"Is that so?" Diarmuid replied, then continued to talk to himself, "I suppose so. You, Doflamingo, are a man of principle. I didn't get this done, and yet I... Sigh, never mind, never mind. If you feel too embarrassed, then let's pretend I didn't say anything."
Doflamingo: Did this man just forget how to be polite?
Just as Doflamingo felt baffled and unsure how to respond, Diarmuid burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Just kidding! You didn't take that seriously, did you?"
"Fuffuffufu..." Doflamingo laughed as well, then said, "Admiral, I failed to complete this task and still owe you a debt of gratitude. I truly feel awkward about it. How about I help you find another Devil Fruit? Do you have any other requests of my services?"
Doflamingo was savvy. He knew that to maintain his relationship with Diarmuid, he needed sufficient engagement. How could he create this engagement? Strength? The Navy was full of experts. Diarmuid himself was already supremely powerful, now dubbed the 'Strongest Admiral in History,' whom even Whitebeard couldn't defeat. His own strength wasn't much of a bargaining chip.
Therefore, Doflamingo was well aware of his leverage. He wasn't afraid to run errands for Diarmuid or put in the effort. He was only worried that Diarmuid wouldn't have anything for him to do. No tasks meant that he was of little use to Diarmuid. And a useless person had no value.
"Ah, if you're asking what I'm interested in, I have a junior who keeps pestering me to find him a Devil Fruit ability. He wants a Paramecia. I thought about it, how about the Gum-Gum Fruit? If you have the time, help me look for that Devil Fruit," Diarmuid said, accepting the offer without pretense.
Doflamingo nodded upon hearing this. "That won't be a problem. I will have my people start asking around immediately and give you an answer as soon as possible."
The Gum-Gum Fruit didn't sound as strange or special as the Dark-Dark Fruit. It shouldn't be too complicated. Furthermore, judging by the Admiral Diarmuid's words, this fruit was only for a junior, so it likely held no special significance. That made things much simpler, avoiding the kind of chaos that erupted with the Dark-Dark Fruit, where his own man was scrambling to take the goods.
"Yes, there's no need to rush," Diarmuid said with a cheerful laugh.
After a slight pause, he asked, "Are you coming to Alabasta? It's quite lively here lately. The Revolutionary Army, the CP organization, the Warlords of the Sea, the Navy… Tsk, tsk, what a big mess. I wonder how much longer the daily peace of Alubarna can last?"
"Speaking of which, I refused the Warlord of the Sea summons because I suddenly discovered the Dark-Dark Fruit matter. That Crocodile guy is probably trying to sabotage me behind my back. Maybe Mariejois will even try to take action against me. Admiral, could you perhaps put in a good word?" Doflamingo asked in a joking tone.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Diarmuid asked, surprised.
"The Warlord of the Sea summons. Crocodile claimed it had the highest authorization. I heard Jinbe is also heading to Alabasta. Will my refusal have any negative consequences?" Doflamingo asked.
"Hahahaha, that? Don't worry about it. That's one thing I actually know about. It's the CP organization. Some fellow named Spandine is the representative sent by Mariejois to handle the affairs in Alabasta, and he does indeed have the highest authorization. But that authorization is targeted at Crocodile. Crocodile merely gained the authority to summon the other Warlords of the Sea. Even if you refused, it won't matter. He has no right to get involved in the personnel appointments or dismissals of the Warlords of the Sea. Does he even qualify to meddle with that?" Diarmuid laughed heartily.
It was obvious that Crocodile had exploited the information asymmetry to trick Doflamingo, making him feel guilty.
Of course, Diarmuid could also guess that Doflamingo had already seen through this false grandstanding but was pretending not to have realized, trying to curry favor with him. After all, if one were to seriously analyze the situation, it could be understood as Doflamingo being willing to discard even his Warlord of the Sea position for Diarmuid's sake.
Regardless of the motive, Diarmuid had no intention of making things difficult for Doflamingo. Just as he still gave him the promise even though he failed to deliver the Dark-Dark Fruit. You can't expect the horse to run without feeding it grass. If you ask someone to run around doing tasks for you, you can't offer nothing in return, even if the task failed.
Especially since Diarmuid greatly admired Doflamingo and was also looking forward to uncovering the secrets of Mariejois hidden within him. Giving him some benefits was completely necessary.
Doflamingo was slightly stunned on the other end. This time, he hadn't truly seen through Crocodile's trick. He was simply too involved in the situation. Now, hearing Diarmuid's words, he instantly realized the truth.
That's right! I refused the Warlord of the Sea summons nearly a month ago, and Mariejois hasn't breathed a single word of complaint... That should have been a huge red flag! Why didn't I think about that extra step?
"That damned Crocodile, that guy..." Doflamingo cursed under his breath.
After a pause, Doflamingo asked again, "Admiral, so are there Warlords of the Sea responding to the summons now? Is this acceptable?"
"What's unacceptable about it? Mariejois does want to see the value of you Warlords of the Sea. So, Crocodile's summons are procedurally correct. Currently, if I recall correctly, Mihawk, Jinbe, and Hancock have accepted the summons. The rest, Crocodile either hasn't contacted or they refused, just like you," Diarmuid replied.
"Is that so?" Doflamingo murmured.
Just then, Diarmuid asked, "Do you want to come hang out? It's quite interesting. You might even witness a grand-scale war."
Hearing Diarmuid's words, Doflamingo smiled. "Since you put it that way, Admiral, I definitely have to come and broaden my horizons. Alubarna, is it? Should I meet you there?"
"Yes, I'll be in Alubarna for the next little while. And don't make too much of a spectacle, will you? Try to keep a low profile. At least don't expose me," Diarmuid reminded him, thinking of Doflamingo's flamboyant and high-profile demeanor.
Doflamingo could only offer a resigned chuckle. "Yes, yes, I understand. I certainly won't disturb your pleasure, Admiral."
The summons from Crocodile in Dressrosa had been ignored, but Doflamingo agreed without hesitation when Diarmuid casually invited him. Since he was already on his way and had reached Fish-Man Island, he might as well take a detour to see what was happening in Alabasta.
However, thinking of this, he suddenly spoke again. "Right, Admiral, there's someone from the Whitebeard Pirates tracking that Lucci fellow. He's currently cooperating with me. What should I do about him?"
"Oh? Who is it? Marco?" Diarmuid asked.
"A nobody, but I've tested him, and he seems quite powerful. He's called Marshall D. Teach. He's a member of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division and harbors extreme hatred for Lucci, seemingly because Lucci killed his best friend, Thatch. He swore to chase Lucci to the ends of the earth and kill him. Should I look for an opportunity on the way to take him out?" Doflamingo asked softly.
Diarmuid was momentarily bewildered.
Soon, Diarmuid burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Marshall D. Teach? Doflamingo, you completely underestimated him. I can't believe he managed to fool you too!"
Doflamingo slightly frowned. "Is there something wrong with this person?"
"He's a huge problem. You thought Thatch was killed by Lucci? Wrong. Teach did it. In reality, he's also looking for the Dark-Dark Fruit. The real reason he's pursuing Lucci has nothing to do with revenge for Thatch. That guy is a pure, unadulterated opportunist and ambitious scoundrel. He fooled Whitebeard for decades, and now he's fooling you. He's looking for Lucci only because he wants the Dark-Dark Fruit, hahahaha," Diarmuid laughed heartily.
Doflamingo was first shocked, then carefully recalled Teach's behavior. Without suspicion, it seemed normal, but now that he was suspicious, it seemed somewhat off. That guy seemed even more eager than Doflamingo himself to find Lucci.
Previously, he thought it was due to his desperation for revenge, but now he suspected it was because the guy was afraid someone might eat the Dark-Dark Fruit before him. After all, if it were only about revenge, he could afford to be more patient!
"I see. So, the real culprit was this guy all along?" Doflamingo clicked his tongue, then asked, "Should I find a place to sink him? Fish-Man Island is a good opportunity to strike. I'll make some preparations. Once we leave the island and enter the deep sea, I can take care of him and his ship anytime."
In Doflamingo's view, since Teach dared to secretly compete with Diarmuid for the Dark-Dark Fruit, he was definitely Diarmuid's enemy. From a standpoint, Doflamingo was on Diarmuid's side, which made Teach his enemy. Finding a way to kill him was perfectly reasonable!
"No, no need. Hmm... that guy is quite interesting. I was actually planning on looking for him. There are some things I want answers to. Since he happened to run into you, here's the plan: keep misleading him, and bring him along to Alabasta. He wants to chase Lucci to the ends of the earth, doesn't he? Then let him see him," Diarmuid said after thinking it over.
Diarmuid had always been curious about whether Teach's ability to become a dual Devil Fruit user, or even a multiple Devil Fruit user, was due to the Dark-Dark Fruit or an issue with his own body. He hadn't had a chance to investigate the matter before, so this was a good opportunity to bring Teach over and ask him. It would also help resolve a mystery he had for many years.
Moreover, it seemed Teach had not yet defected from the Whitebeard Pirates, unlike in the original story, making his potential value even higher. Perhaps he could be useful later. In any case, bringing him over was a win-win scenario.
Seeing that Diarmuid had made his decision, Doflamingo had no other opinion. He nodded into the Den Den Mushi. "No problem. That guy is desperate to find Lucci. If I give him enough 'intelligence,' he'll be happy to come to Alabasta with me."
"Good. Be careful on the way. That guy's strength might be greater than you think. Talk to you when you reach Alabasta then?" Diarmuid said. His roasted skewers were getting cold, and he didn't want to chat with Doflamingo anymore.
Doflamingo was astute and replied, "Understood. I'll contact you when I arrive in Alabasta."
"Mhm, that's all then," Diarmuid responded, then hung up the Den Den Mushi.
Across from him, Vergo swallowed the scorpion meat in his mouth. He still had his strange little habits. For instance, the corner of his mouth was currently smeared with a cooked scorpion claw.
"Admiral, what is so special about the Dark-Dark Fruit? Why do you attach so much importance to it, and why did that Teach hide in the Whitebeard Pirates for nearly twenty years...?" Vergo asked.
"The Dark-Dark Fruit, you say? Hehehe... Speaking of which, Vergo, have you ever thought about becoming a Devil Fruit user?" Diarmuid suddenly asked with a hint of wickedness.
Impel Down imprisoned many formidable Devil Fruit users!