"Pursuing ideals and ambitions, huh?" Doflamingo murmured with a touch of sentiment.
In truth, the reason his relationship with Diarmuid had progressed to the point of becoming genuine friends during this time in Mariejois was that their current situations and mindsets were remarkably similar. They could find common ground on almost any topic.
Diarmuid was currently feeling a bit lost and directionless because of Imu's departure. He simply didn't know what to do next. The position of Fleet Admiral he had once chased now seemed to have lost its luster. As for power, he had basically reached the ceiling of what this world could offer.
He was hollow, unsure of which way to go. Could he simply retire in glory and wait for death? Or, now that he had achieved the milestone of immortality, should he research some other talents or crafts? He didn't need to go as far as Imu, like mastering the world's languages, literature, or inventing things, but picking up singing, dancing, rapping, or basketball shouldn't be a problem, right?
The only issue was that Diarmuid hadn't settled on any answers yet.
Doflamingo was in the same boat. Ever since he was driven out of Mariejois as a child, he had been filled with hatred for this place and the entire world. He wanted to destroy everything. As he grew older, he became slightly less extreme, but he still burned with the desire for revenge against Mariejois and the Celestial Dragons.
That had been his lifelong pursuit and purpose.
But ever since he hitched his wagon to Diarmuid, his goals had advanced at lightning speed. And now, they were fully realized!
The World Government was finished, now rebranded as the "Pan-Global Covenant United Organization." Its membership had been purged, and the Gorosei were gone. As for the Celestial Dragons, while Doflamingo hadn't personally killed many, the "tribe" as a social class had been eradicated from Mariejois. With the fall of these obstacles, the hatred that had once consumed him had dissipated over the last few months.
His goal was achieved. Something he thought might take a lifetime to accomplish was over. Thus, Doflamingo was also lost. He didn't know what to do with himself.
So, wealthy and aimless, Doflamingo ended up spending a fortune to buy back the Donquixote Family estate in Mariejois and settled down. It was simple and unpretentious. He even attended the Reverie every day. Was it because he was interested in politics? In the past, maybe, it would have been a great way to show off. But now, he truly didn't care. If it weren't for the fact that he was bored out of his mind, he would have left Mariejois long ago.
Two men, equally idle, hollow inside, having lost their goals and unable to find a direction, loitered around Mariejois together. Their already decent relationship naturally became even closer.
"Yeah, pursuing ideals and ambitions is nice. Thinking about it now, when I first set my goals, I should have made them grander. That way, I wouldn't be losing my way like this," Doflamingo said with a chuckle.
Diarmuid nodded. "Exactly. One needs a grand goal."
Just look at Imulia, first she rules the world, then she traverses worlds. Truly peerless. Diarmuid had seen many heroes, but she was the only one that impressive...
"Forget it, I'm just borrowing trouble. I'll find something eventually," Diarmuid grumbled. Then, changing the subject, he asked, "By the way, you're well-informed. Anything happening in the New World? Weren't Whitebeard and the other two supposed to join forces? Why hasn't there been any movement?"
"Stussy-sama is the one who's truly well-informed. Why ask me?" Doflamingo asked, puzzled.
"Ahem..." Diarmuid coughed awkwardly. Was he supposed to tell him that during this time with the Queen, he had been in a constant state of passivity? He had been "ravaged" quite thoroughly! When would he have had the chance to ask about world news?
"Mind your business. Can't I just cross-reference information?" Diarmuid said stubbornly.
Doflamingo smiled and nodded. "Sure, sure. Cross-reference however you like."
After a brief pause, Doflamingo continued, "There have indeed been changes in the New World. A while ago, while Sakazuki was holding the line there, the Whitebeard Pirates, the Beasts Pirates, and the Big Mom Pirates did indeed form an alliance. If nothing had gone wrong, they should have launched a major offensive by now. In fact, there have been probing attacks lately. However, the news from Mariejois leaked out yesterday. From the intelligence I received today, it seems all their movements have ceased again..."
Doflamingo was bored, so he was quite interested in world news, hoping to find something inspiring or valuable.
"So after all that, it's because you deactivated the Birdcage?" Diarmuid rolled his eyes.
"Hey, hey, you guys were the ones who told me to open it!" Doflamingo said, annoyed. He was just the tool here!
"Now the whole world knows the World Government has fallen. You Marines have stirred up the greatest tide of the era in eight hundred years, overturning Mariejois in one go. The trends of the times, the global structure, the shifts in power… a massive reshuffling is imminent. At a time like this, even if it seemingly has nothing to do with the pirates of the New World, how could a change large enough to flip the world really be irrelevant to them? I imagine Whitebeard and the others were shocked when they got the news. They're likely staying quiet now, waiting for the situation to clear up before making their next move... Of course, this is just my speculation. If I were in their shoes, I'd definitely go to ground and watch how things play out," Doflamingo added.
Diarmuid nodded. This made sense. When the world changes so drastically, anyone would want to see how the dust settles.
"They want to watch? Well, I won't let them," Diarmuid said suddenly.
Doflamingo: "???"
"Since I'm bored and about to grow mold, I might as well find some work... They want to observe? Heh, we'll just launch a preemptive strike and be done with it," Diarmuid sneered.
"The Navy is a massive organization; you can do whatever you want. And truthfully, you do need to assert your dominance once more to establish your new authority," Doflamingo said calmly.
He wasn't worried about Diarmuid's impulsive idea. The reason was simple: he couldn't conceive of a way for the Navy to lose. How could they lose? They didn't even need a plan; they could just steamroll over everyone and win!
Perhaps Newgate, Kaido, and Charlotte Linlin, hampered by the information gap between pirates and Marines and other factors like distance, didn't have a clear grasp of the Navy's current power. For example, they knew the Navy was strong, perhaps at its strongest in decades, but if asked how strong, they couldn't give a detailed answer.
Because of this vague perception of power, they believed that by joining forces, the three of them could still contend with the Navy.
We are the Yonko!One of us can't beat the Navy? Fine, acceptable. All three of us together still can't? At the very least, we should be able to force a stalemate!
As long as they could create a deadlock where both sides would be destroyed if they fought to the end, that would be enough. They understood the principle that "porcelain shouldn't clash with pottery." History had shown that pirates could hold the New World for years precisely by relying on this logic.
The pirates were the "barefoot" ones who weren't afraid of those with "shoes." We pirates dare to risk everything; does the Navy? In most cases, the Navy didn't. Thus, as long as the situation stalled, the pirate camp could survive for a long time and even use the opportunity to grow.
That was the "survival wisdom" of pirates.
They didn't know the specifics. But Doflamingo had been running with the Navy for so long and had spent so much time at the conference in Mariejois. How could he not know how terrifyingly strong the Navy was now? Especially since he knew the true nature of the Warlords of the Sea, and that Smoker, another "Emperor," was actually a Marine.
So what the hell was there left to play for?
In Doflamingo's view, no matter how the Navy acted, they would win. So when Diarmuid spoke so arrogantly, Doflamingo thought it was perfectly normal. The Navy really did have that much confidence!
"Wiping out these pests early is a responsibility to the seas and the common people. It's the Navy's duty! As a Marine Admiral, how can I stand by while these dregs run rampant? No, I have to deal with them soon!" Diarmuid said righteously.
As he spoke, he pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
Doflamingo looked at him with amusement. "I think you just want an excuse to leave Mariejois early."
"What are you saying? I'm sacrificing my personal comfort for the greater good!" Diarmuid shot him a look.
He didn't call Fleet Admiral Sengoku; instead, he called Sakazuki on the front lines.
Though he said "front lines," Sakazuki was actually just stationed in the New World, not out killing or burning things. At Marine Base G-1, seeing the Den Den Mushi ringing on his desk, Sakazuki put down his documents and answered, "Diarmuid? What is it? Is there some new agenda at Mariejois?"
"No, I haven't been paying attention," Diarmuid replied directly.
Sakazuki: "???" Aren't you in a meeting at Mariejois?You haven't been paying attention?Then what the hell are you doing there?
Feeling confused, Sakazuki asked, "Then why are you contacting me?"
"How is the New World front? Have you started fighting?" Diarmuid asked.
Hearing this, Sakazuki said with annoyance, "Speaking of that, it pisses me off. Those spineless cowards have gone quiet again. I thought we were about to go to war!"
"That won't do, Sakazuki. You can't be like this!" Diarmuid immediately adopted a tone that said, 'You're failing at this.'
This made Sakazuki even more annoyed. If he didn't know Diarmuid's character, he would have started swearing by now. "Oh? Is that so? What's your brilliant suggestion?"
"I mean, we don't need to wait for them. Let's just go! Declare war on them and launch a new round of hostilities!" Diarmuid said without hesitation.
Sakazuki: "???"
"A guy like you should be as aggressive as a spreading fire. How can you just sit there in the New World doing defensive counter-attacks? Right?" Diarmuid added.
Sakazuki was truly tempted. But he wasn't an idiot!
"Of course I want to attack. But the problem is, aren't you all in a meeting right now? What am I supposed to attack with?" Sakazuki said helplessly.
Look at the lineup—Garp, Tsuru, the Fleet Admiral, the Admirals... basically all the big shots of the Navy were at the conference in Mariejois. The only "big shot" here in the New World was Sakazuki himself.
While he held the title of "Greatest Military Power: Marine Admiral"... you want me to lead the Navy into war alone? To take on Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido by myself?
That would literally be the death of me!
Sakazuki was aggressive, yes. But he wasn't stupid!
Could this guy Diarmuid be trying to use someone else's blade to kill me? Trying to eliminate his biggest rival for the position of Fleet Admiral?
He shouldn't be that despicable, right?
"Be honest, aren't you setting me up?"