Chapter Text
Doffy felt cold.
He and his new subordinates had turned this stupid island upside looking for Rocinante. Where was his little brother? He didn’t even feel angry, just numbing fear that crept up every hour.
Why had Rocinante broken the rule?
Why had he gone out into town alone?
Where was he?
Was he hurt?
Was he…
Doflamingo refused to humor that thought. Rocinante was his little brother, he was stronger than he looked. He couldn’t be.
At least that’s what he kept repeating as he felt himself shivering, not sure from the cold or something else.
Trebol was reassuring him that Rocinante would be found.
“Awww Don’t worry Doffy!!! Rocinante will be found then you can remake your family how you want and deserve. We’ll bring him home! I promise!!” His sickening voice cooed and promised repeatedly. Doflamingo nodded absentmindedly. Rocinante would come home no matter what.
At this point Doflamingo didn’t care who burned. He would have his human sunflower of a baby brother by his side.
Maybe he’d stop feeling cold then.
A pair of worn shoes got his attention, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Vergo. The boy around his age is out of breath clutching something so tightly in his hand, he can see the white of his knuckles. “What's wrong Vergo?” Doflamingo tries to hide his shaking voice but fails to do so. Vergo says nothing, just opens his hand and offers a single piece of blue fabric.
His blood runs cold. Time seems to stop as his trembling hands take the torn fabric.
Oh gods… Rocinante.
His poor little brother…
His poor Roci…
What happened?
Where was Roci?
“Where did you find this?” he demanded. Trebol had finally shut up next to him. He felt that strange feeling again, just like when he did… when he and Roci were hung over the fire. When he unlocked what Trebol called conquers haki. Vergo looked lighthead. He didn’t care. If Roci was dead then there was no point in letting any maggots live. His rage was back, stronger than before. It was almost blinding. His subordinates stumbled to the ground, landing on their knees. Doflamingo liked that sight. It was only natural, he was divine alone. Well, not alone. Roci was just as divine. He lacked strength but that was ok. Doffy would be strong for them both. He had to be. Roci was the younger brother, he was the older. It was natural.
“I..I found it by the harbor. Pika and Diamante are interrogating anyone around the harbor. They will join us when they get information-” Vergo started.
“Tell them to meet us at the base.” Doffy hoped he sounded firm and left no room for question. Based on Trebols gasp, he did a decent job. That man was too easy to please. Doffy knew Trebol was trying to use him. Roci called that out first conversion, he was so proud of Roci intelligence. Doffy would let Trebol think he was in control, let him hang his own neck. He was a fool but a useful fool.
They headed back, Trebol praising him as they walked. It would have been a lie if Doffy said that he didn’t like the ego boost. He played with his new strings, sharp and deadly. He loves the strings, they fit his new view on life, really. ‘If you are weak, you should just let the strong puppet your strings.’
Roci was weak, but that was alright. Doflaimgo would make his strings dance beautifully. That’s what his little brother should have. A nice gilded cage, not having to worry about the complex world. Never hungry, never cold again. He would take care of his little brother, even if it was the last act of kindness he would give this cruel natured world. He was the older brother, it was his job to be the strong one. This world didn’t deserve his brother or his mother. Father used to say Roci inherited his nature, Doffy couldn’t disagree more. Roci was just like their mother, sweet, kind, and rather passive, Roci went with the flow, looking on the bright side. Doffy was almost envious of his ability to see the best of any situation.
They finally made it back and waited for their comrades to come back with the information. He could help but laugh at the mental image of all who hurt him burning. That brought him much joy and distracted him from the growing cold. However it all came crashing down, as Pika and Diamante came in dragging an old man and his son. Pika knocked him down to his knees. “Tell him what you told us.” Pika demands in that grating high pitch voice of it. It had been a miracle that he and Roci hadn’t laughed at him during their first meeting.
The old man coughed and heaved. “Hurry up. I’ll slice up your boy if you stay silent.” Doffy demanded to try to play the ruthless captain he was now expected to be. The boy tears up, how pathic. Doffy was younger than him and didn’t cry at such measly threats. How could he call himself an adult?
“Ok! Ok! I-I saw the blonde kid get dragged onto a pirate ship! T-they already left the harbor!! It was the Spiral Pirates! You’d be lucky to see the ship by now, much less catch up! I don’t know where they were heading!! Please let us-”
BANG
BANG
Doffy held the smoking gun. Two bodies cooled in front of him. None of the crew spoke up not wanting to offset their new captain. It was funny, in a weird twisted way. He was sure the bodies were warmer than he felt. He couldn’t cry. He couldn’t be weak. He couldn’t. Especially now, he had to be strong for Roci. He had to save him.
He wasn’t strong enough yet, but he would be one day. One day he would bring Roci home and burn the world for taking his sweet little brother from him. They would burn this wretched world down to the very foundation and build it up to their feet as the new gods.
“We have much work to do, everyone. We will make this world ours.”
He turned to them and grinned. Things would go his way this time.
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“Red! Get your head out of your ass!” Capitan Justeene yelled up at Rocinante, snapping the boy out of his thoughts. He nodded and ran off to do his tasks. Life on the ship wasn’t what he expected. The crew was terrifying but they treated him nicely, even though he never said a word to them. He didn’t want to be rude but it was so hard to speak after everything, especially to these men. He has seen them slice up men for less than being a former celestial dragon. Would they kill him for that? For being the son of a monster? When he tried to talk his voice got caught in his throat and it became almost impossible to breathe.
They never asked him to speak. They were calm and understanding, even while they slit a man's throat. They were kind to him. Why?
“Red! Make sure you don’t trip!” another member calls out. He nodded, working on his balance. The crew had apparently made it their mission to fix his balance.
His new name ‘Red’ came from his nickname he had gotten “Little red runaway”. The caption loves the color red and had dressed Roci in red since he found him trembling in the cargo he had mangade to sneak into. They assumed he was a runaway kid and Roci saw no reason to correct them. They weren’t too far off of the truth. They knew he had nightmares and was constantly looking over his shoulder. They never asked questions.
They never asked questions about anyone’s past.
There were 6 higher ranked members besides the captain. They kept to themselves mostly, but they definitely got advantages. They ate first and got the better food. Roci didn’t notice till Axel had demanded that he join them for dinner, and ever since then he was a member of that table.
Quinn, another high ranked member, taught him sign language. He struggled with it slightly but currently could ask crude sentences.
He asked why they had him eat and train with them. They never answered.
“Can’t you see they are just using you?” A cruel voice called out.
Doflamingo voice.
He ignored it and tried to focus on his task.
He has gotten better at that since the first time.
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