Diarmuid had dismissed Rayleigh from his mind, as there was no current need to provoke him. Therefore, he had no idea that Rayleigh was currently hiding on his ship, right under Kuzan's bed!
On Jinbe's unassuming ship, which was currently descending into the deep sea toward Fish-Man Island, Diarmuid was discussing business with the Warlord.
"That's more like it. This is how a Warlord of the Sea should behave. Stop focusing so much on fighting and instead use this status to guide Fish-Man Island towards a faster and better path," Diarmuid said with a smile, looking at a report in his hand.
Jinbe hadn't been a Warlord of the Sea for long, but ever since Fisher Tiger, the visible head of Fish-Man Island's toughs, fell, Jinbe became the most influential leader. Before this, he did have some rivals, such as a guy named Arlong, whom Jinbe had already sent to the Ryugu Kingdom's prison. Also, Hody Jones, who sought to undermine, and possibly assassinate, Queen Otohime's plans, was dealt with by Jinbe at Diarmuid's suggestion.
Consequently, there was temporarily no one on Fish-Man Island who could challenge Jinbe.
Now, wearing the Warlord of the Sea coat, he had a good relationship with the Ryugu Kingdom's royal family, King Neptune and Queen Otohime, while also holding the reins to the Marines' side as a secret Marine Rear Admiral—he essentially had ties to the light, the dark, and everything in between.
With this background, Jinbe followed Diarmuid's instructions, cooperating with the Amway Group to aggressively develop deep-sea trade. They had already established a strong presence.
"This is just the beginning. Once things fully get on track later, the speed of making money will only increase," Jinbe said with a faint smile. He was starting to develop a business mind. For example, he clearly understood that the business he currently controlled was unique in the world; he essentially maintained a monopoly. After all, there was only one Fish-Man Island capable of conveniently transporting deep-sea resources to the surface. In other words, the entire surface world was his market!
Over the next few years, his venture would only grow larger, and the money he earned would only increase. All of this would serve as a vital lifeline for both the Marines and Fish-Man Island.
Jinbe ultimately wanted what was best for Fish-Man Island. Now that he had entered the Warlord of the Sea ranks, he was closer to Diarmuid's inner circle, allowing him to learn many secrets that he hadn't known before. Since he had to take over certain business affairs, the secrets couldn't be kept from him, and Diarmuid had no intention of hiding them.
Therefore, Jinbe vaguely knew that when the Marines developed to a certain extent, they would inevitably have to cut ties with Mariejois. That would be the opportunity! He, Queen Otohime, and even King Neptune were all betting that Diarmuid's Marines would win. Once Diarmuid led the Marines to break away from Mariejois and still stood firm, perhaps even dominating Mariejois, there was no doubt that Fish-Man Island would also reap massive rewards and enter a new era. At that point, Queen Otohime's dream of leading Fish-Man Island to the surface would no longer be a fleeting hope but a future that could be truly realized!
"I'm counting on you, Jinbe," Diarmuid said, patting his shoulder.
After they chatted for a while, Jinbe hesitantly asked, "Admiral, are you going to the New World this time to... to move against the pirates there?"
"Yes, something like that," Diarmuid nodded, then looked at Jinbe. "Why?"
"Is it the Whitebeard Pirates?" Jinbe asked with a hint of concern. He had a degree of friendship with the Whitebeard Pirates, and though the relationship had faded over the years, Fish-Man Island did owe Whitebeard a debt.
Diarmuid naturally knew about this and smiled. "Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you. To be honest, this time we're going to side with Whitebeard. Our main goal is to deal with Charlotte Linlin and Kaido..."
Jinbe sighed in relief and smiled.
However, Diarmuid's expression quickly turned serious, making Jinbe feel anxious.
"Admiral...?" Jinbe looked at Diarmuid, somewhat uneasy.
"Jinbe, there are some things I still want to make clear to you. Although you wear the cloak of a Warlord of the Sea, you must understand that you are fundamentally a Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral. Do you remember what I told you then?" Diarmuid said solemnly.
Jinbe nodded and replied, "I remember. My heart and actions are clear and unsullied. Everything I do is for the sake of Justice."
"Exactly. It's good that you remember. You need to know that we are the Marines; we are Justice. No matter what relationship you have with that Whitebeard guy, he is still a pirate. We may not plan to do anything to him this time, but what about the future? Sooner or later, we will deal with him. What will you do then? Since ancient times, Marines and pirates, good and evil, have always been irreconcilable," Diarmuid said with earnest sincerity.
Jinbe fell into a momentary daze. He was a capable and powerful man, but no one is perfect, and he certainly had his flaws. For example, he was overly bound by honor and righteousness.
If it weren't for those feelings of honor, Diarmuid wouldn't have needed to make arrangements for Fisher Tiger's legacy; he would have simply had Borsalino deal with him.
Now, Jinbe owed Whitebeard a favor, and this sense of honor and righteousness had naturally become a stumbling block.
To avoid problems in the future, Diarmuid had to discuss these matters openly. He could make arrangements for Fisher Tiger because, however great the man might have been, even if he burned Mariejois, he was still a small figure. But what about Whitebeard? Was Edward Newgate someone Diarmuid could simply "arrange" a future for? Even if he could, would Newgate, with his pride, accept such things? Impossible. Eventually, they would meet on a narrow road, and it would be a life-or-death struggle.
Of course, Jinbe's sense of honor was a weakness, but it was also a strength for Diarmuid, depending on how he used it. So far, it had been working smoothly for him.
"What should I do..." Jinbe looked to Diarmuid for guidance.
"While you still have room and time, use the next two years to repay all your debts to Newgate. That man is not one to hold favors over someone's head. If you go to repay him, he will certainly accept, and when the time comes, he will also understand," Diarmuid said softly.
Jinbe was silent for a while, then nodded. "I understand, Admiral."
Diarmuid was reassured by his lack of refusal. As for how Jinbe would repay Newgate or what he would give him, Diarmuid didn't intend to ask or know.
The half-day journey passed quickly. Diarmuid continued to chat with Jinbe, resolving his doubts and strengthening their bond.
Soon, the half-day was over. Technically, this was Diarmuid's second time visiting Fish-Man Island. He rarely came when there wasn't a good reason. Last time, he stopped at the Coral Hill and went directly to the Ryugu Palace.
This time, Diarmuid had no intention of stopping at Fish-Man Island.
Rayleigh, seizing the moment when Kuzan was called out, climbed out from under the bed. He looked out the cabin window at the ship's coating and saw Fish-Man Island right before his eyes. He breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless, he had arrived at Fish-Man Island.
There was no need to go to the New World. Since Diarmuid and his group weren't targeting the Sabaody Archipelago, he didn't need to flee. He just needed to find an opportunity to disembark here, return to Sabaody, and continue being a ship coater—that was all he needed!
"Coral Hill... a nice spot. Should I hang around here for a couple of days before leaving?" Rayleigh thought to himself, feeling the cash Shakky had slipped him before he left.
However, before his pleasant fantasy could solidify, he suddenly noticed the ship changing course. The Coral Hill port was getting farther and farther away.
Rayleigh: ???
By the time he realized what was happening, the ship had entered the Sea Forest!
In an instant, Rayleigh realized something!
"This ship isn't even stopping at Fish-Man Island!?" Rayleigh panicked inwardly.
Sure enough, as he watched, the Sea Forest also grew distant, and the ship quickly passed through Fish-Man Island's massive bubble, re-entering the deep sea. Geographically speaking, they had already entered the New World with that turnaround.
While Rayleigh was stunned, voices came from the hallway outside the door again. Rayleigh didn't dare delay and quickly turned around and hid back under the bed.
Soon after, Kuzan pushed the door open and entered. Diarmuid seemed to be with him.
"So we didn't need to stop at Fish-Man Island at all. We'll visit the Ryugu Palace next time. For now, let's head to the New World and get down to business. Save time where we can," Diarmuid walked in, sat on the sofa, and said with a laugh.
Kuzan replied with a touch of helplessness, "Then why did you wake me up? I was sound asleep..."
"Just letting you know, so you don't wake up and find yourself already in the New World," Diarmuid laughed.
Without any stops in between, the entire process—from the Sabaody Archipelago, through Fish-Man Island, and into the New World—was extremely fast.
Within one day, the small ship that had been anchored at the Sabaody Archipelago port had broken through the surface of the sea. With a pop, the coating shattered, and they officially entered the New World.
And Rayleigh, still hidden under Kuzan's bed, was completely numb inside...
At the pre-arranged rendezvous point on the sea, Diarmuid saw an armed merchant ship flying the Amway Group flag. Clearly, this was the ship Smoker's side had sent to meet them.
The original plan was for Diarmuid to say goodbye to Jinbe here, board the Amway Group's ship, and meet Smoker. However, the plan had changed slightly. Jinbe intended to repay his debt to Whitebeard, and this was a perfect time since Newgate was about to go to war, and Jinbe joining the fight would count as repayment.
Therefore, Jinbe also decided to follow and observe the situation. In that case, Diarmuid and the others were too lazy to switch ships. They would simply have the Amway Group ship lead the way while they followed behind.
It was actually a better disguise this way. Many people now knew that the two Warlords of the Sea, Jinbe and Smoker, were doing business together. Seeing the two ships together wouldn't raise any suspicion.
The only unfortunate soul was Rayleigh.
He had thought that once the ship reached Fish-Man Island, he could sneak off, enjoy himself for a bit, and then return to the Sabaody Archipelago to continue being a coater. Instead, the ship went straight into the New World.
Fine, I was thinking about coming to the New World anyway, Rayleigh consoled himself with similar thoughts, waiting for Diarmuid's ship to stop so he could find a chance to disembark.
But instead, they had no intention of landing on an island to rest. After a hasty meeting at sea, they quickly advanced deeper into the New World... Rayleigh simply couldn't find an opportunity to get off the ship!
He was inexplicably dragged deep into the New World...
Every time he thought about it, Rayleigh, under the bed, felt tears stream down his face. He decided that once he got back, he would write an autobiography about the experience. He would call it: Rayleigh's Fantastic Voyage!