"Ah—what are you doing!?"
Doflamingo suddenly pulled Anna into his arms, startling her so much that her heart skipped a beat.
"Hey, little girl," he murmured close to her ear, his tone teasing but faintly possessive. "You can't just wake up from a dream like that. If you disappear again, I won't be able to find you next time."
To be honest, if this were the adult Doflamingo, maybe I'd be fangirling right now. But this was the child version of Doflamingo. I'm not that kind of criminal! I still have morals, thank you very much. Seeing him like this just feels… funny and kind of cute.
"Of course not! I promise," Anna said, patting her chest with mock sincerity. "Didn't I tell you I'd let you have a good dream once a week? That means I'll visit you once a week. Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who breaks promises."
That was what she said.But in her heart, Anna was thinking, You might not be able to find me, but I can always come back if I feel like it. I'll try to figure out how to stay outside the Dream Ball so I don't accidentally show up when you're having a nice dream.
This time entering his dream had felt strange anyway.
Doflamingo pinched her chin gently, forcing her to look up at him. His tone turned serious."Look me in the eyes and promise you won't go against your word. Otherwise… you won't be able to handle my anger."
Even though his expression was serious, Anna couldn't help but want to laugh. If this were the real world, she thought, I would've kicked him across the room by now. It's a good thing dreams don't hurt—or this little brat's legs would already be broken.
"Haha, of course not," she said aloud with a playful smile. "You've paid for it, after all. Naturally, I'll do my best to serve you."
"Why don't I believe that?" Doflamingo narrowed his eyes at her. "If I find you outside and it turns out you lied… how do you think I'll deal with you?"
As he spoke, he studied her face carefully, pretending to adjust her position but actually memorizing every detail of her features. He knew that her words could be false, but this face—that was something he could trust to remember.
Anna stood, scooping him up into her arms with one hand. You're just a kid, you know. You're the one trying to hold me? Please. I should be holding you.
In this dream, Doflamingo appeared as a small boy—still wearing his ridiculous pink feather coat—but no taller than a pillow.
"How's this? Do you feel safe now?" she teased, grinning down at him.
Maybe because she knew he couldn't actually hurt her here, Anna had started getting a bit too bold.
"Little girl," Doflamingo said without hesitation, "you're surprisingly comfortable. I think I'll just stay like this."
Anna blinked. Wow. The audacity of this child.
She'd thought he might blush or stammer, but no—this kid had skin thicker than steel. Still… he was warm. And honestly? Hugging him felt kind of nice.
"So, what do you think, big brother? Anything missing?" she asked in a teasing tone, deliberately playing the role of a doting older sister.
He relaxed in her arms, eyes half-closed."No… this is good. Just keep it like this."
For the first time in years, Doflamingo felt… calm. The gentle sea breeze brushed against them, and the warmth behind him felt steady and safe. Here in this dream—far away from reality—he could finally rest.
Anna, meanwhile, started humming softly. It was an old lullaby her adoptive mother used to sing.
Oh, Dover, she thought fondly. My eldest son.
If Doflamingo could've heard that thought, he'd probably have exploded on the spot. But in this peaceful dreamscape, neither of them knew what the other was thinking. Together, their unspoken thoughts created a strangely beautiful scene.
Time passed quietly. Then, suddenly, a voice echoed faintly from beyond the dream.
"Young Master, Young Master, wake up!"
The dream began to ripple and twist.
"Brother, it's time for you to wake up. See you in your dream next time," Anna said gently—just before being thrown out of Doflamingo's dream world.
When Doflamingo's eyes opened, Baby 5 was standing beside his bed."Bring me paper and a pen," he ordered immediately.
Although confused, Baby 5 obeyed without hesitation.
Doflamingo began sketching quickly, trying to capture the image of the girl from his dream before it faded. But as he worked, the details of her face grew blurry in his mind. Still, when he finished, he stared at the drawing and smirked to himself.
You can't hide from me forever.
On the other side, Anna woke with a start and let out a sigh of relief."Thank goodness… I didn't give him too much information. I can still live in peace."
Dreams always fade when you wake up—it's only natural. Few people remember every detail. Which meant, for now at least, she was safe.
As for the result…
Time fast-forwards to the present.
Doflamingo still hasn't found me after more than a year. Which means—victory for me!
Haha, the ocean's huge. There's no way he'd find little ol' me hiding on some random island.
—— I am a cute dividing line ——
Timeline Explanation:
Anna has been a pirate for four years now.
At fourteen, she was adopted by a kind couple who ran a tavern.
At fifteen, she began helping deliver drinks and collect payments from the Whitebeard Pirates—eventually becoming familiar with them.
At sixteen, she ate the Dream-Dream Fruit, gaining her powers. That same year, she attended one of the Whitebeard Pirates' banquets and met Doflamingo for the first time.
In the current timeline, Anna is seventeen.
In the grand One Piece timeline:
Ace has just gone to sea (he's the same age as Anna).
Which means Luffy will set sail in about three years.
And that's when the main story begins.