Bubbles in every color of the rainbow fell all around her, showing her the reflection of her younger self in disproportionate roundness. She looked down at her hands, so small and clean. "Nu!" a boy's voice came from far away. "Nu! Where are you?" She turned in a full circle, but all she could see were bubbles for miles. They didn't seem to be popping, just bouncing up as more fell down. "You can't catch me, Nu! You can't, can't, can't!"

She began to run through the bubbles, shoving the unnatural orbs out of her way as she searched for the boy. She felt like she'd run for a decade when she finally saw him, a lanky thing with hair as deep a bloodred as her own. Scabor.

"Can't catch me!" he cried, and took off into the bubble storm. The area was so dense with the unbreaking bubbles now, she was practically swimming through a ball pit. "Make more, Nu! Make more!" he sounded like he was underwater. But I'm not making them in the first place, she thought, and there are already so many…

"Where are you?" she yelled, and found that she sounded waterlogged too. "Scabooooor! Where?"

"Here I am, Nu." he said, impossibly close behind her, making her jump.

"You frightened me!" she complained, but smiled anyway. "Why aren't the bubbles popping?"

"I dunno." he laughed, then looked down. "What's that on your hands?"

She looked down and saw that her hands had changed. They were her real hands, her grown-up hands, and they were covered in thick blood. It was fresh. She felt her stomach lurch and looked back up at her older brother. He was grown up now too. And there was a bullet hole in his chest. More started to appear. His face bore no expression, but his eyes flickered down to her hands again. She looked too, and now there was a gun there.

When she looked up again, her brother was on fire. She watched helplessly as he burned. A loud pop rang in the air as one of the bubbles disappeared, and then another, and another, until the pops came so rapidly that it was impossible to discern one from another. Nuvo tried to scream, but nothing could be heard over the exploding bubbles. She knew she was going to explode too. Any minute now, she would be dead.

…

It was the sound of the rolling cart that the guards brought at mealtime that ripped her from the nightmare. Doused in sweat, she flinched at the squeaking wheels of the cart. The hangover was absurdly strong, and the last thing that she wanted was a mouthful of gruel right now, but she knew there was no other option. She just hoped that she didn't vomit it out while the guards were still here. The only thing worse than a mouthful of gruel would be a mouthful of regurgitated gruel scooped off the cell floor. No, thanks.

She was able to choke down the food and the guards swapped her chamber pot of shit and glass for an empty one with no awkward pauses or significant looks. They also didn't glance at the new door, and for the first time Nuvo was grateful that the prison was so dimly lit. As she ate, she let the events of the previous evening float through her head. She remembered the hug and felt her face heat. When she couldn't hear the squeaky cart wheels anymore, she yanked herself from her chains and flung open the door.

"Good afternoon." he groaned "Is your head throbbing as much as mine is?"

"It throbs, to be sure,

But look, here's a cure!"

And just like that, a full brown bottle was in her hand. The next few weeks were spent in this fashion, and the drunker that Doffy and Nuvo got, the flirter their interactions became. It was a problematic attraction, based in desperation and trauma, but outside the obvious physical element, their shared experiences in isolated confinement created a closeness unfound by most people in their lives, and that could not be ignored. Places like Impel Down change people, and an intimate friendship wasn't the worst thing you could gain from spending time here, no matter how inconvenient your newfound emotional attachment may be.

And Doffy did find himself emotionally attached. Nuvo's whipping had enraged him, even if he hadn't shown it. He now had even more reason to resent the Celestial Dragons, and he struggled to keep his anger at bay every time he checked on how much she had healed.

"It looks better every day. And the scarring isn't nearly as bad as you think. Just thin white lines, perfectly straight and flush with your skin. No raised bumps or anything. They used a good whip." he joked.

"Aw, did they? I'll have to write a thank you note." she snorted, lowering her shirt back down and turning to face him. They were both sitting cross-legged on the floor, boozing as usual.

"You're nearly healed. That means you'll be leaving soon."

She didn't deny it.

"Where will you go?" he asked.

"I don't know. After I get out of prison reach, I plan to float around for a while, until I reach land, I suppose. I can conjure money and food for myself, so my biggest problems are keeping afloat and finding somewhere I can live without being recognized. I'm thinking somewhere totally off the grid or somewhere so big I wouldn't be distinguishable. Alabasta, maybe."

He nodded and sipped his booze.

"What about you?" she continued. "If you got out, what would you do?"

He smiled and ran his tongue over his teeth, a habit that Nuvo detested herself for adoring.

"Easy. I'd go back to being a pirate. I couldn't settle down somewhere, and I don't recommend that you aim for it, either. Even if you could blend in someplace for a while, eventually someone would look at your face a little too long or say that you seemed familiar, and whether they actually recognize you or not wont matter, because the paranoia that they did will have you packing your bags in an instant. You'll just get stuck in that same cycle for the rest of your life, so you may as well just own the fact that you're a wanted criminal and stay on the run."

"You're right and I hate you for it." she grumbled. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm not a pirate."

"Would you like to be?"

Nuvo didn't miss the implication in his tone. She understood that it wasn't particularly difficult to become a pirate; get a crew, raise a black flag, and steal some stuff and you've pretty much earned the title. But she could conjure basic necessities in abundance, so thievery seemed trivial. Some pirates were after power more than treasure, and that idea appealed to her. If one good thing had come out of the terrible events that unfolded in her homeland, it was the knowledge that her gift was stronger and more versatile than she had ever realized before. Weaponizing herself was an entirely new domain and she was eager to see how far her ability could go.

"I don't know. I've never considered the pirate's life. I'm not sure where I'd begin." she explained.

"Most start with a boat."

"Where would I get a boat?"

"You can make it rain gold and you're asking me how you'd manage to procure a boat?"

She glared at him playfully and took another swill.

"But I've never sailed! I've never even swum in the sea before!"

"I can't ever swim again. Didn't let it stop me. When you're on the sea, you don't have to worry whether people recognize you, because you're always in motion, so they can only hurt you if they catch you. And with power like yours, it would be very difficult. You would be freer than you've ever imagined."

Nuvo finished off her bottle and immediately refilled it, topping Doffy off too. Her face was flushed. "You make it sound like a dream."

"Forgive my bias. I miss it. Being on the sea with my family was as close to happy as I've ever been."

"What happened to your crew after you were sent here?"

"Most of them were sent here as well. My sources tell me that Sugar, Giolla, and Machvise are in the Crimson Hell. The ladies didn't have bounties and Machvise's was low compared to the rest of us. Dellinger and Gladius are in the Wild Beast Hell. Pica, Trebol, Senor Pink, and Diamante are all in the Starving Hell. Lao G was there too, but at his age he couldn't handle it. It's one of my deepest shames that I was not with him in his last moments."

He had never told her something so intimate, and her heart hurt for his loss. He sincerely cared for his crew, he called them family, and it was a small comfort to know that a majority of them were in the same building as himself, even if it was such an unhappy place.

"I wish I could meet them," Nuvo pondered. "I'll bet they're wonderful."

"Perhaps one day you will."

Sensing his sadness, Nuvo pushed a change of subject.

"Doffy…" she began lightly, treading carefully into her question. "What are your sources here?"

"That's a secret." he paused, then flashed her a grin. "If I tell you, you have to tell me a secret."

"What secret?"

"Whatever I ask, and you must tell me the truth. I want guaranteed honesty. Promise me."

"Alright. I promise." She was intrigued.

"Before taking over Dressrosa, my crew and I gathered plenty of gold and hid it in several locations. They were unbeknownst to anyone but us, so it wasn't seized by the World Government when we were arrested. I simply revealed two of those locations to two different guards in exchange for information. All they have to do is keep me in the know, and they're able to keep their families financially stable for life. Having two guards gives me twice as much intel and two points of view."

"That's brilliant."

"It's sufficient." His tone turned teasing. "Now, what songbird secret shall I ask for? Remember you must tell me the truth on penalty of death."

"Ahh yes, I swear it, my liege!" she laughed, but she felt nervous. What could he want to know? He already knew a great deal, including the fact that she was a mass murderer. His face was dark as he spoke, the teasing tone from earlier nowhere to be found.

"What is your deepest shame?"

Nuvo's stomach felt heavy. She knew the answer, but it was something she had planned to take to her grave. In fairness, he had told her of a great personal shame that he carried, and he knew her better than anyone alive. Her drunkenness also tempted her tongue to wag, and after all, she had promised her only friend that she would be honest.

"I didn't kill everyone on Harmelude with the poison rain," she said quietly. "Someone survived."

He arched an eyebrow, urging her to continue.

"After I stopped the downpour, I was in a state of shock. I wasn't sure what else to do, so I returned home, to the castle. We had originally taken a carriage to the docks that day, but I was walking now, and I barely remember the journey back at all, even though it must have been hours, because by the time I got home, it was dark out. I entered and went straight for my bedroom in the left tower. I opened the door and there, on the floor in a weeping mess, was my brother, Scabor."

She swallowed hard, recalling the sight of him crumpled on the rug. He had looked tiny, like when they were children.

"His back was to me, and he didn't bother turning around when I came in the room. He was sobbing hard, so when he spoke it was hard to understand him, but the gist of it was that he was sorry for everything. He hadn't gone to the docks because he couldn't face what he'd done, but he didn't want power anymore, he only wished to spend the rest of his days with me and our parents, if we'd forgive him. But I couldn't forgive him."

She was whispering now, unable to muster anything more.

"How dare he ask me so tremendous a favor? He was the one who brought those monsters to our shores. He was the reason our parents and everyone we knew were dead. I know the poison rain was my doing, and it's my burden to bear for always, but it only happened as a result of his betrayal. Of his poor, selfish choices. I wanted to pretend he wasn't Scabor, just some bastard who'd invaded and destroyed everything, but no matter how hard I tried to dehumanize him, he was still my big brother. The only family or trace of normalcy I had left. Yet, I couldn't forgive him, even as a part of me wished I could."

Her throat was very tight.

"So, I walked around him to the bedside table and removed the pistol my father made me keep there, incase any enemy ever breached the castle walls. He finally looked at me, saw that I was soaked in blood, and started babbling questions, asking who's blood it was and why I had the gun. I didn't answer. I didn't know how. I just aimed and fired. I did it until there were no more bullets, and then I left him bleeding on my bedroom floor. I took off my dress, stained with fresh familial blood for the second time that day, and threw it down in the hallway. Then I wandered to the beach, where I stayed until the Marines came."

She felt tears dripping into her lap. She couldn't find the courage to look at him.

"So that's it, then. I slaughtered hundreds of innocent people, but my deepest shame is that, contrary to the fact that I loved him more than I have ever loved anyone before, I shot and killed my brother."

Doflamingo crawled forward and positioned himself directly in front of her, so that his crossed knees were nudging hers. He gently took her face in his hands, swiping the tear tracks and tilting her head up simultaneously. She couldn't see his eyes, but she knew he was looking straight at her. He lowered his forehead until it touched her own, and parted his lips. Nuvo watched him pull in cool air and exhale hot breath; she could feel the breeze of it on her mouth.

"So did I." he whispered.

…

That night, as she lay chained to the floor, Nuvo's thoughts were too jumbled to allow her to sleep. Doffy had told her all about his brother, Rosinante, and their traumatic childhood. She cried to think of him tied to that wall, with an entire village of people shooting at him because of who he was. He had only been ten years old. He hadn't judged her for killing Scabor, and she didn't judge him for killing Rosinante. This confessional had added another layer to their odd relationship. They each understood that there were not many people in the world who could understand their past experiences, and fewer still who could relate to spending time in the Infinite Hell. Nuvo had finally been forced to accept that she wanted to stay with Doffy after they escaped, but she had no idea if he felt the same. She didn't figure that he'd told many people the things he'd shared with her tonight, but that didn't necessarily mean he wanted her alongside him in the future. The thought of being abandoned by him had her eyes watering again. She was beyond tired of tears. Fed up with the salty taste they left in her mouth. Then again, she mused, it is the only salt I've tasted since coming to-

Nuvo halted her tears and grabbed for her key, frantic to unbind herself and get to work. It was so simple; she couldn't believe it had taken over a year for her to think it up. She knew exactly how she was getting herself, her friend, AND his family out of Impel Down.

…

An hour later, Nuvo pushed open the door and slipped into Doffy's cell. She'd woken him, and he watched through half lidded eyes as she walked over to him, took a deep breath, and promptly lowered herself over his hips, straddling him. She leaned forward, placing her hands on either side of his head, stretching herself over his large torso. He kept his face neutral and waited with baited breath.

"I'm leaving this place tonight."

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, using one hand to pull all of her hair to one side of her head, so it cascaded over her right shoulder and brushed against his. Doffy found himself resenting his shirt for preventing the sensation of those locks grazing his skin.

"I think you are I are both beyond fragile emotions like love, but you must believe me when I tell you that you are the closest thing I have to a friend or family. I may have been able to handle this place without you, but it would have been leagues more miserable, and I'll be grateful forever that you were here to help me. It's this gratitude that most compels me to do what I'm about to do, and I need you to understand that I won't consider you in my debt for it, and I don't expect anything from you from this day forward. I couldn't begin to live with myself if I escaped this hell and left you in it, so I'm setting you and your family free, and after we get out of here, you don't owe me a thing. You don't ever have to see my face again, if you don't want too."

He still hadn't said a word, and remained silent still as she unlocked his chains and slid them from his body, then returned to sitting on his crotch. She bent down and sang the words against his mouth.

"As the wind on the sea does blow

Let the bands be cut, let him go."

They both heard the sea prism stone cuffs clink against the stone floor.

"Thank you." she breathed, and locked her lips with his fully. He kissed her back, hard, and they both lost themselves inside it. Only a moment later, Nuvo found herself flying across the room, slamming into the wall with a thud, her arms pinned above her head by some invisible binding. His devil fruit power...

"Well, that is an interesting parlor trick." she gasped, unsure of whether he was going to kiss her or kill her as he stood and stretched his newly free wrists and ankles.

"I'm afraid you've misinterpreted me," he said lowly. "I'm a pirate, but my interest in gold is minimal these days. I'm a seeker of more valuable treasures, and when I find one, I'm not keen on letting it go."

A slight twitch of his fingers and her clothes were on the floor, sliced by invisible blades. She reacted to the sudden cool air on her skin, but she didn't flinch at the unexpected nudity. She wanted him to look at her. And look he did. His eyes drank her in as he glided toward her. When he reached the wall where she was bound, he sank to his knees, tossing her legs over either of his shoulders and sliding his nose along her inner thigh.

"And you are treasure, Nuvovniya."

He crept toward her cunt with his lips. He traced her inner labia with his tongue and then lapped at her clit, sending a jolt of pleasure up her spine. He gripped her thighs and continued to lick her, perfect pressure combined with alternating speed, teasing her toward her orgasm. She wanted nothing more than to break free of the wall and fist his blonde hair, but he would not relent, and she could do nothing but arch her back and groan as he made her unravel with his mouth. Twice.

He stood up and removed his own clothing, except the sunglasses, and with his prison garb out of the way, Nuvo felt as though she were seeing him for the first time. They weren't criminals anymore, only people. Only themselves.

"You have nowhere to go once you leave these walls. No friends, no family. So, be a part of mine." he purred. "Be mine, songbird."

He hooked his hands under her knees and pulled her legs apart, spreading her open. He was fully erect, and his cock matched his magnitude in overall size. He pushed his hips toward hers, nudging her folds and erasing her ability to think. He nuzzled her neck, biting lightly as he rocked his hips forward and buried his cock inside her to the hilt, holding her against the wall as he finally removed the restraints on her wrists.

Her hands looped under his arms and she sank her fingernails into his back, drawing blood as he thrust in and out of her soaked cunt. The grit of the stone wall was scratching her back bloody, but she didn't give a damn. He quickened the pace, biting her neck harder. She tightened her legs around his waist, giving him deeper access and making him moan into the bite.

Using her momentary advantage, Nuvo leaned forward as hard as she could, forcing them off of the wall and onto the floor. Doffy's back hit the ground harshly, but the slight pain was quickly forgotten as Nuvo dug her palms into his shoulders and began to ride him. She moved her hips back and forth, impaling herself on his cock over and over. He put one hand on her hip and the other squeezed her breast, his thumb sliding pleasantly over her nipple.

Needing release, Doffy sat up, slipping his throbbing cock out and shoving Nuvo's body to the ground. He wasted no time in raising her hips and sliding back inside, ramming her at a furious pace. Her breasts bounced as his thrusts became erratic, and she felt her cunt clench at him as she came a third time, screaming her euphoria as he lost control and just managed to remove himself before spouting all over her stomach.

He rolled to her side and they lay panting together. After her sweat had cooled and she'd caught her breath, Nuvo looked at him intently.

"I have a plan. I've finished the prep work already, so listen carefully, because once I initiate the next step, we won't have much time."