He would always laugh and say,

"Remember when we used to play?"

Sometimes I'd find him outside without his glass mask on. It'd be on the railing of the ship we were taking to Sabaody. I would say to him, "What are you doing? Do you want to breathe this filthy air?" And he would take in a deep breath just to spite me. Cheeky bastard!

And when I got angry at him and yelled, he would laugh and say, "It's not as bad as you think, Doffy!"

I begged to differ. "I'd rather live with clean air in my lungs! You should, too." And then I'd chase him around the ship with his mask. We didn't give a damn about the other Tenryubito that we ran into or annoyed. They can all go to Hell for all I care! He was always so clumsy. I was chasing him and when he turned around to stick his tongue out at me, he tripped over... actually, I think he tripped over air. His robe didn't even have a shoe print on it.

I'd laugh at him, grabbing my stomach and pointing down at him. He always landed in that weird ass pose of his. It got even more hilarious when he got older, with those long ass legs of his. I'd call him a klutz and ask how could someone like him be a Tenryubito. But then he'd pout and get upset...

"Come on, Roci," I'd say then and help him up. "Even if you're a klutz, you're still my brother."

Now he's gone… and I don't know why…

Sometimes I think he's playing a game of hide and seek with me. We used to do that as kids… when we weren't living those horrible, horrible places. He was surprisingly good at it. You'd think he would trip or knock something over or something, but he would be as quiet as a mouse. I always wondered why.

I used to go through the ship, going through every room, even the ones I had forgotten about. I accidentally walking in on Baby 5 changing once. She tried to shoot my head off, but I just chuckled and closed the door before she could transform her arm into a pistol. She's gotten better at handling that Devil Fruit of hers.

I still never found that clumsy bastard...

And 'til this day, sometimes I cry…

That night was the first time in a long time I thought about him. The kingdom was on fire and mine, a perfect present for all my years of hard effort and planning. Who would've thought it would just take an hour or two to have this whole kingdom in the palm of my hand?

The executives and the rest of the Family had left, going through our new palatial home. I sat in my seat - my throne - and stared out at the bright red-orange fire that was Dressrosa.

I wished he was there with me...

I still do.

He didn't even say goodbye

He didn't take the time to lie…

I thought he would only be gone for a little while when he left with Law... I shouldn't have, though. He was the same man who disappeared for 14 years, after all. But at least he left a note this time.

A month passed... another and another, until six had gone by.

I didn't think the last time I'd see him would be with anger in my veins and hatred in his eyes...

With my eyes to the snowy ground and a smile on his dead face.

It wasn't for me, I knew...but I had the time to convince myself otherwise.