"This is going too far!"
Tezoro roared and slammed his hand down on the table in fury.
He was no fool. Of course he knew that a railroad corporation spending over 160 billion on a Sea Train project could never possibly turn a profit.
Garen was clearly trying to rob him, and with an outrageous appetite at that.
Banks were highly leveraged businesses. Most of the 20% of the Beli Tezoro controlled consisted of his customers' savings.
Tezoro could indeed come up with 200 billion Beli, but if he kept letting Garen rob him like this, his cash flow would eventually collapse. He would be unable to honor withdrawals, his credit would crumble, and those bank customers—none of whom were easy to deal with—would tear him to pieces.
"Garen!"
Tezoro abruptly rose to his feet, his eyes instantly filling with rage.
"Do you really think you have me cornered?"
"Today, I want to see what gives you the nerve to rob me!"
As he spoke, Tezoro viciously hurled the wineglass in his hand onto the floor.
Amid the sharp sound of shattering glass, the lackeys lying in ambush around them made a grand entrance, dragging along an awkward-looking red-nosed man.
"Buggy?"
"Long time no see."
Garen remained perfectly calm.
Buggy forced himself to return the greeting, though a bead of cold sweat quietly trickled down his forehead.
"Rear Admiral Buggy."
Tezoro said angrily to Buggy.
"You heard that just now, didn't you?"
"Our Gran Tesoro is one of the World Government's recognized member states, a lawful nation protected by the Marines!"
"Garen is openly robbing me like this. Aren't you going to do anything about it?"
"Well..."
Buggy hesitated, but he could not help saying to Garen.
"Garen, you really are asking for a bit too much..."
By the current