"Want one?" Diarmuid asked, holding up his cigar.
Dragon shook his head. "You know I've never smoked." He paused for a moment, then smiled. "I also quit drinking."
"That's a shame. I guess that last drink at the Marine club was really the last one," Diarmuid said, a look of surprise on his face.
"It is a shame," Dragon replied with a gentle smile.
"So, does this mean we can't find a bar, sit down, and let me finally hear why you, you rascal, suddenly defected?" Diarmuid said, his tone changing.
"Reasons, you say?" Dragon murmured. He looked around at the filth in the dark alley, then back at Diarmuid. "I can tell you right here just the same."
"Then let's hear it. As a former friend, I owe you that before I try to bring you back to Marineford," Diarmuid said with a grin.
"Hahaha…" Dragon laughed along with him. After he was done, he said, "Diarmuid, it's been two or three years. You've changed a lot. You're very confident. Are you sure you can capture me, your senpai?"
"Only one way to find out," Diarmuid said, his mouth curling into a smile.
Dragon didn't press the issue. He sat casually on the lid of a nearby trash can, as if he didn't even notice the dirt. Diarmuid leaned against the wall, smoking his cigar and waiting for the story.
"Where should I begin?" Dragon mused, touching his chin.
"Start in the year 1496. When you met Ivankov, the captain of the Kamabakka Kingdom's guard…" Diarmuid said softly.
A flash of surprise appeared in Dragon's eyes. He looked at Diarmuid with a stunned expression.
"What's wrong? You didn't really think you could fool Admiral Sengoku and Garp-san without fooling me, did you?" Diarmuid teased, seeing Dragon's reaction.
"I honestly did. I thought no one in the Marines would notice something so minor," Dragon said, nodding. He then laughed again, praising Diarmuid. "You really are the one who deduced that Roger would become the Pirate King and that the Roger Pirates would disband from just a few clues. Your mind is truly brilliant."
"It seems you still have a handle on what's happening in the Marines. Do you have a spy?" Diarmuid said with a shrug.
"Who knows?" Dragon smiled, not answering.
Dropping the topic of the Marines, Dragon asked, "So, you all knew? You knew that I wanted to leave the Marines since then?"
"No. Just me," Diarmuid replied, shaking his head.
Dragon was taken aback again, and a complex expression appeared on his face. "That's truly unexpected…"
"I just decided to do one last favor for an old friend," Diarmuid said, waving a hand.
"Thank you for that," Dragon said, nodding. He then rubbed his chin again before speaking. "But if you really want the root cause, it started when I was fifteen. I was shaken, but I grew up in the Marines, under their halo, and I deliberately chose to ignore the problems I saw. But in the end, I had to be honest with myself. I couldn't turn a blind eye to these issues and wear a coat with the word 'Justice' on it without feeling guilty."
"Can I take that as an insult to the Marines?" Diarmuid said, exhaling a puff of smoke.
"You can. Because it is," Dragon said bluntly.
Diarmuid looked at him, shook his head, and stayed silent.
"This world isn't fair, and it isn't reasonable. I know the world is never completely fair or completely reasonable. But there must be a limit. And to me, everything has crossed that limit.
"The World Government, after eight hundred years of ruling, has lost its way. This organization, which is supposed to represent justice and order, is rotten to the core. That corruption will only plunge the world into a deeper darkness. I believe that the World Government will bring more disaster to the world than pirates will.
"And what's truly sad is that the Marines, who are supposed to be just, can't change this status quo; they even become accomplices… I can no longer stay in the Marines after realizing that. That is why I left," Dragon said softly, looking at Diarmuid.
Diarmuid scratched his head. "Dragon, are you sure you're not joking?"
"I'm sure," Dragon said, nodding.
"So you left the Marines to change the world. Based on what you just said, I can assume you're planning to take action against the World Government in the future?" Diarmuid asked again.
"In fact, I'm already preparing for it," Dragon said openly.
"And you must know what kind of chaos and disaster your actions will bring to this world, right?" Diarmuid asked.
Dragon paused. His expression turned serious as he said, "I know. And countless people will die because of me."
"Then…" Diarmuid murmured, but before he could finish, Dragon cut him off.
"Change always requires bloodshed. You and I are not so naive, Diarmuid. You should know, from your time in North Blue, just how broken this world is. What you saw when you walked here was your own past, wasn't it?"
"That's why I worked so hard to live a better life, to have more power, status, and strength," Diarmuid said in a low voice.
"And now you have it. No matter where you go now, you'll live a good life. You chose to escape when you were weak. But now that you're strong, shouldn't you take on more responsibility and change this damned world?" Dragon said, his voice full of conviction.
You've got to be kidding me. With that charisma, you could be a president, Diarmuid thought to himself. He knew that if he weren't a transmigrator, he probably would have been convinced.
Seeing that Diarmuid was silent, Dragon thought he had gotten to him. He softened his tone and said with a smile, "You always said you hadn't found your justice, but I know you were just avoiding the truth. Diarmuid, deep down, you and I both know the Marines can't truly represent justice. You're a kind person, very talented, and now incredibly strong. It's time to show the world what you stand for. Come and join me, Diarmuid. If we work together, we can change the world."
Diarmuid shook his head before Dragon could say anything more. "I'll be frank with you. I don't care if the Marines represent justice or how corrupt the World Government is. Don't think I'm so noble, and don't try to fool me with that persuasive talk, Dragon… You might have a noble ideal, but we aren't on the same path. So I'm sorry, but I refuse your invitation."
Dragon was stunned for a moment. He finally shook his head in disappointment. "That's truly disappointing."
Silence fell between them.
Dragon sat on the filthy trash can, looking at Diarmuid.
Diarmuid calmly finished his cigar and tossed it into a puddle on the street. As the ember went out, Diarmuid slowly rested his hand on the hilt of his Nagasone Kotetsu.
A few swirling winds began to pick up around Dragon.
In the tense silence, they both moved at the same time. A flash of cold light appeared as Diarmuid's Nagasone Kotetsu left its sheath. A powerful surge of gravity burst from the blade.
"Gravity Blade: Tiger's Bite!" Diarmuid bellowed. The gravity, freed from the blade, morphed into a roaring tiger that instantly tore down the walls on both sides of the alley as it charged at Dragon.
"Dragon Claw!" Dragon shouted. He held out his hand like a claw, wrapped in Armament Haki. He didn't try to avoid Diarmuid's gravity blade. He grabbed it and crushed the gravity-tiger with a single squeeze.
But in the next instant, Diarmuid's Nagasone Kotetsu, wrapped in a cold glint of light, was already in front of Dragon.
"Sealed Prison: Gravity!" Diarmuid thought. An invisible force of gravity instantly enveloped Dragon's body. The metal trash can was crushed into a flat sheet by the force. The ground sank by a few centimeters, becoming incredibly dense. Dragon was forced to his knees, but his spine remained perfectly straight.
"Your sword has gotten a lot heavier…" Dragon said.
"Well, I've got to tame a giant dragon…" Diarmuid said with a smile.
"Unfortunately, your power is useless against me," Dragon said softly. As soon as the words left his mouth, he dissipated into the air like a gust of wind, vanishing in front of Diarmuid.
"A Logia?" Diarmuid muttered with a frown. When Dragon first appeared, Diarmuid was already trying to figure out what his ability was. It seemed like a Logia, perhaps a Wind-Wind Fruit, but he had a feeling it wasn't that simple.
Now was not the time to think about it. As Dragon dissipated, Diarmuid turned and slashed behind him.
Clang!
An arm wrapped in Armament Haki blocked Diarmuid's attack.
"I told you, I have my Observation Haki on all the time…" Diarmuid said.
"Honestly, your growth has been faster than I expected. I was already trying my best to overestimate you. It seems you've truly earned the name 'Ferocious Tiger of Marine Headquarters,'" Dragon said with a smile.
"Maybe, but it also seems like I still have a long way to go to catch up to you? You look like you're having too much fun," Diarmuid replied, a gleam in his eyes.
"Heh, heh. Well, I am your senpai, after all," Dragon said, not denying it.
Diarmuid pulled his Nagasone Kotetsu out and plunged it into the shattered wall beside him, letting go of the hilt. He then swung his other arm, throwing a punch. His powerful punch, wrapped in Armament Haki, slammed into Dragon's arm, sending Dragon staggering back two steps from the sheer force.
When Dragon tried to counter, he realized that Diarmuid had released the pressure from his punch.
Weightlessness? Dragon thought in surprise.
It wasn't that Dragon was weightless, but Diarmuid had made himself weightless. In this state, his speed reached its peak. In an instant, he had changed his move and pulled his fist back. At the same time, he restored the gravity to his body, and applied immense pressure on top of it. At that exact moment, Diarmuid's elbow struck out.
Everything happened too fast. Dragon only had time to wrap his chest in Haki before Diarmuid's elbow hit him, sending him flying backward like a cannonball, blasting through more than a dozen houses.
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