After spotting that goodie-two-shoes Rosinante running off to rescue someone, Diarmuid's first thought was to just ignore him.
Let him get himself killed.
At a time as dangerous as this, his grandstanding was a huge liability.
But as that thought crossed his mind, a wave of alarm suddenly washed over Diarmuid!
He remembered that Rosinante didn't die in the Marines' attempt to capture Shiki.
On the contrary, Rosinante lived for many more years. Although he did die on Minion Island, it was years later.
In simple terms, even if he tried to get himself killed this time, he wouldn't die!
As soon as that idea came to him, Diarmuid quickly began to think.
He had no recollection of a great battle between Sengoku, Zephyr, and Shiki in the North Blue.
This was normal, of course. He wasn't reading a manga anymore; he was in a real world.
He couldn't be omniscient.
Therefore, he had no idea what kind of danger, opportunity, or outcome this event would lead to.
For instance…
Was the warship, which he thought was so safe, actually safe at all?
He couldn't be sure, but one thing was certain: Rosinante didn't die in this incident.
If he used this reverse logic, then the seemingly most unreliable person, Rosinante, was actually the safest bet?
Does that mean staying with Rosinante is the safest thing to do? Diarmuid quickly decided.
Diarmuid was a very cunning person.
And because of what he had been through over the years, he wasn't a very righteous person. In fact, he was a selfish pragmatist!
In times of danger, he would never choose to sacrifice himself to protect others. Instead, he would do whatever he could to survive.
So in that instant, his mind went through several changes. He took a few steps back, inching toward the edge of the deck.
"Diarmuid? What are you doing?" a Marine Commodore noticed his movement and questioned him.
No matter how you looked at it, Diarmuid's actions seemed like he was trying to run.
Diarmuid wasn't flustered at all. He put on a serious face and said, "Commodore, Rosinante went down there. I don't know how he got off the ship. Admiral Sengoku told me to look out for him… It's dangerous, but I promised the Admiral, so I have to go get him back!"
The Commodore froze, then looked out at the distant ruins and saw Rosinante.
He swore under his breath. What is this kid doing? Is he trying to get himself killed?
But he knew that Rosinante's relationship with Sengoku was special and that they were very close… he couldn't pretend he didn't see him.
But with two Admirals in the fight, he was the highest-ranking officer on the ship and couldn't just leave his post. The other Marines were also on standby.
Thinking about it, it seemed like Diarmuid was the only one who could go.
So he said, "I'm leaving it to you. Be careful!"
"Yes, sir!" Diarmuid immediately replied.
Then, he climbed over the railing and jumped off the warship.
The warship was huge, but Diarmuid, despite his limited strength, wasn't afraid to jump off a warship.
He landed on his feet, bending his body to absorb some of the impact. He looked at the situation, saw that the three powerhouses were still fighting fiercely, and knew they wouldn't notice him. Diarmuid wasted no more time and ran toward Rosinante.
"Hey, kid, what the hell are you doing?!" Diarmuid grabbed Rosinante, who was digging, and scolded him in a low voice.
"Diarmuid-nii… he's not dead… we can save him… I saw his hand move just now…" Rosinante said, flustered.
"Do you have any idea what you're doing, you idiot? There are no good people on this island. Even if he dies, he's a pest taken care of. Come back with me! It's dangerous here!" Diarmuid pulled Rosinante up and rebuked him.
Rosinante, with a saintly expression, said, "But he's still alive… No matter if he's a good person or a bad person, shouldn't we Marines save him? Even if he's a criminal, he should face trial and punishment after he's saved…"
"That's some solid logic, you idiot!" Diarmuid cursed. But he still raised his hand and slapped Rosinante across the face.
Rosinante, wincing in pain, covered his cheek. He looked at Diarmuid in fear and didn't dare say another word.
"Listen up, kid. You're right. In a perfect world, that's what we'd do. But you're not a Marine yet, so you don't have that duty. The world isn't that simple. This world, a lot of the time, is an unreasonable place…" Diarmuid grabbed Rosinante by the collar and said viciously.
Just as he finished, Shiki's wild laughter echoed in the distance.
"Jihahahaha, that's enough, Sengoku, Zephyr… I have to admit, you two are a real pain. But I don't have time to see this through. Just wait. In a few years, I'll destroy all of you, the Marines and the World Government! This world belongs to pirates, to me!" Shiki quickly retreated, flying high into the sky and laughing wildly.
Admirals Sengoku and Zephyr's brows furrowed. They were about to retort when they saw a wicked smile on Shiki's face and his hand slowly rise.
"Is that…?" Sengoku seemed to realize what was about to happen, and his face instantly darkened.
"Twist…" Shiki whispered.
His grin grew even more sinister.
Then, an invisible force instantly swept out. The warship, which had been safely docked in the port, was twisted into a pretzel.
"SHIKI!!!" Zephyr's eyes flared with rage as he roared.
He pushed off the ground, shooting forward like a cannonball, instantly appearing in front of Shiki.
The explosion of his rage was so fast that Shiki barely reacted. He quickly crossed his arms, coated in Armament Haki, in front of his chest. But Zephyr's punch still sent him crashing to the ground, creating a massive crater.
"Buddha's Fury!" Sengoku also roared, punching the air.
At the same time, Diarmuid looked at the warship, twisted into a pretzel in the harbor, and felt a rush of fear.
Holy crap, if I hadn't been smart just now, I would have died a hero…
He looked down at Rosinante, who he was holding in his hand. As I thought, everything in this world exists for a reason. Even a liability like Rosinante can be a lifesaver if you think about it in reverse…
Just then, a huge shockwave sent Shiki flying. He tumbled over a dozen times on the ground and then slammed into a pile of ruins.
And as luck would have it, the ruins were not far from Diarmuid and Rosinante.
Damn it! I knew I shouldn't have praised this jinx! The jinxed allies aura is real. Why is he here of all places?! Diarmuid cursed.
Without a second thought, he grabbed Rosinante and ran.
At that moment, Shiki lifted the rubble off him and wiped the blood from his mouth.
He took two hits, and although it was unpleasant, his injuries weren't serious. He still had a defiant grin on his face. He was still as wild as ever.
"Oh? Are there still some stragglers?" Shiki looked over at Rosinante and Diarmuid with a smirk.
Rosinante was a nobody, just a kid, but Diarmuid was wearing a Marine uniform.
"As a parting gift, I'll kill all your men, you bastards!" Shiki smiled menacingly.
Seeing Admirals Sengoku and Zephyr chasing after him, he decided not to fight them anymore. He pushed off the ground and flew toward Diarmuid and Rosinante.
Even though Diarmuid wasn't looking back, he felt an intense sense of terror.
It was as if a fierce, bloodthirsty lion was chasing him.
The feeling was so real, and he knew without looking back that it had to be Shiki!
Am I going to die? Diarmuid thought.
But in an instant, his eyes filled with determination.
It was true that he was afraid of death. It was true that he was cunning. And it was also true that he was a selfish pragmatist.
But when it was time to fight for his life, he never hesitated.
As Zephyr had said, Diarmuid was always decisive and ruthless in a fight!
"Get out of here, kid!" Diarmuid threw Rosinante far away.
At a time like this, keeping the jinxed Rosinante with him would only ensure they both died.
As he threw Rosinante away, Diarmuid stomped his foot, skidding to a halt. He spun around, ready to face Shiki.
But by the time he turned around, Shiki's intimidating figure was already right in front of him.
"Tiger…" Diarmuid reached for the Nagasone Kotetsu at his waist.
But it was too late. Just as the sharp, cold blade came out a few inches, Shiki's beloved sword, Kogarashi, pierced Diarmuid's chest.
"What an annoying sense of justice. Even as you're dying, you throw that kid away to protect him? Are all you Marines so brave?" Shiki said with a sneer.
The sword hadn't pierced the Marine's heart, but Shiki was a veteran. He could feel that the blade had gone through the Marine's lungs. With an injury like this, a normal person would lose all their strength and probably die.
Shiki didn't think much of Diarmuid. From their brief encounter, it was obvious that Diarmuid was a complete amateur.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been stabbed before he even had a chance to draw his sword.
Shiki had no intention of wasting any more time. He pulled Kogarashi out of Diarmuid's chest and moved past the insignificant Marine to kill the kid.
But just then, he heard something.
"Slash…"
A cold glint appeared in the corner of his eye. The fierce aura made Shiki feel a sense of danger.
Shiki was incredibly strong, but he wasn't a monster like Kaido or Charlotte Linlin.
He had a normal physique. If he was shot when he wasn't paying attention, he would be injured. He would be injured if he was cut by a sword, too.
Otherwise, in the Battle of Edd War, a ship's rudder wouldn't have gone through his head.
So, this sudden cold flash of light did make Shiki feel a sense of danger…
The next second, a spray of blood shot into the air.