North Blue, Sliran Port of the Lubnir Kingdom.
A warship from Marine Branch 113, stationed in the North Blue, was currently docked there.
Not far away, a squad of Marines could be seen marching toward the port town.
Before long, the group arrived at the entrance of a tavern. Two Marines stepped forward quickly and pushed open the doors from both sides.
Then a young man wearing the shoulder insignia of a Marine Branch Colonel strode into the tavern first.
The entire place was noisy and chaotic. All sorts of people had gathered inside—dockside laborers, thugs from the town, and a few smugglers. In short, it was a place full of filth and shady dealings.
The Marine colonel glanced around the tavern before clicking his tongue.
"Tsk. No pirates here…"
At that moment, a Marine soldier stepped beside him and said quietly,
"Colonel Diarmuid, that middleman—Brinette—is over there."
As he spoke, the soldier pointed toward the corner of the tavern, where a group of men with fierce expressions sat together.
Five or six burly men, muscles bulging, old scars scattered across their bodies. At a glance, it was obvious they were troublemakers.
"Looks like the trip wasn't a waste after all," Diarmuid said with a smile.
Without the slightest hint of fear toward those vicious-looking men, Diarmuid confirmed the target and walked straight toward them. Wherever he passed, the tavern gradually fell silent.
After all, on these seas, the Marines represented justice and power.
Aside from the most vicious pirates, very few people dared to openly attack the Marines or oppose them.
Especially scum like these. They might bully ordinary people without hesitation, but when facing the Marines, they became meek and submissive, terrified of drawing the Navy's attention.
At this moment, the middleman named Brinette was drinking with his lackeys.
It seemed they had absolutely no idea the Marines had come for them.
Diarmuid walked up to their table naturally, pulled out an empty chair, and sat down casually.
"A Marine? I don't remember inviting you for a drink," Brinette said with a frown as he looked at Diarmuid.
"Five days ago, you handled a shipment. Inside it was a famous blade—Nagasone Kotetsu. Where is it now?" Diarmuid asked calmly, ignoring the remark.
"Hey, Marine! We're under no obligation to answer your questions. We don't even know what you're talking about. We're legitimate merchants under the protection of the Lubnir Kingdom!" one of Brinette's burly lackeys snarled.
Diarmuid turned to glance at the man.
The thug puffed out his broad chest defiantly and glared at him.
Judging by his physique alone, the man stood nearly two meters tall, his body packed with muscle—a real brute.
In comparison, Colonel Diarmuid looked much slimmer. He was just over 1.8 meters tall, wearing a standard Marine uniform with an ordinary-looking saber at his waist. At first glance, he looked like any other Marine.
If there was anything noteworthy about him, it was simply that he was a bit handsome.
Smack!
A crisp slap echoed through the tavern.
The burly thug's head snapped sideways, a bright red handprint instantly appearing on his cheek.
His eyes filled with confusion and shock.
Why had this guy suddenly slapped him?
"When I'm not speaking to you, don't bark at me," Diarmuid said calmly. "My temper isn't great, and I hate that kind of behavior."
Meanwhile, the Marines who had come with Diarmuid began entering the tavern, driving out all the unrelated patrons.
Before long, the tavern was left with only the trembling owner and Brinette's group—now surrounded by Marines.
Diarmuid casually picked up a half-finished bottle of cheap liquor from the table, weighing it in his hand before looking back at Brinette.
"Nagasone Kotetsu. Where is it?"
Brinette felt panic rising in his chest, but it seemed he was also afraid of something else. Gritting his teeth, he said,
"Colonel… that blade was already reserved by someone. I can't afford to offend them. Please don't make things difficult for me…"
"Ah…" Diarmuid sighed softly. "Wrong answer."
As soon as the words fell, he raised the bottle and smashed it straight into Brinette's head.
The force shattered the bottle instantly. Cheap liquor mixed with bright red blood streamed down Brinette's face.
Clearly, Brinette wasn't the tough type. After that single blow, he immediately howled and clutched his head miserably.
"So you think… you can afford to offend me?" Diarmuid asked calmly while shaking the alcohol off his hand.
Brinette's burly subordinates all stiffened, looking ready to jump into action at any moment.
But Diarmuid didn't care about them at all.
The fact that they hadn't retaliated immediately after he attacked already proved plenty.
They were all bark and no bite.
"Beat them," Diarmuid said, rising to his feet and walking toward the bar.
The moment the order was given, the surrounding Marines didn't hesitate in the slightest. They grabbed their rifle stocks and began mercilessly smashing them into Brinette's group.
More than twenty Marines beating up five or six thugs was effortless.
Diarmuid sat down at the bar and smiled at the trembling tavern owner.
"Don't misunderstand. We're Marines—we represent justice. As long as you haven't done anything evil, we won't hurt you. Please give me a drink. Thank you."
The owner nodded frantically, quickly grabbing a good bottle from the cabinet and pouring Diarmuid a glass.
Diarmuid calmly placed several Beli coins on the counter, then picked up the glass and began drinking.
Before long, Brinette's group couldn't endure the beating anymore.
"Colonel—Colonel! Please stop! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
But Diarmuid acted as if he hadn't heard anything, continuing to drink quietly.
Without his command, the Marines had no intention of stopping. They kept beating the men mercilessly.
Gradually, the screams weakened.
Eventually, Brinette's group didn't even have the strength left to cry out.
Only then did Diarmuid speak.
"Bring him here."
At his command, the Marines immediately stopped.
Two sergeants stepped forward, grabbed Brinette by the arms, and dragged him across the floor like a dead dog, leaving a gruesome trail of blood before the bar.
Brinette was now swollen and bruised all over, his body covered in blood and grime. He barely looked human anymore.
His swollen eyelids blocked most of his vision. Even so, he could vaguely see Diarmuid's figure—and the fear in his heart was unmistakable.
Diarmuid poured the remaining liquor in his glass directly over Brinette's head.
The alcohol seeped into his wounds, making him howl again in agony.
"Last chance. Give me the correct answer," Diarmuid said calmly.
This time, Brinette didn't dare waste another word.
"It's… on the ship of Vinyel… the dock boss… He's from the Donquixote Family… that blade…"
Before he could finish, the pain finally overwhelmed him and he fainted.
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Diarmuid waved his hand casually.
The two Marine sergeants tossed Brinette aside, throwing him back into the corner of the tavern.
Then Diarmuid stood up.
"Move out. Go to the docks and find that man called Vinyel. Before nightfall, I want to see Nagasone Kotetsu on our warship."
"Yes, Colonel Diarmuid!"
All the Marines snapped to attention.
After Diarmuid stepped out of the tavern, a Marine branch major walked up beside him and spoke quietly.
"Colonel… that man said the blade belongs to the Donquixote Family. We…"
The Donquixote Family was a mafia-like organization that had risen rapidly in North Blue over the past two years. No matter the business—legal or illegal—if it made money, they wanted a piece of it.
Their power had expanded quickly, and they were beginning to look like a new powerhouse of the North Blue.
Rumor had it their leader was just a kid.
Of course, that was only the surface rumor.
Diarmuid knew much more.
For example, he knew very well that the Donquixote Family would one day produce a famous Warlord of the Sea.
But there was nothing to fear.
At the moment, the Donquixote Family still didn't dare act too arrogantly in front of the Marines—at least not openly.
"We're the Marines," Diarmuid said with a smile. "Why should we be afraid of them?"
After saying that, he ignored the major and continued walking toward the warship at the port.
Diarmuid had his own calculations.
As long as he obtained Nagasone Kotetsu, he would have a much better chance of leaving North Blue soon and securing a post at Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Once he shed the identity of a branch Marine and became a proud member of Headquarters…
Why would he need to fear the Donquixote Family?
Even if you gave Doflamingo a few extra guts—
Would he dare cause trouble at Marineford?