Hybrids

Title: Hybrids
Rating: T
Fandom: One Piece
Summary: The Donquixote Pirates stumbled across an abandoned lab, finding the experiments of a mad scientist attempting to create a human-animal hybrid. There were only two live subjects left and Doflamingo recognizes one of them as his younger brother.

The laboratory lights flickered on and off. Tables and chairs were overturned. Broken glass vials and flasks littered the floor. Liquids pooled and formed puddles of colors. Fallen papers and folders became soaked with the liquids. There was a lot of red. The Donquixote Pirates could tell they were not just solutions, but most of it was blood. Claw marks and bite marks decorated the walls and floors. There were broken chains here and there.

But what shocked them most was the corpses. Dead bodies were expected but these were not normal human bodies. They had animal parts, such as a tail or claws or fur. They could already tell that they were the subjects experimented on by whoever owned this lab. There were chains around the corpses' wrists, ankles, and neck.

A low growl caused them to pause. In the corner of the laboratory was a large hybrid. It was a male with yellow canine-like paws, the fur extending to his elbows and knees. He also had a tail as well as wolf ears. He was baring his teeth, revealing fangs. Messy blonde hair covered his eyes but the hybrid could still see through them. His clothes were torn and ripped, revealing several wounds that were scarring his body.

But it was those eyes that Doflamingo recognized. When they were kids and had left Mariejois, Doflamingo constantly saw fear in his younger brother's eyes. The eyes Doflamingo was staring at were also full of fear, but there was no doubt about it. Doflamingo knew that the hybrid was his brother. "Rocinante?"

The experiment paused for a second, as if he was trying to recognize Doflamingo. But then he resumed his growling at the pirates. Doflamingo took a step forward, causing him to growl louder. His crew was prepared to defend their captain but Doflamingo held up a hand to stop them. "Don't hurt him. He's my brother,"

"Your brother?" Diamante asked. "Come to think about it, that thing does resembled your younger brother,"

"Rocinante," Doflamingo took another step forward.

This time he stood up on all fours, growling even louder. He was prepared to attack, seeing Doflamingo as a threat and not family.

"It's me, Doflamingo," After another step towards him, Rocinante lunged forth and his jaws closed onto Doflamingo's arm.

Doflamingo winced a bit, the bite being more powerful than he anticipated. However, he was used to worse wounds so he didn't let it bother him too much. Rocinante's claws dug into the flesh beside his face, scratching as best as he could through the shirt. The chains around his ankles and wrists were still present, but he lacked the one around his neck.

"Go get a cage," Doflamingo ordered his crew. "We're taking him with us," He carefully used his strings to tie Rocinante's limbs together and then proceeded to pry his mouth off of his arm. Rocinante howled in protest.

The crew separated and started to look for a cage or some kind of container to put Rocinante in. A high pitched animal cry was heard and Pica held up a human-snow leopard cub hybrid. "Doffy, what do I do about this one?"

Rocinante started to thrash around even more and roared, this time towards Pica. The cub continued to cry as he was dangled in the air. Rocinante bit and the strings around his arms and feet, desperately trying to get free. He barked towards the other hybrid. The younger hybrid contained to cry in fear.

Doflamingo noticed Rocinante's change in behavior. "Pica, put the cub down,"

Pica did so and the snow leopard cub-human hybrid ran to Rocinante. Rocinante nuzzled against him like a mother would do to her cub. "We found a cage-dasuyan!" Buffalo and Baby 5 ran to Doflamingo and placed the large cage down. It was mostly clean compared to the other cages they found.

"Roci," Doflamingo called.

The wolf-human hybrid snapped at Doflamingo, preparing to fight to protect his cub despite the odds. He was still tied up too.

"We're not going to hurt you," Doflamingo said softly. "Or your cub. We're going to bring you both away from this place,"

But Rocinante still didn't recognize him. He only saw a stranger when he looked at Doflamingo, he didn't see his brother. The only one Rocinante knew wasn't a threat was his own cub. Doflamingo carefully undid the strings and Rocinante stood up, guarding the younger hybrid. He let out a warning bark.

If the cub was in the cage, Rocinante would follow. Doflamingo used his strings to create a little mouse. He moved it around in the back of the cage. The cub took a small step towards it, intrigued. "Mrow?"

Rocinante nudged the snow leopard hybrid back. He didn't want his cub getting too close to these strangers and the cage. The mouse had appeared out of nowhere so it wasn't normal. He would not let his cub get captured and harmed by the humans. But the cub hybrid really wanted the mouse and got out of Rocinante's hold, jumping into the cage and catching the string creation. Rocinante chased after to get him out but the cage immediately slammed shut once he was inside.

"Let's go," Doflamingo said as he picked up the cage.

XXX

Doflamingo had to keep the two in a cell beneath the deck. He hated seeing them being held where prisoners were supposed to be, but the bars were strong enough that they couldn't get free and harm anyone. Rocinante and the boy were curled up in a corner, still keeping an eye on Doflamingo.

"Young Master, the sedatives are inside the cabbage rolls," Baby 5 held a small plate to the captain. "Why are we sedating them?"

"We need to clean them up and patch up their wounds," Doflamingo answered, pushing the plate in between the bars. "We can't do that when they're awake or else they'll attack,"

Rocinante walked over to the plate on all fours and sniffed the six cabbage rolls. His stomach growled loudly and he took a cautious bite of one. Deeming it safe, he pushed the plate to the corner and let the younger hybrid eat the rest. The boy ate three of the cabbage rolls and wanted Rocinante to eat the others. Rocinante gave in to his hunger and ate.

It took ten minutes for the sedatives to take effect. Baby 5 helped Doflamingo clean the two up, clean the two's wounds, apply medicine, and bandage them. Doflamingo dressed the Rocinante in some of his clothes and the boy in some shirt and pants that were plain black. Doflamingo frowned as he realized how injured both of them were. If the owner of the lab wasn't amongst the corpses, Doflamingo would be torturing them once they had been caught.

Doflamingo placed bottles of water and another plate of food inside of the cell as the sedatives wore off and the two began to reawaken. They seemed confused at the bandages and the different clothing. Rocinante sniffed the clothes on the smaller hybrid and then the ones on himself. They walked over to the plate of food, this time the dish contained more than the previous one. There was fried fish, more cabbage rolls, and some onigiri. Rocinante grabbed a water bottle and gnawed on it.

Doflamingo's frown deepened. His brother couldn't even remember how to open a water bottle in this state. He flicked his fingers and cut the top off of the bottle with his strings, allowing Rocinante and the other hybrid to drink the contents. He opened the other bottles and they drank it all thirstily.

"The small one is getting sleepy," Baby 5 said.

"Let them sleep," Doflamingo told her as he used his strings to retrieve the empty water bottles and plate. "Baby 5, can you put these away?"

"You need me?" Baby 5 eagerly nodded, grabbing the things and heading back up.

Doflamingo watched as Rocinante and the boy curled up like animals.

Animals.

Feral.

Savage.

They were no longer humans, but they were not complete animals. They were a combination of the two, a hybrid.

Doflamingo grabbed the two blankets he had brought down and opened the cell door. Rocinante immediately got up and was alert. He growled as Doflamingo came closer. It was evident that he did not want Doflamingo near him or his cub.

"Rocinante," Doflamingo said in a gentle tone. "I am not going to hurt you or the boy. Try to remember me. I'm your brother,"

"G…g…g…ah…w…way…" Rocinante seemed to be struggling to form just those two words. He looked as if he was in pain as he spoke.

"I'm not going to go away until you remember," Doflamingo took another step closer.

Rocinante growled even louder and pounced at Doflamingo. Doflamingo didn't dodge and let himself be knocked to the floor. Rocinante's inhuman teeth were inches away from Doflamingo's neck. His claws were already digging into Doflamingo's clothes. Rocinante caught sight of himself in the reflection of Doflamingo's sunglasses.

Doflamingo removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of blood red eyes, a faded scar over his left one. "Rocinante, I'm your big brother,"

Rocinante was staring at Doflamingo's eyes. They were the opposite to his own pair of blue orbs. He lifted a paw and placed it just below the scar, careful to keep his claws from injuring the man. "D...D…Do…f…" A sharp pain rang through his head and he howled in agony, moving away from Doflamingo.

"Rocinante!" Doflamingo rushed to his brother's side but his brother would scratch and bite whenever he was near.

Animal.

Wild.

Beast.

The snow leopard cub-boy hybrid had woken up from the screams and ran to his adoptive father's side. "Mrow?" He asked, confused as to what was happening. He had never seen the other act wild other than when he was protecting them from others.

Rocinante began to calm down at the sound of his cub. He ushered his cub away from Doflamingo and laid down beside him, growling towards the elder Donquixote. Doflamingo sighed, leaving the blankets inside the cell as he locked the door. He slid his sunglasses back on as he decided that he needed some fresh air.

XXX

Days passed and soon the days turned into weeks. It was a daily routine. He'd place plates of food and bowls of water inside the cell. He'd also place pillows and more blankets to improve their conditions inside. The only improvement so far was that they wouldn't growl when Doflamingo placed items inside the cage, as long as he kept his distance.

It pained him to see the two in that condition. The cub-boy hybrid was practically his nephew since Rocinante seemed to have adopted him. Doflamingo lit a cigarette, bringing it to his lips. He took a deep inhale from the orange-brown colored end, savoring the flavor before exhaling the smoke. He hadn't smoked since he was a kid, but right now he really needed one.

Did Rocinante even remember him before the experimentation? It's been years, an entire decade to be exact. Back then he was ten and Roci was eight. But now he was twenty and Rocinante was eighteen. Even if Rocinante remembers him, how would he react to Doflamingo? After all, their last interaction was when Roci begged him not to kill their Father but he not only did the deed, but he also had chopped his father's head off in an attempt to return to Mariejois.

XXX

His crew had dragged him off the ship once they docked at the next island. It was bad for their captain to stay cooped up in the El Flamenco. The crew said that they would watch over Rocinante and the cub while he was away. He was strolling through town when he stopped in front of a toy store. In the window he saw a polar bear stuffed animal.

"Young Master," Jora asked. "Are we going to buy those?"

"Even in his current state, the snow leopard-boy hybrid is still a child," Doflamingo said. "If we give the boy a toy he likes, we'll be a step closer to gaining Rocinante's trust by showing no ill intentions,"

Doflamingo paid for the polar bear as well as a couple other toys. When he returned to the ship, the younger hybrid jumped in joy at sight of the toys. He tackled and hugged the polar bear tightly. Doflamingo ruffled the boy's hair gently. "I wish I knew your name so I knew what to call you,"

"L…aw…"

Doflamingo turned to his brother and realized that he wasn't growling when he was near his cub. He had even allowed Doflamingo to ruffle the boy's hair. "Roci, what did you say?"

"L…aw…" Rocinante said slowly and as clear as he could. "N...a…me…L…aw…"

"His name is Law?" Doflamingo asked.

Rocinante nodded slowly, confirming that he understood him.

"What about your name?" Doflamingo questioned.

Rocinante laid his head down on his paws, turning to face the wall to the side.

"You don't remember your name or your past," It was a statement rather than a question.

"No…ma…t…t…er…" Rocinante said. "L…aw…sa…fe…"

Doflamingo understood what Rocinante was saying. As long as Law was safe, Rocinante didn't care about his or his son's past. "Do you recognize me?"

"A…bit…" Rocinante turned towards Law and realized that his son had left the cell, the door having been left open by Doflamingo. He jumped to his feet and ran out, Doflamingo beside him.

Law was on the deck, showing off his new stuffed animal to Dellinger, Baby 5, and Buffalo. "Mrow!"

"Do you like your new toy?" Baby 5 asked.

"Young Master picked it out himself-dasuyan," Buffalo added.

Rocinante didn't push the kids away from Law, but he did keep an eye on them in case they attempted to harm him. He sat down next to his cub who was hugging the polar bear plushy. Doflamingo sat down next to his brother. "They won't hurt him, Rocinante,"

"Ro…ci…nan…te?" Rocinante parroted his name.

"Your name is Rocinante," Doflamingo said.

"How…do…you…k…n…ow?" Rocinante questioned.

"Ne, ne, Doffy," Trebol approached the captain. "Looks like the dog and cat are on the deck now,"

"They're not attacking the kids," Diamante added.

"He probably thinks that Dellinger is like them," Pica noted.

"D…Do…Doff…y…" Rocinante gripped his head with his paws.

"Roci, what's wrong?" Doflamingo asked.

The wolf-human hybrid started to scream in pain, drawing the attention of everyone else. Law walked over to his adoptive father. "Mrow?" Rocinante collapsed, his breaths fast and shallow. Law nudged his father's shoulder but got no reaction. He grew worried and continued to shake him. "Mrow!"

Doflamingo picked his brother up. "I'll take him to the med bay,"

Law growled and bit at Doflamingo's pants leg. "Grr…"

"Law, your dad's going to be okay," Doflamingo assured him.

XXX

Rocinante was lying in the med bay, various medical instruments attached to him. He was having trouble breathing earlier so a tube was place down his throat. A heart monitor was also attached to him, the beeping echoing in the room. Doflamingo sat beside his brother's bed, Law sitting in his lap with an equally worried expression.

Doflamingo bit his lower lip. 'Rocinante…please be okay…'

Why was this happening?

His brother didn't deserve this!

So why…why was this happening to Rocinante?

Rocinante's eyes slowly opened. "Mrow!" Law jumped to Rocinante's side, hugging his father as best as he could.

Rocinante rose a paw and rubbed his son's back. He looked towards Doflamingo, his eyes showing fear and confusion.

"Get some rest for now," Doflamingo said, carefully removing the oxygen tube.

"Bro…th…er…"

"What?" Doflamingo asked, thinking that he had heard wrong.

"Y…ou…bro…th…er?" Rocinante rasped.

'He's starting to remember. That's good,' Realizing that he hadn't answer yet, Doflamingo nodded. "Yes. I'm your older brother, Donquixote Doflamingo. You're Donquixote Rocinante," He reached out to run a hand through his brother's hair to comfort him.

On instinct, Rocinante bared his teeth and growled. "St…ay…a…way…"

Seeing his father upset, Law also growled towards the pirate captain. "Mrow!"

"Rocinante," Doflamingo said quietly. "I won't hurt you or the kid. I'm your brother, remember?"

Doflamingo's voice reached Rocinante and he stopped growling, making a soft whimpering sound instead. "So…r...r…y"

"It's okay Roci," Doflamingo soothed, putting his hand to his brother's cheek. "It's not your fault. It's only natural after what you've been through,"

"Mrow!" Law's fangs latched onto Doflamingo's wrist. Rocinante made a sound similar to a parent scolding their child. Law let go of Doflamingo and made an apologetic mew before going back to Rocinante and his polar bear.

XXX

"Since it looks like you won't maul any of the crew unprovoked, you won't be staying in that cell anymore," Doflamingo opened the door. "This will be you and Law's bedroom now,"

Inside the room was a large bed, a set of drawers, a desk, a chair, and a closet. Law rushed into the room and tried to climb onto the bed, but was unable to reach. Rocinante picked Law up by the scruff of his neck gently with his teeth and placed him on the bed, climbing on top of it himself.

Doflamingo watched the scene, a small smile at his lips. This was another step towards the two's recovery.

That's the end of Hybrids! This actually took me two months to write. So what are your thoughts on it? I know it's not perfect but I've always wanted to try this idea. I was originally going to do it as a Detective Conan fanfiction with FBI Agent Shuichi Akai, but I decided to make it into a One Piece fanfiction instead.

Do you guys want a sequel?
It'll probably have flashbacks/nightmares of the experiments they went through. I won't make it too graphic because I want to keep it Rated T.