One Piece : Brotherhood

"Rosinante, you don't mean..." Diamante quickly caught onto the crude method of training that I was referring to as I held the rod and blindfold in each hand. Both Vergo and Doffy were confused, but my wide grin made them sweat as if they were going to experience hell.

The time until we reached the Red Port was simply hell on the little caravel. Even Diamante was not spared from the training regimen. At first, he did not believe that the famed Haki could be unlocked in such a crude manner. However, after a week of repeated beatings with a wooden pole, both Vergo and my brother showed signs of instinctively dodging a few attacks.

As time passed, both Vergo and Doffy started dodging even more hits. This excited Doffy so much that he made Diamante go through the training regimen as well. As a young teen who had missed the best time for training, according to his little brother, all three kids simultaneously struck while Diamante was blindfolded to increase the intensity and help Diamante awaken Observation Haki faster.

The trip towards Red Port took longer than anticipated, as Diamante prioritized the safety of the little ones. Even the small-time pirates who targeted the caravel were quickly dispatched by Diamante, who unleashed hell upon anyone who threatened them. He needed to vent out his frustration, as the three little monsters in the boat had been hitting him daily in the name of training.

After three weeks of travel, the caravel finally made it to the Red Port on the side of North Blue. There were large lifts that connected all the way from the Red Port to the top of the Red Line, where Mary Geoise lay. The entire port and surrounding sea area were under the complete control of the World Government. One could also see regular patrols by World Government and Navy ships that guarded the waters of this strategic port.

Diamante docked at the port under the guise of being a merchant. The toll was so high that not even moderately rich people could make use of this service. However, Diamante had enough money to pay for the toll and also secured two tickets for Doffy and myself to travel to the top of the Red Line.

"Little brother, I want you to be at your best. This is our final chance at returning to our home," Doffy said excitedly as we slowly moved up the lift. Both myself and my brother were adorned in some of the finest clothes money could buy in North Blue, though they were stolen. As the lift reached the top, Doffy moved with the arrogance inherent to the Celestial Dragons. As we moved away from the regular path and towards the Holy Land, my brother's dream shattered as we reached the main gate.

"Halt! How dare you peasants try to enter the Holy Land so brazenly? Do you have a death wish?" The low-level soldier by the main gate pushed both myself and my brother to the floor, threatening to impale us with the spear he was holding.

Doffy's anger flared at the blatant show of disrespect. Just a few years ago, these vermin would crawl at his feet, but now they dared to even push him down.

"Brother, are you alright?" I helped my brother up while glaring at the man who pushed him down. Doffy stood up, still angry, and tried to pull his pistol to shoot the soldier, but I quickly stopped him from doing anything foolish.

"I am a descendant of the Donquixote family. How dare you lay your hands on me?" Doffy shouted at the soldier, still seething with anger.

"Are you sure you want to offend us? Have you thought for a second what would happen to you if what we said were true?" I questioned the low-level soldier with a cruel glint in my eyes. My smile made him falter, and my words made him sweat because if the kids were really celestial dragons, then death would be a mercy.

As the commotion happened near the main gate, a tall man who wore an exquisite black suit approached us. One of the other soldiers standing guard quickly explained the situation to him, and he approached us after understanding the situation.

"You get back to your post, and you—what's your name?" He gestured for the soldier to step back and directed a question at Doffy.

"I am Donquixote Doflamingo, and this is my brother, Donquixote Rosinante. We are the descendants of..." Before Doffy could finish introducing ourselves, the man in the suit interrupted him.

"I know who you are. You are the son of a traitor. Hasn't your father already given up on his status as a descendant of God? So tell me, What reason are you here for?" The man, with no change in emotion or facial expression, questioned us regarding the purpose of our visit.

However, I realized that this man must have high status because he dared to directly declare Homing a traitor. Only a person with connections to the higher echelons could blatantly show such disrespect to a former celestial dragon.

Even Doffy understood that the person we were speaking to had high status and prestige within the Holy Land, so he chose to maintain his decorum. "I just want to meet with the Donquixote family members. I am sure they are willing to take us back. We cannot be faulted for our father's mistake."

The man in the suit couldn't help but smirk when he heard Doffy's words because he knew what would happen if the kids really approached the other Donquixote members. After thinking for a few moments, just for amusement's sake, he gestured for an armed soldier and whispered a few words into his ears. Although I wanted to eavesdrop using my heightened senses, I chose to hold back in the name of precaution.

The guard swiftly departed to carry out his orders, leaving my brother and me waiting patiently. After a few moments, he returned with a group of soldiers, and at their center stood someone we both knew well—our uncle. From his approach, I could tell he was pleased to see us again.

"Ah, my dear nephews, it's been far too long! Why are you waiting out here? Come in, come in! No one would dare to stop you with me by your side," our uncle boasted with the arrogance befitting a celestial dragon. The guards around him maintained a respectful distance, and unlike most Celestial Dragons, he didn't use a slave mount for travel. However, I noticed a couple of beast tribe members, shackled with collars, trailing behind his group, dressed as maids.

But as soon as our uncle's eyes landed on the man in the suit, his demeanor shifted. He quieted down abruptly, realizing that a person of high standing was waiting near the main gate. If he had known beforehand, he wouldn't have acted so brazenly. What many outsiders didn't understand was that even among the Celestial Dragons, there were different levels of status, and our uncle was classified at the lowest level, while the man in the suit was among the higher-ups.

The man in the suit didn't say a word about our uncle's behavior but simply turned and left. Our uncle hurriedly urged us to follow him to meet the members of the Donquixote family. Before we left, I discreetly passed a sheet of paper to one of the guards, instructing him to deliver it to the man in the suit. It was our insurance in case things took a turn for the worse, as my gut instinct told me they might sooner than later.

Our uncle led us to the palace area designated for the Donquixote family. Different areas were assigned to the descendants of various families. As we entered the expansive garden allotted to the Donquixote family, it became evident that some sort of gathering was underway.

Other descendants noticed our uncle's arrival, followed by two children, and they approached us with curiosity. Among them was little Mjosgard, who eyed us with interest. It had been years since we left Mary Geoise, and he must have forgotten about us.

"Father, are they our new slaves? Can I brand them personally?" One of the children standing next to their parent couldn't resist asking, their curiosity reflecting the mindset of many children at Mary Geoise, where slaves were treated like toys, and the more they had, the happier they were.

Our uncle couldn't help but panic a bit, and Doffy stood in front of me defensively, trying to protect me, his hand subtly resting on the pistol tucked behind his back.

"Ahem, these are my nephews, descendants of our Donquixote bloodline," our uncle quickly interjected, gesturing for Doffy to introduce himself.

Doffy stepped forward confidently to introduce himself, but before he could utter a word, his dream was shattered. A half-eaten pie splattered right across his face, catching us all off guard. I was too slow to react, and the contents of the pie stained my brother's new clothes.

"Ptoooh, aren't they the spawns of that traitor Homing? What are they doing here on the holy land?" One of the descendants questioned me in disdain, spitting on me as he spoke. The faces of most adults in the gathering turned ugly at the revelation of our father's identity.

Doffy's anger flared, his veins popping, as he witnessed the man insulting me by spitting on me.

Meanwhile, the guard I had assigned the paper to had caught up to the man in the suit and handed over the paper. The man superficially glanced at it at first, but as he read further, his expression grew increasingly serious. Without hesitation, he hastened towards the interior of the castle, where the elders resided. If what was written on the paper was true, the elders needed to be notified immediately.

Back at the Donquixote Garden, tension was palpable as more and more voices joined the chorus, branding us as traitors. Each insult seemed to chip away at Doffy's composure, his face contorting with rage.

"Enough!" Doffy erupted, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. I placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, silently urging him to remain calm amidst the storm.

"You worm, how dare you raise your voice? You're nothing but nobodies now, stripped of your status by your traitorous father. Why isn't he here begging alongside you?" One man sneered, his words dripping with disdain.

"I am a Dragon, I was born a Dra…Dragon, you cannot deny me my birth right. I will kill you all, I will kill you all if you stand in my way." Doffy had already lost control as all his dreams came crashing down around him. I tried to rein in my brother, but Doffy was too lost in rage.

"I was wondering who was bold enough to interrupt the gathering that I personally hosted,it seems like a lost pair of pups that want to pretend to be dragons. What your father did left a stain on our Donquixite family in front of the families of other descendants of God, but that bastard Homing made us lose face in the whole of Mary Geoise, and you still have the audacity to call yourself a Dragon." An old man who seemed to hold high authority stepped up as the crowd around him parted. Our uncle, realizing the futility of defending us, retreated with Mjosgard by his side, unwilling to challenge the old man's authority.

As Doffy reached for his pistol in a foolish attempt to intimidate our accusers, shadows flickered around us, signaling impending danger. Before we could react, we were struck with brutal force, the attackers showing no mercy as they pinned us to the ground with trained precision.

The old man leisurely took a seat, his gaze fixed on us with a mixture of amusement and cruelty. "A good dog needs a collar and a master. Gift them the new collars," he ordered, as men approached with slave collars, sealing our fate.