When he had gotten up that morning, Doflamingo had assumed that his day would be the same as usual. He'd enjoy a few meals with his closest friends, plan out the crew's missions, look into what his supposed allies were up to, and end it all knowing he brought his family one step closer to fulfilling their goal. As he sat in his hideout, listening to the screams of the men outside, he came to the conclusion that today was going to be quite different. Today was going to be something that would change the entire group.
"We have an intruder!"
"Don't touch him! He has explosives strapped to his body!"
Workers from the neighboring waste plants screamed in terror. A few even had the gall to stumble into the pirates' makeshift home, staring into Doflamingo's sunglasses with a mixture of desperation and cowardice. They were like wounded animals that sought the protection of the strongest creature they could find, hiding near him with their tails between their legs. The whole ordeal would have been amusing to Doffy had it not been for the child standing before him. Grenades were strapped across the boy's chest in criss-crossing rows and the captain scoffed at the idea that such a tiny being was the cause of such chaos.
"Hey!" Doflamingo snapped. "Who the hell is this kid?! Who let him in?"
From behind, he could hear the heavy footsteps of the present executives as they came to stand protectively at his side. Their uninvited guest was not fazed by the men's towering appearances and remained staring at the ground. His shoulders were stiff and his hands clenched into tight fists. The clothes he wore were torn and dirty, making Doffy wonder what this brat had been doing. "Let me join your pirate group." The boy's demand was quiet, yet assertive, already separating him from the countless others that had pleaded with the Donxiquote.
Doflamingo was slightly taken aback as his Haki sensed a sudden shift in the aura of the kid. The tension had skyrocketed and a deadly energy felt coiled around his furry little head. "I wanna destroy everything I see!" he continued, "Towns, houses, people…I wanna destroy them all! I…" Steely grey eyes looked up into the blond's, who shuddered internally at the emptiness etched in their gaze. They spoke of pain and great loss. "…grew up in the White Town-Flevance."
Flevance. Everything clicked into place for Doffy. He remembered reading in the paper a couple weeks ago about the wealthy country's demise, about how it had been burned to the ground by an "unexpected wildfire". It was already clear by that point that the World Government was pulling the strings again, afraid of letting the people know about their elaborate hand in the destruction of both the kingdom and the citizens. No one was to know about their knowledge of Amber Lead and the truth had been cloaked in the death of thousands.
Breifly, Doflamingo scrutinized the boy, trying to spot the tell-tale white patches that marked the advancement of the poisoning, but he couldn't find any discoloration. Perhaps he had managed to escape before the condition worsened severely. "It's not so long… before I die." A small deranged smile was spread across the pale cheeks.
'He's accepted his death,' Doffy noted. 'Those are the eyes of someone who's seen Hell…' He leaned back into his chair and ran a hand through his hair, deep in thought. "Interesting…" the captain murmured aloud. 'So he and I share some common ground, huh? Well, it wouldn't hurt to test him out.' A Cheshire grin dominated his features as he motioned for the executives to step forward. "I'll consider it, but first, we have to make sure you're worthy of our family. Step outside. We'll be with you shortly."
With a terse nod, the raven-haired boy stomped to the door. "One more thing, kid…" Doffy's voice stopped him. "What's your name?"
The cold silver orbs glanced back at him. "…It's Law."
"Fufufu, well Law, I wish you the best of luck."
The small room rattled as the plant workers charged out, presumably back to their coworkers to share the newest gossip on the pirates. The three men left circled in front of Doflamingo. "Hey, hey! Doffy, are you really gonna recruit that little nutcase? Hey, what are ya thinking?" Trebol was in his leader's face in seconds, rocking in anticipation.
"Possibly. I want to see how strong he is before I decide. He's got promise, that's for sure." He gestured to the cape-wearing officer. "Diamante, I want you to swordfight with him. I'll spectate." Grabbing his precious, pink feather coat, Doflamingo stood. "With any luck, Law won't disappoint."
'What a fool I've been.' Doffy sat in his favorite chair, watching the madness of Dressrosa unfold from the palace roof. Two Supernova captains glared daggers at him, despite one being raised by his own hand. 'Where did I go wrong?' the blond's mind groaned. Everything about Law had changed from the time Doffy met him. Today, the young man was feared by the world. His blade work was equally known as his brutal treatment towards his enemies and he had managed to intimidate the World Government enough to earn the position of Warlord…but his eyes had changed.
The cold, ruthless eyes that had impressed Doflamingo in the past had softened. An unspoken love gave them a gentle glow. It was almost heartbreaking to the man who had seen him as a younger brother. So much potential wasted and destroyed by his own flesh-and-blood's efforts. Had Corazon not interfered, Law could have risen to his rightful place as Doffy's right-hand man, but now he was forced to end the bright life he had placed so much hope into.
He may be the Surgeon of Death, but the true terror had perished in the shell that was the Boy of Death.