The Navy Doesn't Take Money, The People Are Dissatisfied

As Darren clapped his hands, the doors to the ornately decorated side hall were suddenly pushed open.

Soldiers of the Yadis Kingdom, dressed in standard military uniforms, carried in large wooden crates one after another.

In less than a minute, dozens of large wooden crates were piled onto the marble floor of the side hall, looking like a small mountain.

"Darren... this couldn't be..."

Gion looked at the obviously heavy wooden crates, a sudden sense of foreboding welling up in her heart.

At this moment, a man dressed in butler attire walked in, his face plastered with a fawning smile as he bowed and scraped.

"Admiral Darren, I am the Minister of Finance for the Yadis Kingdom..."

He pointed to the large wooden crates on the floor.

"This is a small, humble gift from our Yadis Kingdom. Please, do not refuse it, as you shoulder the 'Justice' of the North Blue Naval Fleet."

With that, he signaled his soldiers to open the crates.

In an instant, both Gion and Gion's partner widened their eyes, their mouths hanging open in an "O" shape.

Dazzling and brilliant light radiated from the opened wooden crates, illuminating the entire side hall of the palace in a kaleidoscope of colors.

Clatter, clatter...

An eye-popping array of gold, silver, and treasures, thick stacks of colorful banknotes, various rare curios, fine cigars, and high-end wines spilled out like flowing mercury from the overflowing crates, filling the entire side hall with the scent of money and corruption.

"This... this... this..."

Gion's partner stared agape at the mountain of gold and silver, his speech becoming stuttered, his swollen, pig-like face looking comical to the extreme.

How much wealth was this!?

He couldn't even begin to count it!

Having grown up in Marineford, he had never seen such immense wealth in his entire life!

Darren smiled with satisfaction:

"His Majesty the King of Yadis is truly too polite. Protecting members of the Affiliated Kingdom from harm is, after all, an unshirkable duty of our Navy."

The Minister of Finance smiled obsequiously:

"Of course, of course. Who in the entire North Blue does not know that our Admiral is selfless, upright, and incorruptible, working himself to the bone to protect the lives and property of our North Blue people without asking for anything in return?"

"It is truly a blessing for the entire North Blue to have the protection of Lord Darren."

"However, we simply cannot let the many soldiers of the North Blue Navy come all this way for nothing. Hospitality is a tradition of our Yadis Kingdom, so please, Lord Darren, do not decline."

He certainly knows how to talk... truly worthy of being a Minister of Finance.

Darren chuckled, just about to nod.

Unexpectedly, Gion suddenly stepped forward, her pretty face filled with fury as she gritted her teeth:

"No! We cannot accept this money!"

She turned back to glare fiercely at Darren, shouting:

"We in the Navy must never accept money from other channels!! Darren, this is bribery!"

"If you dare to accept this money, I will report you directly to Headquarters!"

Beside her, Gion's partner chimed in:

"That's right! I will report you to Headquarters too!!"

Perhaps because his expression was too agitated, it pulled at the injuries on his face, causing him to wince in pain as he seethed with hatred.

If it weren't for this bastard Darren, he wouldn't have been "one-shotted" by Vinsmoke Judge and made a fool of himself in front of Gion.

Hearing their words, the smile on the Minister of Finance's face faltered.

He cautiously glanced at Darren and asked respectfully:

"Lord Darren, who are these two..."

Darren puffed on his cigar, smiling with a relaxed demeanor:

"Oh, these two are Major Gion and Major Gion's partner from the Navy Headquarters in Marineford... well, they are my adjutants now."

Directly from Navy Headquarters?!

The Minister of Finance instantly sensed the nuance in Darren's tone.

Having climbed to a high position managing a nation's finances in the Yadis Kingdom, he was naturally an incredibly shrewd old fox.

He immediately turned around with a beaming smile, bowing toward Gion and Gion's partner:

"So they are Navy officers who have come all the way from Headquarters. I am truly blind and have been somewhat rude; please accept my deepest apologies."

Gion spoke to the Minister of Finance with a stern expression:

"Sir, I must clarify a fact here."

"We of the Navy shoulder the justice of defending peace; protecting civilians is our inherent duty and obligation, and we require no reward for it."

She gestured toward the glittering piles of gold and silver treasure scattered across the floor, her tone resolute and unyielding.

"We cannot accept this money; to do so would be the greatest insult to 'Justice'."

"Of course, of course... Major Gion is absolutely right."

The Minister of Finance expressed his "deep agreement" with a nod:

"However, since the two of you have traveled from afar and spared no effort, the Yadis Kingdom has prepared an additional modest gift for you both."

"Major Gion, you appear to be a formidable swordsman. As it happens, our royal treasury contains a piece of refined iron that could be used to forge an exquisite scabbard for your beloved blade."

"And for Major Gion's partner, we happen to have a generous supply of premium cigars."

Gion: ...

Gion's partner: (★ ω ★)

"I already said, we cannot accept anything!!"

Gion snapped in anger.

The Minister of Finance froze for a moment, then immediately smiled again:

"Naturally, beyond the aforementioned gifts, we will also provide additional compensation for the arduous battle you both fought."

"The royal treasury holds many fine swords and blades; Major Gion, you are welcome to choose whichever you please."

"As for Major Gion's partner, our royal dance troupe has prepared a spectacular performance for you."

Gion's partner: (☆▽☆)^o^

"Really?"

His eyes lit up, and the words slipped out before he could stop them.

Bang!

Before he could finish his sentence, Gion kicked him, sending him flying until his head was embedded in the wall, his legs dangling and twitching in the air.

"My dear Minister... I am refusing in earnest; I do not mean for you to increase the offer."

Gion's face turned pale with fury; she took a deep breath and gritted her teeth.

The Minister of Finance was momentarily stunned, his expression turning troubled.

If you keep pushing it away, isn't that just a way of asking for more?

Could it be... that it still isn't enough?

At this point, Darren could no longer watch, so he sighed helplessly and stepped in to resolve the situation:

"I apologize for the trouble, Minister."

"We are very pleased with these gifts. Please convey our deepest gratitude to the King of the Yadis Kingdom on behalf of the North Blue Navy."

The Minister of Finance finally let out a long sigh of relief and smiled:

"In truth, the public was simply too enthusiastic; they raised these funds spontaneously to thank the North Blue Navy for their contributions."

"Furthermore, the royal family has prepared a banquet for you all this evening. We cordially invite you to attend."

With that, he bowed slightly to Darren and the others before hurrying away.

Once the doors were shut, Gion could no longer suppress her inner rage and turned to Darren, who had sat back down and crossed his legs:

"Darren—"

Before she could finish, Darren waved his hand to cut her off.

"Gion, you saw how distressed the Minister was. If you don't accept this money, he has no way to report back to his superiors."

"This is the way of the North Blue."

"In their eyes, if you refuse this money, they simply cannot set their minds at ease."

"That brand of 'Justice' doesn't hold much weight in these waters."

To a certain extent, it was similar to slipping a red envelope to a doctor after a surgery back on Earth.

If the doctor refuses the envelope, the family members only become more anxious and uneasy.

This has nothing to do with one's profession.

This is human nature.

Seeing that Gion still wanted to argue, Darren shook his head:

"Enough, let it be. You should all go and prepare; we still have to attend the banquet later."