Diarmuid possessed formidable strength, and now that Imu had departed from this world, in the understanding of Sengoku and the others, there was likely no one left who could keep him in check.
With both him and Sakazuki stationed in the New World, there was indeed no need to worry about the pirates stirring up any major trouble. Even against an alliance of three Yonko, they should be able to hold the line, at the very least, they could endure long enough to wait for reinforcements. It wouldn't come to a point where enemies could strike directly at Mariejois.
Moreover, having this guy attend meetings in Mariejois was practically useless; he just slept through them like a glorified mascot. Rather than keeping him here, it was better to let him loose in the New World.
"Very well," Sengoku said after a moment's thought, nodding his approval.
Diarmuid felt a surge of joy. Can I finally leave Mariejois? In an instant, his legs, which had been somewhat weak, no longer felt shaky, and his back, sore from a bit too much "conquering," no longer ached. He felt as if the beautiful New World was beckoning to him.
"Great," Diarmuid said with a grin.
Just then, Gion spoke up: "Then I'll go too..."
Before she could finish, Diarmuid quickly interrupted: "No, the defense work at Mariejois cannot be neglected. Besides, there's still a massive influx of national representatives heading this way. Most importantly, after I leave, I want you to represent me in the Reverie."
When Sakazuki left, he had Kuzan represent him at the world summit. As an Admiral, Diarmuid had the same privilege, and he intended to let Gion take his place.
If the currently very vengeful Gion followed him to the New World, his combat effectiveness against Whitebeard would drop by three standard deviations. There was no helping it, his legs would be jelly!
As Gion prepared to argue, Sengoku also nodded. "Diarmuid is right. Gion, you stay here and attend the meetings in his stead."
Seeing that even the Fleet Admiral had spoken, Gion had no choice despite her displeasure. She shot Diarmuid a fierce glare but didn't say another word.
Diarmuid breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and stood up. "No time like the present. No one knows when those scum in the New World will start making trouble. I'll head out now to rendezvous with Sakazuki."
"Mmm. Diarmuid, be cautious in all things," Sengoku advised once more.
"I know," Diarmuid replied with a nod.
After bidding farewell to the others, Diarmuid turned and left the former Gorosei's office. He went back to pack his things and arranged for a warship. Soon, Diarmuid was ready to leave Mariejois with Vergo in tow.
At the port of Mariejois facing the New World, Diarmuid had just stepped off the Bondola when he saw Doflamingo waiting for him.
The man was still wearing his flamboyant pink feathered mantle, an open white shirt, loud patterned leggings, and pointed loafers. His hands were in his pockets, and his posture was slightly hunched, giving him a bit of a slouching look, yet this delinquent style somehow looked stylish on him. His orange sunglasses were on, and a devilish smirk played on his lips.
Upon seeing Diarmuid, Doflamingo laughed, "Fuffuffuffu, leaving together?"
"You're the King of Dressrosa, aren't you? The Reverie hasn't even finished, and you're already planning to skip out early?" Diarmuid said with a smile.
Doflamingo didn't care in the slightest. He waved a hand and said, "What's the point of the meetings? Listening to them squabble over power and profit is too boring. Dressrosa doesn't need any of that, and I have no interest in fighting for it. Better to go to the New World and witness the final curtain call of this era."
The final curtain call of the era?
Diarmuid glanced at Doflamingo. One had to admit, this guy's instincts were very sharp. Of course, it also had much to do with the fact that Diarmuid had used his Den Den Mushi to talk to Sakazuki right in front of him; Doflamingo knew exactly what he was planning.
To Doflamingo, watching those mundane people fight for power in Mariejois held no interest. He'd much rather go to the New World and see how Diarmuid swept the last obstacles of this era into the dustbin of history.
"Then let's go together," Diarmuid nodded.
Doflamingo didn't board his own ship, the Numancia Flamingo; instead, he followed Diarmuid onto the Marine warship. Soon, the massive vessel departed from the port and entered the seas of the New World.
On the deck, Diarmuid looked out at the long-missed ocean scenery. Suddenly remembering something, he turned to Doflamingo. "By the way, Rosinante has been released from Impel Down."
Doflamingo, who had been looking at the sea in high spirits, froze for a moment. The smile faded from his face, replaced by a complex expression as he drifted into thought.
Just as Diarmuid had guessed, the moment Sengoku settled things at Mariejois, he immediately had his "son" released from Impel Down. He had long since forgiven Rosinante for what happened back then.
While Rosinante was a bit of a klutz, he was a good person at heart. He had botched the Op-Op Fruit mission, but the primary loss had been on the side of the old Mariejois regime. Now that the situation had changed and no one cared about him anymore, his release was natural.
However, he had ultimately violated Marine regulations and, theoretically, "betrayed" the Navy. Thus, even though he was out, and his father was the Fleet Admiral, Rosinante could not rejoin the Marines. Nor did he have the face to do so.
Trafalgar Law was now a Marine, essentially inheriting Rosinante's dream. Rosinante had returned to Marineford as a military dependent; he would likely open a small shop in the residential area and live out the rest of his life in peace.
"My good mood has been completely ruined by you. Why bring up that bastard?" Doflamingo said, sounding somewhat annoyed.
"Tch, as far as I'm concerned, neither of you brothers is in the right. Neither of you is a 'good' person," Diarmuid clicked his tongue.
Doflamingo flared up at this, saying dissatisfiedly, "When we left Mariejois, when there wasn't enough food, I made sure he ate first. If there was water, he drank first. Why? Because he was my brother. After everything that happened, I was the one protecting him because I was the older brother. Then he got lost and was picked up and raised by you Marines. To be honest, I was actually quite grateful to you guys for that, at least Corazon survived. But then what? He actually became your undercover spy to take down his own brother! He even betrayed me for that outsider brat, Law! Tell me, how did I ever fail him?"
Hearing it like that, it almost sounded as if Rosinante was the one who had wronged Doflamingo.
However, Diarmuid spoke up: "You killed his father. And you intended for him to eat the Op-Op Fruit just so he could sacrifice himself to perform the Perpetual Youth Surgery on you..."
Doflamingo: "???"
His aggressive momentum instantly withered.
Yes, Doflamingo had actually been very good to Rosinante, basically meeting the standards of a good older brother. But killing their own father was a stain he could never wash away, and a hurdle Rosinante could never get over. Of course, their father really was a disaster.
Aside from that, Doflamingo's desire for Rosinante to become the Op-Op Fruit user completely shattered his "good brother" image. In truth, he had been obsessed; if the Op-Op Fruit hadn't appeared, Doflamingo likely wouldn't have had those thoughts. But regardless of the reason, he couldn't explain it away now.
Losing the moral high ground, Doflamingo wanted to say something but didn't know how. Finally, he just huffed coldly and turned his head away in feigned annoyance.
Seeing his tsundere act, Diarmuid couldn't help but want to laugh. "Do you want to visit him at Marineford later?"
Doflamingo was clearly tempted. Though his sunglasses obscured his eyes, one could tell from his expression that he wanted to go. But after a minute or two of hesitation, the impulse vanished.
He looked out at the azure waves of the ocean. After a long silence, as if laying down a heavy burden, he shook his head. "No."
Diarmuid rested his hand on the railing, his gaze also fixed on the sea, as he softly asked, "Is that so?"
"Back then on Minion Island, he pointed a gun at me, and I pointed one at him... at that moment, there was no going back. The moment I pulled the trigger, I considered him dead in my heart," Doflamingo said softly.
Suddenly, he laughed again. "I, Doflamingo, am a notorious villain of the seas. Rosinante is the polar opposite. Even if we got together, we'd do nothing but clash. Let it be like this. I'll treat him as dead, and he wouldn't want a brother like me anyway. The world is big; we'll each walk our own path."
"As long as you're happy," Diarmuid shrugged.
He had no intention of meddling in the final resolution between the two brothers. He had only shared the news with Doflamingo out of their personal acquaintance. Since the choice was made, so be it.
The two stood side-by-side on the deck, feeling the sea breeze and watching the water. After a while, Doflamingo suddenly spoke up: "I've lost interest."
"What?" Diarmuid responded, not quite understanding.
"I've been away from Dressrosa for so long, I'm starting to feel a bit homesick. I won't continue with you. Come to think of it, the final curtain of this era can be seen from anywhere; no need to follow you. I'm heading back to Dressrosa," Doflamingo said quietly, his eyes on the distant horizon.
"Is that so?"
Diarmuid looked at Doflamingo's handsome profile and chuckled. "Then get lost already..."
"Fuffuffuffu, what a heartless guy. We're supposed to be good friends; aren't you going to try and make me stay?" Doflamingo turned to Diarmuid, his trademark smirk returning.
"I am a grand Marine Admiral, a representative of Justice. How could I be 'good friends' with a villain of the seas like you? Give it a rest and get lost," Diarmuid said with a laugh.
Doflamingo smiled and didn't speak. He raised his hand, and an invisible white string shot into the sky, anchoring itself to an unknown cloud.
However, just as the Heavenly Yaksha was about to perform his signature move and ride the clouds away, Diarmuid suddenly called out, "Wait."
He pulled a small vial from his coat, looking like a medicinal bottle, filled with a clear liquid.
"Here," Diarmuid said, handing it to Doflamingo.
Doflamingo: "???" What's this?
But since it was something Diarmuid was giving him, he reached out and took it, then asked, "What is it?"
"The Fountain of Youth. I'm sure you know what that means," Diarmuid smiled.
Doflamingo was stunned. He certainly knew what it was. Recalling the youthful appearances of Tsuru and Sengoku, he understood everything.
"I see..." Doflamingo murmured. Then he smirked and said, "Don't think I'm going to say thank you."
"Just get lost," Diarmuid waved him off.
Doflamingo's grin widened. He said no more, tugged on his string, and was yanked into the sky. Like a true Heavenly Yaksha, he flew off freely through the air.
At that moment, Doflamingo's figure paused in the sky. He looked back at Diarmuid and suddenly called out, "Thanks, Diarmuid."
As the words fell, Doflamingo turned and departed once more.
A smile appeared on Diarmuid's face as he murmured softly, "Didn't you say you wouldn't say thank you? Bastard..."
In truth, Diarmuid hadn't planned on giving Doflamingo the Fountain of Youth at first. But for some reason... perhaps he felt that the world would be much more boring without Doflamingo in it? Or perhaps, in the end, he really did consider this villain a friend.
Tucking his thoughts away, Diarmuid waved his hand and shouted, "Quick, quick! Full speed ahead!"
All good things must come to an end. Doflamingo was gone, no longer clinging to his coattails; he was off to start his own new life.