Work Text:
Galdino laid on the ground, encased in what felt like his own fear. He could hear and smell the blood and burning bodies around him. The misery was deafening, his pain was mind numbing, he couldn’t focus on anything else but the pain he was experiencing. It was miserable, no, being here was miserable. His hair was a mess of curls and wax. His hair didn’t hold up well in conditions such as these.
He didn’t know if he was smelling his own blood that coated his chest after being shot by a stray gunshot by some marine with bad aim, or the blood of the bodies piling up around him. Just his luck. He huffed, holding his chest as he tried to stumble somewhere safe. Maybe end up in an area that didn’t smell like burning flesh. His arm was limp and it felt like it had gone through a million meat grinders, contorting and burning his skin. He couldn’t safely assume why however.
Yet as he stumbled to somewhere with less marines, clinging onto his chest as he tried to find a wall to lean on, anywhere would do. the smell of burning flesh didn’t exactly go away. He couldn’t see what he was doing, but he couldn’t move his arm. the glasses he wore to try and fulfill the dream of Mr 2– ..or is it Bentham now? Were long gone somewhere in the battle. Probably broken beyond recognition.
This was his price to pay for being such a selfish man, not going and saving his friend and comrade. Joining Baroque Works was very much an oversight, his worst idea ever. He whimpered in pain as he held the wound, blood loss was not in his best interest. He missed the cold embrace of his mother more than anything right about now. Anything was better than the situation he was in. Ace was gone. We ultimately lost, but Galdino didn’t care much about Ace, but the fact he let his fallen comrade down, again. Ace never really was free, his fate was decided the second he became a pirate. Galdino knew that, he wish he could’ve still saved him.
The dream was childish, some people are just beyond saving. It’s idiotic to think of it any other way. You can’t save everyone. But why did this sting so bad? Why did this person who he never met, the brother of the boy who ruined his life, why did his death hurt so bad? Thinking about it took his mind off the pain he was experiencing.
Something replaced the smell of blood for just a bit, it was faint but very much recognizable. He only knew one man who wore cologne such as that. Galdino looked around for somewhere to go to not face the man who had such a distinct look and walk it was hard not to notice even with such blurry vision.
He was too late trying to scramble away, he was noticed quite quickly. The demon had about 5 feet on him, sporting a feathery, giant pink coat with the worst color scheme he could’ve chosen. This was the last man he wanted looming over him after all these years.
“What do you want.” Galdino was one of the only people who could ever talk to the man without having his neck sliced open. They were family after all. “I see you’re doing well.” The man cackled, squatting down in front of him. His glasses were easily recognizable. It was Doflamingo, one of the warlords who were called to fight if things god bad at Marineford. And, well it did get bad. “You got a little.. burn over there.” He circled Galdino’s arm, or well, what was an arm. “Have you just came to mock me or what do you want?” He was in no mood for whatever dumbass games Doflamingo wanted to play.
“Stop getting cocky with me, wax boy, you know you owe me.” He had a smile that never went away no matter what he said, it would creep others out even when he was a kid but at this point he got used to it, it was more annoying than anything. “And what do I owe you?” It felt like a fever dream with how calm he was talking to Doflamingo like this, he didn’t even talk to Crocodile this calmly! He knew, however he wouldn’t kill him. They were family after all. “I let you live and leave my family that’s what! Or have you forgotten?” He gritted through his teeth. “I haven’t forgotten I just don’t. like. you.” Galdino frowned, too tired to stop his thoughts. “Well that’s alright, I’m not very pleased with you either!”
“Don’t worry though, we’ll be back to normal in no time.” Doflamingo messed with Galdinos hair, tugging on it and twirling it around his fingers. It sounded like a threat more than an opportunity, ‘normal’ meant control in Doflamingo’s world, Galdino preferred to not be controlled by warlords after his little incident with Crocodile in Alabasta.
“What do you want me to do?” Galdino couldn’t believe himself and the words coming out of his mouth, his mind felt like it was betraying itself. “ I know you’re still that loyal boy who’d let me do anything to him, so just be a good boy and rejoin my crew as a spy, and I’ll get your dear little friend out of Impel down!” He cackled, holding up the old pendant with the donquixote jolly roger he wore as a child, offering it to Galdino as his eyes widened, not just the fact that in his hand he had the pendant that he thought he destroyed years ago, but that he knew about Mr 2, he just assumed he was dead. “How did— he’s— “News travels fast when your someone like me, ‘dino.” He’d rather die than join him again, but doing good, just being there for Buggy and Getting his friend out of jail were more important now. “Fine.” He snatched the pendant out of his hand.
The object felt heavy with grief. The dread the pendant gave Galdino was imminent. “Stay with your little clown boy toy until he’s an emperor and then come back to me! Simple, right?” Galdino huffed grabbing Doflamingo’s hand as he hoisted him up. “Good boy. Let’s get you bandaged up and off to the clowns crew.”