Ron's eyelids twitched furiously. The moment he noticed something off about the way Garp looked at him, he immediately thought of that possibility. Garp's eager insistence on having the galley start cooking only made it even clearer.
Ron could more or less guess why Garp wanted to recruit him into the Marines.
Through their conversation, he had learned that it was October 22, Marineford Era 1514—the fourteenth year of the Great Pirate Era. It was precisely a time when the Marines lacked successors.
Here, "lacked successors" referred to the true pinnacle of Marine Headquarters' combat power: the Marine Admirals... At present, no one could replace them!
No matter how outstanding Momousagi and Chaton were, there was still a clear gap in strength between them and the Admirals. Otherwise, Fujitora and Ryokugyu, two powerful outsiders, would not have later been brought in to fill the Admiral positions.
Did the Marines not worry about those two men's loyalty? Did they disregard Momousagi and Chaton's merits and directly parachute new Admirals into the ranks?
Of course they worried!
But circumstances were stronger than men!
The Marine Admirals' prestige had been built over centuries by generations of Admirals, fist by fist and kick by kick. Countless people feared them, and wherever they went, an entire sea would fall into panic.
Without Admirals, the "strongest combat power," to deter the seas, this world would descend into unimaginable chaos!
That was certainly not something the World Government or the Marines wanted to see.
So they would rather take the risk of promoting powerful outsiders like Ryokugyu and Fujitora than let underpowered Momousagi and Chaton take the positions.
Looking across the original story, what the Marines had never lacked were mid-ranking officers and lower-ranking soldiers!
At the Summit War, among those hundred thousand officers of colonel rank and above, which one had been a pushover?
Among the mid-ranking officers were Momousagi, Chaton, Momonga, Kashou, and sixteen Division Vice Admirals in total, all powerhouses who shook the seas!
Among the lower-ranking officers, there were also standouts like Koby, who would later train under Garp and rapidly rise to Colonel, as well as Smoker, who bore a deep grudge against the Straw Hat Pirates and steadily grew stronger.
But at the highest level, at the very peak...
They were all old veterans!
Every last one of them was past seventy!
Even among the current Three Admirals, Kizaru was already in his early fifties. He had passed his prime and did not have many years left to fight.
Thus, the current Marines desperately wanted a rising star who could go all the way and inherit an Admiral's esteemed position!
With the monster legends of the current Three Admirals as a foundation, combined with the external pressure of the Marines' shortage of top combat power, Ron had practically fallen from the sky at this moment. He possessed the "strongest Logia," the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, had a clean background, and had nowhere else to go. Naturally, he became someone worth trying to recruit.
Even taking a step back, if Ron's talent was limited and his future achievements were not great, the innate advantages of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit alone would let him suppress an entire sea! It would also eliminate the possibility of Ron becoming a pirate and reduce the threat he posed... So recruiting Ron was nothing but profit for the Marines!
But there was one problem: Ron did not want to become a Marine.
It had nothing to do with his unpleasant history with the Celestial Dragons. Ron was naturally free-spirited and did whatever he pleased. Once he became a Marine and entered the military, he would have to accept militarized management, with restricted freedom of movement. It would be a massive pain in the ass! He had not chosen to enlist back on Earth, so he was even less interested here.
Besides, Ron was lazy by nature and did not like shouldering some grand banner. Becoming a Marine meant carrying the name of "Justice," roaming the seas to uphold righteousness. That was even less to his liking.
To sum it up: too much trouble!
So he was definitely going to refuse. But considering the difference in strength between them, Ron softened his tone and said tactfully, "Um... Vice Admiral Garp."
"Mm-hmm, I'm here. Tell me what you need."
I haven't even said I'm joining yet, okay?!
A herd of alpacas stampeded through Ron's mind, flinging grass all over Garp's head.
Taking a deep breath, Ron cast aside his chaotic thoughts and looked Garp seriously in the eyes. "The world is so big. I want to go see it."
Garp: "..."
Traine: "..."
The soldiers eavesdropping nearby: "..."
This... was a cultured man!
Even his refusal was so tactful?
The world is so big, I want to go see it...
Why not say the sky was so vast and you wanted to explore it?
Fly into the heavens and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun?
Seeing the sincerity in Ron's eyes, Garp immediately felt awful.
If Ron had flatly refused and said he would rather die than comply, Garp would have had nothing to say. Everyone had their own aspirations, and they could not be forced. Garp understood that principle and might even have shown his support. After all, both of his grandsons had become pirates in the future... and he had never gone out to arrest them.
He admired and agreed with anyone who held dreams and pursued them!
But Ron's attitude was clearly not that firm. His expression did not suggest he had any issue with the Marines; he simply found them troublesome. That was what Garp could not stand.
Whether Marines or pirates, the seas were filled with people willing to sacrifice everything for their dreams. That was the environment they lived in, which made Garp deeply dissatisfied with someone like Ron, who merely hated trouble and had no ambitions.
One thing in particular made Garp especially furious.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit, which had not appeared in three hundred years, and the power of lightning known as the "strongest"... How had it ended up in the hands of such a lazy, unambitious fool?
What a waste of a gift!
"Iron Fist" Garp was a good man, that was true, but he had never been soft-tempered. He immediately raised his fist as Armament Haki spread over it, coiling and solidifying!
Buzz!
As the air trembled, a layer of black sheen covered his hand like armor, and a dangerous aura surged straight toward Ron's forehead.
Grabbing Ron by the collar, Garp pressed his sandbag-sized fist against the crown of Ron's head. Looking at Ron's expression of utter indifference, he suddenly...
Burst out laughing. "Pwahahahaha!"
"...You don't want to join? Fine!"
"Huh??? That easy?!"
Now it was Ron's turn to be dumbfounded. He had thought Garp would insist a little or threaten him with force, just as he had treated Luffy. He had not expected Garp to lay his cards on the table so directly.
"Of course. The Marines aren't pirates or bandits. We won't restrict your personal freedom."
Garp laughed loudly, then his expression turned cold as he shouted, "Then... pay up!"
You did not want to join the Marines because you thought it was troublesome?
Then he would give Ron some trouble!
He refused to believe he could not handle this brat!
Pfft!!!
Ron stared blankly at Garp, his face full of disbelief.
Did I hear that right?
"Pay up?!!"
"That's right, pay up!"
With that, Garp sneered and waved a hand. "You there, calculate his bill!"
"Understood!"
At that moment, Garp's first mate, Traine, perfectly played the role of a loyal lackey. The documents he had brought over earlier had actually been prepared for Ron.
He opened the first page, cleared his throat, and said, "Mr. Ron, while dining aboard this warship, you consumed a total of ten jin of sea beast meat, five jin of fruit, and countless miscellaneous grains. Including labor costs and medical expenses, the total comes to 150,000 Berry..."
150,000 Berry?!?!
"This is extortion!!! What kind of meat and medicine costs 150,000?!"
The moment Traine finished speaking, Ron sprang to his feet and protested at the top of his lungs. He admitted that his appetite had grown along with his physique, and even he had been startled while eating, but those sea fish hauled out of the ocean were practically worthless!
As for his injuries, they would have healed on their own even if left alone!
Seeing Ron about to flee, Garp immediately exerted force with his fist and pressed him back down.
Traine calmly glanced at him, lowered his head, and continued, "Furthermore, you damaged a Marine warship. Including repair costs, the soldiers' medical expenses, and psychological damages for everyone aboard, the total is 500,000 Berry."
"Heh!"
Ron finally saw it. These people had completely abandoned all shame!
But Traine was not finished. He turned another page. "...According to Article 157 of the Marine Code, civilians who deliberately damage Marine warships, in serious cases, shall be sentenced to one to three years in prison and fined 3,000,000 Berry. Mr. Ron, you not only damaged the deck and cabins, but also caused us to lose a large amount of food and drinking water. Your offense is even more serious!"
"...In summary, Mr. Ron, you owe us 3,650,000 Berry."
Traine pushed up nonexistent glasses on the bridge of his nose. A faint smile curled his thin lips, making him look exactly like a greedy landlord squeezing peasants dry. "Of course, if you choose not to spend three years in prison, the rate is 2,000,000 Berry per year. Three years comes to 6,000,000, making a grand total of 9,650,000 Berry. Pay up!"
W... T... F?!
They were openly pricing prison time in cash?!
Ron's eyes instantly widened as a thought surfaced in his mind.
Are kings and nobles born superior?!
With an official institution this corrupt, he might as well rebel!
"Well, kid? Don't say I'm bullying you! You know exactly what you've done! Debts must be repaid. That's only natural!"
Garp picked his nose with his free hand. Seeing Ron's constipated expression, the corner of his mouth lifted. "Of course, if you join us, you'll be one of our own... As your superior, I'll cover this little sum for you... No need to thank me!!"
At that moment, Garp shone with boundless radiance, every bit the heroic great man overflowing with bold spirit! If not for the extortion, Ron might actually have believed his nonsense!
So in response, Ron rolled his eyes dramatically, bared his teeth, and said with mock emotion, "Heh~ heh~!"
9,650,000 Berry was no small amount. Rounded up, it was basically ten million—enough wealth for an ordinary civilian to live on for a lifetime!!
Ron did not actually care much about the amount itself. As a Logia Devil Fruit User, he could swagger through the first half of the Grand Line after developing his Fruit Ability a little.
On the Grand Line, pirates with bounties in the tens of millions were everywhere, as numerous as fish crossing a river. He could casually catch a few, claim their bounties, and gather ten million easily.
What was more, he could work for hire... With the reputation of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, let alone ten million, someone would even be willing to pay a hundred million!
Taking another step back, he could always rob and plunder his way across the seas...
But he was absolutely, unquestionably certain that he would not get that chance...
He was currently aboard Garp's ship. Wherever he went was up to Garp. Whether he could encounter pirates and earn bounties was another matter, but the charge of "damaging a Marine warship" alone was enough for Garp to legally restrict his personal freedom and deny him every opportunity.
This was an utterly naked open scheme!
Therefore, paying to redeem his freedom was basically impossible.
Seeing Ron's displeasure, Garp did not want this promising youngster to develop resentment toward the Marines. His tone softened slightly as he persuaded, "Actually, joining the Marines isn't so bad... Let me ask you something. Do you want to become the Pirate King?"
"The Pirate King?"
Gol D. Roger?
Ron rubbed his chin, then suddenly spat with a look of utter disgust. "Not interested."
Before you continue