In the vast, desolate desert near Alabasta's capital, Alubarna, a caravan of camels was advancing.
Clearly a merchant convoy, the jingle of camel bells echoed across the sand, occasionally accompanied by a few boisterous songs from the crew. It was a scene reminiscent of the classic desert vista: "The mighty river runs low beneath the setting sun; a lone column of smoke rises straight from the great desert."
The caravan master, a middle-aged man, rode his camel at the front. Every so often, he would look back at his entourage, specifically at the three unfamiliar guests among them. Yet, the look in his eyes wasn't one of vigilance, but of relief and gratitude.
Three days prior, they had been ambushed in the desert by the region's largest group of Sand Pirates. The caravan master estimated that there were at least two thousand vicious bandits in that attack.
His heart sank when he first saw the Sand Pirates. Including the trading servants and guards, his caravan numbered barely over three hundred people. They were utterly incapable of resisting such a massive robbery. The best they could hope for was that the damned thugs would only steal the cargo, leave them some water, and refrain from senseless murder.
The caravan master immediately ordered everyone to flee. They were pursued by the Sand Pirates for over ten minutes before they suddenly ran into three travelers in the desert who looked completely lost. At the time, those three were just aimlessly wandering the sands on their camels.
Initially, the caravan master felt a wave of shame and apology upon seeing the three, as he had inadvertently dragged three innocent people into the mess.
But what happened next was completely beyond his imagination.
After realizing their situation, two of the three quickly rushed towards the caravan, followed by an unforgettable battle. Just two people, yet they swept through the pursuing Sand Pirates like a storm, slaughtering them and sending them running, crying for their mothers. Not a single Sand Pirate was a match for them.
In just half an hour, the battle, despite the overwhelming numerical disparity, concluded. A huge number of Sand Pirates had their morale shattered and fled in disarray. Their leader, who had been the quickest to charge, had his head literally blown apart...
With the crisis averted, the caravan master shamelessly requested permission to travel with the three guests to Alubarna. And so, the current scene unfolded.
"Katoosh, go ask our most distinguished guests if they need to rest. Bring them the best camel milk to quench their thirst..." the caravan master instructed a servant behind him.
"Yes, sir!" The servant quickly agreed and rode his camel back toward the rear of the convoy.
Meanwhile, Diarmuid and his two companions were riding their camels, moving along with the caravan.
That's right, the ones who had routed the Sand Pirates earlier were Hina and Vergo. Diarmuid hadn't even lifted a finger.
"Is that so? The reconstruction of Mariejois is complete? And they allocated a luxurious villa to you? Hahahaha, isn't that great? Your CP benefits are truly impressive." Diarmuid held a Den Den Mushi in one hand, swaying on his camel.
Diarmuid was dressed like a local Alabastan desert dweller: his head wrapped in a turban, his body fully covered, and his clothing brightly colored and festive, giving him a distinct local ethnic appearance. There was no way to tell he was a Marine Admiral.
Hina and Vergo were the same, adapting to local customs. Hina even wore a veil to cover her face.
Seeing a servant approach with camel milk, Hina rode her camel forward a few steps to intercept him. She smiled and gestured, asking the servant not to interrupt Diarmuid's call. She quietly took the camel milk, thanked the servant in a low voice, and returned to the team.
"No matter how luxurious it is, it can't compare to your Admiral's courtyard in Marineford. How much space could they possibly allocate to us in a place like Mariejois, where every inch is precious?" Stussy's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
Her voice was as pleasant and clear as ever.
It had been nearly four years since Fisher Tiger and Dragon had joined forces to burn Mariejois. The reconstruction of Mariejois was finally complete.
It was said that the massive reconstruction project employed over 200,000 laborers and cost the World Government nearly six trillion Beri to complete. However, it was clear that the six trillion Beri was only the necessary expense. In reality, most of the laborers were forced conscripts from various regions with no pay, and a large portion of the building materials were also requisitioned. If the cost were truly calculated according to the standard for rebuilding a Holy Land, six trillion Beri would barely scratch the surface.
"If you like it, you're welcome to stay anytime," Diarmuid joked with a smile.
"Tsk tsk, aren't you afraid I'll fight that Gion woman? Humph," Stussy huffed with a hint of petulance.
Diarmuid wisely avoided that subject, changing the topic. "What made you decide to call me?"
"It's that Spandine, saying he ran into you in Alabasta. I just wanted to ask how your trip was going. But what do you mean by that? Am I not allowed to contact you anymore?" Stussy said with some dissatisfaction.
"No, no, how could that be? Speaking of which, it's been a while, and I truly miss you. Are you busy lately? Want to come to Alabasta for a visit?" Diarmuid invited, chuckling.
"Zero sincerity. Forget it. I won't be in Mariejois for long. After reporting my recent work to the Gorosei, I'll be heading back to the New World. Gold City is also preparing for its opening ceremony. I'll be attending on behalf of the Pleasure District. Are you going?" Stussy asked.
"We'll see about the timing. If I can make it, I definitely will, as the Marines will need to send a representative. If the timing doesn't work out, perhaps Borsalino will represent the Marines and attend as a congratulatory gesture," Diarmuid replied after thinking it over.
"Borsalino, huh? That's fine. As long as it's not Gion," Stussy mumbled again.
Diarmuid noticed that the Queen seemed to have an increasingly strong grievance against Gion... But since he was at fault, he dared not interfere and decided to let the two of them figure it out.
After chatting with Stussy for a while longer, Hina rode her camel closer to Diarmuid. She held the camel milk in one hand and a Den Den Mushi in the other, saying softly, "Admiral, we have a situation."
Diarmuid glanced at the Den Den Mushi in Hina's hand, then told the Queen, "Apologies, something's come up on my end."
"So many things happen even when you're on vacation? I suppose that's what you get for being a Marine Admiral, heh heh. All right, I have things to do, too. I won't bother you. Goodbye for now," Stussy said with a pleasant chuckle.
"Understood. Goodbye," Diarmuid replied, smiling.
After hanging up his own Den Den Mushi, Diarmuid took the other Den Den Mushi from Hina, then took a couple of sips of camel milk to wet his throat. "Who is it?" he asked the device.
"Admiral!?" a young voice came from the other side.
Diarmuid was startled, then hesitated. "Lucci?"
"It's me, Admiral!" Lucci quickly confirmed.
"Oh, what's wrong? Is the Whitebeard Pirates making another big move? Or did you find something important?" Diarmuid asked cheerfully. At this moment, he was still unaware of the current situation in the New World.
Lucci was silent for a moment, then spoke, "Marine Headquarters Major Rob Lucci reporting. The mission is complete!"
Diarmuid was silent for a long time, looking out at the endless desert, before slowly saying, "Is that so? It's been so many years. You've worked hard, Major Lucci."
"It was nothing," Lucci replied, his tone sounding noticeably lighter.
"Mission complete means you've secured the Dark-Dark Fruit? What's the situation? Did you snatch it from that Teach guy?" Diarmuid asked curiously.
He had thought this matter would take several more years to conclude. He hadn't expected Lucci's efficiency to be so high, completing the task years ahead of schedule.
Diarmuid thought to himself: After everything is done, I'll arrange a Rear Admiral rank for Lucci when he returns, then transition him quickly. After gaining two years of experience, I'll arrange for him to become a Headquarters Vice Admiral.
In terms of strength, Lucci had earned a bounty of over 700 million Berry in the New World, so becoming a Headquarters Vice Admiral was absolutely no problem. As for qualifications, he was a seasoned Marine who had served as a deep-cover agent for so many years. His merit was beyond question. Diarmuid could easily and logically arrange for him to become a Vice Admiral.
The only thing required was for Lucci to adjust his own mindset. After being a pirate for so long, it was impossible for there to be no influence. It might be best to send him to the Marine Academy to relax and recalibrate.
What? You say Lucci's mission was Diarmuid's private request, not a Marine mission?
What a joke! As a Marine Admiral, Diarmuid's business was the Marine's business! Who would be foolish enough to cross Diarmuid over such a trivial matter? Moreover, the Intelligence Division's 'Nonexistent Agency,' which Lucci belonged to, was nominally Diarmuid's direct subordinate agency, even though it was currently barely functional.
"Yes, the Dark-Dark Fruit is currently in my possession. The situation is this: originally, I..." Lucci quickly began narrating the course of events to Diarmuid.
Due to his personality, his reports were brief and straightforward, and he was giving the report over the phone, so he naturally skipped many details. He mainly explained that Thatch had robbed a merchant fleet and obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit, and he and Teach engaged in a battle of wits. He didn't even mention the Donquixote Family, as Lucci had no idea Doflamingo was one of Diarmuid's contacts and didn't see the need to mention him.
As far as he was concerned, Doflamingo was not involved in the parts he played a role in. As a result, Diarmuid never learned that the Dark-Dark Fruit was actually stolen from the Donquixote Family.
"Finally, as the Admiral instructed years ago, I fiercely humiliated Teach in the letter. But I still wonder, was that necessary? Although revealing the truth felt satisfying, it may have exposed some information to Teach, Admiral..." Lucci said after a moment of thought.
"It doesn't matter. Let it be exposed. As long as you secured the Dark-Dark Fruit, that's all that matters. You will eventually reappear on the sea as a Marine. What needs to be known, they will know eventually. I had no intention of keeping it a secret anyway. If you want a reason, consider it a form of taunting... a certain ambitious schemer who had been lurking for over ten or twenty years. Hahahahaha, it's just that boring," Diarmuid laughed heartily.
Seeing his Admiral's sense of dark humor, Lucci didn't have much to say. It was indeed as the Admiral said; exposure or not didn't matter. The ambiguous way he deliberately wrote the letter also served to confuse Teach.
Teach was probably still doubting whether he was truly a Marine or not.
"Alright, where are you now?" Diarmuid asked.
"In the New World gateway sea. I'm preparing to leave the New World," Lucci quickly responded.
"Is that so? Here's the plan. I'm in Alabasta. Go directly to Fish-Man Island and meet the Warlord of the Sea, Jinbe. He's one of ours. He received a summons from Alabasta a couple of days ago. Bring the Dark-Dark Fruit with you and travel with him; it'll be safer," Diarmuid said with a smile.
That's right, after Crocodile suffered a setback against Doflamingo, he ultimately chose to summon Jinbe again. Jinbe was the more earnest type and had responded to Crocodile's call.