The reason the Marines had dominated the seas for so many years was due to their comprehensive, systematic military organization.
Their medical system, in particular, was incredibly advanced.
A quick comparison between the Marines and pirates of the same era shows this perfectly. In their old age, Whitebeard was constantly sick, forced to live with an IV drip, and Golden Lion Shiki had a ship's rudder stuck in his head for over twenty years. On the other hand, the Marines?
Garp ate rice crackers and donuts every day without worrying about his health.
Sengoku even had time to raise a pet goat. Neither of them seemed to have any major health issues and certainly didn't need IV drips. Zephyr was a bit unlucky; he had asthma and lost an arm, which made his strength seem to regress significantly.
But from another perspective, when he lost his arm while he was still an active Marine, they developed a mechanical prosthetic arm for him. This kind of post-service care and retirement support was leagues above what the pirates had. Shiki must have been dying of envy.
Now, Diarmuid was getting this same treatment.
This warship was truly worthy of an Admiral; its facilities were top-notch. The medic was a Devil Fruit user with healing abilities. After a quick session, Diarmuid was nearly fully recovered. All he needed was a couple of days of rest to be completely back to normal.
Lying in the infirmary bed, Diarmuid still found it hard to believe.
Everything had gone so smoothly. The exam was so informal; he passed before he even fully realized what was happening.
He looked at the Nagasone Kotetsu, which was propped up by the bed.
He had gone to great lengths to acquire this Great Grade sword to increase his chances, but in the end, it hadn't been that useful. He also had the Donquixote Family gunning for him now.
Still, Diarmuid didn't regret it. It had always been one of his beliefs to be fully prepared before any major event. He didn't know how the Marine Officer Training Camp exam would be conducted, so it was only natural for him to make extra preparations.
As for Doflamingo? He didn't care. Let him try and cause trouble in Marineford.
Ultimately, even though he didn't have the same stubborn dedication to swordsmanship as other swordsmen, it was still great to have a Great Grade sword. It was a win-win.
As Diarmuid was thinking about these random things, the door to his room was quietly pushed open. When he heard the sound, Diarmuid thought it might be Zephyr or Sengoku, so he quickly got ready to stand up.
Diarmuid was very realistic about his place in the world.
He didn't think he was superior just because he was a transmigrator. He had no strange sense of arrogance.
You do what you have to do based on your rank and strength.
If he were the strongest in the world, he wouldn't have to consider all this. He could just lie there and wait for others to greet him.
But he wasn't, so it was only right to show respect and deference to those who were stronger. He might even be dealing with his boss for a long time.
But just as he was about to get up, a head popped through the door: a blond boy.
Diarmuid was baffled. The two of them stared at each other for a while.
Then, the boy seemed a little shy, and awkwardly squeezed through the door.
"Who are you?" Diarmuid asked, a bit confused.
His tone was gentle; he wasn't sure who this kid was. What if he was the son of a high-ranking noble or one of Sengoku's or Zephyr's illegitimate children?
The boy looked very shy and didn't speak. He walked up to Diarmuid's bed, holding a large red apple in his hands, as if offering it to Diarmuid.
Diarmuid was even more confused. What's this kid's deal?
But after a moment's thought, he reached out and took the apple. "Thank you."
Only then did the boy seem to relax, a smile appearing on his face.
Diarmuid looked at the boy's expectant face and, with a helpless sigh, took a bite.
There were two Admirals on this ship; there couldn't be any danger, right?
As he bit into the apple, the boy finally spoke. "Rosinante…"
"Rosinante?" Diarmuid repeated, not quite processing it.
"Yes… Rosinante… that's my name," the boy said, a little shyly.
"Ah, I see. I'm Diarmuid…" Diarmuid started to say.
But he froze mid-sentence.
Huh?
Rosinante?
Wait, isn't he Doflamingo's younger brother?
I really have a weird connection to the Donquixote Family.
At this point, Diarmuid had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
He remembered that Rosinante had become Sengoku's adopted son at a very young age. He then joined the Marines, became a Headquarters Commander, and later went undercover, returning to the Donquixote Family.
He eventually died on Minion Island… at the hands of his own brother, Doflamingo.
Judging by the situation, Rosinante must have already met Sengoku and was likely already his adopted son. Why else would he be on this ship?
The thought left Diarmuid speechless.
This Rosinante was a walking disaster, a magnet for trouble, especially for his allies!
The kid had a saintly complex from a young age, so in the end, he ended up getting everyone he knew in trouble.
Doflamingo lost his Ope Ope no Mi, and Sengoku's vital mission from the World Government was a total failure because of him.
Trafalgar Law was probably the only one who benefited.
You had to be careful with people like him. You never knew when he'd have a moment of misplaced kindness and dig a hole you couldn't get out of…
Diarmuid looked at the half-eaten apple in his hand and sighed inwardly.
Has your saintly kindness already gotten the better of you, even now?
Otherwise, why would you just randomly give me an apple?
"Kid… sigh." Diarmuid reached out and ruffled Rosinante's hair. He was genuinely a bit exasperated.
Did I just get stuck with him?
But it was probably okay. After all, he was still Sengoku's adopted son. He was a second-generation official, and from Sengoku's later actions, it was clear he deeply cherished Rosinante.
Sengoku was a lifelong bachelor and never had a son of his own.
He probably poured all his paternal feelings into Rosinante.
So, from that perspective, it was worth getting to know Rosinante for now.
Being patted on the head, Rosinante seemed a little embarrassed and lowered his head, but he didn't pull away.
Just then, the slightly ajar door opened again. Sengoku walked in.
He looked at the scene: Diarmuid was holding a half-eaten apple, leaning back on the bed, and ruffling Rosinante's hair. It was a rather touching sight.
For a moment, it seemed to soften something in Sengoku's heart, and his impression of Diarmuid improved even more.
"Rosinante, so this is where you ran off to," Sengoku said with a laugh, his tone very gentle.
Rosinante seemed embarrassed and quickly lowered his head.
Diarmuid was about to stand up.
But Sengoku walked over and placed a hand on Diarmuid's shoulder. "No need for that. Don't be so formal."
Sengoku had only come to find Rosinante and hadn't planned on saying much to Diarmuid.
Diarmuid wasn't anyone special, so there wasn't much for them to talk about.
But for some reason, perhaps it was the scene he walked in on, Sengoku felt a strange closeness to Diarmuid.
People are strange like that sometimes.
He didn't take Rosinante and leave. Instead, he sat down on the bed naturally, placing a hand on Rosinante's head. "Diarmuid, how are you feeling?"
"I feel much better, sir. The doctor said I'll be fully recovered in a couple of days," Diarmuid replied quickly.
"That's good. Don't blame Zephyr for hitting so hard. It was a test. If you weren't tough enough, it's probably better for you to stay in the North Blue. It's a lot safer here compared to the Grand Line," Sengoku said softly.
"Yes, Admiral, I understand!" Diarmuid nodded.
"Good, I'm glad you understand. Zephyr seems to have a good feeling about you. I hope you can one day become a source of pride for the Marines… for him…" Sengoku said with a smile. After a slight pause, he added, "I have a good feeling about you, too."
Diarmuid's eyes lit up with anticipation. "I won't disappoint either of you!"
"Good, you get some rest. We have some business to take care of in the North Blue before we head back to Marineford," Sengoku said as he stood up.
He then looked at Rosinante. "Rosinante, Diarmuid needs to rest and recover. Shall we go?"
Rosinante nodded obediently and took Sengoku's hand. They really looked like father and son.
Sengoku was truly something else. Even Whitebeard couldn't compete with him. Newgate adopted the son of the Pirate King, but Sengoku started by becoming a Celestial Dragon's father.
Impressive, truly impressive!
As Sengoku reached the door, he turned to Diarmuid. "Captain Diarmuid, you and Rosinante are close in age. He gets lonely on this ship, and he will at Headquarters, too. Please look out for him."
Diarmuid didn't really want to get too involved with Rosinante, but he quickly replied, "Yes, Admiral."