Author's Note: Hi friends~ Hope you are all well! Here's an update for this story after WAY too long. I hope ya'll enjoy it!

To hanging on something right now: Haha thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

To FawnTheFox: Lol, thanks so much! I'm flattered you like it so much that you sneak it in haha XD I hope you enjoy the update!

To Zinlo34: You're very welcome :)

To 94Insane: Yeah, Garp made some questionable decisions, but he was trying to protect Luffy as best he could :( Gotta love family drama! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and look forward to more to come!

To Sabrina-nee: I'm so glad you're enjoying it so far! Hope you enjoy the update!

To Lesen: I'm so glad you're enjoying it! So sorry for the wait on this update and thanks for your patience!

WARNINGS:

- Doffy being possessive

- Slavery

- Luffy's protective family

A few days after 'the incident', Luffy sat in one of Doflamingo's many gardens with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He didn't really remember much after Orochi attacked him. From what Torao and the others told him, their 'Master' had kept him close until he was well enough to be returned to the Sanctum, meaning his collar had been briefly removed (a strange thought). Even now, despite all the sleep he'd gotten, he still felt rather weak. Thankfully, Doflamingo had ordered him to rest and given him a break from his regular duties.

Luffy shivered slightly and brought a hand up to his throat. The painful lines of the imp's claws were just about gone, but he could still feel the raised skin if he ran a hand down his face.

With a huff, he dropped his hand and pulled the blanket tighter around his body. There was a chill in the air that was accompanied by what his family called, 'an evil wind'. With each breeze that blew past your ears, you could hear the sound of a woman cackling in the distance. Despite living in the Underworld for many years, he'd never gotten used to it.

"If you're cold, we should return to the Sanctum."

Luffy looked up at Zoro who stood protectively next to him. His friend's soul was now fully recovered and he'd refused to leave his side since Luffy first woke up.

"I'm not that cold. Besides, I'd much rather be outside than locked up down there."

Zoro just shrugged and accepted his answer.

"If that's what you want."

Luffy frowned when Zoro removed his own blanket and dropped it on top of him.

"Hey! I don't need-"

"You were shivering! Just take it. You know I don't need."

"…I guess so."

Knowing Zoro was just as stubborn as he was, and honestly enjoying the warmth of the extra blanket, Luffy accepted it begrudgingly. Ever since he'd woken up, he'd noticed that Zoro, Jaggy, Torao, and the others were being a lot more protective of him…even compared to what he considered 'normal'.

He hoped they would go back to normal soon. Not that he didn't enjoy their company, but he hated feeling like a burden.

With a short sigh, Luffy let his gaze return to the scenery around them. They were currently in a corner of what was called the 'Sunflower Garden'. It was a strange name considering there weren't actually any sunflowers, but everything Doflamingo planted there was at least some semblance of yellow. Just in front of them was a fountain covered in brown moss that created a peaceful atmosphere.

Paired with the sound of running water, trees that provided shade from the red moon, and 'cheerful' plants, it was one of Luffy's favorite places in the fortress beyond the stone gargoyles on the wall.

And here, no one could say he was breaking the rules.

"Innocence. Indolence."

Luffy bit the inside of his cheek at the sudden address and turned to look over his shoulder. It was Vergo, and the demon looked unhappy. Of course…he always looked that way. What did he want?

"I'm pretty sure I'm still on break." Zoro muttered to himself as the demon approached them. Luffy just shrugged, unsure why they were being interrupted. As far as he could tell, the demon had no reason to be displeased with them.

"Come with me. The Young Master wants to see you."

Knowing the demon would just drag them there if they resisted, Luffy stood up and followed after Zoro, stopping just in front of Vergo. The General nodded his head, as if pleased with their obedience, before leading them out of the garden. As they moved towards the main compound, Bellamy, who'd been stationed nearby to watch them, quietly fell in behind them.

Luffy couldn't help but wonder if they were to be punished for something (because that's typically what would happen when they were brought before Doflamingo) but seeing as they'd been model prisoners, he honestly had no idea what to expect.

Eventually, they arrived at the door to Doflamingo's study. Luffy instinctively balked for a moment, unsavory memories of punishments and having his soul devoured rushing back. He tugged the blankets tighter almost as a way of protecting himself. None of them liked coming here…everything about it was terrifying, from the elaborate and brightly painted door to the merciless guards.

Zoro placed a hand on his shoulder in silent support as the two of them followed Vergo inside.

Doflamingo looked up from a piece of paper he was reviewing when they entered.

"I've brought them, Young Master."

Luffy blinked in surprise when he saw that Torao was also there. The older man was kneeling in front of Doflamingo's desk and glanced over his shoulder when they entered. Based on his facial expression, he was uncomfortable and probably hadn't been allowed to move in a while. Before Luffy could greet him, Vergo tore the blankets away from him and motioned with his head towards the floor.

"Kneel before your Master. Both of you."

Luffy glared at the man but didn't have a chance to retaliate as the man none too gently pushed him down to the ground and held him there until he got settled onto his knees. He was on Torao's right and Zoro knelt on his left. Luffy rubbed at the spot on his shoulder where Vergo had grabbed him before sending Torao a questioning look. Did he know why they were there?

Torao just shrugged.

"Now, now, Vergo. No need to be so rough."

"My apologies, Young Master."

Luffy looked up when Doflamingo stood from his desk and walked around to where they knelt with a particularly manic grin on his face. He looked…pleased. In a disturbingly gentle motion, Doflamingo took one of the blankets from Vergo and placed it back around Luffy's shoulders. For a moment, the demon held him firmly by both of his shoulders, forcing the teen to look into his eyes. Or the scarlet glasses he always wore.

"I hear you're recovering well, Innocence." Luffy didn't reply, unsure what to say. He felt trapped by the powerful demon and a cold shiver went down his spine. "No more pain, yes?"

"…right." Luffy managed, relieved when Doflamingo released him and stood up to his full height.

"Good! Perfect timing if I say so myself…"

Now very confused, Luffy glanced to Zoro and Torao. The latter's frown had deepened.

"As it turns out, the King of Beasts has finally agreed to my proposal and sent this." The demon held up the piece of paper Luffy noticed when they entered the room. "A letter of invitation to his realm to finalize our alliance…and you three are coming with me."

Luffy's eyes widened, first in surprise and then in excitement. Didn't that mean he'd get to leave Dressrosa!? While most of the Twelve had been taken out of the fortress on one occasion or another, Luffy was always left behind. He vaguely recalled a trip to the town below Doflamingo's castle, but that had been a very short and rather violent trip.

Doflamingo didn't show mercy to those who tried to take his humans, even if they were his own subjects.

"Why us?" Torao asked while meeting the demon's gaze with his own fierce one. Doflamingo just smirked and reached down to roughly grab the young man's face, pulling him up off his lower legs.

"I don't see why I have to tell you my reasoning, Rebellion."

Torao just glared up at Doflamingo, gaze never falling. This only seemed to amuse the demon and he did, thankfully, release him.

"What I need from you three is complete obedience. Onigashima is a dangerous place for humans and the wilds that separate our domains is just as vicious. You two know this." Doflamingo's gaze lingered on Zoro and Torao. "This is also little Luffy's first trip out of Dressrosa, and I'm quite certain you don't want to see anything unsavory befall him."

"Of course not." Zoro put in, expression serious.

"Which is why you two will educate him on what to expect and the consequences of straying from the rules." Luffy instinctively gulped when Doflamingo's smile faded and his gaze turned back towards him. "Understand?"

Luffy nodded, hating the feeling of the demon's intimidating aura pressing down on his body. This was obviously something Doflamingo took very seriously.

"We leave tonight. See that you're ready."

With that, Doflamingo dismissed them with a wave of his hand and Vergo ushered them out of the office. He gave them a stern warning to return to work before leaving them with Bellamy standing guard. Luffy shook off the fear once they put some distance between them and their 'Master' and practically skipped down the promenade.

"I can't believe it! I finally get to leave Dressrosa!"

"Good for you." Zoro said with a fond smile, "You're probably going stir crazy after all these years." Luffy's grin widened and he spun around, blanket twirling like a cape. When the chain from his collar spun with him, he barely managed to avoid hitting himself in the eye.

"It's not all fun and games, Luffy-ya."

He pouted and turned to look at the older man.

"I know…but I'm still excited."

Torao sighed and reached down to ruffle his hair affectionately.

"Let's hope you aren't disappointed."

Doflamingo hummed and tapped a clawed finger on his desk, wings splayed behind him. While he was ecstatic to have received an invitation from Kaido, he now had to focus on the logistics of leaving his realm. Since Vergo and a few others were coming with him, Trebol would be left in charge and keep the remaining Twelve contained in his absence.

For the three coming with him to Onigashima, he would have a good size entourage to assist him in protecting the weak humans. Innocence, Indolence, and Rebellion would also be wearing cloaks to obscure their identity and dampen the glow of their souls, but he was concerned that Luffy's light would seep through.

Of course, if anything did attack them, he was confident in his ability to fend off any manner of beast…but he'd long since learned that things typically didn't go according to plan when humans were involved.

'I'll have to be careful.' Doflamingo thought, picturing the many times Innocence snuck off or simply got distracted and ended up putting himself in danger. Hopefully the other two would help keep him in line. They knew the dangers of the Underworld very well.

Yet another concern of his was Luffy's general condition. Though Law reported he was recovering well, it was obvious he still wasn't quite back to his full strength. Doflamingo would have to keep a close eye on him. That being said, the idea of bringing the boy before Kaido, who one of his imps had seriously injured, did appeal to him.

No one said he couldn't…pressure the King a bit.

"Young Master, might I make a suggestion?"

Doflamingo looked up when Vergo spoke. He'd been so deep in thought that he'd honestly forgotten his general was still in the room.

"Should Innocence cause issue during the journey, perhaps we should simply put him to sleep. The soul is dimmed significantly when the mind is unconscious."

"I have considered that, but it is difficult for humans to wake up from that spell," Doflamingo answered, "and the last thing I want is to have to carry Innocence into Onigashima. It may give the wrong impression to our hosts."

He'd already worked hard to ensure Kaido believed he was a good master to the humans. If he showed up with one of his pets unconscious, rumors would spread. Ideally, the three dears would simply walk inside at his order, showing their obedience and submission.

"Of course, my apologies." Vergo bowed shortly and eyed the opened letter to Doflamingo's left. "And what of the…other matter?"

He huffed and eyed the inconspicuous letter that had brought disturbing news. He'd purposefully avoided bringing his pets' attention to it and had hidden it under a pile of papers when he'd had them brought in. The seal of Porthcawl was obvious on the front. Law, being the clever thing that he was, could probably figure out what the contents entailed if he noticed it.

The letter contained a notice that some lawyers had been sniffing around Innocence's file and had made a copy of his contract.

"The matter of finalizing the alliance with Kaido comes first. I'll deal with the lawyers upon my return."

"…and if they should reach out in your absence?"

"They can wait." Doflamingo replied with an annoyed huff, "Scheming bastards." As his eyes moved to the cabinet that held Luffy's contract, his scowl morphed into a wicked grin. He'd followed that damn contract to the letter and took very good care of Luffy. They could try whatever angle they wanted, but nothing would stick.

Luffy was his until the end of time.

Meanwhile, in the Overworld…

Ace brushed a stray strand of hair from his face as he entered yet another customer's order into the computer. It was a bit strange to go back to work after the strange few days he'd had, but he supposed he couldn't just stop going. He had bills to pay, unfortunately. Thankfully, Rayleigh and Shakky were very accommodating and allowed him to work a flexible schedule.

That said, not everything was back to normal.

"Another tea, please!"

Ace sent an annoyed glance to the 'loyal customer' at a nearby table. Also known as…Sabo the imp. The little devil was in his human disguise and true to his word, hadn't let him out of his sight since their last meeting with Marco and Thatch. He played the part of a university student to avoid too much suspicion, but he knew the owners had noticed.

Especially since Sabo always left when Ace's shift was up.

"Your friend certainly likes tea." Shakky said in passing, sending him a teasing grin, "I think that's his fifth cup today."

"…he's weird." Ace answered with a huff while adjusting his apron. Shakky just laughed.

"Business is business, honey. I'm just glad you made a friend."

Ace blinked as her comment sunk in and he turned to say something, but went silent when he saw her fond, proud smile. He just smiled back and felt his face flush. Ace didn't have any experience with parents, but he liked to imagine that Rayleigh and Shakky filled that role for him. There were very few people that he trusted, and they were top of the list.

As the day went by, Ace found himself becoming more and more restless. After Marco and Thatch had gotten a copy of Luffy's contract from the Underworld, they'd all but disappeared. They'd said it would take a while to read, but it had been days. Surely they would be done soon so they could come up with a plan…

Just as the thought crossed his mind, his phone buzzed. Excited, Ace fished it out of his pocket and squinted at the screen. The message was difficult to see in the light. Almost immediately, his eyes lit up. The text was from Thatch.

"Finished up. Come by when you have a chance."

Practically bouncing in place, Ace quickly removed his apron and jogged back to the kitchen.

"Something came up, so I gotta go a little early. That okay?"

"Whatever you need." Rayleigh answered with a wave, "Slow day anyway. We'll see you tomorrow!"

"Thanks!" He yelled, returning to the front of the restaurant. Sabo stood at the register paying for his meal (or rather, copious amounts of caffeine) and followed him outside seconds later.

"Did they finish?"

"Yeah, let's go!"

They made their way to the lawyer's office as quickly as they could. Sabo transformed back into his imp form and made himself comfortable on Ace's shoulder just as he rushed into the main lobby. There were a few other clients milling about, but he paid them no mind. With a quick word to the receptionist, Ace and Sabo were led back to Marco's glass office.

He gaped at the amount of information now written or pinned onto the whiteboard and the obvious dark circles under both lawyers' eyes.

"Wow…you two look horrible."

"Lack of sleep will do that to ya." Thatch said with a good-natured chuckle while stifling a yawn, "That contract is no joke, let me tell ya. Must've taken your grandfather years to write."

"But you read it, right? S-So what do you know?" Ace continued, gazing up at Luffy's little picture with longing, "Is my brother okay?"

Marco removed his glasses and stood to his feet so he could approach the board.

"Based on what we've learned…he should be fine, yoi. At least physically. The contract protects him from pretty much all harm. Even ensures he's properly fed and bathed."

"Okay, great! So what do we do next?"

"…that's the hard part, yoi." Marco answered with a frown, eyeing his notes on the whiteboard, "Ultimately, it depends on just how stringent this 'Doflamingo' is with maintaining the contract."

Ace tilted his head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" Thatch put in, scratching his head awkwardly, "Let me put it this way. If Doflamingo has diligently kept to the contract for all these years, it'll be difficult for us to intervene. Not impossible, mind you! But difficult."

"B-But why!?" Ace exclaimed, "That monster is holding my baby brother against his will! Shouldn't that be enough!?"

"The rules are different in the Underworld, yoi." Marco said, "By their laws, it is perfectly legal and acceptable to own someone. To them, we are outsiders interfering with perfectly legal institutions." Before Ace could respond, the blonde placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"But don't lose hope, Ace. We'll bring Doflamingo to court one way or another. To start with…we'll need to make contact with him and request an audit, yoi."

"And don't forget a welfare check!" Thatch added with a smile, "One little mistake on his part, and we'll tear him apart."

Ace felt his countenance rise as the lawyers discussed next steps. On his shoulder, Sabo sent him a supportive look along with a cheery thumbs up. They had a plan! Maybe he really would get to see Luffy again?

The thought filled with a hope that he hadn't felt in a very long time.

Somewhere in the Underworld…

A tall demon sat at his desk, hunched over a ridiculous amount of papers. He sighed and quickly reviewed the contract in front of him so it could be moved to the side. He wasn't sure why his siblings couldn't manage simple paperwork, but it seemed to always come back to him one way or another.

A knock at the door drew his attention.

"Enter."

His expression softened when his sister, Brulee, stepped into his study.

"Still working, Katakuri? You should rest!"

"I'm almost done." Charlotte Katakuri answered, lying through his sharp teeth. It would take him at least a few more hours to finish his work for the day. Not that he would tell Brulee that. "Thank you for the tea."

"You're very welcome." She answered while gently placing a cup and saucer on his desk, "If you ask me, Mama works you way too hard! Even if they are young, everyone in this family needs to manage their own contracts and clean up their own messes."

Katakuri definitely agreed with that. Mama was sometimes too lenient with their youngest siblings and then it fell to him to moderate failed contracts. Sometimes, he even had to step in to save them from human exorcists who took advantage of their inexperience. Being one of the eldest in their family came with intense responsibility.

"Does Mama still want you to go to Onigashima for that meeting?"

"Yes..." He replied with an annoyed huff, "Kaido personally requested me, apparently. Not sure why."

The meeting in question was between Kaido, a long-time rival of Mama's, and a growing power named Doflamingo. They were to sign an agreement of alliance, or so he'd heard. Per custom, an uninvolved and uninterested party had to be present during the signing to mediate any concerns and serve as a witness.

Katakuri had met Kaido multiple times, so he supposed the King felt comfortable asking him to mediate such an important contract (and he certainly wasn't going to ask Mama). Still…as tired as he was, the last thing he wanted to do was travel all the way to Onigashima.

He stretched his wings out behind him and winced. He'd been flying a lot lately and they were very sore. Still, flying saved a lot of time and was safer than traveling by carriage.

'At least I know there'll be good alcohol.' Katakuri thought, knowing from experience how much Kaido valued quality booze. 'King will probably be there, as well.'

'Alber', also known as King, was an old friend of his. They went way back and often drank together. Unfortunately, as busy as both their schedules were, they hadn't seen each other in quite a while.

"Well, let me know if you need anything. Who knows, maybe you'll get to hear about that famous 'collection' Doflamingo has. Could be interesting!" Brulee said with a fond smile and teasing wink, "Don't work too hard, okay?"

"Thank you." He replied, watching as his sister left the room and lightly closed the door. Katakuri couldn't deny being interested in the so-called 'collection'. There wasn't anything in the Underworld quite like it, or so he'd heard. Might make a boring job a little more interesting.

As expected, it took him another couple of hours to clear off his desk. By the time he only had one more item left to address, his back was killing him and he had to stand. After stretching for a moment, he reached down to examine the letter. Frowning slightly when he noticed the sigil on the front, Katakuri delicately opened it.

"To whom it may concern. This is an official notice from Porthcawl that lawyers requested and copied information regarding a human and/or contract you have a history of involvement with. Please see the information below and contact us with any questions."

Unsure what they were referring to, Katakuri continued to read.

"Monkey…D. Luffy?" He muttered aloud to himself. Though the name sounded familiar, he couldn't recall where he'd heard it.

Still holding the letter, he walked over to one of the cabinets along the far wall and pulled out a drawer where he kept information on all contracts, big or small, that he'd ever involved himself in. Some were current, while others were old, but any demon would warn you against throwing documentation away.

Rifling through the contracts that were thankfully alphabetized, he stopped at the 'M' section and began to flip through them one by one. None of the pages had the name 'Monkey' on them. Just as he was about to go through the section again, he noticed a single piece of paper stuck to one of his larger contracts. Gently peeling it off, he pulled it out of the file and scanned it for the name from the letter.

Katakuri's eyes widened.

'Yes…that's right. The boy with the robust contract.'

He'd never actually gotten a chance to meet the human in question, but he remembered the child's grandfather was desperate to get rid of him and had contacted quite a few demons asking if anyone was interested. Naturally, most turned the man down due to the rigidity of the contract and the condition of taking the human whole. Katakuri, however, had a soft spot for children (human or otherwise), and saw it as a challenge. He'd agreed to take him.

Of course, seeing as the summoning to complete the contract never happened, the preemptive agreement had been automatically nullified.

'Why bother reaching out to me about him now?' He mused, frown deepening. 'Unless…'

Had someone actually brought the child to the Underworld? There was no other reason for lawyers to get involved, but that would also mean the boy's grandfather had either gone against their initial agreement and sold the child to someone else…or a demon had intervened with the summoning and stole the human from underneath his nose.

Neither option was good and Katakuri's lip curled up in frustration. He needed more information.

His eyes fell to the bottom of the paper where both he and another demon had signed. It was fortuitous that he was going to Onigashima…he could speak with King about the matter. Alber hadn't been too fond of the idea but had agreed to sign as a co-guardian for the child after a lot of alcohol and convincing. Katakuri, of course, assured him that he would be the one to actually care for the boy. King was more of a…guarantor the man 'Garp' insisted on. The human was insistent that the co-signer be of the same rank as him and it was difficult to find someone both willing and trustworthy.

Katakuri hummed and returned to his desk, scarlet eyes glowing in the dim light.

"Perhaps this meeting will be more interesting than I thought."