It was much the same as before.
The experience wasn't significantly different from the day Diarmuid had first arrived at G-1. Fortunately, he was sitting on the deck this time, so he didn't stumble or fall. However, his grip faltered, and a large amount of wine splashed onto the floor.
A dense aura of space-time emanated from him, only to be swiftly pulled back into his body. Despite being only a meter away, Sakazuki felt as though Diarmuid was no longer part of this world.
The space surrounding him distorted, causing Diarmuid's silhouette to appear eerie and warped.
Just as before, it came quickly and left just as fast.
In less than three minutes, the thick space-time aura dissipated. Diarmuid returned to normal, slowly exhaling a cloud of white steam.
"Whew..." After exhaling, Diarmuid managed a smile. "Still nothing."
"The fact that there's 'nothing' is exactly the problem," Sakazuki said, his eyes filled with gravity.
In truth, this wasn't the second time Diarmuid had suffered such an episode. Over the past two months or so, this was the fourth time it had happened.
Today marked the fourth occurrence.
There was no discernible pattern. The second time occurred two weeks after the first, but after recovering, the third hit the very next day. Then followed over a month of total silence, leading both Diarmuid and Sakazuki to believe the episodes had ceased. Then, out of nowhere, it struck again.
"What do you mean 'nothing' is the problem? Do you want me to cough up a few pints of blood just to settle your nerves?" Diarmuid rolled his eyes at Sakazuki before taking another sip of wine.
In his current state, no physical ailment could be found. Each episode lasted only minutes, and once finished, there were no lingering side effects. It was incredibly strange.
Sakazuki sighed, at a loss for words.
Diarmuid, however, wasn't a fool. He had begun to suspect what was happening. His eyes held a flicker of anticipation, mixed with a trace of regret and reluctance.
"Perhaps... perhaps I know what's going on," Diarmuid said after a moment of hesitation.
Sakazuki immediately pressed, "What is it?"
"The space-time aura. Every time this happens, a massive surge of spatial energy erupts from my body, only to be reeled back in within minutes. This is the fourth time; I've observed it closely. This aura is becoming denser with every occurrence," Diarmuid explained.
Sakazuki swallowed hard, his voice uncertain. "So? What does that mean? Are you awakening some kind of space-time ability?"
Diarmuid blinked. He hadn't considered that angle. Sakazuki's suggestion opened up a new line of thought.
However, after a moment's reflection, he gave a helpless smile. That likely wasn't it.
"I wish that were the case," Diarmuid chuckled, appearing surprisingly philosophical about the whole thing.
"Then what do you mean?" Sakazuki asked again.
"It felt familiar before, but after these few times, it finally clicked. This feeling... it's exactly like when Imulia... when Imu left with Uranus. That sudden distortion, followed by a total disappearance," Diarmuid said.
Sakazuki froze, his expression turning to one of shock. "Are you saying you might be like Uranus, that you might cross over into another world?"
"Exactly." Diarmuid nodded, continuing his analysis. "If Imulia was right, I have some kind of 'World Coordinates' inside me. I've always carried a significant amount of space-time aura; I just never noticed it before because I'd never encountered it. Back in Pangea Castle, Imulia discovered my aura and coordinates, and only then was I able to 'sense' them myself. In other words, the potential to traverse space-time has always been within me. It just never manifested over the last forty years because the ability, or whatever it is, was dormant. After meeting Imulia and striking our deal, these dormant 'powers' were activated..."
Sakazuki's expression grew grim. If that were true, it was a dire prospect indeed.
One of these mornings, Diarmuid might just vanish into thin air! The Navy would lose a powerhouse in an instant.
Then another thought struck him: Wait a minute. What if we're in the middle of the war with Whitebeard, just a few moves in, and you suddenly shatter the void and leave? What happens to me then?
The decapitation strike plan would turn into a suicide mission! He wouldn't even have a place to run!
Sensing Sakazuki's concern, Diarmuid smiled. "Don't worry, it's still early. I can feel the space-time aura getting stronger and denser, but it's not enough yet. Nowhere near enough... I still have time."
Sakazuki nodded, feeling slightly relieved, and offered some comfort. "Don't lose heart. There might be another way to change the situation."
"Yeah." Diarmuid smiled back, his gaze turning distant as he whispered to himself, "Lose heart, huh?"
Was he unhappy about this situation? Certainly. He felt that Imulia, while perhaps making an "unintentional mistake," had definitely screwed him over. Whenever he thought about it, he wanted to drag her back and give her a good thrashing.
But surprisingly, beyond his frustration and reluctance, there was something else.
Yes, there was fear and unease, there was no denying that. He didn't know where Imulia had gone or if she had truly returned to his original world, Earth. If he crossed over, would he follow her back? Was the journey dangerous? Was Imulia even alive? Was she safe?
Diarmuid didn't know. It was the unknown that birthed his anxiety. This wasn't a battle against a physical foe; how could he be full of confidence?
But once the reluctance, fear, and unease faded... Diarmuid realized that what remained was mostly anticipation.
It was as if he were looking forward to the arrival of this unknown journey.
After seeing Imulia off at Mariejois, his heart had grown somewhat cold and his thoughts lonely. Now, this spark of the unknown seemed to have reignited his spirit.
As a "veteran" transmigrator, well, even if he'd only crossed worlds once, "veteran" still felt appropriate, didn't it? Diarmuid knew the allure of a brand-new world.
A new worldview, a new structure, new powers, new people, new things... everything new was filled with attraction.
That was why he'd felt a hint of regret after watching Imulia leave. And that was why, now that this was happening to him, he felt like a wavering, indecisive fool—torn between anticipation and anxiety.
As for the reluctance, of course it was there. He didn't know if he would ever have the chance to return once he left. This meant parting… parting with Gion, with Stussy, with the adorable Hina... parting with every bond he had forged in this world over the last forty years.
Naturally, parting was painful.
But Diarmuid had a gut feeling, a groundless Sixth Sense, or perhaps just self-consolation, that he would have a chance to come back.
It couldn't be a one-way trip forever, right? Since it was a combination of space-time aura and World Coordinates, and since he had lived in this world for forty years, he must have a set of "World Coordinates" here. The mystery of his strange condition would be solved one day. And when that day came, as long as he gathered enough space-time aura again, couldn't he find his way back?
There were no answers yet. But the possibility wasn't small, was it?
Gion and the others possessed eternal life... he didn't have to worry that if the journey took too long, everything would have changed by the time he returned. Plus, who knew if time flowed at the same rate between worlds? Perhaps he'd spend decades adventuring over there, only for a few weeks to pass here.
Anything was possible!
With those thoughts, the burden on Diarmuid's heart lightened considerably.
Yet, facing such a thing, he was ultimately somewhat at a loss. He lacked the decisiveness and grandeur he displayed when facing enemies like Whitebeard. To put it bluntly, he was acting like an ostrich.
He suspected the outcome but chose to treat it as an unknown, neither resisting nor initiating. If the day truly came for him to "ascend," he could use self-deception as an excuse, calling it an act of God.
Humans are complicated creatures. Even Diarmuid was no exception.
Pushing these thoughts aside, Diarmuid laughed again and waved his hand. "Forget it, forget it. There's no use thinking about it. Everything is a choice of fate."
Sakazuki wasn't much for comforting words. Seeing that Diarmuid had come to terms with it himself, he simply nodded. "Fortune favors the bold."
Diarmuid felt like everyone who had ever been "blessed" with that phrase ended up dead, so he gave Sakazuki a sideways look. "I'll take your word for it."
Sakazuki looked a bit dazed, sensing a double meaning in Diarmuid's words. But after glancing at each other, both men burst into laughter.
Three days later, after passing through the climate of the Winter Island region, the snow on the deck melted rapidly, and the weather turned bright and clear. Over those three days, Diarmuid suffered no further episodes.
He now stood on the deck alongside Sakazuki, both using their abilities to release energy into the air. Massive spheres of magma rose and fell, occasionally flashing with pale purple ripples and pitch-black abyssal energy.
Undoubtedly, Diarmuid and Sakazuki were practicing a combined ultimate move.
They had been experimenting with this throughout the journey. It wasn't just a recent endeavor; the Navy was an organization that prioritized coordinated operations. Combined techniques were widely known. Back at Marineford, Diarmuid and Sakazuki had researched them; this time, they were simply going deeper.
It wasn't just Sakazuki, either. Diarmuid had coordinated moves with Gion, Kuzan, and others.
Sakazuki quickly reabsorbed the magma into his body, ensuring they weren't just "throwing trash" into the sea. Diarmuid retracted his ability as well. Looking at their expressions, they seemed satisfied; they had clearly made significant progress.
Just then, a Marine Major approached, holding a Log Pose and a sea chart. "Admirals, according to the charts and the Log Pose, we have entered the airspace above the Pirate Island, Hachinosu!"
The eyes of Sakazuki and Diarmuid lit up. They spoke in unison: "Prepare for evacuation. Are the Octopus Balloons ready?"
"Yes, Admiral, they are all set," the Major replied.
Diarmuid nodded with satisfaction. "Once we reach the airspace above Hachinosu, I will give you a lift. Then, deploy the Octopus Balloons and descend on your own. Await further orders."