"Doflamingo is such an idiot."
Anna stood in front of the wall calendar, hands on her hips, grinning smugly. "I've been slipping false information into his dreams every week for a whole year, and he still hasn't found me. A whole year! Hahaha!"
She threw her head back and laughed triumphantly.
Even though Doflamingo had tried hinting and prying during their dream chats, Anna always played it off smoothly and dodged his questions. Eventually, he stopped asking altogether.
A full year without him finding me, she thought, proud and satisfied. That's what I call victory!
"Anna! Today's the day we open the wine you brewed! Come down once you're ready!" her adoptive mother's voice called from downstairs.
"Okay, Mom! I'm coming!" Anna shouted back, scrambling around her room.
Finally, she threw on her winemaking clothes, tied up her hair, and grinned at her reflection."Looks like Marco can finally taste my wine! A promise is a promise!"
She dashed down the stairs, excitement bubbling in her chest.
"Mom, I brewed ten jars this year! I don't know how many turned out right, but I hope I can open all of them!" she said breathlessly, following her mother toward the winery.
This small, quiet island was known for its unique winemaking tradition. Using a rare fruit called wine fruit, the locals mixed it with grains, crushed the ingredients together, and let them ferment for over a year. The result was a deep, fragrant liquor that existed nowhere else in the world.
"Ah, little Anna's here! Uncle Liu will help you move those ten jars!" boomed a burly man with a kind smile.
"Thank you, Uncle Liu!" Anna said cheerfully, hurrying toward the rows of clay jars lined up neatly in the corner.
She clapped her hands together. "Alright! Time to open the seals!"
With excitement sparkling in her eyes, Anna got to work—one jar at a time. The crisp pop of the seals filled the air, blending with the rich aroma of the freshly aged wine.
When she finally finished, she stretched her back and let out a long sigh."Phew! That's all of them… I'm exhausted!"
But looking at the gleaming jars of amber liquid lined up in front of her, pride swelled inside her chest. All those months of work… totally worth it.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
"Marco, you there?" she said with a grin. It was finally time to make good on her promise.
The snail's face twitched, then opened its eyes lazily."Oh? It's little Anna. What's up?"
Another voice chimed in mischievously before Marco could continue."Oh, little Anna called! And she mentioned Marco~ She must be missing him again."
Anna's smile froze. Thatch.
"Brother Thatch!" she protested. "I've told you a hundred times! I said I like Marco's Phoenix form, not him!"
The Den Den Mushi's eyes immediately half-closed. Marco's voice followed dryly:"Little girl… I heard that."
"Hehe, Marco, don't listen to Thatch's nonsense," Anna said quickly. "You know we're the best siblings! I'm counting on you to take me flying again sometime."
"Hmm," Marco said, amusement in his voice. "Do you really like my Phoenix form that much?"
"Of course! It's so beautiful—"
Before she could finish, Sachi interrupted with exaggerated groaning."Alright, alright, enough with the Phoenix worship! Is there something you actually needed, little Anna? Or are there pirates around your area?" His tone shifted, a hint of concern surfacing.
Anna shook her head quickly. "No, nothing like that! Remember at the banquet, I promised you all my homemade wine? Well, it's finally ready! Do you guys want to come get it?"
Her words were full of excitement, her joy contagious. On the other side of the line, laughter immediately broke the tension.
"Ohhh, little Anna still remembers! I thought you'd forgotten about us!" Sachi teased.
"How could I forget?" Anna said sweetly. "You all mean a lot to me."
The line went quiet for a moment—and then both men's faces turned a little pink.
"Haha, I like little Anna too!" Sachi said with a laugh. "If you were here right now, I'd scoop you up and hug you!"
"Stop stealing my line," Marco muttered.
"So, when are you guys free to come? The wine's all bottled and waiting!"
"Don't worry, little Anna," Sachi said confidently. "We'll sail over right away!"
Before Anna could respond, the Den Den Mushi was yanked again.
Marco sighed, his tone dry but gentle. "Thatch will come first. I'll check your progress too—see how your training's been. I'll bring Vista and Izo along. Think of it as a group evaluation."
"MARCO! Nooooo!" Anna yelped. "I invited you to drink wine, not to grade me on my training! Take it back, take it back!!"
"Alright, see you soon. Vista, Izo—we're going." Marco's calm voice was the last thing she heard before the Den Den Mushi clicked off.
"Marco! Marcoooo!" Anna shouted at the snail, but it was useless. He'd already hung up.
She flopped onto her bed, groaning. "How did a simple invitation turn into a training inspection!?"
For a long moment, she just lay there, sulking. Then she sighed and rolled onto her side.
"Forget it. They can't really do anything to me anyway. I'll just nap first…"
And with that, she closed her eyes and slipped into the dream world once again.
"Well then," Anna murmured inside the soft haze of the dream, "let's check in on Dover. It's been a year, and he still hasn't found me. That man couldn't find me if I painted my face on a sail. Might as well take a stroll through his dream again."
Moments later, the world around her shimmered—and Doflamingo's dreamscape materialized.
"Heh. Xiaobai, you're here again," Doflamingo said smoothly, not even turning around as the scene shifted. He'd long since learned to recognize her presence.
Anna immediately regretted ever telling him that nickname. Every time he said Xiaobai, it sounded like he was calling for a puppy.
"Yes, I'm here," she replied flatly. "So, what do you want today?"
Even as she said it, she conjured a big, plush sofa and flopped down lazily. These days, now that she knew Doflamingo couldn't track her down, Anna had gotten bolder and more relaxed.
"Xiaobai," he said, narrowing his eyes at her. "Don't you think you've gotten a little too unruly lately? Do you need me to teach you some manners?"
"Oh please," Anna said, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm here to make sure you sleep well. Haven't you noticed? In dreams, you can't feel pain. You should relax and enjoy it. Don't you want to have a nice dream for once?"
You can't touch me out there, and you can't hurt me in here, she thought smugly. So why should I be scared?
Doflamingo smirked. "Heh… maybe not now. But there'll come a day when I can."
With that, he suddenly lifted Anna up into his arms and sat back on the sofa, taking up almost all the space.
He'd grown again. Over the past six months, he'd learned to control his body size inside the dream world, and he now towered over her like a proper adult. Anna almost missed the pint-sized version of him she used to tease.
Collapsed against his chest, Anna let out a small sigh. He's really tall now… she thought. I could use him as a pillow. Or maybe he could use me as one.
"Hey, Xiaobai," Doflamingo said suddenly, his tone quiet but sharp. "I found a small island recently. Tell me—do you think you're on it?"
Anna's heart skipped a beat, but she kept her smile perfectly calm.