For the AUs with Papadile, and I just remembered something: Ace was in Arabasta before he left to go hunt down Teach. . . and then I thinking, would Ace and Sabo know that Crocodile LITERALLY IMPALED LUFFY WITH HIS HOOK LIKE A FLIPPING FISH?! Is that something Luffy would bring up?
Crocodile: When was the last time you actually made a plan and followed through with it?
Luffy: 🤔 I think it was some time after you impaled me back in Arabasta. But then where’s the fun in that?
Like geez, what happened to just grounding him?!
In Crocodile's defense in the AUs where he's parenting these three kids, there's not going to be any impaling! I tend to go with the idea that he only does the impaling if he doesn't know who Luffy is (or if he'd be indifferent to him even if he knew he was his blood. But I don't see that happening in an AU where he actually raised him!)
But regarding the question of Ace being in Alabasta. That's something I'm still trying to figure out in Stinky Child AU because of course Ace would meet Luffy and maybe give him a reminder that Crocodile was a pirate, not the same kind of pirate Luffy aimed to be. So if they met here, if Luffy interfered with whatever Crocodile was doing, Crocodile would have to answer. And Luffy doesn't know Crocodile as anything else but his parent. He's got to be careful even though they both know Crocodile wouldn't be able to truly put Luffy in danger.
But would Ace go see Crocodile? Wearing WB's mark proudly on his back even as he defies his orders by going after Teach? I'm sure he expects a lecture. Is he brave enough to face it? X'D