Dragon was now busy contacting and organizing the Revolutionary Army. Meanwhile, back in Marineford, Diarmuid was toying with his Den Den Mushi, deep in thought.
It was clear that as a Marine Admiral, Diarmuid had never met the Gorosei, which showed his relationship with the upper echelons of the World Government wasn't great. The Gorosei didn't care for him. Not so long ago, they had seen him as a promising talent, and the CP agencies had wanted to poach him. Now everything had changed. It was outrageous. Why couldn't they stick to their convictions?
But it was what it was, so Diarmuid had no intention of maintaining a good relationship with the Gorosei. There was no need to waste his energy trying to change the situation. He was an Admiral, and as long as Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Sengoku were alive, he was, in theory, at the peak of his power. He shouldn't be thinking about becoming the Fleet Admiral himself.
Even if he successfully quelled the chaos in Mariejois, there would be no benefits. The Gorosei would still dislike him, and he would still be an Admiral. He wouldn't be able to become the Fleet Admiral. So why should he care if Mariejois got messed up? That's why he immediately chose to contact Dragon and team up to loot Mariejois. That was the only way to get real benefits.
From his perspective, the security of Mariejois wasn't under the Marines' jurisdiction. In fact, a few years ago, the Marines had a significant presence there, but as their relationship with the World Government soured, Mariejois naturally reduced the Marines' influence. This was reasonable, and Diarmuid had no complaints.
Therefore, the security of Mariejois was primarily handled by the so-called "Land Army," which was made up of noble kids who just wanted to build up their resumes and network, and the CP agencies. So even if something went wrong in Mariejois, the Marines wouldn't be blamed. In this way, Diarmuid's plan wouldn't harm the Marines' interests.
Second, if Mariejois was attacked by Tiger and Dragon, it would be a huge embarrassment for the World Government. This would actually be a good thing for the Marines, as it would weaken the World Government's authority and prestige.
After the incident, the World Government would certainly seek revenge. In their fury, they would go all out, and the Marines, the CP agencies, and other World Government organizations would be tasked with the mission. Then it would be the Marines' time to shine.
Furthermore, Mariejois would be in a weakened state for a long time afterward. For the next three to five years, the World Government would not dare to antagonize the Marines. On the contrary, they would try to win them over. If the Marines performed well during this period, and while they might not be able to capture Dragon, if they managed to take down Tiger, then it was almost certain that Fleet Admiral Kong would be promoted to Commander-in-Chief and go to Mariejois. The World Government would also need a Commander-in-Chief from the Marines to be stationed in Mariejois to feel secure during this period of vulnerability. This was a win-win for everyone.
And once Fleet Admiral Kong became the Commander-in-Chief, the Marines' shackles would be further loosened. Admiral Sengoku would undoubtedly become the Fleet Admiral, and with the support of the Commander-in-Chief and the World Government, the Marines would enter a period of rapid growth. This was another layer of benefit.
So after a careful analysis, Diarmuid found that as long as Dragon wasn't captured by the World Government, no matter what happened, the Marines would come out on top. They might not make a profit, but they certainly wouldn't lose. There was nothing to worry about.
After some thought, Diarmuid took a sip of his tea and picked up his Den Den Mushi to call Stussy.
Queen Stussy had been in a great mood lately. Since she started working with Warlord of the Sea "White Hunter" Smoker, she had solidified her position in the New World. At the same time, her influence in the Underworld had also grown. Since she had shared some of the profits from the Amway company, the CP agencies and the World Government were very satisfied with her contributions.
With things going so well, Queen Stussy was, of course, in a great mood. She had even taken the day off and was putting on a face mask in her home, which looked almost identical to Diarmuid's residence in Marineford.
But soon, Diarmuid's call came through. Stussy was happy when she saw his caller ID. That heartless Diarmuid had actually contacted her on his own? She thought about the current situation in the sea, and since nothing major had happened, she assumed he was just calling to chat, not about work. So Stussy happily answered the Den Den Mushi.
"Stussy?" Diarmuid asked.
"It's me, Admiral Diarmuid," Stussy said with a smile.
Just as she was about to exchange pleasantries, Diarmuid went straight to the point. "Is this a good time to talk?"
Stussy was taken aback and her brows furrowed slightly. She knew something must have happened, so she put on a serious face. "Yes, it is. What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Don't worry, it's a good thing," Diarmuid said with a smile.
Stussy relaxed a little and asked, "What is it?"
"Something's going to happen in Mariejois soon," Diarmuid said directly.
Stussy: ???
What is he talking about? Is this a good thing?
Before Stussy could react, Diarmuid continued. "The security in Mariejois has always been your CP agencies' responsibility. You must have some people there, right?"
"Yes, Spandine went to Mariejois not long ago," Stussy said, nodding.
Of course, it wasn't just Spandine, but Diarmuid only knew him, so Stussy only mentioned him. Mariejois was the World Government's headquarters and the center of power for the CP agencies. There was no way Stussy wouldn't have her confidants stationed there.
"Get them out of there as soon as you can. Especially the people in charge of security. Try to get them replaced with people you don't like. When the incident happens, the people in those positions will be in big trouble," Diarmuid said with a chuckle.
Stussy's eyes lit up. She asked immediately, "Is there going to be a rebellion in Mariejois?"
"Yes, a big one. The Revolutionary Army is going to attack Mariejois. Dragon and I talked, and I'm giving you a heads-up. Get yourself out of Mariejois now to avoid being held accountable later," Diarmuid said with a laugh.
The Revolutionary Army is going to attack Mariejois?
Stussy was shocked. Is the Revolutionary Army really that bold?
But since Diarmuid told her, Stussy didn't doubt him at all. She knew Diarmuid wouldn't set her up, and he had no reason to. Her trust in Diarmuid was far greater than Dragon's.
So Stussy quickly said, "I understand. Is there anything else you need me to do?"
"Don't get involved with the Revolutionary Army. Don't even try. If you leave any clues, you'll be in big trouble. But in Mariejois, you should secretly save some of the slave data, especially their hometowns. But you have to be fast. Safety is the top priority. If you can't, then don't bother," Diarmuid said.
It was clear that many of these slaves would join Fisher Tiger's crew. If he could get more information about them, the Marines would have an advantage over other organizations when it came to capturing Tiger in the future. The second reason was that Dragon's Revolutionary Army would definitely recruit the best of these slaves. Diarmuid hoped to set up a fallback plan to help Dragon.
Of course, this was just a backup plan. If Stussy couldn't do it, it was fine. Diarmuid wouldn't sacrifice Stussy for this.
Stussy didn't ask for any reasons and simply nodded. "I understand. Don't worry, I won't disappoint you."
"Hehehehe, after this, a lot of people in CP-0 are going to be in big trouble, Stussy. This might be your chance to get a promotion. Make the most of it," Diarmuid said.
"Understood," Stussy said with a smile.
She was currently a high-ranking officer in CP-0, but because of her special identity and control of the Pleasure District, she held a higher position than other officers. Above her were the chiefs of the CP agencies and the "Director-General (Head)" who oversaw all the agencies.
She didn't have to worry about the Director-General position for now, but she had been eyeing the chief position for a long time. The current chiefs were all very secure in their positions, so Stussy had no room for advancement.
But if she could get rid of a chief this time, no other high-ranking officer could compete with her. Then she would be promoted again. The higher Stussy climbed in the CP agencies, the more beneficial it would be for Diarmuid. Of course, he wanted Stussy to climb the ranks as quickly as possible. That's why he told her to get ready.
After that, Diarmuid briefly explained the situation, and Stussy was more and more shocked. But after the initial shock, her eyes grew brighter. If Diarmuid's calculations were correct and something would really happen in Mariejois, more than one chief would fall. This was an opportunity!
Everything is going according to plan!
After discussing these important matters, Diarmuid chatted with Stussy about everyday things and promised to visit her in the New World when he had time. Then he hung up.
After going over the entire plan again, he found no obvious flaws and let out a sigh of relief. Of course, plans change, and something could go wrong, but he would deal with it when the time came. Thinking about it now was useless.
So, all he had to do now was to make arrangements for the Marines. Diarmuid wasn't going to share this information with the Fleet Admiral, Admiral Sengoku, or Sakazuki. He could share this news with Dragon and Stussy, but he couldn't share it with the Marines. That wouldn't be right. He planned to "take" the profit from this and then use it for the Marines later.
"Hina! Hina?!" Diarmuid called out a few times, but there was no response. After waiting for a while, Hina walked in from outside and complained, "Admiral, next time, can you just call me on the phone? Your loud voice was embarrassing in the Fleet Admiral's office."
"After you delivered the files, you should have come back sooner. What were you doing?" Diarmuid glared at Hina, then ordered, "Go! In the name of a Marine Admiral, summon a meeting. I'm launching a new anti-corruption campaign, focusing on rooting out corruption in the Four Blues Marine branches!"
That's right. Diarmuid was going to use this as a legitimate reason to send some of the Marineford forces to the Four Blues, giving Dragon and the Revolutionary Army some room to operate. It would also serve as an excuse for the Marines' lack of support when Mariejois called for reinforcements.
What's that? You need help? Oh, sorry. The Marines are all in the Four Blues fighting corruption. How were we supposed to know something would happen to your Holy Land of Mariejois? We can't be blamed for not getting there on time. After all, Mariejois isn't under our jurisdiction!