On a certain sea in the South Blue, Diarmuid's warship sailed onward.
In the distance, the sun had just risen above the horizon.
The mission in the Sorbet Kingdom was over, and Diarmuid had no intention of concerning himself with what happened to Bartholomew Kuma afterward.
Officially, his trip to the South Blue was to carry out a political mission and assist the CP agency, but in reality, his main focus was always on Roger. This was a secret no one knew until recently, not even Stussy.
Commodore Doberman held a document in his hand as he entered the ship's hall. As he approached Diarmuid's cabin, the door opened before he could knock. He saw the CP0 woman, Stussy, stepping out of the room.
It was no secret to Doberman that she had been spending the nights in Diarmuid's cabin and only left in the mornings. There was no need to guess what was happening. Her satisfied expression was a clear sign of their "friendly" exchange.
Doberman had nothing to say about it. The mission was over, and Vice Admiral Diarmuid was on a break, so it didn't violate military regulations.
Stussy noticed Doberman, gave him a nod, and walked past him confidently. She didn't care what the Marines thought of her. Her beauty was her weapon. Why else would she take such good care of herself?
Diarmuid was a man worth betting on. Stussy knew very well that a man like him would never be swayed by beauty, and given her identity, she could never become his wife. But that was fine. An exchange that deepened their "relationship" was a very good deal. A secret alliance required a certain level of trust, after all.
Doberman knocked on the door and entered the room after hearing Diarmuid's voice. "Vice Admiral sir."
A moment later, Diarmuid emerged from the bathroom. He was bare-chested, wearing black combat trousers and high-top boots, and he was towel-drying his wet hair.
Even as a man, Doberman had to admit that Diarmuid was incredibly handsome, not in a delicate way, but with a rugged handsomeness that came with a soldier's temperament. He was the kind of man who was equally good-looking and powerful, like the legendary warriors of Diarmuid's previous life. His firm, lean physique was very appealing. It was no wonder the CP woman was so forward.
Thinking of this, Doberman reached up and touched the scar on his own face. I used to be a handsome young man, too, before I got this scar.
"Doberman? Is something wrong?" Diarmuid asked as he dried his hair. Before Doberman could speak, he gestured to the teapot on the table. "Make yourself comfortable. Pour yourself some tea."
Doberman felt a warmth in his heart. He wasn't very close with Diarmuid when he first arrived. He knew that most up-and-coming Marine stars were arrogant, but after becoming his aide on the warship, Doberman found that Diarmuid had a good character. H
e was kind to his subordinates and showed respect to even a low-ranking Commodore like himself, always consulting him before doing anything. Whether it was useful or not, he still felt valued.
"Thank you, Vice Admiral sir." Doberman said with a smile.
"Stop calling me 'Vice Admiral' all the time. Just call me Diarmuid when we're not on a mission." Diarmuid waved his hand. He wasn't being polite; he just wanted a drink. "Pour me a cup, too."
"Yes, Vice Admiral sir," Doberman replied. He didn't change the way he addressed him, and Diarmuid didn't say anything more.
In Doberman's mind, it was fine for a superior to treat you well and show you respect, but you couldn't get ahead of yourself. You had to call them "sir" when appropriate, and a Vice Admiral was a Vice Admiral; you couldn't just say whatever you wanted.
He first poured a cup of tea for Diarmuid and then one for himself. He sat down on the sofa and watched as Diarmuid put on a pure white T-shirt, covering his well-toned body.
"What is it?" Diarmuid asked again.
"Admiral Sengoku from Headquarters is asking when we will be returning to Marineford," Doberman said, holding up the document.
"Is there something at Marineford that needs us?" Diarmuid asked as he sat down on the sofa and took a sip of tea.
"Not at the moment. The seas have been peaceful lately, and the New World is the same as always. But we're not needed there," Doberman replied, shaking his head.
"Is that so? Then tell Admiral Sengoku that we will be returning later," Diarmuid said, nodding.
Doberman didn't object. After all, Diarmuid was the commander, and it wasn't his place to make the final decision. "Yes, Vice Admiral." He paused for a moment and then smiled. "Are you planning to spend more time with that CP0 woman?"
Diarmuid was taken aback for a moment, and then burst out laughing. "I didn't expect you to be so funny, Doberman! Hahahaha."
Doberman was a little nervous when he said that. It's usually awkward to talk about such things if you're not close with someone, but seeing Diarmuid's reaction, he relaxed. It seemed that the Vice Admiral truly considered him a confidant. "We're all men, aren't we? If nothing else, that woman's looks and body are definitely great."
"You're right. Stussy's looks and body are indeed great," Diarmuid said, nodding, then he added to himself, She's also very open-minded and good in bed…
He shook his head and changed the subject. "But I'm not a man who gets lost in beauty. Don't underestimate that woman, Stussy. She's very powerful, not just a pretty face. There's something else I need to confirm."
"Yes, Vice Admiral sir," Doberman said quickly. He knew he had to be careful not to keep making jokes. What if the Vice Admiral actually fell for that woman? That would be awkward. But he was still curious. "What is it that you need to confirm, Vice Admiral?"
Diarmuid put down his teacup, took a cigar box from a drawer, and threw a cigar to Doberman. "I got these from Zephyr-sensei. They're for the Admirals, so we little brothers aren't qualified to get them. Give it a try."
Doberman smiled and caught the cigar.
Zephyr had asthma, and while it wasn't serious yet, he couldn't smoke. It was bad for his health, so Diarmuid would take the cigars for himself every time he visited his sensei Zephyr, never bringing a gift, but always taking something home.
He lit the cigar, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said softly, "Based on the intelligence I have, and combined with what Stussy from CP0 told me, I have reason to believe that Pirate King Gol D. Roger, who disappeared from the seas two years ago, is hiding in the South Blue. Currently, I suspect he is hiding on Baterilla Island."
Commodore Doberman, who had just taken a puff of the Admiral-grade cigar, didn't even taste it. He was so shocked by Diarmuid's words that he almost choked to death. He coughed violently for a while and had to drink several cups of tea before he could calm down.
After he recovered, he said loudly, "Vice Admiral, is that true?!"
"I'm not sure yet. The information isn't confirmed, but with news like this, it's better to kill the wrong person than to let the right one get away. We're already here, so of course, we have to check it out," Diarmuid said with a smile.
"If that's the case, we should notify Headquarters and request reinforcements, shouldn't we? After all, that's the Pirate King! With just our strength…" Doberman said seriously. As an aide, he had to be bold enough to give advice. In his opinion, what Diarmuid was doing was too reckless.
Diarmuid smiled and waved his hand. "Doberman, you should know that I just left the Intelligence Division."
"Yes, Vice Admiral," Doberman said, nodding, but he didn't understand what that had to do with anything.
"Then you probably don't know how many reports the Intelligence Division receives each month that claim to have seen Roger in a specific place. About fifteen of them. In other words, every two days, there's a report of Roger being sighted in some sea or on some island. If we were to take all of them seriously and go all out… for the last two years, we Marines wouldn't have done anything else but run around the world following those crazy reports," Diarmuid said with a laugh.
Doberman slowly came to his senses and laughed. "I guess I was overreacting…"
He understood now. There were too many crazy reports about Roger. The Vice Admiral probably wasn't taking this seriously, either; he just happened to be in the area and wanted to check it out. It would be a huge overreaction to request backup from Headquarters for something like this.
On second thought, it made sense. For over two years, the Marines hadn't found a single trace of Roger. Was the Vice Admiral really going to run into him on a casual mission in the South Blue? That would be too much of a coincidence. It was probably another false report.
They should just go check it out to be safe and then return to Headquarters. There was no need to alarm them.
Thinking of this, Doberman looked at the calm and collected Vice Admiral and thought to himself, I'm too hasty. I need to learn from the Vice Admiral how to be a Marine leader and not get excited over an unconfirmed report.
Diarmuid knocked the ash from his cigar and said, "I don't think there's a high chance, but since it's a lead, we should check it out. There's no need to report it to Headquarters and waste manpower and resources. We'll just go to Baterilla Island. If there's nothing there, we'll return to Headquarters."
"Yes, Vice Admiral sir," Doberman said, standing up. Since there was nothing else, he didn't want to disturb the Vice Admiral's rest. As he was about to leave, he put his hand on the doorknob, paused, and turned to Diarmuid. "What if, I mean, what if Roger really is on Baterilla Island?"
Diarmuid turned to face Doberman. "Then it will be a time for us to carry out Justice! We are Marines. When have we ever been afraid of pirates? Even if he is the Pirate King! As long as he dares to show his face, we will hunt him down!"
He paused for a moment and then said with a righteous tone, "I will not coexist with evil!"
Doberman, who was the type of person who wasn't afraid of death and would later be known as the "Fighting Dog," found these words to his liking. He stood at attention and saluted. "Yes! All for Justice!"
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