Diarmuid stroked his chin and murmured softly, "You know, maybe we should let Belle-mère take him. She's coming back to Marineford with us anyway, and she'll be living in the residential area…"
Belle-mère was stunned for a moment, then pointed to herself. "Me? Is that okay?"
It was a bit like saying, "It doesn't matter if you have one child, two, or even three." Diarmuid was speaking a bit casually, just assigning Belle-mère a "job" out of the blue. But Belle-mère could feel his good intentions.
This was no joke; this was the grandson of Marine Hero Garp! Was this a responsibility just anyone could handle? If she got to raise him and live in Marineford, nobody would dare mess with her.
Belle-mère was just a person from a small village in the East Blue, and she had no connections to speak of at Marineford. Even with Diarmuid's protection, she wasn't sure how far his help would extend, and she felt bad for taking advantage of his "goodwill" all the time.
But if she adopted Luffy, it would be like binding herself to Marine Hero Garp. The two of them would quickly build a deep bond. With this connection, Nami and Nojiko would have a direct line into the Marines if they ever wanted to join, becoming the "third generation" of Marine officers.
So, after her initial shock, Belle-mère quickly understood and didn't object.
Garp, too, was a bit taken aback. He looked at Belle-mère, and having seen her on the trip, he greatly admired her, knowing she was a very responsible "mother." He hadn't thought of it before, but now that Diarmuid had brought it up, he realized it was a perfect idea. Besides, as a Vice Admiral at Headquarters, he couldn't visit the East Blue often; he had nearly fought the Fleet Admiral just to get time off this once. But if Belle-mère helped take care of Luffy, it would be much more convenient. Since she was moving to Marineford, it would be so much easier for him to visit his grandson whenever he wanted.
"We could even bring Ace over. It's not right to keep troubling Dadan. If Ace goes to Marineford, he'll be immersed in Marine culture from a young age and will definitely become an excellent Marine. The same goes for this little guy, Luffy," Diarmuid said with a chuckle.
"But then Belle-mère will have four children to take care of. Can she handle all that?" Gion asked kindly.
Belle-mère flexed her arm, showing off her strength, and laughed. "No problem! I'm bursting with energy!"
"Don't worry. There will be so many of us to help out at Marineford. We won't let Belle-mère get too tired," Diarmuid said, taking a sip of his drink.
Wenna didn't mind at all. She had only been trying to help, and now that Garp and the others had a better plan, it saved her the trouble. It wasn't like she was in it for the money.
Dragon hesitated for a moment. Then, Garp slammed his hand on the table. "If you plan on having me take care of Luffy, then I'm definitely going to raise him to be an excellent Marine! Don't you go having any other ridiculous ideas!"
Dragon fell silent for a bit. He didn't have any specific plans for Luffy's future, but if he joined the Marines… He looked at Gion, Diarmuid, and then Garp. With his father and his friends there, how could anything bad happen to Luffy? If becoming a Marine was what it took, then so be it.
As for the potential for a father-son conflict due to their opposing factions in the future? He was the son of Marine Hero Garp, and he had already started a revolution on his own; he wasn't going to worry about things like that.
"Whatever," Dragon mumbled.
Garp looked at Belle-mère, who also seemed to be completely fine with the arrangement. Garp then nodded. "Then it's settled!"
Diarmuid laughed along.
Perfect! This solves the problem of the Straw Hat Pirates right from the source! I'll just send Monkey D. Luffy to Marineford and completely sever his connection with Shanks. I won't even give him a chance to wear that straw hat. With that kind of environment, I don't believe he'll ever shout, 'I'm gonna be the King of the Pirates!'
He'll be the King of the Marines instead!
As for Ace, Diarmuid had been hesitant before, but after meeting Belle-mère, he had made up his mind. He wasn't going to let that poor kid get in over his head. He would lend a hand if he could. What was so good about having an old man like Whitebeard as a father? It was better to return to Marineford and become a good Marine. Maybe he could even get the chance to kill Whitebeard and get a huge commendation. That would be quite the filial act.
After settling the matter, they all went back to drinking. Belle-mère had become an official part of the group, and Garp was sure to be relying on her a lot in the future.
While drinking, Diarmuid continued to plot the downfall of the Straw Hat Pirates.
As things stood, Nico Robin was already on her way to becoming a Marine, and Nami was likely to follow. That poor kid Luffy had no choice; if he didn't become a Marine, Diarmuid would beat him up. As his uncle, who had watched him grow up, he couldn't let him stray down the wrong path. If he tried to do something wrong, he would just have to be disciplined with an iron fist of love, wouldn't he? That's what a good senior does!
As for the little furball Chopper, he probably wouldn't have any connection to Diarmuid. It was fine for him to just stay in the Drum Kingdom and study medicine. It was a good path; he could become a famous doctor or something.
And Brook? Don't even mention him. Moria had already become a Revolutionary, so Brook was likely to be trapped in the Florian Triangle, unable to get out, and might not even get a chance to show up at all. He might as well not exist. And if he did get out, he would probably never meet Luffy and wouldn't be a pirate, and maybe he would become a top-notch musician instead. Wasn't that a better path than being a pirate?
Franky was still working for Tom in Water 7, studying the sea train. In the future, when the sea train technology was mature, Diarmuid would decide whether it was worth his time and effort to save Tom's life. Such a talented person was valuable. If he did, Franky probably wouldn't become a pirate either, but would be a good shipwright, benefiting all of humanity.
And Vinsmoke Sanji? It was better for him to just stay as a cook in the East Blue. It was a good life. Once he took over the Baratie from Zeff, he could sail the seas as a chef and a gourmet, searching for the All Blue. Wasn't that a better way to pursue his dreams than being a pirate?
Finally, there was Roronoa Zoro. He was the one Diarmuid wasn't worried about. He admired him greatly. When Zoro first set out, he became a pirate hunter, living by capturing pirates. You could say he was a man of justice. Of course, he was also terrible with directions. But judging by the fact that he initially refused Luffy's invitation to become a pirate, he clearly wanted to follow a righteous path. It was only later that he got tricked by Captain Morgan in the East Blue and was inexplicably dragged into being a pirate by Luffy.
Therefore, as long as he was given a little guidance after he set out on his journey, he would probably be easy to convince to join the Marines. Wouldn't that be wonderful? With his talent and dedication to swordsmanship, he could become an Admiral someday. At the very least, he could become an Admiral candidate.
Looking at it this way, the biggest unstable factor among the Worst Generation, the Straw Hat Pirates, would be completely gone in a little over ten years, wouldn't they? It was a truly delightful outcome!
Thinking of this, Diarmuid's mood grew even happier. He had come to Foosha Village for a vacation, but he had a surprising encounter with Dragon. With everything now settled, Garp started to enjoy the pleasure of being a grandfather. He brought Ace down from Dadan's place and spent all day with Ace, Luffy, Nojiko, and Nami.
Dragon was in a very bad mood because his wife had just passed away. Also, the Revolutionary Army hadn't planned any major operations throughout 1504 and was waiting for the World Government to make the first move. So, he had nothing to do and was just relaxing to relieve his grief.
Unfortunately, he didn't have many friends, and it wasn't like he could just go out with his subordinates to relax. It was already irresponsible enough for the leader of the Revolutionary Army to go on a stroll, but if he took his cadres with him, the Revolutionary Army might as well just disband.
So, in this small, remote village of Foosha, after running into his friend Diarmuid, Dragon decided not to leave right away and stayed to pass the time.
Diarmuid and Dragon were now sitting on small stools on the Foosha Village pier, each with a fishing rod in hand. The sea breeze was gentle, and the weather was warm. Foosha Village, despite being remote, was a true paradise, perfect for a relaxing vacation. It was so peaceful and beautiful.
Not far away, on the beach, Gion, Hina, and Makino, all in bikinis, were playing in the water and having a water fight. However, Gion and Hina were Devil Fruit users, so Makino, the little girl, surprisingly had the upper hand. Vice Admiral Garp was holding Luffy, chatting with Mayor Woop Slap, and a closer look revealed he was even holding a baby bottle, feeding Luffy.
"What a leisurely day…" Diarmuid took out a cigar and offered one to Dragon.
Dragon glanced at Diarmuid, then reached out and took it.
"Oh, you've never smoked before. You even said you quit drinking…" Diarmuid teased.
Dragon had indeed said he quit drinking and didn't smoke. But he had drunk alcohol in the village bar, and now he had accepted a cigar.
"It's just for this brief period of time. Let me indulge a little," Dragon said, his voice tinged with loneliness.
Diarmuid knew he was in a bad mood and didn't press the issue. After lighting his cigar, he tossed the lighter to Dragon and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. "If you sink into despair like this, the Revolutionary Army probably won't succeed. When you think about it, that's not a bad thing."
"No, I won't fall into despair. I just need some time to get myself back together. I will make sure more people can have a warm smile like hers," Dragon said softly.
Diarmuid was silent for a moment. He knew that once Dragon overcame this hurdle, he would only become stronger and more invulnerable. Without emotional attachments, it seemed his last weakness had disappeared as well.
"You're not just going to hang around with us forever, are you? I can tell you're planning to leave in a couple of days. Where are you headed? If you're going to relax and clear your head, why don't you bring me along?" Diarmuid asked with a smile.
"Bring you?" Dragon was a little surprised.
"Of course. And Gion. Just don't bring your old man," Diarmuid said with a grin.
Dragon laughed at that. He seemed to be in a slightly better mood. After thinking about it, he said, "I was actually planning to visit a friend after leaving Luffy with Wenna-san…"
"Who?" Diarmuid asked, exhaling a puff of smoke.
"You wouldn't know him. He's not famous, just the owner of a dojo in a small village in the East Blue," Dragon said, waving his hand dismissively.
"Hahaha, you never know. Let me guess… is it Koshiro-sensei of the Isshin Dojo?" Diarmuid laughed loudly.
Dragon was surprised. "How did you know?"
"Because I was planning to visit Koshiro-sensei myself, but your old man ruined my plans," Diarmuid said, rolling his eyes.