Smoker hadn't arrived, and Diarmuid didn't have any pressing matters to discuss with Stussy. He simply sat there, leisurely sipping tea. Meanwhile, the Queen pulled Hina aside, and the two of them chatted away, their laughter occasionally echoing through the courtyard.
From the Queen's perspective, Hina wasn't her rival—at least, not yet. Her only true competition was Gion. Stussy was well aware that Gion held a position in Diarmuid's heart that was no less significant than her own. After all, she knew that when Diarmuid first arrived in Marineford from the North Blue, he met Gion almost immediately and trained alongside her under Admiral Zephyr.
Since then, Gion had become a key member of Diarmuid's inner circle. Now, anyone with even a slight understanding of Marineford's political landscape knows that Gion is absolutely loyal to Diarmuid. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been appointed Commander of the G-7 base.
Beyond her loyalty, Gion is incredibly strong. As a user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and a Great Swordsman, her talent is exceptional. She's almost certain to become even more powerful in the future, at the very least securing a spot as an Admiral candidate at Marine Headquarters.
Gion is without flaw, excelling in both her loyalty and her strength.
And that's not all. There are others in Marineford with similar standing to Gion. Everyone knows that Diarmuid's subordinate Doberman is his loyal dog, and he's destined to inherit the G-7 base commander position one day. Similarly, Diarmuid's former roommates, Momonga and Yamakaji, also have very close relationships with the Admiral and are part of his direct lineage. Their importance just hasn't fully emerged yet.
But the key difference is that all of those people are men. Gion is the only woman, and she genuinely ended up with Diarmuid. Stussy was incredibly jealous when Gion and Diarmuid went on a trip together a while back. She knows that Diarmuid isn't someone who can be easily swayed by women. It took a long time for even her to truly get close to him.
With Diarmuid's status and authority, it would be easy for him to have a different woman every night, but he rarely has any romantic scandals. Based on Stussy's observations, besides her, only Gion and Hina can be considered part of his "direct lineage." Of the two, only Gion is a true rival; Hina is no competition at all. She's simply a young secretary who follows Diarmuid around, and while something might happen in the future, there's nothing now.
Because Stussy doesn't have a Marine identity, she can't approach Diarmuid with an excuse like Gion can. This is why Stussy focuses on the details, like this courtyard she specially created. And for this reason, she hopes to bring Hina over to her side.
This is the scene playing out right now. In fact, it's not just Stussy who thinks this way; Gion, who appears to be doing nothing, is also thinking the same thing. How could Gion not see Hina's little crush? Yet she still treats Hina like a close friend and confidante. She does this to win Hina over so they can team up against the troublesome vixen, Stussy.
Diarmuid is oblivious to all of this and hasn't given it any thought. It's not a major issue, and even if he knew, he probably wouldn't bother to intervene. The only one caught in the middle is the little lamb, Hina. She is usually so sharp, handling everything Diarmuid gives her with perfect order. Her competence is why Diarmuid keeps her as his secretary and entrusts her with many important tasks; after all, Hina was a "valedictorian" at the Marine Academy.
But when it comes to matters of the heart, she's not so clever. Stuck between Gion and Stussy, she truly believes both of them are "good people" and her close friends. She's incredibly naive!
"Diarmuid is so absent-minded, he must be losing things all the time. It must be so tough for you to keep up with him, Hina," Stussy said with a smile.
Hina picked up a fallen leaf, tossed it into a nearby pot, and nodded. "Exactly! The Admiral is always misplacing documents. I have to make new copies, and then a few days later, he finds the original in some corner. He just has a habit of putting things everywhere."
Before this, Hina had little contact with Stussy. She held a negative impression of her, a natural response for a Marine toward a high-ranking member of a CP agency. Plus, being close with Gion meant she would occasionally hear Gion talk about Stussy's "dark history." So, before meeting Stussy this time, Hina thought of her as nothing more than a temptress who had seduced her Admiral.
But now, after meeting her, she realized that wasn't the case at all. Stussy-nee is a wonderful person! Despite her high position, she is kind, understanding, and always knows what to say. It was all a misunderstanding before. You can't judge someone without meeting them; seeing is believing. On second thought, maybe Gion-neechan and Stussy-nee don't know each other well either. Gion-neechan's bad impression of Stussy must have been from being misled by others. When I go back, I'll have to explain this to her.
Oh boy. If she goes back and says this to Gion, Gion might just die from anger.
Diarmuid arrived on the island in the afternoon, but Stussy paid him no mind, spending the entire afternoon pulling Hina along and getting things done. Hina didn't seem tired at all and was happily working. Their relationship progressed by leaps and bounds. When dusk fell, Queen Stussy personally cooked a meal to treat the two of them.
"When is that guy Smoker arriving?" Diarmuid asked while eating.
Stussy looked at Diarmuid with a smile. Noticing his wine glass was half-empty, she refilled it for him, then said, "He should be here within three to five days."
Hina glanced over, a little conflicted. My relationship with Stussy-nee is pretty good now, but she also likes the Admiral. What am I supposed to do?
Diarmuid didn't notice Hina's change. Instead, he asked, "I don't know much about the New World. What's Smoker's reputation like from your point of view?"
Stussy took a bite of rice, thought for a moment, and said, "His reputation isn't great, at least among pirates. He's called a 'World Government dog.' But in terms of strength, he's quite good. As a Logia Devil Fruit user and a Marine Academy graduate, his foundation is solid. In recent years, he's had non-stop combat experience and improved rapidly. He's just too young; he hasn't been able to fully convert his potential into strength yet. So, even though he's a Warlord of the Sea, the gap between him and the top pirates in the New World is not small. However, his title as a Warlord also keeps most pirates from seeking trouble with him. He's currently the only Warlord, and nobody knows what that title represents. What if the World Government gets angry if someone provokes him? In any case, he has managed to hold his ground in the New World."
"Is that so?" Diarmuid nodded.
Queen Stussy's explanation was very comprehensive and detailed, covering many aspects that the Marines couldn't see. Overall, Smoker seemed to be in good shape.
"So, do you think my idea is feasible?" Diarmuid asked.
Stussy paused for a moment, then nodded. "From a business perspective, it's completely absurd. A Warlord, a Marine, and a CP agent like me, using Smoker's name to form a trading organization or guild? It's ridiculous. Which of us is a legitimate merchant?"
Diarmuid laughed heartily. She was right; none of them were legitimate merchants.
But Stussy soon continued with a smile, "From a practical standpoint, this absurd idea is actually highly feasible. Because we are a trinity. Smoker is a Marine, I am your person, and our three parties separately command a certain amount of authority in the Marines, the pirates, the CP, and the underworld. If we can combine our strengths, using the existing calm belt resources as a foundation, I see no possibility of failure."
"That's my judgment of the situation as well," Diarmuid said. He slightly smirked at the mention of "business talent" and then said in a low voice, "Only strength and authority can be the foundation for these things. So-called business talent is insignificant in front of them."
"Exactly," Stussy nodded.
After a slight pause, Stussy asked, "Have you discussed all this with Smoker yet?"
Diarmuid's expression turned a little awkward as he shook his head. "Not yet. How should I put it... there's a bit of a misunderstanding between him and our teacher, Zephyr. There's a 'three-year agreement' thing going on. When I came this time, I didn't feel comfortable telling him directly. I just told him I had something important to discuss and asked him to come here to meet me."
Smoker is a hothead with a bit of a temper, and he's been in the pirate world for over two years. He's probably become even more difficult. That's why Diarmuid didn't reveal too much on the Den Den Mushi. If this "business plan" gets started, Smoker isn't stupid. He'll realize it's not a matter of just returning to Marineford in three years. At that point, he'll definitely resist.
If Diarmuid talks to him face-to-face, he can reason with him properly. But what if he gets angry on the Den Den Mushi and just hangs up? Diarmuid couldn't just tell him to be a pirate forever and never come back. After all, he was the one who personally got him into this mess, and Diarmuid wouldn't go that far.
Although Stussy was curious about the "three-year agreement," she didn't press for details when she saw that Diarmuid didn't want to talk about it.
Soon, the three of them finished dinner, cleaned up, and chatted for a long time in the courtyard. When it got completely dark, they each returned to their rooms to rest. The room Stussy arranged for Diarmuid was basically the same as his in Marineford, so he had no trouble settling in.
Just as Diarmuid was finishing up his wash-up and getting ready to lie down, his door, which he had locked from the inside, was opened from the outside with a key.
Hearing the noise, Diarmuid continued to shave in the bathroom and said, "Can't you be a little more reserved? Sneaking in at night isn't what good girls do..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Stussy's head popped out from behind the bathroom door. A smile on her face, she raised an eyebrow and winked at him. "Oh, I never said I was a good girl..."
Diarmuid rinsed his chin, checked his clean-shaven face in the mirror, and then looked at Queen Stussy. "Is that so? Then I'll have to punish you properly, you bad woman..."
"Come on, punish me!" Stussy giggled.
———————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over here ——— pa-tre-on.c-om/AlexandrusTL [remove the hyphen for normal access]