Diarmuid and Sengoku's acting was quite convincing.
Apart from Stussy, who was in on the secret and watched them perform with a chuckle, the Gorosei appeared perfectly normal. Seeing the astonished looks on Diarmuid and Sengoku's faces, they looked somewhat resigned.
"That's right, that's what happened. He even sent us five hundred billion Berries, stating explicitly that he either gets the position of Warlord of the Sea, or he sinks the entire Heavenly Tribute, going for an all-out war with us," the blond-haired Elder said, shaking his head with a hint of displeasure.
He paused slightly before continuing, "So, we wanted to ask for the Navy's opinion on the matter. As for Stussy..."
Stussy was quick-witted and chimed in with a smile, "Our CP agencies believe that while the Navy should have no problem dealing with Doflamingo, given his cunning, if anything happens to him, the Heavenly Tribute will inevitably be lost too. The top priority now is recovering the Heavenly Tribute. We recommend using the Warlord of the Sea position to trade for the tribute, and then, when the time is right, deal with Doflamingo later."
The Gorosei listened to Stussy and secretly nodded in approval. This was why Stussy needed to be here today; it was better for her to speak these words than for them to do so themselves, given their status.
Sengoku and Diarmuid exchanged a look, both wearing expressions of disapproval.
Then, Diarmuid spoke, "I disagree. Doflamingo is clearly insatiable. What if we grant him the Warlord of the Sea position, and he still isn't satisfied? Furthermore, does he deserve to be a Warlord of the Sea? He's nothing more than a despicable, shameless rogue!"
Sengoku remained silent, watching Diarmuid's performance.
Stussy then displayed the qualities of a seasoned actress. She frowned immediately, looking at Diarmuid, and said with some impatience, "Our CP agencies believe this is the most secure choice!"
"The most secure choice is to bow to a pirate?" Diarmuid angrily questioned Stussy.
"It's only temporary. This is to get the Heavenly Tribute back. Once it's recovered..." Stussy said gravely.
But before she could finish, Diarmuid immediately interrupted, "Doflamingo won't budge until he sees the rabbit, and he certainly won't return the Heavenly Tribute until he officially becomes a Warlord of the Sea. Once he officially assumes the position, even without the threat of the Heavenly Tribute, the Navy won't have the legal justification to arbitrarily act against him. If we forcibly move against him and eliminate him, it would undoubtedly undermine the credibility of the Warlord of the Sea system. At that point, the entire Warlord of the Sea organization will collapse..."
At this point, Diarmuid's eyes seemed to light up as he looked at the Gorosei. "Actually, thinking about it that way might not be bad! If we really can act against Doflamingo after the Heavenly Tribute is recovered, I suggest we directly eliminate the entire Warlord of the Sea organization! After all, moving against one will still break the trust between them and us. We might as well prepare and eliminate them all in one fell swoop!"
The Gorosei were stunned. Is this what we're supposed to be discussing?Weren't we talking about recovering the Heavenly Tribute?How did this turn into a debate on how to completely eradicate the Warlord of the Sea system?We have no intention of eradicating the Warlords!
Leaving aside the other Warlords, Smoker has brought us enormous benefits!
Moreover, the war in the New World could erupt at any moment. If you insert a knife into the Warlord of the Sea system right now, what happens to the New World?
"Diarmuid, don't be so impetuous. The Warlord of the Sea system hasn't caused the harm you initially feared. This proves the institution has a certain reliability. Abruptly moving to dismantle the Warlords would affect the entire global situation and cannot be decided in a few words. Let's stick to discussing the Heavenly Tribute for now!" the blond-haired Elder said solemnly.
The Warlord of the Sea system hasn't caused harm? You think that's due to some nonsense reason? It's because I've been covering for them!
Although Diarmuid thought this, he didn't show it.
"If we're discussing the Heavenly Tribute, I believe we absolutely cannot give Doflamingo an opportunity. Since you Lords have no intention of dismantling the Warlords, we truly won't be able to move against him after he takes the position. This is a dead end. Doflamingo has likely calculated all of this. Therefore, there is only one way to break the deadlock: don't enter the game. Refuse him the Warlord of the Sea title and see if he truly dares to sink the Heavenly Tribute. If he does, he will pay with his life!" Diarmuid said sternly.
Before the Gorosei could speak, Stussy interjected righteously, "Don't always analyze matters using your Navy doctrine. This isn't your Marineford Headquarters. The consequences the five Lords must consider before acting are far greater than what your Navy deals with. If any accident befalls the Heavenly Tribute and it cannot be recovered, do you know how much trouble that will cause us? That's thirty-six trillion Berries, not a few hundred billion! Furthermore, the impact this would have on the North Blue nations..."
Stussy barraged Diarmuid with a machine-gun-like onslaught of counter-arguments.
The Gorosei watched Stussy with deep admiration. See? This is the kind of CP member we need, someone who can withstand the Navy's pressure at critical moments and shut them down.
Stussy is truly loyal! There were rumors before that her relationship with Diarmuid was good, but she is still very sensible in the face of such a monumental issue, standing firmly on the right side.
This is excellent! This is just what we need!
Diarmuid hadn't expected the Queen's debating skills to be so formidable. Caught in her relentless torrent of words, he could barely get a sentence in.
Seeing Diarmuid cornered, Stussy felt incredibly satisfied. What a wonderful feeling! After all these years, she finally had the chance to openly and furiously berate Diarmuid!
Crucially, Diarmuid would have to thank her afterward... This made her very happy!
Queen Stussy spoke at length, citing precedents and details, analyzing the situation from the grand strategy to the specifics of the North Blue situation and Doflamingo's psychological demands.
In the end, she left Diarmuid speechless.
Diarmuid looked like he was about to burst with suppressed rage, his eyes growing increasingly fierce toward Stussy, giving the distinct impression that if they were alone, he would have twisted her neck off long ago.
The Gorosei watched this scene and felt it was time to step in. They truly didn't want the CP agencies represented by Stussy and Marine Headquarters to truly fall out. The current balance was quite good.
Therefore, just as Stussy was about to continue her attack, the bearded Gorosei cleared his throat. "Alright, alright, Stussy, I think Admiral Diarmuid understands your point now."
Stussy was sharp. She immediately adopted a submissive demeanor, stopped speaking, and then put a smile back on her face. "Admiral Diarmuid, I was merely discussing the matter at hand, and I meant no offense to you. I hope you won't take it personally or allow it to cause any conflict or misunderstanding between our two sides."
The Gorosei secretly praised Stussy internally. This woman is very professional in her actions. Now that she's said this, if Diarmuid continues to quibble, his stature and grace as a Marine Admiral will appear petty. Moreover, Stussy, as a woman, said this. How could Diarmuid, as a man, possibly cause trouble?
Sure enough, the Gorosei watched as Diarmuid's face shifted between green and white, seemingly utterly frustrated, but he finally forced a 'grim' smile. "Of course, just discussing the matter. Everyone is working for the greater good..."
Stussy wore a triumphant smile and sweetly said, "Thank you for your understanding, Admiral."
She took the advantage and acted innocent!
Diarmuid's face twitched, and he said nothing more.
He truly wasn't acting now; he was internally plotting how he would properly punish this hateful woman, Stussy, when they were alone—he was determined to beat her until she cried bloody murder!
"So, regarding this matter..." the bald Elder mused.
Just then, Diarmuid stubbornly stated, "I still maintain my opinion. I believe..."
But before he could finish, the other acting pro in the room, who had been silent, suddenly stepped up.
That was none other than our Fleet Admiral Sengoku!
"Enough! Diarmuid!" Fleet Admiral Sengoku suddenly roared.
Diarmuid was startled. What the hell? Couldn't you have given me a warning?
Amidst the astonished expressions of Diarmuid and everyone else, Sengoku said sternly, "I've told you before: now that you're at this level, you must consider issues from a higher perspective. Don't always let the standpoint of Marineford limit your thinking! I know you are devoted to justice and unwilling to compromise with those pirate scoundrels, but some things require you to look at the consequences. Now, look me in the eye and tell me: which brings greater danger and impact—giving Doflamingo the title of Warlord of the Sea, or allowing him to sink the Heavenly Tribute?!"
Diarmuid looked at Sengoku with disbelief, followed by a look of helplessness and dejection, perfectly embodying the image of someone misunderstood.
After a long silence, Diarmuid seemed to let go of his resistance, sighing, "The loss of the Heavenly Tribute brings greater danger and impact..."
This was not a lie. Doflamingo becoming a Warlord of the Sea wouldn't cause a massive catastrophe. But if the Heavenly Tribute from the North Blue nations were truly lost, the entire North Blue would inevitably fall into great turmoil. Simultaneously, the authority of Mariejois would be severely undermined, and if that led to any chain reactions, it would truly be a major disaster.
Seeing Diarmuid 'submit,' Sengoku adopted a heartfelt, earnest look and patted Diarmuid's shoulder. "Diarmuid, you are the one we have the highest hopes for. You are smart enough, strong enough, and your overall outlook is very good. But because you have been serving primarily within the Navy for so long, and you don't interact much with the five Lords, you haven't yet managed to view many matters outside the confines of the Navy. You must take today's incident to heart. If you wish to advance further in the future, you must think about issues from a higher and broader perspective!"
Sengoku's words were a clear hint. Diarmuid was already a Marine Admiral; what 'further advancement' was there?
Further advancement, of course, meant becoming Fleet Admiral!
The Gorosei suddenly realized that Sengoku might be planning to groom Diarmuid as his successor. Based on their impression of Diarmuid, he had the ability, but he was a bit obstinate... But if Sengoku could properly train him, he would indeed be quite suitable.
After all, while Diarmuid had flaws, compared to that old slacker Borsalino and Sakazuki, whose temper was even more volatile than Diarmuid's... well, Diarmuid was indeed the better choice.
Therefore, the Gorosei took the opportunity to speak. "Yes, Diarmuid, we all have high hopes for you. You are outstanding and excellent in every aspect, but your perspective needs further refinement and cultivation. It's good that Sengoku is personally mentoring you. We are all confident. Work hard, and we look forward to your future performance."
If Diarmuid continued to feign ignorance now, it would be inappropriate. Diarmuid immediately feigned comprehension, a hint of joy rising in his eyes, and he quickly nodded. "Yes, thank you for your instruction, Fleet Admiral and my Lords!"
Sengoku nodded, then turned to the Gorosei. "In that case, let's discuss the matter of Doflamingo becoming a Warlord of the Sea and how to recover the Heavenly Tribute..."
Hearing that the Navy Fleet Admiral had given his approval, the Gorosei felt relieved and all nodded. "Yes, a firm policy must be established for this matter..."