The figures of Gion, Shiki, and Diarmuid crashed to the ground one after another.
The surrounding Marines were left in a state of shock. Sengoku was truly ruthless, attacking without a moment's hesitation. Rear Admiral Gion and Vice Admiral Diarmuid were just as vicious. One had the guts to stab, and the other absolutely refused to let go!
Today, the three of them had taught the Marines a good lesson: at a critical moment, you had to be ruthless. Perhaps that's exactly why one of them was an Admiral, one a Vice Admiral, and the other a Rear Admiral.
Gion had only been hit by the lingering power of Sengoku's palm, so she hadn't sustained any other injuries. After she hit the ground and coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood, she felt that only one or two of her ribs were broken. Her injuries were manageable.
Since Sengoku hadn't been aiming for her, she struggled to her feet.
Shiki, on the other hand, was severely injured. He was already wounded, had just been run through by Gion's sword, and had then been held in place by Diarmuid to take Sengoku's attack without any resistance. He was completely broken.
He lay in the rubble, letting the rain fall on him, blood gushing from his mouth, and bloody foam with every breath. The stab wound in his chest gushed blood as if it were free. His chest was clearly caved in, and who knew how many ribs were broken.
Not far from Shiki, Diarmuid was still conscious. His durability was extreme because even with the most serious injuries, he felt no pain. He propped himself up with one hand, his body covered in mud and blood, looking utterly defeated in the pouring rain.
But he still slowly stood up and grabbed the famous blade, Oto, that was still lodged in his side. He slowly pulled, and the blade came out. While the blade was still in the wound, the blood flow wasn't too bad, but once he pulled it out, blood jetted out, and then began to pour like a flood.
Diarmuid didn't pay any mind to it. He casually tossed Oto on the ground, put his hands together, and murmured, "Rokushiki Secret Technique: Life Return!"
The gushing blood began to slow. The vicious wounds on his chest and abdomen began to close as the flesh squeezed back together, stopping the blood from flowing out. While the wounds weren't healed, the process had greatly eased his injuries.
That's right, Diarmuid was now very proficient with Rokushiki and was quite skilled with Life Return. Although he had managed to stop the bleeding, his aura was clearly much weaker.
Meanwhile, Sengoku landed, his golden light fading as he returned to his normal form. He didn't check on Diarmuid or Gion. Instead, he went straight to Shiki.
He grabbed Shiki's collar and lifted him up. Before Shiki could say a word, Sengoku slammed him back down and then swung a fist, punching him in the face. The punch broke Shiki's nose, sending blood flying.
"I don't have time to talk to you!" Sengoku cursed. In his dazed state, Shiki wanted to curse back. I wasn't trying to talk to you! What was that last punch for?
At the same time, two Marine Rear Admirals carrying Seastone handcuffs rushed forward.
Sengoku nodded. "Cuff him and lock him up!"
"Yes, Admiral!" the two Rear Admirals replied, and they moved swiftly.
Only then did Sengoku hurry over to Diarmuid and Gion. "Are you two okay?" he asked.
Gion shook her head. "I'm fine, just a couple of broken ribs. I can get them reset. Diarmuid looks like he's seriously injured. He was stabbed by Shiki and then by me, and then he took a hit from you…"
Just then, Diarmuid waved his hand. "I'm fine. I can take it…"
He was speechless. That bastard Shiki had tried to run, forcing him to resort to such a crazy tactic. The result? He had been in the thick of the battle, but for most of it, he had been an observer, only getting into the fray at the very end.
The only major injury he had sustained was from his ally. Who was he supposed to complain to? But he had chosen this path, so there was nothing he could do about it.
He watched as two Rear Admirals cuffed Shiki with Seastone and escorted him away. Diarmuid was relieved. He wanted to say something to Shiki but didn't know what.
'Forget it,' he thought. 'Let him peacefully retire in Impel Down.'
Before Sengoku could say anything else, several Marine doctors rushed over with umbrellas, surrounding Diarmuid and Gion. They shielded them from the rain and checked their injuries.
Gion was fine, but Diarmuid was indeed seriously hurt. But this wasn't his first time getting stabbed, and his body was much tougher than it was back in the North Blue when a single stab would leave him unconscious. Now, even with such a severe wound, he was still fine.
"You two need to go to the infirmary and rest for a few days. I have things to take care of…" Sengoku began.
But Diarmuid held up a hand, interrupting him. "No need, Admiral. I'm going with Momonga and the others to Loguetown."
"Don't be ridiculous! With your injuries…" Sengoku immediately objected.
"I was the one who caught Roger. If I can't see his execution with my own eyes, I'll regret it forever!" Diarmuid said, wiping the blood from his mouth, his eyes filled with determination.
From the looks of it, Sengoku had originally planned to go to Loguetown in two days. At the speed of a Marine warship, they could go from Mariejois to the East Blue just in time for Roger's execution.
But now that Shiki had caused a ruckus in Marineford, Sengoku's plans would have to change. He would have to stay to handle the fallout and make sure no other problems arose.
Diarmuid, however, had no such intention. He wanted to witness the final act of Roger's life. He would regret it for the rest of his life if he missed it.
Looking at the determined light in Diarmuid's eyes, Sengoku wanted to stop him, but he finally sighed. "Fine. I can't stop you. When you get there, tell Tsuru that she has my full authority to deal with the situation. With what happened in Marineford, I have to stay here."
"I'll go too!" Gion quickly added. Diarmuid's injuries were so severe that Sengoku had given up on him. Gion was fine, so Sengoku didn't bother to stop her and nodded his approval.
"You, take the boat and make sure to take good care of Vice Admiral Diarmuid and Rear Admiral Gion! Understood?" Sengoku ordered the doctors.
"Yes, Admiral!" the doctors replied quickly.
"The rain is getting heavier. Let's not waste any time. I'll go to the ship and rest. Let's set sail now," Diarmuid said.
"Be careful. Roger's execution is a huge deal. It might not be as simple as you think. Shiki went crazy enough to come here. I wouldn't be surprised if other powerful figures show up there. You two need to be careful," Sengoku warned.
Diarmuid nodded. It was only natural that Sengoku would think that Roger's legendary crew members would come to rescue him. But Diarmuid knew that none of them would come to save him. Only Shanks and Buggy would be there to say goodbye.
Aside from the chaos Roger would cause at his death, Loguetown was a very safe place. Even with a few future pirates in the crowd, no one would cause any trouble.
After giving them instructions, Sengoku suddenly smiled. "Now that Roger is about to be executed and Shiki has been captured, the three-way balance in the New World has been completely broken. Only Newgate is left alone. I can almost see the Marines sweeping the New World…"
Sengoku wasn't just bragging. At this time, Kaido and Charlotte Linlin were threats, but they weren't yet as "unsolvable" as they would become during the Yonko era. With Roger gone and Shiki captured, the only force in the New World that could face the Marines was Newgate.
The next twenty years would indeed be known as the "Era of Whitebeard." He single-handedly kept the New World in check. Did the Marines have the power to take him down? Yes and no.
From a combined force perspective, with Roger gone and Shiki captured, the pirate force in the New World was incredibly weak. If the Marines were determined, they could surround Newgate and take him down.
But then the Great Pirate Era began. The entire world fell into chaos. Thousands of ships raced to sea. The peaceful atmosphere of the oceans was gone forever. Wherever there was a sea, there were pirates.
Even though most of these pirates weren't strong yet, they tied up a lot of the Marines' manpower. They could no longer focus on the New World. The Marines' strategy changed from conquering the New World to stabilizing the world and maintaining the balance, trying to reduce the impact of the Great Pirate Era on the Marines, the World Government, and the allied nations.
Sengoku let out a little of his pent-up ambition and then looked at Diarmuid and Gion. "You two have earned a lot of credit. Diarmuid, you can't have an Admiral position just yet, but after the Roger affair is over, I'll get you the title of 'Admiral Candidate'…"
Today's fight had given Sengoku a good understanding of Diarmuid's abilities. He was a little short of being a top-tier fighter like Shiki and Sengoku, but he wasn't helpless. On the contrary, Diarmuid had been incredibly strong, suppressing Shiki's ability from beginning to end.
Even with Sengoku's help, this was enough to prove how powerful Diarmuid was. Giving him the title of Admiral Candidate was more than appropriate.
Combined with Diarmuid's destructive moves like "Planetary Devastation" and "Tengai Shinsei," he had enough presence to be a deterrent as an Admiral Candidate. Giving him that title and then letting him lead a squadron and prove his leadership skills would make it natural to promote him to Admiral when his strength grew.
Hearing Sengoku's words, Diarmuid was ecstatic. Not because of the title itself, but because Sengoku had finally given his approval. Before this, Diarmuid had been confident but wasn't sure if he could compete with Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Borsalino in the future. Now, it was clear Sengoku intended to groom him to be an Admiral.
This was a great sign, meaning he, Diarmuid, had a ticket to the Admiral race! He wouldn't be left out of the running.
"Yes! Thank you, Admiral!" Diarmuid smiled. His life-or-death gamble had paid off! He wasn't sure if others in the Marines had been treated unfairly, but he had definitely not been suppressed. This was exactly what he had hoped for.
Gion's eyes lit up. "Admiral, what about me? Diarmuid is going to be an Admiral Candidate! Can I be a Vice Admiral?"
"Just take it slow, haha," Sengoku said, brushing her off with a laugh.
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