Recently, the seas had been in an uproar. Grand events were happening one after another, as if more than a decade of pent-up chaos had suddenly exploded.
The capture of Patrick Redfield, the "Red Count," had barely faded from the headlines when Gold Roger suddenly conquered the Grand Line, found the legendary Laugh Tale, and became the Pirate King.
The Marines responded by officially recognizing him as the Pirate King with a staggering bounty of over 5.5 billion Berries, then sent a massive number of warships into the New World and other seas, as if they wouldn't rest until they found him.
But just as things were heating up, the Roger Pirates suddenly announced their disbandment in the newspaper!
This shocked everyone. What was going on? Did he really just quit after reaching the top?
Before the people of the world could even process the news, the Marines reacted with surprising speed. They immediately issued a statement in the paper, declaring that even if the scoundrel Roger was afraid of the pressure from the Marines and had forcibly disbanded his crew to hide, the Marines would never let such a heinous criminal go. The hunt for every single member of the Roger Pirates would not cease.
Roger announced the disbandment in the morning, and by that afternoon, the World Economy News Paper had released a special edition that conveyed the will of the Marines, as if they had anticipated Roger's move all along.
This incredibly fast manipulation of public opinion allowed the Marines to seize control of the situation.
Many people across the seas now truly believed that Roger disbanded his crew and went into hiding because he feared the Marines' sudden intensification of the hunt. In an instant, the morale boost that the pirates had gained from a Pirate King's rise was crushed. Combined with the recent capture of the Red Count, the Marines had once again gained the upper hand.
Now, people everywhere felt that the Marines were unstoppable. They had captured the Red Count and then forced the Pirate King to disband his criminal crew. With such a righteous force protecting the seas, what was there to fear? Pirates were nothing but a passing fad.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Admiral Zephyr's Residence.
Many years ago, Zephyr lived in the residential area of Marineford. But after the tragedy where his wife and child were killed, his heart was broken. Since then, he couldn't stand to be in that painful place. He moved back to the military side of Marineford, living in the same type of courtyard provided to high-ranking officers as Sengoku and the other bachelors.
Compared to Diarmuid's small courtyard, Zephyr's was enormous, like a private garden. The environment was excellent. Diarmuid was sitting cross-legged at a chess table, playing a game with his sensei. Not far away, Rob Lucci, the young boy, was diligently training according to the plan Zephyr had laid out for him.
"Sensei, the King can't always be charging to the front. It's too dangerous. He'll get checkmated," Diarmuid said with a smile after making a move.
Zephyr smiled in return. "That may be true on the chessboard, but in life, the King should be at the forefront. Why? Because every piece behind the King represents the future and possibilities. The Rook, the Knight, and all the others may one day become new Kings. Therefore, protecting that future is what a King should do."
"A valuable lesson," Diarmuid said, nodding softly. He made another move, then turned to look at Lucci in the courtyard. "How's the kid doing?"
"Very well. Just as you said, he's a talented young man, and very obedient," Zephyr said with a smile.
After stepping back from the front lines, he became an instructor at the Marine Officer Training Camp. Recently, the training camp had begun to formalize, and Zephyr was committed to turning it into a military academy. Admiral Sengoku and the other high-ranking Marines fully supported this.
Most of his work was done. Just then, Diarmuid had brought him a promising recruit and asked him to personally mentor him. Since he had some free time, and out of respect for Diarmuid's request, Zephyr took Lucci on.
Sure enough, Lucci did not disappoint. He planned to send him to the Marine Officer Training Camp for formal classes once he was a little older, and then officially enroll him in the Marines. This aligned perfectly with Diarmuid's own thoughts, so he didn't interfere with Lucci's growth.
"You, on the other hand, are really impressive now. Kuzan and Borsalino both say you have the sharpest mind among the young generation of Marines. Even that rigid guy Sakazuki thinks you're incredibly talented," Zephyr said with satisfaction.
Since the Roger Pirates announced their disbandment, Diarmuid had truly become known as a "strategist" within the Marines. Even Sengoku had nothing but praise for him. Sengoku had always seen a bit of his younger self in Diarmuid, and with his performance, he saw him as a rare talent, just like himself.
"I just got lucky," Diarmuid said with a laugh.
"Whether it was luck or something else, the facts are right there. I'm very happy to see your growth," Zephyr said, grinning.
"As long as I haven't disappointed you, Sensei," Diarmuid said, nodding.
He was incredibly grateful to both Zephyr and Sengoku. In North Blue, he may have only wanted to use them for his own purposes. But his heart wasn't made of stone, even if he called himself an "egoist."
He was truly grateful and respectful to these two men who had treated him like their own nephew and taught him everything they knew. After all, passing down knowledge and guiding a student is a great kindness.
"Hmm, so… did you come here today because you need my help with something?" Zephyr asked softly, making a move on the board. He was looking at the board, not at Diarmuid.
Diarmuid didn't look up, his eyes also on the board. After moving his Rook, he laughed. "The situation seems to be in my favor."
"Don't get ahead of yourself. No one can claim victory until the very end," Zephyr said calmly.
"You really know me, Sensei. How did you know I had a favor to ask?" Diarmuid asked with a laugh.
"You little rascal. You never remember to bring a gift, but this time you brought me a bag of tea. I find it hard to believe that your filial piety just suddenly kicked in," Zephyr said, laughing.
"Ahem, well, I figured you don't lack anything, Sensei. If you really care, I'll bring you a gift every time from now on," Diarmuid said, a little embarrassed.
"Hahahaha, forget it. The fact that you come to see me often is enough," Zephyr roared with laughter.
"The way you talk, it's like you've already retired," Diarmuid said, rolling his eyes. Even though Zephyr had stepped down from the front lines, he was still often seen at the Justice Fortress, especially during important meetings.
"Once the training camp is officially a school, I plan to formally resign from my Admiral rank," Zephyr said softly. After a pause, he said with a hint of nostalgia, "Just being an instructor is a pretty good life…"
"They might not agree to that. You'll probably have to keep the Admiral rank, at least for show," Diarmuid said, clicking his tongue.
"It doesn't matter," Zephyr said, waving a hand. Before Diarmuid could speak again, Zephyr looked up at him. "So, what do you want to do?"
"I'd like to ask you to come with me on a mission and provide backup," Diarmuid said with a smile.
"Backup?" Zephyr frowned, looking at Diarmuid with a puzzled expression. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm confused about my own strength," Diarmuid said, looking directly into Zephyr's eyes.
Zephyr was silent for a moment, then said with a sigh, "You finally understand?"
"It's thanks to Kuzan. I know now that I lack a true trial by fire. Because of that, I can't really know how strong I am. So, I need an all-out fight," Diarmuid said, nodding.
Zephyr looked back at the board and made a move, regaining some of the advantage. "So who have you set your sights on?"
"The Big Mom Pirates. The one who's been making a name for himself recently and is hailed as the 'perfect man,' Katakuri," Diarmuid said with a smile.
At this stage, the top-tier pirate crews in the New World were the Whitebeard Pirates, the Golden Lion Pirates, and the Roger Pirates. The Roger Pirates had already reached the top and disbanded, so they were no longer a factor for now. The other great pirates were all a bit weaker in comparison.
For example, the Big Mom Pirates were powerful, and even Roger had chosen to steal the Road Poneglyph copy rather than fight them head-on. But at the end of the day, Charlotte Linlin wasn't yet a truly top-tier pirate. She was still incredibly strong, though, and Katakuri, who was 24, was at the peak of his fame.
The Roger Pirates' rise to the top also seemed to have stimulated Big Mom. She had begun to accelerate the construction of her nation, Totto Land. Charlotte Linlin had always wanted to build a country where all races could coexist, so she had been actively abducting people in recent years.
According to the Marines' intelligence, the Big Mom Pirates were now targeting the Longarm Tribe. Katakuri would soon arrive at Long Ring Long Land in the first half of the Grand Line to capture some Longarm Tribe members to bring back to Totto Land.
Diarmuid remembered Long Ring Long Land as the island inhabited by the strange, elongated creatures from the story. He hadn't known that members of the Longarm Tribe also lived there. After receiving this intelligence, Diarmuid immediately decided to use Katakuri as a test to see what his limits were.
Katakuri was 24, and Diarmuid was almost 22. In terms of age, the gap was small. As for strength, he wasn't sure, but in terms of fame, Katakuri was much more well-known. It was said he had never lost since his debut. Of course, that didn't mean he was invincible; he would surely lose to someone like Garp or Sengoku. But to maintain an undefeated record, even with a bit of luck, was a testament to his power.
Diarmuid felt that such a person was the perfect goal. After all, they could be considered "contemporaries."
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