"Oh really? Are we finally going to meet in the real world? Ah, I'm actually kind of excited about that."Anna said it lightly, but deep down she felt a flicker of panic. Then again, she reassured herself—Doflamingo had been saying things like that for months, and he still hadn't managed to find her.
"Xiaobai," Doflamingo said with a sly smile, his voice carrying that usual teasing drawl, "do you think this island you're on might be the one? If I find out the information you gave me was wrong... what kind of gift should I bring you when we finally meet?"
He said it on purpose—every time he hinted at something like this, the little girl in his arms would get all flustered and attentive, just like now.
Anna puffed her cheeks slightly, pretending not to notice the trap. "What kind of dream do you want today, Dover? Ever had a picnic? How about we dream up a picnic together?" she said, already waving her hands as the dream began to reshape itself.
The sky turned bright and endless, a soft green meadow stretching beneath them. A gentle breeze rustled through tall grass. A pastel-colored picnic blanket appeared, fluttering lightly. Anna smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear."How about this? Do you want to try a knee pillow? I read about it in a novel—it's supposed to be really comfortable."
Doflamingo already knew which island she was hiding on. He'd known for a long time. But since the Whitebeard Pirates had her island under their protection, it wasn't convenient to make a move. Besides, he'd discovered that when the girl thought she was in danger, she became especially sweet and obedient. He enjoyed that feeling—so he wasn't in a hurry.
"Oh? Is that so? Then I'll give you a chance. Let's try it," he said, sitting down and resting his head on Anna's lap.
"Hmm, then let me sing something for you. It feels like something's missing." Anna's fingers brushed lightly through his blond hair as she began to hum softly.
"Fufufu… whatever you want, Xiaobai."
She smiled faintly, closing her eyes for a moment as she summoned more dream energy. A huge fruit tree appeared nearby, its branches heavy with sweet-smelling fruit. The breeze carried the scent through the meadow. The picnic mat filled up with delicious food, and a few tiny dream creatures—little fluffy pets Anna had made before—scampered around them. Doflamingo's dream came alive in color and sound.
"Heh. Little girl, you really like the lively kind of scene," Doflamingo muttered, watching it unfold. Still, in the corner of his heart, he couldn't help imagining—if she really joined his family, things might actually become this warm, this bright. The thought almost made him laugh. Almost.
But then Anna did something that made him stop thinking about finding her entirely.
She began gently patting his head, rhythmically, like a mother soothing a restless child. It wasn't the first time she'd done it, but each time, it melted the tension in his chest. For the sake of his pride, he told himself it was fine to let it go—for now. If he really did find her, he probably wouldn't get treated this way again.
Still, he couldn't help teasing her. "Fufufu… Xiaobai, you're getting bold. You actually dare to touch my head? Aren't you afraid I'll get angry? No one's ever touched my head before."
Anna looked down at him with an exasperated smile. Brother, this is like, the tenth time you've said that. Why are you still pretending? But of course, she couldn't say that out loud.
"Xiaobai, you really don't know your place sometimes," he said, smirking faintly. "Forget it—I'll let it slide this time."
"Thanks, Dover," Anna murmured softly, continuing to hum her childhood lullaby as she gently patted his head until his breathing slowed and the dream began to fade.
"Anna, get up! Dinner's ready!" Her mother's voice came from outside the door.
"Okay, Mom! Coming!" Anna rubbed her eyes, sat up, and stretched. She wasn't going to Doflamingo's dream tonight. It used up too much energy. Better to visit someone else's dream for a while and recharge.
After getting ready, she headed downstairs. The next few days would be busy—Marco and the others were coming soon to "check her lessons." Ugh.
After dinner, she grabbed her little wooden sword and went up the mountain behind the tavern to practice. She trained until noon, then helped her mother tally the day's wine orders from passing ships. The highlight of her day, though, was always the evening.
"Hey, Boss Lady! Bring me a bottle of wine!" a rough-looking pirate called out.
"Got it! Anna, table three—a bottle!" her mother shouted back.
"On it, Mom!"
This island's tavern was always packed at night. Pirates of every kind drifted through here—after all, there were no Marines in this part of the sea, and while the Whitebeard Pirates protected the island, they didn't enforce rules too strictly. As long as no one caused trouble, everyone was welcome.
Of course, Anna's job wasn't just to serve wine—it was also to throw out the drunks when they got rowdy. The locals had even given her a nickname: The Ruthless Bar Girl.
Anna thought that name was so embarrassing.
The tavern door creaked open again. "Madam, a bottle of wine, please."
A tall man stepped inside—a man in a bright yellow suit, over three meters tall, with a wrinkled, lazy face and dark sunglasses.
Anna's heart nearly stopped. Wait… isn't that Admiral Kizaru?!
"Yaa~ little girl," Borsalino said in his slow, drawling voice. "Why are you staring at me like that? You wanna talk? Or maybe… you already know who I am?"
"Haha, who doesn't know an admiral?" Anna said smoothly, masking her nerves with a bright smile. "But I'm sure the admiral wouldn't harm us innocent civilians, right?"
Borsalino chuckled lightly. "Heh… you say that, but the way you talk is kinda scary, little girl. I just came here for a drink."
Anna watched him closely. Why is an admiral here? This is Whitebeard's territory… there's no way this is just a casual visit.
"Yaa~ little girl, don't overthink it," Borsalino said lazily, as if reading her mind. "I really just came for a drink. Isn't that right, little girl?" His tone was playful, but there was a subtle warning in it.
"Of course, Admiral. The wine here is delicious—you're just here to taste our special island brew."
"Yaa~ the little girl's pretty clever. Scary clever," Borsalino said, swirling the wine in his glass, his eyes hidden behind those shades.
Anna smiled sweetly. "Oh, I'm just a humble tavern girl, Admiral. I only run errands and serve drinks."
But inside, her mind was racing. An admiral here? There's definitely something big going on nearby.