The operation to rescue (y/n) is put into motion.

Note:

A new POV in this chapter besides reader and Doflamingo's one :P
Also, long chapter ahead (almost 8k) but I thought it was best to describe the whole rescue plan instead of splitting it in two 3 :)

When Crocodile's black limousine stops in front of that illegal detention center, working under the cover of an old abandoned factory, the guards that keep watch at the entrance exchange a glance before starting to talk to each other.

"They are armed, sir Crocodile," his chauffeur and bodyguard warns from the driver's seat while observing the guards.

"Relax, Daz," Crocodile says from the backseats when seeing the massive back of his bodyguard tensing when one of the guards starts to approach the car, as if getting ready for a confrontation. "It's not the first time that I do business with Akainu. There shouldn't be any trouble."

"Yes, sir, but you usually meet in neutral territory," Daz says while digging his eyes on the guard, who swallows with nervousness before indicating them with a trembling hand to lower the car's window.

Crocodile bites his cigar with more force. Daz has a point. Given the nature of his company, Akainu isn't someone with whom Crocodile likes to get involved too often, and much less in a place that wasn't directly under his control, so that afternoon visit hadn't initially entered his plans.

However, that too-early morning call with that bastard Doflamingo and the later meeting with the man and his associates made him rearrange his schedule a little, since the gains that he could obtain thanks to his collaboration in that operation surpassed the risks.

"G-Good morning, sir," the guard clears his throat, calmer now because Daz's attention is fixed on the other guard, who is fidgeting with fear. "Are you looking for indications?"

"No, I'm exactly where I want to be: I'm here to talk to Chief Sakazuki."

The guard blinks several times.

"I'm sorry, sir, but there's no one working here under that name."

The poor newbie is making a decent job at keeping his face neutral, but the sweat appearing on his forehead betrays that he is lying.

"I know I don't have an appointment with the man," Crocodile continues as if the guard hasn't talked in the first place, "but tell him that sir Crocodile has some information about Doflamingo that he may find interesting. I'm sure he will be willing to make time for me."

The guard blinks again, faster than before.

"Uhm...excuse me for a moment, sir."

The guard hurries to the other guard's side, who opens his eyes wide while looking at Crocodile. The other guard grabs his walkie hanging in his belt and gives his back to Crocodile and Daz for half a minute. After that, he turns around and nods, which makes the first guard trot back to situate again next to Crocodile's window.

"Chief Sakazuki will attend you right now."

Crocodile removes the cigar from his mouth and exhales the smoke in the man's face, causing this one to start coughing.

"That's more like it," he says in a mocking voice while Daz drives them inside the compound.

They have barely crossed the first metallic gate in the direction of the place's garage when an annoying voice sounds inside Crocodile's ear.

"Behehehehe, nice job, Croco-boy!"

"Trebol, we agreed to limit the interactions to the minimum."

"Oooh, come on, don't be a party-pooper Diamanteee."

Crocodile curses while removing the earpiece from his ear. That woman Monet had designed it so that it could adopt the shape of an earring and could be worn as such.

Although Crocodile would like to throw the damn device through the window, he wins over that temptation and puts it in the hole of his right ear. He couldn't risk that Doflamingo refused to hold up his end of the bargain in case he went against the plan. He hopes that the Pluton Security System is as good as it seems. Having the Donquixote members talking - or screaming, in the case of that fellow Pica - is extremely annoying, although he guesses that he has to be thankful that the blondie bastard is busy leaving other things ready with his bodyguards, and is not in charge of the communication.

Once the car is parked, Crocodile waits for Daz to exit the driver seat to open the door on his side. When he is outside, he buttons his jacket with his right hand and gives Daz his cigar so that the man stores it for later. Then he approaches the elevator, where two other guards are waiting for him, Daz following close behind him during the short walk.

The ride the elevator up until stopping on the second floor. When the doors open with a clink, the guards lead him through an old corridor that remained from the times where that old factory was still running.

The poor state of the place contrasts with the new, wooden door at the end of the corridor. One of the guards knocks and flinches a little when the rough voice at the other side allows them to enter.

The room that Sakazuki is using as a secondary personal office is considerable smaller than the one of the Police Department, although the two shelves of the room are filled with the reports of the people Sakazuki is keeping captive there against the law, or of the ones he plans to hold into custody soon enough.

"I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon, sir Crocodile," Sakazuki comments from his desk before looking at the guards. "Hope you don't mind being frisked."

Crocodile chuckles in a low tone and allows Daz to remove his coat.

"I hope this is a formality," Crocodile says while raising his human and prosthetic arms so that they are perpendicular to his body, allowing one of the nervous guards to do their job.

"Of course. I don't have anything against you yet." Crocodile doesn't fail to notice that 'yet' at the end of the sentence, proving what he already knew: that the man had him in his sights. "Although I'm surprised you have knowledge of this place."

By then, the guard has stopped frisking him and announces everything is in order. The only thing that the man has found in the pocket of his suit pants is a small tin box containing some mint candies. Still, the guard verifies the content and shows it to Sakazuki before returning it to Crocodile, once Sakazuki nods in approval.

"I have my resources." Once the guards are outside the room, Crocodile takes a seat in front of Sakazuki's desk and crosses his legs, offering the man an arrogant smirk. "The same ones that have allowed me to know that you have a special guest in this facility. A guest that Donquixote Doflamingo is desperately trying to find."

Sakazuki doesn't change his expression, and his tone reveals nothing either when taking the floor.

"Considering the particular people Doflamingo uses to deal with, that guest could be anyone."

Crocodile's smirk widens while lying his right elbow on the arm of the chair.

"Come on, Chief. This conversation is not going anywhere if we don't talk with honesty."

Sakazuki snorts while leaning back against his chair.

"That's a strong word coming from you, sir Crocodile, but I agree. So, if you lay your cards on the table, I will honor you with the same courtesy."

Crocodile laughed in his characteristic way before nodding and proceeding to talk.

During the following couple of minutes, Crocodile told Sakazuki all the information that Doflamingo's family had asked him to expose. Some intel was correct and involved some future deals that Doflamingo had planned and about which Sakazuki may have heard about. Talking about those deals would give Crocodile credibility so that Sakazuki also believed in the ones they had invented, and which were merely devoted to spark Sakazuki's interest.

During the whole time he talks Sakazuki remains silent, but Crocodile hasn't reached the position he is occupying thanks to luck only. The same as Doflamingo, he knows how to read his opponents - or, at least, most part of them, since he had failed with you - so no matter how hard Sakazuki tries not to show what he's really thinking, Crocodile can almost taste the complacency from Sakazuki, who's already thinking how he could use the information Crocodile has provided him with to go against Doflamingo.

"Well, I must admit that you have come with some interesting intel. You must have one mole or two planted in the Donquixote Family."

"Perhaps, but I've shown you plenty of my hand already, Chief, so I hope you don't mind me keeping some aces under my sleeve."

Sakazuki nods.

"I'll allow that for now." Crocodile has to hold back the urge of clenching his jaw. He doesn't like one bit how Sakazuki has sounded, so sure that he's always in control of everyone else, but he can't let his irritation show. "So, what are you looking for in exchange for this intel? Because I assume it won't come free."

"No, but almost. Remember that special guest that I have mentioned before? I have some unfinished business with her."

Sakazuki hums while reaching out for a cigar to light it.

"What kind of unfinished business?"

Crocodile's grin widens.

"The one that usually involves a man, a woman and a bed."

Sakazuki doesn't seem the least surprised by his petition, and neither bothered by it, as if it isn't the weirdest demand that he has received and agreed on.

"You were right: it's not a high price." Sakazuki takes a drag. "Five minutes with her, all you have to say to her you say it aloud, and no physical marks."

Crocodile clicks his tongue.

"Please, Chief, since I have the no-mark limitation, allow me my seven minutes in Heaven."

Sakazuki thinks about it for a moment and eventually nods while reaching out for the phone.

"I'll leave it arranged, but if you don't follow the rules, your little session will be off before even starting."

Crocodile raises his right hand conciliatorily when hearing the threat in Sakazuki's words.

"Of course, Chief." Crocodile opens then the small tin box and extracts a mint pill that he introduces in his mouth. "I will behave."

The next part of the plan is set into motion now, and Crocodile doesn't have to pretend much to be eager for what's coming.

You realize that you have fallen asleep while sitting on the floor when the metallic door of the cell is opened with enough brusqueness to hit the wall. Your eyes close again with the sudden light that slips inside.

During the past two days - it's been two days, right? - you have been sitting in that small, dark cell where you have barely space to stretch your legs. After the first 'conversation' with Sakazuki, you had been stripped from your clothes, changed into a grey uniform, and thrown in there. The cell has no bed or windows or toilet, just a hole in the ground that worked as a latrine, the hatch at the bottom of the door from where the - bad - food keeps coming - which gives you the hope that Sakazuki's plan isn't letting you rot there and starve to death -, and the small glass in the door that connects with the corridor.

Just after being locked there, you stuck your face there, since it was the only place from where a little light entered. However, you rapidly discovered that the less the other tenants saw your face, the better. When you were led there, some prisoners started to bang at the doors while shouting obscenities, and it took you a great willpower to keep your stance straight instead of shivering with disgust and fear.

That's the reason why your heart starts to pound when two guards point at you with their respective weapons and order you to stand up and give your back to them with your hands placed on the opposite wall. Going through that corridor again is going to be disagreeable, and you feel your stomach clenching at the perspective of seeing Sakazuki again.

Before you were put into custody, the man had said that he was going to give you 'some days to reflect about your situation'. Maybe Sakazuki has become tired of waiting and wanted to 'talk' to you again. He was planning to do the 'drowning game' again? Or this time the interrogation would be different, worse? As much as you wanted to play tough, you find yourself gulping when, after handcuffing your hands and feet, the guards lead you out of the room.

Your first surprise takes place when the guards leave the interrogation room behind to approach the elevator.

"Where are you taking me?" you manage to ask with a more or less acceptable firm voice when entering the elevator. Of course, you receive no answer.

The second surprise arrives when, after reaching the second floor, the guards lead you through a corridor until a room where showers have been installed. One of the guards removes your handcuffs while the other keeps pointing at you, just before a third guard, this time female, replaces the one with the weapon.

"Shower," she barks while offering you a bottle of gel and shampoo.

You are about to open your mouth to ask what the hell is going on, but the truth is that it's been three days now since your last shower and you are still with your period, so you decide that the question can wait until you have cleaned yourself.

Who knows, maybe Sakazuki had decided to do something good; he has stripped you from your rights while displaying a clear abuse of authority, but maybe he had decided it wouldn't hurt to let you shower before the smell was too much to stand.

You are finishing drying yourself with the towel when the female guard hands you your shoes, a pair of panties and a bra.

"Uhm, where is my uniform?" you ask while feeling your pulse race again, somehow predicting what the answer is going to be.

"It's getting cleaned. You'll have it later." It's an obvious lie, and your impulse to try to escape must show in your face after hearing the answer, because the guard points at you with her weapon. "Don't do anything stupid, inmate. Behave and put that on or you'll be naked for what remains of the day. Your choice."

You gulp. There's not much difference between dressing those clothes, which are tighter and smaller than the ones you're used to wearing, and being naked, but this time you decide that being stubborn is not going to do you any good. Actually, at that point you're not sure if it has ever done you any good.

Your mind is working furiously while you are handcuffed once again before coming back to the elevator. For a stressing moment, you think that maybe Akainu's plan is leaving you in the middle of the room so that the other prisoners had a perfect sight of you tied up and dressed like that.

A relieved sigh escapes you when the guards avoid the room where your cell was. Maybe there's no reason to panic. Maybe this is just some kind of power play to make you feel more defenseless during the interrogation.

The guards drag you to the next corridor, also filled with cells that are for now empty. They stop in front of one, open it, and after removing once again the handcuffs of your hands and feet they throw you inside. At least, that cell had more furniture: a proper toilet, a small chair, and a bed where you sit while rubbing your wrists.

Maybe, as usual, you have put yourself in the worst-case scenario and Akainu's intention was to change you to another cell. Maybe he was adopting a new strategy of giving you a more comfortable place to stay so that you agreed to help him.

That theory vanishes the moment the door opens again to reveal the last person you were expecting to see again.

"Good afternoon, (y/n). It's been a while." The combination of Crocodile's toothy grin with the sound of the door locking behind him makes cold sweat run down your spine. "Or should I call you Miss White Day for the good old times?"

Despite the nervousness that is slowly invading you, you manage to find your voice to snap the next words with indignation, all while standing up with your fists tightened on either side of your body.

"You pervert, disgusting, son of a bitch…"

"Now, now, miss (y/n), that's not the way to greet your old boss."

"Damn, don't make me remember those days. It was a miracle that I didn't puke every time you flirted with me." You tense and raise your fists in the air when, still smirking, Crocodile loosens the green scarf he wears along his neck to leave it in the closest chair. "And unless you want me to leave you like a eunuch for real you better not take a step closer or—"

Crocodile is faster than you remember him to be, since he shortens the distance between you two when you're still talking.

Also, the poor visibility of the room doesn't allow you to see that his prosthetic hand is now a robotic one, which allows him to grab both of your wrists at the same time that he pins you onto the small bed that creaks for the combined weight.

Your nervousness turns into panic when seeing that your legs are imprisoned between Crocodile's ones, but before you can try to headbutt the man as a last resort to set yourself free, Crocodile lowers his face to whisper in your ear.

"Doflamingo sends his rewards." Your eyes open wide at that, but before you can say anything Crocodile continues talking quickly. "Monet is working to mute the sound of the cameras but she'll need a moment so in the meantime, my dear, I'm afraid you'll have to play along."

You're still assimilating the man's words when suddenly the voice of an officer sounds through the speakers of the room, startling you.

"Sir Crocodile, please, remember to avoid whispering anything to the prisoner."

"Sorry, my bad, I got carried away." After apologizing, Crocodile straightens his position to look down at you, with some strands of black hair out of place.

"So, as I was saying, miss (y/n), I know you don't hate me as much as you claim. Maybe using you as my pet's plaything was a little excessive, but before that, I had the feeling that we were starting to get along." Crocodile's smile turned mischievous. "Although of course, if you prefer to be left on your own, I will leave like the gentleman I am."

You half-close your eyes at the man. You still aren't sure if the man is telling the truth about being working with Doflamingo, but you can't come up with another reason why he should be there in that case. Besides, if the Family wanted to send someone to rescue you, Crocodile was for sure the last man Sakazuki would suspect.

Also, it's a fact that if the man had wanted to do something to you, he could have asked you to keep being handcuffed. And yeah, the man was still a sick bastard that wanted to make the most of the situation on his behalf, but at least he was letting you the choice of agreeing to the game or not.

"Time's ticking, (y/n)," Crocodile lowers down his face so that your noses are brushing, "and if I continue whispering like this, I'm afraid that Chief Sakazuki will put an end to it and you won't leave this place in a while."

"Sir Crocodile, if you insist on whispering into the prisoner's ear, I will need to put an end to…"

Before the voice can complete the threat, you raise your face to join your lips with Crocodile's, not wanting to risk that the guards made Crocodile leave, together with your chance to escape.

The kiss causes Crocodile to let out an appreciative grunt before kissing you back. His hands press yours more against the bed, which makes you frown.

"Release me," you hiss when stopping for air.

"Or what?" he mockingly says, hissing when you capture his lower lip and bite it with force before switching to his ear.

"Release me or I'll tell Doffy that you took advantage of me so that he puts a bullet in your head." You nip his earlobe with enough force to make Crocodile grunt again. "If we have to pretend to like each other then so be it, but I'm in control."

For a moment you think Crocodile is going to refuse your petition. In fact, you have made a bet there, assuming that Doflamingo still cares enough for you to punish Crocodile in case the man dares to cross a line.

Luckily, after exhaling an amused chuckle, Crocodile complies and releases your wrists. He even agrees to change position so that you are the one pinning him against the bed while sitting on his lap.

You kiss the man again to continue with the theatre, firm enough so that it looks like a credible make-out session, but without deepening it; and of course, you snap Crocodile's hands away the moment he tries to settle them on your ass.

"No touching," you snarl against his ear before pinning the man's wrists on either side of his head. The brusque demand makes Crocodile laugh while licking his lips.

"Yes, ma'am," he half-teases, which makes you roll your eyes before pressing your face against the right side of his neck, pretending to be kissing him there.

For the second time, you jump when a familiar voice sounds in Crocodile's earring. You haven't noticed it was a disguised earpiece until then.

"Okay, the cameras are muted, so you can talk freely."

"Monet?!" You exclaim, not believing your ears. "Is it you?"

"Hey, dear. We're glad you're okay."

You are taken by surprise when hearing the Executives saying hello to you, with more amicable voices that you were expecting to hear them use, given your runaway.

"But how…? I mean, why—?"

"Sorry, (y/n) I wish I had time to explain everything but there's no time. So, Sir Crocodile, if you were kind enough to stop playing around and do your part."

"Tsk, just when the fun was starting."

Before you can ask what pill they are talking about, Crocodile sits up with you still on his lap and grabs your chin.

"Open your mouth." You glare at the man with suspicion. "(y/n), since the camera is giving trouble, the police will soon arrive to tell me the session is over, so if you wish to leave this place in one piece, you'll have to be a good girl and obey."

"I'm sorry, (y/n), but he's right: you have to do as he says."

After hearing the urgency in Monet's voice, you don't resist and let Crocodile capture your mouth in a now open kiss. You can't help to tense when feeling his tongue slipping inside your mouth, though it's replaced by surprise when also feeling a small round pill that you automatically swallow without effort.

"Don't freak out when it takes effect." You hear Diamante say after Crocodile lets your mouth go. "I guess we owe you a thank you for the help, Crocodile."

"I can't believe I'm going to say this but it wasn't half bad doing business with you."

You feel Crocodile's thumb sliding through your bottom lip, so you slap his hand away and dry your mouth with the back of your hand before looking at him with suspicion.

"Why did you agree to help?"

Crocodile chuckles.

"Oh, I have my reasons: there's a very nice reward waiting for me. Although, between you and me," an evil smirk appears in Crocodile's place and suddenly you found yourself pinned on the bed again with Crocodile's frame over yours, "having you at my mercy once again was too good to let it pass."

You gasp when Crocodile kisses you deep and hard again, and since this time the man didn't have any sound reason to do that again, you don't hesitate in biting his prodding tongue with force, causing Crocodile to groan in pain and separate from you with the back of his gloved hand covering his mouth.

The door of the cell opens at that moment, just when a couple of guards step in.

"I'm sorry, sir Crocodile, but the cameras are giving trouble with the sound so we're afraid that we cannot give you more time for your...uhm...business."

Crocodile snorts, doing quite a fine job at looking annoyed.

"What a pity." Crocodile stands up from the bed and recovers his green scarf, looking at you from above with an amused grin. "Two more minutes and I would have tamed her just well."

You offer the man your middle finger with your best unimpressed expression, which makes Crocodile chuckle again and abandon the cell with a nod of his head. After the bastard leaves and the guards check that you don't have any bruises, you finally are given your uniform back.

After dressing with it, you are put into your previous cell. This time you barely notice 'the compliments' of the other tenants before the door of the cell closes behind you. You are still assimilating the idea that, somehow, Doflamingo has learnt that you are there, and that he has a plan to get you out.

You spend the following couple hours chewing on the matter, conflicted about how to feel.

On the one hand, you want to get the hell out of there, so knowing that the Family is working to achieve that is a relief. On the other hand, you know how bad Doflamingo reacts to betrayal, and the way you have left him and avoided him could be considered a treason. The same way, the fact that Doflamingo has decided to collaborate with Crocodile, one of his top rivals, proves the lengths Doflamingo is ready to go to have you again, something that you aren't sure it's a good thing.

Who knows, maybe by then you're the only dumb one who keeps loving Doflamingo despite everything you have learnt about him, and Doflamingo only wants you back to punish you.

That last fear gains strength when, just after having the same bad lunch of the previous day, an intense, piercing pain shakes you whole, making you cry out while curling on the floor, with your hands clutching at your stomach. You had never been stabbed before, but you are pretty sure that the feeling wouldn't be worse than what you're experiencing right now.

"Hey, what's going on in there?" one of the guards asks, but you can't respond.

You can only cry again when another shot of pain assaults your whole body, which causes this time that the door of your cell snaps open. One of the guards who have rushed to see what happens crouch next to you while you're writhing in pain.

"I don't think she's pretending."

"Shit, what do we do?" The other guard panics. "Should we call Chief Sakazuki?"

"I-I don't know! He's left the compound for an urgent meeting and the last time we bothered him with a prisoner he told us to let it be."

You don't have time to realize that those two assholes who are supposedly on the law's side are just worried about their careers and asses. You are more worried thinking that that pill that Crocodile has given you under the Family orders is causing you the most intense pain of your life. You had thought that maybe it was some kind of transmitter to allow the Family to know where you were, but maybe that was the punishment Doflamingo had planned for you...

"We have to call an ambulance." A third voice, calmer than the others, suddenly joins the nervous conversation; a voice that sounds familiar but that in your state you don't manage to recognize.

"B-But Chief Sakazuki always insists on not letting in anyone without proper authorization—"

"Kiddo, this woman is important for Chief Sakazuki's plans. If he learns that she has died under our watch, being fired would be the last of our problems. We need to call for an ambulance. That's the hard-boiled thing to do in this situation."

That last sentence makes you force your eyes half-opened. The crouched position you have adopted to try to relieve the pain doesn't allow you to look at the man properly, but the man is too thin to be Senor Pink. You convince yourself that you must be delirious.

You don't know how much time passes after that, since the pain makes you fall unconscious. The next dizzy memory that you have is new voices joining the first before someone else crouches next to you and starts examining you.

"This is a serious case of food poisoning." The blurry figure says while making you open your eyes and checking your pulse. "I have to take her to an hospital right away to properly take care of her."

Okay, it was obvious that you were dreaming, since that objectively sexy voice could only belong to Law and there was no way the man could be there.

"Should we go grab the stretcher, doc? I-I mean, doctor?"

And Bartolomeo was there too, joining the dream, delusion, or whatever you were experiencing.

"Yes, and hurry. We will lose her otherwise.

"Right away, doctor."

And even Cavendish? Damn, what kind of crazy dream were you having?

At that moment some hurried steps sound, followed by a hurried murmur, and then suddenly you are given another pill.

The pain disappears as fast as it has appeared.

"Hang in there, (y/n)-ya. We're getting you out of here."

The whisper and also familiar way to address you make your eyes open wide. Now that you are not feeling like dying anymore, you realize that you had been right: the only guard that remains now in the cell is no other one that a rather thin - and, you can't believe this, attractive - version of Senor Pink, while the one who is now smiling reassuringly at you, with a mustache that has to be fake, a curly black hair that has to be a wig, and some round glasses that make his eyes look bigger is no other than Trafalgar Law.

"Guys…" you start, but Law hushes you while grabbing one of your hands to press it softly.

"You have to pretend to be unconscious for this part, (y/n)-ya."

"They're coming back," Senor Pink warns, so you rapidly obey and close your eyes shut, seconds before the other guards and the 'nurses' Bartolomeo and Cavendish appear.

"Are you sure that we shouldn't inform Chief Sakazuki about the prisoner's transfer?" you hear one of the guards insist while Bartolomeo and Cavendish lift you up to place you in a stretcher.

"We will do that when her life is out of danger," Senor Pink answers with a tone that doesn't leave room for discussion.

You feel your heart pound inside your chest now that you know you're being rescued. You do your best to pretend to be unconscious while lying on that stretcher. The trip is rather short, but it feels way longer and tense. The others don't break character even when you're in the backside of the ambulance, not even the driver who answers with a characteristic 'Ro-G-er' once Law announces they are ready to go.

It's not until the ambulance is finally out of the compound when Law exhales a relieved sigh, which seems to be the indication to finally stop pretending. You open your eyes and realize that both Cavendish and Bartolomeo are almost unrecognizable in their disguise: Cavendish is now a brunet with short hair and a rather big nose while Bartolomeo is a blond guy with a ponytail, no piercings and the tattoo of his right eye is gone thanks to Corazon magic with make-up.

If you were at your best, you would have probably laughed at their new looks, but you are slower than usual, so you can just stare while Bartolomeo exclaims a loud 'WE MADE IT!' and traps you into a tight hug.

"Oh god, oh fuck, I thought my heart was going to explode!" the man shouts just in your ear with a mix of happiness and hysteria.

"Bartolomeo, don't be a brute and let her breathe!" Cavendish exclaims while pushing his effusive boyfriend away from you.

"Are you feeling okay now, (y/n)-ya?" Law asks with worry, finally removing his fake moustache, wig, and glasses, looking like his usual attractive self. "I'm very sorry about the pill, but we needed a strong effect so that it was justifiable to call for an ambulance."

You're still a little disoriented, but manage a nod.

"Yes, I'm fine now. I don't feel like dying anymore." You look at everyone alternatively with a little awkward smile. "Thank you for the rescue. I mean, after leaving I wasn't sure if you…"

A lump appears in your throat, which makes that this time Bartolomeo hugs you again - more moderately - while Cavendish places a hand on your shoulder.

"You're our friend, silly." Bartolomeo separates to ruffle your hair.

"Yes, we would have rescued you with the Family's help or not," Cavendish says with conviction while Law nods, grabbing your hand again.

"Well, it's obvious that we weren't going to stay put," Senor Pink says without hesitation, coming back a little in character when he retrieves his usual pacifier from his uniform to chew at it. "You're still part of the Family, babe."

"Exactly," Lao-G says from the wheel. "You may have your disa-G-reements with the Youn-G Master, but he wasn't G-oin-G to allow you to stay in that place one second lon-G-er."

You gulp again, feeling your pulse race at the mention of Doflamingo.

However, you don't have time to ask anything about your boyfriend - or ex-boyfriend, you aren't sure about where you're standing anymore - since at that moment the ambulance shakes violently, forcing Lao-G to turn the wheel to avoid being thrown out the road.

"It seems that they have discovered the farce," Senor Pink says with resignation, removing his pacifier to take his mobile.

The police car that is now pursuing you hits the ambulance again, making everything shake, but despite the situation you can't help to feel super shocked of how hot Senor Pink looks right then, keeping his balance without any effort while you and the others are having trouble not to fall over.

"We need you to do your thing, sweetheart," Senor Pink talks to the phone. "There are some hard-boiled fellows trying to cut our escape."

"I knew you would need me! " You hear Baby 5 say from just before her cute tone changes into a very brusque one. "COME ON, BUFFALO, STEP ON THE GAS!"

You sneak your head between the front seats in time to see a car running at fast speed from the opposite direction. You recognize Buffalo in the driver seat and Baby 5 with half her body out of the car sunroof, rocket launcher in hand, ready to use.

"Please, hold ti-G-ht, miss (y/n)."

You are barely able to do so before Lao-G steps on the brakes to stop the ambulance. In fact, you don't trip over thanks to Law and Senor Pink, who manage to grab you while Bartolomeo and Cavendish end tangled on the floor with respective squeaks.

The sudden stop makes the police car that was persistently bumping into your vehicle pass you by. Baby 5 doesn't waste the opportunity and shoots at them, making the police car end up in flames.

Again, be it because you're still recovering from your kidnapping or because everything is happening too fast, you don't even feel guilty at the fact that some people have probably died with that attack, because at that moment Lao-G's phone sounds and the man puts the call on speakerphone.

"Lao-G, how is the operation going?"

Your heart stops when hearing Doflamingo after those two weeks you have spent away.

"Everything-G accordin-G to plan, youn-G master. We have been followed but Baby 5 and Buffalo have taken care of it."

"Good." There's a pause at the other side, and then Doflamingo talks again. "Is (y/n) alright?"

In the silence that follows next, you realize that the Family is expecting you to answer.

Now your heart is beating so fast and hard that you can feel it hammering against your chest. Among all the scenarios that you have come up with when meeting Doflamingo again, this was not in the list. Also, even if Doflamingo's voice has sounded calm, you have come to know the man enough to notice the light strain on his voice, which proved he was a little impatient.

You gulp with more nervousness than you would like and give your answer, knowing that delaying it would make things worse between you two.

"Yes, Doffy, I'm fine."

Even if Doflamingo is far away, the tension that follows in the vehicle is almost as strong as if the man was right there.

Silence drags on for several seconds before Doflamingo talks again.

"See you at home."

A shiver runs down your spine. Whatever relief Doflamingo could be feeling after knowing that you were safe and sound, it had been washed away by barely contained anger.

An anger that you knew you were going to experience face-on, and for which you may not be as prepared as you would like.

Some minutes ago

"Nee, nee, Doffy, it's him, neeee."

Doflamingo can't help but tense in the back seat of the car with tinted windows that he, Trebol and Diamante are currently occupying as replacement of his limousine, since it attracted less attention.

They are parked close to the alley in front of the Police Department, where they have a perfect view of Akainu abandoning the Police Department, mobile against his ear an expression of fury in his face, and one of his lackeys - Helmeppo he recalled was his name - following after him like a scolded puppy.

As usual, Viola had done fantastic work pulling the strings so that Sakazuki was forced to leave the place to attend a reunion. Otherwise, Senor Pink would have had a lot of trouble managing to gain enough time to take you out of that prison.

Also, he guessed he owed Crocodile one for his collaboration, although the mere thought of the man being in the same room as you, of the man grazing you even if it had been for the sake of the plan, made him want to tear his remaining arm off.

However, as he had foreseen, the farce had only provided the Family with some minutes before Akainu was informed about that irregularity and took the matter in his hands.

"Are Machvise and Gladius prepared?" he asks Diamante, his eyes never leaving Akainu as the man enters one of the police cars parked in front of the Department, with Helmeppo behind the wheel.

"Yes, they have everything ready for the transmission," Diamante confirms from the driver's seat after checking his mobile.

"And you, Corazon?" Doflamingo questions, this time making use of the earpiece he is wearing.

"Yeah, I am." Corazon sighs then, his tone sounding a little apprehensive. "I really hope you don't break your word, brother. I won't forgive you if you do."

"Worry not, little brother," Doflamingo says while Diamante starts the car and Trebol begins to jump impatiently next to him, "if our friend here behaves, no one will have to die."

"But even if he doesn't behave, I don't think you should—"

Doflamingo cuts communication. He loves Corazon, but as he already knew, the man was too well-natured for his own good, always afraid of hurting people that they didn't need to care about. At least, he had the guarantee that the man would play his part; the man was pretty fond of you, and he wouldn't do anything that would compromise the plan.

During the next minutes Diamante follows the police car through the crowded road until they reach an intersection, where Akainu's is stopped by Corazon, dressed now in a police uniform and wearing no make-up.

"I'm sorry, sir, but the street has been closed to traffic." Doflamingo hears Corazon say, causing Akainu to let out a curse and bark at Helmeppo to rapidly enter through the secondary street that Corazon has forced them into.

Corazon sends the cars that are between Doflamingo's and Akainu's in a different direction just before indicating Doflamingo's one to follow the same path that their target's.

The secondary street is conveniently empty, and they turn the corner just to see Akainu's car stopping hurriedly in order to avoid running into Pica, whose giant frame is blocking the only exit.

Doflamingo remains in the car while Diamante and Trebol, both wearing respective masks the same as Pica, abandon the vehicle with fluency, weapons in hand. Diamante opens the driver's seat and hits the back of Helmeppo's head with the weapon, leaving him unconscious while Trebol keeps pointing at Akainu between laughs.

It's at that moment when Doflamingo, dressed in his black suit, red cravat and pink, feathery coat, reloads his own revolver and abandons his car to approach Akainu's one with parsimony.

Unlike Trebol and Diamante, he isn't wearing any mask to conceal who he is.

"Good afternoon, Chief Sakazuki," he greets once he is inside the car, with the Executives keeping watch. "Don't tell me we have caught you skipping work. A man of your position shouldn't do that."

Akainu looks at him with a mix of rage and shock.

"You are more insane than I thought, Doflamingo," Akainu barks, but although his intention of punching him is clear, the revolver pointing at his chest prevents him from moving. "Threatening me is going to be your last mistake, and the next time we see each other is going to be with you behind bars—"

While Akainu is speaking, Doflamingo lowers the window on his side and snaps his fingers so that Diamante lends him his mobile.

"I know that, the same as me, you're a busy man, so I'll be straight to the point." Doflamingo shows the screen to Akainu and the man automatically shuts up, sweat appearing in his forehead. "I have no intention of ending behind bars, Chief Sakazuki, and if you know what's best for you, you will watch your tone from now on."

Doflamingo feels a twisted pleasure when seeing Akainu swallow with difficulty. For sure not many can say to have witnessed Akainu look afraid like he looked right then, seeing his new, young wife and little children sobbing in fear and tied up in chairs at home, a place who was supposed to be safe, with respective bomb vests - courtesy of Gladius - attached to their bodies, and with his two bodyguards shaking the detonators in front of the camera. Certainly, that image would make the most fearsome of the men break a sweat.

It serves Akainu right though. If you held an important position, you had to be sure you had the means of protecting what you loved from your enemies, and it was evident that Akainu had underestimated him.

"If you touch them a single hair, I swear that—"

"Gladius, detonate the bomb of the cute little girl when I say three: one, two…"

"No, no, no, WAIT!" Akainu shouts just when Doflamingo is going to say 'three', fear surpassing his previous anger. "I will leave you and your people alone. Just don't hurt them."

Doflamingo keeps staring at Akainu before his evil grin widens.

"You have forgotten the magic word, Chief."

Akainu's hands turn into fists, but apparently his family is more important than his pride.

"Please. Don't hurt them."

Doflamingo laughs and tilts his head.

"And why shouldn't I?" Doflamingo's voice turns menacing. "It was you the one who started this by taking someone who was mine."

Doflamingo removes the safety from the gun to point the barrel at Akainu's temple.

"What else do you have to say, Akainu?" Doflamingo presses on, making Akainu subtly gulp.

"I'm sorry for having caught your woman."

Doflamingo pressed the weapon harder, enough to make Sakazuki clench his jaw in discomfort.

"That woman has a name. Say it."

"I'm sorry for having caught (y/n) (l/n)."

"That's better." Doflamingo removes the weapon from Akainu's temple but keeps pointing at him before returning the mobile to Diamante, reaching for his own to make a call. "And now if I were you, I would start praying that she is in perfect condition, or my men will stay a little longer playing with your kids and woman. Now that I think about it, perhaps I should allow them to have their 'seven minutes in Heaven' with her, don't you think?"

Akainu's gets paler at that, but Doflamingo talks again before he can give any justifications.

"Lao-G, how is the operation going?"

"Everything-G accordin-G to plan, youn-G master. We have been followed but Baby 5 and Buffalo have taken care of it."

"Good." Doflamingo doesn't show it, but his pulse slightly accelerates before formulating the next question. "Is (y/n) alright?"

The answer takes a little to arrive.

"Yes, Doffy, I'm fine."

The effect of hearing your voice calling his name is stronger than Doflamingo had anticipated. He had to make quite an effort in keeping his mask with Akainu when relief invades him, just before anger spreads inside due to all the worry you have put him through.

"See you at home," he says, this time without being able to remove all emotion from his voice before hanging up and turning towards Akainu once again. "You're lucky, Akainu. It seems that she is in good condition so I'll let your family go for today. However," Doflamingo's smirk is all teeth now, "from now onwards you will stop getting involved with my people, or the only place where you will be able to visit your cute wife and kids will be the cemetery. Have I made myself clear?"

Hate is clear in Akainu's eyes, but the only thing that the man does is to clench his jaw and give a brief nod.

After giving indications to Akainu to stay in the car for another 15 minutes, Doflamingo comes back to his car with the Executives and gives Diamante indications to go home, leaning his elbow on the window.

Now that he knows that you are safe, it's time to make sure that you realize the mistake you committed for running away from him and worrying him in the way you did.

To be honest I don't like Akainu's character very much and I'm not sure if I have written him a little OOC, so my sincere apologoes if there are fans of the man out there and that's been the case; I swear that's the best I can write him, at least in this AU.

And regarding the next chapter, (y/n) finally meets with Doflamingo! :)) At this point we're about to reach the end of the story, so unless the next chapter turns out too long, there should be 2-3 chapters left. Hope you keep sticking around to read them 3 3 :)