Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

The sun was lazy today.

Lethargic and blocked by gray clouds that weren't yet ready to pour rain. Not that anyone particularly cared in Dressrosa, it was very well the happiest place in the Grand Line—on the surface at least—and the citizen's favorable moods were obvious. Their smiles were blinding and their talks of cheer grated on his ears every single day. But Doffy continued to smile at them.

Because he was their King, and they were merely expressing their joy to be a part of his world. And who wouldn't be glad to be in such close proximity to the Heavenly Demon himself? They considered it an honor, as they well should. Others didn't understand the truth behind his origin and disrespected him every chance they got—the fools—but their disrespect didn't bother him so much as their ignorance. He wasn't a child anymore, and Doflamingo could wholeheartedly say that he didn't care for their reverence as much as he once did. He cared for few things: his family being one of them. Now, such petty things like insolence only bothered him if they knew who he was and what he'd built, yet still, for whatever reason, decided to treat him like an equal—or lower.

No one stood on his plane.

No one.

His birth assured that, but his accomplishments throughout his years further guaranteed the fact. And those that thought or said otherwise died a quick death—if he was bored.

But he wasn't bored now.

So, when Baby 5 came up to him with a shotgun for a hand pointed at some sniveling fool, begging for mercy, he easily gave it. Doflamingo raised his hand and allowed Baby 5 to put the man out of his misery. Quickly and mercifully. He didn't even know what he did to deserve being dragged broken and bloody to his feet, and he didn't care to either. The only thing that mattered at the moment was the lazy sun and his own ease. Dinner would be served soon, and he'd by lying if he said that he wasn't looking forward to tonight's feast. As he sat upon his lavish sofa in front of his large swimming pool. The scantily clad women had all disappeared, running off in sudden fright when they saw the half-dead man and not returning when he finished the job.

Or perhaps they didn't return because of those heels he could hear clicking in his palace. Yes, that might have been the reason. That temper of hers accompanied by that sneering face when she was disgusted could very well send even the bravest of men running with their tails between their legs. He wanted to see both again. But for now, he contented himself with the sounds of those terribly familiar heels and the obnoxious gnash of teeth as it bit down too roughly on a particularly hard piece of—

"Candy," Doffy said without turning. He hardly registered the grin on his face widening. "Fuffuffuffu… you're late."

Did Kaido keep you? Was the unspoken question in those words. She seemed to understand well enough. Because she was family. Precious, precious family.

"I ran into someone unexpected," Candy explained, and he swore his vision blurred when she spoke. Was that her Devil Fruit at work? Or did she just focus his vision that much? Well, not that it mattered. "An agent of the Revolutionary Army. Sugar took care of her."

"Fuffuffuffu, as expected," he said, but in truth he could hardly care less about her reasons. Because making him wait was unacceptable. "How have you been?"

"Kaido is… different from what I expected."

His anger suddenly bubbled over, but he kept that perfect smile in place. "How so?"

She shrugged. He knew she did. Haki was terrible like that.

"Not particularly good, not particularly bad either. Just… a strange kind of different," Candy said, finally walking up to him. She took her time, and Doffy physically felt the bubble of anticipation pop when he finally got a good look at her. After three years without her in his house, the walls suddenly felt too small to contain her presence.

She used to come more often, but that ruined the point of a hostage. And slowly, ever so slowly, the visits diminished. Until her attendance at his dining table was next to nonexistent. Dressrosa had been lonely at first, but that, too, faded. Along with his ringing DenDen Mushi. She hardly called anymore. Too busy doing whatever it is she did to occupy herself in Kaido's territory. Train, perhaps? He couldn't even begin to imagine. But she certainly looked leaner than before. A bit tanner, too. And her hair was different. There were also many similarities though. Like the constant candy in her mouth. As well as the glasses he'd gifted her all those years ago. They were thick framed and didn't really fit well with her face, but she kept them nevertheless.

He knew she'd go blind without them.

He knew that was a lie, too.

In fact, she may have been better off without them. She'd had them for years. Surely, her eyes must have gotten even worse—her Devil Fruit was a double edged sword—thus rendering them useless. Still, she kept them. And he wasn't about to order her to throw them out. It was the only thing she had that was once his. The only thing he'd willingly parted to another. And his grin always widened when he saw them, sitting atop her nose and marking her as a part of his family. If the tattoo of his Jolly Roger wasn't enough proof.

"Welcome back," Doflamingo suddenly said, standing and closing the distance between them. She was still heads shorter than him.

"You cut your hair," was her reply, as she stared up at the lack of… wildness. Though whatever his hair lacked in spike, his outfit more than made up for. He'd switched the suit for something more comfortable and far more bizarre. An outfit that suited his now laxer personality. "And I see you've gotten into the habit of showing more skin."

"Fuffuffuffu," he cackled, leaning over her with his hands in his pockets and a too wide smile stretching his lips. Unlike himself, Candy seemed as though she aged a decade. Or perhaps that was only to his observant eye. Her lips spoke of constant frowns and the space between her eyebrows was just a tad more furrowed than usual. He got just as angry as her—sometimes even more quickly—but his smiles offset the wrinkles that came with such a temperament. Did she smile at Kaido's? It certainly didn't look like she did.

"What a waste of beauty," he said, rubbing the crease in her brow with a thumb. It wasn't as permanent as it looked.

Candy bit the lollipop in her mouth in sudden agitation at his halfhearted words. It turned into sugary confetti not a moment later. And he smiled at the familiarity of it all. She hated his lukewarm compliments, and had no problem showing it. Candy brushed his hand away. "Save it for your women, Doffy."

He pretended not to notice the slight flecks of red staining her cheeks. "It's been too long, Candy."

For once, she agreed.

As he was sailed away on a Marine ship with his hands bound and his bloody wounds still seeping, he took a long moment to stare up at his crumbling empire. It was burning. It was falling. It was dying. Block by block. The people's screams now were ones of hate—not that he particularly cared—but he wasn't feeling like a King at the moment. His world had shifted on its axis, destroying important pillars of its foundation. And he just stared.

He had the time. He knew his family would come help him soon enough, and he'd escape this hellhole. He'd survived worse. This was a mere drop in the ocean of suffering that he'd already gone through. Some of the weaker Marines laughed and sneered at him behind his back, as he looked upon the remains of Dressrosa, whispering that he deserved it. Doffy didn't care. He'd kill them when the chance presented itself—two minutes, he suspected—it wouldn't be hard. In all honesty, he was far more concerned about his castle and though his eyes watched listlessly as another large piece of it just… fell, his mind screamed in—something. Some sort of unknown emotion that felt quite a lot like grief.

Her body.

Candy's body.

Where was it?

Did someone take it during the confusion or was she buried under mountains of rubble? He needed to find her. He'd already lost enough. And he'd be damned if he counted that body amongst his losses. What would the citizens do if they found her body? Burn her with the rest of the villagers or just feed her to the hounds? No. He couldn't—wouldn't allow it. She'd been by another's side long enough. He wasn't altruistic enough to let her go even in death. Soon, maybe… but not yet.

He needed to tell her things—not out in the open, but whisper them in his mind—in front of her. It wouldn't be the same otherwise. He also needed to get her fruit. Then perhaps get to work repairing his connections and rebuilding his empire. Revenge on Law would come after, or perhaps sooner if he was fortunate enough. The gods never smiled upon him though. Those worthless beings. He'd show them—again—just as he did when his father first brought them away from Dressrosa. He'd survive and he'd make his legend boom across the centuries.

But first he needed to escape.

And as he looked above, seeing what was left of his battered family come—literally—crashing down from the sky to help him, he smiled. The two marines he swore to kill shivered behind him. And his vision blurred with something like happiness, he blamed Candy. He swore to himself that they'd meet once more. He'd make it happen. At least, he'd try to.

Doflamingo would be King again, and he'd right his world.

Until then, however, he contented himself with a smile.

It was more believable than usual.

A/N: The beginning takes place after Candy apprehends Kuni from my SaboXOC story, Once Blank Reminiscence. Since the Dressrosa Arc finished up some time ago, I just wanted to write this up. I may write another when they show Doffy again, but that remains to be seen. I'm thinking about something where Doffy has Candy's fruit.

Anywho, this—along with all subsequent updates—are all just extras and not full-blown one-shots, thus their shortness.

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