At Marine Headquarters, Marineford, in the office of Chief of Staff Tsuru, Diarmuid sat on a couch, his fingers running over the broken half of his sword, Nagasone Kotetsu.
The injury from his fight with Charlotte Linlin wasn't serious. By the time he returned to Headquarters, it had already scabbed over.
Still, whenever he saw the broken pieces of his prized sword, which had been with him for years, Diarmuid felt a pang of frustration.
He and Borsalino had parted ways in the New World. Borsalino hadn't brought Vegapunk to Headquarters; instead, he had received orders from Admiral Sengoku to take the doctor directly to Punk Hazard.
Diarmuid had visited the famous doctor along the way, hoping to chat. However, the doctor was clearly in a bad mood and didn't want to talk. It made sense; Vegapunk had been minding his own business on Hogley Island, just living his life, when the Marines kidnapped him. After the kidnapping, they forced him to work for the Marine Science Unit. It would have been strange if he had a good attitude toward the people who took him.
While Diarmuid was curious about what genius ideas filled Vegapunk's brain, ideas supposedly 500 years ahead of the world, he was no scientist. Since Dr. Vegapunk gave him the cold shoulder, Diarmuid didn't bother to press the matter. He tried to talk to him twice, but after that, he left the doctor alone.
He wasn't the head of the Science Unit, and Borsalino would be working there for the next two decades. He had no intention of stealing Borsalino's position, so why bother with Vegapunk?
Diarmuid didn't get involved, but Borsalino took great care of Vegapunk during their trip. Vegapunk wasn't truly as stubborn as he seemed; otherwise, he would have killed himself like other scholars instead of working for the Marines for over twenty years, even if it was under duress.
When he learned that Borsalino was the Supreme Commander of the Marine Science Unit, he gave him some respect, and by the end of their journey, their conversations could almost be described as pleasant.
Borsalino went directly to Punk Hazard, while Diarmuid returned to Marineford to report. After briefing Sengoku and Kong and taking a day to rest, he went to visit his old superior, Chief of Staff Tsuru.
Seeing Diarmuid absently stroking his broken blade, Tsuru put her files away and asked with a smile, "What's on your mind, Diarmuid?"
"I'm thinking about Doflamingo," Diarmuid said, snapping out of his daze and smiling.
"Doflamingo? That Donquixote kid?" Tsuru looked surprised.
"Yeah," Diarmuid nodded.
"Gion told me you two met. What happened? Why are you thinking about him? He's a lot of trouble; I advise you not to get involved with him," Tsuru said, shaking her head. After a brief pause, she added, "Speaking of which, Rosinante just left."
Diarmuid was startled. If she hadn't mentioned Rosinante, he would have forgotten about his former junior. He felt a bit of nostalgia thinking about how Rosinante used to peel apples for him. He remembered Rosinante was working for the Intelligence Division under Tsuru, as Diarmuid himself had come from the same division.
"He left? Where did he go? Back to Doflamingo?" Diarmuid asked. Rosinante's identity was a closely guarded secret in the Marines. Few people knew he had the blood of a Celestial Dragon and was Doflamingo's younger brother. But Diarmuid and Tsuru knew.
Tsuru nodded. "Yes, he left a few days ago. As a Marine Commander, he accepted the mission to infiltrate the Donquixote Family."
"That's pretty dangerous," Diarmuid said softly.
"I know. Sengoku didn't want him to go, but he insisted. He said he wanted to prove to Sengoku that he wouldn't be a disgrace to him, and he told me he was sad he couldn't say goodbye to you before he left," Tsuru said with a smile.
Diarmuid's face twitched slightly. 'Prove he wouldn't be a disgrace to Sengoku? That kid almost ruined Sengoku later on.'
But even though Rosinante was a bit of a naive martyr with a knack for causing trouble for his allies, he had saved Diarmuid's life and had taken care of him during his time at Headquarters. He had also played a big role in helping him get closer to Sengoku.
'If I get the chance in the future, I'll save him on Minion Island. And while I'm at it, I can torment Doflamingo a bit more. Two birds with one stone.'
"If he's that determined, you shouldn't stop him. Let him go," Diarmuid said. "His background makes it difficult for him to join the Marine Academy and get promoted, and Sengoku is too protective of him. Letting him go out and train will give him some credentials and merits, so he can get a proper promotion and a pay raise when he gets back."
"That's what I thought, too. Rosinante might not have much talent in combat, but he's great at intelligence gathering. It would be good for him to stay in the Intelligence Division in the future," Tsuru said, nodding. After a brief pause, she asked again, "So, why are you thinking about Doflamingo? Did you get involved with him?"
"You could say that," Diarmuid said, stroking the broken blade. Before Tsuru could press him, he continued, "I got this Nagasone Kotetsu from Doflamingo and his family in North Blue back in 1496. It's been with me for five years, and I've grown attached to it. It really breaks my heart that Charlotte Linlin broke it. Now I don't have a good sword on me, and I feel like half my power is gone. I was just wondering if that scumbag Doflamingo has another top-tier sword I could take from him."
Tsuru's face was filled with exasperation.
Since when did a Marine talk about robbing people? And what do you mean, half your power is gone? Anyone who knows you at Headquarters knows that you're only a half-decent swordsman at best! Getting your sword broken doesn't affect you at all!
But Chief of Staff Tsuru also saw the genuine regret in Diarmuid's eyes and decided not to burst his bubble.
"Don't get involved with Doflamingo. He's nothing but trouble. As for a sword, Gion heard your blade broke, and she said she would give you her Konpira when you get back to G-7…" Tsuru said gently.
Diarmuid shook his head. "Oh no, no. Konpira is Gion's treasure. Why would I take it from her? It would be a waste in my hands. It's a lot more useful for her to use her skills."
'Now he remembers that he's not a good swordsman? But just a second ago, he said he lost half his power!' Tsuru thought, looking at Diarmuid with a strange expression. 'He's really clueless.'
As Gion's older sister, Tsuru knew that Gion had loved Konpira and had kept it by her side since she was a little girl. She wouldn't even let people touch it. So, the fact that she was willing to give it to Diarmuid meant more than anything.
In Tsuru's eyes, it was more precious than the gift of a Devil Fruit. But seeing how clueless Diarmuid was, she didn't say anything. A little bit of heartache was normal in romance. It made it all the more precious. If Gion wanted something, she had to work for it herself. At her age, Tsuru decided not to meddle.
After a few more minutes of conversation, Diarmuid said, "Chief, the Intelligence Division has a lot of connections. If you get a chance, help me keep an eye out for any top-tier swords for sale. I'll go get it."
"What rank are you looking for?" Chief of Staff Tsuru asked.
"At least the same rank as my Kotetsu, a 21 Great Grade Sword?" Diarmuid said after some thought. He didn't want a lower-tier sword like the Yamaoroshi, the Yubashiri, the Kashu, or the Shigure. With his strength, he was only going to fight powerful opponents.
Charlotte Linlin had already broken his Nagasone Kotetsu. If he got a weaker sword, he'd likely suffer the same fate. Even though Mihawk said any sword could be turned into a Black Blade, that took time and effort. In the end, a sword's quality was still important.
"21 Great Grade Swords and especially the 12 Supreme Grade Swords are incredibly rare. You were lucky to get your Nagasone Kotetsu. You're being a little greedy, aren't you? Hehe. Fine, I'll keep an eye out for you," Tsuru said with a laugh.
"Hahahaha, thank you, Chief! As for luck, I'd say mine is always pretty good," Diarmuid said with a big smile.
Tsuru looked at him for a moment, thought about all the things he'd been through, and smiled as well. "You're right. You've always been a lucky guy."
Diarmuid smiled, sheathed the broken Nagasone Kotetsu, and took a sip of his tea. "I've been so busy with G-7 and the New World lately. Anything new going on in the world that's worth my attention?"
"Anything worth paying attention to?" Tsuru rubbed her chin. "There are a few pretty powerful rookies out there. Besides Doflamingo, there's also a guy named Gecko Moria. Oh, and that former king of the Sorbet Kingdom you took out, Bartholomew Kuma, is a pirate now. He's already in the first half of the Grand Line."
"I don't care about Doflamingo or that Moria guy. But Bartholomew Kuma is definitely worth paying attention to. Even though I never fought him, his presence alone was enough for me to consider him a powerful enemy," Diarmuid said after some thought.
"Really? I think that Moria guy has a lot of potential. Too bad he's a pirate. As for Bartholomew Kuma…" Tsuru paused and continued, "His actions are strange. He never robs ordinary civilians or attacks the various kingdoms. On the contrary, even though he's a pirate, he's been taking out every other pirate he meets along the way…"
Diarmuid was startled, then he laughed. "That sounds just like him."
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