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Was coming here reckless? Yes, but neither of them is confirming it. It would mean saying Crocodile is right, and they're a bit cross with him right now.
Besides, it wasn't a matter of safety. It was something they had to do; if they didn't, the 'what ifs' would haunt both of them. They can't leave a Lunarian, one of their mother's brethren, to suffer in some government lab.
The guards were as expected strong, but they weren't expecting that the marine ship approaching the base was Numancia until it was too late to evacuate. Their crew cut through the resistance with brutal accuracy. They knew just who to aim at to disrupt enemy command lines. And Doffy and Rosi were used to darting across battlefields to aid their friends.
"Spread out and search the lab; move any and all documentation to Numancia," Doflamingo ordered as he and Rosi went further in, following a faint Haki signature. The place looked creepier and creepier the deeper they went. Less like a marine base and more like a hospital or a lab….
They didn't hesitate outside the door the signature was behind. Doflamingo's strings cut it to pieces, and as they stepped over the rubble, they froze. In the bed. Unconscious but alive. Even if barely was…
"Mom?" They both said in unison. Barely a whisper.
"Medic!" Doflamingo called out. "Get Law." Rosi needed something to do, or he'd spiral.
Rosi nodded and ran to find the kid. Teen really. Doflamingo guarded their mother while Giolla and Phoebe inspected the whole set-up.
"We can unhook her, but not for long," Giolla let him know.
"I can shambles her to the ship," Law huffed, coming in with Rosi on his heels. "We're just in range."
Doflamingo nodded. "Any and all documentation." He repeated as Law, Giolla, Phoebe and Mother vanished as a light blue dome formed.
"We're going," Rosi decided and dragged Doflamingo out of the now mostly empty room and back to the ship as their crew moved crates of documents over.
Back on Numancia, Giolla let them know mom was severely weakened and would need time to recover. "Her system is full of some sleep drug. Law and Orville are slowly cutting it off so she doesn't go into shock." It didn't do much to calm them down. It could take days, weeks. Months even for her to wake up. Days upon days of not knowing. At least she was alive. And safe now. Until the Government figured out who saved her.
Doflamingo sat at the front of the ship. In the dark. Wrapped in his wings. His coat abandoned in his room. Not knowing what to do with himself as they sailed away. They needed somewhere safe for Mom to recover. And the only place that came to mind was Dressrosa. The place was in a situation similar to Alabasta. Constant pirate visitors. King Riku would probably be receptive to a Warlord settling. But they're not one.
"You doing okay?" Rosi asked, sitting next to him. His coat was gone too. His wings preened properly even without Shamrock around. They instinctively embraced with their wings.
"Thinking what to do next. We need somewhere safe for Mom to recover at," Doffy sighed and relayed his idea so far.
"If we're menaces enough, they'll offer us a Warlord seat just so we stop," Rosi shrugged. He was right.
"If we go after the Tribute…" Doffy grinned. It would help their goals - it was a plan for the future anyway; they would just be speeding it up - and make him feel better.
"They'll give us whatever we want," Rosi grinned back, offering him a cigarette. "A stress relief for now?"
Doffy accepted and they smoked together until too tired and retreated back inside. Curled up together for the first time in years. Not wanting to be alone.
In the morning they got good news. Mother was recovering faster than initially assumed. Not by much, but still. Most of the crew were all about the Warlord plan. A smaller group, those who had already entered their pirate era, were hesitant. But seeing that they were set on it, they didn't complain much.
The ease with which they took over the ships delivering the Tribute reassured everyone.
With the ships in their custody, they called the Fleet Admiral. Sengoku. For the first time since Flavence.
"Hello, Fleet Admiral, I think the Celestial Dragons misplaced a few ships full of tribute," Doflamingo started confidently.
"And you just happened to find them? What do you want?" Sengoku was not playing. He must still be angry even nearly two years later….
"Something like that. Warlord seat for two," Rosi cut in, spinning slightly in his chair.
Sengoku was quiet for a while. "Why? You quit, and now you want to work with the Government again?"
"The 'conditions' are different for Warlords. More freedoms," Doflamingo hummed. "Take your time; this number will work for your response."
A week. It took a week for the Five Elders to agree to their terms. It did mean a fast stop at Marineford to sign some paperwork, but it was nothing.
Sengoku was not pleased to see them, and neither was the God Knight sent to oversee the whole thing. Saint Garling was never pleased to see them.
"Is that all?" Doffy asked with a mock yawn, his free of dye for the occasion wings stretching.
"We have places to be," Rosi joined in.
"Where will be the best place to find you?" Sengoku asked, forcing calmness.
"Dressrosa", they said in unison. "If Riku agrees," Doflamingo shrugged as they got up. "We'll let you know when we get settled."
Garling just scoffed. He barely said a word during the whole discussion. Bastard. At least Shamrock is not much like he is. With perfect Marine salutes, they left straight out a window and to their ship.
"We're leaving as soon as the Marines approve it, Dia. You're in charge." Talking to Sengoku and Garling, being around them completely drained them both.
But just as they were planning a fast dinner and early sleep, Giolla ran up. "She woke up." Just three words were enough to wake them up completely and rush to the infirmary.
Sitting up in the bed, with a capelet of black feathers wrapped around her shoulders, Doflamingo had made while stressed, was mom. Talking to Law and Phoebe as they checked something on monitors surrounding her, Giolla quickly joining them.
"Boys?" Cassandra asked seeing them. Her smile wide and brilliant even when she needed pillows to sit up.
"I'll have the kitchen make some light soup," Phoebe excused herself, followed Law and Giolla. Leaving the three alone.
"Mom, we…. We're so sorry we took so long," Rosi and Doffy apologised over each other as they sat at her bedside.
"No worries, we're all together now," Cassandra assured them. The fact that Dad wasn't around hung heavy in the air. "So what are you two up to? And where are we?"
"Marinford, we might have just officially become a Warlord," Doflamingo spoke up first.
"We did it to get them off our backs," Rosi explained as the ship started moving. "And we're leaving."
"And to where?"
"Dressrosa. King Riku shouldn't mind a Warlord setting up with all the pirates always bothering his land," Doflamingo shrugged.
"We're not the first to offer a ruler something like that," Rosi added.
"And why are you pirates in the first place?" With a sigh, they explained everything since they were found. Their time in the Marines. Flevance. Brief stay in Alabama (for now omitting just how close of a friend Crocodile was). How they heard about a captive Lunarian and found her. And how they got their Warlord seat exactly.
"You've both grown up so much, and made so many friends," Cassandra sighed over her now empty soup bowl. Just light, clear soup with nothing. And eating slowly to not upset her stomach.
"We can keep you safe now," Doffy grinned, Rosi nodding along.
"We'd show you around, but Law and Little P insist you rest some more first," Rosi pouted.
"We don't want to anger the young doctors," Cassandra chuckled, and they helped her lie down. "Go sleep in proper beds; I'll still be here in the morning."
With some dragging of feet, they left. Feeling lighter and more relaxed.than they had in ages.