At the port of Moroni Island, Diarmuid slowly walked off the warship, taking in the sight of the bustling island. This was a spring island in the New World, with a climate that was pleasant all year round, making it very suitable for living.
Due to the chaos in the New World, the islanders seemed to have gotten used to the presence of pirates. In reality, most pirates became much more restrained after entering the New World; they no longer blindly plundered and killed.
"A Donquixote flag… It seems this place has been taken over by Doflamingo," Diarmuid said with a grin.
Hina, holding a pile of documents, nodded seriously. "That's right, Admiral. This is now Donquixote Family territory. Should we clear it out?"
"No need," Diarmuid waved his hand. "That guy's status is a bit tricky. Under normal circumstances, we Marines don't mess with him. As long as he doesn't cause trouble, I can't be bothered with him."
"Tricky?" Hina looked at Diarmuid in surprise. At her rank, she didn't have access to this kind of information.
Standing behind Hina, Vergo breathed a slight sigh of relief. It seemed this big shot didn't intend to move against his young master.
Just then, a tall, arrogant figure emerged from the crowd at the port. He was dressed in a flamboyant flamingo feather coat, with short, blond hair and a sinister smile on his lips. His skinny jeans and pointed shoes made him look like a total sea punk.
"Fuffuffufu, welcome, Admiral Diarmuid," Doflamingo said with an evil laugh, greeting Diarmuid.
Diarmuid's expression didn't change, but his eyes showed a hint of curiosity. He reached up to touch the beard on his chin. "What gave you the courage to appear before me again, Donquixote Doflamingo…?"
Doflamingo seemed to have completely forgotten the humiliation he suffered on Jaya Island. He didn't look angry at all. Instead, he chuckled. "Fuffuffuffu, I haven't been provoking you Marines lately; I've just been doing honest business. I'm even welcoming you so nicely. I don't think you would be… too rude, would you, Admiral?"
"Are you always this brave?" Diarmuid asked with a laugh. He had assumed that Doflamingo would take off and run as far as he could the moment he stepped foot on the island, only to return after he had left. But he never expected Doflamingo to appear so brazenly before him again. Did this guy never learn?
It was for the better, though. Diarmuid had wanted to find an opportunity to meet him again and deepen their "relationship" to lay the groundwork for future cooperation.
"The seas have always favored the brave, haven't they?" Doflamingo said softly.
"Your intelligence network is impressive," Diarmuid laughed.
"It's just normal business," Doflamingo said, raising an eyebrow.
"For today, since I'm in a good mood, I can't be bothered to deal with you. As long as you don't get in my way, you can do whatever you want," Diarmuid said, waving his hand. With that, he walked past Doflamingo.
It was a great opportunity for a sneak attack, but Doflamingo didn't make a move. After Diarmuid had passed him, Doflamingo turned around and asked, "May I be so bold as to ask what you're here for, Admiral Diarmuid?"
"Do I need to report to you about my business?" Diarmuid replied without turning around.
"Ah, no, but this is my turf, after all…" Doflamingo laughed.
"Are you threatening me?" Diarmuid stopped and asked softly. At the same time, the small rocks on the ground around his feet began to float up and down.
Doflamingo's heart sank, and he felt a faint sense of fear. It was true. Even though he seemed so carefree and bold right now, he actually had a faint sense of fear toward Diarmuid. To put it simply, he had a psychological trauma.
He had originally planned to get away before Diarmuid arrived, but on the one hand, he felt it would be too embarrassing if the news got out. On the other hand, he felt that Diarmuid was a unique Marine, and maybe… there could be a new breakthrough?
Suppressing the faint sense of fear, Doflamingo turned to face Diarmuid's back. "No. In fact, I hope to maintain a friendly relationship with you, Admiral Diarmuid. So what I mean is, maybe I can help you with something on this island?"
Unconsciously, Doflamingo hadn't even realized that he had changed the way he referred to Diarmuid from "you" to the more respectful "you."
Diarmuid stood still for a moment in silence, then scratched his head and turned to look at Doflamingo. "I'll give you a chance to please me, Doflamingo."
Doflamingo's eyes behind his orange sunglasses narrowed slightly. He was clearly displeased with this kind of phrasing, but he still smiled. "Thank you, Admiral."
"Blood Plague Craster is on this island, right? I don't feel like looking for him. Just tell me where he is." Diarmuid looked at Doflamingo.
Doflamingo's eyes flashed with surprise. "Craster? But he's my business partner."
"So, are you going to side with him?" Diarmuid asked with a smile.
Seeing Diarmuid's dangerous smile, Doflamingo waved his hands. "No, how could I? I'm just a little curious. From what I hear, Craster is about to become a Warlord of the Sea. In other words, the Marines…"
"It's precisely because he's about to become a Warlord of the Sea that I've come to find him," Diarmuid said calmly.
Doflamingo's eyes showed a hint of understanding. "You've come to recruit him?"
"No, I've come to eliminate him," Diarmuid said without hesitation.
Doflamingo was speechless.
At that moment, Diarmuid took a few steps toward Doflamingo and put his hand on Doflamingo's shoulder. "Doflamingo, it's not just about Craster, is it? From what I know, you're using your connections in the World Government to try and become a Warlord of the Sea, aren't you?"
Doflamingo felt Diarmuid's hand on his shoulder. He knew very well that if Diarmuid wanted to, he would be on the ground in the next second. He had already experienced that kind of humiliation on Jaya Island.
"That's right. But I can tell you, Admiral, my efforts have all failed. The people up there seem to be very resistant to the idea of me becoming a Warlord of the Sea. It's quite a shame," Doflamingo said, forcing himself to stay calm and sounding a little regretful.
In fact, Doflamingo had tried to become a Warlord of the Sea many times, but all his attempts had ended in failure. In the end, Doflamingo realized that the World Government didn't intend to let him become a Warlord of the Sea.
That's when he resorted to a desperate measure: he threatened the World Government by stealing the Heavenly Tribute. The Heavenly Tribute had a great political significance beyond its monetary value.
Ultimately, under Doflamingo's pressure, the World Government compromised and allowed him to become a Warlord of the Sea.
After that, Doflamingo used his status as a Warlord of the Sea to carry out his pirate-usurping-a-nation plan, taking over the former kingdom of his ancestors, Dressrosa.
He became a king of a country under the World Government as a pirate, and the country was a legitimate member of the World Government.
What was even more bizarre was that because of this, Doflamingo regained the right to enter Mariejois.
That's right. As the King of Dressrosa, he could openly attend the four-year Reverie. Even if the World Government found it disgusting, they had to accept his actions under the system.
Doflamingo could even get a Marine escort when traveling to Mariejois if he felt like it. In other words, after he became the King of Dressrosa, he could pull off a lot of wild stunts.
But that would all happen in the future. For now, Doflamingo hadn't obtained the Warlord of the Sea title yet.
"Is that so? That's not a shame, Doflamingo." Diarmuid took his hand off Doflamingo's shoulder. "That should be your good luck. I'll tell you this: even if you get the World Government's approval to become a Warlord of the Sea, the consequences would still be very severe if we, the Marines, don't agree."
Doflamingo was an intelligent man and seemed to have understood what Diarmuid meant. He tilted his head slightly and looked at Diarmuid. "Just like Craster?"
"Exactly," Diarmuid said with a smile. He then added, "A dead man or a prisoner can't be a Warlord of the Sea. That's the Marines' stance."
"I see…" Doflamingo murmured. He then raised his arm and pointed to a distant tower. "That guy is right there. Do you need me to block the area so he doesn't escape?"
"No need. He won't escape," Diarmuid said, waving his hand.
Doflamingo didn't insist. Instead, he asked, "So, in your opinion, is there a possibility that the Marines would approve me as a Warlord of the Sea?"
Diarmuid looked at the distant tower, then raised his hand toward it. "That depends on your sincerity, Doflamingo. So… try to please me. I actually quite admire you."
As soon as he finished speaking, before Doflamingo could reply, a purple light flashed in Diarmuid's eyes. He then clenched his hand. To Doflamingo's surprise, the distant tower instantly exploded as if it had been crushed by a massive, invisible hand!
'He's gotten even stronger…' Doflamingo thought to himself.
At the same time, a red torrent, looking like a stream of blood, shot out of the smoke and rubble of the exploded tower and landed on a tall building at the nearby port.
The civilians, as if used to this kind of disturbance, quickly scattered and fled the area.
The figure on the tall building at the port had pale skin, short blood-red hair, and crimson eyes. He was bare-chested and wore a pair of shorts with a belt. A full circle of daggers hung from the belt.
"Is that him?" Diarmuid asked.
Hina pulled a wanted poster from her pile of documents and compared it. "That's him, Blood Plague Craster."
On the other side, Craster looked at Diarmuid and the others with a gloomy expression. "A Marine Admiral? This is quite an honor. But maybe you don't know this yet, but I'm about to become one of your 'comrades.' So is all this really necessary?"
"Comrade?" Diarmuid ignored Doflamingo and looked at Craster with a laugh. "It's precisely because I don't want to be comrades with a moron like you that I've come here…"
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