A/N: It's been a while! Too long, honestly. My apologies.


Fifteen

Antonia's head hurt as she opened her eyes. She was standing in the infirmary in the royal palace, everything blinding white and blurry. Something was wrong.

"Shit… am I dead…?"

"Not dead." She turned around and saw an elderly lady standing there, a tight frown on her deeply wrinkled face. "Though if we are meeting like this, then it means I'm the one who's dead."

"Who… who are you…?"

"My name is Thelma, and I'm the reason you are Donquixote Antonia." She gestured towards a bed and two whitewashed figures appeared: one of her and one of Antonia as a child. "I ate the Memo-Memo Fruit and gained the ability to alter people's memories. Doflamingo contracted me to brainwash you. It was honestly the worst job I'd ever taken."

"…but how are we…?"

"Before I was done, I transplanted this echo of myself in your memories, mostly to apologize to you if I could access your memory-based dreams, but also in case you were able to break through my modifications with Haki. I could never appear in your dreams, but I can at least apologize this way."

"Then they were right; everything I remember is a lie."

"What are you doing?!"

Antonia's head snapped around and she saw an ivory facsimile of a teenaged Baby 5 drop a tray with shock, confusion, and anger on her face. She went to charge at the bed and another ivory figure sprung up—Doflamingo—who pushed her into the tray's debris.

"I don't know what happens on the outside," Thelma admitted. "Did she live?"

"She's alive now," Antonia confirmed. She frowned as she watched Doflamingo bully Baby 5, disgust building in her gut. "Is it true…? That where I came from no longer exists?"

Thelma gave a shallow nod and snapped her fingers. The pair were instantly transported to a burning, screaming, bullet-riddled town, where a pair of small children were running hand-in-hand to a cart full of corpses. Everything here was clearer, more vivid, and in color; she could even smell the stink of burning and death as the children helped each other in the cart.

"You've seen much hatred and pain in your life, so much that it scared me taking so much from you," Thelma frowned. "My only comfort regarding your alterations was that at least you would grow up not having to deal with this day as a formative memory for however long you could manage. It hurt as I was scrubbing through it… I can only imagine what it did to you." Soldiers came and threw more dead people atop of the children, dimming the world around them. Once the cart started moving, both Thelma and Antonia followed it down the street. "I saw your fleeting moments with your parents, how close you were with your brother, how you grew to love your friend as a true sister and Cora-san as a parental figure. Through all that, you remained so good, and it broke my heart."

"Why alter my memory in the first place?"

"Like I said: it was a job. It was either do the job, get paid, and have a chance at living, or refuse and be killed anyhow. Didn't help that when I initially accepted the invitation, I thought I was dealing with adults, not a child."

"What's the difference? A person's a person."

"Sometimes I'd get called because someone wanted to forget something, or because someone's actions demanded they forget for safety. There are many ways to use the Memo-Memo Fruit for good, but… erasing and altering your memory was not one of them." They followed the cart into the woods, where the soldiers left it alone. "Joke's on Doflamingo though, since you can break through my powers, and when you do, you will be formidable."

"…and how do you know that…?"

Thelma gestured towards where Law was helping Lami put on shoes and extra clothes scavenged from the corpses, both children shivering in adrenaline. "I've watched what you survived up until the point I saw you. Conviction and strength are stored in memories and regaining what you have lost will be more than anyone can fathom. There is no way you're not destined for great things." The children ran from the clearing and the forest stilled into a static set. "You told Doflamingo you wanted to remember, that you wanted to be free, and his response was what sealed his fate."

"…which was…?" Antonia watched as Thelma snapped her fingers and a miniature scene from back in the infirmary appeared hovering between them, with Doflamingo's face close to Lami's as he grinned, a feeling of unease settling over Antonia.

"I'm the adult here and adults know what's best."

"At that point, I decided to put your memories behind the weakest barriers I could and not my usual ones, because I knew he already decided our paths," Thelma continued. "I had been hoping I'd see you sooner, but I take it as a testament to the work he put into keeping you ignorant of Haki's varied applications." She snapped her fingers again and the miniature Doflamingo vanished, only for a film reel to appear a few feet away. "Touch that and you'll regain everything."

"Everything…?"

"Everything. You will know who you are, remember all of your past, and be able to kick that fucker into a future where he does not control you anymore." Thelma jumped in surprise as Antonia enveloped her in a hug, the younger woman needing to crouch in order to do so. "Don't worry about me—I'm already long-dead."

"I still want to thank you. For knowing what was right."

"Sometimes it takes just a little bit of subversion to make all the difference." She gave Antonia's back a short pat and chuckled. "Now go find your siblings and whoop that bird's skinny ass for everything he did to you three."

"Thanks," the younger woman grinned. She stepped over to the film reel and reached out, her vision going white again…


The burst of Haki that came from Antonia was dangerous and forceful, knocking both her and Sugar back and skidding across the cobblestones. While Trebol raced to Sugar's side as the guards finally caught up with them, Antonia was thrown into Law and Baby 5—the pair freed as the mucus holding them down shattered—allowing them to lift her off the street in a panic.

"Nia!" Baby 5 panicked, cradling her sister in her lap. "Nia, are you alright?!"

"My head feels like it's gonna explode," the younger woman groaned. She then looked up at Baby 5 and Law, her expression shifting to one of recognition… one of clarity… "Wait a second… Bee-nee…? Law-nii…?!"

"L… Lami…!" Law choked on his own sob as he lunged towards his baby sister, shocked he heard her say his name like that again. He pulled her into a tight hug, seemingly refusing to let go. "Seas, Lami… I thought I lost you…! The real you…!"

"Okay, okay, okay; you big goofball," she snarked. Baby 5 joined in as all three siblings collapsed in the hug, none of them completely dry-eyed, relief overtaking them. "I missed you both so much…"

"We missed you too," Baby 5 squeaked. The trio then remembered that Sugar was not too far away, though it seemed as though she too was shaken to her core. "What in the hell happened to her…?"

"Lami let out a massive burst of Haki," Law explained as he stood, then helped his sisters to their feet. "I've seen it happen before in other people; she let out such a sudden and powerful burst that it acted like an explosion."

"More than that," a familiar voice said. The siblings looked and saw a man standing where Thunder Solider had been. He looked completely unfamiliar with the exception of the fact that he too was… missing a leg…?

"Shit!" Trebol cursed, glaring at the man. Some of the soldiers around them gasped and began to whisper loudly.

Captain Kyros, legendary gladiator and leader of the Royal Army, had been living as a toy… and they had forgotten him.

"It looks like we're not lucky enough," Kyros scowled. "Only I was returned to form due to my proximity to Miss Lami as she unlocked her heart. By doing so with such a large amount of raw power, she unlocked mine as well."

"I don't know how that worked, nor do I care," Baby 5 said. Her attention had been redirected towards where Trebol was attempting to shake Sugar awake. "We have to get out of here, now."

"Not so fast!" Trebol snapped. Sugar was still sitting limp in his hands, flopping about like a ragdoll. "Doffy is going to be so mad at you, Antonia!"

"That's not my name and you know it, Phlegm Face." A shiver went through the older Officer—shit. "Hey Law-nii, litte gean."

"Now that's what I like to hear."

A blue dome popped up and they were gone.

Doffy was going to have a conniption.


Elsewhere, Viola and Rebecca both stopped running and gasped. Robin and Bartolomeo both looked at them, the former with curiosity and the latter confusion.

"Brother Kyros!" Viola marveled with tears in her eyes. "How could we…!"

"Who…?" Robin turned back towards King Riku, seeing that he too was attempting to hold back tears. "What is going on?"

"Doflamingo… that monster…" Riku scowled as he was also hit with realization. "The toys that he has Sugar make for him… they are no ordinary trick… they were—they are—people! That was their true thievery!"

"I don' get it," Bartolomeo scowled. "What's going on?"

"Something every monarch needs to learn is that their wealth lives in the life and wellbeing of their subjects, and Dressrosa is no different," Riku explained. "One of our most talented, decorated, and loyal soldiers just turned back from being a toy; Doflamingo was never intent on learning how to rule, so I am not surprised."

"…and who's dis soldier guy?" Bartolomeo scoffed, visibly cringing at the emotions on display. Rebecca sank to her knees, completely overwhelmed.

"My father…" the teen realized aloud. "The toy soldier that took care of me all these years… that Doflamingo wants dead… is my father…!"

"Uh… I don't get it…" Bartolomeo shrugged, "but if we're gonna do what Mistah Luffy and Miss Robin ask, then you gots t' get going!"

"Give me a moment," Rebecca requested shakily. Bartolomeo, ever the empathetic and upstanding guy that he was, instead wrapped the teen's cloak around her and hefted her over his shoulder. "Ah! Mister Rooster…!"

"Yer crisis can come later—we gotta get t' the Flower Field!"

"Put me down!" Rebecca panicked. She tried to wriggle out of Bartolomeo's grasp, yet his hold on her waist and knees was firm. "Why do you do this?!"

"Mistah Luffy doesn't have time fer yer dramatics if he's gonna beat the crap outta that Mingo guy! We gotta gets t'where he wants us! Isn't dat right, Miss Robin?"

"Your logic is sound, Rooster-kun, though let me lend a hand," she replied. Robin crossed her arms and many arms sprouted up from Rebecca's shoulders, forming wings that not only made Bartolomeo drop the teen in surprise, but allowed her to float in the air as they flapped idly.

Okay, this…? This they could work with.


The first thing that Law did once his sisters were out of danger was attempt to find Strawhat-ya. His Room grew to a huge size (if he did say so himself) and he began to swap people out with expert precision, bringing Baby 5, Lami, and himself in a zigzag pattern across the city to confuse the enemy, brought Kyros along for the ride, and separated Trebol and Sugar, totaling fifty-seven instances of Shambles all in under fifteen seconds.

"It's not that bad," he frowned, watching as his sisters and Kyros were vomiting in an alley. For fuck's sake—they were worse than Penguin and Shachi.

"Are you insane?!" Baby 5 snapped. She seemed to be doing the worst, though not by much. It wasn't even like she reacted this way when he swapped her earlier… "What was that for?!"

"I couldn't just swap us all with one group of people at once—it'd be easier to find us," Law replied frankly. He turned and saw the cavalcade of Strawhat-ya's supporters running towards them, with said teen himself riding a bull at the front of it all. "Good—you're here."

"Of course I am!" Luffy grinned. "I promised, didn't I?" He then looked at Lami and grinned widely. "Oh, good, you're all better now!"

"How did you—you know what? Never mind." Lami shook her head and waved her arms in finality. "What's your plan, Law-nii? Everything's a little fuzzy right now, but I know you've got one bigger than this."

"Yeah… I do…" he replied, still a bit astonished he was talking to Lami of all people. "Strawhat-ya and I are here to take down Doflamingo, maybe grab Bee if she wasn't too devoted to him, and then work on eliminating Kaidou if I survived."

"Kaidou?!" Lami gasped. All the events from that afternoon began clicking into place—everything from the way he acted when he first saw her to when he saw the old photograph of them that had been hiding in a shoebox to this very new information—and she did not like what she was piecing together. "Survived?! Law-nii, what the fuck were you thinking?!"

"Not now," he scowled.

"Law-nii!"

"I said: not now!" Both Lami and Baby 5 jumped at his sternness, genuinely taken aback. Law exhaled heavily—not even an afternoon passed and he was already being a shitty brother. "What I need is to know what sort of defenses Doflamingo's put up while he's been here. As two people from the inside, what am I missing?"


"Are you sure that was what happened?" Doflamingo asked, his face implacable. Trebol sucked up some snot into his nose and trembled as he nodded.

"Of course—I wouldn't lie to you, Young Master, not about something like this," Trebol replied. He fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable. "Do you think they're going to release the rest of the toys?"

"Not if I can help it. Diamante."

"Yes, Young Master?"

"Meet the intrepid explorers headed to the Flower Field. Pica."

"Yes, Young Master?"

"I want you to go greet Straw Hat and his entourage. Make sure they have a welcome fitting of their station.

"Yes, Young Master," Diamante and Pica replied in unison. They were about to leave the Hall of Suites when all of a sudden a chill went over them—something else happened that was wrong… very, very wrong.

"Shit," Pica hissed. "The toys… they're back…"

All three Executives were ready for Doflamingo to go into a rage. They were even prepared for him to continue seething, waiting and preparing to explode at their wayward child…

…yet instead, Doflamingo laughed. He laughed a clear, merry tone, mirth emanating from him as he unnerved the members of his organization who had been with him the longest.

"Perfect," he grinned. "Let them come."