It was the middle of the year 1512 of the Sea Calendar. The great war in the New World had yet to break out.
Donquixote Doflamingo, a man who had kept silent for several years, recently dropped a bombshell on the entire world.
In 1512, due to the incomplete reconstruction of Mariejois, the World Government did not convene the quadrennial Reverie that should have taken place this year. After all, there was no suitable venue; they couldn't exactly invite all the royal families to a construction site to eat dust while holding a meeting, could they?
Although this session of the Reverie was suspended and canceled, the Heavenly Tribute owed by the various nations could not be short by even a penny.
Normally, there wouldn't be anything to talk about. In the past few decades, even centuries, no one had dared to entertain the idea of interfering with the Heavenly Tribute. Therefore, Mariejois had not paid too much attention to this annual routine.
And it was precisely this lack of attention that led to a major problem.
Doflamingo, who had been plotting for a long time in the North Blue, managed to seize the Heavenly Tribute from the North Blue nations just as it was about to reach Mariejois.
Seventy-plus ships were entirely loaded with gold and cash Berries. The rumored value was in the tens of trillions of Berries. While this sounded terrifying, on closer inspection, it was the Heavenly Tribute pooled by all the affiliated nations of the North Blue, one of the four seas of the world. Tens of trillions of Berries seemed somewhat normal. After all, the North Blue accounts for nearly a quarter of the affiliated nations. Based on the Heavenly Tribute share, large nations likely pay trillions of Berries annually, and while smaller nations might have less pressure, their contribution must start at hundreds of billions of Berries.
Doflamingo's actions instantly dominated the front pages of all major newspapers.
The entire world was instantly in an uproar, and the nations of the North Blue were particularly panicky, terrified that the World Government would shift the blame onto them and force them to pay the Heavenly Tribute again.
Doflamingo was also quite the character. He actually followed Diarmuid's suggestion and personally paid five hundred billion Berries, sending it to Mariejois. At the same time, he officially informed the Gorosei and others that he had merely temporarily detained the Heavenly Tribute and had no intention of using it. All he wanted now was a position as a Warlord of the Sea.
"If you grant me this position, I, Doflamingo, will immediately return the Heavenly Tribute in full without a word. The five hundred billion Berries will serve as compensation to the World Government."
"Of course, if you refuse me the position of Warlord of the Sea, I will sink this Heavenly Tribute to feed the fish in the sea before I return a single cent to Mariejois!"
Naturally, these covert negotiations were not publicized.
On the Mariejois side, the Gorosei were actively dealing with this matter.
At the port of Mariejois on the Red Line, a warship hadn't even finished docking when the gangplank was urgently lowered.
Sengoku and Diarmuid then disembarked.
It was clear that Sengoku's expression was one of helplessness, but he didn't seem particularly exasperated. He was helpless because he had only been Fleet Admiral for less than half a year, and this pirate, Doflamingo, had already pulled off such a massive case. How could he not feel distressed?
The reason he wasn't exasperated was that Diarmuid had already given him a heads-up, so he was mentally prepared and knew what Doflamingo was scheming.
"At least wait until the ship is fully docked before getting off. You're a man decades old and a Devil Fruit user. What if you fall off and into the sea?" Diarmuid complained, following behind Sengoku.
However, he paused slightly before finishing, "Huh? Wait, if you drowned in the sea, wouldn't I immediately become the top candidate for the new Fleet Admiral?"
The thought made him a little excited.
Sengoku nearly spat blood at Diarmuid's shameless remark. He turned back and said testily, "Don't worry. I've already drawn up a will. If I die, an emergency contingency will be immediately activated, bringing Zephyr back out to temporarily serve as Fleet Admiral. It won't have anything to do with a scoundrel like you!"
"Damn it, Fleet Admiral, that's going too far! Zephyr-sensei is so old and has asthma. How can you make him work so hard? Why don't you change the will to me... I'm young and strong, and I'm not afraid of the hardship!" Diarmuid said, patting his chest.
"Spare me the drama. I'm genuinely afraid that the moment I write that will, you'll covertly cause my untimely demise," Sengoku retorted.
Of course, both men knew they were joking. Diarmuid would never actually murder Sengoku. Nor could Sengoku truly establish a will naming Zephyr as Fleet Admiral; he didn't have that authority, as the Navy wasn't a private company he owned.
"Enough jokes. What you and Doflamingo pulled this time is quite big. The Gorosei are so stressed they've developed mouth ulcers. They ordered me to come to Mariejois immediately and specifically told me to bring you along. First, I need to ask: did you leave any evidence or trace? Don't let the Gorosei find out, or you're dead!" Sengoku whispered.
"I was already drinking tea in Marineford when Doflamingo stole the Heavenly Tribute. How could I have left any loose ends? Relax. I think the Gorosei feel I'm resourceful and probably want to hear my opinion. Besides, as a Marine Admiral, isn't it perfectly normal to be summoned at a time like this? It's not like the days when I was having a falling out with them." Diarmuid said quite calmly.
He had only heard about the Heavenly Tribute matter from Doflamingo and offered some 'technical guidance'; he had absolutely no involvement in the planning or execution. How could they pin it on him? It was even less likely that the Gorosei would find out!
Unless Doflamingo sold him out, but would he dare? More importantly, why would he need to? If Doflamingo spoke without proof, Diarmuid could counter-sue him for slander! Moreover, if Doflamingo antagonized Diarmuid, how would he expect to become a Warlord of the Sea? That wouldn't align with his ultimate goal. Thus, Diarmuid didn't believe Doflamingo would have the guts to sling mud at him.
After joking around and double-checking their stories, Diarmuid and Sengoku quickly arrived at the Gorosei's office door.
After knocking, a voice answered from inside. Sengoku pushed the door open, and Diarmuid naturally followed.
Upon entering, they saw the Gorosei seated together, all with solemn expressions, and opposite them stood Stussy.
Undoubtedly, when such a major incident occurs, the CP agencies must be activated. Stussy has been a favorite of the Gorosei in recent years. Not only is she beautiful and well-proportioned, but her ability to handle tasks is exceptionally strong. The missions assigned by the Gorosei, with the mutual support of Diarmuid, Smoker, Dragon, and others, are always perfectly completed.
Furthermore, her money-making ability in the Pleasure District is immense, and she is also invested in Smoker's 'Amway Group', making her a renowned wealthy woman in the New World. She has provided significant financial support to the World Government. The Gorosei are currently very short on funds. Since Stussy can consistently funnel huge amounts of money into Mariejois, who else would they favor besides this capable and profitable CP big-shot?
Sengoku and Diarmuid both gave Stussy a normal nod.
By now, many underlying relationships have become slightly more transparent. The Gorosei also know that Stussy is a rare CP big-shot with a good relationship with the Navy, and she has indeed completed several difficult missions with the Navy's help. A decade or so ago, they would have been very wary of such a thing. After all, good relations between CP personnel and the Navy would imply that their strategy of balancing power was being undermined.
However, over the last few years, the Gorosei have eased up on these concerns. The current situation is precarious; if they were still orchestrating the Navy and CP agencies to constantly compete and hinder each other, wouldn't that be insane?
Stussy also realized this change and proactively made her relationships more open. To a certain extent, she was doing it for the Gorosei's benefit. She wanted them to know that she, Stussy, was closely aligned with their thinking: if they wanted her to clash with the Navy, she would be hostile towards them; if they wanted her to ease relations, she would immediately demonstrate a friendly attitude.
And to their credit, the Queen's maneuver temporarily fooled the Gorosei, preventing them from overthinking it. Besides, logically speaking, the CP agencies and the Navy have been at odds for hundreds of years; no one would genuinely suspect that the two organizations might be in cahoots.
Stussy smiled kindly at Sengoku and Diarmuid in greeting.
It was then that one of the Gorosei spoke, "Sengoku, Diarmuid, you've arrived. Let's not waste time with pleasantries. The situation is urgent. Such a massive incident has occurred in the North Blue, and that bastard Doflamingo dared to interfere with the Heavenly Tribute. How do you think we should respond?"
Before Sengoku could speak, Diarmuid immediately thumped his chest and declared, "Such a matter absolutely cannot be tolerated! Mariejois and our Navy are the representatives of order and justice! How can we bow our heads to these pirate scum? If we set this precedent, anyone will dare to use the Heavenly Tribute to negotiate with us! I say, ignore Doflamingo entirely. My Lords, I will return to Marineford immediately, take twenty warships, and give me three months. I guarantee I will place Doflamingo's dead head before you. We'll execute him without compromise! Let this serve as a warning to all!"
The Gorosei were taken aback. Is Diarmuid really that volatile?
But then they remembered that in his early years, this man was called the 'Ferocious Tiger of Marine Headquarters,' and he supposedly even beat up Kong?
However, the Gorosei clearly disagreed with Diarmuid's words, but they couldn't exactly voice a refusal. After all, Diarmuid's statement placed them directly on the moral high ground. How embarrassing would it be if the five of them now said they wanted to compromise?
The Gorosei had no doubt about Diarmuid's ability to eliminate Doflamingo. But Doflamingo was a cunning man; even if he died, he would probably sink the Heavenly Tribute to feed the fish. That was what they didn't want to see.
Sengoku saw Diarmuid's stellar performance, looked at the Gorosei, and realizing the timing was right, lest Diarmuid overdo it, he immediately restrained him, saying, "There's no need for that, no need! Let's think this through. Let's think it through slowly!"
"Fleet Admiral! You can't possibly be suggesting we compromise with a pirate, can you? You are the Fleet Admiral of the Navy!" Diarmuid stated, adopting an air of righteous indignation.
Sengoku glared fiercely at Diarmuid. You're not finished yet, are you?
One of the Gorosei spoke up, "Diarmuid, we also do not wish to compromise with a pirate like Doflamingo. However, the significance of the Heavenly Tribute is extraordinary, and the amount is truly vast. Do you have confidence that you can recover the Heavenly Tribute while eliminating Doflamingo?"
Diarmuid fell silent for a moment, then adopted a determined, do-or-die expression, and said gravely, "I will definitely..."
The Gorosei were puzzled. Can't you see we're giving you a way out? Why are you still being difficult?
Sengoku was also slightly surprised. Didn't we agree on the plan on the way here? Did you take the wrong medicine?
But what astonished Sengoku more was that Diarmuid hadn't even finished making his solemn pledge when the Gorosei hastily interrupted him and quickly said, "We believe in your ability, Diarmuid, but this matter still needs careful consideration. Doflamingo also holds an unusual significance for us. We cannot act against him just yet..."
Diarmuid's expression changed several times, but he finally settled on a look of 'deep reluctance,' nodding and saying, "Very well, I will listen to the five Lords."
It was then that Sengoku understood. What great acting!
This scoundrel Diarmuid had bet that the Gorosei wouldn't dare push Doflamingo to a breaking point and was actively building his image with them.
Thinking carefully, Diarmuid had once mentioned what 'persona' he was building with the Gorosei—a term he didn't quite understand, but this must be that image: hating evil like fire? Unable to tolerate injustice?
Sengoku had to admit that such a person would indeed not be heavily guarded against.
Seeing that the justice-driven Navy Admiral Diarmuid had relented, the Gorosei somehow felt relieved.
The bald-headed Elder then spoke, "The situation is this: there's an inside story you might not know. Doflamingo stole the Heavenly Tribute to secure a Warlord of the Sea position..."
Sengoku glanced at Diarmuid, who looked utterly astonished, as if hearing this for the first time. Sengoku barely suppressed a laugh.
He then followed suit, adopting a shocked expression. "That's what this is about?"