"Kill the Celestial Dragons! Kill the Celestial Dragons who've been oppressing us!"
The voice came from somewhere deep in the furious crowd. One shout turned into dozens, then hundreds.
"It was the Celestial Dragon who took my wife!" someone screamed. "I haven't seen her since!"
"It was the Celestial Dragon who killed my child!" a woman cried, clutching her chest in agony. "My baby only crawled into the street—and that monster cut him in half!"
Anna stood quietly in the corner, watching the chaos unfold. "Ah… I know this dream," she murmured under her breath. "This is the uprising of the civilians against the Celestial Dragons. It always ends the same way… the people get burned at the stake. I'd better just stay in the background this time."
But, of course, things didn't go as planned.
As the dream spiraled forward, the flames parted, and a small figure stepped out from the fire—his eyes sharp and full of rage.
It was young Doflamingo.
"I've never seen you before," he said, voice cold and suspicious. "Who are you?"
Anna froze. Why… why is he talking to me? Her thoughts raced. Oh no—how could Doflamingo recognize that I don't belong here? That shouldn't be possible! I suppressed my presence. I didn't even get close to him!
"Burn the Celestial Dragons! Burn the Celestial Dragons!" Anna began to chant along with the others, hoping he'd lose interest and move on. But his piercing eyes didn't waver.
"Stop pretending," he said flatly. "I've had this dream a thousand times. Who are you really?"
Threads—five shimmering, deadly strands—shot from his fingers and wrapped tightly around Anna's body.
Brother, aren't you supposed to be dreaming? Why are you so lucid?! Are you the one dreaming, or am I?!
"Dover, Dover—calm down!" Anna stammered, raising her hands in surrender. "I'm here to help you have a good dream! It's… my job, you see! I get paid to make people sleep peacefully! That's all!"
"Hmph." Doflamingo tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Then tell me—how exactly are you going to make me have a good dream? And who sent you here?"
Even though he looked like a boy, his sharp grin and arrogance made him seem every bit the grown Doflamingo Anna knew.
"Of course Baby 5 sent me!" Anna blurted out quickly. "She knows I can make people dream pleasantly, so she… uh… paid me a lot to come here!" Sorry, Baby 5, she thought miserably. I'm throwing you under the bus for this one.
"Fine," Doflamingo said, still skeptical but intrigued. "Then show me. Let's see if you can really make me have a sweet dream."
Anna forced a nervous smile. "W-well, customization is available! What kind of dream would you like?"
"That's not my problem, is it, kid?" he said, giving her a sharp look.
Anna gulped. "Right, right! Don't worry, sir, I'll make sure you're satisfied!"
She gathered the mist of the Dream World in her palms, condensing it into shimmering clouds. With careful movements, she shaped them into a long beach chair, just like the one Doflamingo used in the anime.
"Please, sit down." She put on her most flattering smile and gestured politely.
As he reclined, she drew more dream energy into the air, painting a golden coastline around him. The dull gray ashes of his burned clothes morphed into a soft pink feathered coat and relaxed beachwear—the same style he loved.
"Are you satisfied now? If so, I'll just… leave quietly…" Anna started backing away on tiptoe.
But before she could slip out, a thin thread coiled around her ankle.
"Hey, kid," Doflamingo said lazily, "isn't there something missing?"
Anna blinked, looking around the scene. Everything seemed perfect—then she smacked her forehead. "Ah! Right! The wine!"
She hurriedly conjured a bottle of high-end red wine, along with a small table and a single red rose in a glass vase.
"Here you go, sir—red wine, and ambiance to match!" she said with a nervous laugh. Honestly, what's the point of being picky in a dream? It's not like he can taste any of this…
"Can I leave now?" she asked timidly.
Doflamingo lounged back in his chair, swirling the wine glass between his fingers. "No. Since Baby 5's paying such a high price, I expect premium service."
He turned his head slightly, a wicked smile curling on his lips. "Give me a massage, kid."
Little devil, Anna thought bitterly. You really are a little devil—even when you're asleep!
Still, she walked over and began to massage his shoulders with trembling hands. "How's the pressure, Brother? Feels okay?"
"You're clever, kid," Doflamingo said lazily. "What's your name? Do you want to join my family?"
Anna's heart skipped a beat. She forced a polite laugh. "Oh, my Lord, you must be joking! I'm nobody important. I just make a bit of money using my ability. If you like, I can help you dream once a week—purely business, of course. Just a small-time dream merchant! I hope you'll be kind enough to… take care of me."
No way I'm telling him who I really am! she thought frantically. If I do, I'll never have a peaceful life again. Better to play dumb. He won't be able to find me anyway—this world's too big.
"What's your name?" Doflamingo asked again, voice calm but dangerous.
He wasn't rushing. He was memorizing her face. He could always find her later.
"My name's Xiaobai. Just… Xiaobai," she replied quickly. "Yep, that's me!"
"What a careless name," Doflamingo sneered. "You expect me to believe that?"
"How could I lie to you, sir?" Anna said earnestly. "My family's poor and uneducated. If I hadn't found this Devil Fruit by chance, we'd barely have enough to eat. I swear it's true!"
Then—without warning—Doflamingo's arm shot out, his threads slicing through the air as he yanked Anna straight into his chest.