is a celebration!

With this plan, everyone drank properly that you were recovering. The rum was flowing and everyone was celebrating.

Originally, it was supposed to be celebrated until the very morning and later. However, no one expected that the captain would be affected by alcohol.

Sometime in the middle of the evening, he began to feel dizzy, and his head ached excruciatingly as if it was going to burst. It was the first time you had seen him in such a state.

This time you were the one who had to support Shanks. You were worried if he was overdoing it, but you knew he would be better in the morning.

You led him to the boat and helped him to bed. There he collapsed himself and dragged you down with him. You bumped into him and noticed how his pupils were unnaturally narrowed.

“Get some rest,” You told him, running your fingers through your hair. Shanks groaned in pain and you felt like you felt his bump on his skull. You wondered if he hit his head.

“Sorry,” you apologized and kissed his forehead. Despite all of that, he gave you a weak smile before pulling you into a hug and very soon fell asleep.

A little after midnight, Shanks woke up. He felt like he was on fire, his body was writhing in convulsions and he felt like his head was going to explode.

“I'll go get you something for the pain,” you said and went to Hongo to get some medicine.

In no time you were back with the medicine. You gave a drink to Shanks and it seemed to work as he fell asleep within minutes.

You stayed with him all night and kept watch over him. However, after a while, you also fell asleep.

In the morning, you were only woken up by the light that filtered into the cabin. Despite all that, you didn't want to leave the bed. Maybe also because Shanks was holding you around the waist.

You still closed your eyes and wanted to wait until the captain woke up too, when you felt something wrap around your leg.

You immediately thought it was a snake. In no time you were wide awake and fell out of bed in shock.

From the ground, you still had your foot on the bed, around which you had something wrapped. It seriously reminded you of a black snake, but it didn't have scales and was relatively soft. Besides, you couldn't see the head anywhere.

You carefully unwrapped it at the seams of your leg when you noticed that it led from the captain. Only then did you experience the shock. Shanks was still asleep, but dark, twisted horns were sticking out of his head.

“Shanks,” you said shaking him. "Get up." The captain slowly woke up and looked sleepily at you with red almost glowing eyes.

"Is it morning yet?" he asked still sleepy trying to pull you close.

"Did you eat the devil's fruit?" you asked as it seemed like the only possible explanation.

"No, why?" and he ran a hand through his hair. When he did, he was immediately startled, as he felt horns that he certainly hadn't had there before. Shock immediately replaced his carefree expression.

“Shall I come for Hongo?” you asked. But Shanks just shook his head, as he had the impression that it had nothing to do with the doctor.

He rubbed his chin and thought. He immediately thought of the strange man who had been circling you a day ago. He offered him healing in exchange for something. But he never told him what the price was.

It was too many coincidences at once. Demon, good booze, your healing and his change. However, he was sure that he had rejected him.

On the one hand, he was glad that you had recovered, but this was bothering him. Besides, he wasn't sure what he had traded for your health. Sure, he looked more like a demon now, but he hoped that was the end of it.

"Do you know what it is?" you asked him sitting down next to him. You took his hand and noticed he had long claws instead of fingernails.

"I have a hunch," he replied and told them what had happened and what he thought it was.

“I didn't want to accept it because I know how strong you are,” he said looking into your eyes. His were a little different now, but his warmth hadn't disappeared from them. His new tail wrapped itself around your leg like a snake, as if he was looking for comfort near you.

Chapter Text

For the last few months you have been battling a heart condition, but it was hereditary and it makes your heart weaker and weaker every day. There was no cure and you were slowly waiting for the end. 

Ace was by your side the whole time, always trying to find a cure or something to help you. Unfortunately, there was nothing. He had no choice but to be there for you, to give you support and hope for a miracle. 

You were often visited by Marco, who became your personal doctor. And despite his knowledge and healing abilities, even his flames didn't work on your heart. 

You lay in bed, where you spent almost 24 hours the last few days. Ace lay beside you, stroking your arm as he told you stories of his adventures and tales of his brothers and all they had been through back then. 

You loved his stories and you devoured every word. You were able to forget about your illness while he was telling you and transport yourself somewhere away into the story. 

You didn't know exactly when, but somewhere in his next story you fell asleep. When Ace noticed, he finished his story and sighed. He was glad you found comfort in his stories, but at the same time, your condition was weighing on him more and more. But he knew he wouldn't help you with his worries. Instead, he wanted to encourage you as much as he could and put the smile on your face that he loved so much. 

He lay there with you for a while, stroking your hair. He wished with all his heart that you would get better and heal. 

"'Not going to last much longer eh?" came a strange voice behind him. Ace was immediately on his feet ready to burn the intruder to the ground. 

"Easy there, tiger. I come in peace," came the voice again mockingly this time from the other side. 

"Who the devil are you?" asked Ace, turning to the devil. 

"That's right," he grinned. "I have a proposition for you that you can't refuse. And before you jump in, it involves your flower here," he said, playing with a lock of your hair. 

"Don't touch her!" Ace shouted at him, surprised he hadn't woken you up yet. 

"I see," and he withdrew his hands in the air in a playful gesture of peace. "What if I tell you I can save her, interested?" He grinned. Ace's face clearly showed how hesitant he was. He knew full well that he should watch out for the devil. That such things were not to be taken lightly. 

"And what would that cost?" He asked hesitantly. If it was going to save you, he wanted to know the price first. He'd die for you willingly, but he knew you'd be able to walk back into the depths of hell for him or sacrifice yourself for his good.

"Nothing to keep you two apart. You will still have the power to be together and live a long life. I can even offer that the disease will completely disappear and no one will be able to inherit it. How about that?" he grinned smugly, seeing an easy win. 

Ace looked at you and your calm expression. If only you knew what was going on right now. He looked again at the devil, who looked perfectly innocent and honest. He wanted to save face until the contract was confirmed. 

"It was an honour doing business with you," the devil smirked smugly as Ace shook his hand. At that moment, the three of you were enveloped in flames that climbed up to the ceiling before suddenly evaporating and taking the devil with them. As if he had never been there. 

The next day you woke up in Ace's arms feeling unusually good. Like you hadn't felt in a long time. As you lay there, you could feel your heart pounding. Strong and regular. You felt like it wasn't even your heart. 

When Ace woke up, you both went to see Marco, who confirmed your suspicions. He never expected such a change for the better, and perhaps he'd never experienced it. He was happy for you.

Ace was happy that you were well. Of course, he kept the real reason why to himself. He didn't want to worry you unnecessarily when you finally started to get better. 

No less not too long after your heart got better you noticed something strange about Ace. You noticed how the skin on his hands started to turn black. At firs,t you dismissed it, thinking it was just dirt, but the blaccolouror wasn't disappearing from his hands and even his feet at all. 

When you looked at his hands, it reminded you of black, burnt skin. As if his powers had burned him to the flesh. 

You tried to treat his skin, but no ointment or medicine worked. His skin blackened more and more and slowly began to crack. His hands now reminded you of the cracking surface of solidified magma. 

As his black skin cracked, the cracks were filled with both the magma and his fire. 

You could feel the fire-like heat radiating from the cracks, and when he got excited or angry, flames would burst from them. As if he couldn't control the ability of his fruit. 

Just like on his hands, a black spot slowly formed on his chest, right where his heart was. The black scorched spot began to grow larger and larger with each passing day until it was about the size of an open palm with fingers. 

Moreover, he began to feel a strange weakness and uncontrollable heat on him, as if his Mera Mera no Mi fruit was burning him from the inside. 

Now it was as if you had switched roles. Now he was the one who was in bed and you were taking care of him and trying to help him as best you could. 

You were about to treat a black spot on his chest when something unexpected happened. Just as your fingers gently touched the burnt skin, it began to crumble, crumbling inwards, with a deep hole forming around the entire circumference of the black spot, where you could see clearly through it to the bed. 

You couldn't control the tears that welled up in your eyes at that moment, because the thing you feared the most happened at that moment. Ace breathed his last. 

You let the tears fall and hugged his limp body. And even though he wasn't moving and his body wasn't moving either, you felt yourself growing warmer and warmer. 

When his body grew so warm that you couldn't hold him any longer, you pulled away just in time. A strong flame appeared in the middle of the hole in his chest and flared out, nearly burning you. The flame lowered and enveloped his entire body. You had to step away from him, even though you didn't want to. 

Under those flames, three pairs of horns appeared on his forehead, slowly disappearing into his hair. The flames crawled up his body until they stopped two at his tallest horns and in the hole in his chest where it fluttered like his new heart. 

You also noticed something crawling out of the leg of his shorts. It slowly lengthened, it was skinny and as black as his arms. Only then did you realize it was a tail. 

As unexpectedly as he had died, he took a deep breath, as if he had no air and was hungry for it, and sat up. He was breathing deeply and looked disoriented. 

"What happened?" He asked in surprise, feeling as if he was underwater and couldn't swim to the surface. 

" Y-you d-died," you stammered in surprise, wondering if it was still him. 

"What?" He asked in surprise, looking down at his hands and the hole in his chest. He felt so strange, but at the same time good, like he hadn't felt in a long time. He was brimming with energy and felt no pain. 

He walked over to you and was about to hug you when he paused. With every movement and breath he took, the fire inside him was stoked and he pulled back. He was afraid of accidentally burning you. 

You saw his hands smoulder, but you could see in his eyes that it was still him. You carefully reached out and took his hands. They were hot, but they didn't burn. Ace looked at your hands as if they were an apparition. He looked startled before a smile appeared on his face and he pulled you into a strong hug.

He looked into your eyes and gently took your cheek. How much softer your skin was compared to his. He leaned in close and kissed you gently on the lips. He may have been different in appearance now, but deep down he was still your beloved fiery Ace.

Chapter Text

Sitting on the bed in your small cabin aboard the Sunny, a gnawing pain in your stomach kept you from sleeping. Every meal felt like a struggle. As always, Sanji was close by, his concerned expression hidden behind a gentle smile.

He'd always bring your meals to bed, serving you small portions of carefully balanced food, prepared to be as easy to digest as possible. He knew that for some unknown reason, your body couldn't handle things like it used to, but he never gave up hope.

"Try one more bite, mellorine," he whispered, offering you a spoonful of delicate broth. You obeyed, but the pain returned, and you clutched your stomach. "I'm so... so sorry," he whispered, gently putting his arm around you. He didn't know what more he could do.

The days passed, and your condition worsened. Everyone on the ship was aware of it. Nami and Robin often visited you, as did Luffy and Usopp, who tried their best to cheer you up.

Sanji was the one who stayed by your side the longest. Every night as you fell asleep, he held your hand until you were deep in slumber. One night, as his face was buried in your hair, you thought you heard him praying quietly. He was begging anyone and everyone to make you well again.

One of those nights, after you had fallen asleep, he sat next to you, watching your peaceful face. Lately, you had been getting worse, and he was terrified of how little time you had left.

No matter how hard he and Chopper tried, no one could figure out what was wrong or how to save you. Just the thought of it brought tears to his eyes, which he quickly wiped away. He was thinking about what he could cook for you to make you feel better when he suddenly heard a strange sound, and a flash of light filled the cabin.

When he turned to see what it was, his gaze met a dark figure now standing there. It was tall, with glowing red eyes and a chilling smile.

"Cook," the figure said in a deep, quiet, and most of all, inhuman voice. "I can help you."

"Who are you? What do you want?" Sanji jumped to his feet, protectively standing between you and the stranger.

"I am the one who can save her life," the demon said with icy calm. "But of course, everything comes at a price."

Sanji's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" he asked in disbelief. But he would give anything for your life.

"I will make her healthy again. No more pain, no more suffering. She will live a long, happy life full of good health. What I get in return... that's not important yet." The demon grinned.

Sanji hesitated. He wasn't stupid. He knew such an offer couldn't be without consequences. But then he looked at you lying on the bed, pale and fragile, on the verge of fading away, and his heart clenched. He loved you more than anything else in the world. Maybe even more than his own life.

"Fine, I agree. Heal her," he said firmly.

"It is my pleasure," the demon said with a satisfied smile. And then it vanished just as quickly as he had appeared.

In the morning, you woke up feeling rested for the first time in months. The pain was gone, and your body was full of energy. Sunlight danced on your face, and you smiled from your heart for the first time in a long time. You stretched, and with a new zest for life and even for food, you sat up on the bed, ready to finally leave it.

Sanji stood in the doorway, his expression full of relief. Before you could say anything, he rushed over and hugged you.

"How do you feel? Are you okay?" he asked, stroking your face, which finally had a healthy pink tint to it.

"I don't know what it is, but I feel great. I'm so glad I'm finally better," you said with a smile.

"It's a miracle," Sanji said with a small smile, though it was the kind of smile that hid the truth. You wanted to ask him about it, but he beat you to it and kissed you on the forehead. You decided to let it go for now and just enjoy being well. You were so hungry that your stomach was rumbling.

Everything seemed to be back to normal. However, you began to notice a few small changes in Sanji. Sure, he cooked, flirted, and laughed as before. Yet, he seemed different. More tired. You often caught him sitting down, or when no one was looking, massaging his legs.

One day, you noticed he could barely stand, so you brought him a chair. Sanji initially pretended he was fine, but then he was grateful for the help.

"Sanji, what's wrong?" you asked with concern.

"Nothing, mellorine," he replied quickly. "I'm just a little tired." That was all you could get out of him. You tried to be there for him, but you felt as though he was also pushing you away.

Each day was harder and harder for Sanji. He tried to avoid you so you wouldn't find out the truth and worry about him unnecessarily or, worse, blame yourself.

But you knew something was up. One day, you found him in the storage room, sitting on the floor and holding his head. When he heard you, he tried to hide, curling into a ball so he wouldn't be so visible. He hid his face with his hands.

"Sanji, what's wrong?" you asked with concern, putting a hand on his shoulder. Sanji flinched before looking at you hesitantly. The first thing you noticed was his blue eyes. They were still the same blue, but his pupils were horizontal, like those of sheep or horses.

"Sanji... what's happening to you?" you whispered, your voice full of worry. He first looked at the ground before slowly taking his hands off his head. On the sides of his head, you could see horns beginning to grow, already starting to curl. His ears now looked pointier as well.

"I... I made a deal with a demon... I didn't want to lose you. And this? This was apparently the price I didn't know about. But for you..." He looked into your eyes. "For you, I was willing to sacrifice my life."

You felt tears welling up in your eyes. You knelt next to him and hugged him, even though he tried to pull away. In the end, he hesitantly hugged you back.

"Sanji, you fool. What would I do without you if you were to disappear? It doesn't matter what you look like. I love you, Sanji..." you blurted out a waterfall of words you couldn't easily stop. He looked up at you, his eyes now looking alien, and yet they held so much that was familiar. His love for you.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to see me like this," he said softly, slowly placing his hands on your face.

"You're still you. Nothing else matters," you said, kissing him as tears streamed down your cheeks.

That same day, you told the rest of the crew. To your surprise, Robin had already suspected it and said so, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Luffy saw it more as Sanji being even cooler now and had a bunch of silly questions for him.

In the evening, Sanji decided to show you the full extent of his changes. You already knew about the ram horns and horizontal pupils. What was new to you was that his feet had changed into hooves and his legs were covered in short fur, which was longer at his ankles. He also stopped wearing shoes from that evening on.

The final change was a short blonde tail that grew from his spine and slightly peeked out from his pants. It was rather cute, and even though the tail was small, you could tell his emotions from it.

It finally seemed that your life had returned to normal. You were full of health, and Sanji, though a little different, was there too, and nothing could tear you apart. Especially now that Sanji was stronger than ever.

Chapter Text

Kuraigana Island, home to the world's strongest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, was usually steeped in a gloomy but calm isolation. Today, however, that calm was disturbed by quiet groans and whispered worries.

Mihawk moved with visible anxiety. His usually impenetrable eyes reflected concern. In one of the castle's chambers, you lay, his companion, the beloved person who had stolen his heart years ago with your kindness and indomitable spirit. Now, struck by a cursed weapon, your life was slowly fading.

A few days ago, you fought an unknown opponent who had a special sword. A sword with a blade that made the wounds it caused never heal. This meant you were constantly bleeding. 

Even though it was just a small wound, you were losing blood all the time. The wound, though small in appearance, pulsed with a darkness that prevented healing.

Mihawk, who had tried his best to find a cure by travelling to countless islands and consulting with the best doctors, had to face the cruel reality that there was no cure. The days slowly turned into weeks, and you grew weaker and weaker, your once vibrant eyes clouding over and your skin growing pale.

Mihawk cared for you with a devotion that was in stark contrast to his usual reserve. He fed you, as you hadn't had the strength for it in days, and whispered words of comfort that he would save you. Seeing you like this, weak and helpless, was a torment worse than any battle he had ever faced. He spent his nights by your bed, holding your hand.

One stormy evening, with rain drumming on the castle windows and the wind wailing like a creature in pain, Mihawk sat alone in his library. A bottle of expensive wine stood untouched on the table, his mind too full of worry to indulge. 

He was still trying to find a solution in old books, but to no avail. He thought he would never feel this way again. He felt helpless, a feeling he hated more than anything else.

Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared in the furthest corner of the room. Mihawk's hand automatically slid to the hilt of his sword, which he instinctively pointed at the uninvited guest, ready to defend himself. A figure in a cloak emerged from the darkness, with red eyes glowing from within. It was a demon.

"No need to be afraid, Swordsman," the demon's voice sounded, deep and amused, as if it was the funniest situation he could imagine. "I don't come to fight, but to offer help." Mihawk's eyebrow raised. 

"What kind of help?" he asked, his voice cold and steely, but a glimmer of hope awakened deep within him.

"Your beloved," the demon replied, his red eyes turning towards the room where you lay. "Her injury is beyond human comprehension, the work of my kind. But I have the power to heal her." Mihawk's heart skipped a beat. 

"What do you want in return?" his voice almost broke, but he maintained his cold facade.

"The price is small, Swordsman. You won't even know you've lost it," the demon grinned contentedly.

"What does that mean?" Mihawk's grip on Yoru tightened.

"You'll find out when the time comes," the demon replied. "But rest assured, your beloved will be healthy, stronger than ever before. Her wound will disappear without a trace."

Mihawk knew it was a trap. No demon would act without self-interest. He looked to the side, towards your room, and remembered your faint breathing. He saw your pale face and the hands that slipped through his fingers. He saw no other way. Your life depended on this decision.

"I agree," Mihawk said, his voice firm, but resignation was in his eyes. He knew he was paying a high price, but for you, he would pay anything.

"Excellent," the demon chuckled, before dissolving into the shadows, leaving behind a feeling of cold and the smell of sulfur.

Mihawk immediately rushed to you. When he entered the chamber, his breath caught. You were sleeping peacefully, your face no longer pale but had regained its natural colour. He watched your chest rise and fall evenly. 

He walked over to you and carefully and gently pulled back the bandage, just to confirm his suspicion. The wound was no longer there. It had disappeared without a trace, as if it had never existed. For a moment, he felt immense relief before he remembered the demon's words. Now he could only guess what his price would be.

The next morning, you woke up feeling stronger and full of energy. Mihawk was by your bed, his face, though tired, radiated deep love.

"Mihawk," you whispered, your voice weak but full of joy. "I'm... I'm alright," you said, almost surprised, when you found no trace of the wound.

You immediately hugged him, your arms wrapping around his neck, and he held you tightly, enjoying the warmth of your body and the beat of your heart. You were saved. But that was only half the story.

Days passed, and while you were recovering, Mihawk's part of the deal began to be fulfilled. At first, they were small, barely noticeable changes. His nails turned black and hardened into claws that occasionally snagged on delicate fabrics.

Then the whites of his eyes turned black, leaving only his golden irises that glittered like a cat's eyes in the dark. You weren't blind and you noticed it, but you attributed it to fatigue or strange lighting.

One morning, when Mihawk woke up, he felt small bumps cutting into his forehead. He knew the time for hiding was over. He had no intention of keeping it from you. You were his beloved, and you deserved to know the truth, especially since it was because of you. However, he would never blame you for it.

You sat in silence at breakfast. After such a long time out of bed, you were savouring every moment. You were both trying to discreetly glance at each other. You were trying to get to the bottom of the changes that had been happening to him lately, and he was thinking about how to tell you.

"Y/N," he spoke, his voice deeper than usual.

"Yes, Mihawk?" You lifted your head and answered with a slight smile. Although from his tone, you guessed it would be something important.

"I have to tell you something," he continued, his golden eyes fixed on you. There was no way to soften it. Mihawk was not a master of subtle hints. "Your injury... it wasn't healed by normal means."

"What do you mean?" you asked, even though you had your suspicions. The smile disappeared from your face, and your chest tightened with anxiety.

"When you were on the verge of death," Mihawk explained, his voice calm and factual. "A demon appeared. He offered to heal you. I accepted his terms."

"A demon? And what were those terms?" you asked, shocked.

"The price was my humanity," he said calmly. "Day by day, I'm turning into a demon. Black claws, blackened fingers, black eye whites, horns, a long tail, fangs. That's the price for your life."

Silence filled the room, interrupted only by the rustling of the wind outside. You sat motionless, your mind trying to process his words. Demon. Price. His transformation. It all fit together, his fatigue, his quiet anxiety, the small changes you had noticed.

Slowly, you got up and walked over to him. Mihawk looked at you, and his golden eyes met yours. There was nothing in them but truth and a deep, unwavering love. Although his face was now marked by the beginnings of horns and his eyes were unusual, it was still him. Your Mihawk. The man with no airs.

You reached out your hand and gently touched his face, your fingers tracing the place where his horns were beginning to form. You felt the hardness under his skin, but you didn't pull away.

Your eyes filled with tears, but not of fear, but of emotion and pain. You knew he loved you, you had always loved him too, but you didn't expect such a sacrifice.

"Mihawk," you whispered, your voice trembling. "You did that for me? You sacrificed... this... for me?"

"There was no other way, Y/N," he replied, his voice now softer, but still without a trace of regret over his decision. "I saw you dying. I couldn't let that happen."

"But... Mihawk," you said, your voice full of tenderness. "That's a huge sacrifice. I don't want you to suffer because of me," you said, and tears streamed down your face.

Mihawk hugged you tightly and pulled you onto his lap, his arms, now with black claws, gently holding you.

"I'm not suffering. You're here. You're alive. That's all that matters. This change... It's just a small price for your life."

You buried your face in his chest, feeling his heartbeat and the warmth of his body. His new form was terrifying, but it changed nothing about your love. Maybe it even strengthened your feelings for him. You knew he did it out of love, and that was the most important thing.