Take me high and I'll sing

Oh you make everything okay (okay, okay)

We are one in the same

Oh you take all of the pain away (away, away)

Save me if I become

My demons

CHAPTER 2

As I open my eyes, I realize that it has been several months since those terrible dreams have troubled my sleep. I feel almost… at peace? It is a term that I have heard but have never truly known anything like this. Even my earliest memories at Mariejois, did not feel as complete as life right now. I am happy.

Though it has only been a short time, my family has been renewed since my beloved baby brother returned to me. It is a shame that he is unable to speak, but that doesn't mean I love him any less. I think I have been able to prove this to him by making him my Corazon, for he is my heart. Now he is my second in command. There is now a certain cruelness about him that was not there when we were children, but who am I to judge?

The voices insist that he is hiding something from me, and that he wants me dead. I shove them down and fight to calm the insanity. Rosi and I are the same. He is like me. We are both fallen gods stuck in this vile hell. I will bring him with me to rule a kingdom and we will rise above this filth with our family, as that is all that matters. I will never let him suffer again. He doesn't hate me for killing that man anymore and has come home. I will save him… and he will save me.

Later, I am in the common room with my little mismatched "family". We are eating and my new little one enters the room. Law. I feel a sense of pride that he is learning to come and seek me out. My mind begins to fill with the plans I have for this young one.

However, some of my family quickly begin to distract me by telling me to get rid of him, while others are making comments to the boy to get him to go on his own. They do not know that I have decided to allow Law to remain because he reminds me of myself. He is filled with hate and a desire to get stronger. I don't understand why they would want to turn away a child on the street.

I've noticed Rosi seems to dislike children, but he is extra cruel to Law. This is confirmed when one of the others says to the boy, "You've been getting beaten by Corazon since you came here."

A smile makes my face feel like it might split in two as I watch my little Law become enraged at the comment. He yells that he is not going anywhere! Oh, he will be so powerful someday with a strong person to mold him.

I must intercede, though. Rosi is his superior, after all. Though I treasure his passion, Law must learn his place in our family. I respond, "but Corazon is my precious biological younger brother. If someone so much as cuts him once, I will put him to death." Law seems irritated but does not argue with me. I will be sure to let him know my intentions to keep him by my side later.

For now, we shall finish eating. I watch as Rosi, Trebol, and the other adults eat, while the children are whispering amongst themselves. It is then that Law's shirt falls open slightly, revealing a white patch on pale skin. Everything becomes quiet, and I can feel the fear in the room set in.

Machvise breaks the silence by yelling at everyone to look at Law's skin. The smile leaves my face, and my stomach becomes ill. This steak suddenly wants to come back up, but not because of the child's condition. It is my family's reaction to him that is causing me to become like this. It reminds me of the filth that wanted to spill my blood for reasons I had no control of as a child.

The nauseating feeling only worsens when I hear Buffalo begin screaming at the kid, accusing him of being contagious and calling him names. I will not have my loved ones hurting each other! Family shouldn't do that! Memories begin to race through my mind, filling me with rage and hatred. I can feel that familiar power starts to swell in my being, but I will not use it on my family over this. It is a foolish mistake, not a betrayal! I push the power down and slam by fist on the table, causing everyone to jump and look towards me.

I firmly correct my family about Law's condition and warn them in reacting in such a way. Poor Buffalo is still so impressionable. I do not expect him to act better when the adults in the room cannot control their reactions. I turn to Law and ask him about his town and if there were any other survivors.

His cold demeanor causes the voices in my head to begin swirling. It's as if I am looking into a mirror! We may not have lived the same life, but I understand his pain. I am the one who can guide him to greatness! I can mold him into a terror to bring this hellish world to its knees. He will make a fine son. I ask him who his grudge is against. Perhaps it is vile filth such as the villagers I disposed of when I was around his age? The cold grey of his eyes turn to steel death. The madness within me bubbles to the surface.

Yes, Law, you and I are more alike than you would ever know. My grin grows ever wider with every word that comes from this child's lips. Even as he vows revenge on my brother, I cannot bring myself to scold him this time. I know with time and attention, Law will come to love the family as I do. He will eventually see that family is everything. I push away my plate and smile as I watch him finally sit down to eat some food.

Things seem to go well for the next few days at Spider Miles. I continue to make plans to invade underground trades deeper within the Grand Line, the money is pouring in, and I have learned that Dressrosa has become ripe for the taking. I smile whenever I think of this land, as it is mine by right of my birth.

Those fools at Mariejois thought to take my royalty from me when they cast me from heaven, but my family ruled that land long before the Celestial Dragons became what they are now. Taking back this nation will be the first piece in shoving my bloodline down their fat, worthless throats! Finally, I shall be acknowledged as the king that I was born to be and can stop living in this trash heap. I can begin to provide more for my family and to give them all they deserve!

A part of me thinks that everything is lies, but I ignore these troubling thoughts. My family loves me and have been here for me since I was ten years old. My brother has come back to me and stands at my right hand. How can it be anything other than perfect?

It is what I have always dreamed of. And now with Law here, my little family somehow feels complete. Not that I would love the other children less. That is why I gave them devil fruits to make them stronger, just as Trebol did for me. It's what you do for those you care for. You give them ways to protect themselves and those they love, as well as the power to take revenge on those who hurt them. To make them invincible to the world!

There's a small feeling of uneasiness in the back of my mind as I think of Trebol. The voices like to mock me, saying that he is using me. However, I know he loves and worships me. Without him, I would have died years ago… Right? I shake my head to clear the unwelcome feeling and refocus my attention on Law.

I haven't really seen him around since the other night at dinner. I can feel the frown deepen on my face as I remember the cruel way some of the others treated the boy. I have been gathering devil fruits and either using them, or selling them for a while now, but there is one that I have been unable to reach that would be of great use, I think.

The Ope Ope no Mi. The power of this fruit would undoubtedly save his life and would allow him to heal others. He was already training to be a doctor with his biological family. Maybe he will allow me to adopt him into my family and continue his education. Once I find that fruit, Law will be unstoppable. He will be my successor. My own son. The smile on my face practically hurts, but I do not remember having been this happy before. Not even before my family broke when we left heaven.

I call for Machvise and Giolla to go and find him for me before going into my room to read. I take off my glasses and drink some wine to try and relax after a long day. I do not even notice the world beginning to fade away when suddenly I am there again.

I can feel my body struggle against the villagers, but the flames are hot against my skin! The ropes are again digging into my flesh and the blood is pounding in my ears. The pain is so much! Please make it stop! I can sense the arrow loosed towards my brother when the power wrenches from my stomach.

The next thing I know, I am again in my room, covered in sweat, and I can't breathe. I lean forward, gasping for air, but the tightness in my chest will not relax. I reach for my glasses, and though they bring me some relief, the bottle of wine next to them is a welcome sight. I grab the bottle and begin to drink without even bothering to use my glass. Anything to drown the memories and thoughts that come from these nightmares. I don't even care how I must look right now. For a moment I wonder what it was that brought this on after so many months of being free from this problem.

However, as the world comes back into focus, my attention is taken from my musing and I notice what must have woken me. The transponder snail keeps his incessant ringing until I pick up the receiver. Ah. It seems they have found Law. I throw down the bottle and the sound of breaking glass barely even registers. I will have Baby 5 come clean it up later, as I have far more important things to attend to now.

Once I make my way into one of our common areas, I see that Rosinante is already there. He looks at me and appears to get up to leave. I shake my head at him and smile. "Please stay, brother. I would like you here for this."

He nods and pulls out a cigarette. I reach over to light it for him to ensure he does not set himself on fire again. As I watch him take a drag, I smile softly. He is truly my light and the one to save me from myself. We are the same and I know that he will take my pain and save me from these demons that constantly scream in my head. I was so lost before he returned to me. I wonder if he felt lost too?

I am about to tell him my plans for Law, as I want him to understand how important it will be for me to have a son to carry on the Donquixote legacy. I know my brother doesn't like children, but if he would just give Law a chance, I know he would see the same thing I do! He would see the same piece in him that is in us. The same pain, the same potential, the same power…

I go to say something to my brother when there is movement at the door and my family has returned with Law carried between them. He looks angry, but that is nothing new. I smile at the boy and watch as they tossed him to the ground. I glared at the two of them and let a piece of my haki catch their attention. Apparently, they did not understand my intentions the other night at dinner. Well, at least after this moment, Law's place here will be undeniably clear.

"Law, I called you in for just one thing. I've decided to welcome you to the Donquixote family officially." I sat back and genuinely enjoyed watching Law's mouth drop open in shock. I'm not sure why he thought he had been summoned before me, but I know he did not expect this. I was expecting some push back from my family, but fortunately they seemed to be happy for the boy and are congratulating him.

I feel like I should explain myself to him. He is, after all, going to be my son in all but blood. "Because you went through such a horrible experience, you got that incomparable hateful look in your eyes." I look into his eyes. "You have the quality."

Giolla puts her hand on his head and begins fawning over the boy while going on about my "vision", but he seems to reject her assessment, bringing up his illness. The voices are clamoring within my mind, but I don't care because this is such a happy day for me! I'm going to have a son and I will raise and protect him. I will give him a place in ten years as my legacy to the world, so how would I ever let him die?

I begin to laugh and tell him it depends on his luck, though I know it has nothing to do at all with luck. He was destined to become the son of a god. I have the blood of dragons in me, whether the fools at Mariejois were willing to let me and my brother back into heaven or not. The voices and that power are swelling inside my core and I am beginning to become overwhelmed in it all.

I told Law about the devil fruits and that there are types that could heal him, though I did not mention the exact one I have in mind for him. That will come for later. I also told him that in ten years I want him for my second in command. I know that the boy is still skittish and very prideful. I want him to build bonds with me and the other family members before I push him too fast. I've already given him a lot of information, so I will see if he will grasp the opportunity presented to him.

At that moment Rosinante begins to cough and my attention is taken away from Law. As I look towards my brother, I suddenly feel like all the air has been sucked from my lungs and the smile is wiped from my face. I force myself to stay calm as I see blood covering Rosi's side.

For the slightest of moments, even the voices have gone completely silent and everything is numb inside at the sight of his shirt soaked in dark red liquid, though he appears to be trying to hide the spot beneath his hand. In the back of my mind, the only thought I can form is that the villagers got my brother with their arrows. My brother is going to die!

At that thought, a hurricane unleashes inside me and the demons begin to howl and rage! Who would dare to harm my precious baby brother? Do they not realize that he is descended from gods? I fight back the swarming madness and keep my face calm, but my fists clench from the efforts and my frown deepens. When I ask Rosi what happened, I am surprised to hear how controlled my voice sounds.

He writes a note to say that an enemy has done this to him, but it does nothing to quell the tempest that is beginning to storm within me. I can feel the violence within me increasing as I picture the vengeance I plan on taking on whoever did this to my brother. I will make an example of them that the whole world will know to not fuck with my family!

I ask if he took care of them, just to try and get more information from him. I don't understand why he didn't say anything to me in the first place. Perhaps when he sees how I rip this enemy to shreds with my strings, and pull the flesh from their bones slowly while they bleed out and scream for hours, he will then understand how much I love him? I would do anything to keep him safe and punish anyone that would dare harm him! He can trust me to save him, just as he's saving me. We are family, and that's what you do!

He answers me by writing that he finished the enemy off. The pressure on my heart relaxes and I calm the thoughts that torment me, but the wound still bothers me. I can't lose my brother. "That's good. Get it treated, okay?" is all I trust myself to say at that moment.

I reach over to pat Rosi on the shoulder and look once more at Law. He looks like he's in shock, perhaps at my offer to raise him to be my heir? This makes my heart swell with pride, but I can't deal with my brother's pain at this moment and don't dwell on it long. I can feel myself begin to slip into the darkness again and need to go out for some air. I ask Giolla to get medical attention for my brother as I pass her on my way out, and she responds she will get someone right away. I thank her and move on quickly past the others.

As I move to one of my favorite spots to sit on the rails outside of the buildings, I watch the waves crash against the garbage on the shores and try to breathe. I know that my brother can take care of himself, but when I look at him, I see my moth… I see her and I just want to protect him with everything I have. I lost him once and will not lose him again!

The voices began to scream again that he was lying to me and wanted me dead, but I pushed them aside and continued to watch the waves. I know my brother loves me. He is my heart and my salvation. We are going to rule the world together.

The next several months seem to go by very quickly. My time is spent planning constantly as we move towards our goal of retaking Dressrosa in the Donquixote name, but in the meantime, I send the family on smaller jobs to gain money. Even the children are sent on these jobs, and they do not disappoint me. I have trained them well and had my family members also get involved with increasing their skills. I watch as Law and Baby 5 spar against Lao G and find myself routing for them as the fights become closer with time. However, they are not yet a match and I chuckle as they always end up flat on their backs at the end of each match.

Whenever there are not jobs to be completed or deliveries to be made, I keep Law at home and continue his education. After all, if he is to stand at my side when he is grown, he must have knowledge at his disposal. He appears to be comfortable with the stack of books I place in front of him, and never complains as I assign reports or ask questions about what he has already completed.

I know a time will come that I will need to find him a formal instructor, but my voices are quiet during these times with… my son. I feel at peace and complete. I want to enjoy this time together while it lasts and I wonder if he is happy, as well? Does he consider us family, yet? I simply watch him read and scribble notes on paper, stopping him occasionally to offer insights on charts and graphs until he finishes with one book and is ready for the next.

The days move into weeks, and on into months. Months pass away without scarcely noticing the movement of time due to all the activity. My children are growing, and the family is flourishing. All of us have our part and soon the world will belong to us.

Law and Baby 5 go on a mission to collect a bounty on some low-level pirate named Wellington. He stupidly moved in on Donquixote territory and dared to run his mouth about the family. The plan was to take our money back from him and to turn him over to the Marines as punishment for his arrogance. Death would be too quick and too easy for him. From all reports, he is a drunk and has no devil fruit, so is really all talk. He should be easy enough for my children to be clever and catch him off guard.

However, someone tipped him off they were coming. He held off on drinking his usual amount and decided to lay in wait for whomever was after him. Had it not been for the fact that I always follow behind them when they go on jobs like these, he may have succeeded in permanently harming them. I was several hundred meters away when I heard Baby 5 fire on him and then scream. As I used my strings to fly towards them, I heard him strike her and then grab my Law!

HE. WILL. DIE.

The power begins to roll within my belly, and I move even faster towards the sounds of the struggling children. As I clear through the trees, I see my precious girl crying on the ground and Law struggling beneath the sorry excuse for a pirate. He is attempting to choke my son, though Law is desperately fighting the much larger man.

The voices within are deafening to the point I can't even make sense of what they are screaming anymore, but the killing intent is clear. This trash is taking what in mine! He dares to lay his filthy fingers on my children and has the audacity to attempt to kill my own heir? Red clouds my vision and I reach forward to unleash my strings.

The barest glint of white flashes through the air as the light refracts on my strings as they make their way to my target. They are quicker than his mind or body can register. I can feel them cut through flesh and muscle, but not too deep... yet. A grin breaks across my face when I hear him cry out as the pain finally registers, seconds before the blood gushes from the wounds.

I land on the ground while the bastard begins to groan, and his hand fully releases Law. Baby 5 immediately jumps up and grabs a hold of my leg, and I can feel her tears hot against my skin. I stand with my strings ready as other members of the family begin to arrive and Law stands to his feet. I purposely look away as his small body shakes. He is not yet a man, so I will allow him time to gather himself.

I can smell the coppery scent of the vermin's blood behind me as it gathers beneath his body. I have Pica and Machvise pick him up and take him to one of our hidden locations to deal with his sin of harming my children. Before the sun sets, this trash will beg me to let him die. If I am in a merciful mood, I may allow it… though he shouldn't hold his breath. A dark laugh escapes my lips, causing Law to look up at me for the first time since I arrived.

His body has ceased its trembling, but I notice he is still biting his lower lip as he looks down again and grabs his hat like it's a lifeline. I place my hand on his head and pet him to let him know he has not displeased me in any way. The day will come that he will easily cut down scum without hesitation or mercy, but until then I want him to know I am here to protect him. That is what it means to be family.

Rosi has caught up to us by this time and watches me closely with Law. His eyes seem to almost radiate a distrust of me as if I had caused Law's current state. My stomach begins to turn, and I want to lash out at my brother, but I try to control myself. Surely, I am imagining things? He must just be upset that Law is upset! But that doesn't make sense either, as much as my brother hates children.

Rosi then sits next to the treasure chest that Pica had sat down to grab Wellington earlier and lights his cigarette.

The voices in my mind continue to scream that my brother is hiding something, but I ignore them as I go to him to put out the fire on his coat. He is so damn helpless sometimes! My cute little brother would be lost without me, and I was lost without him. We need each other! Surely, he would never betray me… Would he?

Time continues to pass in a haze of planning and execution of taking over Dressrosa. We are closer than ever, and I can practically taste the crown within my grasp. The family has grown, and each has a part to play, but I have become increasingly worried about Law even during all this activity.

His illness has worsened over the last couple of years to the point that Rosi supposedly took the boy to find a doctor. I am grateful to my brother for caring about me enough to help my son, but I can't stop the thoughts that scream betrayal.

Rosi left without saying anything to me and would not take my calls at first. They were gone for months until I was able to track them, and it seemed as though I almost had to force him to acknowledge me. When I finally got him to answer the transponder snail, he reassured me that he was trying to help Law and hadn't betrayed me.

However, the demons within are becoming louder and more violent. I cannot sleep anymore due to the images and the voices screaming in my mind. My power and my devil fruit often lash out around me whenever I do manage to doze off, so I am worried that I will harm one of my family members accidentally.

There is a meeting scheduled between the Marines and some pirates on Swallow Island to trade for the Ope Ope No Mi in a few days' time. I plan to intercede and steal the fruit for Law. I know I told Rosi that I planned for him to eat the fruit himself, but though I want to trust him, there is that part of me that just won't allow me to any longer. I can't control my fingers as I begin to spin strings in random patterns and destroy objects near me while considering these things.

Surely my brother would not betray me! He is my heart and the only blood I have left. My father flashes through my mind and the sound of the gun in my head causes me to jerk back to the present. I briefly feel sadness before wrath takes its place. It is his faultthat this is happening now. If there is any reason that Rosi might even consider betraying me, it is due to that man poisoning him so long ago.

I call together the family and we board the Numancia to head towards Minion island. I know that the pirates are hiding out there, and it is my intention that they will never make it to the meeting with the Marines. Rosi promised to meet us there with Law and today is the day that I will ensure my son his destiny! As for my brother, perhaps we can work out whatever it is that has come between us. Family should always come first!

We make the journey to the islands and land on Minion island in a cove where we can see the rendezvous point at Swallow Island without our position being spotted. I have a terrible premonition that things are about to get extremely treacherous for my family, and as we spend time watching, this feeling is proven accurate. My heart sinks as we watch two warships begin circling the port. The size of these ships are so massive that they almost match the ones used in a buster call. These ships are here to rain destruction, not to simply guard a transaction. It's as if the Marines are preparing for a war.

It is then that my transponder snail begins to ring. The demons in my soul practically sing in glee as I know whatever news is on the other end is going to destroy the remainder of my happiness. I'm not even sure how I am so sure of this, but it is a knowledge that I would place my life on. I simply close my eyes and my fingers crack and bend as I flex them back and forth before taking the snail's receiver.

Virgo informs me of my brother's secret letter to the Marines. My world comes to an end for the briefest of moments and my vision blurs as wretched heat fills my eyes. Rosinante has attempted to tell them everything. The auction houses, the devil fruits, and worst of all, he tried to warn them about Dressrosa. It is a country that was stolen from our family by the worthless world government. That crown should have been mine at birth, simply by matter of bloodline! It was denied to me by those pompous fools, so why would help them to keep what is rightfully mine?

I am pulled from my reverie when Vergo attempts to appease me by letting me know he punished Rosinante and Law. Even my voices know to let me be at this moment. Law is my son and still a child. I am the only one to decide his punishment if one is even warranted. My brother is currently the only transgressor, and I still want to talk to him. Maybe the Marines forced him to betray me? I must know why he did this! Brothers...blood is forever! How could he choose them over me? A voice whispers in my mind that The Family is my only true family. I ignore it for now.

"Whoa-whoa, you haven't killed them, have you?" I ask Vergo. He assures me they are still breathing, but I do not like his flippant tone. I will overlook it, though, as he has been so faithful to me all these years and has been undercover, away from the family. I tell him that we will be that way shortly, as the pirates we have fought said the devil fruit was stolen from them, so it must have been my brother.

Vergo becomes irritated. Apparently, Rosinante and Law have disappeared, but it is of no great importance. We will find them, for how far can a child and an injured man go? I also have my devil fruit to assist me. I pull forth one of my most formidable abilities. Birdcage. I can feel the subtle vibrations as people begin to grab a hold of the strings in a futile attempt to escape. No one can escape this trap once I have set it. I will find my son.

As a final push towards destruction, I release my parasite strings and begin to grab random pirates to slay anyone near them. A morbid pleasure fills my breast as I can sense the pain and fear that fills them whenever someone's flesh is pierced by my power.

We make our way towards the town and cut down every rat we come across along the way. No amount of begging, or crying is enough to grant mercy. No display of anger, or effort to fight is adequate to repel my family's judgement. Death is granted to all without hesitation and the stench of iron increases even as the sounds of war decrease. With each death, the demons at the core of my being are gaining more momentum. I can scarcely tell what is them and what is me. It is as though I am losing my true self, and I feel a small flicker of fear. I am drowning, and with Rosinante's betrayal, I no longer have a lifeline to grasp, nor perhaps even the desire to hang on.

I finally reach a warehouse and use my strings to lay waste to the door. Inside I find the sorry excuse of a pirate captain. He is the one who was to meet with the Marines and sell the Ope Ope no Mi, but here he is cowering before me on the ground like a worm. Somehow this filth dares to accuse me of taking the precious fruit, but I make sure to tell him that if I had taken it, I would not be here now going through all of this.

He sickens me to even look at him and only have one thing more to say, "How dare you let it be stolen, you drunken idiot?!" before I pass his final condemnation and pull the gun from my coat. He isn't even worth death from my personal power, and the bullets pass through his head before he can utter one more word in response. Good riddance.

After it is done, I slowly lower myself to the floor and stare at the gun in my hand. I'm losing myself while the demons of both past and present begin to take over everything. I remember how I felt when I met Trebol for the first time. I was so small and broken. He recognized greatness in me and was able to put name to the power dwelling within my soul. Haki. The power that saved me from the villagers. If it hadn't been for him and Vergo, I never would have met my destiny.

I continue to stare at the gun. The gun Trebol gave me to take my revenge and steal my power back from that man. He's the one that caused me and my brother to hurt so much! He tried to take my power from me! I can hear Rosi...Rosinante screaming for me to stop. He's screaming for that man. I ask him why he took that power I had. I tell him we can't undo what he's done, but I plan to take his head to the Celestial Dragons to regain entry to heaven. I'm doing it for us! Why doesn't Rosinante understand? Instead Rosinante persists in clinging to and crying for that man!

He simply turns and says, "Doflamingo, Rosinante. I'm sorry you had to have a father like me." pause when hesmiles at me. There are tears in his eyes and I can feel my hands begin to shake as I falter. I hate myself for my self-doubt, but this was a man I once trusted more than anyone in the world. At one time, he was everything to me. He would hold my hand as we walked along the streets of Mariejois, and he spent time playing games with me. He held me on his shoulders the first time I saw Rosi. Then I remember the pain and humiliation. He brought us here to be hurt. He let her die. He betrayed us.

The feeling of the iron is hot as I pull the trigger and I'm surprised how it makes my palm sting when the recoil causes the gun to slam back into my hand. I can smell the acidic burn of gunpowder in the air, and it is joined by the unmistakable rich odor of blood. I can feel gore and wet heat splatter on me from his wound. Rosinante continues to scream.

Pica is calling out my name, but I can scarcely bring myself to look away from the gun still sitting in my hand. It seems so small now. How can such a tiny weapon have brought such major changes in my existence? Pica then puts his hand on my shoulder and tells me they have found my brother. That manages to catch my full attention. The time has come to find out for sure if he has truly betrayed me to the point that there is no longer hope for us. I put the gun back into my coat and followed Pica into the cold.

I took my time walking towards the sounds of fighting, and though I was no longer right behind Pica, I could see his footprints in the snow. My voices are screaming for bloodshed, but I have never felt so conflicted before. My chest is aching from how tight it feels, and I notice the taste of copper in my mouth. When I put my fingers to my lips and pull them back, I see I have managed to bite through my bottom lip until it bled. Fufufu… I can't help but to laugh at myself. Perhaps I am not as strong as I always believed?

The closer I come to where the family is confronting my brother, the harder it is for me to catch my breath. My chest is becoming even tighter, and my throat is getting dry as I struggle to swallow. I must stop and close my eyes. My fingers are moving fast and cracking as I create and release strings to try and relieve the tension in my body. I growl at the voices to shut the hell up, since they have become so fucking loud that I can't concentrate on catching my breath. I need to understand why Rosinante is doing this!

WHY?

It isn't until I hear Lao G tell Gladius to stop before he kills my brother that everything seems to freeze. My eyes snap open and I look up towards the direction where everyone is at just over the hill. He's going to die? I lean my head to the side and relax my face into a wide grin, full of sharp teeth. People often tell me it is quite unnerving. I begin to chuckle softly, and it increases until I can't even control the laughter. My demons join me in my head. We laugh until tears begin to roll down my face. Then I begin to sob. When did my brother stop loving me?

Did he ever love me?

After a few moments, I wipe my face with both of my hands and straighten my tie. I run my fingers through my hair and ensure that my coat is snug on my shoulders before continuing onward. My face is carefully blank as I approach Rosinante and my family, but I keep my hands in my pockets since I cannot seem to keep the fidgeting of my fingers under control.

I count off the steps in my head to try and keep calm. There is still a burning ember of hope in my chest, he will say something to make this better! He is still my lovely younger brother. All I have ever wanted is to have family and to be happy. We deserve better than the hell of this shameful dung heap that mancursed us to! It is all I have worked towards these long years. Surely Rosinante must know that!

I stop and look down at Rosinante covered in blood, coughing as he is trying to smoke a cigarette. I want to reach out to him and take care of his injuries, but I know this is not the time for that. In fact, there may never be a time for that again. Instead, I say to him, "It has been six months, Corazon," and wait to see what he will say back to me.

The look of disgust and hatred in his eyes repulsed me. I can practically feel it burning my skin as he attempts to stare me down. Suddenly he smiles and reaches into his coat. The others immediately react, but I hold out my hand and tell them to stand down. He is my brother! I will see to this myself.

They were right not to trust him as he pulls a gun from his coat and aims it towards me. He even dares to pull back the hammer in preparation to fire. Icy fingers wind their way around my heart even as fiery pinpricks stab behind my eyes. He surely is betraying me, and I don't know why.

What is it about me that makes it so my biological family doesn't want to love and protect me? I have the blood of the Celestial Dragons in my veins, but they have cast me away too. My hand goes to my eyes before I catch it and put it back into my pockets.

The next thing my brother says is that last thing I was ever expecting. "Marine Code 01746. Commander Rosinante of the Navy Headquarters. Donquixote Family captain Doflamingo, I have been undercover to prevent a future tragedy of your doing. I am a Navy soldier!"

My heart feels as though it is shattering in that moment and there is a fever pitch of wails lamenting in my head. For the last few years that I've been tormented with the thoughts and suspicions that my brother hated me and was lying to me, to hear it put so plainly now was eating me alive. I could feel a cold sweat breaking out on my back and muscles tightening in my abdomen. That power began rolling and coiling within me, wrapping around the demons fighting for dominance. I felt it overwhelming me, but truly had lost the will to care.

Despite the turmoil churning inside my consciousness, I managed to keep my exterior facade in place, save for the deepening scowl on my forehead. Commander Rosinante continued, but he was no longer looking at me as he spoke. Again, my voices cried out he was playing games, only this time I know to listen to them. I realize he is no longer speaking to me, though I am not sure why he is trying to pretend any longer. What is the point in this charade? "I'm sorry I lied to you. I lied because I didn't want you to hate me."

LIES!

I can feel the look of disgust that curls on my lip as I respond to him, "Stop telling those insipid jokes…" before the rage manifests on my face and I scream for him to answer my questions. I ask him about the Ope Ope no Mi and Law. He looks so proud of himself when he tells me that he had Law eat the fruit! I want to laugh in his face and wipe that smug look from existence. All he did was what I had planned from the beginning!

It's what he says next that changes everything. My whole world feels like it is jerked out from underneath me and I am left with nothing. Law is not within the boundaries of the birdcage and Rosinante has allowed him to be given to the Marines. My son is with the FUCKING MARINES! The icy fingers around my heart have just ripped said heart from my chest and crushed it to leave nothing but a gaping, bloody hole.

No, no, no, no… he must be lying, is all I try to tell myself as he begins to grin that cocksure fucking smile that lets me know I was never his brother. I was nothing more than an assignment to him. I begin to grind my teeth, but before I can move to react to him, Buffalo and Baby 5 cry out to me. They confirm that a boy was indeed taken by the Marines, so I begin to give out orders to the Family to retrieve Law. Then something in me snaps.

I was simply a pawn to the Commander. A villainous pirate to keep an eye on and report back about. I was never his brother! He never loved me this whole time! This realization causes the dam holding the demons back to break. I no longer have any control and they consume me. I think I may even be… grateful? After so many years of struggling, I begin to sink into the blackness of their embrace. I am me, yet I am not. It is my body, though it is not fully I in possession any longer.

The bastard has the nerve to look offended that I plan to take my son back from the Marines. When he speaks aloud for me not to and asks me why I want to get Law back, I know I would never give him the honest answer anymore. He is no longer family and doesn't deserve any kindness from me. I allow the demons to answer in my stead, simply because at this point, I want him to hurt as much as he hurt me.

I can feel my face change as I lean in towards him. The cruelty is almost alive the way it distorts and disfigures me. I truly am demonic in my hatred and my demons have given me a new smile as I answer the Commander. "Why would I wanna go after Law? If he ate the Ope Ope no Mi, he needs to be educated in order to die for me!" Somewhere deep within I wonder if I have allowed them to go too far to even say such a thing, but when I see his face, revenge is sweet, and I force the regret away while retrieving the gun from my coat.

I look at him and all I see is our father where I used to see our moth… her. She has truly left this world for me and the only family I have is the ones I have found. The ones that came to me when I was ten. I just don't understand why my blood wants to reject me. I don't mean to say it to him, but it slips out, "Why do I have to kill another member of my biological family?!"

We stare at each other for a few moments, each pointing a gun at the other. I tell him he won't shoot me because he is like his father. Since they do not want me, I will no longer claim them either. The Commander and that man can have each other in hell! I begin to fire. Once I pull the trigger, I can't stop. I see flashes of my life. My brother as a baby, Law, Mariejois, my moth...my mother; all the things that have been taken from me! Why does everyone leave?

The voices whisper, "because you are a demon, like us. A worthless monster. Who could ever love something like that?"

I keep firing until the gun is empty. It is so cold out and I watch as Rosinante slides back against the treasure chest. Snow begins to gather on his body and red stains it. I watch while the others begin to gather the stacks of loot and beri to carry back to the ship, but a part of me doesn't want to leave him there alone in the cold. He betrayed me in the deepest way anyone ever could, but... I love him. It's freezing out here, and Rosi is so damn helpless and clumsy. I worry about him. He is my baby broth…

Diamante taps me on the arm and tells me it's time to go. I turn away and walk towards the Numancia with my family. We are about to wage war on the Marines in the harbor to get my son back.

I release the birdcage and my lips spread wide in a razor-sharp leer. My glasses hide the insanity that is swimming at the surface of my consciousness. I feel like the world cannot begin to touch what I have become.

The Marines will forever regret what they have done to me and my family. I am about to pay them back in spades for the life of my brother, then I will take Law before any further damage can be done.

The Heavenly Demon shows mercy to no man and has now been fully unleashed.