As Darren clapped, the ornate side hall's doors swung open.
Soldiers of the Yadis Kingdom, clad in ceremonial uniforms, entered one after another, carrying large wooden crates.
In less than a minute, dozens of crates were stacked on the polished marble floor like a small mountain.
"Darren… Don't tell me…"
Gion stared at the heavy crates, a sinking feeling in her chest.
At that moment, a man dressed as a butler entered, his face plastered with a flattering smile as he bowed and said:
"Captain Darren, sir, I am the Minister of Finance for the Yadis Kingdom…"
He gestured to the crates.
"This is but a humble token of our gratitude. We implore the North Blue Navy, upholding 'justice,' to accept it."
As he spoke, his soldiers opened the crates.
In an instant, Gion and Kaji's eyes widened, their mouths forming perfect "O"s.
A dazzling radiance burst forth from the crates, illuminating the entire hall with a kaleidoscope of colors.
Clink, clink…
Piles of gold and silver treasures, bundles of colorful banknotes, rare jewels, premium cigars, and fine liquors spilled out like liquid mercury, flooding the hall with the opulent scent of wealth and corruption.
"This… this… this…"
Kaji stammered, his pig-headed expression looking utterly ridiculous as he gawked at the treasure trove.
How Much Wealth Is This!?
He couldn't even begin to count it.
Having grown up in Marineford, he had never seen such an overwhelming fortune in his entire life!
Darren smiled in satisfaction and said:
"King Yadis, you're truly too generous. Protecting the members of the World Government's allied nations is an unshirkable duty of the Navy."
The finance minister responded with an ingratiating smile:
"Of course, of course! Who in the entire North Blue doesn't know that our Rear Admiral is selfless, upright, and dedicated to safeguarding the lives and property of the people of North Blue, expecting nothing in return?"
"To have the protection of Lord Darren is truly a blessing for all of North Blue."
"But we can't let the valiant sailors of the North Blue Navy come all this way for nothing. Hospitality is a tradition in the Kingdom of Yadis. Lord Darren, please don't decline."
He's quite the smooth talker… As expected of the finance minister.
Darren chuckled and was just about to nod when suddenly Gion stepped forward, her pretty face full of anger as she gritted her teeth:
"No! We cannot accept this money!"
She turned to Darren with a fierce glare and snapped:
"The Navy must never accept money from external sources! Darren, this is bribery!"
"If you dare take this money, I will report you directly to headquarters!"
Standing to the side, Kaji chimed in indignantly:
"That's right! I'll report you to headquarters too!"
However, his exaggerated expressions tugged at the injuries on his face, causing him to grimace in pain and silently curse Darren in his heart.
If it weren't for this bastard Darren, I wouldn't have been humiliated by Vinsmoke Judge in front of Gion.
Hearing their objections, the finance minister's smile froze.
He cautiously glanced at Darren and asked respectfully:
"Lord Darren, these two are…"
Taking a puff of his cigar, Darren replied with a relaxed smile:
"Oh, these two are from Marineford headquarters, Major Gion and Major Kaji… currently serving as my adjutants."
Direct subordinates from headquarters?!
The finance minister immediately sensed the underlying tension in Darren's tone.
Having climbed to the position of finance minister in the Kingdom of Yadis, he was undoubtedly a shrewd and experienced individual.
With a quick shift in demeanor, he turned and bowed slightly to Gion and Kaji, saying with a smile:
"So these esteemed officers have come all the way from headquarters. Forgive my lack of manners. Please accept my sincerest apologies."
Gion maintained her solemn expression and said firmly:
"Minister, let me clarify something here."
"The Navy upholds justice and defends peace. Protecting civilians is our responsibility and duty. We do not require any compensation for this."
Pointing to the piles of glittering gold and silver treasures, her tone was resolute:
"We cannot accept this money. To do so would be the greatest insult to 'justice' itself."
"Of course, of course… Major Gion is absolutely correct."
The finance minister nodded repeatedly in agreement:
"However, since you've traveled so far, the Kingdom of Yadis has also prepared a small token of appreciation for you both."
"Major Gion, you appear to be a skilled swordswoman. Coincidentally, our treasury holds a piece of fine steel that could be used to forge an excellent scabbard for your blade."
"And as for Major Kaji, we happen to have a stock of premium cigars."
Gion: "…"
Kaji: "(★ ω ★)"
"I said we can't accept anything!!"
Gion shouted angrily.
The finance minister was momentarily stunned but quickly smiled again:
"Naturally, in addition to these gifts, we will also compensate both of you for your hard-fought efforts in this battle."
"Our royal treasury contains many exquisite swords that Major Gion is free to choose from."
"As for Major Kaji, our royal dance troupe has prepared an exquisite performance just for you."
Kaji: "(☆▽☆) ^o^"
"Really?"
His eyes lit up as he blurted out.
Bang!
Before he could finish speaking, Gion kicked him hard, sending him flying into the wall, where his head got stuck, leaving his legs dangling in the air.
"Minister, I'm sincerely refusing, not asking you to increase the offer."
Gion gritted her teeth, her face pale with anger.
The finance minister was dumbfounded, his face showing difficulty.
You keep declining, doesn't that mean you want me to offer more?
Or… is it still not enough?
At this point, Darren, unable to stand it any longer, sighed and stepped in to smooth things over:
"You've done enough, Minister."
"We're deeply appreciative of these gifts. Please convey our gratitude to King Yadis on behalf of the North Blue Navy."
The finance minister finally breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile:
"These were all voluntary contributions from the people to express their heartfelt thanks for the Navy's efforts."
"Additionally, the royal family has prepared a banquet tonight in your honor. We hope you can attend."
After saying this, he bowed slightly to Darren and the others before quickly departing.
Once the door closed, Gion could no longer hold back her anger. She turned to Darren, who had casually sat back down and crossed his legs.
"Darren—"
Before she could finish, Darren raised a hand to interrupt her.
"Gion, you saw how difficult it was for the finance minister. If you refuse the money, he'll have no way to report back."
"This is the custom in North Blue."
"To them, if you don't accept the money, they won't be able to rest easily."
"The principles of justice you uphold simply don't work in these waters."
To some extent, it was like giving a doctor a red envelope before surgery on Earth.
If the doctor didn't accept the envelope, the family would feel uneasy.
It wasn't about professionalism, it was human nature.
Seeing that Gion still wanted to argue, Darren shook his head and said:
"Enough, let's leave it at that. Go get ready. We still have a banquet to attend later."