After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Dragon's expression turned serious. That bastard Diarmuid had just dangled a huge opportunity in front of him. Even though he knew it was an absurd gamble, he was tempted. The main problem was, Diarmuid didn't give him a clear answer about when this Fisher Tiger guy was going to make his move.
Without an exact timeline, Dragon couldn't afford to waste any more time. He could either abandon the entire idea and pretend it never happened, letting the Revolutionary Army continue as planned. After all, whether Fisher Tiger succeeded or failed, it had nothing to do with them.
But Dragon was just as cunning as Diarmuid. What if this was real and Tiger really could create such a huge incident? In the future, Mariejois would be virtually impenetrable. They would never again have a chance to attack it so easily. In other words, if they missed this chance, the Revolutionary Army could forget about using Mariejois to establish its reputation or acquire resources and funds.
Now that he thought about it, this absurd plan actually had a lot of potential precisely because it sounded so crazy. Mariejois, at this stage, might be nothing more than a paper tiger.
Could he really let this opportunity slip away?
After a long period of contemplation, Dragon decided to go for it. He was a man of action, and when necessary, he wasn't afraid to go crazy. If he were a person who shied away from risk, he would have remained in the Marines. He had a hero for a father, and the big names in the Marine Headquarters had watched him grow up. He was talented, had no financial worries, and before Diarmuid came along, even Sakazuki and the others couldn't compete with him. He was the leader of the younger generation of Marines.
In a situation like that, he still had the courage to abandon everything and start the Revolutionary Army. He went from being a promising candidate for Fleet Admiral to becoming the world's most wanted criminal. Was he the kind of person who would let an opportunity pass him by and stick to a mundane path?
No way.
Those who achieve great things may not always be the smartest, but they are always courageous. And Dragon was both intelligent and courageous. Even though he knew Diarmuid's suggestion was absurd, his mind was made up as soon as Diarmuid opened his mind to the idea.
"You really have me figured out, Diarmuid," Dragon chuckled softly. He now understood that Diarmuid had him completely cornered. Just as he knew Diarmuid, Diarmuid knew him. That guy must have realized that as soon as he brought this up, Dragon would never give up on the plan. Because of that, Diarmuid could get all the benefits without putting in any effort.
Thinking about it more, even if Dragon didn't agree to anything, Diarmuid wouldn't lose anything. He would have just wasted a little time talking nonsense to him. But if the plan succeeded, Diarmuid would instantly win big.
Damn it...
Dragon was still a little upset about it, but he couldn't just cut ties with Diarmuid and take the profits for himself. They had a partnership, and Bartholomew Kuma was essentially a hostage in the Marines' hands. Besides, it wasn't worth turning on Diarmuid for a few quick bucks.
After a lot of thought, Dragon couldn't find any loopholes in Diarmuid's plan. The only possible weakness was that by discussing this with him, Diarmuid had given him some leverage. But what good was it? As long as he didn't intend to turn on him, the leverage was useless. And as time went on and Diarmuid and the Marines grew stronger, that leverage would become even more worthless. When Diarmuid eventually stopped caring about the World Government, the leverage would disappear completely.
"If only I had taken him with me back then, maybe the Revolutionary Army would be even stronger now?" Dragon whispered to himself.
Dragon had never truly been impressed by Sakazuki, Kuzan, or Borsalino. While they were strong enough to be his opponents, their weaknesses in strategy and vision were too obvious. Dragon could arrogantly say they weren't worthy of being his rivals.
Sakazuki was too impulsive and unyielding. Kuzan was too idealistic and indecisive, and his style was too lazy. Borsalino was undeniably smart and powerful, and before Diarmuid appeared, Dragon had always paid more attention to him.
But Borsalino had a flaw: he lacked ambition. He wasn't hungry for power and seemed content with the status quo. Dragon felt that Borsalino always left a way out, which made him seem less determined.
On the other hand, when Diarmuid first came to Headquarters, he was cautious and never overstepped. He didn't go on a single external mission for years and was like a ghost. At the same time, he seemed to be an expert at charming people, including Dragon. He seemed to be friends with every big name in the Marine Headquarters, except for Tokikake. Even the perpetually sullen Sakazuki had a good relationship with Diarmuid.
After he gained power and influence, Diarmuid shed his cautious persona and became incredibly daring. He semi-coerced and semi-tricked the Marines, and the high-ranking officers mysteriously began to distance themselves from the World Government. He proved his ideas were viable through his actions. The Marines were now stronger and more independent, proving that Diarmuid was not just a talker. He was also an efficient person, very strong, and clever.
He had incredible courage. Dragon never would have imagined that a Marine Admiral, upon learning that Mariejois was in trouble, wouldn't go to the World Government to prove his loyalty or earn a promotion. Instead, he contacted a rebel like Dragon to take down the World Government. Who would do something like that?
While it wasn't normal, it showed that Diarmuid was courageous and willing to do things others wouldn't. Because he was so shameless and unpredictable, Dragon couldn't find any obvious weaknesses in him.
That's why Dragon was always so attentive to Diarmuid. It was a huge hassle to be his enemy, so it was in their best interest to remain allies and friends.
That was how Dragon saw Diarmuid. And Diarmuid's view of Dragon was similar. The fact that Dragon had managed to build up the Revolutionary Army alone and had not been annihilated by the World Government after more than twenty years, but had instead grown stronger, proved that he was no fool. Diarmuid saw Dragon as smart, brave, and powerful. There was no need for absolute hostility toward a person like that. Why would he want to make an enemy of him?
So from the time Dragon left the Marines until now, Diarmuid had maintained a relatively friendly relationship with him and even formed a secret alliance, a "community of interest." This had a lot of benefits. For example, if Dragon succeeded in the Mariejois plan, Diarmuid would come out on top.
As Dragon was pondering these things, Koshiro walked into the courtyard, wiping the sweat from his brow. "It's a hot day, Dragon. What are you thinking about?"
As Dragon's friend, he could tell something was on his mind. Dragon looked at Koshiro and smiled. "I was thinking about how to tell you I'm leaving."
Koshiro chuckled. "You just got here. You're leaving already?"
"Yes, I have an urgent matter to attend to," Dragon said, nodding.
If he was going to cause trouble in Mariejois, he had to be faster than Fisher Tiger. If Tiger finished his business first, Dragon would miss his opportunity. Since he didn't know when Tiger would strike, the faster he prepared and acted, the better his chances. There was no time to sit around and have tea with Koshiro.
"Is that so?" Koshiro nodded calmly, not surprised at all. As a friend, he simply warned him, "Dragon, you're a man who does great things, so I have nothing to say. But as your friend, I hope you'll be careful and stay safe."
"Thank you," Dragon said, nodding slightly. He then stood up. "In that case, I'll be going now, Koshiro. When I have time in the future, I'll come back to visit you..." After a short pause, he smiled again. "Read the newspapers over the next few days. You might see some big news."
Koshiro smiled back. "Oh? Then I'll be sure to pay close attention and see what great thing you're going to do."
"It's a huge thing, hahahaha. I'll see myself out." Dragon laughed and walked toward the gate.
Just as Dragon was about to leave, Koshiro said, "I agreed to the grain."
Dragon's steps faltered for a second, then he said without turning back, "It seems you knew why I was here?"
"We're friends, after all. You're going to do great things. I can't help you much, but I can do my best to take care of some of your worries," Koshiro said softly.
That's right. Dragon's primary purpose for this visit was to ask Koshiro if he could help the Revolutionary Army buy grain. As a prominent figure in Shimotsuki Village, Koshiro could secretly help Dragon with something like that.
Dragon had brought it up to Koshiro before, but he had never given a clear answer. This time, Dragon had come to get his final answer. But before he could, Diarmuid gave him something else to deal with.
So he had to put off his request and go after Mariejois first. Maybe he could solve his logistical problems from Mariejois, and then he wouldn't have to shamelessly ask his friend for help. But Koshiro didn't know what Dragon was going to do. Seeing how serious Dragon was, as a friend, he could only help him in this way.
Dragon's friend was truly considerate and like a true gentleman, completely different from that bastard Diarmuid.
"Thank you," Dragon said, waving his hand without looking back. As he stepped out of the courtyard, his body transformed from the ground up into a breeze, and he vanished from Koshiro's smiling gaze.
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