"Mihawk?" Diarmuid was surprised. As a top member of the Intelligence Division, Diarmuid usually handled intelligence on high-level figures. He had been so busy recently that he hadn't noticed the emergence of a new person, so he didn't know that Mihawk had already started making a name for himself.
At this moment, the Warlord system didn't exist yet, so Mihawk wasn't a Warlord. The only future Warlord Diarmuid knew about was Crocodile. That guy had set sail early and was unstoppable on his way to the New World, becoming a famous pirate. Not long ago, he had an all-out battle with Douglas Bullet, the former member of the Roger Pirates, which ended in a draw.
To be honest, Diarmuid found Crocodile's power level confusing. The guy was like a wild card who could go toe-to-toe with anyone. Two decades later, this veteran Warlord who had challenged the World's Strongest Man and fought Douglas Bullet to a standstill was somehow defeated by the rookie Straw Hat Pirates.
One could rationalize that his strength had dropped significantly after his defeat by Whitebeard and his subsequent stay in Alabasta. But then, during the Marineford War, he started acting cocky, punching Doflamingo and kicking Sakazuki, looking so imposing. Then, he got knocked silly by Diamond Jozu. It was a mystery what his power level was. It just went up and down all the time!
Besides Crocodile the Sand-Crocodile, most of the other future Warlords hadn't made their appearance yet. Doflamingo was already causing trouble in the underworld and was living a carefree life. As for Jinbe, he was most likely still the guard captain of the Ryugu Kingdom on Fish-Man Island, living a comfortable life as a government official.
From the looks of the timeline, Boa Hancock was just a little girl who hadn't even been kidnapped by human traffickers yet. Gecko Moria, another man with a mysterious power level, hadn't appeared on the seas yet either.
Bartholomew Kuma was the only other one with a file; he was still a king and hadn't been turned into a Tyrant by the World Government. But now that Dragon had left the Marines, it was probably only a matter of time before Bartholomew Kuma's fate was sealed.
And then there was Mihawk, the future World's Strongest Swordsman. Diarmuid hadn't been paying attention for a while. Had he already started making waves?
"Hmm, do you know him?" Gion asked with a hint of curiosity.
"No, I don't. What's wrong with him? Why is he a madman?" Diarmuid asked.
"Calling him a madman… How should I put this? He's reckless. He's a swordsman who has been traveling all over the world challenging other swordsmen. He hasn't lost once so far. I was ordered to go and see if we could recruit him into the Marines," Gion said.
Diarmuid nodded. Mihawk was definitely a swordsman. It made sense for the Marines to reach out to a promising talent like that. "And? Did you succeed?" Diarmuid asked with a smile.
"Of course not. He said joining the Marines would be too much of a hassle and would hinder his pursuit of the ultimate sword path, so he refused. Not only that, but that lunatic just attacked me out of the blue, and we ended up fighting," Gion said with a frustrated tone.
"It looks like you lost?" Diarmuid said with a laugh.
Gion looked a bit annoyed. "I did lose. Even though he's a madman, his skill with a sword is incredible. I was no match for him."
"You can't just call him a madman because you lost to him, can you? Hahahaha…" Diarmuid laughed out loud.
"That's not it! You don't know what he did! He went to Hadley Island to challenge a swordsman from the Heart Leap Style dojo. When the guy refused, Mihawk forcibly started fighting him in the town. The town was destroyed, the dojo was completely annihilated, and many innocent people were killed or injured. If that's not a madman, what is?" Gion said with a touch of anger.
Hearing this, Diarmuid finally understood why Mihawk was eventually labeled a pirate by the Marines.
In his mind, Mihawk wasn't the type to bully the weak or loot ships. Unlike most pirates who lived by plundering, he didn't need to do such things. He came from a wealthy noble family and probably had some money. He also lived on an uninhabited island, Kuraigana Island, and was completely self-sufficient, even growing his own food and cooking for himself.
It didn't make sense for a person like that to be labeled a pirate. Now Diarmuid knew. Mihawk had been completely reckless when he was younger. If he continued to destroy towns every time he couldn't get a challenge, he would be just as much of a threat as a pirate. It would be strange if the Marines didn't go after him.
"Who do you think is stronger, him or me?" Diarmuid asked.
Gion was stunned for a moment. Then she said, "In terms of swordsmanship, he would definitely wipe the floor with you. But in an all-out fight, you would probably be stronger."
"I see," Diarmuid said with a smile. He and Gion often sparred, so she knew his strength very well. And Gion had just fought Mihawk, so even if she wasn't as strong as him, she wasn't completely overwhelmed, either. She could make a pretty accurate judgment. That's why Diarmuid trusted her assessment.
"If I ever run into him, I'll definitely avenge you, hahaha," Diarmuid said with a loud laugh, patting Gion on the shoulder.
"You've been in the office too much. Your strength is going to get rusty. You should be careful," Gion warned him.
"Yeah, I know," Diarmuid nodded. He actually wanted to go on field missions, but he hadn't had a chance recently. With his current rank, he would usually be assigned as a staff officer to a team. He didn't have the authority to command his own fleet yet.
For example, if Admiral Sengoku or Garp went on a mission, the Intelligence Division would send support, and he would be one of them. He would be in charge of analyzing intelligence and helping with strategy during the mission.
He thought for a moment and then said to Gion, "Next time you have a field mission, why don't you request support from the Intelligence Division? We can go together."
Gion was taken aback. She looked at Diarmuid carefully. "Diarmuid, you're not trying to get with me, are you? I've always considered you my good friend…"
Diarmuid's face twitched. He said, "You're dreaming. I just want to get some experience out on the sea."
While Gion was considered one of the "flowers" of the Marines, beautiful with an amazing figure and very powerful to boot, he really had no intention of getting into a relationship with her. He just wasn't interested in dating anyone right now.
"Good," Gion said with a sigh of relief. "One Tokikake is enough of a headache for me. I couldn't handle it if you were like him, too."
But for some reason, her heart felt a little empty when Diarmuid so decisively denied it. Has my charm faded?
Without another thought, Gion continued, "I talked to Tsuru about it. The thing is, she has too much on her plate right now, and she can't handle it all alone, so she's been keeping you here. Once she gets everything sorted, she's planning on letting you go on some missions."
Diarmuid's eyes lit up. "That's great!"
Just then, a Marine Major walked over, saluted, and said, "Rear Admiral Diarmuid, the Chief of Staff wants to see you in her office."
Diarmuid nodded. "Okay, I understand." He then turned to Gion. "The Chief of Staff needs me. I'll see you later."
"Sure. If you're not busy tonight, I'll see you at the Marine Club. I've already invited Kuzan and the others to go drinking," Gion said with a smile. Gion's personality was indeed very bold and confident.
Diarmuid smiled. "Alright, I'll be there if I have time."
After saying goodbye to Gion, Diarmuid quickly arrived at Tsuru's office. She had just put a document down and smiled when she saw him. "Is the meeting over?"
"Yes, I've already explained my analysis to everyone," Diarmuid nodded.
"I know I can trust you with this," Tsuru said with a smile. "I've finished dealing with a lot of things. However, I still need your advice on the 'non-existent organization.' Write me a report in the next few days. Include your ideas, suggestions, and even your thought process. This matter is not to be known by anyone else. It's a top-secret project. Right now, only the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku, and the two of us know about it. Got it?"
Diarmuid quickly nodded. "Yes, I understand."
"Once this plan is a success, I want you to be the supreme commander of this organization," Tsuru said.
Diarmuid's eyes lit up.
This was the payoff.
Just like how Borsalino had control over the SSG, many high-ranking Marines held control over special forces within the Marines.
If he could get command of this "non-existent organization," it would greatly increase his power and influence. Plus, he would only be answering to Tsuru, the Fleet Admiral, and Admiral Sengoku. His authority would be very high, which was an amazing opportunity.
"Thank you, Chief! Hahahaha," Diarmuid laughed out loud.
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