Chapter 21
-Kamabakka land-
-Kota-boy! Mina-chan! - Ivankov exclaimed with joy - You have arrived on time!
Both revolutionaries greeted their companions. Dragon was waiting for them to start the meeting.
-It's time for the plan to start - he looked at Mina - It's very dangerous. Do you agree with it? Things may not turn out as we expect.
Mina looked at the beautiful landscape of Kamabakka land. She had always liked the relaxed, feminine atmosphere that place had.
Of course she was aware that things could go wrong at any moment, but she was willing to take the risk.
-Yes, I will leave immediately.
Dragon nodded.
-Then we will trust you.
Then, you will go to Marijoa ... - Sabo looked at her worried - Will you be alright?
-Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll wait for you to come find me.
Sabo nodded.
-You will return to the place that did so much damage to you... And you will see Kuma ... It's impossible for me not to worry.
Mina looked at her partner Kaito, with whom she was traveling.
-We're leaving, Sabo - he said goodbye - Don't do anything crazy.
The blonde stared at her.
-Don't die before I get there, please.
Mina smiled and patted her nakama's head.
"Such a good boy~" she though.
-I won't - she smiled at his friend - Because I trust you will came on time.
Sabo smiled.
-Yes. I will do it whatever it takes.
-2 days later-
In front of her, was an old man who was one of Gorosei's members.
They readily agreed to an interview with her as soon as she introduced herself, which was weird. However, as soon as they sat down, half an hour had passed and the man had not spoken to her.
The man finally got up, and left the room without saying anything, leaving Mina alone for 3 hours.
Finally, the old man entered again accompanied by another one in Tenryubito's clothes.
He had greenish ash blonde hair, was unappealing, and shorter than her, but walked straight and serious. He sat across her. Mina noticed that they both shared the same eye color.
The man smiled at her warmly, almost familiarly.
-Well - finally said the old man - You're going to have to answer some questions for us, okay?
She nodded.
-We recognize you as the princess of Dressrosa, but there's something that bothers us - they looked at each other - It says that you're "disappeared".
Mina clenched her teeth. she had been preparing for this and thought of many lies, but finally concluded that a half truth would be the most appropriate.
-I never got along with Doflamingo's subordinates - she began to speak - I had a very serious fight with him because of that and I thought that maybe the country was better in my hands, but I guess I was wrong.
-Did they condemn you and then spare your life? Why would Doflamingo do something so stupid?
-I honestly don't know either. I woke up on an island outside Dressrosa, and I guess instinctively I never came back.
-You've been missing for 5 years. What have you been doing all this time? And why have you decided to come here now?
-Well, to be honest I had nowhere else to go, so I ended up as a mercenary in several places. But I got tired of that life. If you ask me why I decided to come here, I guess... it was an impulse.
-Do you know who he is? - the old man said as pointed to the Tenryubito sitting next to him.
She shook her head.
-His name is Donquixote Mjosgard, Doflamingo's cousin.
Mina was surprised. That man was her second uncle? She didn't know that had more family, Doflamingo never told her about him.
The man smiled but said nothing.
-Mjosgard is the current head of the Donquixote family here in Marijoa. He was part of the secondary branch of your family. However, Mjosgard don't have children, even though it's his duty - he looked at Mjosgard with anger, although the other ignored the looks.
-What...?
-From now on, you will live together, we will need time to decide your future - the men got up and smiled at her in a sinister way.
Mina couldn't believe it. Had they accepted her? Had they fall for it? She couldn't believe that the mission had started as a complete success.
-Your name was Mina, right? - Mjosgard asked - Are you Doflamingo's daughter?
-No, I'm Rocinante's daughter.
The man looked surprised.
-Roci? Damn, who would say that the last offspring of this cursed family would be from that shy boy...
He started to laugh, but not sinisterly.
-What's so funny?
-Excuse me, haha. It's just that you really look more like Doffy.
-Is that so?
-Of course! You have the same intimidating look.
Mina didn't answered.
-Well, let's stop the formalities - he got up and offered his hand - From now on, I will be your family. I know I'm a little weird, but you'll have to endure it!
This man was much more different from the vision that Mina knew of the Tenryubitos.
They both walk through Marijoa, which was a beautiful place.
Fairytale palaces of marble of all colors with precious stones, diamonds and gold adorning the facades. Exotic gardens with incredible plants and animals of all kinds.
But that feeling came back to her no matter what the place looked like.
The feeling that there was something odd going on.
Finally, they reached the Donquixote palace. No one could be fooled, her family's place was the most spectacular of all.
-Why is it... so big? - she dared to ask.
-Well, I couldn't tell you exactly... But let's say that for some reason, our family has always been favored by Im-sama.
Hearing that name, made her shuddered. Those spiral eyes managed to freeze her.
-Hm? Did I say something wrong?
She shook her head. She didn't trust the man yet.
Upon entering the palace, Mina was surprised.
-There are no slaves... - she said out loud.
Mjosgard smiled.
-I'm sorry if it bothers you, but I'm not fond of slavery.
Mina looked at him with wide eyes and surprised.
-What do you mean? Perhaps ... Aren't you a Tenryubito?
-I told you, I'm not like the others. I can imagine the kind of life you have had as a princess in Dressrosa, but I must warn you that in this house there's no slave, so do what you want, but you will not make me change my mind.
Mina chuckled.
"Princess? What a joke~"
Anyway, she was surprised to learn that there were Tenryubitos against slavery, and that one of them was from her own blood. After all, Doflamingo was the previous owner of the slave auction house.
-Go ahead, make yourself comfortable - Mjosgard said.
Mina looked at that luxurious castle. She started walking down the hall, where she found portraits of different generations of her family.
It seemed odd to her that the First Lady was quite similar to herself, but with the family's typical platinum blonde hair.
As she moved along the timeline of the portraits, she noted that, from time to time, there was a person like her, the last being her father's grandmother.
What did all this mean? Mina had a bad feeling, as if that really wasn't a coincidence based on genetics.
-Are you seeing the portraits? - Mjosgard asked suddenly - Haha sorry, I didn't want to scare you.
Mina shook her head and continued looking until she reached one picture that caught her attention.
-Those are Homing and his wife with Doffy and Roci - he pointed out - They were the main branch of the family, but one day Homing decided to leave Marijoa.
That surprised her.
-Seriously? Why would he do something like that? - she always thought they were expelled from Marijoa, at least because of the way Doflamingo told her so. She didn't know it was a decision made by her grandfather
-Well, my father and Homing were brothers, your grandfather being the older one. My grandmother had a terrible accident that marked Homing. He decided that he was equal to the rest of human beings, and not a God, so he gave up his rights as Tenryubito.
-What happened?
-Well, apparently she had a lover, so was murdered because of it.
-I thought having lovers was normal here.
-Well, it is, but my grandfather was an... obsessive person, and that drove him crazy.
-And what happened to the lover?
-Was executed.
It didn't sound exceptional, but there was something she didn't quite like. It couldn't be as trivial as having died from having a lover. Something was wrong.
-And why did that change Homing?
-Well, marriage in our family is always stablished by Im-sama. He's the one who chooses our partners, who are almost always relatives to maintain blood purity.
"Fantastic, I belong to an incestuous family"
Mina frowned. That man, Im-sama. Why was he so involved with them?
But Im-sama looks... young - she remembered the first time she saw him. He looked even younger than Doflamingo.
-Oh well, no one knows for sure, but Im-sama is said to be immortal.
Immortal. That was a problem that she had to report to Dragon.
-So... why haven't you had children? Doffy hasn't wanted either...
Mjosgard smiled with sadness.
-Why would I bring children to this rotten world?
Mina smiled. He wasn't wrong.
-Now that you mention it, you're Rocinante daughter's. How did you end up with Doflamingo?
Mina was silent for a few seconds.
-If it's something painful you don't have to tell me, I won't force you into anything.
Mina smiled.
-You're totally different from what I makes me happy somehow - Mina let Mjosgard sit next to her - I guess it won't matter if you know it.
-Seriously?
-Of course, you're family.
Mjosgar was excited to hear the word "family". That's right, they were family from now on, and they had to support each other.
-Then tell me. I will listen to your story.
-16 years ago-
Her father's death practically didn't affect her life.
Mina was a child partially abandoned by her parents. Her father rarely came to see her because of his undercovered mission, and her mother... Her mother was never made for that role.
Hina was a busy person. For her, her job as a marine always came first.
Mina wasn't born in a specific country, but in a Marine base in the north. Since Marine bases are considered neutral territory, it meant that she was stateless. That was decided by her father, thinking that it would be difficult to trace her by the World Government. Rocinante decided this to prevent her from being found by Doflamingo and keep her safe.
The little girl spent her days in the Marine base in silence. There was a nursery for the children of the Marines and there they spent their time. If Hina or Sengoku were at that time, they would pick her up at night, but if that wasn't the case, she would sleep with the other children.
At the same time, she was deeply saddened by the death of his father, because despite being the most absent, he was the one who seemed most excited to see her. As an adult, Mina always thought that Rocinante would have been a great father.
After Rocinante's death, Hina's visits were less, and the few times she saw her, it was to see her cry. The situation became so pathetic that the girl began to abhor the presence of her mother.
One day, the Navy base was attacked by pirates. The babysitters took the children away to keep them safe from the conflict, but they forgot her because of being too silent.
Fire started to enter the room. Fear seized her, but she couldn't move, so she squeezed her stuffed animal tightly, waiting for death.
-What are you doing here? - She heard a deep voice say. He didn't sound worried, but didn't sound disinterested either.
Mina looked up at a tall man with blond hair and funny sunglasses.
The girl opened her eyes in surprise and immediately ran to hug his legs, surprising the adult.
-Huh?
Daddy! - she said as she hugged the man's pants.
He had shorter hair and, dressed in a flamboyant way. But that man was just like her father.
-Fufufu, I think you're confused - said the man as he knelt down next to her - I ain't anyone's father.
They both looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds. The blonde seemed surprised to see that the brat looked like him.
-Wow, so that idiot wasn't lying - he smiled - You DO exist.
The girl said nothing.
-Do you know who I am?~ - he asked her while pointing himself.
-Dad? - she squeezed the teddy - But dad's gone.
The man stopped smiling.
-Do you miss him?
She thought about it for a moment.
-I don't know.
-You don't know?
-Dad was good, but he left, and mom never is with me.
-That sounds very lonely. Would you like to come with me?~
Although that smile seemed to have dark intentions, it was pleasant for Mina to see it. Still, she still had doubts.
-Grandpa Sengoku doesn't want me to go with strangers.
-But I'm not unknown, I'm family.
-Family?
-Of course, I look like your father because we're brothers - he pointed out to himself - You can stay with me because you and I are family~
Doflamingo waited to see the girl's reaction, she would probably refuse scared.
But that child looked at him fearlessly and grabbed the fabric of his pants.
The pirate looked at her.
She smiled back at him.
What did Doflamingo think at that moment?
Only he knows.