Archive of Our Own

He could have lived in peace, devouring words from morning newspapers, putting up with Tsuru-san's more than unpleasant visits, but the brat just had to come back.

He never was good at staying down, or in this case, away.

Doflamingo sneered, hands crinkling the edges of his newspaper as he glared at Tsuru's silhouette right outside the bars of his cell. He wasn't sure he heard right. Or maybe he had, and he just didn't want to believe it.

"So. The little fledgling asked to see me, you say?" Doflamingo could only laugh, a deep, unamused rumble that started in the back of his throat and moved outward. "He must want to kill me, but who's to blame him? It only makes sense." He squeezed the newspaper tighter. "I thought I'd beaten enough sense into him back in Dressrosa, but he never learns."

Tsuru saw his sunglasses glint a deep magenta from within the shadows when he tilted his head. "You know, Tsuru-san... I can't help but laugh because it's something I'd do if I were in his shoes. This is his chance to pull the trigger," he spread his arms. "Perhaps he's not as hopeless as I thought he was."

Tsuru scoffed, crossing her arms as she leaned back on her heels, lowering her head to think. "Idiot."

Doflamingo's brow twitched, the smirk wiped off his face.

"Only you could create someone so hateful," she added, and the ex-warlord glared at her unhappily. "One's own actions is one's own profit. You shouldn't be as surprised as you are, Doflamingo. I don't know what Trafalgar wants with you, but if your actions are any explanation as to why, I can't say it's something to be shocked about."

Tsuru moved away from his cell, turning slightly. "He'll be arriving soon. I suggest you finish your newspaper before he does."

With that, she finally left, and Doflamingo's laughter punctuated her retreat, the harrowing tone bouncing off the walls, filling every square inch of Impel Down's sixth level.

When his laughter quieted down, he turned his eyes back to the paper in his hands. He'd nearly crumpled it into unreadability, but as he angled it towards the light, he saw three men staring back: Buggy the Clown, Dracule Mihawk, and Sir Crocodile. 

Cross Guild.

Oh, yes... How truly far the great had fallen.

Laughter spilled from Doflamingo like a sickness unable to be contained. He couldn't help it anymore. "Serves you right," he sneered, flipping the page.

Doflamingo was not an anxious man. He worried for nothing, and felt even less. 

After all, he had the blood of gods running through his veins.

Feelings like regret and sentiment only worked against a god's dream, and Trafalgar D. Water Law was guilty of both, time and time again. He never learned.

To say Doflamingo had been anxious, even on this one occasion, couldn't be further from the truth. Surely, the racing of his heart was a product of his own anger and detest, and not for any other reason. It was physically impossible.

The sound of footsteps grew closer, and when the time came to stare his enemy in the eye, Doflamingo's heart sped fastest. 

"Trafalgar D. Water Law," he grinned, the veins on his hands popping as he stretched each finger. Years worth of hate and history came back in an instant, and he remembered every tally mark he'd kept for every transgression Law had committed. If only the Ito Ito no Mi user could wear them on his skin, his body would have turned darker than armament. 

Law didn't look all that different from his time in Dressrosa. His arm had fully healed and he hadn't bothered with his presentation, seemingly arriving with nothing in hand, only a simple black coat with a feather-lined collar and those ugly spotted pants.

Tsuru stood beside the boy, unlocking the cell's door and letting him inside, much to Doflamingo's amusement, who used the wall to stand.

Law walked slowly, calculating every step, deciding every move before he put his foot down. His eyes were glued to Doflamingo, watching how he leaned his weight against the wall like he had nothing else to hold him up. 

Even in comparison to how he first appeared when Luffy defeated him, Doflamingo looked substantially worse.

Law's eyes raked the ex-warlord's body, but he said nothing, seemingly lost in thought.

"Deciding what to say? How sad. You could have saved us both the time by at least making this short," Doflamingo grinned with a low chuckle, yet, the brat that had disappointed him time and time again just stood there, studying him.

Doflamingo risked frowning. He didn't like it when Law went quiet because it usually meant he was planning something. Despite it all, his joyless grin persisted.

Doflamingo stepped closer. There was still miles between their bodies. They weren't nearly close enough. He wanted to see Law's expression when the kid finally struck, and it was awfully hard to see in such a lightless cell, and with sunglasses no less. 

Doflamingo got closer. And closer. One hobbling step after the other, his arm braced against the wall.

ぱた. . . ぱた. . . (pata. . . pata. . .)

"What happens now, Law?" he taunted, pressing a hand to his aching chest.

He could barely stand to move nowadays. It took more effort than it was worth, and there wasn't a doubt in Doflamingo's mind that it was all because of the brat in front of him, and the other one with the straw hat. The humiliation he had faced, getting his ass kicked by a degenerate in sandals, was one thing—but to meet his end in Impel Down, and not even by the hands of Magellan or the Marines, was another.

Still, the smile remained, and yet, Law still hadn't moved to say anything. 

This brat was the only one who could piss him off this fast and badly. Doflamingo's smile grew tense, his heart beating faster.

"Are you going to kill me?" he pressed, unable to get any closer due to the chains holding him back. "I wouldn't think you'd get a better chance." 

Law twitched, his eyes narrowing as he finally moved towards him, rapidly. The kid's hand reached out, making an all too familiar gesture, and Doflamingo's brows lifted. A part of him was shocked Tsuru didn't move to stop him... Not that he wanted her to.

"Room." 

Pale blue essence stretched from Law's fingers and Doflamingo straightened, unable to move away. A part of him was too curious to see what Law would do if he didn't move, but as the brat got closer, Doflamingo's smile fell away. With one final jolt forward, Law got so close he nearly crashed into Doflamingo, stabbing his first two fingers into the man's chest like a scalpel, twisting hard. 

"I can't fix the scar tissue..." Law mumbled and Doflamingo spat blood, his body keeling over, rattling his chains as they were pulled taut.

"GHK—!" It felt like Law was burning him from the inside out, and all he could do was stand there and take it until the kid finally pulled away, the pale blue essence of the Ope Ope no Mi disappearing.

"Or the residual damage for that matter..."

Doflamingo fell backwards, unable to catch himself and he slid down the wall, grasping his stomach as if it were about to burst. He was certain his death would be slow, but after a few seconds of digging his fingers into his skin, trying to battle the harrowing sensation, the pain subsided. Doflamingo's eyes partially winded, his hand lifting away.

"Here's what I can do," Law continued, his voice never breaking above its normal tone. "I performed an operation that rearranged part of your circulatory system. It will allow better blood flow to damaged areas... And to promote healing."

Law went quiet, standing over Doflamingo's crumpled figure, looking the slightest bit... relieved. But it was hidden behind the frown, the stiff shoulders, and those clenching fists, still shaking with lingering adrenaline. "Now..." he mumbled, like it was the heaviest word in the world. "We're done!"

It took Doflamingo a few seconds to recover, unable to respond with anything but wet coughs until he wiped the blood away with the back of his hand, the grin returning inch by inch. His teeth and upper lip were painted red, unable to stanch the trickle coming down his nose and mouth.

"What is this, Law?" Doflamingo chuckled, sending little red droplets to the floor between his sprawled, weakened legs. "Are you pitying me?"

Law didn't respond.

His frown began to lessen, looking more exhausted then anything. He wiped his face with a low sigh, turning as he moved for the door of Doflamingo's cell. 

"I'm moving on."

Tsuru came in after Law, her arms still crossed but she had a look of remorse on her face as she watched him go. The kid didn't turn back for a final word, simply disappearing the way he came, leaving Doflamingo alone in his cage with the vice admiral.

Tsuru sighed, shaking her head as she turned, focusing on Doflamingo. "How are you feeling?" Getting closer, the man looked up at her. She was the only marine in the whole world who had nothing to fear when she stepped into his personal bubble. Tsuru knew he wouldn't hurt her, and Doflamingo knew that too, though, he'd never admit that.

He tried to rub away the last remnants of blood from his nose as he looked away, thinking about it. "Funny..." he answered. "It feels like I can breathe easier..."

Tsuru reached into her pocket, holding out a rag to him, and Doflamingo grinned, reaching for it. "He's a fool, Tsuru-san. This was his best chance. I don't get it." Doflamingo's grin grew and he chuckled, if only half-heartedly. "Law's going soft." His fingers touched the edges of the soft white material of Tsuru's hanky.

"You never understood Rosinante..."

Doflamingo froze. 

His smile fell away and he raised his head to look into Tsuru's old eyes. She had that look in her face, the one he hated because she only ever made it at him when she was disappointed in him. "I don't expect you to understand that boy," Tsuru finished, and Doflamingo's frown deepened. He took the handkerchief, using it to wipe the rest of the blood away.

When he offered it back, Tsuru took it gently, folding and pocketing it. "I have to go."

"Tired of listening to me?"

"No one else would be bothered to," she said, more as a matter of fact than a statement of pity as she finally moved for the door of the cell, shutting and locking it behind her. "You're my responsibility. I spent over a decade tracking you down, I brought you to Impel Down myself, and I'll be making sure you stay here."

"You're quite optimistic."

"You say that like you'll be getting out."

Doflamingo smirked. He said nothing further, resting his back against the wall as he lowered his head, pressing a hand to where Law had driven his fingers into him. The wound was gone, but the phantom pain remained.

It wasn't until a few minutes later that Tsuru's steps finally retreated, leaving Doflamingo alone once more.

There was no last laugh to be had, no smile worth grinning.

Doflamingo sat in the shadows of his cell, slipping away his sunglasses to turn them around and stare at them. His reflection glistened back, the frown more evident than ever.

"There's no moving on until I'm finished with you, Law," he muttered, feeling more hate than he'd ever felt for the boy in thirteen years. 

Several months passed since Law's visit to Impel Down, and Doflamingo had been religiously tracking his movements throughout the New World, all from the window of a newspaper. The news rarely reported on the Heart Pirates, but when it did, he'd meticulously rip out each section and stow it away, all to keep continuous knowledge of Law's whereabouts.

Tsuru watched the ex-warlord carefully rip out a new section one morning as he held it up, reading it out loud, "Heart Pirates spotted leaving Wano." He placed the clipping beside him, adding it to the small collection with a devious grin. "He's moving farther and farther, OTsuru-san."

Tsuru ignored the comment, sitting in the chair Magellan had one of his operatives bring down to her. She tapped her foot on the ground instead, drumming neatly cut nails against her arm.

"You're looking better," she noted, and Doflamingo frowned. He didn't like it when she changed the subject, but he knew there was no sure-fire way to rile Tsuru up and turn her back on topic. She was possibly the calmest marine he knew. "Law's operation must've helped as much as he said it would."

Doflamingo sneered. "He'll regret he ever did it," he said, flicking a hand hatefully in the air. "If he thinks I'll forgive years worth of rebellion in exchange for pity, he's sorely mistaken."

Tsuru shook her head, sighing. "I don't think he cares if you forgive him. Even after all this time, you still haven't figured him out."

Doflamingo made an indignant sound, rolling his eyes behind the safety of his sunglasses. The floor beneath them vibrated then, a sudden movement, like an impact. Doflamingo couldn't ignore it as he lifted his eyes to the ceiling, watching loose dust and debris fall. Lifting a hand, he brushed some off his shoulder. "It seems Magellan is putting on a show today."

Tsuru's eyes followed his but she frowned, rising steadily off her chair. "That doesn't seem like him. Not today. He's deadly, but not destructive. Not as much as some." She looked towards Doflamingo, then at her watch. "I try to visit you before the screaming and torturing starts, so hearing commotion this early in the morning isn't typical." Tsuru stepped away. "I should take a look."

"Why do you think he did it, Tsuru-san?"

Tsuru stopped.

Turning around, she faced the man behind the bars, shadows obscuring his features.

Doflamingo moved his head to the side, deep in thought as he sat against the wall with one arm resting over his knee and the other braced against the floor. "I've thought it over thousands, if not millions of times in these last few months, but I can't seem to piece it together. The actions of that brat never cease to amaze me." Doflamingo smiled, but there was more anger and confusion behind his teeth then ever before. "The answer to that question is either so meaningless that I've overlooked it, or he doesn't know." 

"There's a third option," Tsuru offered and the ex-warlord turned, the usual stiffness in that grin returning.

"Oh?" He tilted his head. "Enlighten me."

Tsuru seemed to contemplate answering, but just as she was about to, a blast of rubble and dust shot past them and the woman lifted her arm to guard her eyes. Someone had broken into the sixth level, something Doflamingo had assumed was nearly impossible up until a few seconds ago. He rose to his feet, trying to approach the bars, but his chains yanked him back, preventing him from getting close. He wanted to know who'd done it. Who'd broken into the sixth level?

"Tsuru-san!" Doflamingo yelled, watching her recover. "What do you see? Tell me!" He demanded, unsure if this was the kind of occasion to smile or frown about. Tsuru said nothing. As she lowered her arm, she turned towards the commotion, squinting her eyes, but it seemed it had only been an aftershock of the fight going on upstairs.

Waving her hand in the air to rid the dust from her eyes, she turned to Doflamingo. "Someone's destroyed the stairwell."

Doflamingo grunted, prodding.

"Magellan?"

"I don't know." Tsuru looked in that direction. "I can't say he would or wouldn't. All I know is I'm not going anywhere now." She sat back on her chair, keeping her eyes peeled as she crossed her legs and arms. "I don't think this is one of Magellan's rampages."

"Oh? What gives you that impression?"

"I've been a marine for a long time, Doflamingo. I just know these things."

Doflamingo stared at her, unmoving for a long time before he slowly backed away, watching her retrieve her den den mushi from inside her coat, attempting to contact the head office of Impel Down. The transponder snail rang for some time, but it took her two tries before someone finally picked up.

"Vice Admiral Tsuru!"

"What's going on up there? The stairwell to the sixth floor was just destroyed."

"Yes, ma'am! We've been made aware. Warden Hannyabal and vice warden Magellan are in the middle of dealing with the issue. Though, I'm afraid to admit on their behalf, we're not quite sure what that issue is yet..."

Doflamingo raised his eyes, and almost on instinct, Tsuru shot him a look at the same time.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she offered.

"No, ma'am. With the stairwell destroyed, the only other way out is the elevator, and we can't afford to send it down. I'm afraid the sixth floor may be the trespassers' target, and we'll need your assistance protecting it."

"Understood."

"Over and out." 

Gacha...

Tsuru placed her den den mushi back in her coat, looking at Doflamingo who hadn't stopped staring since she picked up the call. 

"Would it be too ambitious of me to assume this is your doing," she asked, but Doflamingo smiled innocently.

"I wish I could take the credit," he raised his hands, "but I'm just as surprised as you are."

Another explosion.

The ground shook violently, and this time, the blast resonated from high above. Tsuru looked towards the ceiling, watching chunks of stone falling downwards. Doflamingo jerked a few inches, not exactly worried, but not exactly favoring the idea of him (or Tsuru for that matter) getting crushed by the debris of the attack happening upstairs. Tsuru moved out of the way, avoiding some of the falling stones, while others landed on Doflamingo's cell without crushing it. Even in her old age, she was still sharp, but Doflamingo wondered if she was sharp enough to protect the sixth floor all by herself.

He started to laugh at the thought, tugging his chains. "If you let me out, I could help, you know? There's nowhere for us to go." He tried to get closer, forcing his arms to bend as far as they'd go. "You must be confident in your Woshu Woshu no Mi, OTsuru-san."

Tsuru glanced at him from over her shoulder, using her key to open the door, but rather than let him out, she let herself in. After all, the cells in Impel Down were made of Seastone. They couldn't be crushed, no matter how heavy the object.

Doflamingo grumbled instead, moving away from her to lean on the wall as she took out her den den mushi again, calling the office to see if she could get some kind of an update, but there was no response.

The den den mushi's eyes went frazzled a second after and Tsuru gaped.

"Someone's cut the connection between Impel Down and the outside bases," she muttered, staring at the transponder snail before shoving it away. "This isn't good. At the rate we're going—" another blast came, showering more blocks of broken stone over the ground, "—the fifth floor with collapse onto the sixth." Tsuru shook her head and crossed her arms, squinting in thought. She turned towards Doflamingo slowly. There was possibly a chance she could escape without him, seeing that letting him out was a ridiculously stupid idea, but at the same time, it wouldn't have sat well with her to leave him behind.

After all... since the first initial break-in at Impel Down, Doflamingo was currently the first (and only prisoner) being kept on the sixth floor.

Tsuru pressed her lips together, grumbling unhappily.

"You shouldn't be so judgmental, OTsuru-san. I can tell you're deciding between leaving me here or not. How about a negotiation?"

Tsuru raised her eyes and shook her head. "I should leave you here," she told him. "As a marine, the wellfare of Impel Down prisoners has nothing to do with me, and you and I both know if I let you out, I won't be able to control you. We're both devil fruit users. I couldn't hang onto a pair of Seastone cuffs without putting myself in danger. As far as I can tell, getting you back in your cell will be impossible, and that's putting it lightly."

"Tsk, tsk. So judgmental," Doflamingo continued to grin. "A compromise then? You and I both know we won't be escaping without my help. Dying here would be a disservice to the marines, don't you think?"

"It makes me wonder who's causing all the commotion," Tsuru commented, her arms tightening against her chest as she continued to tap her nails. "I think it's obvious this isn't a normal issue."

Another blast. This time, perfectly sliced pieces of the ceiling fell away and Doflamingo frowned. If the sixth floor continued to take damage like this, it could compromise the integrity of the walls and risk flooding in with sea water. Both him and Tsuru would be useless to escape.

Doflamingo gritted his teeth, and Tsuru seemed to sense it as she turned towards him, letting out a thwarted sigh. She hated making hard decisions, and, often times, it wasn't a matter about which decision was right but which decision was less terrible. If she didn't act now, her and Doflamingo would both get caught in the crossfire of the commotion happening upstairs. Either the ceiling would collapse, or the sixth floor would flood... And though she'd never seen the walls of Impel Down break and flood with water, there was a first for everything, and those were the cleanest sword slices she'd ever seen.

A little too familiar as well. 

Realization hit Tsuru a second after and she sighed a second time, taking out the key and going to Doflamingo, motioning for him to lower his wrists. He obliged, quite happily in fact as he looked down at her.

"I'll hang you out to dry if you do anything funny," she warned and the ex-warlord leaned back, cackling.

"You aren't the type to bluff, Tsuru-san. I believe you."

The cuffs and chains fell away one after the other, leaving a single one left, which the vice admiral seemed hesitant to remove. After having worked so hard to capture Doflamingo, she was near certain this moment would reverse all of their hard work. Doflamingo wouldn't die by her own actions though. If he were going to bother, it wouldn't be on her terms. Perhaps, like Law, this would be one of those moments he wouldn't understand, but she didn't feel compelled to explain herself as she unlocked the final cuff.

Doflamingo rubbed his wrists as it clattered to the floor, smiling a real smile.

"You must have a lot of faith in me not to kill you," he chuckled, not to threaten her, but like an observation. Tsuru just waved her hand at him, dismissing the comment. 

"You're more afraid of me washing some of that ugly hate out of your heart. It's what makes you what you are, and without it, you'd lose direction," she told him, unlocking the cell. "I wouldn't put it past you, but like I said, being a marine for so many years, I just know things."

Doflamingo laughed, putting a hand over his glasses and leaning back, finding it all too amusing.

"How could I kill the woman who's just set me free?" he questioned, leaning over her affectionately. "That would be ungrateful of me." Doflamingo followed Tsuru, ducking his head as he exited the cell, narrowly stepping out of the way to avoid a huge chunk of the ceiling as it fell in. "Of all the marines, Tsuru-san, I think I desire to kill you the least."

"How touching. We're going outside one way or another though, so there's no reason to be nice," she spoke, leading him between the cages, and he strode behind with that bow-legged walk he did when he was feeling particularly good about himself. "It must feel nice to stretch your legs at least."

"You wouldn't believe," Doflamingo mused, stretching his arms and fingers for a second. "Though, I admit, there's a few other things I'd like to stretch."

"Doflamingo," she warned, and the man looked down at her, making a gesture of innocence. 

"You don't expect me, a perfectly good gentleman, to let you do all the work now, do you, OTsuru-san? I don't think you could wash those stairs back into use even if you tried," he poked before reaching out his hand, letting the strings pounce between his finger tips. It felt good to exercise his ability. He knew for a fact he'd never get rusty. "I'd like to live as much as you. I'd rather you let me do the heavy lifting," he smirked, pulling back before throwing out his arm, slicing the stairwell into four pieces, allowing the blocks to fall away and reveal the entrance to the fifth floor.

Tsuru looked up at it, about to ask Doflamingo how they were possibly going to get up there when he took a knee, offering the old woman an arm.

"May I?"

Tsuru glanced at him, sighing. "If you must, but you had better be careful," she warned, sitting down in the crook of his arm, and with great ease, Doflamingo lifted her. He'd never say it out loud, but he'd do anything but drop her.

It was a strange sentiment, one he thought was better left alone.

Without further explanation, he used his strings to launch them into the air, and he carried Tsuru close, practically on his shoulder as they landed on the aperture that lead to the fifth floor, which was in total chaos. The two of them looked around, watching hundreds of prisoners and Sadi's monsters run in every direction like headless chickens. Tsuru grumbled, her arms crossing tighter. Several more explosions echoed deep within the fifth level, followed by what Tsuru was certain were sword strokes. She almost recognized the sound too, hoping Doflamingo couldn't, but he seemed more focused on how to escape.

The level was freezing, unsurprisingly, and Tsuru adjusted her coat. 

"I'd better let Hannybal and Magellan handle the situation," she thought out loud, turning towards the commotion in the distance before glancing at Doflamingo's off putting grin. The woman sighed, shutting her eyes. She could tell he was planning something, and as much as she wanted to investigate and help with the outbreak, Doflamingo was her priority right now.

She assumed he'd try to abandon her on the fifth level to escape, but shockingly enough, he just threw more strings and launched them through the air.

Doflamingo laughed manically, like he was tasting the freedom long before he even saw it as he moved spryly through the air. Tsuru watched with furrowed brows and Doflamingo stayed diligent in his goal, carrying her all the way to the first level, and though he severely wanted to enact revenge on the the soldiers guarding the entrance, the old woman on his shoulder advised him not to in fear of a good washing and drying.

"You're no fun, OTsuru-san. You should be grateful. But I'll listen, just this once," he smirked, landing on the wet stones of the dock. The smell of salt was thick in the air, waves crashing and foaming against the ocean kissed walls of Impel down as the sun shone, glinting pale pink off his sunglasses. Doflamingo turned his eyes towards heaven. "Ah, how good it feels to be free. Prison makes you appreciate the little things, y'know?"

"You can put me down now," she coldly advised but Doflamingo just looked at her, laughing.

"And leave you here on this heap of rock with no assistance? Tsuru-san. You're an old hag," he poked, "That would be an injustice to the vice admiral who holds the key to my cell." Doflamingo smirked, still not letting her down. "I won't leave you here, but I'm sure you've already guessed by now that I have no plans on returning to Impel Down."

"Naturally."

Doflamingo looked towards the ocean, throwing a hand forward and casting strings towards the clouds, tugging them through the air. Tsuru didn't seem the least bit worried, her grey ponytail fluttering behind her as Doflamingo carried them over the ocean. Even at the risk of him dropping her, she didn't seem all that worried.

Her arms remained crossed, but she lifted her old eyes towards the sky, beholding the scenery with an air of placidity. Her head swiveled around from time to time, watching the clouds fly past and Doflamingo smiled, observing her subtle awe.

A hint of pride blossomed in his chest, something like satisfaction, as if he had indirectly gained Tsuru's approval of such grandiose abilities, but she said nothing.

Maybe it was all in his head.

"So beautiful."

Doflamingo's eyes inched towards Tsuru without turning his head, his smile gone. She was the kind of woman who never smiled, but he had learned to tell, based on the wrinkles in her face and how they moved, when she was feeling certain things. "So peaceful." Doflamingo chuckled at her. "This gift is wasted on someone like you."

Ah. Why wasn't he surprised?

Doflamingo's head turned at her, the corner of his lips quirking until his teeth shown and Tsuru grunted, raising a brow. "If you're thinking about dropping me, don't think I won't take you down with me. I've lived long enough."

Doflamingo tilted his head, laughing a quiet 'Fufufu'. "There's no need to be unpleasant, Tsuru-san."

The old woman waved a hand through the air, ignoring his comment. Always so composed... 

It wasn't long until they landed on Water 7, and Doflamingo took a knee, letting the old woman down on the outskirts of the city. When he rose to his full height, Tsuru leaned back, saying, "You better not think I'm going to let you leave me here while you run off and cause the marines more trouble, Doflamingo."

"After all the kindess I've shown you, OTsuru-San? How truly unpleasant you are. I should have left you in Impel Down."

"That was your mistake," she replied dryly.

Doflamingo bent backward with a hand on his abdomen to laugh before he keeled over, the smile gone as he puked blood onto the ground. Tsuru stepped backward, watching him wipe the blood away with the back his hand before she held her handkerchief out to him. The material had been terribly stained by his previous uses, the beige ghosts of her attempting to wash the blood away still evident on the soft material. 

Doflamingo took it slowly, wiping his mouth and chin clean. "You had better keep it," Tsuru told him and Doflamingo nodded, crumpling it in his hand and stuffing it away in the pocket of his Impel Down uniform.

"I'd like to make another compromise with you, Tsuru, if you'll allow it," he asked, trying to smile, but the expression was a little more stiff than usual. "I have some unfinished business I need to attend to, but I have no doubt if I try to leave now, you'll hang me up to dry, and we both know I won't like that."

Tsuru raised a brow and crossed her arms, indicating that she was humoring him, if anything. "Give me a two hour head start before you report me missing, and I'll tell you where I'm going," he grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets, leaning over her dangerously. "That's more than reasonable, don't you think?"

"Or I could stop you now and save myself the paperwork," she replied, squinting up at him. Doflamingo merely chuckled, gesturing for the woman to make an offer of her own, but Tsuru looked away, seeing if she would even consider such an absurd idea.

After a few minutes of thought, she looked back. "You're going after Law, aren't you?"

Doflamingo jerked backward in response. His frown deepening as he started to grumble. Tsuru merely nodded. "Pirate or not, it would be unwise of me to let you go after him knowing what you'll do."

"I won't kill him," Doflamingo insisted, though, part of him didn't believe that. "I just want to talk to him."

"You have a distorted idea of what talk means, Doflamingo."

The man smiled, leaning over her. "I promise I won't kill him myself, if that's any consolation."

"It's not."

Doflamingo's smile widened in disbelief.

He didn't understand why Tsuru cared so much about Law all of a sudden, but he didn't like that now he was close to freedom, the old hag was holding him back. He didn't want to kill Tsuru, but that seemed the fastest solution.

Then again, regardless of how powerful he was, he had a feeling she'd manage to best him. Somehow. The old woman just knew how to surprise him that way.

"I suppose I can't stop you..." Tsuru spoke eventually and Doflamingo glanced down at her, his sunglasses reflecting fractals of pink across her uniform. "It would be wrong of me to disregard that boy's abilities and assume he couldn't hold his own against you, but Sengoku would care if he died, and I value his opinion."

"Sengoku?" Doflamingo couldn't help but laugh. That was a new one, but in some abstract way, it made sense. "I suppose there's some sense in that, however absurd it sounds. Rosinante was his little fledgling. It makes sense he'd bother to care for that brat since Rosinante bothered to care for him at all."

"And still you mock him for it," Tsuru sighed, shaking her head. "I'll give you one hour," she decided to yield, "but I want to know exactly where you're going and exactly where you are when you find him." The old woman reached into her pocket, handing Doflamingo a mini transponder snail, which fit perfectly on a single one of his fingers. "If you don't call me within the day, I'll assume you're being disrespectful and I'll see about withholding those morning newspapers you're so keen on reading in prison."

"Tsk, tsk. So heartless, OTsuru-san. If only I knew what turned your heart so cold, I might warm it a little," he chuckled, though she wasn't impressed, sighing ever so deeply. 

"You'd better leave before I change my mind," she warned. "You're lucky I'm letting you go at all. A part of me is worried I'm going senile in my old age. Or worse: soft." Tsuru shut her eyes and shook her head, but Doflamingo only laughed. He leaned down to Tsuru.

Yes. Perhaps it was she he wanted to kill the least. He didn't understand why. The old hag had plagued him for as long as he could remember. Ever since Doflamingo came marching from the deepest underbelly of the underworld, Tsuru had been there to stop him. Perhaps she would've been less of a presence in his life had Rosinante not betrayed the family, but at least, for all that he disliked about her, she was a... generous woman. 

Or perhaps tolerant was a better word for it. Either way, Doflamingo had no doubt she was letting him run rampant for the time being because she trusted her nose so well, she wouldn't have a problem dragging him back to Impel Down. 

Well... For a woman who had such a niche devil fruit, she certainly was confident. 

"Don't even think about saying something nice to me," she snapped, watching Doflamingo take a knee for the third time that day.

"Hush, Tsuru. It's not a crime to show my appreciation. I merely wanted to tell you that I plan to head towards Wano country," he grinned. "People outside the family rarely deserve my appreciation, you know, but you're an exception. The least you could do is accept my kindness without being so unpleasant."

Tsuru glared, a silent warning not to push his luck or she'd go and hang him off a clothes line. The man could only laugh, leaning back and covering his sunglasses.

"How funny you are! I suppose I'll be seeing you sooner than I'd like," he chuckled, placing a hand warmly on her arm and she looked at it, unmoved by the gesture. Doflamingo was almost tempted to tear it off or kill her, but he refrained. Tsuru was one of the most useful people he knew, being the only vice admiral willing to give him the time of day. To kill her would be a great loss on his part.

And besides. He was a descendant of the Donquixote family. He had the blood of gods in his veins. He didn't need to rationalize not killing her. If he didn't want to, he didn't want to. Simple as that. 

True power was choosing ones own allies, regardless of where they came from. 

"Remember what I told you," Tsuru said, raising a finger now, and the ex-warlord chuckled, rising to his feet. He wished he had his coat, missing the familiar weight of it on his back.

"Don't worry. You've been kind enough, OTsuru-San. Perhaps I'll think about going easy on you next we fight."

"I'll hate you for it if you do," she grumbled. "Now go. I don't want to see your face any longer."

Doflaming was more than happy to oblige, giving her a parting wave before using the same hand to throw strings to the clouds and hoist him in the air, making miles of distance in seconds. 

As Water 7 grew further and further away, becoming a dot amongst the oceans of Paradise, he reached into his pocket and withdrew Tsuru's handkerchief, careful not to let it fly away. He let the thing sit in his hand for a few minutes, the piece of fabric barely the size of his palm.

He traced the tattered edges with his eyes, examining the phantom blood stains left behind before he folded it carefully and pocketed it away. His smile had long disappeared, convoluted by thoughts of the old woman and her actions.

Perhaps he had misjudged the old hag.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Tsuru was callous and firm on justice, but perhaps, through his actions somehow, he'd managed to make a bed in her old, dead heart. And though it wasn't the neatest or even largest of beds, he was certain at times, if he was a good boy, she'd let him sleep in it.

'Heart Pirates spotted leaving Wano...'

Doflamingo was a proficient man. Having had so many years to hone the skills of the Ito Ito no Mi, he could travel miles worth of ocean in under a few hours. He was fast, and focused, and he was determined to find Law before the end of the day.

It couldn't be hard, with that tacky yellow submarine after all.

Tsuru had probably reported his escape by now. Marines from all over Paradise and the New World were looking for him at this very moment, he just had to be faster than them. And he most definitely was.

Doflamingo hadn't stopped smiling since thoughts of what he'd do to Law surfaced in his mind. It was a bubbling, deep sort of hate that had been festering since the last time he saw the brat. How dare he pity him? How dare he claim he was 'moving on'? He had no shame, and even less humility. It was as if the little fledgling had forgotten his roots; forgotten who showed him the first sliver of kindness since escaping Flevance.

There were so many thoughts and ideas running rampant in Doflamingo's mind, he was having a hard time choosing which one to start with. 

For Tsuru's sake, he hoped she was right about Law holding his own, but it didn't matter how much stronger that brat had grown. Doflamingo would always be ten steps ahead, ten times stronger, and ten times faster. And at the very least, ten times angrier. 

The ex-warlord gritted his teeth. 

The sun had begun to set, and Wano was far behind him with no sign of the Polar Tang. He should have at least taken the time to rest by now, having almost fallen from the sky twice after hacking up blood from over exertion, but the man was so set on sinking his fingers into Law's neck, he couldn't force himself to stop even if he had wanted to. The train was going full speed, there was no stopping it now.

As the miles stretched on further and faster, the moon began to show itself like the distant, foggy outline of a rice cracker and Doflamingo zeroed in on Winner Island.

It really wasn't that notable of a landmark, but paired with the obvious destruction of the mountain range, the single pillar of smoke rising from the center of its body, and the washed up fragments of the Polar Tang, Doflamingo had no doubt he'd found what he'd been looking for.

A grin worked itself across his face, a low rumble of laughter spilling out. Doflamingo's thin, black prison shoes landed nearly soundless in the sand as he turned his sunglasses towards the campfire smoke in the distance. Scattered around him were echoes of Law's crew. Perhaps they were all dead. If he was lucky, it'd be true.

Whoever the Heart Pirates had fought had done both a number on the island and his ship. It brought a nearly gleeful feeling in Doflamingo's heart.

Serves the brat right, He chuckled. With all his power and capability, he's still just as useless as he was in Dressrosa.

Doflamingo shoved his hands in his pockets now, feeling Tsuru's handkerchief brush his hand in one and the mini transponder snail in the other. He'd have to call her soon before the day was up. He didn't want to go without his morning paper if the old crow actually managed to catch him.

The island was unnervingly silent. Not so much as a cicada sang as Doflamingo walked quietly through the forest, examining the huge pieces of evidence left behind by Law's fight. Some of it was clearly remnants of 'shambles', while others looked a little more... uncanny. Maybe even familiar.

As the campfire grew closer, Doflamingo's pulse began to rise in levels. He smelled burning wood and herbs just a few yards ahead as his smile had grown almost painful. It took everything in him not to catch Law off guard by leveling the whole forest with a single swoop of his leg, but instead, forcing himself to stay patient as he walked closer, and closer, and closer...

ドキ. . . ドキ. . . (dokidoki)

Until finally...

He split the various foliage and branches in front of him into tiny little pieces, his smile wider and madder then ever as he stepped into the forest clearing, only to find a most... disappointing sight. 

Doflamingo's eyes darted around the small campfire, finding only two members of the Heart Pirates accounted for—a white bear mink and a lithe man with an Orca-patterned hat. The two of them must've not heard him arrive because they were still facing the opposite direction, looking unfoundedly glum. The campfire was beginning to die by now, and both members were wrapped in haphazard bandages as they leaned forward, trembling and sniffling.

Pathetic.

What surprised Doflamingo the most though was the body laying in front of them. The height and build was easily identifiable. Law. Nearly every part of his body had been wrapped in bandages and he was laying limply on the ground, shaking uncontrollably. 

Doflamingo's smile disappeared, replaced by sheer absolute, unbridled anger. It began to bubble even more vigorously, rising up his throat like acid.

"You pathtic, foolish brat!" Doflamingo hissed and both members of Law's crew whipped around, utterly horrified to see an ex-warlord of all people. But instead of cowering away like he thought they might, both the mink and Orca-hat-wearing-man jumped in front of Law in a lame attempt to protect him.

It was useless though. Both members looked as injured as Law, covered in bruises, cuts, and bloodied bandages.

Doflamingo sneered as he strode forward, and with a flick of his wrist, strings shot out, coiling around both members and tossing them against nearby trees to disarm their stupid attempts at helping Law. "You ungrateful, shameless, haughty brat," Doflamingo growled again, curling a hand around Law's throat and hoisting his injured body in the air. Shockingly, the kid didn't react... Didn't even wake. "First you show me pity, then you claim to move on, conducting one sad attempt after the other to make it further in the New World; and now here you lie, daring to die?" 

Despite Doflamingo's harsh tone, Law didn't open his eyes and the ex-warlord threw him to the ground out of frustration, grinning when Law hacked blood and his eyes finally opened for a few seconds. "Your very existence is a perpetual insult to injury, Law." Doflamingo laughed, lifting his heel and nailing it in the kid's abdomen, grinning wider when Law choked in pain. "How dare you die? How dare you throw me aside like a used toy?"

Another kick and Law's whole body stiffened, writhing as he gasped for air.

"STOP HURTING HIM!" One of his crew members yelled, but Doflamingo didn't care. He flicked his wrist again, sending various strings whipping outward to stop the footsteps where they were, uncaring if he killed them or not.

Once a body hit the ground, Doflamingo turned back to Law.

"I'm done with you when I say I'm done." 

Doflamingo leaned forward with a smile like no other as he shoved his heel into one of Law's open wounds, watching with immense pleasure as the Ope Ope no Mi user's eyes shot wide, trying to focus on the demon looming over him. 

There was a flash of near disbelief in Law's face. Like he couldn't fathom that, out of all people he expected to see standing over him, pressing their heel into his already damaged ribs, Doflamingo was the very last.

"You've got a lot of nerve, fledgling," Doflamingo muttered. "How dare you pity me?" Another kick. "How dare you turn your back on me?" His shoe drove into Law's ribs. "You think I'll forgive you just because you rearranged a few of my veins? How foolish do you think I am?" The laughter spilling out of Doflamingo was like water, unable to be contained.

He kicked Law over and over and over, ignoring every grunt and pleading cough that came out of the kid. He was going to kill Law. He was going to kill Law. 

Deep swirls and clouds of red filled Doflamingo's vision and the island disappeared. No longer could he smell the salt, ash, and earth in the air, or hear the rustling of trees and the rushing of rivers. Everything—all of it—disappeared, leaving only Law behind as Doflamingo continued his unrestrained attack on him. 

He kept slamming his heel into Law's chest, watching the bandages wrapped around him grow redder and redder, until the bruises littering Law's skin were deeper then the color of his hair. It nearly surprised him when Law's hand shot out and grasped his ankle mid kick. It wasn't a strong grasp, more like dying man's vice, but the island returned in a silent gasp for air and Doflamingo realized he'd been holding his breath.

He stared down at Law, his smile long gone, replaced by anger and the frantic hammering of his heart as he watched the boy's fingers attempt to dig into Doflamingo's skin, but he was too weak.

"Begging for mercy already?" Doflamingo spoke without an ounce of amusement. "How truly sad." He raised his leg, conjuring a saw-blade string from heel to calf, like the one he used to cut Law's arm off back in Dressrosa. Perhaps he should repeat history. Torture Law for far longer than he had before—draw out his suffering and force the brat to beg for mercy like he'd never begged before—but as Doflamingo readied to tear into him, Law's hand slipped away, collapsing to his chest.

"I'll live..." Law muttered.

Doflamingo froze.

The crackling of the fire punctuated the beginnings of Law's desperate attempts for air, his chest heaving as his eyes fluttered to stay open, reddened, bleary sclera more tired than Doflamingo had ever seen them before. This wasn't just from his recently lost battle... Something else was wrong with Law. Doflamingo could tell. "I'll survive this..." Law gasped softer. "You can try... to kill me... but I've already moved on... It's pointless now..." He shut his eyes. "You're nothing to me, Doflamingo... If you kill me now... you're no different... than a stranger..."

The veins on Doflamingo's forehead throbbed, growing more prominent by the second as he curled his fingers, every single bone cracking at once.

"It'll mean nothing—!" Doflamingo grabbed Law's throat without warning, pinning him against the ground without so much as a smirk, and Law gagged. 

"You think I won't kill you?" Doflamingo hissed. "You're wrong. You mean nothing to me, Law, do you hear me?" Doflamingo's heart was pounding in his chest but, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get it to slow down. "Before I kill you, I want to know one last thing." Doflamingo leaned in closer and Law writhed against the ground, grasping his wrists with both hands in a lame attempt for air. "Why did you do it? Why did you come to Impel Down? Why did you...?" He paused, pressing his free hand to his abdomen, sensing the lingering pain of Law's fingers twisting into him.

Law said nothing. Even when Doflamingo loosened his hand to let him speak, the kid's mouth wouldn't open.

Maybe this was pointless. Maybe he'd been right. Maybe Law didn't know. 

Doflamingo resigned himself to simply snapping Law's neck, or perhaps stopping his heart would be more satisfying, but as his fingers tightened and he raised his hand, conjuring a structure of strings to pierce the kid's exposed chest, Doflamingo paused.

You never understood Rosinante... I wouldn't expect you to understand that boy...

Doflamingo grinned, looking into Law's eyes. The boy seemed to be waiting for death, his hands trembling desperately against his grip "My..." Doflamingo murmured. "Here I am in the position to finish you off, and I'm feeling sentimental..." He lowered his fingers, but his grasp on Law's neck didn't loosen. "How ironic."

Doflamingo let go, standing one foot after the other. It only occurred to him then that his legs had been shaking, but as he tried to laugh it off, he doubled over, vomiting blood. 

God. Curse this stupid brat and his stupid bag of tricks. Doflamingo never was the same after Dressrosa, even with Law's pity operation, he never fully recovered from Gamma Knife.

Doflamingo reached for Tsuru's handkerchief without thinking, using the rag to wipe the blood away when he paused, drawing it back to look at it. He didn't like the feeling it gave him. A sinking, complex, rigged feeling in his stomach like he'd swallowed an abstract object. He considered throwing it in the campfire to be rid of it, but surprisingly, he knew that the feeling would only grow worse if he did. He folded the hanky carefully again, putting it away before looking back at Law who's eyes had finally shut. The kid was shaking badly...

He must've been sick. Really sick.

"Could it be you've grown too weak to heal even yourself?" Doflamingo taunted, lowering himself down to sit on the kid's chest. He could feel Law's ribs bend beneath his weight, but he didn't care, simply getting comfortable and resting both feet on either side of the boy's head. "How pathetic. And you've lost your ship and most of your crew by the looks of it. My. You're so pathetic right now, I almost feel guilty for wanting to kill you... But I won't."

Doflamingo's grin grew a little. "Not yet. I want to know whom I should send my regards to first for knocking you down a few notches, hm? Perhaps one of the Worst Generation? Or maybe Straw Hat has finally turned his back on you?"

Law glared at Doflamingo, his eyes darting between Bepo and Shachi, trying to see if they were still alive. Their chests barely moving. A finger flicked him on the forehead and Law turned, Doflamingo's huge hand hovering over him.

"Don't ignore me, brat! Answer the question or I'll start lopping fingers off." Doflamingo took one of Law's hands and conjured a string between his thumb and middle finger, holding it dangerously close.

Law barred his teeth, spitting out the name, "Blackbeard."

Doflamingo's face fell.

He didn't believe him, but the more he looked around, and the more he looked at Law, the more obvious it became. Law had fought Blackbeard, and though he'd lost, he'd survived.

"What an idiot you must be, picking a fight with him," Doflamingo scoffed, vehemently, but Law bit back harsher.

"I didn't pick it! He wanted something from me..." Law coughed, his eyes fluttering as he slammed a fist against his heart, struggling to breathe. "Damn..."

"That's why you're sick, isn't it?" Doflamingo questioned. "Not only are you too weak to cure yourself, but you don't even know what you're fighting. Isn't that right... Law?"

"Doc Q ate the Shiku Shiku no Mi and became a disease afflicting human," Law confirmed, grasping his chest as his eyes slowly shut and his head fell backwards, no longer having the strength to hold it up. Doflamingo frowned. The discoloration around Law's eyes had grown significantly darker in the last few minutes, and his skin had paled like he'd caught White Lead Disease all over again. "I'm not ready to die," Law weakly admitted. "Not like this... Not when I was getting so used to be alive again..."

"Tch, how pitiful."

Despite Doflamingo's bark, his malice was weak and hard to find. He stood slowly, grasping Law by the front of his coat, watching how Law didn't even fight back. He could kill him if he wanted, Law was defenseless, but Doflamingo decided against it for the time being. "I don't think I'd be very satisfied killing you in such a pitiful state," he spoke, lifting Law and placing him in his palm like an oversized rag doll.

Law's head lolled backward, brows twitching as he gasped for air.

Doflamingo couldn't help but smile, weighing Law in his hand before he took either of his arms, lifting them just to let go and watch gravity take hold. He was like a puppet without strings.

The wind on Winner Island blew fiercely then, making the fire dance weakly against it as Doflamingo took a seat beside the dying thing, grinning to himself as he laid Law in his lap and watched how miserably he trembled and sweat. His tattooed arms drew themselves to his chest and he clutched his wounds, groaning in pain. Doflamingo's relentless attack had only made things worse. Though, the ex-warlord was hardly regretful. 

"Maybe I'll pity you too," Doflamingo started, tearing the tattered bandages off Law's chest to reveal his deep, open wounds. Law flinched, trying to stir himself awake, his hand visibly twitching to try and activate Room, but Doflamingo wasn't the least bit concerned. He simply grabbed Law's hand, squeezing it until the kid's body jerked in protest and he let go, letting his arm hang over the side of his thigh. He returned his attention to Law's wounds. They were ugly and bleeding, and his body was burning, sweating profusely. "I'll pity you, Law." Doflamingo repeated in a dry laugh. "I'll pity you like you dared to pity me. I know you'd rather die."

Doflamingo's smile never faded as he dragged his fingers tauntingly around Law's injuries, pressing into them to elicit a pathetic, pained gasp from the kid. "You'll know what it's like, and I'm going to make sure you know how I felt all those months, breathing, healing, simply because a brat like you had the audacity to pity someone like me." Doflamingo jabbed another finger through a bullet hole in Law's chest and Law shouted, his body tossing in agony. "Do you think I'm beneath you? That I'm someone to take sympathy upon?" Doflamingo screwed his finger in further and Law trembled, his hoarse screams growing louder. "Do you remember my least favorite thing in the world... Law?!" He stabbed the wound harder. "It's being looked down upon!!!"

Doflamingo felt his hands shaking to tear into Law, but by some miracle, he resisted, his anger slowly ebbing away as he wiped Law's blood off on his Heart Pirates coat. "You disgust me, but I suppose I should feel bad for you. You're so weak," he poked Law's side with a grin, watching him wince. "I could simply cast you into the sea and let you drown and you wouldn't be strong enough to stop me. I'll decide if you live or die, Law. Because I pity you."

Finally, after some time, Doflamingo lifted Law up by the sides of his coat like a duffle bag, dragging him over to the two members of the Heart crew who had begun to stand. "Take him," Doflamingo instructed, and the mink scrambled to take Law into his arms. "I'll be back, and if you even think of running, I'll cut you down until you're nothing but a pair of boots."

Casting strings towards the clouds, Doflamingo disappeared and the two crew members gazed confusedly at each other as Bepo cradled Law to his chest.

Doflamingo settled on the beach where the Polar Tang washed up, pulling out the mini transponder snail and staring at it for a long time before hesitantly activating it. 

Purupurupuru... purupurupuru... purupurupuru...

Gacha...

"Doflamingo?" Tsuru's voice came and the ex-warlord smirked, his brow twitching.

"As promised," he announced. "Law is on Winner Island. Satisfied?" 

No response this time. There was only a span of silence and Doflamingo began to grow restless, his fingers twitching as he gritted his teeth. "He's dying..." he decided to add. "I'm sure you'll be glad to know though that it wasn't my doing. He had a run in with the Blackbeard Pirates."

"Really..." Tsuru finally mumbled. "I'm surprised to hear that. I didn't think that boy was stupid enough to pick bones with Blackbeard."

Doflamingo merely grunted, turning his sunglasses towards the sea.

"Are you going to kill him anyway?" 

Doflamingo smiled. "No," he answered. "There are worse ways to hurt him."

"And yet you claim you aren't ironhearted."

"It's exactly why I'm not ironhearted," Doflamingo snapped, gripping his hand in a fist as the veins between his brows throbbed. "I could throw him aside. I could kill him, slowly, but I've decided against it. That hardly seems cold."

"Hm." Tsuru mumbled, the mini transponder snail mimicking her lack of expression. "And here I thought Impel Down might've mellowed that obstinate ego."

Doflamingo clenched his jaw, veins beginning to streak across his forehead as he was subjected to the return of such memories...

It was uncertain how hot or cold Impel Down had been at the time. With its varying degrees of temperature changing from level to level, it made the ground floor feel unusually pleasant as Tsuru led in the marines holding Doflamingo's Seastone chains. Many of them were wrapped around his torso and arms, deeming them useless and allowing a small circle of men to drag the ex-warlord in with no means to resist. 

Despite his circumstances, Doflamingo grinned, watching Hannybal approach Tsuru, the two of them sharing some words, quietly discussing Doflamingo's situation as the man gripped his fingers, cracking their individual knuckles one by one. 

From the moment he entered Impel Down, Doflamingo knew he was going to escape. 

It had been a severely unpleasant experience.  He could still feel the boiling water searing his skin as he'd been shoved in, unable to keep himself afloat. Tsuru had looked away, unable to watch even though Doflamingo hadn't screamed. He'd only clenched his jaw, the weight of his feathery coat growing heavy with water, tugging him down as his body thrashed. When he'd been pulled out, Tsuru silently returned his sunglasses and spoke no further on the matter.

His clothes were stripped away, replaced with Impel Down's gauche striped uniforms, but at the every least, Tsuru had been kind enough to wait outside the door for him, leaning against it with her arms crossed as she listened to him try to charm Domino, belittling her plenty more. When it became apparent that his tactics wouldn't work here, his mood significantly dampened and he was led out. Tsuru followed, but neither of them spoke.

If it weren't for Tsuru, Domino would have taken his sunglasses too, but the vice admiral insisted that he keep them, claiming even prisoners deserved some reservation of dignity.

The badgering of sand on Doflamingo's arms shook him from the memory and he turned to the transponder snail, gritting his teeth till they ached. "If I'd been mellowed, I wouldn't have bothered to come," he grumbled. "I'm going to hang up now, and when you try to find me, you won't. I've upheld my end of the deal."

"Doflamingo."

Only Tsuru could make him pause.

"What?"

"If you kill that boy, I'll never forgive you."

A smirk. "Is that supposed to mean something to me?" Doflamingo laughed, throwing an arm out. "That I would fear falling from your good graces?"

"You and I both know you're not as destructive as you claim." 

Doflamingo sneered in disgust, whipping around, scattering sand with his shoes. "There's no point in that stiff-jaw smile anymore," Tsuru pressed and he gripped the transponder snail. "You've been wearing the worst of your three faces. You have no expectation to live up to now, no family to command, no thing to conquer." Tsuru went quiet, and thankfully, at the perfect moment because Doflamingo nearly crushed the small den den mushi in his palm. "I have to go," she told him. "I'll be seeing you."

"It can't be helped," he ground through his teeth and the transponder snail went to sleep. Doflamingo considered throwing it in the sea, but he'd hold onto it, returning it to his pocket as he trekked back to the Heart Pirates' campfire.

The mink was still holding Law when he arrived, his fluffy face pressed into the kid's bleeding chest like he was going to die.

Not if Doflamingo could help it.

"I'll be taking him," Doflamingo anounced as if it were obvious. Both the mink and the orca-hat scrambled to their feet, drawing backwards when they turned towards Doflamingo. The ex-warlord snickered. "He won't live, you know. Not if he stays here." Doflamingo stepped closer. "As infamous of a surgeon as your captain is, I don't think either of you are equipped to save his life. But if you give him to me, I'll give you my word. He won't be allowed to die."

Both orca-hat and the mink shared a look of uncertainty, clearly not convinced to give their captain up to a war criminal of all people, and Doflamingo no less, who hadn't a doubt in his mind that he already had a reputation among the Heart Pirates.

"Why should we believe you?" The mink stuttered while orca-hat stood close, clutching one of the bear's orange sleeves. "He... He can't fight back anymore. Giving him to you would be a death sentence. He... he needs to rest."

"He needs medical treatment is what he needs," Doflamingo growled. "You think you could save your captain? You two? Law would have more luck surrounded by dying goldfish," he cackled, leaning back with a hand on his sunglasses. "If it's your captain's demise you desire though, then my work here is done." Doflamingo made a show of turning, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"W-Wait!"

Doflamingo turned, watching the mink look down at Law who laid against his chest, trembling so badly, he was struggling to breathe. The mink swallowed hard, daring himself to take a step forward. "I... I don't want Law to die..." he mumbled. "He's our captain. And he's a good person, even if he doesn't like people to think he is." Doflamingo certainly scoffed at that one. "I don't think we could save his life though..." the mink admitted, his head falling as tears filled his eyes. "If... if there's even the smallest chance he could live..."

Doflamingo's face warped in a cheek-hurting grin. "Like I said," he urged, holding out his arms, as if solidifying the claim. "He's more useful to me alive. He's better off in my hands."

"Bepo, no!" Orca-hat whispered, but the mink didn't listen.

"You... You can save him?"

"Tch. I'll certainly try if he isn't too stubborn."

Without another word, the mink stood closer and held Law out. Doflamingo was partially surprised and immediately chuckled to himself. His crew truly was so helplessly loyal. Being careful with how he handled him, Doflamingo picked Law up by the torso, using his clothes to lift him into one arm. The kid didn't even jostle. 

"You'll bring him back?" Bepo asked and Doflamingo laughed.

"No," he answered, letting several strings shoot from his hand. "But if he lives, I'm sure he'll find you no problem. After all, I think you two have bigger fish to fry. If I recall, you're down a couple of pirates," Doflamingo dryly chuckled, sending strings to the sky. And just like that, he was gone, leaving both Bepo and Shachi to ask themselves if they'd done the right thing or made the worst mistake of their lives.

But Doflamingo was right. They couldn't save their captain and their crew at the same time. They could only pray Law was strong enough to keep on living.

Doflamingo held Law in one arm now similar to the way he held Tsuru.

Law was definitely a little heavier then the old woman, but not at all difficult to carry or hold. In fact, it helped that he was limp and malleable because it made it easier for Doflamingo to manipulate his posture in a way that was more convenient to carry. 

The ex-warlord chuckled, the low rumble growing in heightening octaves as he realized the sheer stupidity and utter perfection of the situation. This was better then Dressrosa because there was no pesky marines or Straw Hat Luffy to stop him. Just him, Law, and the open ocean fleeting far below.

"You know, Law..." Doflamingo muttered, his grin growing in sincerity. "I used to imagine a moment like this when you were still a child. You had such hate and destruction in your eyes, I had no doubt you'd be the third Corazon. And one day, I'd carry you like this, leaving behind the tragedy and carnage we'd laid upon this sinking, undeserving world." 

Doflamingo glanced at Law. The kid's eyes were sunken and dark, still not open as his hair fluttered haplessly in the wind. It occurred to Doflamingo then that his hat was gone. "My, what happened to that silly hat of yours? I don't think I saw your crew holding it," he grinned, reaching over to ruffle Law's matted hair when realization hit and Doflamingo's smile dripped away as slow as time.

Blackbeard had done this to him.

He destroyed the Polar Tang, killed most of Law's crew, and was likely the reason behind the lost hat. 

Doflamingo didn't exactly feel hate because if he did, that would indicate that he felt bad for Law, of which he did not. But as long as he could remember, Blackbeard had been cutting corners and tricking his way into becoming one of the most fearsome pirates in the New World, when really, there was nothing very fearsome about him. Or rather, he hadn't worked very hard to stand where he was.

From the retched beginnings of his life, Doflamingo had done nothing but break bones, teeth, and fingers climbing his way to claiming the title of warlord. He'd seen hell and walked through it. Killed his own blood to become who he was, and yet, Blackbeard managed to achieve, not only the same, but a greater outcome, purely by hanging on the coat tails of other pirates' success.

The fool didn't even kill Whitebeard himself to justify possessing the Gura Gura no Mi now. He'd merely waited till the final breaths of the War of the Best to perform one of the least respectable and most pathetic displays of violence Doflamingo had ever seen. That pirate deserved nothing he'd gained, and yet, here he was picking a fight with one of the Worst Generation to steal something that Law had undoubtedly worked harder for.

"How dismal," Doflamingo groused, glancing at Law one last time. "You had better live, you brat. I'll hate you for it if I wasn't the one to kill you," he said as the rest of their journey was spent in silence.

There was a little island that bordered the west edges of the New World that not many people knew about, just a couple thousand notches from Egghead.

Monk Island, it was called, a winter island surrounded by dense forests and far removed from other civilizations. A ghost town really.

Doflamingo landed quietly in the snow, staring across the vacant town made of glum looking houses and shops with broken windows and faded store signs. It was the perfect place to hide.

He shifted Law around on his arm as he stuck his other hand in his pocket and walked through the streets, looking into the empty stores, seeing what he had to work with. There wasn't much, but the first thing he wanted to do was get out this insipid prison uniform. He ended up kicking down the door to one of the many empty homes, slinging Law onto a random dusty sofa before rummaging around. There weren't many clothes left behind in any of the closets, and whatever was left was dingier than his prison uniform. Or just didn't fit.

Doflamingo's brow twitched in annoyance.

He abandoned Law for the time being, meandering the ghost town until he found a reasonable set of winter clothes that mildly suited his tastes.

Thankfully, Law was still on the sofa when he returned, and Doflmingo decided this random abandoned house would be their kingdom for the next couple of weeks. It wasn't much, several of the windows were broken, there were holes in the ceiling, and snow had gathered in the corners, but at least it had four walls and a roof.

Shutting the door, Doflamingo changed into the long mauve winter coat. There were hand sewn desert roses along the hems, though, it was hard to tell because the coat was old and several of the threads had either been broken or pulled out. It must've belonged to a very tall woman.

"Now. About you." 

Doflamingo adjusted his coat cuffs as he turned to Law's abandoned body on the sofa. His chest was breathing irregularly, the underbags on his eyes plagued by deep blue circles. Doflamingo went over to him, leaning down and shoving his hair back to get a better look at his face. He was possibly more pathetic than he was as a kid.

"Hm. I wonder if you really will live," Doflamingo thought out loud, brushing sweat off Law's forehead with his thumb. "I can already tell you'll be a pain."

He grabbed Law by the front of his shirt, hoisting him up as he sat down and placed the boy across his lap like a decorative blanket. He undid Law's coat, shoving aside the bandages he'd torn away to get a better look at the damage done to him. He was honestly surprised Law had survived this long.

He tapped the bruised, warm edges of Law's open wounds, watching the kid's face scrunch in pain. The Ito Ito no Mi was very far from the healing type, so where to begin was a bit of a conundrum to him. Death, destruction, power, and loyalty were all Doflamingo knew.

He stared at Law's body, brows sinking lower on his face as he rubbed his chin, considering what to do. Or more rather, what might Tsuru do? Or anybody really that wasn't Doflamingo.

"You must be the most pathetic creature in the world," he grumbled, pinching sections of Law's skin, shooting a string through it to create a stitch. Law's body flinched, eyes struggling to open and fight back, but it was useless. "Look at you." Fufufufu. "So weak and helpless, you can't even help yourself," Doflamingo leaned over the boy as he danced his strings through his skin and muscles, working to close up some of the larger wounds in near perfect cross stitching.

"God—!" Law croaked, and Doflamingo looked at him, lightly chuckling.

"You should be thankful I'm pitying you. I really don't care what happens to you in the long run," Doflamingo spoke, curling and bending his fingers, manipulating various strings hooked through Law's chest like one might knit a blanket. "You're such an irritation to me. You always did need my help. I remember when you were just a boy, begging to join the Donquixote family. Your little belly was always grumbling. That face of yours filled with hate. And I took you in and showed you mercy. And this—!" Doflamingo yanked the strings with both hands, making the stitches uncomfortably tight and Law cried out, kicking his legs to no avail. "This was how you repaid my mercy. Time and time again, you've dragged your retched little self into my plans." Another tight stitch, and this time Law coughed blood, his eyes huge. "And time and time again, you've irked me."

Doflamingo lowered his hands, watching Law tremble in his lap. The boy didn't quite fit anymore. He'd far outgrown his childhood, but as Doflamingo looked down at him, he saw the same pain in Law's face that he'd worn as a boy. "You haven't changed a bit," Doflamingo hissed. "You'll always need me to pity you. One way or another."

Doflamingo spent the rest of the evening in silence, stitching Law's chest shut, uncaring to how loudly Law would yell or how uncomfortably tight he made the threads. Just as long as the brat didn't bleed out, it'd do the job. 

He disposed of Law on the sofa when he was done, unbothered to cover him with a blanket or bandage the heavily bleeding stitches. The kid just laid there, partially face down with one arm hanging off the side.

"That's as far as my kindness extends," Doflamingo warned without a smile. "You'll have to do the rest yourself. And you had better. I'll make you see hell if I think you're on the brink of death, and I'll drag you back by the bleeding stumps that used to be your arms."

Doflamingo left the house shortly after, leaving Law alone to fend for himself.

Law forced his eyes open. Everything was blurry, the room nothing but one big smear as he tried to sit up, but his arms gave out and he collapsed again, spitting blood to the floor. This was torture because it was not only painful, but it was pathetic. He started to regret having ever done what he did for Doflamingo. He should've let the man suffer.

He shouldn't have felt the same things that killed Corazon. 

God. 

Why didn't Corazon pull the trigger that day?

Law pressed his bloodied hands to his face, feeling the warmth smear against his cheeks as he curled up, letting out the briefest of sobs. He knew he was alone, so mourning Corazon for a few seconds seemed a reasonable thing to do.

Why couldn't he just move on? Why did he go back to Impel Down? Was it because Doflamingo looked like him? They were brothers after all, and though very different in nature, he could still see glimpses of Corazon's face in that demon. 

He didn't want to die the same way Corazon died, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sadness, realizing he'd become the final echoes of Corazon.

Would Corazon like the man he'd become? Would he still love him and fall for his stupid jokes? Law wasn't sure.

He curled up tighter, attempting to ease the tremors wracking his body as a cold wind swept through the broken window.

He wished he had his coat, or, even more so, Bepo. That bear was the world's warmest pillow, and what he wouldn't give to wrap his arms around the fluffy mink.

Law bit the tip of his knuckle and winced.

He'd never say it out loud, but he was scared... scared to know what had become of the Heart Pirates.

His crew had been separated, the Polar Tang destroyed, his hat lost.

Law bit his knuckle harder. The last thing he needed was Doflamingo's pity. He could feel his hands shake and curl into fists at the mere thought of him, but as he curled up tighter to try and ease the tension in his stitches and keep warm, he knew he wouldn't win a fight like that. 

"I hate you..." Law whispered, hoping that Doflamingo, wherever he was, could hear him.

Doflamingo returned to their abandoned little hideout a few hours later with supplies to sustain them for the next few days. And by them, he meant himself.

He hated having to hide in these conditions. It reminded Doflamingo of when he was a boy. Him and Rosinante struggling to survive, scrounging for food through dumpsters and stealing what they could to make it to tomorrow, getting beat up for simply living.

Doflamingo's face soured and he slammed the door behind him, disposing of his haul on a nearby table as he turned towards Law. The kid was curled up, facing away from him with his head against the back of the sofa. 

The house was dark now with only the last rays of dusk to outline Doflamingo's silhouette. Even from the privacy of the shadows, his frown grew colder as he stalked towards Law.

Maybe this wasn't worth the effort. Maybe he should just kill him now and put him out of his misery. Surely there was no greater pity than a mercy execution. 

Doflamingo reached out on impulse, feeling strings bounce between all five fingers as he prepared to tear that stupid heart out of Law. Right as he was going to, the kid's head lolled partially to the side, a frown morphing his expression.

"Lammy..." Law choked.

Doflamingo paused. He knew that name, surely. Where had he heard it before though...? It had been such a long time.

"Mother... Father..." Law grew restless, his arms clenching his stitches as Doflamingo raised a brow. Ah. A nightmare... Doflamingo remembered having a few of those. They kept him up at night for years, and it was only within the last few that he'd learned to sleep through them. But now and then, a particularly bad memory smelling of gun smoke would stir Doflamingo from his dreams.

"Cora..."

Doflamingo's eyes widened and he looked down at Law. He might've thrown the kid against a wall, had it not been for the nightmare. He didn't want to hear that name come out of Law's mouth ever again, but as he watched him thrash side to side, Doflamingo couldn't bring himself to feel any hate.

Without thinking, he placed his hand on Law's head. It wasn't a loving touch, or even a gentle one, but simply an attempt to get him to stop making so much noise.

Law's body tensed.

"I pity you, Law," Doflamingo murmured, rubbing his thumb along the kid's hairline, watching beads of sweat fall down his face and neck. "But I pity you with sincerity. I'm not so ironhearted as you say I am," he spoke quietly enough that Law wouldn't have heard him even if he was awake. "Two things can be true. I can hate you and still pity the way you were brought up in this world. Humans are such violent, selfish creatures, Law," Doflamingo grumbled. "You were merely a child. Children like you who've crawled from nothing should at least have a family."

Doflamingo's grasp on Law's hair tightened. "Your only mistake was betraying it. I tried to give you the tools, Law, but the day you casted your family aside was the day you didn't deserve one."

Doflamingo finally released Law's hair, standing to go, but he didn't turn his back. Not yet.

He hated to see it in his face, but when Law was asleep, Doflamingo could catch glimpses of him as a child, curled up in his hammock, snoring softly in the night. He wondered if Law still snored when he fell asleep on his back.

A smirk tore the corner of Doflamingo's mouth, but he turned away, wiping it off.

The next few days were spent in silence. Doflamingo spent his free time at an abandoned café nearby, sitting on one of the decorative chairs with his legs propped up, reading a book about the history of Monk Island he'd found in a random drawer. It was a bit of a drag, and the history itself wasn't very exciting, but it was something to do.

He hadn't really checked on Law in the past few days. He passed the kid maybe half a dozen times when coming and going, but he never bothered to talk to him, or even look at him for that matter.

Law was still breathing. That's all he knew, but he hadn't gotten up from the couch since the day they arrived.

It was actually driving Doflamingo a little crazy how useless Law had become. The fact that he hadn't gotten up even once, or healed himself, was irksome. Maybe he'd misjudged how injured Law was.

Doflamingo's frown darkened and he lowered his book before reaching beneath his sunglasses and rubbing his eyes. He wondered how close Tsuru and the marines were to tracking him down. It'd probably take them a fair amount of time to find him on Monk Island of all places, but he had no doubt Tsuru's old nose would sniff him out eventually. "Tch," Doflamingo scoffed, rising from his seat.

He decided to return to the house, casting the book aside when he walked in and saw Law still on the couch.

"Are you going to die there?" He called, growing closer with languid steps. "You're starting to piss me off." Doflamingo grabbed Law by the front of his shirt, jerking him around only to find that Law's face had paled deathly. His eyes were partially open, chest fluttering lightly for air. Doflamingo nearly forgot that he'd been struck with a sickness by Doc Q, but he didn't expect it to last this long, or be this intense. 

Doflamingo gritted his teeth, shaking Law back and forth. "I forbid you to die, Law, do you hear me? As soon as you're better, I'm going to break every single one of your bones, so you had better wake up and figure out how to cure yourself!"

Law didn't respond, his brows furrowed deeply in distress as his mouth laid partially open, trying to swallow air. 

How pitiful this whole affair was. Doflamingo released the boy before standing back and surveying his options. On one hand, he could kill him...

But that was too easy and would be such a waste of his efforts thus far. On the other hand, he could just find a way to force Law to get better.

Doflamingo's finger itched into his pocket slowly, drawing out Tsuru's mini transponder snail. He'd already decided he was done with her... but...

But what? Doflamingo's eyes darted around the room, narrowing. But what? So what? He was a former celestial dragon. He was in total control of his own decisions. He didn't need to rationalize anything, this was merely his control—his perfect plan.

The den den mushi rang its little purupurupuru... purupurupuru... before Tsuru finally picked up.

"How surprising." Her unamused tone came. "I didn't take you for the quitting type, Doflamingo. Turning yourself in?" 

Doflamingo smirked. "It's less than likely." He tilted his head. "But I want to know, OTsuru-san. How much do you truly hate me?"

"You're a pain."

"So you don't hate me?"

"Hate is for the Onryō, Doflamingo, and I'm no ghost. I don't waste my energy hating people. I'm too old for that." Tsuru paused. "I neither hate nor favor you."

"I see. How complicated." Doflamingo rubbed his chin and glanced at Law who was still laying on the sofa, sick and unconscious. "I only ask because I have an inquiry for you, but I wanted to know if you hated me too much to care."

"Then you had better ask."

"Tsk, tsk. Always the cold one, OTsuru-san," Doflmaingo laughed, thudding down on the couch beside Law. He shoved the kid's legs aside, giving himself room too cross his own. "Tell me. How does one prevent a brat from dying?"

"I assume Law isn't fairing very well. Is that right?"

Doflamingo grumbled, tapping a finger against the transponder snail. "He's causing me an awful lot of effort, I'll admit. I thought about killing him, but I'm never one to take the easy way out. On the other hand though, he's quite useless. I had hoped to at least speak to the brat, but he's been laying around for the past couple of days, tossing and turning." Doflamingo leaned back, placing his free hand on his knee to stretch his fingers with a knowing grin. "I don't suppose you have old woman's wisdom to offer, do you?"

"You're asking me for advice?" 

"I'm asking how to not kill him."

"Ah..." Tsuru paused, the sound of tapping nails coming through. "I assume you won't be telling me where you are then...? You could always turn him over to the marines. He'd be in better hands."

"Tch—! I see my goals through once I've started them, Tsuru, and I fully intend on forcing Law to recover," Doflamingo wiped imaginary lint off his thigh before turning his gaze towards the window, watching flecks of snow blow in through the fractured glass. Doflamingo didn't smile. "I can hold this over his head for a long time. Law hates being indebted to people. He doesn't like to feel like he owes anyone anything. That's why he grew into such a cold man—he hates to be pitied—it's probably why he refused to let Straw Hat fight me alone. He didn't want to owe the sandal-wearing brat any favors."

"So this is for a selfish reason?"

"Selfish? No. I prefer the word opportunistic." 

"What an unpleasant man you are..." Tsuru grumbled, the transponder snail mimicking her disappointed expression. "Is he sweating?" 

Doflamingo glanced over at him. "That's what it seems."

"Well, if the island's climate is hot, put ice on his forehead. If it's cold, wrap him in a blanket. Open wounds have to be cleaned—thoroughly—and bandaged, and you have to change them every few days so they don't get infected."

Doflamingo grimaced. He could already tell that this was going to turn into a major project. At the very least, the benefits would far outweigh the means, but he certainly wasn't going to enjoy babying Law like some helpless animal. "And give him warm liquids," Tsuru eventually continued. "Something with lots of vitamins. Or at least make sure he's eating. If you have access to medicine, give him Gingko. Apart from that, monitor him closely."

"My," Doflamingo sighed, tapping his fingers on his knee, eyes shifting disdainfully towards Law. "It makes you wonder why anyone bothers, Tsuru-san. Putting him to rest seems kinder."

"I answered, did I not? He's your responsibility now." Tsuru made a low grumbling noise. "See your goals through. Is that not what you said?"  

The ex-warlord didn't reply. He just stared at the boy, his face devoid of expression and attachment, still deciding if he was worth it or not. "I'll take your advice into consideration."

"Then I had better not find him dead somewhere. You should see the paperwork you've caused me. I won't be so lenient next time."

"I was wondering what I'd done to cause this sudden turn of trust between you and I," Doflamingo smirked. "You should know by now that I'm not the type to be trusted. I could kill Law right now and you'd be the only one to blame."

"Yes. But you won't."

"Oh? And what could've possibly given you such an impression, Tsuru-san? Please enlighten me. I'm certainly not beside it. You should know by now that I've killed brats for less."

"Because I know you." Tsuru answered. "I've watched you climb your way from the underworld to infamy. I was there when Sengoku summoned you to Marinefort, and when Straw Hat defeated you in Dressrosa." Doflamingo clenched his jaw, fingers tapping Law's ankle roughly. "I've seen you at your weakest and most powerful," Tsuru grumbled. "You're a fool." 

"I'm not following."

Tsuru sighed. "The next time you call, it had better be to turn yourself in, Doflamingo. Don't think some paperwork is going to stop me from finding you. G-5 recently located survivors of the Heart Pirates off the coast of Winner island, along with pieces of the Polar Tang. They're en route now. It's only a matter of time before we find you."

Doflamingo laughed. "Don't worry. I don't plan on calling back." He turned to Law, reaching over and feeling the pulse on the kid's wrist. It was still going, but not very strong. "I look forward to seeing you again, OTsuru-san. Strangely, I miss that unpleasant face of yours."

"The sentiment isn't shared."

"Tsk. Tsk. How frigid, I think a chill just came into the room," Doflamingo grinned, white teeth glistening in the sun's dying light. "In another life, I think you and I could have shared a drink. What a shame the world cursed you to be a marine, OTsuru-san. It's terribly unfortunate." Doflamingo hung up without so much as a goodbye and the transponder snail went to sleep with a quiet 'Gacha...' He placed it aside on a table, his eyes turning back to Law. "My. You should feel honored, Law. I never put this great of an effort into anyone. Not even my own brother... though, I suppose I'd gain more from keeping you alive over him."

Doflamingo laughed as he stood, grabbing Law by the front of his coat and dragging him off, carrying him to the bathroom upstairs. The ex-warlord stood in front of the tub, rubbing his chin, utterly perplexed. The water was still running, that much he knew, but it was perpetually cold. No doubt the furnace in the basement had died eons ago.

Either way, it didn't matter.

Doflamingo didn't bother to undress Law. He simply threw him in the slowly filling tub before taking a nail file off the sink and sitting down on the edge of the bath, shaping his nails to pass the time. Law was totally unconscious, but as the water started to reach his chest, he shifted and groaned, his eyes opening painfully slow to reveal dark circles.

Doflamingo glanced at him wordlessly.

"I was hoping you wouldn't do that," he mumbled. "Wake up."

"...Damn... you," Law croaked, his tone similar to what Doflamingo imagined the bottom of a dry well to sound like. Law grabbed the sides of the tub to try and sit up, but his fingers gave out last second and he fell backwards again, gasping in pain. "I didn't think..." he paused to gasp, "you were low enough to resort... to drowning... me..."

"You don't know a lot about me," Doflamingo answered. "Now shut that mouth of yours." He held his fingers over the boy and Law started to scream in agony, thrashing as the tub's water turned a light red and Doflamingo manipulated the strings keeping his wounds shut to come out.

"DAMNIT! DAMNIT!" Law clutched his chest and kicked his legs, but Doflamingo didn't react. He didn't even look at the kid before he stood from the tub, walking for the door. 

"I think you can bathe yourself, no? I'll leave you here anyway. You're going to get better, whether you like or not." Doflamingo opened the door. "Clean those ugly wounds. I'll see about stitching them up again if I'm feeling particularly generous."

Law only stared at Doflamingo with those tired, half-open eyes as he sat in the cold, blood-tinged bath water. He looked a bit like a corpse with his pale skin, bruises, and leaking wounds. Doflamingo didn't stare long, simply shutting the door behind him and abandoning Law to his devices when he heard the mini transponder snail downstairs begin to ring. 

Surely Tsuru wasn't calling him back, was she? She wasn't the type. Doflamingo chuckled to himself as he picked the den den mushi off the table and lifted it to his ear. "My. Forgetting things now, are we... OTsuru-san?"

Then the sound of a slow, deep exhale came in reply.

"...Donquixote Doflamingo." 

The ex-warlord's face fell, veins throbbing and streaking up his forehead in seconds. He knew that gravelly voice.

"Well, well, well..." he muttered, tone slick and venomous, fingers crackling and bending like breaking bones. "Of all the voices I expected to hear... Yours was the very last..." Doflamingo clenched his teeth. "Sir Crocodile."

There was a deep chuckle from the other end of the line. "I was beginning to wonder how long it would take for me to reach you. You make quite the fast getaways."

"Oh? Is that so?" Doflamingo raised a twitching brow. "How surprising... And to what do I owe the pleasure of such a generous, unexpected call then, Croco-boy"

"You're hardly in the position to refer to me so callously," Crocodile groused. "I was hoping Impel Down had humbled you, but I see I was mistaken. Such a sour disposition can survive almost anything it seems."

"Tch. The eye gunk laughing at the snot in the nose."

"Oh? Did Vice Admiral Tsuru teach you that one? I heard she dragged you to Impel Down herself."

Doflamingo sneered, fingers clenching. "Let's stop pretending we're having a good chat, Croco-boy. You must've called me for some reason."

"That is true." Another slow exhale. Doflamingo could practically smell the cigar smoke pooling out of the man's nostrils. "I hear you made it out of Impel Down relatively fast. I admit, I had hoped to have this conversation with you in person at the time, but it seems Vice Admiral Tsuru is always ten steps ahead of everyone."

"So I see..." It was starting to make sense now. The unexplained break-in at Impel Down. It was him. "I was wondering who I owed by gratitude to. So tell me, Sir Crocodile, what possessed you to do such a reckless thing? I imagine that sandal-wearing brat must've left quite the impression on you if you thought you could break into Impel Down alone."

"Oh, I wasn't alone."

"No?"

"No." Crocodile confirmed, a long drag of silence following. Doflamingo's brow twitched, the warmth running along his arms and neck making him increasingly more impatient. He was just about to make a snide remarking, urging the reptile to get to the point, when Sir Crocodile beat him there. "Tell me, Doflamingo. How would you feel about a business venture...?"

A metaphorical exclamation mark appeared inside Doflamingo's head and he raised his brows, finding a terribly fiendish grin ripping across his face.

"Well, well. That is surprising." He stood at the broken window of the house now, his shoes tapping the floor, crunching snow against the carpet. "I've never been the hasty sort though, Croco-boy. What's in it for me? After all, I'm still quite hurt that you turned down my alliance at the War of the Best. Wounds like that don't heal easy, y'know?"

"Well, for starters," Crocodile exhaled, smoke blowing straight into the speaker. "I hear the marines are in the process of tracking you down. I know you and Law are hiding on Monk Island, and it's only a matter of time before Vice Admiral Tsuru finds you. How's that for a reason?"

"Ah!" Doflamingo chuckled, taking a seat by the window, legs crossed beneath his thick, red winter coat. "That is a reason."

Law was passed out in the bathtub when Doflamingo finally remembered he'd left him in there.

His head was resting against the lip with a single arm hanging over the side, water dripping off his fingers like he'd tried to get out. It was a pitiful sight. Doflamingo stood over him in silence, watching Law's chest weakly fall and rise. There wasn't a chance of him getting better in this state, but a part of Doflamingo wanted to enjoy that just for a little while longer.

Law hadn't exactly parted ways with him on a good note.

As Doflamingo crossed his arms, memories of his time back in Dressrosa came flooding back, and, oh, how Law had plagued him. 

"You're very lucky you mean something to me alive, Law," Doflamingo muttered, stepping closer as he weighed his options for the second time that day. He hated to admit it, but Law really didn't look all that annoying when he was asleep. He could tolerate a face like that as long as it was incapacitated.

He leaned down, pushing his fingers through Law's hair and ruffling it mindlessly, gripping like he wanted to rip his scalp off. The kid was out cold, but he'd managed to shrug off his shirt before passing out, leaving the intricate black tattoos on his chest exposed, along with various deep wounds and bruises.

No. It just wouldn't do. "What a sad, sad boy you are," Doflamingo mused, rubbing his thumb over Law's eyes, mapping out the unassuming face of betrayal: it was so very Law. 

He eventually lifted Law out by the arm, depositing him on the floor in a puddle of water. "What am I to do with you now? If you've died, I'd be very disappointed." He leaned down and grabbed Law by the back of the neck, lifting his head to look at it. His breathing had shallowed in the past hour and his lips had turned a shade of blue that made Doflamingo grumble. So much effort for this brat. 

He released Law without thinking, letting the kid's head fall back and a loud smack echoed through the bathroom. "You're useless," he grumbled.

Still crouching, Doflamingo leaned on his heels and rubbed his chin, trying to remember all of Tsuru's instructions as to how not kill him. It would've been easier if she'd been here to do it herself, but he had a feeling she would've just badgered him with endless insults the whole time about how 'stupid' and 'cold' he was.

Doflamingo groused. 

He wasn't the nurturing type, and a part of him almost couldn't fathom helping Law after all the hell and highwater he'd put him through. This brat—in kahoots with the sandal-wearing imp—had destroyed everything he'd spent a decade building in the span of a single afternoon. Killing Law was so stupidly easy, Doflamingo could shut his eyes and it would've been so, but good things take time, and if he never entered the tiger's cave, he couldn't catch its cub.

Law was the cub in this scenario, and Doflamingo was determined to make him live. He was going to plague this stupid brat like he had plagued him by showing him nothing but the cruelest of pities. After all, he could only torment Law if he was alive. 

Death was merely the easy way out.

Doflamingo's chuckle started as a low rumble, growing higher and madder as he grabbed Law by the back of the neck, dragging him across the floor and down the stairs. Law tried to struggle, tried to fight back, but his body wouldn't listen and Doflamingo slung him against the couch, the kid's legs sprawling outward and his head hanging down with low, frantic coughing. Law grasped his injuries.

"You'll live you say, Law? Well—" Doflamingo seized his chest, his fingers digging into the kid's wet skin as he leaned down, shaking Law around till he was forced to look at him. Law did so full of hate."—for old times sake," Doflamingo spoke, the sound of strings being pulled taut bouncing through the air. "I'll be a good brother for Corazon, hm? I don't like to owe anyone anything, much like you, but for that fool, I'll keep you alive. He didn't pull the trigger after all... It's the least I can do." Doflamingo tilted his head, raising his other hand as strings bounced between his fingers. "How does that sound? Law."

"You bastard!" Law rasped, flexing his hand. "Room."

Doflamingo's brow twitched. "So you were saving your strength after all..." His hand gripped harder, fingernails digging into Law's chest. "How pitiful."

In a blur of movement, a web of strings shot through the surface of Law's chest like intricate weaving, and the blue glow disappeared, Law's agonized yells filling the room and his body convulsed as he scratched desperately at his chest. Blood shot from where he was pierced and his head fell backwards, eyes rolling into the back of his head. All Doflamingo could do was laugh. 

Through his gradually heightening cackle, he managed to get out the words, "It's so strange. I can't stop myself from smiling."

Doflamingo tightened his fingers, and the strings woven through Law's skin tightened. Law screamed, his body going stiff as he gasped and coughed, his hands trying desperately to break the strings off his skin, but he only worked to injure his fingers.

"B-Bastard—!"

Doflamingo tightened his fingers one last time and Law's mouth fell open in a silent scream before his body keeled to the floor, eyes wide, but his mind switched off. Doflamingo smirked, looking at the complex stitching he'd created across Law's chest to both properly close his wounds and to also display none other than the Donquixote Family's Jolly Rodger. 

Satisfied with his work, he stood, unbothered to wipe Law's blood away.

"Hmph."

Doflamingo's hand itched for his pink feathery coat then, but the familiar weight of it was still gone, trapped in Impel Down with his family. 

Doflamingo scowled. He raised his hands and held them close, letting strings spool between his fingers as he gradually recreated his coat from memory. It didn't have the same familiar weight or texture, and the color was weaker, but it'd do the job. He held the stiff copy in his hands, brushing his thumbs over the fake feathers before he dropped it, letting it hang awkwardly off Law's body.

"Let this be a lesson to you, Law." The amusement in his face was gone. "Feeling sympathy for your enemies is a dangerous thing."

He flexed his fingers when he turned, his long legs quivering and causing him to stumble. Doflamingo caught himself on the wall last second before spitting blood on the icy carpet. His vision wasn't the sharpest all of a sudden. He held a hand to his abdomen, letting tiny strings pierce his body and try to do what they could to ease his nausea, but it was no use. The damage had been done too long ago.

Reaching into his pocket, Doflamingo used Tsuru's handkerchief to wipe his lips clean before shoving it away with a frown. "Damn hag."

Doflamingo continued to pay little mind to Law for the next couple days, but when he wasn't, the attention he offered was purely out of cruel pity. He'd taunt Law, ruffling his sweaty hair as if he were still a child, and poked him at random to make sure he was still alive. 

Law was alive. But he hadn't faired any better since the last time. He looked miserable, his body constantly twitching like it was in unceasing pain. Doflamingo even tried to force Law to eat and drink something once, but it turned out, trying to shove food down a half-conscious person's throat wasn't the grandest of ideas.

Day by day, Doflamingo was growing more pissed.

He'd done everything Tsuru had told him to do. He closed Law's wounds, covered him with his coat, and offered the idiot, on several occasions, food, in the least mocking way possible. Yet, the brat was still laying around, sick and useless, trembling like a hurt animal. Not once did he leave the couch, his focus seemingly always on the taut strings binding his wounds shut, fingers scraping at them agonizingly.

Doflamingo rolled his eyes as he sat outside by the usual café, watching flecks of snow drift down from heaven, landing on his knee before melting and turning to a small puddle on his pants. He was pretty certain Law was going to die soon. He wondered where he'd bury him, if he bothered too. He could just leave him somewhere in the middle of the forest and save some animal from starvation.

How miserable. 

Maybe Law's sickness wasn't even curable. The fool was rarely awake, so there was no chance of him curing himself.

Well. Doflamingo couldn't say he tried. He considered calling Tsuru one last time to inform her of such failure, but his pride wouldn't allow it. Plus, if he called too many times, the marines would eventually track the signal.

Giving a low sigh, Doflamingo caught a few specks of snow in his hand, cradling them as he watched them melt into teardrops. It reminded him of Law, how the kid was slowly weakening. Soon enough, Law would be like a teardrop too.

Doflamingo wiped the moisture off of his hand, rising slowly from the chair as he stuck his hands in his pockets and walked through the ghost town, listening to the eerie song of wind rushing through the broken windows. It was a peaceful place. Cold, quiet, and isolated. It reminded him of Minion Island.

Doflamingo stopped.

The memory rushed back like a murder of crows and he brushed it away, left sweating by its absence. He bent over, eyes huge behind his sunglasses as he pressed a hand to his face, blood dripping off his lips as he vomited the sanguine substance to the snow. He hated how it looked. All it was missing was a tall blonde body.

Gunsmoke.

Doflamingo winced. With one terrible breath, it filled his nose and he threw up again.

He gritted his blood-stained teeth and tensed his flexing fingers the second it was gone. Even in death, he was still being plagued. Doflamingo couldn't stand the thought of him. It made him sick; that eyesore, back-stabbing son of a bitch... 

brother...

He clutched his abdomen, unable to stop himself from puking blood a third time, wiping it away with the back of his hand before using Tsuru's handkerchief to clean the residue. He couldn't bring himself to look at Law anymore. Every time he looked at the brat tucked haphazardly beneath his coat, the more is reminded him of his days with...

Doflamingo gripped his fingers. He changed his mind. He still wasn't going to break his promise to Tsuru, but he didn't need to kill Law for him to die. Law was going to do that himself anyways. Doflamingo was merely speeding the process. 

Feeling the veins on his forehead twitch, Doflamingo kicked the bloody snow, scattering flecks of red as he trekked to the house, hands clenched tightly in his pockets. He didn't dare touch Tsuru's handkerchief though. He couldn't. It felt almost sinful as Doflamingo approached the house, knowing what he was about to do. His frown had grown deeper.

Maybe he would drag Law into the middle of the woods and leave him there. Surely the cold would kill him before he died of starvation or sickness. It might've been a more merciful way to let him die anyway because at least the brat wouldn't have to suffer anymore.

Doflamingo's steps crunched softly in the snow, fingers twitching as he watched the house grow closer. Then he stopped.

Now that was a peculiar sight.

Cold wind sent snowflakes dashing through the air, his eyes moving along the snowy path, gradually examining the bloody footprints that carelessly fled from a partially open door.

Doflamingo's heart twitched like a dying organism. He dragged his footsteps as he approached the door, not even bothering to open it. He simply flicked his wrist and the wooden thing broke off its hinges in tiny little blocks as he ducked and stepped inside.

He really didn't need to look to know what he was expecting, but with with one slow, inching turn of his head, his veins enflamed all the way up his forehead, fingers, and arms, seeing that the sofa was lacking one particularly sick brat. 

"So..." Doflamingo muttered. He flexed his fingers, cracking the bones repetitiously. "That's what you've been waiting for..."

He clamped his jaw so hard, his teeth sounded like sheets of metal grinding together as he turned towards the distance, his eyes following the direction in which the blood and snowy footprints led. It seemed like Law had made a break for the woods, and for Doflamingo's sake, he hoped something else killed him before he found him because, when he did, he was going to tear Law limb from limb.

Promise to Tsuru be damned. Doflamingo was a god and Law was the will of D that had gotten on his very last nerve. His vision grew so red, he was almost certain it was Rosinante's stupid hood he was seeing in the corner of his eye.

"Count your seconds, Law..." He stuck his hands in his pockets, laughing quietly to himself. His stride was casual, not in any hurry. He'd catch Law one way or another. After all, there was only so far a hurt kid like him could get, stuck on an island in the middle of the ocean. "I'll be counting them for you."

The sun was setting on Monk Island, warm grey sunlight tearing through the trees in dappled, auburn patches. Had Law's heart not been racing, he might've thought the scenery was beautiful, but he grasped his chest.

Law had been trying to ease the tension pulling at his skin for the past few days, but it was useless. Doflamingo's strings were tougher than steel, and no amount of pulling could loosen them.

They'd been made unbearably tight, and for all the hate Law felt within himself, he couldn't bring his eyes to even glance at the Jolly Rodger scarred into his skin. He was sure that was the point. Even if he managed to cut the strings, the red, pale outline of the Donquixote Family's crest would remain and heal into the world's ugliest battle scar.

Law gnashed his teeth, forcing himself to run.

He wasn't sure where he was going, but he had to find a way off Monk Island. Doflamingo would find him in no time, and Law was in no position to fight, no matter how badly he wanted to drill a knife through that demon's chest. He just had to keep running. Maybe he'd come up with a plan on the spot like Luffy did (a little too often), but the chances were low. He wasn't as free of a thinker as the Straw Hats' captain. Not to mention, he really couldn't focus on coming up with a plan with how delirious he was.

Law's boots kicked snow behind him as he fled through the forest, shoving branches aside and stumbling over tree roots when he heard the off-putting, distant echo, like a steel cable being pulled; a sort of metallic wobbling. 

グラ. . . グラ. . . (guragura)

Law's eyes turned heavenward, catching a string stretching through the clouds, glinting in the greying sunset. 

Doflamingo had caught onto him. He was looking for him. 

Law breathed faster, his heart pounding in his chest. He was certain he could hear Doflamingo calling out Law's name, syllable by syllable. He didn't have a lot of time.

Law's unruly hair trembled in the harsh, biting winds of Monk Island as he clutched his arms, eyes focused on the path ahead as little grey puffs exited his mouth with every breath.

He was... so tired. He wished he could sink into the land and sleep beneath the cold blanket of snow he was trampling over, but he couldn't stop.

"LAW!!!"

A shadow swooped over head and Law's eyes darted upward, catching the silhouette of Doflamingo speeding towards him, both arms outstretched like bird wings ready to slash Law in half. 

By a mere thread, Law managed to lurch out of the way, rolling a few feet in the snow before scrambling back to his boots. Wind shot past him, sending snow flying as Law guarded his face. When he lowered his arms finally, he saw Doflamingo rise from the ground like a creature outlined by the sun's dying light. His sunglasses glinted, deep magenta shards of glass, staring straight into Law's eyes.

He was wearing his copy-cat coat, the thready feathers quivering in the wind, adding insidious familiarity to his shadowy form.

"After all the kindness and mercy I've shown you..." He leered in a tone like a snake flicking its tongue and he curled his hands. "After all the effort and time I've put into making you live, you return my kindness by what—!?" Doflamingo ripped penta-chromatic strings from the air, narrowly slicing Law's legs off. Snow shot in the air, fleeing the impact. "Running?"

Doflamingo lunged forward, another attack poised, and Law's fingers twitched frantically, bullets of sweat falling from his face and into the snow.

"Room!" He turned his wrist. "Shambles!" 

A fallen tree appeared in his place and Doflamingo sneered, slicing right through it.

"Law, you brat!" Doflamingo grit his teeth. His shoulders tense as he leaned forward, stomping through the snow with hands at ready, strings bouncing between his thumb and ring finger. 

Law wasn't far ahead, laying on the ground, coughing blood and bile. He leaned weakly against a tree stump with his head angled backward, gasping for air. His heart was pounding.

It seemed to be making every other part of his body ill... Or maybe that was a sign of Doc Q's sickness growing worse in his system.

Opening his eyes, Law turned his gaze towards the clouds, watching everything start to blur.

He could feel that sinking feeling on the back of his neck. He'd been trying to save his energy for the past few days to either escape or incapacitate Doflamingo, but whatever strength he had gathered, was wasting quickly away. His trembling hand caught the edge of the tree stump and he tried to stand. It took two attempts before he made it back on his feet, but once he did, he leaned down, catching his bleeding chest in his arm.

He wasn't sure how long he was going to last. Law rubbed his bloodied lips clean, trying to move forward, but he nearly toppled as his vision swam and more blood rose up his throat, leaving perfect evidence behind for Doflamingo to find.

"Damn..." he whispered in a gruff helpless voice. Law wobbled forward, catching his weight on nearby trees as he staggered through the woods, witnessing the world around him grow more distant. His heart was rapid-firing. He hated to admit it, not even to the snow and trees around him, but he was scared. It didn't seem terribly unreasonable to want to live.

The sound of strings being thrown through the air burned the tips of Law's ears and he spun around, hitting the snow as a whip slashed straight through the trees, slicing each and every one of them in half. 

Law scrambled to his feet, his boots struggling to gain traction as he stumbled in the opposite direction, arms clutching his aching chest as acid and bile escaped his throat. He swallowed hard, holding out a hand, his fingers burning as he conjured another Room. 

"Shambles!"

Using anything and everything he could, Law propelled himself further through the woods in a desperate attempt to shake Doflamingo off his track. Nothing he did seemed to work though. He could hear Doflamingo's strings whipping adamantly, slicing down anything that got in his way.

Law winced, shoving a hand through his hair, then down to his face, partially covering one eye. This couldn't be happening to him... Stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere with little to know strength left. It was difficult enough just trying to run. Every one of Law's limbs were aching from his fight with Blackbeard, and trying to stay steady on his feet was making him sicker and weaker.

He tried to keep it down, tried to keep cool, but just as he thought he was losing Doflamingo on his tail, several dozen strings shot out of nowhere and pierced his body. The world turned black and white, Law like a silhouette of agony before he collapsed to the snow, wailing in pain.

He keeled slightly, still partially on his knees as his trembling fingers caught beads of dark blood falling into his hands. He couldn't afford to lose anymore, he barely had much to work with.

Law struggled to his feet all over again, his brows twitching as he looked over his shoulder, seeing the darkened silhouette of Doflamingo's feathery coat and his magenta sunglasses stalking towards him in the distance. Even as blurry as his vision was, Law could almost sense Doflamingo's smile in the air as his unsteady fingers flexed.

He tried to conjure another Room, but the faint blue glow only made it as far as his palm before disappearing. Law cursed.

"I need to buy myself some time," he whispered, his head hanging down in partial defeat as he darted off, one arm clutching his chest and the other aiding his momentum. There was only so far he could go before he reached the edge of Monk Island. Bullet strings shot past him in a relentless barrage and Law narrowly dodged out of the way, leaping to the side and rolling partially through the snow behind a tree to catch his breath. One hand settled over his heart and his head hit the trunk, fingers clasping the strings keeping his wounds shut. Doflamingo was relentless.

Law peered around the side of tree, not seeing the demon until the tree bisected into pieces and Law jolted to his feet, running. 

"Always so stubborn, Law!" Doflamingo called and Law stared over his shoulder, teeth barred in fear. Doflamingo wasn't far behind, seemingly gliding through the air.

Raising one arm, he tore penta-chromatic strings from the air again, lashing them across the ground, shredding Law's back.

Bloodied tears shown through his shirt and Law stumbled, trying to catch himself before he could fall. He threw a hand backward, forcing every fiber of his body to conjure Room, and with staggering effort, he had a bit of success. The Room was barely bigger than himself, but just as another set of strings shot towards him, he flicked his wrist, replacing the strings with tree roots and vines.

He was barely getting away.

Law frowned, still clenching his jaw. The ghostly blue bubble disappeared and he started to cough. He'd pushed himself to hard, nearly losing his footing again. Law grasped a nearby tree, using it to change his direction. He pushed himself out of the way, barely missing another barrage of string bullets. A few managed to scrape his arm and forehead as he toppled to the snow, curling up to hold his chest as it enflamed with pain.

Law's mouth fell open in response, but he suppressed the sounds and gasped instead. He couldn't force himself to stand. His legs had given out, but with final efforts, Law propped himself up and dragged his legs beneath him to try and stand.

His arms shook uncontrollably, a cold sweat sliding down his face.

He couldn't do it.

Law slumped beneath the weight of gravity and a shadow overfell him. His head lashed around, but the back of Doflamingo's hand struck him across the face and he crumpled to the snow in a shaking heap of limbs. The forest seemed to grow sickeningly quiet and Law grasped his face, feeling his skin burn from the heated strike.

"It's all you can do... to stand, isn't it?" He heard Doflamingo's deep tone as the ex-warlord watched Law curl into himself, his body twitching and convulsing from stress and exhaustion.

Doflamingo stood closer, using his foot to toss Law onto his back and he forced his heel against the kid's chest, pressing down. 

Law immediately began to gasp and cough, the sounds quickly divulging into yells as he struggled to breathe.

Doflamingo laughed. "You're a tough one, I'll give you that, Law. Maybe I should just skewer you." He raised a hand, little strings darting across his large, calloused palm. "It's such a shame that you've fought this hard, and for no reward. It's saddening. Miserable even."

Law glared at the demon's pink sunglasses, certain he could see the milky white and pin-prick of red staring at him from behind. Law could barely breathe anymore and trying to focus on Doflamingo's taunts was nearly impossible now. His ears were ringing louder and louder, and Law watched, with sickening weariness as the world drained into white spots.

Damn... What is this... feeling...? Law thought, still gasping to fill lungs that refused to listen He couldn't make out any of Doflamingo's words, let alone the ice cold feeling of the snow on his torn back or even the pain in his chest as the demon's obnoxious dress shoes pressed into him. It was all just... disappearing.

Doflamingo's sneer glinted in the auburn crest of dusk and he held a hand back. Another strike but Law didn't flinch. He barely felt it. Law's head was swimming faster then he could stop it, but he refused to give in. He clutched Doflamingo's ankle, trying to shove it away with little to no success. 

Law's skin prickled with fear and the near beginnings of frostbite as his fingers turned blue.

Doflamingo scowled down at Law, preparing to strike him a third time.

"Are you listening to me? Take this seriously. This isn't the time to die!" He shouted, rearing his hand again when Law's eyes glazed over and his head lolled to the side, strewing strands of dark hair, his chest fluttering into shallowness. 

Doflamingo froze.

Was he dead? 

Law didn't move as Doflamingo pulled his foot away. Law's chest was struggling to rise. Maybe this was it. Maybe Law was finally dying. 

Doflamingo clenched his hands, pressing his nails into his palms. Despite this being the outcome he'd hoped for, he didn't actually feel much pleasure in watching Law, in his most pitiful state, cling to life. He was clasping his chest, arching in agony like a fish flopping to breath. Law's eyes had shut, but he continued to twitch and cough, speckles of red dripping off his lips.

Doflamingo's brows lowered on his forehead, hiding partially behind the rims of his glasses as he stared at Law. It was what he wanted, so why didn't he feel satisfied? Was it not satisfying enough to see Law spiraling into death? No. Maybe—the corner of Doflamingo's lip twitched—he needed to die faster.

Without thinking, Doflamingo raised his heel and delivered a sharp bash to the center of Law's ribs and a blood-curdling crack echoed through the trees. There was a sickening pause before Law screamed, his arms curling towards his heart as he kicked his legs, his body slumping in the snow as he pressed his heels to the ground, arching and tossing in agony. He scraped at his ribcage, a huge bruise overwhelming the yellowing ones painting his skin.

Doflamingo stared in fascination.

It still didn't satisfy him, but he'd wasted enough energy kicking down Law who hadn't an ounce of strength to fight back. At this point, it would only be cruel to keep going, and though Doflamingo had no problem with being cruel, he just... didn't have the patience. 

Maybe he was asking for too much, hoping Law's death would feel good. Maybe it was because he'd seen Law so close to death already, so many times, that it didn't faze him anymore. Still though. It didn't make it any less disappointing. 

Doflamingo decided it was too sentimental to offer Law any last words. He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned his back on him, dress shoes crunching softly in the blood splattered snow. He could hear Law's gasps grow fainted and fainter, and somehow, that made his heart beat faster. It was almost ridiculous how easily the problem had solved itself, but as Doflamingo moved further away, he stepped into a particularly large puddle of Law's blood and stared at it, enamored by the color.

He could still see a glimpse of it in his mind. A smaller, much weaker Law hunched over amongst the piles of scrap on Spider Miles, rubbing a terribly broken hand over his mouth, turning his tired eyes towards Rosinante who stood on the balcony. Doflamingo hovered beside his brother. He could almost remember in perfect memory the sounds Law was making. That kid would never cry, but when it was obvious he was holding back tears, he'd grit his teeth and breathe through them, making the smallest, most imperceptible whine of frustration.

Looking down at the snow now, Doflamingo could hear that exact same noise coming from behind. He needed Law to die faster or his resolve would keep ebbing beneath the stupid weight of sentiment and memory.

Just to prove it to himself that he didn't care, Doflamingo turned towards Law, arms hanging at his side, hands flexed as he watched the kid's body stiffen and fight with little to no success. Doflamingo breathed deeply through his nose, feeling it wrinkle in disgust as his heart beat faster. Looking at Law was having the complete opposite effect on him. He almost couldn't force himself to watch it happen, but he did so anyway, clenching his jaw and berating himself for feeling anything but disdain. 

But then Law did it again. That hissing, gruff sort of whine.

The veins on Doflamingo's head streaked all the way up towards his hairline.

He could've sworn the smell of gun smoke hit him in that moment and sweat gathered on his brow. He squeezed his hands, every joint in his fingers down to his wrist, crunching.

"Damn you..." he cursed, rubbing his forehead. He turned towards Law, the kid's body gradually slowing. 

He should let Law die. It would be one less thing off his plate, but as he saw his chest fluttering for air, the kid's legs kicking and pushing against the ground, creating little valley's in the snow, Doflamingo couldn't force himself to take another step.

...If you kill that boy, I'll never forgive you...

It was so infuriating, all Doflamingo could do was smile and clutch his head, his body arching backwards, letting the sound of his maddened, screaming laughter echo across the snow before snuffing themselves into silence.

"Damn you, Rosinante..." He grunted, forcing himself to walk back towards Law, seeing him struggle and toss, his hazy eyes struggling to stay open. "Damn you..."

Giving one last pathetic chuckle, he leaned towards Law, grasping him by the hair and lifting his head. Law didn't fight back, merely breathing through his teeth, making more of those frustrated whines. Doflamingo couldn't help himself. So what if he was changing his mind again? He didn't need to explain himself to anyone. He was a god from Mary Geosie. If he decided he'd let Law live, then that was that. 

Who was to stop him? Who was to tell him no?

Doflamingo smiled. Exactly.

He scooped Law up, staring at the boy who still fit perfectly in one arm. He was as light as ever.

Doflamingo treaded through the forest back the way he came, taking a moment every once in a while, to glance at Law. The kid's skin was as white as a sheet of paper. It probably wasn't long before he died, but if Doflamingo could do something, really do something about it, he wouldn't.

Law quivered as Doflamingo returned him to the abandoned house. It had grown considerably colder inside since Doflamingo destroyed the door, small scattered galaxies of snowflakes gathered across the carpet.

Carrying Law upstairs, he deposited him inside one of the warmer rooms he'd been sleeping in for the past couple of nights, dropping his body on the floor beneath the window, using his strings to shackle him to the broken heater. He dusted his hands off when he was done, crouching in front of Law instead and using his thumb to angle the kid's face in his direction.

"It won't be long now.." Doflamingo warned, his hand traveling towards Law's chest. He waved some of his fingers above Law's skin and the strings keeping his wounds shut gradually loosened. Doflamingo shot several microscopic strands through Law's skin, cutting and mending the broken things inside his body.

Law started to toss and turn, his brows twitching in pain and he barred his teeth. Doflamingo ignored him, flicking his forefinger and tugging at a particular string to rebind part of Law's innards that had been sliced. As he continued his work, he watched the color return to Law's face and his constantly tremoring heart seemed to give way to ease. 

Doflamingo smirked.

Rising to his feet, he shoved Law against the wall with his foot, making sure he wasn't sprawled awkwardly on the floor anymore as he flicked a few of his fingers, the clone of his coat jerking off his shoulder and into his hand.

Doflamingo leaned down, tucking it beneath Law's chin and covering his quivering body. "Get better, Law. I'm demanding it of you. I'm not the type to feel rue, but I'm certain Corazon is looking down at you, shaking his foolish head. You had better get better."

He stood, turning. Doflamingo immediately doubled backward. An old crow's feather had fluttered off a nearby shelf, right into Doflamingo's path. He stiffened his expression, using his heel to ground the feathers into the wood before he kicked it off and moved on, ducking his head as he exited the room.

With one last glance at Law's pathetic figure slumped against the wall, Doflamingo turned and shook his head, shutting the door behind him.

It got worse before it got better, and Law had suffered enough fitful sleeps to last a lifetime.

He'd never fully recovered since his scuffle with Doflamingo. Law stayed unintelligible throughout the day, keeled over against the wall, held up by the red, irritated wrist shackled to the heater as his dark hair hung towards the floor.

What came as more of a surprise was that Doflamingo actually felt the smallest bit bad for him. Not out of genuine worry or guilt though, but more so the kind of pity that bordered along the lines of annoyance.

When Law wasn't passed out, drooling blood and saliva that Doflamingo would begrudgingly wipe away with Tsuru's hanky, he was turning and moaning in pain, never really shutting up. When he did though, it was abrupt and in random intervals, which annoyed Doflamingo to no end because he'd think the fool had gone and died.

Just to keep some ease of mind, and fractions of his sanity, Doflamingo would sit in a chair beside Law sometimes, reading for hours as he kept a close eye on the pitiful pile of limbs that groaned for relief. Even if Law wasn't at the brink of death anymore, he seemed to have only gotten worse, and his consciousness was suffering for it.

It was getting boring having a non-verbal prisoner sitting around as Law's health continued to tank. Doflamingo would try to speak to him on occasion—try to taunt him like old times—but Law's words only came back jumbled and incoherent. This stretched on for days, and the longer it lasted for, the more Doflamingo noticed a decline in Law's lucidity as his unknown illness reached the peak of its intensity. 

The day it got the worse, the ex-warlord woke before the sun, enjoying a cup of red wine he'd found in the cellar of an abandoned liquor house down the street. He sat outside, swishing the wine around in his hands, enjoying the natural colors of dawn without his sunglasses. The clouds turned from a deep grey, to a light black, growing closer to a muddled yellow... then orange. 

It was beautiful, though, nothing to brag about in comparison to the sunrises in Dressrosa. Sometimes Doflamingo missed it: the passion, the music, the dancing, the wine...

He took a slow sip of his drink when a heavy thud came from upstairs, causing him to pause. It sounded like Law had finally woken, or at least, whatever half-alive-half-dead state he was constantly in.

It remained peaceful for a few minutes more, but as Doflamingo was getting ready to sip his glass again, the thudding came and he lifted his eyes towards the second floor, observing snow saunter from heaven onto his face, the sound persisting.

ドン. . . ドン. . . (dondon)

ドン. . . ドン. . .

Doflamingo felt his lips and eyes twitch simultaneously, gulping down the last of his wine before he pulled on his sunglasses and moved to check on Law. When he opened the door, Law was slouched against the wall, tossing and yelling, his arms wrapped around himself like something inside of him was trying to eat his organs.

The room was extremely cold.

Doflamingo didn't move, nor did he look particularly worried as he watched Law from the doorway. The kid banged his head against the wall, sweat coursing down his face and arms in obvious, thick sheens. He looked like he was suffering. Like hell if Doflamingo cared though.

Doflamingo couldn't help but smile. He stepped forward, watching the pathetic display of agony play out before him as Law's eyes struggled to open. He tucked his chin against his chest, gasping in the heat of his misery, "C-Cora..." 

Doflamingo froze, one very long leg left hovering mid-stride.

He wanted to bash this brat's head in, determined to shut him up for the next seven days, but as Law slouched further, the faux pink-feathery coat slid down his shoulders, revealing patchy white skin.

Doflamingo's eyes grew huge. It... It couldn't be. 

White Lead Disease? That was impossible. 

Law had cured himself of that years ago... 

Unless...

Unless the disease Doc Q afflicted Law with was nothing but an exacerbation of every illness Law had ever had. He'd certainly gone through enough symptoms to explain as much.

Over the past few days, Law had suffered everything from a sore throat and fever to phantom limb pain of an arm he still had. But now this? This simply wouldn't do, and what was worse was that the more Doflamingo looked at it, the more of an eight-year old he saw in the brat's face. He was quivering and trembling like a kid all over again, eyes winced shut, one wrist suspended over his head against the heater. 

"Law."

Doflamingo's voice was firm, but there was no response. The kid mumbled incoherently to himself as his tattooed fingers gripped his pounding head.

He whined gruffly, trying to find a comfortable position to rest in, but there was only so much comfort someone shackled to the wall could find.

Doflamingo tapped his foot, considering his options.

He left the room eventually, returning with a small glass of water. He clunked it twice against Law's forehead and the kid flinched, eyes opening wearily to look at it. His fingers quivered as they wrapped around it, nearly dropping the thing as he brought the glass to his lips and drank in small, shallow increments. The majority of it ended up going down his chin, but once the glass was empty, Law's arms collapsed and he shut his eyes, the drinking glass rolling off his chest and onto the cold, wooden floor.

Doflamingo watched with some strange, perturbed fascination.

Had Law been all there, he would've tossed the glass across the room and claimed that the ex-warlord was trying to poison him, but he just took it and drank with little to no self preservation.

Doflamingo just almost smiled.

Law's clothes were soaked through at this point, a mix of sweat and the water that had rolled down his chin.

"What a sad sight you are," Doflamingo sighed. Fufufufu... "You don't even know what's going on anymore... do you? I feel bad for you, Law. I can't imagine what it must be like. To be a weak, pathetic vagabond that no one cares for. But, oh, someone does!" Doflamingo crouched on the tips of his shoes, taking Law's jaw and turning it side to side. "There's no point in kicking a downed dog. I've always had a soft spot for helpless, miserable children like you. I couldn't bring myself to hurt you even if you had begged for it," he laughed.

Law didn't react.

The sound of wind rushing through the broken windows saturated the silence and Doflamingo felt a flare of irritation.

He looked at Law thoughtfully, threatening to break his jaw. The kid hadn't moved much, his slender face resting in Doflamingo's hand with unusual ease like he were soaking up its warmth. Doflamingo raised a brow, almost confused. "Law?"

A low groan came in response and Doflamingo shook the boy around, watching as the boy tossed and turned, his groans of pain abruptly heightening into yells and agonized crying as if his sickness was hitting in waves.

Law gripped his body with stiff hands, rubbing feverishly at the white patches across his skin as Doflamingo stepped back.

He'd never seen Law cry before, not even when he'd cut the brat's arm off! So this was damn near impossible.

Doflamingo stared at Law like he was a decomposing corpse, eyes narrowed behind the safety of his sunglasses. There was a part of him that found it almost... funny. To see Law cry was like witnessing a thousand sunrises all at once, and that, he was certain, was more beautiful than the ones in Dressrosa.

"Look at you, you're like a baby... Small, weak, and helpless..." Doflamingo leaned down, flicking Law on the forehead, finding his disposition thoroughly amusing. "You can't fight back." ピッ! (Flick!). "You can't argue." ピッ! "You're completely—!" ピッ! "And utterly—!" ピッ! "Useless!"

ピッ! 

Doflamingo burst into laughter.

He didn't even care if it hurt anymore. He arched backwards, one hand covering his glasses as he cackled. His barred teeth glinted in the morning light like cheek-splitting streaks of amusement. When he turned back to Law, he licked his teeth and watched the boy grasp his hair, tears streaming down his sullen, pale cheeks. The anguish in his face was delicious, and all Doflamingo could do was stare.

Leaning down, he placed a hand on Law's head and stroked his damp hair with uncharacteristic gentleness, the smug look on his face never leaving. If Doflamingo was lucky, he could dangle this over Law's head for years to come, and just knowing the stupidly genuine brat Corazon had raised, Law would be forced to live the rest of his days feeling indebted to Doflamingo.

They could get into spats all he wanted, but as long as Law felt like he owed something to him, actually killing him would be almost impossible. And, sure, Law wasn't the most honest or virtuous of pirates, but he lived by a code of ethics built on the same values that killed Corazon. 

"Now this is providence," Doflamingo grinned, reaching out and grabbing Law's face, lifting it so they were looking at each other. Law's eyes were barely open "There's no need to cry, Law," he cooed mockingly as he used his thumb to wipe away some of Law's tears from his cheek. "This isn't like you at all. Since when were you tearful? It seems Doc Q has already done me the favor of killing that terrible hubris of yours."

Law's eyes slowly shut while Doflamingo was speaking and another series of chills wracked his body, his bony fingers grasping his chest.

Doflamingo deliberately pitied him.

His exacerbation of White Lead Disease was gradually reappearing in the exact same places they'd been when he was a child.

It brought back terrible memories; not terrible in their essence, but in the emotions it provoked. He hated to feel sentimental, but hidden in the privacy of Monk Island, far from the prying eyes of his family, Doflamingo allowed himself to unshackle Law's wrist and scoop him into his arms.

He weighed barely anything.

Doflamingo smirked, finding it quite humorous. He leaned Law in one arm while the other stroked his sweat-laden hair, smoothing it backward. He was so pathetic... so pitiful. A reoccurring observation he adamantly repeated. There was just something so satisfying about holding a boy as vehement and cold as Law without him trying to fight back. He just laid there, docile for the first time in years, and Doflamingo was drinking every last ounce of it up.

He hadn't gotten this close to Law in a long time. His heart was pounding, feeling like he'd just managed to subdue a wild animal. That's what Law reminded him of. An untamable, stubborn animal that one couldn't simply domesticate. 

But now? 

Doflamingo chuckled and took a few steps back, lounging in the arm chair by the window before laying Law across his lap like a cat.

Now his efforts had finally paid off. 

He danced his fingers over Law's head and tugged at random strands of the his hair, testing to see if Law would regain consciousness and fight back, but he didn't. He just laid there, fidgeting and tossing as his hands scraped the white patches beneath his shirt, the skin around his eyes a shade of grey.

Doflamingo smiled, continuing to pet Law's hair with a look one might give a gun seconds before firing it. Like it was dangerous and powerful and abusable. 

"Sleep, Law," Doflamingo spoke, not to comfort him, but like a demand. "It's only right you keep living. I refuse to let you die by Blackbeard's hands," he snickered, tracing a finger down Law's nose, tapping the very tip. "I wouldn't even argue if you told me you were going to kill him one day. You should. You could. I don't have a doubt about that."

Law shifted, wrapping his arms around himself and tucking his chin to his chest in a way that made Doflamingo feel... strange. He'd seen him do that once when he was a child. Doflamingo swallowed, the expression in his face void. He leaned back, throwing his legs up on the window sill before using a book he'd been reading to cover his face. Watching Law sleep made him want to do the same and his head fell backward over the edge of the chair. Doflamingo shut his eyes, arms mindlessly crossing over and resting on Law's lower back.

For a perfect moment, he felt like he was back in Spider Miles and the brat was napping on his chest during a particularly bad exacerbation of his disease. Rosinante was smoking a cigarette on the balcony, messing with Baby 5 and Buffalo, while the rest of his crew plotted their next raid.

Doflamingo felt his lips brush the pages of the book covering his face as he smiled. Maybe this was providence.

He stayed that way for hours, time moving with dream-like slowness until he felt Law shift in his arms some time later. He removed the book off his face and stacked it against the window to look down at Law, watching the kid shift and grumble. Law's cheek was pressed against his shoulder, arms curled up and his legs drawn into the ex-warlord's lap. 
Doflamingo wished he could immortalize this moment. Not because he found sentiment in the whole thing, but because it amused him to see Law in such a state of disorientation. 

He shifted the boy, lifting him slightly by the waist so he could wrap his whole hand around his skinny arm. Law might've been tall and muscular to normal people, but to him, he was small. He played around with Law's arm, moving it and bending his small fingers before laying it down to look at his face. God. He hated that sleeping face because it made him hate Law a little less. He looked so defenseless and sick for such a morbid, infamous pirate. The Surgeon of Death, they called him.

"What a corny title," Dolfamingo thought out loud, lifting Law off his lap and placing him on the floor, unbothered to cuff him back to the wall. He doubted he'd be going anywhere any time soon.

Doflamingo left the room to get more water. The sun had finally begun to set in the distance of Monk Island, casting warm light through the windows. The snow looked golden and Doflamingo lifted his sunglasses to look at it without their rosy influence.

It didn't snow in Dressrosa. This was beautiful.

"What... What time is it...?"

Doflamingo spun around, sunglasses falling back to the bridge of his nose to see a disorientated Law gripping the wall for support. He hadn't heard him come down. Law looked around like he didn't recognize where he was... or what was happening... His hand rubbing the side of his irritated looking face. No longer those peaceful features.

Doflamingo stayed silent. He examined Law with large eyes, waiting for the kid to snap out of it and attack. To yell, curse, and try to kill him, but he... didn't. He just rubbed his hair, half-lidded eyes sweeping the cold room, examining the powdery white collections of snow that had snuck in through the broken windows. 

Law scratched harshly at the white patches on his skin now before rubbing his arms. He looked a bit pathetic. But mostly annoyed.

"You're up." Doflamingo's tone was bland, like he was waiting for Law's demeanor to change, but nothing happened. He just stumbled forward, making his way stiffly towards Doflamingo. The man flexed his huge hands, strings stretching between his fingers to strike Law when got close enough, but Law just reached for the counter, taking the glass from Doflamingo's hands instead and chugging the water down like he hadn't drank anything in years. He threw it in the sink when it was empty, his whole body shivering, unable to support himself as he leaned against the sink.

Doflamingo froze, hand waiting midair. That was... unusual.

Without thinking, Doflamingo leaned the back of his legs against the counter and crossed his arms to look down at Law. The kid was yawning, tattooed fingers rubbing exhausted eyes. Oh. He was definitely out of it. Law probably wouldn't even remember any of this happened to him. His demeanor was just too bizarre. "Tired?" Doflamingo asked and Law nodded, scratching the white patches on his face again. "Don't do that." Doflamingo flicked Law's fingers away. He remembered when the 'Surgeon of Death' had done that as a child. It only made his suffering worse though. Not that Doflamingo didn't like to see the brat suffer, but there was a time and place for everything.

Law's head tilted backward to look at Doflamingo, and the man returned the stare, a hint of amusement in his face. He reached out, tentatively ruffling Law's hair. It seemed like the cogs in Law's head were turning, trying to remember why he hated a face like Doflamingo's, but with every illness he'd ever had showing up in waves, his brain was probably overheated and fried trying to keep his immune system from shutting down. 

Law looked away, letting his head fall against gravity now. His shoulders slumped. He might've collapsed too had Doflamingo not reached out to grab his arm and prevent him from keeling over. 

Law was visibly shivering, fingers flexing and twitching like he wanted to scratch at the white spots on his skin beore Doflamingo held out an arm, smiling even wider. 

"You look like death, Law," he lowly chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised if you died any second. You look weak. How miserable you've become." He coaxed Law closer, and to his surprise, Law actually leaned forward, resting his forehead on Doflamingo's chest to absorb the larger man's warmth.

Doflamingo didn't move, the smile faltering. He hadn't expected Law to actually listen. He just stared down at him, first perturbed, then absolutely elated at Law's confused state. It was like the past fourteen years hadn't happened—a future where things went in Doflamingo's favor.

He placed a hand over the back of Law's head, rubbing his thumb through his hair and letting the kid just stand there. There was so much he could catch up on. So many things he could do that he'd never gotten to due to Law's impudence and notoriously rebellious behavior.

Now Law was sick, dependent, and confused. Three things an idiot could take advantage of.

It was as easy as enslaving a whole country with party tricks.

"Law, what a sad shadow you've become. I almost can't recognize the pirate I met in Dressrosa." Doflamingo leaned down, wrapping his arms around the kid to lift him up and Law's head plummeted to his shoulder. He remembered doing something similar to this when the brat had been even smaller. "We could still be a family, y'know," he mused out loud, carrying the kid back upstairs. "Forget the Heart Pirates. You can be my right hand. I'll help you kill Blackbeard. You might even have a chance of becoming King of the Pirates before that sandal-wearing imp does." 

Doflamingo's thoughts were running rampant. Was there a way he could keep Law like this forever? Maybe if Law never got better, he'd stay this way. Confused and dependent. Though... he probably wasn't very strong like this. As much as Doflamingo desired Law's loyalty, he respected his ability even more. It didn't seem terribly unreasonable though to trade off the brat's strength for misery for the time being. Doflamingo had been waiting years for a chance like this. 

He sat in his chair by the window again, sitting Law in his lap as he picked his book up to read. Law didn't argue. He didn't complain or throw insults or try to get up. He just shut his eyes, crossing his arms tiredly and laying his cheek against Doflamingo's chest. He was probably drawn to the ex-warlord's warmth—like a big heater to soothe the white patches on his skin.

They'd been painful when he was a child. That much he knew.

Doflamingo glanced at the white splotches, running his hands over Law's chest to outline each of their blotchy edges. It was so strange to see them again. A bit troubling even.

He took Law's hand, prodding it with his fingers.

"It might make you feel better," Doflamingo grinned, a younger Law standing before him, arms crossed, scowling.

"I don't need a hug. I don't need anyone. I want to destroy things," Law seethed. "I'm not weak like you think I am."

"I don't think you're weak at all," Doflamingo insisted, laying a hand to his head and holding back a laugh. This kid was hilarious. There was so much of his younger self in those words. That cold desire to just take and destroy. "Come here, Law," Doflamingo insisted, leaning down with his arms outstretched. "You're part of the family now, aren't you? Brothers should embrace."

"Brothers?" Law's tone was annoyed. Not like he didn't want such a thing, but like the thought of siblings made him sick. Doflamingo frowned. He reached out, taking Law's arm and forcefully drawing him closer so he could lift him onto his thigh. Law was so small, he fit there perfectly.

"When brother's hug," Doflamingo spoke, "it's a sign of trust." He took Law's hand and traced his itty-bitty fingers with a smirk. "You can easily kill a man when he can't see your face and hands. You're at your most vulnerable. Always remember that, Law. I choose to embrace those I trust because a smart man would strike me down in my moment of vulnerability, but my family would never betray me."

"I still don't like them... Hugs." Law watched Doflamingo's hands outline the white spots on his skin, and Doflamingo chuckled.

"You should learn to," he advised. "You learn quickly who your family is."

Law scoffed. His small features twisted in a scowl. "Tch! I've never seen you hug Corazon before."

Doflamingo's eyes widened.

The coldness of Monk Island returned in an icy draft of wind, his hands gripping Law's arm with unusual tightness. He'd never trusted his brother enough to hug him. Not since they were kids. And yet... as Doflamingo looked down at the grown-up brat in his arms, he suddenly wondered what it would've been like to hug Rosinante. Just once. For old time's sake.
There was undeniable flaw in his philosophy because he knew, had he hugged Corazon in his final moments, his brother wouldn't have struck him down. Because Corazon was not a smart man.

He was a flawed man. And he was his brother. 

Doflamingo's mouth turned dry, grimacing.

Rosinante was so predictable, he hated him for it. He wished his brother had surprised him that day. He wouldn't have even been totally mad if Rosinante did shoot him, he just would've been pleased to know that he wasn't so hopelessly better than him. Because Rosinante was a better man. Doflamingo wasn't blind. His brother had never desired for revenge or violence the same way he did, not once. Even when he had as much of a right to.

Rosinante had been there when his mother died; had never forgotten the heat of the fire the townsfolk lit beneath them that night. He was there when Doflamingo pulled the trigger and hacked off his father's head with a rusty, blunt knife, and Rosinante's sobs had spread across the entire beach as he slammed his small fists in the sand and watched him do it, begging him to stop.

Doflamingo reached his fingers beneath his sunglasses to massage his eyes.

Rosinante's morality disgusted him.

Sometimes he wished he was still alive just so he could slap him upside the head. How miserable it was to be disappointed by one's own brother. He hoped Law would shape up soon, otherwise, he'd end up the same way. A necessary evil. A mean that justifies the end.

Law's eyes opened slowly as if sensing Doflamingo's internal warfare, and Doflamingo looked down at him, loosening his grip on the kid's arm. Law looked exhausted. His eyelids kept trying to close, but he forced them open as he stared out the window, catching final rays of light. The sun was gone, welcoming a dull grey to the sky—the limbo space between the sun and moon just after dusk.

"Law." Doflamingo whispered darkly, stroking his fingers through the kid's hair before pinching the boy's cheek a little too tightly. Like he wanted to rip his skin off. "Don't disappoint me."

Law said nothing, falling asleep again shortly after.

Days turned to weeks and Law's illness still hadn't let up. Doflamingo was even more perturbed when he realized he was actually settling into this arbitrary, quiet life quite nicely. His days were slow and peaceful, filled by reading, day-drinking, and endless pondering that often turned maddening, but he didn't mind.

He removed his sunglasses as he stood in the bathroom, examining outgrown shaggy hair, a two o'clock shadow, and a single dead eye staring back. Doflamingo grumbled. He wet his hands in the sink, lathering an old bar of goat's milk soap between his hands before smoothing it over his face and flicking a string between his thumb and middle-finger, using it to shave the outgrown hairs on his face.

He wasn't sure how much longer he planned on living on Monk Island without a care in the world. It was nice, sure, but invitation of Crocodile's business venture lingered in the back of his mind. And then, even further back, was Tsuru.

He hated to admit it. He kind of missed her.

"Tch." Doflamingo grumbled at himself. Was he turning soft, or was he just going crazy? It was hard to tell. He'd sworn he'd seen glimpses of Rosinante standing over his bed some nights, nearly causing him to catapult Law off his chest as he sat up in a cold sweat, relieved when he realized his deceased brother was not back to haunt him. "Unbelievable," Doflamingo thought out loud, swishing his hand in the sink to clean away the hair before flicking the string between his fingers again and leaning in, preparing to continue when he heard a nearby door open.

Doflamingo paused, leaning backward to see Law hobbling out of his room. He still looked sickly, the white patches on his skin having overtaken even more surface area. He'd better not die, was the only thought that went through Doflamingo's head as he looked at him. Not that he was scared of such a thing happening, but that it was be notoriously stupid if he did after all the doting and cooing and smothering he'd been laying upon Law's shoulders.

He couldn't describe it, but Doflamingo could tell that Law wasn't totally coherent. He could walk and talk and think, sure, but his mannerisms were too unusual to suggest he was all there. After all, Law would have rather fallen on his own sword, then sleep curled up against Doflamingo's side, and he'd already been doing that every night since he'd ended up this disorientated.

"Good morning," Doflamingo mumbled, cleaning his hand off again, no longer looking at Law. His face was starting to look a little better. Nice and clean shaven. Now all he had to do was figure out how to properly cut this outgrown hair. Back in Impel Down, Tsuru had been doing a wonderful job of taking care of it for him. Of course, only after much nagging and insistence and low-effort sulking. 

At her core, Tsuru was meant to care, even when she didn't want to.

Doflamingo rubbed his face clean with the water, slowly glancing over at Law again to see the kid just staring at him like he was staring at the sun itself.

"What?" Doflamingo asked. He was hoping Law wasn't having another seizure-like episode, which had happened once or twice in the middle of the night when he'd woken up shaking all over. But Law wasn't shaking. Well, he was. Really badly actually, but not like he was having a seizure. Like he was seeing a ghost.

"Cora...san...?" 

Doflamingo stared dumbstruck, his head turning back to the mirror to realize, with some sick sort of irony, that his out grown hair and the pink feathery coat he'd successfully recreated for real this time, made him look terribly similar to the silhouette of his deceased baby brother.

Doflamingo first smiled. Laughed even. Then he frowned. 

He shot a string between his fingers, ready to shave off every shaggy piece of hair in the blink of an eye. His heart was beating on the outside of his ribs. He couldn't stand to look like him. Like he were afraid he might shoot himself.

"Corazon." 

Law said it with more firmness, and all of a sudden, Doflamingo felt the brat embrace him. He looked down, seeing Law holding him so tight, his arms trembled from the strain. It was so cruel, it actually felt evil to Doflamingo. He considered shoving Law away, unable to stand being physically associated with the innocent, betrayed face of his little brother, but as Law hugged him, he couldn't do it.

Doflamingo felt his vision blur and he gritted his teeth. He picked his sunglasses back up, staring at his reflection a second time. 

Huh. He did look like Corazon. His brother would've laughed at him if he were still here. 

Letting out a breath, Doflamingo's shoulders sagged and he placed the sunglasses away to look down at Law. It felt alien to feel anything that wasn't hate for the brat, but Doflamingo couldn't force himself to feel what he didn't. He wasn't the kind of man who rationalized his feelings to anyone, not even himself. He simply let them in and let them pass, so as he stared down at Law, he allowed himself to rub the boy's back.

It was an awkward action, simply because it wasn't fueled by smug cruelty for once. For all the loving and hugging and hair ruffling he'd been doing to Law for the past few days, this was the first time the action felt genuine. He wasn't doing it to be spiteful, or to display his power over Law's weakened state.

He did it because it felt like the right thing to do, and Doflamingo rarely chose that option.

"Law..." Doflamingo muttered. There wasn't an ounce of joy or humor in his tone. He rubbed his hands down the boy's back and crouched down. For a man that had done nothing but smile his whole life, he couldn't do it. "Law, look at me."

Law blinked. The haze in them was still glaring, signifying he was partially astray somewhere in his foggy mind. It took a second or two, but Law looked at Doflamingo, those cold grey eyes narrowing for a moment, then softening. 

Doflamingo lifted a hand. Was he really about to do this? He'd never get another chance to. 

You never understood Rosinante... I don't expect you to understand that boy...

Doflamingo had to know. His heart burned green with jealousy, desperation, and confusion. He didn't understand why Rosinante did the things he did. He didn't understand why Law came to see him that day in Impel Down. He didn't understand how, two people who had every right to hate and burn this world, could turn into such good, selfless people.

"Law." Doflamingo repeated, his tone a little more sure this time as a smile slipped across his face. It wasn't just a smile though. It wasn't the one he gave when he was mocking Law, or the one he flashed at Tsuru when she handed him the morning paper. It was the kind of smile one does with closed eyes. The kind that leaves them vulnerable enough for smart men to strike down. The kind that stupid, disappointing, dead brothers make. So, as Doflamingo crouched in front of Law, he felt the kid wrap an arm around his neck and bicep tightly, burying his face against his shoulder and hugging him like he'd never been hugged before.

There was a moment of hesitance. A silent, white moment of fear and shock, but Doflamingo couldn't stop smiling. It felt so real. His heartbeat was racing. Was this why Rosinante did the things he did? Was this what it was all for? To share one perfect moment. To feel, for one imperceptible second in time, like the world wasn't out to get you. That it wasn't evil and violent and miserable and there were actually things worth living for.

It was a too-little-too-late sort of epiphany.

Maybe that's why Rosinante didn't pull the trigger that day. For a man who had every reason to keep living, he was willing to die for the only one that mattered to him. Rosinante was a better man. And he loved Law. And as Doflamingo wrapped his arms around Law and pressed his nose against his throat and felt the bounding, frantic pulse of his littlest brother in his arms, he felt, for a few seconds, what it must have been like to be Corazon. 

"Law," Doflamingo whispered. His blood pressure was running so high, he was worried he might suffocate the kid as tight as he was holding him. But he couldn't take it. No one was watching him. There was no Trebol, or Tsuru, or World Government, or Marines, or anyone. It was just him and Law, and right there in the bathroom, Doflamingo lifted Law in his arms and hugged him even tighter. His smile was unrelenting, Law's feet dangling off the floor. "Law." He said it again even more desperate, his fingers carding the boy's hair. "Law, I love you."

Law didn't open his eyes. He didn't say anything. He just hugged what he must've thought was Corazon, his face buried against Doflamingo's shoulders, arms grasping him with deathly tightness.

Doflamingo didn't know what to do, only to keep hugging him. He stroked the brat's stupid hair and leaned back, pressing a short, benevolent kiss to the kid's temple like one might kiss their son. And he held him. 

They must've stayed like that for hours until Doflamingo felt Law grow limp, indicating he'd fallen asleep again. It made him laugh a little, realizing, in all the time he'd been embracing Law, not once did his smile leave. His cheeks actually felt stiff as he shifted Law backward to look at his sleeping face. It shocked him to to see such harsh, angry features look so peaceful.

He took Law back to the bed, laying him down to catch up on rest, but as Doflamingo turned to go, Law woke up—just a little.

"Corazon."

Doflamingo sighed. He turned back.

Part of him was disappointed that Law didn't recognize him for himself, but the other part wanted to hang on to whatever coat tails Rosinante had left behind. See if he could latch onto the last ounces of tender-heartedness Law had left and manipulate that into something that could love him back. 
It couldn't be so hard, or even unrealistic,

"Law," Doflamingo spoke back, looking down at the boy. Law's brows were furrowed, his hand reaching to be taken and, after a moment of contemplation and de-rationalization, he took Law's hand and sat down.

"Nothing," Law grumbled. "I just don't want you to go."

"It's not real, you know."

"It doesn't matter," Law spoke, bleary eyed. He had that look on his face. That stiff, thoughtful, very Law sort of look like he was angry, but just mulling over something in his mind.

"Law," Doflamingo spoke and watched the brat glance up at him. The dark color around his eyes made him look sicker then usual and Doflamingo took a careful moment to consider his words, his eyes looking down at Law's small hand. His vision was still partially blocked by his own outgrown hair. "...Why help my brother?"

There was a stiff breath of silence and Law looked away, considering the question. He shifted his jaw, hazy eyes searching the wall for an answer before he quietly spoke, "I don't know." Doflamingo rolled his eyes, his shoulders deflating. "But, I think..." Law groaned, and a bright look sprung back to Doflamingo's face. "It's what you would've done."

Now that was surprising.

"Me?" 

"I know you loved Doflamingo. He was... the only family you had left. I wanted to kill him because I used to think it's what you would've wanted. Revenge. I'm not saying you would've been a fool and forgave him. I think... you would've pitied him." Doflamingo tried not to sneer, but his mood shifted darkly. "I think you would've loved him so much you would've pitied him." Law cleared his throat and Doflamingo glanced at him, his fingers gripping Law's a little too tightly, but not painful. "You didn't call yourself Corazon for nothing. You were so easy to love. I wanted to kill Doflamingo for what he did to you, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized you weren't the kind of man to do that."

"But what has that got to do with you?" Doflamingo spoke a little impatiently. His tone was growing irked. "You might be whatever is left of all the silly things Rosina—! Of all the things I believed, but my brother did his own things to you. Why would you go to him, even one last time, to do something good?" 

Law rolled onto his back and cracked his neck, thinking about it a little more.

"I think there's a part of me that felt obligated."

"Obligated?" Doflamingo almost laughed. "Why?"

"You cared for me and loved me, but before you did that. When... I'd lost my parents and Lammy, and I didn't have a family anymore... Doflamingo was the one who took me in and gave me a chance. Even for whatever twisted reason made him do it, it would be naïve for me to say he's all black and white. He's evil in a lot of ways, but even I know there are scraps of decency in him. For two years, before you took me away to find a cure for my disease, Doflamingo taught me a lot of things. He taught me how to be smart in a fight. How to stand up for myself and think with my head. His own tactics were the only reason I got as close to killing him as I did..."

Law breathed softly, shutting his eyes to scratch a white patch on his neck and Doflamingo flicked the boy's hand away. "Whether or not I want to pretend like he didn't, the fact is... is," Law sucked in a breath, grumbling, "Doflamingo cared first."

A shot of silence flooded the room and Doflamingo's dead eye twitched.

He didn't realize he'd started gripping Law's hand even harder until the kid wiggled it a little, and he eased the tension, trying to go back to listening. "He read about what happened in Flevence, you know," Law continued. "He read that book for hours just so he could understand what I'd gone through. And he wasn't afraid to touch me. He told everyone I wasn't contagious, even though the rumor of White Lead Disease being transferable had been going around for years. He listened to me and gave me somewhere to sleep and food to eat. Without him... had he not given me a chance, even if it were for a selfish reason, I might've died before I met you."

"I see," Doflamingo mumbled, his grasp on Law's hand a little more mindless at this point. He'd never heard Law mention any of these things. Probably because Corazon took him before he could. "So what you're saying is you felt like you owed him."

"No," Law replied. He sat up and crossed his arms, his face slightly annoyed, but his tone was sincere. "I was thankful."

Doflamingo looked at Law. He didn't smile or frown or even wear an expression of contemplation. He simply looked at him. He'd need a few hours to digest this. Even this was too much sentimentality for him. He needed to disconnect for a little bit. 

"You should sleep," Doflamingo instructed, shoving Law to lay back down, but Law caught him roughly by the wrist. The disorientated, desperate look in his face was more obvious then ever. 

"Don't go yet," he asked. "Just stay. At least until I fall asleep. You have no idea how long I've been waiting to talk to you."

"I'm sure he has no idea," Doflamingo sighed and sat down beside Law, letting go of his hand. The two stayed side-by-side. It wasn't long before Law fell asleep again, but as he did, Doflamingo stared at him. He gritted his teeth, troubled. Almost regretful for everything he'd just heard. 

"I almost can't bring myself to kill you anymore," Doflamingo breathed, a splinter of teeth starting to show as he stood and crossed his arms. "And here I thought I could dangle this over your head for the next hundred years. Now I couldn't be bothered to kill you if my life depended on it. You've said too much, Law. Now I'm feeling sentimental. It bothers me." Doflamingo looked away, smiling again. He pressed a hand over his sunglasses, leaning forward and sickly chuckling. "I used to think you were like me when you were a kid. Now all I see is Rosinante, and I can't help but hate you for it."

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Doflamingo moved out of the bedroom towards the bathroom instead to cut his hair, talking more to himself now then anything else. "What a sick joke," he grinned. "As if I could kill my brother a second time." He turned on the water, extending two strings between his index and middle finger like a pair of scissors, cutting the strands bit by bit. "What misfortune."

His tone was mumbled, but he was unable to wipe the smile off his face.

Law broke the worst of his disease a few days later, sometime during the afternoon when Doflamingo was still out of the house. He'd been at his usual abandoned café on Monk Island, reading a book when someone fell into the seat across from him and he raised his eyes to stare at Law.

He knew that look in his face. 

He was going to be alright.

"How many days was I out," Law asked coldly. He crossed his arms against a healed chest and Doflamingo almost chuckled. Almost. 

"A week. Maybe more." Eleven days to be exact. "I wouldn't know, I wasn't counting. I had my fingers crossed the whole time, hoping you'd die."

"Well, I guess you lost that bet."

Doflamingo smiled, shutting his book and placing it aside. "So you're all better then?" Law didn't humor the question. It was obvious he hadn't totally overcome his sicknesses. It seemed overruling Doc Q's devil fruit with the Ope Ope no Mi was probably more complicated and draining then he thought worth it. He wasn't on the brink of death anymore, so why waste the energy curing a supernaturally stubborn common cold? "Well. I guess that's my que to leave then."

"You could've left weeks ago," Law argued back. Oh yes. I could've, Doflamingo thought, uncrossing his legs. But I didn't want you to die alone. 

"I've been buying my time," he smirked, standing and tossing Law his book. "I made a promise to Tsuru that I wouldn't kill you, and here you are. I kept my promise, now I'm free of your burden."

"That's what this was? A deal you made with Tsuru."

"I can't imagine any better of reason to have kept you alive. I suppose, except, to pity you."

Law sneered, tugging his coat shut. He was so busy chewing Doflamingo out, he probably didn't realize his clothes had all been mended and cleaned, and he'd been dressed in a warm coat. Or maybe he did, and simply wasn't mentioning it for all the same reasons he'd never thanked Doflamingo for taking him in all those years ago.

"You're lucky I'm still injured, otherwise I'd kill you."

"You'd certainly try," Doflamingo cackled, putting a hand over his sunglasses, unable to stop himself from leaning down and ruffling the kid's hair one last time. For old time's sake. "You always were a stubborn brat. And now a liar. What a nuisance you've been to me, Law."

Law raised a brow, slapping Doflamingo's hand away. The way he looked at the brat was too much for him to bear though. He couldn't possibly slap him back. Maybe not now at least.

"It's been a fun game, Law. But I'm afraid I don't have time to play with you anymore. I'm sure you can take care of yourself now."

"You're leaving?" Law looked surprised, like he half expected Doflamingo to at least try and kill him one last time, but Doflamingo just shrugged. He tugged the back of his feathery coat, readjusting it over his shoulders.

"I've wasted enough of my energy on you. I have none left to spare. I'd advise you to kill yourself when you have the time. I really can't be bothered."

"You bastard." 

Doflamingo ruffled his hair again, more forcefully so Law couldn't refuse him. A part of Doflamingo felt disappointed to go, but Law was a big kid now, even if he was just a kid. But he could take care of himself. He always had. "If by some miraculous chance I have the misfortune of seeing you again, you should reconsider my offer. Law."

"Your offer?" Law made a face, scowling like he did when he was a kid. "What the hell are you talking about? I don't care about some offer." 

"Oh. I'm only saying. There wasn't much left of the Polar Tang last I saw it." Law's eyes widened, recollection of his missing crew no doubt plaguing his mind, and Doflamingo smiled. "You'll lack a reason to be alive eventually. But, if it's any consolation, you still have a reason with me."

"Corazon gives me a reason to live."

"Tch. And yet Corazon's not here, is he?" Doflamingo flexed his fingers, casting strings towards the clouds, but he didn't leave yet. He simply looked at Law, taking him in for what he was. A brat. A kid. His littlest brother. The smallest Donquixote. Doflamingo smirked and felt the last bursts of his affection for Law. Probably the last he'd feel for a very long time. It was nice while it lasted, but Law's sickness was over, and it was careless to look at the boy, expecting him to embrace him again. "Find your own way off the island," he laughed, turning and taking a few steps away from him.

A tumultuous flurry of emotions suddenly erupted in his chest, and all Doflamingo could do was smirk and cackle. He gripped his chest with his free hand, trying to cool the racing of his heart. He thought about all the nights he'd sat in the chair by the window, letting Law sit with him and sleep. How peaceful Law was in the morning. The tired grumbling he did after every nap. The way he wept when he was in pain, curling rigidly into himself like he was angry.

Doflamingo looked back at Law, seeing the kid already walking away on unsteady legs and he licked his teeth, smiling. 

"Law!" He called back, his tone demanding the boy look at him. As stubborn as Law was though, he just kept walking. He was probably out of earshot by this point, or simply ignoring him. But Doflamingo couldn't help himself. He felt a sinister rise of emotion, kissed by lingering feelings of affection, care, and sentiment. He raised his voice, feeling the veins on his forehead throb as his brows furrowed and his lips rose with an untamable smile. I love you, you brat. "Because of you, I can breathe easier."

Law whipped around, scattering snow in a circle, but Doflamingo was already gone.

Tsuru rubbed her temples, stacks of paper surrounding her on all sides. Front, back, left, center. A few even sat on her lap as she opened her eyes and wrote down some notes on her next report. Since losing track of Doflamingo, Sakazuki demanded she keep him up to date, daily, with thorough reports as to her progress of finding him.

"Never again," she hissed, tapping her fingers against her desk before standing and going outside to get some fresh air. The sun was out, the ocean was calm, and the sky was full of white cloud-clusters, sailing their own open blue. She almost didn't flinch when she saw the pink feathers in the corner of her vision when she raised her head. Doflamingo was leaning against the wall beside the door.

"You look tired," he smiled in greeting.

"You too." Tsuru walked towards the edge of the ship, leaning against the railing and rubbing the back of her aching neck. "What happened to Law? I'm hoping you're not going to give me the answer I don't want."

"He's alive, despite popular assumption," Doflamingo told her, sitting down on the railing beside her. He crossed his arms, angling his head towards Tsuru. "You said you found Law's crew?"

"Most of the members. We think a few might've washed up on neighboring islands, but we've yet to have the time to find them. I've been too busy looking for you." There was a look she gave Doflamingo, a sort of disappointed glare, but the ex-warlord raised his hands, not sorry in the least. "You got your coat back," she observed.

"It's not the real one. I plan on returning to Impel Down one of these days, but I'm afraid I have more pressing issues at hand. My family and coat will have to wait. They'll understand."

"Oh. And here I thought you were going to turn yourself in."

"As happy as I know that'd make you, I quite enjoy your misery, OTsuru-san." 

Tsuru made a face, looking up at him to scowl when Doflamingo leaned down, wrapping an arm over her shoulder and placing one hand on her hair to kiss her head. His sunglasses shifted down his nose a little. It only last a moment, but that seemed enough time for her to hate him. Doflamingo knew she didn't mean it though. She liked him back. Maybe. Just a little... probably. Not by very much.

"You're a pain. I'll rejoice the day that hairline of yours recedes to no return and you're too old to spin your webs."

"Don't be unpleasant, Tsuru-san," Doflamingo reprimanded, kissing her a second time on the cheek like one might say goodbye to their grandmother, knowing they wouldn't see her for a very long time.

He wouldn't. "Oh. I can't forget." Doflamingo reached into his pocket, taking out the mini transponder snail she gave him, and tossed it back. Tsuru caught it with one hand, her face unmoved. "Law is still sick. By some chance he doesn't figure out a way back to the Heart Pirates, you'll find him on Monk island. I'd prefer you check on him. I have places to be."

"I see your rudeness spares me no expense."

Doflamingo grinned, stepping off the edge of Tsuru's ship without so much as a goodbye. The old woman sighed lowly to herself, returning to her office to finish her report. The search for Doflamingo would be over soon. He wasn't the kind of man to sit in hiding forever. Eventually, the whole world would know where he was. Even Sakazuki.

Jumping from one string to the next, Doflamingo felt the wind rush past him, making the feathers on his coat tremble. The ocean was fleeting far beneath, and as he watched it pass, he realized he'd forgotten how beautiful it could be when freedom tasted this good. Soon, he'd find himself on Emptee Bluff, and talk of business would commence. But until then, Doflamingo just wanted to tilt his head back and enjoy the view.

When you get older, and most of life has passed you by, all you want to do is sit and stare at what the world has to offer because you realize, in some seriously stupid way, that it isn't all bad.

"So beautiful..." Doflamingo whispered. He turned his head towards the large, fluffy clouds like tufts of snow or whip cream. He bet Law was thinking the same thing right now. "How peaceful..."

ドキドキ. . .  ドキドキ. . . (dokidoki)

ドキドキ. . . ドキドキ. . .

— Fauxda-san