After that, Dragon and Diarmuid didn't talk about justice anymore. They just had a simple conversation over drinks, occasionally breaking into laughter, looking like they were having a great time.
As the sun began to set, Diarmuid and Dragon left the tavern together and parted ways.
As a Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters with an official post, Diarmuid was finally free from the limbo of bouncing between the Marine Officer Training Camp dorms and the infirmary. He was assigned a small courtyard as his residence. It wasn't very big, just two rooms and a small lawn, a standard for Rear Admirals.
He had seen the homes of Admiral Sengoku and his sensei Zephyr, which were true estates—sprawling mansions with gardens.
The Marines were quite generous with their high-ranking officers' benefits. Food and drink were free, medical care and recuperation were free, and they had a month of paid vacation every year. The pay was also very high. As a Rear Admiral, Diarmuid's base salary was two million berries a month, but with his performance, he could easily bring home five million a month.
What was even more amazing was that as long as you were in Marineford or a Marine-controlled area, you rarely had to spend any money at all. The only time you really needed cash was for things like having a drink at a tavern. The Marines provided for everything else, essentially forcing you to save money!
Back at his new home, Diarmuid washed up and lay on his bed, replaying the conversation he had just had. He couldn't shake the feeling that Dragon had wanted to tell him something, but he just couldn't bring himself to say it.
After some thought, Diarmuid figured it was one of two things: either Dragon was still in a confused state and wanted to talk to a friend like him to clear his head, or he had already made up his mind to do something drastic and was looking for like-minded companions before leaving the Marines.
"Maybe he really will come to invite me before he leaves?" Diarmuid mumbled to himself.
From an outsider's perspective, he was a newcomer to the Marines. Even though he had a bright future, how could he compare to Dragon? Plus, Diarmuid had repeatedly said he hadn't found his own justice, which would make him an easy target to fool. So, if Dragon did come to him with an offer, it was a real possibility.
But Diarmuid just smiled and shook his head. "Too bad, Dragon. I'm not going with you."
No way. He was doing just fine in the Marines. He had risked his life to become a Rear Admiral. Even though Garp had his heart in a fluster, Diarmuid still felt that he had a future here. Hadn't the Chief of Staff been so kind to him today?
That had to mean that the Marine high command didn't care about the rumors of him beating up the Fleet Admiral. The Fleet Admiral probably didn't care either. He could have a great career here, maybe even become an Admiral or Fleet Admiral someday, commanding millions of soldiers and making thousands of heads roll with a single order.
Was he crazy? Was he drunk? Why would he ever want to join a revolution with Dragon?
While he did feel that the World Government had many things that he couldn't stand, he could still tolerate it as long as they didn't directly bother him. He was a pragmatist; he didn't have a hero complex.
And as for the future, he'd worry about that when the time came. It was just pointless worrying right now. Wasn't it true that you could only change things when you had enough power and a higher status? He couldn't do anything now.
As the alcohol took over, he drifted into a haze of thought and soon fell asleep. He didn't know that while he was sleeping, Dragon was standing on the Marineford port, looking back at the towering Justice Fortress.
"The Marines' justice is far too limited. This place isn't about true justice at all. The ruling class, who don't cherish the people and treat them like livestock, is too rotten. They don't deserve to be in power… If no one is going to change things, then I'll do it. If a revolution must be a bloody one, let me be the first to fall." Dragon took one last look at the fortress with "Justice" written on it, his voice a low murmur. There was a mix of nostalgia and sadness in his eyes, but it quickly turned to resolute determination. His form gradually became ethereal, disappearing into the night air like a gentle breeze.
The son of the Marine Hero. Vice Admiral Monkey D. Dragon of Marine Headquarters had secretly left that night. The world now had a new most-wanted criminal: the leader of the Revolutionary Army!
....
Pere pere pere… Pere pere pere…
In the middle of his sleep, Diarmuid's Den Den Mushi started ringing wildly. Startled, he picked it up and was surprised to see who it was. "Kuzan, what's wrong?"
"Something big has happened! Get to the Fleet Admiral's office now!" Kuzan said in a low voice.
Diarmuid was taken aback. He glanced out the window. The sun had just risen; it wasn't even time to go to work yet. But he quickly replied, "Got it!"
He got up and quickly washed his face, not even having time to eat. He grabbed his Justice coat from the hanger, threw it over his shoulders, and put his Nagasone Kotetsu on his hip. He then rushed to the Justice Fortress.
The Fleet Admiral's office was on the top floor of the fortress. When Diarmuid arrived, he saw Borsalino also walking in.
Diarmuid hurried to catch up. "Vice Admiral Borsalino, it's been a while."
Borsalino turned his head and looked at him. "Diarmuid, you're here."
"Yeah," Diarmuid replied, then whispered, "What's going on?"
"I have no idea. I was just sleeping at home when Sengoku-san called me with a Den Den Mushi," Borsalino said, sounding puzzled.
Diarmuid nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He walked in and saw all the Marine bigwigs there. Not even Garp and Zephyr were absent. Everyone looked serious and calm, except for Garp, who looked extremely annoyed.
Seeing this, Diarmuid decided not to provoke that troublemaker. He was also surprised. What could have happened? Did Roger find Laugh Tale and become the Pirate King? Given the timeline, it's possible it could be happening right now.
Thinking all sorts of random things, he sat down next to Kuzan. "What's going on? Did Roger become the Pirate King?" Diarmuid asked in a low voice.
Kuzan gave him a blank stare. What in the world is he talking about?
"What nonsense are you talking about? Vice Admiral Dragon has defected!" Kuzan said in a low voice, glancing at Garp.
Now it was Diarmuid who was stunned. A few hours ago, I was drinking and having a good time with Dragon, and now you're telling me he defected?! Seriously, Dragon, be a decent person, will you?! Now I'm the last person he saw, which makes me the prime suspect!
"Pretty shocking, right? I'm shocked, too," Kuzan whispered when he saw Diarmuid's dumbfounded expression.
Diarmuid's face twitched. He whispered back, "I'm not shocked about that. A few hours ago, I just finished drinking with him at the Marine Club…"
Kuzan's eyes went wide. He quickly asked, "Did you force him to do it because of Vice Admiral Garp?!"
"How in the world would I have that kind of power?! We barely even talked about that stuff!" Diarmuid said helplessly.
Just then, Fleet Admiral Kong walked in. He looked extremely upset. Diarmuid hadn't seen him in a while. After the G-1 incident, the Fleet Admiral had also spent some time in the infirmary, though his injuries weren't as serious as Diarmuid's. He had been discharged quickly, and Diarmuid hadn't seen him since. Today, he looked furious.
"Everyone is here… I won't beat around the bush. This matter is classified as top secret," Fleet Admiral Kong said, getting straight to the point. He didn't even greet anyone, which showed how angry he was. Before anyone could ask anything, Kong threw a letter onto the table, his expression growing darker. "It has been confirmed. Vice Admiral Monkey D. Dragon has defected from the Marines."
As soon as he said that, Borsalino said in a surprised voice, "No way?" The others who were in the dark also looked in disbelief.
"Maybe he just went on a trip? Maybe he's just temporarily absent? I saw him this morning," Zephyr said in a deep voice.
Diarmuid also chimed in. "He was drinking with me at the Marine Club last night…"
Just then, Vice Admiral Garp, who had been silent, said in a low voice, "If that guy had just disappeared without a trace, that would have been one thing. We'd just call it desertion or something else and wouldn't be so quick to label it as defection. But… before he left, he left me a letter!"
Since Garp, his own father, had said that, everyone else fell silent. Just then, Kong asked, "Has anyone seen Dragon since yesterday evening?"
Everyone in the room shook their heads. Seeing this, Kong looked at Diarmuid. "It seems you were the last person to have contact with Dragon, Diarmuid."
From the Fleet Admiral's expression, it didn't seem like he knew about the widespread rumors that Diarmuid had beaten him. Diarmuid was relieved and nodded. "I believe so."
"Did he act strange? Did he say anything weird?" Fleet Admiral Kong asked.
Diarmuid answered truthfully, "He asked me about my own justice. I told him I hadn't found it yet. He seemed to have something on his mind but didn't end up saying anything. I asked him if he was feeling better, and he said he was fine… Other than that, we were just making small talk. There was nothing strange."
As soon as Diarmuid finished speaking, Kuzan said, "Now that you mention it, Dragon came to drink with me the day before yesterday and acted similarly. I didn't think anything of it at the time… but thinking about it now, it was strange."
Diarmuid was surprised. So, Dragon was casting a wide net? I thought he had only singled me out. Turns out he's a player.
A few other Vice Admirals said that Dragon had also come to talk to them about similar things not long ago. Hearing their accounts, Kong sighed. "There's no doubt about it, then. Dragon chose to defect on his own. He wasn't forced. In his letter, he denounced our justice as too rigid and emphasized the World Government's flaws… saying that he was leaving the Marines to find the real answer."
Diarmuid felt that Kong must have softened Dragon's words. Knowing Dragon's personality, he probably cursed out the World Government and insulted the Celestial Dragons and their ancestors in that letter.
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