G-1 was not very far from Mariejois. By the time Diarmuid reached the base, the sun had not yet set. As a Marine Admiral, he still commanded a certain level of prestige.
Sakazuki was already at the port waiting for him. Watching Diarmuid's warship dock, a stiff smile tugged at Sakazuki's lips. He had always been on good terms with Diarmuid; despite the man's often unreliable appearance, anyone who worked with him quickly realized he was incredibly dependable.
As the person in charge of the New World's overall situation, Sakazuki appeared infinitely powerful, but the burden on his shoulders was immense. His urgent report to Fleet Admiral Sengoku hadn't been an exaggeration—the threat was real. If the pirates decided to risk everything and launch a surprise attack during this transition period, even he might have struggled to hold the line alone.
But now that Diarmuid was here, Sakazuki felt as though he could finally let go of the constraints that had been tying his hands.
Once the warship was secured, the gangplank was lowered. Diarmuid soon descended from the ship. He wore black wear-resistant cargo pants, high-top military boots, and a white short-sleeved shirt, with his "Justice" coat draped over his shoulders. His black hair was slightly messy yet sharp. He remained as handsome as ever, the undisputed "visual center" of the male Marines.
A half-burned cigar was clenched between his teeth, trailing wisps of smoke. Uncharacteristically, he wore a pair of black sunglasses, giving him a dashing and heroic air. A cool sea breeze swept past, lifting the hem of his greatcoat.
Spotting Sakazuki, Diarmuid raised a hand, smoothly took off his sunglasses, and smiled as he walked over.
"This guy..." Sakazuki looked at him with a hint of amusement. Not seeing him for two months, it felt like Diarmuid had become even more flamboyant. He seemed to be truly cutting loose.
However, just as Sakazuki raised his hand to greet him, he saw Diarmuid stumble. His aura suddenly became chaotic, and he nearly collapsed.
Sakazuki: "???" Is he severely injured?
Diarmuid scrambled forward two steps, barely steadying himself to avoid falling flat on his face. Standing rooted to the spot, he was equally shocked. He wasn't injured, far from it. He had been fine on the way over. Though he'd been a bit tired lately, that was just from "tilling the fields" too much; it wasn't enough to cause an exhaustion-induced collapse.
Woom!
A mysterious force rippled out from within Diarmuid, only to be rapidly pulled back in. From a short distance away, Sakazuki felt the space around Diarmuid warping. The singularity of that distortion was Diarmuid himself! This mysterious power surged through him several times, making his aura increasingly unstable.
He had no idea what was happening!
Sakazuki stood not far away, not daring to move rashly for fear that his intervention might inadvertently harm Diarmuid.
The phenomenon came as quickly as it went. After flickering several times, the mysterious force vanished. The turbulence in Diarmuid's aura settled, and the distorted space returned to normal.
"Hey, what's going on? Are you hurt?" Sakazuki finally rushed to his side, grabbing his arm to steady him.
He thought he was getting high-level reinforcements. Did he just receive a casualty?
Diarmuid leaned on Sakazuki to find his footing, then waved a hand and shook his head. "No. I ate well and slept well in Mariejois. No one was causing trouble, how could I be hurt?"
"Then what was that just now?" Sakazuki asked again.
Diarmuid shook his head, looking completely bewildered. "I don't know. This is the first time it's happened..." Before he could finish, he sensed a familiar presence rapidly fading from his surroundings.
"A space-time aura!?" Diarmuid cried out in surprise.
Sakazuki: "???"
His brow furrowed. "Space-time aura? The thing that Imu spoke of? Don't tell me she did something to you? Dammit!"
Diarmuid shook his head. "No, she wouldn't do that..."
It wouldn't make sense. She had already left this world; why would she bother playing a trick on him? They didn't have a grudge; on the contrary, they'd shared a "friendly match" at the end. Imulia had no reason to sabotage him.
It felt more like Diarmuid had inadvertently triggered something. Perhaps the catalyst was Uranus? Imulia likely hadn't known about this either.
They waited for another five minutes, but nothing else happened. It was as if the incident had been a hallucination. But both Diarmuid and Sakazuki knew it was real.
"Should be fine now," Diarmuid said after a moment's thought. Maybe I'm overthinking? Just an after-effect of the Uranus inspection?
He used the Rokushiki technique Life Return and Observation Haki to perform an internal scan of his body. He found absolutely nothing wrong. He was as strong as a bull.
Seeing that Diarmuid was truly okay and unable to determine the cause, Sakazuki let the matter drop. He teased with a smirk, "I thought I brought in a helper, but did I just get a burden instead?"
"You looking for a fight?" Diarmuid rolled his eyes.
"Do you need a doctor to check you over first?" Sakazuki ignored the jab, his tone turning caring.
Diarmuid nodded. "Even though I feel fine, facts are facts. It's better to be cautious. Let's do a check-up."
Soon, Sakazuki led Diarmuid into the G-1 Marine Base. While called a base, it was actually a massive fortress. G-1 had originally been planned as the "Alternative Marine Headquarters." As a top-tier global power, how could the Navy not have a backup plan? In the event of a catastrophe, natural disaster, or any situation where Marineford could no longer function as the headquarters, the emergency plan would be activated, and G-1 would become the new heart of the Navy.
Therefore, G-1 was enormous, an island no smaller than Marineford, built entirely to Headquarters specifications. It was the Navy's most important military stronghold in the New World. Although G-1 held a special status, Diarmuid hadn't visited often, only stopping by occasionally while traveling through the New World.
He recalled that Sakazuki had always been one of the primary figures in charge of G-1. He likely took over this duty right after becoming a Vice Admiral. At that time, Diarmuid hadn't yet joined the Navy at Marineford, so he wasn't entirely clear on the history.
Essentially, G-1 was to Sakazuki what G-7 was to Diarmuid. It was one of the "headquarters" for the Marine Hawks. This was why the Hawk faction was so powerful within the Navy.
A large group of top-tier Marine doctors performed a comprehensive set of tests on Diarmuid. By the time everything was finished, night had fallen. The final conclusion: Admiral Diarmuid was in peak health, with no abnormalities whatsoever. He was so strong he could probably punch a Sea King to death with zero effort.
This left both Diarmuid and Sakazuki puzzled. If his body was fine, what had happened earlier? Since there were no theoretical issues, Diarmuid eventually stopped worrying about it.
Sitting on a sofa, he took a sip of tea and asked, "Alright, let's forget about that incident. It's not a major issue anyway..."
"You are a Marine Admiral, one of our figureheads and currently one of the world's highest combatants," Sakazuki said with a small smile. "If something happens to you, how could I not be concerned?"
Diarmuid smiled back. "Maybe it really is time for me to retire to the second line..."
Diarmuid had already been entertaining this idea and had secured Sengoku's permission. Now, with this strange physical occurrence, he felt even less suited to continue causing trouble on the front lines.
Sakazuki was stunned. "What did you just say?" he asked, his brow furrowing.
"I said it's time to move to the second line," Diarmuid repeated.
Sakazuki was incredulous. "You're so young. Why would you think that? You don't want to be Fleet Admiral anymore?"
"Yeah," Diarmuid nodded, then asked curiously, "Didn't I tell you?"
Sakazuki: "???" When the hell did you tell me? I still have you pegged as my biggest rival!
"No!" Sakazuki said grimly.
"Must have forgotten. Oh right, you'd already left Mariejois on the day of the meeting... I only recently made up my mind. I don't plan on continuing as an active-duty Admiral, and I'm not going to fight for the Fleet Admiral position. I plan to step back to the second line, just like Zephyr-sensei."
As he listened, Sakazuki's expression became complex. He didn't doubt Diarmuid was telling the truth. What would be the point of lying about this? Given Diarmuid's status and credibility, there was no reason to use such a lie to lower Sakazuki's guard.
His greatest competitor for the Fleet Admiral position had just bowed out voluntarily. This should have been news that made him happy. But Sakazuki couldn't bring himself to be happy at all. It was just... complicated.
I prepared myself to face you, to go all out and compete against you, Diarmuid. Whether I won or lost, I would have known I put my life into the effort. And now, just as we reach the final stretch, you're quitting? This is incredibly frustrating! What happened to our fair fight and determining the winner?
As annoyed as he felt, it was even more impossible for Sakazuki to try and talk Diarmuid out of it or ask him to change his mind. He wasn't crazy. Besides, if he were the one to say it, it would come off as hypocritical.
After much thought, Sakazuki could only look at Diarmuid with a touch of melancholy. "If you've made this decision... truly, I am full of regret."
Those words were sincere.
Diarmuid smiled, not minding the sentiment. "Hasn't being Fleet Admiral been your lifelong dream? So, work hard, Sakazuki."
"You sound like an old senior. It's annoying," Sakazuki rolled his eyes.
"In terms of time spent as an Admiral, I actually am your senior," Diarmuid said shamelessly.
"I've been a Marine far longer than you!" Sakazuki barked.
Then, both men burst into laughter.
"Alright, enough of that," Diarmuid shifted the tone, getting down to business. "Is it true that the whereabouts of Whitebeard and the others can't be found?"