Doflamingo had intended to step forward and grab Diarmuid, but before he could reach him, the darkness completely swallowed the Admiral. The void then rapidly shrank until only a coin-sized black dot remained on the ground.
By then, Doflamingo had come to his senses. It's impossible, he thought. A Marine Admiral on the verge of seizing the pinnacle of the world wouldn't just commit suicide. Regaining his composure, he peered at the tiny black dot with intense curiosity. What kind of power is this?
As he pondered, the black dot expanded violently, and the darkness "spat" Diarmuid back out into the courtyard.
"Whew..." Diarmuid exhaled sharply as he landed.
"Admiral? What exactly were you doing?" Doflamingo asked, hurrying to his side.
Diarmuid took a moment to steady his breathing. "Experimental development of a new ability... I mentioned before that I'd handle the task of securing evidence of Imu's existence myself. I wanted to see if I could develop a high-stealth capability."
In truth, Diarmuid had been obsessing over this for days. This wasn't his first time entering the void.
Doflamingo nodded understandingly. "And? How was it?"
"Not great," Diarmuid said, shaking his head.
On the surface, it sounded simple: just jump into the darkness like any other object the Dark-Dark Fruit consumes. But in reality, it was far more complex. The "Darkness" was a terrifying force. The power of the Dark-Dark Fruit possessed a metaphysical "sealing" quality, the same force that could nullify other Devil Fruit powers.
When Diarmuid entered the darkness, he didn't just feel like the lights had gone out. It was as if his thoughts, sense of time, and all five senses were being dissolved into a state of nothingness. He felt that if he stayed inside too long, he might actually suffer brain death, simply because his brain would be convinced he was already dead.
After several days of practice, he had gained some ground. The direction of development was correct; he just needed more time to acclimatize to true darkness. But time was the one luxury he lacked.
His second line of thinking was to minimize the impact of the darkness on his body. If he couldn't adapt quickly, he had to find a way to mitigate the side effects. He had made progress; he could now remain in the darkness for a set period without being "corroded." Had Doflamingo not interrupted, he could have maintained that state for over half an hour.
Eventually, he might be able to stay inside indefinitely, but for now, thirty minutes was enough. He could infiltrate Pangea Castle and wait near the Empty Throne. There was no need to be hidden the entire time, the room was usually empty anyway. He would hide in a corner and only slip into the darkness once Imu and the Gorosei arrived to snap his "photo collection."
He didn't believe for a second that the Gorosei would spend more than thirty minutes kowtowing.
Hearing Diarmuid say "not great," Doflamingo felt a flicker of worry. He didn't want a hitch in the final step of the plan. But when Diarmuid added, "But it's enough to use," Doflamingo relaxed and chuckled. "That's good to hear."
Knowing that over-practicing could be counterproductive, Diarmuid turned to the Warlord. "Returning to Mariejois after all this time... how does it feel?"
"Fuffuffuffu, quite good," Doflamingo replied, though his expression grew contemplative. "But the closer I get to this place, the more the hatred in my heart stings. It's like a slow burn."
Diarmuid looked at him with a complex gaze. "Just hold on a little longer. Only a few days left."
In three days, the Reverie would begin on schedule, regardless of whether every single king had arrived—though it looked like attendance would be full.
Later, Diarmuid brought Doflamingo inside to talk. They revisited the tactical map of the Mariejois operation.
"What happens after I deploy the Birdcage?" Doflamingo asked.
Diarmuid gave him a knowing look. "What is it you want to do?"
Doflamingo grinned, making no effort to hide his bloodlust. "There are three primary combat objectives: Imu, the Gorosei, and the Celestial Dragon population within the Domain of the Gods. Correct?"
"Correct," Diarmuid nodded.
These were the three targets the Marines had to eliminate. To Diarmuid, the Gorosei and the rank-and-file Celestial Dragons weren't the biggest concerns. Intelligence from Commander-in-Chief Kong suggested the Gorosei possessed significant power, but they had never been seen in actual combat. One of them, an old man who never let go of his sword, was clearly a Great Swordsman, likely wielding the Shodai Kitetsu. Being able to tame such a cursed blade meant he was formidable. The other four were likely in the same tier.
However, Diarmuid and the Marines didn't fear them. Even if you high-balled them and said all five had Admiral-level strength, so what? They had lived in luxury for centuries without a single life-or-death struggle. What good is "Admiral-level" power without combat experience?
If Borsalino and Gion teamed up, they could likely wipe the floor with them. Raw power is one thing; the ability to use it in a chaotic, blood-soaked battle is another.
The same applied to the general Celestial Dragon population. Most were useless. There might be a few outliers, but they lacked battlefield experience. The only real trouble would be their security forces.
Years ago, when Dragon raided Mariejois and attacked the Domain of the Gods, Diarmuid had gathered firsthand intelligence. There was a strange fortress within the Domain of the Gods with defensive measures so strong that even Dragon couldn't break through quickly. Dragon had been forced to hit and run due to time constraints, but that fortress had successfully halted his advance.
Based on Doflamingo's intel, the Marines had concluded that this fortress was likely the housing for the Ancient Weapon Uranus. Thus, it was a priority target. Sakazuki and Fleet Admiral Sengoku would likely lead that assault personally. With those two powerhouses on the job, Diarmuid didn't think any wall would stand for long.
Of the three targets, only Imu remained the great enigma. Whether it was the ancestor from two hundred years ago Doflamingo spoke of, or the mysterious shadow Diarmuid suspected had ruled from the darkness for eight hundred years, they were a massive deterrent.
First, they had lived a long time, meaning they had immense knowledge and hidden tricks. It was unknown if they were a Devil Fruit user or what other powers they possessed. Secondly, one couldn't assume someone like that lacked combat experience. If Imu really was Saint Donquixote Claudius, the pressure would be immense. According to the legends Diarmuid had unearthed, Claudius was a "World King" who had ruled through sheer, absolute force.
But for Diarmuid, that pressure was just fuel. With two Devil Fruits and no obvious weaknesses, he refused to believe he could lose.
Doflamingo didn't care about the high-level theory. He just wanted one thing: "If we are attacking the Domain of the Gods, I want to be in that vanguard..."
This didn't surprise Diarmuid. In fact, it would have been weirder if Doflamingo hadn't asked.
"So you intend to kill those Celestial Dragons yourself?" Diarmuid asked.
"Naturally," Doflamingo nodded. He paused, then added, "Please, give me this chance. I have waited many years for this day."
Diarmuid didn't refuse. This had been part of their original agreement. "Rest assured. What the Marines promised, what I promised, will be honored. The Celestial Dragons... are yours to handle."
Doflamingo had secretly worried that the Marines might want to keep the Celestial Dragons alive as "keys" to Uranus. If Diarmuid coveted the Ancient Weapon, he might have spared them, leaving Doflamingo with nothing but a few people to torture for stress relief. But it seemed the Marines and Diarmuid had zero interest in the weapon. This baffled Doflamingo. If he were in their shoes, he wouldn't be this calm.
With the matter confirmed one last time, Doflamingo was finally at peace. He put aside all other thoughts, waiting solely for the Reverie to begin and for the Marines to trigger the uprising.
Then, in the Holy Land... in the Domain of the Gods... he would start a massacre.
The meeting ended quickly, and Doflamingo departed. For the next three days, nothing unusual happened. Diarmuid finalized his preparations. During this time, Commander-in-Chief Kong kept a secret watch on the Gorosei; they made no move toward Pangea Castle. It was safe to assume they wouldn't visit Imu again until just before the conference officially opened.