Time flows like water, always silent.
Sitting upright in front of Gawain, listening to Gawain talk about his parents' past, Doflamingo lay back on his sofa with a somber face.
Looking up at the sky through his sunglasses, he saw the sun on the horizon, which appeared even more dazzling as the clouds dispersed.
As he watched, Doflamingo felt a tightness in his chest.
It seems... my newly reattached right arm is still throbbing slightly.
In a daze, Doflamingo felt that the pain wasn't just in his right arm.
Left hand, chest, lower back, neck...
Especially... the brain!!!
There was a time when I was also someone surrounded by pain...
"Rubbish!"
"Look at his cocky attitude, even if he hadn't been kicked out of Mary Geoise, he'd still be a damn scoundrel!"
"Damn it, get the hell away from me!"
"Get out of here!"
"Hey, I'm talking to you, you piece of trash, get lost!"
"Don't bring your bad luck into my shop!"
"Take your brother and get as far away as you can!"
"Why don't you just die?!"
Amidst countless shouts and curses, Doflamingo and his brother fled the nearby shopping street in a disheveled state.
Holding his younger brother's hand, Doflamingo lowered his head, trying to hide his tightly clenched lips, while glancing sideways at the trash in the distance who looked at them like demons!
Seemingly noticing his brother's gaze, Rosinante worriedly grabbed Doflamingo's hand, gently squeezing it as Rosinante sighed.
"Brother, stop looking. We know they don't like our identity."
Let's try buying medicine from some other places!
"Change locations?!?"
Hearing his brother's words, Doflamingo gritted his teeth and flung Rosinante's hand away.
He reached into his pocket with his left hand, pulled out half a cigarette butt he had picked up, and then bit it hard into his mouth.
Huffing and puffing, Doflamingo lit a cigarette and reluctantly reached into his right pocket with his right hand.
Only after taking out all his change did Doflamingo grit his teeth and say...
"Those bastards! I already brought money, so why won't they sell me even this damn medicine when they clearly have money?!"
We've already been to three pharmacies, and the staff refused to serve us as soon as they saw our faces!
All three are like this, so what difference can there be between the rest? Where are we supposed to buy medicine? Where are we supposed to go?!
As soon as he finished speaking, Doflamingo quickly took off his dirty sunglasses and vigorously wiped his eyes.
After putting his sunglasses back on, Doflamingo once again adopted that fierce look and grabbed his brother's hand tightly.
"Don't think too much about it. Even if those bastards still refuse to sell us anything, we have to try them one by one. Mom is still in bed; she's very sick, and she's waiting for us to come back!!!"
The money in my pocket is my last hope!!!
After saying that, Doflamingo helped up the devastated Rosinante and continued rushing toward the other remaining clinics.
One after another...
I don't know how many pharmacies I searched for, or how many people cursed me viciously.
Doflamingo and Rosinante were finally received by a kind person.
The man's clinic was originally closed, but after Doflamingo and his brother forcibly pried open the door, he looked at Doflamingo with a puzzled expression.
Faced with this last hope, even someone as fierce as Doflamingo couldn't help but treat the doctor with a slightly kinder attitude.
"Hello, are you a doctor? Are you?!"
I need painkillers. My mother is very sick, but we only have enough money to buy painkillers!
Anyway, hurry up and sell us the medicine, or you believe I'll kill you!
All I need is pain relief, even if it just makes Mom feel better for one night!
She hasn't been able to sleep for ages, you bastard!!!
After yelling this far, Doflamingo stubbornly lowered his head, refusing to look at the doctor's eyes again.
But his hand was now holding a handful of loose change, held high in front of him.
After a brief silence, the doctor opposite seemed to understand the identities of Doflamingo and his companion. He pondered for a moment, then rested his chin on his hand and spoke.
"Oh, I see. Well then, since I also have children your age, I'll reluctantly sell you a little bit!"
However, we want to make it clear beforehand that you don't have enough money to buy much.
In short, I'll give you the medicine now, but whether it works or not isn't up to me to say, since I haven't even seen the patient.
Oh, and don't tell anyone outside that I gave you the medicine, or your colleagues will give you a piece of their mind, you brat!
After saying that, the doctor turned around to get the painkillers.
On the other side, upon hearing the doctor's words, Doflamingo raised his head in disbelief.
Beside him, Rosinante's eyes also instantly filled with tears.
They really didn't expect that after being rejected by more than twenty pharmacies, they would actually be able to buy the medicine!
This sense of unreality lingered in their minds until they walked out onto the street clutching a small bag of medicine!
In short, at this moment, Rosinante deeply remembered the pharmacy in front of him and the doctor inside.
And Doflamingo...
He knew nothing else; all he knew was that he had finally brought back medicine for his mother that would at least allow her to stay awake for one more night!
That's all he knows!
The Donquixote Homing family.
Doflamingo's mother lay in bed, using the strength she had just taken to look at her two sons.
Noticing his mother's gaze, Doflamingo flicked his cigarette butt dismissively and sneered.
"Hey, where's Father? Where was he while you were lying at home?"
Still unable to find work, or still unable to earn money to support the family?
If he continues to be this incompetent, then Mom, you'll have no reason to stop me from stealing!!!
As soon as he finished speaking, Doflamingo threw the cigarette butt out of his mouth.
Then, he rubbed his clothes in annoyance.
After trying to straighten the wrinkled, dirty clothes a little, Doflamingo continued speaking to his mother.
"It's obvious that no one here treats us like one of their own!"
Even though my cowardly father tried his best to beg them, they still wouldn't accept our family!
Since that's the case, humph, let's not even talk about how they're all lowly people; just look at their attitude towards our family, and they're already our enemies!
When facing an enemy, am I not even allowed to steal a little money from them so that we can live a slightly better life?
That's the enemy's money! They're all enemies of our family!!!
"Doflamingo!"
In that instant, the mother struggled to sit up in bed. She raised her hand and placed her right hand, which should have been as beautiful as the moon but was now as thin as a skeleton, on Doflamingo's head.
While gently ruffling Doflamingo's blond hair, the mother forced a bright smile, and then spoke earnestly to Doflamingo.
"You mustn't hurt anyone, Doflamingo. Even if they don't accept us, they just don't want to be our friends."
That doesn't mean they are our enemies... cough... enem... enemy... cough cough cough cough cough!!!
Before she could finish speaking, her mother couldn't stop coughing. She clutched her chest in distress and secretly covered her mouth with her other hand.
Lowering her head, she carefully glanced at her palm. After seeing the smear of blood, the mother quietly hid her hand under the covers.
Then, the mother smiled gently and continued speaking to Doflamingo.
"I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well... I've been a burden to you all."
"No, Mother!!!"
Doflamingo quickly stopped his mother from speaking. He anxiously threw himself onto her lap and asked her, biting his lip.
Why are you still coughing so badly? Didn't you already take medicine?
Was the medication ineffective? Or did the doctor lie to me?
Damn it, he deserves to die, he..."
"Doflamingo!!!"
At this moment, the mother rarely showed even a hint of anger. She put on a serious face and said to Doflamingo.
"Mom... Mom's illness... is no longer something that can be cured by simple medicine."
The medicine you brought back... is very effective, but Mom's health... is still not up to par.
In short, we should never complain about our benefactors. We should cherish and repay even the smallest kindness.
If you want to make Mom happy, then... then stop talking about enemies, okay?
Even if Mom dies, she won't have any enemies. Don't you always say Mom is so kind?
"But a mother who has enemies isn't kind, is she? Have you been lying to your mother all along?"
At this point, the mother reached out and gently hugged Doflamingo, but in that instant, Doflamingo clearly saw the blood hidden in the palm of his mother's right hand!
In an instant, Doflamingo's eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, turned completely red!
He knew perfectly well why some damn doctor would show them any sympathy in a city where nobody would accept them!
That damned doctor never sold me any medicine; he just cheated me out of my money, that's for sure!
Otherwise, why doesn't Mom show any signs of feeling better even after I buy the medicine myself?
Why!!!
For a moment, hatred filled Doflamingo's heart, without Doflamingo even realizing it.
When a person harbors hatred, even the space in their heart for sorrow becomes narrow.
Click!
Just as Doflamingo was consumed by his hatred for the doctor, their front door was suddenly pushed open!
In a daze and filled with hatred, Doflamingo turned his head and saw his father at a glance!
Seeing his two sons surrounding his lover's bedside, Homing, burdened by immense pressure, managed a helpless smile.
With a wry smile, he pulled a slightly wrinkled but generally well-preserved paper bag from his tattered coat.
Homing placed the bag on the bed, sighed instinctively, and then forced a smile at his family.
"I'm so sorry, I still haven't been able to find a job. Back in Mary Geoise, I didn't learn any skills. Thinking about it now, I'm really useless..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Homing opened the paper bag and handed the two still-warm pieces of bread to his wife and child.
The mother and Rosinante carefully accepted the bread, but Doflamingo... he threw the bread onto his mother's bed!
"This is all the food I have, not even as much as I 'borrowed' from a nearby shop. My mother's throat is very sore, she can't eat such hard food, Dad!"
Why can't you understand? If you were a little tougher, you could cure Mother's illness and make our lives better!
It would have been better if they had been just a little bit more assertive!
You... you...!"
"Stop talking, Doflamingo!!!"
Hearing his eldest son's resentful words, Homing finally couldn't hold back anymore!
It's been two whole years since I left Mary Geoise. In those two years, the free and ordinary life I dreamed of has still not come my way!
In the past, whenever I passed by those common people, they would always kneel down and worship me!
I generously exempted them from the kneeling ritual; I gave them dignity and respect; I clearly gave them so much.
Two years ago, they were all around him, thanking him for his kindness and praising his love!
To live up to their praise, he even gave up his past life and chose to live like the other citizens!
But just after he voluntarily relinquished his Celestial Dragon status...
Those who once surrounded me and spoke kind words to me...
They refused to come near me anymore!!!
In order to escape Mary Geoise, he donated all his wealth to his family!
As a result, after leaving Mary Geoise, those who had once hailed the great Saint Homing couldn't even afford themselves a decent job!
I... I persevered for two whole years, and all I got in return was a frail son and my loved one lying on a hospital bed...
I... it seems I can't hold on any longer!
Thinking of this, Saint Homing raised his head with difficulty and looked at his eldest son's fierce eyes hidden behind sunglasses.
Meeting Doflamingo's gaze, Homing gritted his teeth and said, word by word!
"Stop using words like hatred and toughness all the time!"
That's not something a child should be chasing!
No one else is at fault; the only one who is wrong is me!
After all, no matter how hard I try, I have hurt many people by using my identity as Celestial Dragon!
We have hurt everyone around us, so don't they have reasons to hate us?
They donated all their money to the country, to be handed over to the Heavenly Tribute!
Their sons are constantly being recruited and forced into the Navy and the Communist Party!
They could easily have their lovers and daughters stolen by the Celestial Dragon!
They lived that kind of life, which is why they hate and despise those of us who have that past. They are not wrong!
The only one who was wrong was me!!!
As soon as he finished speaking, Homing stood up and then solemnly buttoned up his shirt.
After straightening the hem of his coat, Homing took a deep breath and spoke solemnly to his family.
"It's all my fault. I naively thought that my surrender would be enough to repay the debt I owe to the common people."
But as it turns out, my naiveté... has led us into our current predicament!
Regardless, I know I was wrong, for your sake, for... for the lady's illness...
I will bow down to my fellow Mary Geoise!!!
I've made up my mind. I'm going back to Mary Geoise, and I'm going to reclaim my former identity!
Only in that way can the lady receive better treatment!!!
So let's do it now, sooner rather than later!
"I'll take you back to Mary Geoise now!!!"
After speaking, Homing looked at his wife seriously, while Doflamingo's mother, after a brief moment of surprise, asked Homing with concern.
"Sir, can we... really go back to Mary Geoise?"
Or... they might actually be able to accept us..."
"Etc!"
Suddenly, Doflamingo interrupted his mother.
Facing his father, who saw returning to Mary Geoise as his last hope, Doflamingo roared in shock and resentment!
"Can my mother's body really sustain her walking that far?"
There are no carriages or slaves to carry us now. If we want to get to Mary Geoise, we'll have to walk at least all the way through Sabaody. But can Mother's body really carry us that far?
And also... Father!!!
Now that you've made your choice, why are you being so cowardly?
Why do you pin your hopes on Mary Geoise instead of striving a little harder in today's world?!
Why should we apologize to Mary Geoise? Why should we admit defeat to them?
I've said it before: we can steal, we can rob; as long as we're even more ruthless than we are now, we have a million ways to support ourselves!!!
They will never be afraid of our cowardice, why can't you understand that!
If we become ruthless, even if we are no longer Celestial Dragon, we can still find someone to cure Mother's illness!
As long as we are ruthless enough, as long as we are worthy of their fear!
Even if we weren't Celestial Dragon, they would still have to kneel before us!!!
Why will you never understand?!