"The Intelligence Division?!" Robin wailed, her face aghast. "Admiral, I don't want to go there! It's famous for getting none of the glory and all of the blame!"
Diarmuid's face darkened. "What kind of talk is that? The Intelligence Division is the absolute core of the Marines. Do you know what wars are fought on?"
"Intelligence and economics," Robin said, rolling her eyes.
"Exactly. That's how important intelligence is. How can you say such things about the Intelligence Division?" Diarmuid scolded.
Robin seemed to have lost her fear of Diarmuid from the old days, and she grumbled reluctantly, "But the Intelligence Division is notorious for slow promotions, Admiral."
"Nonsense. I came up through the Intelligence Division myself, and didn't I become an Admiral?" Diarmuid lectured again.
"Someone like you is a once-in-a-century prodigy, Admiral. You can't use an exception to represent the norm!" Robin retorted.
"Your Gion-nee has your best interests at heart. The Intelligence Division is the best place to develop a big-picture perspective and produce leaders. Promotions might be slow, but after a few years of training there, you'll come out a truly excellent Marine officer. It's about accumulating experience. You already have a great talent for strategy, so go and hone your skills. Don't disappoint your Gion-nee's good intentions," Diarmuid said.
Robin was silent for a moment, then said, "Then please, Admiral, approve my request to visit Impel Down..."
The reason this young girl wanted to get promoted so quickly was so she could reach a high rank in the Marines and have a chance to get her mother out of Impel Down.
In recent years, she had visited many times and knew very well that her mother, Nico Olvia, was well-fed, well-rested, and had a private cell. She even got the latest newspapers immediately. The cell itself had a rich, academic atmosphere; it felt more like a study than a prison.
In fact, Olvia hadn't been abused in Impel Down; it felt like her knowledge had actually improved over the years.
Robin knew in her heart that this was all because the Admiral was taking care of her. How else could her mother have such special treatment?
Diarmuid glared at Robin. "You've been talking all this time, but really, you just wanted to visit Impel Down, didn't you?"
"That's part of it, but it was just a backup plan. My real goal is still to work on the frontline," Robin said, looking at him with an honest expression.
Diarmuid saw the determination in her eyes and finally sighed. "Fine, fine. Just go. Go on to Impel Down. I'll give you a week of leave to spend with Olvia. But after a week, you'll report to the Intelligence Division, or I'll break your legs and send your mom to the Calm Belt to mine for minerals!"
Robin wasn't scared by Diarmuid's irritable, threatening tone at all. Instead, she just laughed. "Got it, Admiral. Don't worry, I won't miss my report date."
"Hmph. One after another, none of you make it easy," Diarmuid grumbled, waving his hand to dismiss her.
Robin didn't waste any time. She gave a salute to Diarmuid with a smile, nodded to Hina and Jinbe behind her, and left the office.
After Robin left, Hina sighed wistfully. "The frontline, huh? It's so appealing..."
Diarmuid shot Hina a glare. "What's that? Are you thinking of quitting and going to the frontline yourself?"
Hina just chuckled. "I think about it sometimes. After all, it's been a few years since I've been on the frontlines..."
"There are countless people on the frontline who would envy being by my side," Diarmuid shot back. He didn't dwell on it for long. "So, what did that idiot Sakazuki say?"
"Admiral Sakazuki said if you don't approve the funding, he'll 'go down with the ship' and kill all the pirates captured in the New World," Hina said softly.
"He wouldn't dare!" Diarmuid roared.
Those weren't just pirates; if they were sent to the Calm Belt, they'd be worth a lot of money!
"He would, Admiral, he really would!" Hina quickly reminded him.
If it were Sengoku, he might say that, but Diarmuid wouldn't believe it. There's no way Sengoku would kill tens of thousands of pirate prisoners at once. But Sakazuki was different. Though his social skills had improved over the past few years, he was still a die-hard hawk. He had a strong desire to kill, and if he went crazy, he might actually follow through.
Diarmuid's expression was stormy for a long time. Then he asked, "And what else?"
This was the very reason his office was so close to Sakazuki's, yet he didn't want to talk to him face-to-face about these things. It wasn't about putting on airs; it was because he was afraid they'd start a fight if the conversation went sideways.
"He also said he's going to the Marine Club tonight for a drink and invited you to join him," Hina said with a smile.
Diarmuid's expression softened, but he still sounded annoyed. "That bastard has the nerve to ask me to drink with him..."
After a short pause, he added, "Go write up a document, cut Sakazuki's funding request in half, and then tell him that's all he gets. Take it or leave it. We can 'go down with the ship' if he wants. Am I afraid of him?"
Hina smiled. "Got it, Admiral."
Diarmuid nodded, then seemed to remember something else. "When you deliver the document, also tell him I'll be there tonight, and to be ready to go broke. I'm going to drink him under the table."
"Hehehe, I understand," Hina nodded again, then walked over to her own desk to begin writing the document. This was part of her daily routine—doing these odd jobs for Diarmuid.
Only then did Diarmuid turn to Jinbe, a gentle smile on his face. "Jinbe, what's on your mind?"
When Jinbe first met Diarmuid, he was very resistant to that "smile," always feeling like there was something off about him.
But by now, he knew better. This Admiral wasn't a weirdo. He had a close relationship with Admiral candidate Gion, and it was said he had other women outside of work. It was even rumored that his secretary, Hina, might have a secret history with him.
So Jinbe no longer avoided him. Diarmuid had always been very good to him and looked out for him. As a man of honor, Jinbe naturally couldn't badmouth his benefactor in his heart anymore.
At Diarmuid's question, Jinbe quickly said, "Admiral, I'd like to ask for leave to go back to Fish-Man Island."
"Oh?" Diarmuid was a little surprised, then smiled. "Of course. You've been here for a while and haven't gone back. It's time for a vacation. When you get back, please give my regards to King Neptune and Queen Otohime."
Jinbe was delighted that Diarmuid agreed without a second thought. "Thank you so much, Admiral."
"Don't mention it. You're a subordinate I value. The relationship between Fish-Man Island and the surface world, and our relationship with the Marines, depends on people like you. Keep up the good work, Jinbe," Diarmuid said, nodding and encouraging him with a smile.
"Yes, Admiral!" Jinbe said, standing at attention and saluting.
"Ah, by the way, bring some souvenirs back. And if you don't mind me asking, is something wrong on Fish-Man Island?" Diarmuid asked.
Jinbe shook his head. "Nothing's wrong on Fish-Man Island, Admiral. You might not know this, but I'm from Fish-Man District. Before I joined the Ryugu Kingdom, I was a gang leader. I have a big brother named Fisher Tiger. He's an adventurer, and I haven't seen him in years. The brothers on Fish-Man Island sent me a message today saying my big brother has returned. My heart is longing to see him, so I'm planning to go back."
Diarmuid's eyes lit up, as if he'd just realized something.
Fisher Tiger. He hadn't been seen for years, which meant he was likely captured and taken to Mariejois as a slave. Now, it seemed he had escaped?
This meant that soon enough, this man would cause a massive incident, climbing the Red Line with his bare hands, freeing the slaves, and setting Mariejois ablaze. This would be a monumental humiliation to the World Government, one they hadn't seen in centuries.
Afterward, he'd become a wanted man and form the Sun Pirates. But he wouldn't commit any evil deeds. On the contrary, he would devote himself to sending the slaves he freed in Mariejois back to their homelands.
There was no doubt that in terms of his actions and personal charisma, Tiger was a genuinely good person and a man of great resolve. As a Marine, Diarmuid deeply admired his act of burning Mariejois and freeing the slaves.
But unfortunately, also as a Marine, he would be obligated to hunt this man down.
Diarmuid recalled that the World Government was enraged by this and demanded that CP and the Marines capture Fisher Tiger as quickly as possible. The Marines had even recalled Borsalino from the New World to handle the matter.
And Borsalino ultimately succeeded in killing Tiger.
The relationship between the Marines and the World Government seemed to have eased somewhat because of this.
Not long after Tiger's death, Fleet Admiral Kong was promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the entire armed forces at Mariejois. Admiral Sengoku was also promoted to Fleet Admiral of the Marines. If Diarmuid hadn't been in the picture, the era of the Three Admirals would have been completed at that time.
Sakazuki, Kuzan, and Borsalino would all have been promoted to the new generation of Admirals after that.
All in all, though Fisher Tiger seemed unremarkable, his actions deeply influenced and changed the entire course of the world. He affected a series of promotions within the Marine high command. He affected the relationship between Fish-Man Island and the World Government. After his death, Jinbe took over the Sun Pirates and, as captain, accepted the World Government's invitation to become a Warlord of the Sea.
He influenced the Revolutionary Army, and many of the freed slaves joined the organization, with Koala becoming a top officer.
The Boa sisters were also supposed to have been rescued by him.
And the "Golden Emperor," Gild Tesoro, considered him a savior.
In short, Tiger may have only done one major thing in his life, but that one thing completely influenced the world's power structure for decades to come.
Though he thought of all this in an instant, Diarmuid didn't show anything on the surface. He simply nodded. "Alright. Go on. Go have a good meeting with your big brother."
"Thank you, Admiral," Jinbe said, nodding.
Soon, Jinbe left the office, his leave approved, and he was on his way to see his big brother on Fish-Man Island.
Diarmuid, meanwhile, picked up another document from the desk, this one from the Intelligence Division.
"Straw Hat Shanks..." Diarmuid murmured, flipping through a couple of pages.
That's right, not "Red-Haired" but "Straw Hat." This guy's hat never got delivered, and since Diarmuid had specifically asked for the Marines to refer to him as "Straw Hat" in the East Blue, the Marines had officially designated Shanks as 'Straw Hat.'
In recent years, he had been wandering the Four Blues and had recruited some skilled fighters, like Yasopp from the East Blue and Beckman from the North Blue.
During this time, he had also fought the World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, several times, gaining widespread fame.
Recently, he had returned to the East Blue, staying in Foosha Village, Garp's hometown. From there, he was carrying out piratical activities and adventures in the East Blue.
After reading a few pages, Diarmuid smiled and tossed the document aside, no longer concerned.
While Shanks was a pirate, he hadn't done anything truly evil unless you provoked him or crossed his line. He wasn't even bothering the Marines in the East Blue; he was just taking from other pirates.
Now that Luffy was being trained by Diarmuid in Marineford, there was no chance of a fateful encounter between them. Shanks could do whatever he wanted; Diarmuid didn't have the time to worry about him.
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