Back in his office, Diarmuid sat down to write a document for the first time in a while.
The content essentially covered the conversation he'd had with Donquixote Doflamingo back in the Gold City. Diarmuid felt that simply relaying it verbally might be too shocking for Sengoku to process; a written report was better.
It took him most of the morning to finish. Once done, he left his office and headed toward the Fleet Admiral's quarters. Just as he reached the door, he saw Sakazuki walking out.
"Finished with your business?" Diarmuid asked casually.
"Mhm. Or rather, the real work is just beginning," Sakazuki replied with a grim smile.
Diarmuid didn't ask what he had discussed with the Fleet Admiral. It was likely about the New World. The trio of Whitebeard, Big Mom, and the Beast Pirates were almost certainly going to join forces and cause trouble.
As the Admiral in charge of Marine operations in the New World, Diarmuid didn't believe for a second that Sakazuki was in the dark. For now, this wasn't Diarmuid's problem to solve, nor was he particularly interested.
In the early stages of a joint operation, Sakazuki would be the one to handle it; that was his duty as the Admiral overseeing that theater. Only when those three pirate crews officially formed an alliance and launched a massive offensive, one that Sakazuki couldn't handle alone, would the Fleet Admiral step in to coordinate the big picture.
At that point, Diarmuid and Borsalino, the two Admirals managing other sectors, would officially enter the fray. It wouldn't just be them, either; if a full-scale war broke out, Marine Headquarters would mobilize. A massive fleet, numerous Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals, and countless commissioned officers would be called to join the fight.
Of course, that was all theoretical. It depended on how well those three crews could actually cooperate and how much pressure they could put on Sakazuki and the New World Marine forces. If they started infighting and disbanded on their own, Diarmuid and the others wouldn't need to step in at all.
"Then I wish you good fortune in war," Diarmuid said with a chuckle.
Sakazuki knew full well that Diarmuid had deep roots in the New World. He managed the contacts with the Pleasure District, Smoker, G-5, and other factions. There was no way Diarmuid was unaware of the shifting tides in the New World. Thus, that wish of "good fortune" was a clear acknowledgment that war was brewing.
"Mhm," Sakazuki responded, before adding, "The Fleet Admiral's intention is for me to find a way to stall and suppress the situation until after the Reverie is over."
Diarmuid nodded, offering no further comment. Sakazuki did the same; he only shared that last bit because of their good relationship, just to keep Diarmuid in the loop.
Sakazuki left shortly after. He intended to pack his things and head straight back to the New World. Diarmuid didn't linger either and pushed open the door to the Fleet Admiral's office.
Sengoku had just placed a document at the corner of his desk, seemingly finishing up a task. Hearing the door, he looked up and saw it was Diarmuid. He immediately grumbled, "Could you please stop degenerating into a slacker like that bastard Garp?"
Diarmuid blinked, then a grin spread across his face. He calmly backed out of the office, closed the door, knocked, and then poked his head back in. "Pardon me, my lord, may I enter?"
Sengoku looked at him, utterly dumbfounded. Are you some kind of drama queen?
Earlier, Sakazuki had simply met Diarmuid at the door, so Diarmuid had just walked in with the momentum. Sengoku's comment was just a casual joke, and Diarmuid had simply rolled with it.
The two of them burst into laughter simultaneously.
"You really are something... You're a grown man, yet you still play these flashy games," Sengoku said, his tone amused.
"Everyone knows I'm pushing forty, yet you keep calling me 'kid.' If I'm a kid, shouldn't I do 'kid' things?" Diarmuid said cheekily as he walked over to Sengoku's desk.
He glanced at a picture frame on the desk. It was a group photo taken just before Commander-in-Chief Kong left Marineford; Diarmuid was right there in the shot.
Sengoku followed Diarmuid's gaze to the photo and spoke with a touch of nostalgia. "How the years fly... I still vaguely remember when you first arrived at Headquarters. You weren't even twenty..."
"Technically, I was just about to turn nineteen," Diarmuid corrected with a smile.
This was the year 1516 of the Sea Calendar. In 1496, he had followed Sengoku and Zephyr from the North Blue to Marineford. This year marked exactly his twentieth year in the Marines. Diarmuid had transformed from a nineteen-year-old youth into a thirty-nine-year-old Marine Admiral.
"Hahaha..." Sengoku laughed, but he didn't spend too much time reminiscing about the "glory days." Instead, he asked, "You said earlier you needed me to clear some time for a meeting. What is this about?"
"I thought you'd be busy as hell, but I guess not? If I'd known, I wouldn't have bothered with the heads-up," Diarmuid replied, handing the document to Sengoku. "It's about Mariejois, and some secrets of the Celestial Dragons that Doflamingo shared with me in the Gold City. I think you need to be mentally prepared for this. Furthermore, this is our best justification and excuse for severing ties with Mariejois. It allows us to hold the moral high ground while winning over certain members of the affiliated nations."
That sentence contained a massive amount of weight. Sengoku paused, his expression turning solemn as he took the file. "That sounds incredibly important. Sit down; let me take a look."
Diarmuid nodded but didn't sit. Instead, he walked to the window, opened it, and lit a cigar. As he exhaled a plume of smoke, his eyes drifted over Marineford.
Twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye. He had almost forgotten the first nineteen years of his life in the North Blue. Now, he was a powerhouse in the Marines, effectively the successor to the position of Fleet Admiral. Although Sengoku had never said it outright, it was clear from his actions and the respect Diarmuid commanded among the other officers.
Thirty years ago, not long after he arrived in this world, he had lived like a stray dog in the North Blue—starving, half-clothed, and constantly at risk of dying in this beautiful yet cruel world. Back then, he had no moral compass. Why would a man who could barely survive care about ethics?
Thinking back, he had considered becoming a villain, a pirate, or any number of things. He had even tried, but setting out to sea wasn't as simple as he'd imagined. He had no experience, no capital, and not even a fishing boat. Most importantly, he had no strength. He couldn't form his own crew, and joining someone else's meant being cannon fodder that could die at any moment in the chaos.
At that time, the only path available to a "stray dog" like him was that of cannon fodder. Ultimately, realizing this, Diarmuid decided to join the Marines. Being cannon fodder for villains meant having no rights, but being cannon fodder for the Marines offered at least some level of security. If you have to be expendable, the choice is obvious.
From there, he climbed the ranks in the North Blue to Captain, caught the eyes of Zephyr and Sengoku, and made it to Marineford. His luck had been truly remarkable; despite the bumps along the way, he had reached the rank of Admiral. Now, he possessed both strength and immense authority. Within his sight were thousands of warships and tens of thousands of Marines, and far more beyond his vision, all part of the power he now wielded.
Looking back, he felt as though he were standing at the pinnacle of the world, wanting for nothing. But then, he thought of Mariejois. Currently, it was the only shackle holding him back, and the only shackle holding the Marines back!
"It'll get better. It'll be resolved soon..." Diarmuid murmured, exhaling another cloud of smoke.
While he was lost in nostalgia, Sengoku's expression was becoming increasingly grim. The further he read, the more shocked and angry he became.
The uselessness of the Celestial Dragon race, the Ancient Weapon Uranus, and... Imu upon the Empty Throne in Pangea Castle.
Each of these revelations, things he had never known, filled him with fury and placed an immense weight of pressure upon his shoulders.
After a long silence, Sengoku set the document down and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
Diarmuid snapped out of his reverie and turned away from the window, smiling. "What do I have to be tired about?"
"You've been playing a long game with Doflamingo for years to get this classified information. You deserve the praise," Sengoku said with a slightly forced smile.
"It was nothing. I always did have a bit of appreciation for that guy," Diarmuid said candidly, waving it off.
"Can you confirm that Uranus is currently unusable?" Sengoku asked, shifting the topic. He didn't even ask about this "Imu" first.
Diarmuid nodded. "Based on the intelligence Doflamingo provided, that's the theory. After all, Cobra, the bloodline of the Nefertari family, only just arrived at Mariejois recently. Neither the quantity nor the quality of the 'sacrifice' is sufficient."
Before Sengoku could speak, Diarmuid added, "But that's only a theory. We in the Marines cannot rely on luck as a 'theoretical' certainty. I believe we must prepare to face Uranus regardless."
"How?" Sengoku agreed completely. The Marines should never fight an unprepared battle! Especially since Marineford was so close to Mariejois. If it could be used, who knew if Uranus could destroy Marineford from a distance?
"We only know the name Uranus; we don't even know what its power is. How do we counter it?" Sengoku asked before Diarmuid could reply.
Diarmuid rolled his eyes. "I can't answer that. This is where 'The Strategist' Sengoku comes in. As the Fleet Admiral, isn't it your job to lead us in solving these problems?"
Sengoku's face twitched. "How about I let you sit in the Fleet Admiral's chair instead?"
"No, no. I have the utmost respect for you, Fleet Admiral," Diarmuid said with mock righteousness.
Deciding not to bicker, Sengoku fell into thought. He stopped dwelling on Uranus for the moment, deciding to research it further later, though he worried time was running out.
"What is the deal with this Imu? It sounds... almost mystical," Sengoku asked, his expression turning serious once more.
"I assume you had your suspicions even before this report, didn't you, Fleet Admiral? Years ago, when I tried to ask Commander-in-Chief Kong about it, he was very vague..." Diarmuid said in a low voice.
Sengoku was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, there were certainly rumors..."
How could Imu exist for so long without a single shred of information leaking? However, both Sengoku and Kong had dismissed it as mere rumors and never took it seriously. Until now, with the definitive intelligence Diarmuid had brought, Sengoku felt a heavy weight in his heart.
"There's no point in dwelling on it," Diarmuid said suddenly.
Sengoku, startled by the remark, laughed and shook his head. "You brat..." Remembering the scene from earlier, he paused and added, "You certainly have a detached way of looking at things."
He was right. Dwelling on Imu's existence was pointless for now. On the contrary, from the Marines' perspective, the existence of this "Imu" was the perfect reason to strike. It was actually a good thing!