The year 1517 of the Sea Calendar was defined by two monumental events.
The first was the conclusion of the Reverie, which had dragged on for over half a year. Two hundred and twenty-one nations across the globe officially joined this new system, and its various rules and regulations were finally refined and perfected.
From a global perspective, the establishment of this new power structure effectively restored order to a world in chaos. Furthermore, the efficiency and integrity displayed during the organization's infancy brought visible improvements to the lives of the common people.
Foremost, member nations were no longer required to pay the exorbitant tribute previously demanded by the World Government. This was replaced by a "membership fee" system. Unlike the old regime, this was not a flat tax; instead, it was tiered based on a country's size and comprehensive strength.
Great powers and superpowers naturally paid higher fees, while smaller, weaker nations were held to a lower standard. While the fee amounts differed, so too did the distribution of power. Strength remained a cornerstone of influence; since smaller nations contributed less, their authority within the Covenant naturally couldn't compare to that of the great powers.
This disparity encouraged smaller nations to bolster their internal development, striving to reach a higher contribution bracket to enjoy more institutional power. While some inequalities were inevitable, the organization was still in its "grassroots" phase—everyone was actively identifying, analyzing, and solving problems as they arose.
Without the crushing weight of the Heavenly Tribute and the extinction of the parasitic Celestial Dragon class, the new Pan-Global Covenant United Organization had no need to bleed nations dry. With that burden lifted, national treasuries began to recover, and the pressure on citizens eased significantly. Reduced burdens meant a rise in the standard of living.
In its current stage, the new organization was also heavily invested in infrastructure. Unlike the overbearing World Government, which held the power of life and death over every nation, the new Covenant did not interfere excessively in internal affairs. This meant its direct political control was less than its predecessor's, a situation with both pros and cons. To naturally grow its influence, the organization focused on soft power.
Under the leadership of Stussy, with the assistance of Dragon and the endorsement of the Marines, the Covenant pushed for global infrastructure projects, such as the expansion of the Sea Train network. The goal was to connect as many large islands as possible into a pan-global transport web. Eventually, ticket revenue alone would provide the organization with massive income, and controlling the world's primary transit lines would naturally grant them immense leverage over all member nations.
Shipyards, new trade convoys, and various economic initiatives followed. Diarmuid himself contributed many ideas to these plans. In his view, since the Marines held a monopoly on violence, it was inappropriate for the new Covenant to use brute force to subdue nations, that was the path the World Government took, and they had collapsed. Soft power, cultural and economic output, was the true path to lasting stability.
In short, the newly formed Pan-Global Covenant United Organization was flourishing. Despite the inevitable teething problems, the world was moving forward with hope and a sterling reputation.
That was the first major event of 1517.
The second major event was the Marine mop-up campaign in the New World, which lasted for over a year. While the duration seemed drawn out, the Marines held a crushing advantage. If victory were the only metric, the war could have ended much sooner.
The reason the campaign dragged into 1518 was the word "mop-up." Fleet Admiral Sengoku had made a ruthless decision: while the Marines could never truly eradicate all piracy, he intended to suppress the New World pirates to such an extreme low that they wouldn't be able to recover for at least thirty years.
The Marine strategy was one of methodical advancement: capture an island, stabilize it, and purge every pirate influence upon it. It was a slow, steady encroachment that gradually devoured the living space of the New World pirates. This proved to be a masterful strategic plan, and the occupation of these islands brought massive "war dividends" to the Marines.
Furthermore, the new Covenant benefited immensely. Any "No Man's Land" reclaimed from pirates was incorporated as direct territory for either the Marines or the Covenant. This strengthened the bond between the two, turning them into a true community of shared interests.
This addressed a major flaw of the old World Government: the lack of direct territory. The old regime relied on the threat of the Marines and the legalism of Mariejois to suppress the world, but lacked a strong internal economic base. Aside from Mariejois and the Sabaody Archipelago, the World Government had no real concept of "sovereignty" over land, leading them to exploit other nations to sustain themselves.
Dragon and Diarmuid both recognized this. The new organization needed a "base" of direct jurisdiction. Many islands in the New World, such as Totto Land, had become lawless voids during the chaos. These areas were now either turned into Marine bases or developed as core territories for the Covenant to generate stable, fixed income.
In February of 1518, with the destruction of the roaming "Straw Hat Pirate Remnants" and the death of their acting captain, Benn Beckman, at the hands of Admiral Borsalino, the New World campaign entered its final, relaxed phase. The fall of this crew symbolized the end of the last significant pirate threat.
The Marine high command began withdrawing from the front lines. The three Admirals and the Fleet Admiral all returned to Marineford, leaving the final cleanup to Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals. A dense network of new bases began to form, locking the New World firmly under Marine control.
By July of 1518, the war that had reshaped the world finally concluded. Its impact was profound. First and foremost, it signaled the definitive end of the "Great Pirate Era" that had begun in 1500. This sparked a heated academic debate: should these eighteen years be defined as the "Great Pirate Era" or the "Great Marine Era"?
During this year and a half, a new generation of Marines rose to prominence. The most dazzling among them was Portgas D. Ace, the personal protege of Admiral Sakazuki. With his pedigree, talent, and tireless effort, he became a leading figure of the new guard.
Near the end of the war, Monkey D. Luffy, son of the Covenant Secretary-General Dragon and grandson of Garp, also joined the fray. His performance was eye-catching, proving the More-More Fruit lived up to its reputation. Other rising stars included the genius navigator Nami and Ace's girlfriend, Ain.
The future of the Marines looked blindingly bright.
…
Late 1518. Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In Diarmuid's courtyard, the former Admiral was currently practicing calligraphy. A large table was set out, covered in white paper, as Diarmuid carefully guided a brush.
Yes, former Admiral.
In early 1518, once the New World war had cooled down, Diarmuid returned to Marineford and decisively resigned from his position as one of the Three Admirals. Following standard procedure, like Zephyr, he retained his rank of Admiral but was relieved of his duties.
Unlike Zephyr, who at least served as the Chief Instructor of the Marine Academy, Diarmuid took on no responsibilities whatsoever. Aside from his rank, he held no actual power. Sengoku had repeatedly invited him to take on various second-line leadership roles, but Diarmuid steadfastly refused. He was committed to the "retired" life.
The only reason he kept the rank at all was to collect a pension and maintain his housing benefits in Marineford. After Diarmuid stepped down, the person who rose to fill the vacancy was, unsurprisingly, Gion.
Gion had no reason to refuse. She wasn't a "salted fish" like Diarmuid; she genuinely aspired to the rank and wanted to fulfill her goal of becoming a female Admiral to match wits with that "vixen" Stussy. With her seniority and strength, and Kuzan showing no interest in the promotion, she had no real competition. Backed by Diarmuid's public support, she naturally became the new Admiral.
Since his resignation, Diarmuid had lived a quiet life in Marineford, using his free time to cultivate his artistic hobbies, like calligraphy.
His teacher was none other than Sengoku.
"This is wrong," Sengoku remarked, looking over Diarmuid's work. "This hook needs to be more decisive, more sharp." Sengoku was a master calligrapher, the best in the Marines, and more than qualified to critique Diarmuid.
"Is that so? I'll keep it in mind next time," Diarmuid nodded. As he continued to write, he remembered something and asked, "By the way, you're about to step down yourself. How do you have the time to watch me practice?"
"I've already handed everything over to Sakazuki," Sengoku said, his eyes never leaving Diarmuid's brushstrokes.
Indeed, with the New World war concluded and the Great Pirate Era ended, Sengoku had fulfilled his life's ambition. He was not a man who clung to power for power's sake. He chose to retire at his peak, stepping down as Fleet Admiral to prepare for his new role as Inspector General. Given his current prestige, he could have held the Fleet Admiral position for another fifty years if he wanted to, but he chose to let go.
"Fair enough," Diarmuid replied casually.
Just then, the figure of Sakazuki walked into the courtyard.