Spring passed, and winter came. Two years had flown by since Diarmuid's battle with Katakuri at Long Ring Long Land. In that time, the world had undergone many changes.
First and foremost, the New World had become an even more chaotic and wild battlefield. New powerhouses, led by Charlotte Linlin and Kaido, began challenging the old guard, like Whitebeard and Shiki. Kaido was mostly a lone troublemaker, but Charlotte Linlin was merciless, killing two of her former Rocks Pirates crewmates—Captain John and Wang Zhi (Ochoku)—in one go, making her reputation skyrocket.
As for the incident with Katakuri, it was resolved relatively peacefully. After being held by the CP agency for a short time, he was handed back to the Big Mom Pirates. However, in the two years that followed, he hadn't shown his face on the high seas, so no one knew what he was up to.
The news of the "Perfect Man" of the Charlotte Family being defeated by a Marine Rear Admiral named Diarmuid spread through various backchannels, even though it wasn't reported in the newspapers. Because of this, Diarmuid had now made a name for himself in the intelligence community.
The Marines also saw some changes. While the overall strategic situation was nothing new, the Marines were constantly adjusting their plans to keep up with the times.
As for matters related to Diarmuid, the Intelligence Division had been fully reformed and was operating successfully, with significantly improved intelligence-gathering capabilities.
Rosinante, Admiral Sengoku's adopted son, officially joined the Intelligence Division after two years of training to prepare for his infiltration mission, though he was still in training and hadn't been sent to infiltrate the Donquixote Family yet.
Diarmuid worked with Chief of Staff Tsuru and Vice Admiral Garp to steal a large portion of the Happo Navy's treasure from the Jewel Ice Sheet in the Kano Country.
With the money, they successfully established an intelligence network in the underworld. However, it hadn't shown much promise yet. Diarmuid had suggested several times that they should build a front business like a "Pleasure District" to help it develop quickly, but Chief of Staff Tsuru and Admiral Sengoku felt it was beneath them and wanted to see if they could get the "non-existent agency" off the ground without using such unconventional methods.
Diarmuid was helpless to change their minds.
After serving in the Intelligence Division for two years, Diarmuid officially resigned from his position as Deputy Chief and Chief of Staff Tsuru's aide. However, as one of the founders of the "non-existent agency," he retained his authority and was appointed as its temporary head.
He had, however, lost interest in the project because the reality of the plan was so far off from what he had envisioned.
Don't be mistaken, his resignation from the Intelligence Division was not due to a mistake or because he had been stripped of his power. On the contrary, that position was no longer a good fit for him because, two months ago, Diarmuid was promoted to Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters for his meritorious service!
In just five years, he had caught up to the rank of Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Borsalino. Tsuru held the important title of Chief of Staff, but her rank was still at the Vice Admiral level. Since Diarmuid was now at the same rank, it was no longer appropriate for him to serve as her aide.
To avoid the awkward situation of two equally ranked officers having a difference of opinion in the same division, Diarmuid happily gave up his position.
After resigning, Diarmuid suggested to Admiral Sengoku that he should create a special unit to handle important emergency situations. Sengoku believed that Diarmuid, at only twenty-five, was full of youthful ambition and wanted to make a name for himself, so he didn't object.
He approved the plan, and Diarmuid created the Marine Headquarters Special Combat Unit. He appointed Momonga, Yamakaji, Gion, and Doberman to the unit, making them his direct subordinates.
In the past two years, Momonga, Yamakaji, and Gion had all become Rear Admirals of Marine Headquarters. Doberman, who came from the eighth Marine Officer Training Camp, was two years behind them and was still a Commodore.
This special unit only had one Vice Admiral, who had just been promoted, so it didn't look very impressive on paper. But Diarmuid knew that the people he had chosen would all become elite Vice Admirals in the future, especially Gion, who would eventually become an Admiral candidate, no less talented than Kuzan and the others.
As a man who aimed to become an Admiral himself, Diarmuid needed to build his own faction. He wasn't in a position to do so before as a Rear Admiral, but now, these people were the first generation of his inner circle.
When they all became elite Vice Admirals of Marine Headquarters, his authority and status in Marineford would naturally increase.
When they reached that level, this special unit would be a monster; it would be a standing Buster Call fleet, ready to respond to any major incident on the seas.
At this moment, a few huge Marine warships slowly anchored at the port of the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue. A moment later, a tall figure draped in a "Justice" coat and with Vice Admiral epaulets on his shoulders walked down the gangplank.
Compared to two years ago, Diarmuid had grown taller. He wasn't three meters tall, but he was nearly 2.7 meters, a height befitting a Marine Admiral. Under his coat, he wore a simple white t-shirt with no designs. On his left forearm was a long, jagged scar that wrapped around his arm, a memento of his battle with Katakuri.
Diarmuid's thick boots hit the dock, and he looked at the strange country with a hint of emotion. He pulled a cigar out of his pocket, lit it, and waved a hand. "Let's go. We have to meet the CP0 agents first…"
"Yes, Vice Admiral," Doberman said, following closely behind Diarmuid.
In the original story, Doberman, known as the "Fighting Dog" for his fearless and aggressive style, would join Sakazuki's hardline faction. But here, not long after his graduation, Diarmuid had snatched him up to be his new Vice Admiral's aide.
Doberman was confused because he wasn't the head of his training camp class; he was only in the top five. He couldn't understand why Diarmuid, the "Ferocious Tiger of Marine Headquarters," a new and promising Vice Admiral, would choose him as his aide. They had never met before.
Diarmuid was also surprised, since he didn't recognize the top four from Doberman's class, especially the head of the eighth class. He figured they either died on a mission later or never became anyone important. Instead of trying to find and train them, it was easier to just grab Doberman. He admired Doberman's fearless style.
The Sorbet Kingdom was now in a state of unrest. As soon as they entered the port city, they could feel its desolation. Diarmuid ignored it and led a squad of Marines to a hotel at the port.
When they entered, they saw several agents in white suits and masks standing in the courtyard, acting as guards. It was clear that these shady men in white suits and masks were CP0 agents. The guards acted as if they didn't see Diarmuid, not greeting him or stopping him from entering.
Not wanting to argue with these thugs, Diarmuid pushed the hotel door open and walked in.
The atmosphere was grim, and a faint smell of blood hung in the air. The lobby had been trashed. Sofas, furniture, and tables were all scattered and broken. Two CP0 agents were beating a man.
"Tsk, tsk. That's a bit like my style back in North Blue," Diarmuid said, mocking them. "Now that I think about it, a scoundrel like me would have been a better fit for the CP agency."
He then used his foot to straighten up a knocked-over sofa and sat down, letting out a puff of smoke. At that moment, footsteps could be heard coming from the stairs leading to the second floor, and a graceful figure slowly descended.
"Oh? If you have such an idea, Vice Admiral Diarmuid, you can join our CP0 at any time. I would be delighted," a voice said. The woman coming down the stairs was Stussy. Compared to two years ago, she hadn't aged at all. In fact, her charm and allure seemed to flow from her without restraint.
"Heh, heh. Stussy-san, it's been two years, and you are as beautiful as ever. It seems my words weren't wrong, after all, about your promotion and good fortune," Diarmuid said, a smile on his face as he looked at her.
"And you, Vice Admiral, seem to be even more heroic now. Congratulations on your promotion, Vice Admiral Diarmuid," Stussy said with a smile, giving him a belated congratulations.
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