Chapter 428: Chapter 71: Am I Asking for Too Little?
"I... I just had a bit of a leg cramp," Dragon muttered, attempting—rather pitifully—to salvage his dignity.
Darren didn’t bother replying. He simply chuckled, as if too amused to comment.
"So, what exactly do you need me to do?" Dragon asked, regaining a bit of confidence. "Whatever it is, I’m in. I’ll do anything."
A glimmer of mischief flickered in Darren’s eyes—gone before it could be pinned down. His expression softened into a warm smile. "No need to rush. I just need to be sure you’re up for the task."
He glanced briefly at the towering Kuma nearby.
"I wasn’t sure you’d make it in time. But now, I’m relieved."
Dragon blinked. "Make it in time for what?"
He didn’t understand, but he was past caring. If Darren could provide the support he needed, he’d walk barefoot through the Gates of Hell.
"So... how much financial assistance can I count on?" Dragon asked, his eyes gleaming. He rubbed his palms together and leaned forward eagerly.
Darren took a lazy drag from his cigar and smiled. "No, no. The question is—how much do you need?"
Dragon hesitated. He didn’t have an exact figure.
Despite his years of experience as a Marine, he’d never had to manage logistics. The Marine’s internal bureaucracy had countless staff officers and administrators to handle things like budgeting, supplies, and troop allocation. And Dragon, who inherited more than a little of Garp’s carefree disposition, had never bothered learning any of it.
Now, starting from nothing, everything suddenly mattered: food, ammo, transportation, shelter, salaries...
He silently counted on his fingers, expression growing more troubled by the second.
Darren waited patiently. He understood how overwhelming it must be.
Establishing a force from scratch was no simple feat. When he’d taken control of the North Blue Fleet, there’d already been a Marine infrastructure in place. All he’d done was cut the leash and tighten his grip.
But even that had required years of blood, sweat, and no small amount of brutality.
The current North Blue Fleet bore little resemblance to its former self. It was stronger, more loyal, and completely severed from Marine Headquarters. But building that strength had drained Darren dry. He’d scoured every inch of the North Blue for resources. If not for Skypiea’s golden reserves, he’d likely still be neck-deep in debts.
So when Dragon came asking for money, Darren wasn’t surprised. He had no intention of lending it—that would only strain their friendship. But if he could give Dragon the funds and win his loyalty in return... that was a far better trade.
After all, Darren had more wealth than he could possibly spend. At a certain point, money ceased to be wealth—it became burden. Numbers. Weight. Meaningless, until put to use.
Might as well spend it buying allies.
"I’ve done the math!" Dragon finally declared, lifting his head with a decisive gleam in his eye.
Darren smiled. "Alright. So, how much?"
Dragon hesitated, gauging Darren’s expression.
"One billion berries?" he offered cautiously.
Darren raised an eyebrow.
A billion berries was no joke. That kind of money could fund the construction of an entire fleet or sustain a mid-sized army for over a year.
"Well, if that’s too much—"
"Done," Darren said flatly.
Dragon blinked.
"...Wait, really?"
"Of course," Darren said, flicking ash into a nearby tray. "Anything else?"
Dragon’s expression twisted with immediate regret.
Had he asked for too little?
"I meant 1.5 billion!" he blurted, trying to correct his error.
"Alright."
"Wait! No—I meant 2 billion!"
"Sure."
Dragon: ...
"2.5 billion?"
"Fine."
Dragon stared at him in disbelief. Darren was still puffing on his cigar like this was a casual lunchtime chat.
"H-How much money do you have?!" Dragon stammered.
Darren exhaled a stream of smoke. "I lost count."
You’ve got to be kidding me...
Dragon’s hands trembled. His brain screamed ask for more, but his pride fought back.
"Three billion!" he shouted finally, eyes blazing.
Darren didn’t even flinch. "Alright, we’ll call it three."
Dragon stood frozen, mouth slightly agape. Kuma, equally dumbfounded, stared at Darren like he’d just met a myth.
There was a long pause.
Then Dragon suddenly grabbed Kuma’s enormous head and forced him into a deep, exaggerated bow.
"Thank you!" he cried. "Darren, you’re a true brother!"
He turned to Kuma with shining eyes.
"Kuma! Our grand voyage officially begins today!"
Kuma nodded with a faint smile, then paused. He glanced around, spotted a pair of gloves on a coat rack, and quietly slipped them on before extending a hand to Dragon.
Dragon: ...
Before he could respond, Darren stood and stretched. "Alright, that’s enough reunion for one day. You can pick up the money in the North Blue. I’ve got to return to Headquarters."
Dragon nodded, then paused. He leaned in conspiratorially. "Hey, Darren... those pirate corpses you had taken away earlier... can I have them?"
Darren raised an eyebrow.
"I mean, just the bodies," Dragon clarified quickly. "They’re all wanted criminals, right? Add up their bounties and it’s maybe... two or three hundred million berries?"
Darren: ...
"Fine. Take them."
"Thanks, brother!"
To be continued...