"Creak—!"
Perona and Nico Robin turned their heads at the same time. The tightly shut doors of the great hall slowly opened.
"Moria-sama!" *2
Moria stepped out from within, scooped Perona up in one arm, and slung her over his shoulder.
"Nico Robin, go on inside."
"Yes!"
Robin replied with a deep breath and stepped into the hall.
Her gaze immediately locked with a pair of crimson eyes at the center of the room.
The moment their eyes met, her breath hitched, heart pounding violently in her chest. Every excuse she'd prepared in her mind instantly crumbled.
"Doflamingo-sama!"
Doflamingo eyed the malnourished, dusky-skinned girl from head to toe. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Nico Robin."
He didn't care much for the fate-filled Laugh Tale or the crap that was the world's history.
But Robin's value extended far beyond reading the Poneglyphs.
She could excavate ruins like Pica's, help decode the blueprints of Pluton...
And if they ever reached Egghead island or even the Moon, her skills would be indispensable.
Besides, she was an archaeological prodigy who became a scholar at age eight.
In a world full of brain-dead simpletons, her raw intelligence alone could place her in the top three.
She'd be perfect to take on some of Tesoro's responsibilities and maximize both their potential.
Tesoro was a fighter at his core. He couldn't be buried in paperwork forever—he needed relief.
Most importantly... knowledge was transferable.
Still, some adjustments were in order.
"What's your dream?"
"Huh?…" The sudden question left Robin stunned. She blurted out the first lie that came to mind,
"To survive!"
"Oh?"
Doflamingo leaned forward, chin resting on his left hand, the amusement in his smile deepening as he stared into her eyes.
"You're lying. Survival is an instinct, not a dream."
A strange pressure filled the hall. Even the air felt thick and heavy.
Gulp.
Robin lowered her head and swallowed hard, unable to maintain eye contact with him.
Her whole body was slick with nervous sweat, heart pounding wildly in her chest.
Her mind raced for a rebuttal, but Doflamingo wasn't finished.
"Your dream... is to find the True Poneglyphs and uncover the lost history, isn't it? My dear little archaeologist."
How does he know that?
Robin's heart lurched. She snapped her head up and saw Doflamingo staring intently at his right hand.
Within his palm, threads wove together into a perfect likeness of her, dancing to his fingers' every motion.
Just like she was now.
Fear slowly crept across Robin's face. Her body turned ice-cold. Trembling overtook her.
Snap!
"Fufufufufu~"
Satisfied with his new toy, Doflamingo stood and loomed over her, casting a long shadow.
"No need to panic. Stay calm. Deep breaths."
He twitched his fingers.
Suddenly, threads surged beneath Robin, flinging her backward through the air.
A chair made of string launched her directly in front of Doflamingo, halting abruptly.
The sudden shift from motion to stillness churned her stomach. Her face turned deathly pale, body recoiling instinctively.
She tried to put as much distance between them as possible.
"If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be here."
Robin took a shaky breath, calming down slightly, regaining a bit of composure.
Doflamingo gently brushed a hand over her head, fingers trailing down her cheek as he spoke softly.
"Why do you think Ohara and the Tree of Knowledge were destroyed?"
Robin forced a nervous smile, goosebumps rising from the eerily gentle touch, and answered:
"Because the World Government wouldn't allow it."
"A good answer."
Doflamingo nodded in approval. Much better than that blind fool Issho.
"But not complete. There are two more reasons."
"?" Robin tensed.
"One—knowing it's hopeless and doing it anyway is stupidity. And two—they were weak. So weak they had no power to resist."
He clenched his fist. The Robin-shaped puppet in his hand was crushed instantly—just like Ohara had been.
His smile widened, feral and gleaming.
"But I… I am strong enough. So tell me—what do you truly want?"
Following the trail of his crimson gaze, Robin's mind slipped back in time—
The roar of cannons. Meteors raining from the sky.
Innocent villagers burning alive in the flames.
The Tree of Knowledge—home to all the world's books—reduced to ash.
Dr. Clover and the others, lost to the fire.
Her mother, shot dead.
Saul, frozen in ice.
"Uwaaaaah! Everyone's dead! I'm the only one left!!!"
Robin broke. Like a string pulled too tight, her emotions snapped.
She wailed, raw and childlike, like a lost little girl.
Despair, fear, panic, grief, loneliness... All those feelings coalesced into one thing.
A deep, searing hatred.
Doflamingo smiled as if bathed in sunlight.
What justice would there be for the dead?
Should they just be forgotten?
He leaned in, lips by Robin's ear, whispering directly to her soul.
"Do you want revenge? For your mother, your friends, your family, your teachers?"
"Yes!"
Tears and snot streamed down Robin's face. She was a mess, but her voice was firm and unwavering.
"Fufufufufu~ Good girl. Your mother and teacher would be proud of you. Now... get some rest."
He gently brushed her hair again.
Robin, physically and emotionally drained, passed out on the spot.
Handing her over to an attendant, Doflamingo collapsed back onto his throne.
Orphans of war always had a strange affinity with him...
...
A short while later—
"Boss, where are we headed now?"
Moria walked alongside, Perona still slung over his shoulder.
Sky Island had its perks, but his heart belonged to the open sea.
Doflamingo didn't answer. His eyes were locked on Moria's shoulder.
The pink hair. The weird eye makeup. The drifting little ghosts swirling around her.
He recognized her instantly.
"Perona?"
"Ah? That's right!"
Moria slapped his forehead. He didn't bother asking how the Boss knew—no point in sounding like an idiot.
"Heh, I found her in a war-torn kingdom in the West Blue. Turns out she was a princess! Her ability caught my eye, so I adopted her. Heh heh heh~"
"Fufufufufu~"
Doflamingo grinned.
What a twist of fate. Moria took a beating from him and avoided Wano, only to end up with Perona anyway.
Cute girl or not, that peeping-tom creep still needed to die early.
"Train her well."
"Heh heh heh, of course."
Moria chuckled. He liked Perona. Her powers synergized well with his, and she didn't hate his personality.
She'd definitely grow into one of the family's core officers.
"Oh, right—have her hit me with one of those Negative Ghosts."
Doflamingo arched a brow, curious to feel its effects firsthand.
"Seriously, Boss?!"
Moria and Perona exchanged glances. They both looked fired up.
Without Haki, even he wouldn't be able to resist it.
They'd been dying to see how the Boss would react.
"Let's do it!"
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg