Shimotsuki Village was ultimately not a stop on their journey, so they couldn't visit the Isshin Dojo, meet with Koshiro, or see a young Kuina, who was probably only one or two years old. But this wasn't a big deal to Diarmuid, and he had no regrets. They could always come back later.
Returning to Foosha Village, they picked up Garp, Hina, and Belle-mère. With Nami, Nojiko, Ace, and Luffy in tow, Diarmuid's warship set a course for Mariejois. The distance wasn't particularly long, but by the time they arrived, the year had already quietly turned to early 1505.
"Is this Mariejois?" Belle-mère stood on the Red Line, looking at the bustling Mariejois, filled with a sense of wonder. She was a true East Blue country girl, not yet twenty-one. She had been in the Marines for four years but had never left the East Blue. She had planned to retire, but then she was suddenly noticed by an Admiral and was now, for some reason, going to live at Marine Headquarters in Marineford. Her life had taken a dramatic turn. She had never imagined that her first stop outside the East Blue would be the holy land of the world, Mariejois.
People who had never been to Mariejois often had a very positive view of and high expectations for the so-called holy land. This was especially true for the East Blue, where the World Government had the deepest roots. The East Blue was called the Sea of Peace, so its people generally had a higher opinion of the World Government. Belle-mère hadn't encountered many frustrating incidents yet, so she trusted the World Government. Seeing Mariejois for the first time filled her with excitement.
But soon, Hina stood beside her and said, "Belle, as an experienced veteran, I must warn you, it's best not to freely set foot in Mariejois."
Belle-mère, who was still excited, looked at Hina in surprise. Diarmuid, standing nearby, laughed. An "experienced veteran?" You weren't in a much better state than Belle when you first came here!
Hina feigned a seasoned attitude, looking at the distant, bustling Mariejois with a deliberately "deep" expression. She lowered her voice and said, "Where there is light, there must be a shadow. Beneath the prosperity of Mariejois, countless shocking evils are hidden…"
Diarmuid: What? Why do those words sound so familiar? Good grief, you're just copying what I said, aren't you?
Belle-mère was taken aback and said, "Evils? Isn't this… a holy land?"
"Well, in short, Mariejois is very dangerous. If you, a beautiful single mom, get noticed by some nobles or a Celestial Dragon, it's going to be a huge problem. You must never come to Mariejois alone without us!" Hina quickly said.
Just then, Garp walked over casually and nodded. "Belle, Hina is right. Mariejois is no good place, and the Celestial Dragons are garbage. It's a huge hassle to deal with them. In short, don't ever come here alone without us."
Belle-mère: What?! Aren't you the Marine Hero? Is it appropriate for you to say that? You're calling Celestial Dragons garbage. Isn't that a capital crime? Are Marines at headquarters this brazen now?
Although surprised, seeing the Marine Hero say such things, with the Admiral beside him smoking a cigar, looking unbothered, Belle-mère realized that this so-called holy land might indeed be hiding many secrets and evils she didn't know about. Belle-mère wasn't an idiot. There was no reason for her to do something just because others told her not to, especially since she now had to raise four children. She said very seriously, "I understand."
After a slight pause, she smiled. "Besides, I'll be busy taking care of Nojiko and the four of them, so I won't have much time to leave Marineford anyway."
"Now that you have to take care of four little ones, you definitely won't have time to grow tangerines. And there's no suitable land for that in Marineford," Garp said, stroking his chin. If Belle-mère had returned to Cocoyasi Village, that remote, sparsely populated place, starting a tangerine farm would have been easy. But Marineford was a place where every inch of land was precious. It had been developed for hundreds of years. Starting a tangerine farm would be extremely difficult. Even as a Marine Hero, Garp couldn't force that to happen.
Belle-mère smiled. "It's no rush. You're right, with four kids, I probably won't have time for a tangerine farm."
"Okay. I'll make sure Ace and Luffy's living expenses are paid on time," Garp nodded. He didn't offer to cover all of Belle-mère's expenses at once. It wasn't because he didn't have the money. Garp had a very high salary at Marineford, and he rarely had to spend any money because of the Marine's great benefits. But from their time together, he knew that Belle-mère, though young, was a very strong-willed person. Saying that would be inappropriate. He would just help her out whenever she needed it.
Belle-mère nodded. "No problem."
Just then, Diarmuid suddenly had an idea. "Oh, right. The boss is planning to retire soon, isn't he?"
"Oh, is Scarlet giving it up?" Garp asked, surprised.
"Yeah, he says his legs are getting worse, and he's getting old. He's planning to move back to his hometown in the West Blue. Over the years, he's made a lot of money. I hear he bought a mansion in his hometown's capital and even bought a barony. He's going back to be a nobleman, hahahaha," Diarmuid laughed loudly.
Gion also laughed, saying, "From a tavern owner to a nobleman? Boss Cripple's life is pretty exciting…"
"That guy certainly made a lot of money," Garp agreed, nodding.
Back in his youth, Boss Cripple had been a Rear Admiral in the Marines. Although he was a lower-ranking officer in the general ranks, he was still part of the top echelon in Marineford. He had a wide network of connections, was acquainted with the Fleet Admiral and Admiral Sengoku, and had a good relationship with Garp. If he hadn't injured his leg and become "Cripple," he would have become a powerful Vice Admiral by now.
But even after retiring due to injury, with the help of his comrades, he opened a tavern in Marineford. The tavern, called the "Marine Club," became the most popular spot for Marines. While the tavern had no official entry requirements, most Marines knew that it was where the general-ranked officers often went, and occasionally, even Admiral Diarmuid and Admiral Sengoku would drop by for a drink. You can only imagine how good business was.
The Marines had great benefits, especially for officers, who had very little to spend money on in Marineford. Many of the people who frequented the tavern were bachelors with no families. Therefore, they had lots of Berries to spare. Boss Cripple had made who knows how much Berries over the years. He was an unassuming hidden tycoon.
"Since Boss Cripple is leaving, we can take over the Marine Club. We can make Belle-mère the manager and hire some girls to work there. We can all make money together," Diarmuid said with a chuckle.
Garp's face lit up. "That's right! Belle is someone we all trust. She'd be a great manager and won't steal from us."
Belle-mère was in a daze for a moment before she came to her senses, a hint of emotion in her eyes. She knew that even though Diarmuid and Garp talked about making money, money didn't mean much to people in their position. With their power and status, they could get money whenever they wanted. They were saying these things to make Belle-mère feel more comfortable. She wouldn't refuse their kindness. She smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of your money."
"Hahaha…" Everyone laughed.
And so, Belle-mère's dream of a tangerine farm was put on hold, and she was now set to become a tavern owner.
As Diarmuid and the others were talking, Sakazuki's muscular figure walked toward them. When he saw the group, his rigid expression showed a hint of surprise, and his eyes were filled with confusion. What the hell? Gion and Garp are here, too? That's not all—there's an unfamiliar woman… and you brought four kids? We're going to fight Kaido! This isn't a cruise for children! Can you guys be serious?!
"Ah, Sakazuki!" Diarmuid waved at him from a distance.
Sakazuki, though confused, nodded and walked over.
"Diarmuid, who are these people?" Sakazuki asked as he approached.
"Ah, I was just about to tell you. These are Vice Admiral Garp's two grandsons. These are Vice Admiral Garp's two granddaughters. And this is Belle-mère, the mother of Garp's grandsons and granddaughters…" Diarmuid introduced them.
Sakazuki: What kind of introduction is that?
As expected, Garp didn't correct Diarmuid when he said Nami and Nojiko were his granddaughters. In fact, he looked very pleased. Belle-mère was a little surprised but, seeing Garp's happy face, she was not foolish enough to deny it. If Nami and Nojiko became Garp's granddaughters, they would be well-established in the Marine hierarchy and would have a much better life in Marineford.
Sakazuki was stunned for a moment. Then he looked at Belle-mère and his eyes filled with respect. "So you're Dragon's wife?" You must be a really fertile woman, aren't you? These kids all look so young. Did you really give birth to four kids for Dragon in a few years?
Belle-mère was taken aback and quickly waved her hands. "You're mistaken. I'm their adoptive mother."
Sakazuki nodded. "An adoptive mother is good. An adoptive mother is good." He didn't believe her for a second. Dragon's status was too sensitive. His wife would never be able to live so openly in Marineford. So an "adoptive mother" identity made perfect sense!
Everyone says I'm a reckless hothead, but in most cases, I'm clever as a fox! Alright, I'll see what's going on, but I'm not going to say anything else!
Sakazuki didn't dwell on the issue for long. He nodded to a bewildered Belle-mère, with a look in his eyes that said, "I get it. No need to explain."
Diarmuid and Garp, meanwhile, were just surprised at how agreeable Sakazuki was today.
"These four kids might join the Marines in the future. Sakazuki, please take good care of them," Diarmuid said with a big laugh.
"I can do that," Sakazuki nodded. Although his relationship with Garp wasn't the best, it wasn't bad either. They still had a certain bond. Besides, as Dragon's children, these four kids must be very talented. It would be a great thing for the Marines if they became pillars of the organization like Dragon once was. How could Sakazuki refuse?
Garp was also surprised that Sakazuki agreed so readily, and his opinion of him changed a little. He thought about it carefully and realized that over the past two years, Sakazuki's behavior had changed. He wasn't as annoying as before. He had matured.
"Hina, you take Belle-mère and the kids back to Marineford. They're in your care for now," Diarmuid instructed. They couldn't bring so many people along on an operation to take down Kaido.
Hina wasn't stupid, and though she felt reluctant to leave, she nodded. "Yes, Admiral!"
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