At the gates of Impel Down, Magellan watched Diarmuid with a look of lingering reluctance. "Admiral," he asked, "are you really done killing?"
Diarmuid's face twitched slightly. Is everyone in Impel Down a psychopath?
Meeting Magellan's earnest gaze, Diarmuid forced a smile and quickly replied, "No more, no more. Next time, definitely next time. I've done enough for today, and I didn't actually bring that many fruits with me anyway..."
"We have fruits here in Impel Down..." Magellan added helpfully.
Do I really look like I'm out of fruit? I have plenty on my ship!
This was the first time Diarmuid had attempted to strip multiple Devil Fruit powers in succession. He had to admit, while it looked easy, it was incredibly taxing physical labor.
He had gone on a killing spree on Level 6, then selected a group of seemingly powerful ability users from the prisoner logs and slaughtered another batch. As he progressed, the drain on his stamina from seizing their powers became increasingly difficult to withstand.
It felt more exhausting than fighting three hundred rounds against Whitebeard. Perhaps the fatigue was cumulative; thus, Diarmuid felt that this process had to be taken slowly. He couldn't rush it; he needed to pace himself.
Consequently, he decisively halted his plan and prepared to return to Marineford. Once back, he would discuss matters with the Fleet Admiral and rest for a couple of days. The Reverie was about to begin in Mariejois soon, and he had to go there to stir up some trouble. He didn't have time to spend his days "toiling away" with those bastards in Impel Down.
Magellan tried to persuade him a few more times, but seeing that Admiral Diarmuid truly had no intention of continuing, he felt a sense of regret. However, seeing the matter was settled, he stopped pushing and said seriously, "Rest assured, Admiral. Once I return, I will keep a close eye on them and wait for your next arrangement."
Relieved that Magellan had finally stopped, Diarmuid nodded. "Good."
Soon, Diarmuid and the others boarded the warships. This time, two ships set sail together, though Diarmuid, Garp, and the rest shared the same vessel for the return trip to Marineford.
On the deck, Vergo was directing men to carry two crates of Devil Fruits back into the cabin for safekeeping. These were items of priceless value. Some of these abilities, if leaked out, could create a formidable powerhouse within a few years. If they fell into the hands of someone like Issho, it would be fine, but if they ended up with villains, it would lead to an absolute catastrophe.
Fortunately, they were traveling directly from Impel Down through the Gates of Justice, riding the Tarai Current past Enies Lobby straight to Marineford. They wouldn't encounter any outside forces on the way. Furthermore, with heavyweights like Diarmuid and Garp on board, even transporting such dangerous abilities carried little risk.
Shifting his gaze from Vergo, Diarmuid looked toward Garp's side of the ship. Robin and her mother, Olvia, were at the railing enjoying the sea view. Having been imprisoned for so many years, Olvia hadn't seen the ocean in a long time; even though there wasn't much to see in these waters, she looked absolutely thrilled.
Garp, meanwhile, was still grumbling and lecturing Luffy.
As for Luffy... he looked truly miserable. His face was bruised and swollen, clearly the result of a "lesson" from Garp. Yet, looking at his defiant little eyes, it was obvious he remained unconvinced and hadn't taken the beating to heart.
Though he looked roughed up, Garp knew how to pull his punches; he hadn't truly been ruthless. Remembering how Luffy was often pummeled much worse by the ship's resident bully, Nami, in the original story, Diarmuid chose not to intervene.
"What ability did he end up picking?" Diarmuid asked as he walked over.
It was almost cruel, by the time Diarmuid had finished harvesting the Level 6 ability users and returned, Garp was still beating Luffy. It had gone on for over an hour. As an elder, Diarmuid hadn't the heart to let it continue. After talking Garp down, he had gathered some of the harvested Devil Fruits, compiled them into a list, and tossed it to Luffy, telling him to pick whichever one he liked.
In the logbook Magellan had provided, that idiot Luffy had stubbornly fixated on the Calm-Calm Fruit. Since Diarmuid couldn't exactly kill Rosinante to get it, he had simply given him a different list with a more limited range.
Garp had been too busy hitting the boy earlier to let him choose, so when Diarmuid asked, Luffy grabbed the pamphlet from Garp and ran off to the side to pick an ability.
Diarmuid then turned to Garp. "Garp, interested in an ability? I found one that's quite suitable for you."
Garp shook his head, but while he had no interest in becoming a "hammer" (a non-swimmer), he was curious about Diarmuid's "suitable" comment. "What ability?"
"Byrnndi World's More-More Fruit, the one from the 'World Destroyer.' It's incredibly powerful. Honestly, if I weren't already at my limit, I'd definitely take it for myself," Diarmuid said, clicking his tongue.
Byrnndi World was an old rival of Garp's. Hearing this, Garp nodded. "Setting everything else aside, that ability truly is powerful. You have a good eye..."
"Think about it. A hundred times the speed, a hundred times the strength, a hundred times the size... if you ate the More-More Fruit and developed it properly, I don't think even I could take you down," Diarmuid said seriously.
Garp looked intrigued at first. Imagining a hundredfold increase to his already formidable strength was like adding wings to a tiger. However, he had never eaten a Devil Fruit in his life. It wasn't that he hadn't encountered powerful ones; he simply had no desire to become a hammer or an ability user. Besides, he was in his sixties now, was there really a need to be so competitive? Being an ability user in his old age felt somewhat inappropriate.
Thus, Garp shook his head again. "Forget it. I really have no interest in Devil Fruits. Better to leave it for someone more useful in the future. How about Luffy?"
"Sure. If he wants it, give it to him," Diarmuid said nonchalantly.
Garp nodded, then added with a serious tone, "This Devil Fruit is extraordinary. No matter who gets it in the future, we must ensure their character and temperament are impeccable. Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous. Power can sometimes turn a person into something else entirely..."
Diarmuid nodded, offering no rebuttal. Garp was right. This touched upon the metaphysical question of whether you control the power or the power controls you. Much like how sudden wealth can make a person arrogant, gaining top-tier power overnight often leads to conceit and disdain for others. Without restraint or balance, this inflation of ego almost always twists a person's character. Ultimately, those who cannot control their power are controlled by it, drowning in their own vanity.
In the Marines, what Diarmuid had benefited from most was the constant adjustment of his mindset. Whether it was Zephyr, Sengoku, or Garp, Kuzan, Borsalino, and even Gion, they had all been mentors and friends along his journey.
In contrast, most powerful figures in the Pirate camp felt as though they acted solely on whim, without any moral compass. It was hard to say which was "better" in a world where might makes right, but Diarmuid was quite satisfied with his current state of mind.
From this perspective, Diarmuid suddenly felt the fruit was indeed very suitable for the brat. Although he often seemed like a moron, Luffy possessed a "pure heart" that few others had. His character and integrity were excellent. Even if he had ended up as a pirate and done reckless things, one had to admit he would have raised the moral standard of piracy.
Now that he was within the Marine camp, he was even less likely to become a scourge upon the world. Letting him have the More-More Fruit was fitting. No matter what, it was unlikely to lead to a great calamity.
The warship moved swiftly. Riding the Tarai Current, they reached Enies Lobby first. However, Diarmuid and the others didn't even disembark. Spandine stood at the port, waving somewhat helplessly as he saw them off.
Watching the two warships race back toward Marineford, Spandine began packing his things as well. He was a die-hard member of Stussy's faction. Now that the Queen had become the Director-General of the CP agencies, and Spandine had accumulated some merit in Alabasta (even if he failed to capture Princess Vivi, his contributions outweighed his faults), she intended to promote him into CP-0.
Before nightfall, Diarmuid and the others had already returned to the Marine Headquarters, Marineford. Just as they were about to disembark, Luffy ran over clutching the logbook, his face still swollen. "Diarmuid-jichan, is this More-More Fruit really that strong?"
Garp and Diarmuid's eyes lit up. Diarmuid nodded with a smile. "Mhm, very strong."
"If I eat it, can I beat you? Can I become the 'King of the Marines'?" Luffy asked again.
Garp was about to scold him again, but before he could speak, Diarmuid chuckled. "It's very possible. Luffy, this is a mighty ability. I support you eating it..."
Garp sighed, thinking, Diarmuid really is broad-minded...
But then, he felt something was off. Since when was Diarmuid so gentle and warm toward this brat? When things are abnormal, there's usually a catch.
Then, it clicked. Damn, no wonder this guy wanted me to eat the More-More Fruit...
With the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit that Diarmuid currently wielded, someone who wasn't an ability user was actually a bigger threat to him. Once you became an ability user, he could use the Dark-Dark Fruit's power combined with gravity to deal with you however he pleased!
If the current Garp faced Diarmuid, relying on his raw strength, he'd have a thirty to forty percent chance of winning. But if he had fallen for the trap and eaten the More-More Fruit, his chances against others would skyrocket, he could likely overwhelm even Whitebeard without a stalemate, but against Diarmuid? His thirty percent chance would drop to ten at most.
In theory, eating the More-More Fruit would definitely make one stronger, but against Diarmuid, it would become one's greatest weakness! In other words, if Luffy didn't eat it and stayed a non-ability user, he might one day have a chance to challenge Diarmuid. If he ate it now, he'd be doomed to be pummeled by Diarmuid forever...
However, even though Garp realized this, he didn't stop it. There was no need. They weren't enemies, so why constantly compare themselves to Diarmuid? That guy was a monster! A literal monster. Who else could eat two Devil Fruits?
Luffy certainly didn't think as far ahead as Garp. Seeing both Diarmuid and his old man supporting him, he truly felt this ability must be incredible.
A hundredfold...
Maybe he really could beat Diarmuid? Even if he couldn't, he should at least be able to compete with Ace, right?
Thinking of this, Luffy said excitedly, "Then I want to eat the More-More Fruit!"
"Hahahaha, good!" Diarmuid laughed, patting Luffy on the head.
Since it was late and they were exhausted from the journey, and because eating a Devil Fruit could have intense side effects, the Marines usually ensured someone was present to supervise. Given how powerful the More-More Fruit was, Diarmuid felt it was better to be cautious. He planned to arrange for Luffy to formally consume the fruit tomorrow.
Soon, the group walked off the warship and went their separate ways within Marineford.