One shot | A regular night in Doflamingo's life

Single chapter

The narrow window near the ceiling was the only sign that assured him the world kept advancing outside, besides the occasional newspaper that he was brought once in a while. The sunshine during the day time bathed the cell, which shifted to a dimly lit cave once the moon arrived to cover him with its milky glow, accompanying him during those nights. Nights that seemed to last eternally, compared to the ephemeral days. Inside that cell, isolated from the whole world, his subconscious self was in its nightly journey to the oneiric realm; one that always was hostile with him.

Ships docking ashore, snow falling, gun shots, a corpse with a black coat laying dead in front of him, who blamed him with its inaudible voice, echoing far away. He stepped closer, seeming to recognize that figure. There was a treasure chest behind it, yet he focused solely on that corpse, which became more and more familiar with every step he took.

"Why did you do this, Doffy? You killed me. Your own brother."

The voice spoke with a melancholic tone laced with disappointment. "It's been decades since I last heard it", that thought crossed his mind. Taking another step, he recognized the pastel pink shirt with darker pink heart patterns. Some of them were pierced with bullet wholes. Six of them, to be exact. Blood dripping from them, staining the rest of the fabric. "What a shame".

He now fixed his covered gaze to the corpse's face. It seemed peaceful. It's as if everything within the man that corpse once was, was meant to be calm and quiet, even in his deathbed. He took another step, taking his time to analyze the characteristic makeup. His heart sank to his stomach, a pang of anger punching his guts.

"Rocinante."

Suddenly, the oneiric place started to fall. His mind racing, heart beating so loud against his chest that he sensed how it was going to make a hole through it. The sound of the chains that bound his four limbs with their sea stone properties was what woke him up, evoking a guttural sound that probably hurt his throat. Once again.

His eyes, covered with his tinted glasses, wide opened once he came back to real life. His chest, decorated by black and white strands from his uniform, rose and fell steadily, with such heaviness that it was painful to see.

"You came back." A feminine voice talked with calmness, seeming to come from the old woman with a marine coat sitting across the cell, on the other side of the bars.

"Tsuru-chan." The masculine voice from inside the cell acknowledged her presence with a mocking tone, as his breathing became slower.

Tsuru crossed her arms, closing her eyes briefly before speaking again.

"You had that nightmare again, Doffy." She wanted him to learn that she knew.

A loud raspy laugh came from inside the cell, with a subtle tone of ache.

"You know me so well, Tsuru-chan." Doflamingo retorted with a subtle sarcastic voice, despite him knowing it was the truth. In fact, Tsuru was the only person in the world who knew his thoughts right now.

"What did he tell you this time?" She asked with her usual calm voice, staring at his laying body inside that secluded cell, awaiting for his response. It always came after a while.

Doflamingo stopped smiling, looking at the dimly lit ceiling. After several minutes, he replied.

"He asked me why." He finally said.

A deathly silence bathed the environment. Neither him, neither her, spoke for a while, letting his words sink in.

"How would you have responded to that question?" Tsuru finally decided to ask, shifting her posture a bit, observing his every move.

"He betrayed me." He muttered with anger, loud enough for her to hear him, as his words came out muffled by his gritted teeth.

Tsuru sighed once again as she closed her eyes, trying to think of a way to keep the conversation going. She knew this topic was too much for him, even if he didn't show it verbally.

"According to you, your brother betrayed you, Doffy, but killing him was not the-"

"I didn't know another way." He sentenced, not letting her finish the sentence. That damn sentence.

Tsuru's lips closed gently, her gaze now shifting into a one with a subtle sorrow tint. However, she didn't speak, letting him continue.

"He is..." He stopped mid sentence, regretting the verbal tense he used. "He was my brother. My own blood. I needed him by my side, yet he chose that... That little brat over me. The brat I took home myself." His words came out with regret and anger, speaking without breathing until the last one of them escaped his mouth.

Tsuru knew who he was talking about. Sengoku had told her about the relationship between Rocinante and the Heart Pirates' captain, Trafalgar Law, before. So she was familiar with the story.

"Rocinante knew what you were doing was wrong. Justice will always prevail over any bond, including sanguine ones." Tsuru sentenced with a neutral serene tone, leaning her back on the chair she was using.

A sarcastic chuckle came from inside the cell.

"You marines have a lot of nerve speaking of justice." He mocked with anger. "If that old bag of Sengoku hadn't taken my brother away from me, none of this would have happened."

"You know that is not right." Tsuru added.

The agonizing sounds of the chains reverberated all over the cell, along with a frustrated groan, muffled by his gritted teeth.

"You know everything, don't you? I fucking know that. I know. He would have betrayed me in every scenario, that is how he was. He would have chosen justice over me in each one of his lives." His words came out with anger, pain and frustration, echoing beyond his cell, provoking some murmurs between the other prisoners.

Tsuru stood on her feet slowly, taking some steps forwards to stare down at him inside the cell. She knew he was looking at her right in the eyes behind those tinted glasses.

"Do you regret it?" The last question of his interrogation escaped her wrinkled lips.

He couldn't lie to himself. He never did, and he was too old to do it now.

"No." He replied bluntly, without any sign of hesitation in his voice.

Tsuru nodded, taking another look of his face. The tenuous moon rays that illuminated the cell showed the corners of his mouth twitching downwards, as his hairless eyebrows furrowed, enhancing the wrinkles of his forehead. A soft vein popped up.

"Good night, Doffy." She spoke calmly, sounding genuine momentarily, as her footsteps resonated, further and further in the darkness of the lowest level of Impel Down, leaving him with the unbearable silence that imprisoned his mind just as those chains did with his limbs, willing to torture him slowly until his last breath.

"Hopefully he welcomes me with a smile then." Was his last thought before closing his eyes.