Diarmuid had only recently left the Fleet Admiral's office. Having finally returned to his own office after a long absence, he found it remarkably free of dust; it seemed someone had been cleaning it regularly.
The place was quiet. Hina and the others weren't around, having gone back to rest.
Diarmuid brewed himself a cup of tea and reached out to Gion. He wanted to let her know he was back at Marine Headquarters and, more importantly, warn her about the potential threat of Edward Weevil. Even though he wasn't overly worried, he felt it was better to be safe than to see a repeat of the tragedy that befell Zephyr Sensei.
As he sipped his tea, Diarmuid rubbed his nose. A faint, poorly cleaned bloodstain lingered there from a punch he'd taken not long ago. The thought made him scowl; that old man Sengoku was truly something else.
They had agreed to test the powers of the Dark-Dark Fruit, but the moment Diarmuid used his ability to nullify the old man's powers, Sengoku had lost his temper. The clash ended with Diarmuid landing a punch on Sengoku's eye and the Fleet Admiral delivering a palm strike to Diarmuid's nose. One ended up with a black eye, the other with a bloody nose. If Chief of Staff Tsuru hadn't intervened when she did, they probably would have ended up truly disfigured.
While Diarmuid was lost in these idle thoughts, the Den Den Mushi on his desk connected, and Gion's voice came through.
"Hello? Diarmuid?" Gion asked with a cheerful tone.
It had been a while since he'd heard her voice. Diarmuid smiled and asked, "How are things? I heard you're out with Zephyr-sensei?"
"Yes, we're in the New World. We ran into a bit of trouble just now, but it's been dealt with. From the sound of it, are you back at Headquarters?" Gion asked curiously.
Diarmuid didn't give the "trouble" much thought. In his mind, if Gion and Zephyr actually encountered Weevil, it would qualify as a "major problem" requiring a massive battle. He never expected that Gion would completely ignore the typical script and go straight for Weevil's mother. By pure chance, she had instantly reduced Weevil's threat level by several notches before cutting him down with ease.
Thus, Diarmuid assumed they hadn't run into Weevil yet and likely wouldn't.
"Yeah, just got back," Diarmuid said casually.
The two began to chat, covering topics like the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, his experiences in Arabasta, and some lighthearted gossip about Fleet Admiral Sengoku, mostly calling him petty. This drew a lovely laugh from Gion, who playfully scolded Diarmuid for being so calculative with the Fleet Admiral.
Eventually, the conversation turned back to the Dark-Dark Fruit.
Diarmuid remembered his warning: "By the way, I heard there's a newcomer in the New World claiming to be Whitebeard's biological son. Goes by 'Whitebeard Jr.'... Edward Weevil? Keep an eye out for him during your training."
"Ah... about that..." Gion hesitated.
Diarmuid's brow furrowed. Had something already gone wrong? "What is it? Is there any danger?" he asked seriously.
There was a brief silence on the other end before Gion spoke. "It wasn't exactly dangerous. But the person you mentioned... we just ran into him. Literally minutes before you called."
"..."
Diarmuid blinked. "And? Did your presence scare him off? Is Zephyr-sensei alright?"
"I'm perfectly fine! What's that supposed to mean? You think I'd lose to a brat like that?" Zephyr's booming voice echoed through the Den Den Mushi. Clearly, he and Gion were listening together.
Relieved that his teacher was unharmed, Diarmuid laughed. "Of course not! I was just worried you'd show off too much and kill him. His ability seemed decent; with the Dark-Dark Fruit, I could have stripped it—"
"Ahem..." Gion cleared her throat, sounding a bit embarrassed.
Interrupted, Diarmuid asked, "What's wrong? Sore throat?"
"No, it's just... about Weevil... you should have said something sooner," Gion said sheepishly.
Zephyr, however, didn't hold back. He spoke directly into the receiver: "Don't be shy about it. Diarmuid, forget about that kid's ability. You're too late. Gion already cut him down."
Diarmuid: "???"
Cut him down?
Is Weevil that weak? Or did I overestimate him?
Or was Borsalino taking a bribe to hype him up?
On second thought, it was probably karma. Diarmuid didn't feel particularly bad for Weevil. Being "simple-minded" wasn't an excuse for atrocities; having a mental disability doesn't give someone a license to commit evil. If he was dead, so be it.
The news didn't rattle Diarmuid much. He composed himself and said, "So Gion already took care of him? Fine then. A single ability isn't worth losing sleep over; Impel Down is full of them. I'll work out a plan with the Fleet Admiral and start making arrangements."
After a bit more small talk, Diarmuid hung up.
Taking another sip of tea, he murmured to himself, "It seems Gion has grown significantly stronger..."
Calculating the timeline, the current generation of Marines, including Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan, were all truly entering their prime. Even Diarmuid himself, with the Dark-Dark Fruit in hand, had officially stepped into his peak state. This was the natural progression: decades of training, talent, hard work, and luck culminating in reaching one's zenith around the age of forty or fifty.
The way the "Worst Generation," including the Straw Hat Pirates, would constantly "power up" mid-battle in the original story was clearly the anomaly!
Before he could finish his musings, the Den Den Mushi rang again. It was Smoker.
Diarmuid stroked his chin and answered, "Hello? To what do I owe the honor of a call from a Yonko?"
There was a moment of silence before Smoker's slightly aggrieved voice came through. "Admiral... is that really necessary?"
"Hahaha, I just couldn't resist. Alright, I'm done," Diarmuid laughed.
Smoker didn't take it to heart. "Admiral, the Gold City is ready. Do you want to come see? Two of your friends have been looking forward to it, constantly asking when you'll arrive."
Diarmuid: "???"
Friends? What friends?
"Who?" Diarmuid asked.
Smoker hesitated. "One is named Issho, the other is Sphinx... Admiral, you do know them, right?"
Those two had shown up at his doorstep claiming Diarmuid had sent them to join the Gold City project. Smoker could tell they were heavy hitters, especially the one named Issho. Since they had invoked Diarmuid's name, he assumed they were in the loop. It would have been a very easy lie to expose, so Smoker had simply trusted them and hadn't called to verify, until now.
Wait, does the Admiral not know them? Was I played by the simplest scam in the book?
Hearing the names Issho and Sphinx, Diarmuid finally remembered. "Ah, them! Yes, yes. Too much has been happening lately, I almost forgot about those two."
As for why they were asking about him, Diarmuid suspected it was mostly Sphinx. The reason? Probably because he was in a hurry to visit Shiki's grave.
Smoker breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't been tricked.
"When is the Gold City opening?" Diarmuid asked.
"Everything is ready; we're just waiting for an auspicious date. Will you be attending, Admiral?"
"Yes. Once it's settled, send an invitation. I'll attend on behalf of Marine Headquarters," Diarmuid replied.
He didn't have much on his plate lately, and he had already promised Stussy he'd go with her if he had the time. He wasn't about to break his word.
Smoker's call was mainly a status report. Before hanging up, Diarmuid instructed Smoker not to be petty. Invitations should be sent to the likes of Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom. They shouldn't let the previous war make things too awkward; this was, after all, a neutral zone.
Smoker agreed easily. He wasn't planning on being petty anyway. He was even considering sending an invitation to the Revolutionary Army. Whether they showed up or not wasn't his concern.
After hanging up with Smoker, Diarmuid dialed Stussy. He sighed to himself. The moment I get back to Marineford, it's just one thing after another. He hadn't even been back for an afternoon and he was already juggling calls. Traveling was definitely more relaxing.
The world is huge; one really should see it all...
Thinking about the scale of the world, Diarmuid realized something. Ever since he ate the Dark-Dark Fruit and reached his true peak, his perception of the world had become... clearer. It was a metaphysical sensation, as if he were catching glimpses of a deeper "truth" or "reality." He couldn't quite put it into words, but since it didn't seem to have any negative effects, he didn't dwell on it.
Just then, the lazy, sultry voice of the Queen answered the phone.
"Admiral Diarmuid? To think a big shot like you has time to contact me," Stussy said languidly.
Diarmuid sensed a hint of a grudge in her tone. "Ahem. I was thinking of taking you out for some fun. Would the Queen be interested?"
Her voice brightened instantly. "Really?"
But she caught herself almost immediately, her tone shifting back to playful skepticism. "Since when are you so kind?"
"Hahaha, didn't we agree to visit the Gold City together? So, are you in?" Diarmuid got straight to the point.
Stussy huffed. "I knew it. It's just because you're heading there anyway, isn't it? You're terrible..."
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