On a certain island in the New World, Diarmuid and Hina secretly disembarked from a small boat. Neither of them wore the standard Marine "Justice" coat. Instead, they were both wrapped in black trench coats, their faces hidden from view. While Diarmuid's tall stature was a little eye-catching, there were plenty of tall people in the world, so no one seemed to suspect anything out of the ordinary.
"I'm a Marine Admiral, so my identity is a dead giveaway. I have to cover my face. But you're just a little girl, a Marine Commander with no fame to your name. Why are you copying me?" Diarmuid said, tugging on his coat and glancing helplessly at Hina.
Hina seemed very excited. After looking around, she said in a hushed tone, as if she were a spy, "Admiral, I want to experience what a secret mission feels like. Without the trench coat and my face covered, it feels like something is missing. You don't know this, but when I was a kid, I always fantasized about becoming a top-notch agent, carrying out justice in the shadows. How cool does that sound?"
Diarmuid rolled his eyes. "You're still a little girl, not a kid anymore. I wouldn't know by looking at you."
Hina huffed and puffed out her chest. "I'm not a little girl anymore. I've grown a lot!"
"Tsk..." Diarmuid scoffed. "I have a little pull in the CP. How about I get you a transfer? I can send you to CP9 to be a secret agent and fulfill your childhood dream of carrying out justice in the shadows. How does that sound?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Spandine, who had just gotten off the boat, said with a chuckle, "It would be our honor to have Hina-san join our CP9..."
Hina's face fell, and she frowned. She grumbled unhappily but didn't say anything.
Diarmuid looked at Spandine. "Thank you for your help, Spandine. I really appreciate you personally bringing me to the New World in secret."
Normally, a Marine Admiral's movements would be highly classified, and even if they used Marine channels, they wouldn't be discovered. However, there were many forces in the New World that kept a close eye on the Marines. If there were even a small clue, they might start making wild guesses. While the chances of being exposed were low, someone might get lucky and expose Diarmuid. Compared to the Marines, the CP's channels were much safer and more discreet, so Diarmuid decided to get Spandine's help.
Spandine had just sent Kaido to Enies Lobby when he received Diarmuid's summon. The guy was ecstatic. The Admiral finally needs my help! One favor leads to another. I've helped him this time, and if I do a good job, he'll ask for my help next time, too! Once he asks for my help a few times, our relationship will be solidified! And he'll have no choice but to take care of me, Spandine!
So, without a second thought, he quickly handed Kaido over to CP0, rushed to Marineford, and then went with Diarmuid to Mariejois to use CP9's secret routes to send Diarmuid into the New World. So far, nothing had been exposed.
"You're too kind, Admiral. It's my honor to be of service. If you ever need anything else, just say the word. I'm firmly on your side!" Spandine said, expressing his loyalty.
Diarmuid didn't expect much from his loyalty, but he still nodded and said very seriously, "Good. I'll remember this."
Spandine was very happy to have Diarmuid's approval. He looked around the harbor and pointed to a ship approaching from a distance. "That's the one."
Diarmuid looked in the direction Spandine was pointing and saw a ship with a pinkish vibe. It was decorated with romantic, sheer fabrics, giving it a rather... well, a very "pleasure quarter" feel. He looked at the flag hanging on the ship, and sure enough, it was the flag of the Pleasure District. It was the "flower boat" Stussy had sent to meet Diarmuid.
Over the past few years, the Pleasure District had grown at an incredibly fast rate under the leadership of Queen Stussy. Diarmuid highly suspected that Queen Stussy had a natural talent for managing this kind of business. The Pleasure District now had establishments on eight or nine out of every ten islands in the New World. Their business practices were extremely generous, often buying entire streets and turning them into "flower streets." Whether it was the capitals of various countries or pirate strongholds, there seemed to be nowhere she couldn't do business.
The Pleasure District's nature was very well-suited to the chaos of the New World. Pirates were rowdy and evil, but they also had needs, and they lacked places to spend their money on fun. Before the Pleasure District came along, various "pink establishments" fought for their own markets. After the Pleasure District appeared, it quickly began to consolidate the market, merging and swallowing up all the small and large brothels. One by one, they all hung up the Pleasure District's sign.
Now, even in the chaotic, talent-filled New World, Stussy was a big deal. In the Underworld, Stussy was even more powerful. She was already called the "Underworld Queen," and almost everyone in the Underworld called her "Queen Stussy." In terms of status, she was even a little higher than Doflamingo.
Because of the Pleasure District's unique nature, information flowed very quickly. So on the surface, people saw it as a place of pleasure, but in the Underworld, professionals knew that the Pleasure District was the most advanced intelligence agency in the New World. If you had the money, they could find out what kind of pajamas Charlotte Linlin wore to bed that night. However, Stussy herself said that was just an exaggeration and that her intelligence network wasn't that strong. Still, her influence was undeniable.
According to Diarmuid's plan, he would first use CP9's channels to enter the New World in secret. Then, someone from the Pleasure District would meet him in the New World. He would take their ship to Stussy's base in the New World and meet with her. At the same time, Smoker would also depart from his territory, using "looking for fun" as a cover, to meet with Diarmuid. The three of them would have a secret meeting.
The Pleasure District's flower boat quickly moored next to the CP9 ship. Spandine hurried over and started chatting with a woman who had come down from the ship. The woman was very beautiful, with the mature charm of an older sister and a great figure. Her eyes were also full of a tempting seductiveness. But if you looked closely, you would find that compared to Stussy, her charm was a little forced. It was nowhere near as natural as Queen Stussy's.
After a short chat, Spandine trotted back and nodded to Diarmuid. "Admiral, this is the right ship. You can board. They'll take you to see Stussy right away."
Diarmuid nodded. "Thank you for your help. Be careful on your way back."
Hearing Diarmuid's concern, Spandine was so moved he almost started to cry. He quickly replied, "Please don't worry about me, Admiral."
Diarmuid was a little surprised at Spandine's sudden emotional outburst. I was just being polite. I couldn't care less about you. It was just a courtesy, and you're already getting all emotional. But he didn't say anything to hurt his feelings. He patted Spandine on the shoulder and said to Hina, "Let's go. Get on the ship."
Then, the two of them walked toward the Pleasure District's boat. Spandine, meanwhile, stood behind them, waving goodbye, even though Diarmuid wasn't looking back, to show his reluctance to part and his loyalty.
Hina followed Diarmuid, looking around curiously at the ship. She whispered, "Admiral, you can't make any mistakes. If you do, I'll tell Gion-neechan!"
Diarmuid looked at this "snitch" helplessly. She always threatened him with this, but she had never actually done it. He wondered if this little girl even enjoyed doing this.
"I'm on official business here. I, Diarmuid, am a promising young man in a high position, a genuine Marine Admiral. Do I really need to find fun here? If I went back and let people know, the women who want to get into my bed would line up from Marineford to Mariejois. Why would I waste my money here?" Diarmuid said, rolling his eyes. Why pay when you can get it for free? Besides, with Stussy as his benchmark, there was no way Diarmuid would be seduced by these "professionals."
Hina's face showed a look of surprise at Diarmuid's words. She shook her head and said, "Zephyr-sensei always said that to become strong, you must first lose your shame. I finally understand why you're so strong, Admiral. It's because you have no shame!"
But as soon as she said that, Diarmuid playfully flicked her head, making Hina cry out in pain.
At that moment, Diarmuid walked to the gangplank, and the flirtatious woman greeted him with a smile. "Queen Stussy said you're a distinguished guest, so you don't have to pay for anything you want on the ship. So you won't be wasting any money..."
Diarmuid was stunned. After a moment, he smiled and said, "This lady is very sharp..."
The flirtatious woman giggled. "That's how we are in this business... Please, go ahead."
Soon, Diarmuid and Hina boarded the flower boat, and the ship quickly left the port. Inside the cabin, Diarmuid found that it wasn't what he expected. He thought that since the outside was so seductive, the inside would be a mess of debauchery. He expected to see a lot of shameful things that he wouldn't be able to look away from. He had prepared himself for the shock and was even a little excited. After all, he had no experience in this area. It was his first time on a flower boat in two lifetimes!
But Diarmuid was disappointed. The inside was too refined. It was no longer a place of debauchery. The decorations and the staff were not vulgar at all. Instead, they exuded an elegant and sophisticated atmosphere.
Diarmuid felt a pang of regret for not being able to see a wider world. Hina, beside him, took off her hood and looked around curiously. "This place is not what I expected. I thought..." She glanced at Diarmuid, and her face turned a little red. She didn't finish her sentence.
Diarmuid put on a serious face and said to the beautiful woman next to him, "Since we're on a secret mission, let's not do this again. It might expose us. Just keep things as they are. I can handle it."
The woman was stunned for a moment. This is how we are. What did you think the Pleasure District was? Did you think we were so vulgar? We're very refined. But she saw the slight look of disappointment in Diarmuid's eyes and understood. A smile appeared on her face, and she intentionally lowered her body, showing off her figure. "When we see you off, we won't pretend anymore."
"Yes, yes, that's right. I can handle it. You don't have to go through all this trouble. It must have cost a lot to decorate, right? Don't do it next time," Diarmuid said, nodding with a hint of anticipation.
Why do I already want to leave after just arriving? Please open the door to a new world for me!
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