Garp might have a very high reputation in the Marines, but at the end of the day, he is still just a Vice Admiral. A few million or even a hundred million Beli might be something he could afford, but ten billion? Even if he sold his underwear, he probably could not come up with that much.
Of course, while Garp's salary is limited and he is an upright Marine who does not steal or take bribes, if he used his connections, ten billion would not be a problem for him.
But if he had to take it out of his own pocket, it would be easier to just kill him, because he simply could not afford it.
Right now, Garp did not want too many people to know about this matter, so he could not ask the Marines for money or use his connections.
Otherwise, the information about Dragon would not stay hidden.
That was why he immediately lost his composure when Reno asked for ten billion Beli.
When Reno saw that Garp had finally cracked, he was overjoyed.
So you finally cannot keep pretending anymore, old man?
Thinking this, Reno looked at Garp with disdain and said, "Robbing people is not as fast as making money through this kind of deal. If you don't have money, then get lost. I am not interested in doing business with a poor man. At worst, I will sell this information to Sengoku or the World Government. They should be much more generous than you."
This was just information about where Dragon had appeared. Selling it to others would not fetch much.
But selling it to Garp?
Even if it cost another ten billion, he would probably still buy it.
After all, even though Garp never said it out loud, he cared deeply about his family. When it came to Ace, something out in the open, he might not interfere, but behind the scenes, that was a different story.
And Ace was not even his biological grandson.
When Ace died, he suffered so much.
There was no way he would not care about his own son.
Right now, Reno was not just selling information.
He was threatening Garp.
If you do not buy it, I will sell it to the World Government.
It might just be a piece of information, but what if they really catch Dragon?
If that happens, there will be no regrets left to make.
Garp looked at Reno, who refused to budge no matter what he said.
He knew that no matter how much he talked, this little brat would not give in.
His face turned extremely ugly as he stared at Reno, thinking viciously,
This brat clearly knows about my relationship with Dragon. He is deliberately mentioning selling it to the World Government to force me into buying it. This is blatant extortion.
At this point, how could Garp not understand?
Reno had known about his relationship with Dragon from the start.
First, he deliberately revealed information about Dragon.
Then he slowly guided him into asking questions.
After that, he brought up selling the information.
And finally, he threatened to sell it to the World Government if he refused.
Every step had been calculated perfectly.
If Reno claimed he did not know about his relationship with Dragon, not even a ghost would believe him.
Seeing Garp's ugly expression, Reno felt even more pleased.
These past few days, he had been stuck in this small courtyard.
Every time he tried to leave, this old man would appear and stop him with some excuse.
Now that he finally saw Garp looking like this, how could he not be happy?
It felt like revenge.
All the frustration from the past few days disappeared, and his mood improved instantly.
After thinking everything through, Garp recalled how Reno had previously tried to leave but was stopped by him.
He immediately came to another conclusion.
This brat is not just after money. His real goal is to lure me out to sea to chase Dragon. That way, he can leave this place. What a clever plan, killing two birds with one stone.
After understanding everything, Garp looked at Reno seriously and warned, "Stay here and behave. I am going out for a while and will be back before nightfall. Do not wander around, or I will not let you off."
Hearing this, Reno knew that Garp had agreed to the deal.
He smiled and said, "Don't worry. I won't step out of this courtyard before you come back. Go prepare the money."
The reason Reno wanted to leave in the first place was for money.
Now that he could get ten billion Beli for free just by staying put, only a fool would leave.
And once Garp went out to chase Dragon, leaving later to scout the Marine treasury would be easy.
Garp felt like Reno's words were mocking him.
He glared fiercely, then turned and left.
"Make sure you keep your word."
Reno watched his back and replied with a smile, "Don't worry. I always keep my promises."
The reason Garp agreed was simple.
Ten billion Beli was nothing compared to Dragon's safety.
As for Reno's plan to lure him away, since Garp had already seen through it, he naturally had ways to deal with it.
Even if he left, Sengoku would send someone else to watch Reno.
So he was not worried about Reno escaping.
Compared to everything else, his son's safety mattered most.
Even if the chances of Dragon being caught were low, once he knew about it, he could not ignore it.
He had to eliminate the threat in advance.
Reno had no idea that Garp had already seen through his intentions.
Even if he knew, he would not care.
Because this was an open scheme.
Once Dragon's information was revealed, Garp would definitely take the bait.
And as long as Garp left, who else in the Marines could stop him, aside from an Admiral?
At this time, there were only two Admirals.
Zephyr was not at headquarters, and Sengoku was busy with work.
The Marines simply could not spare someone of that level to watch him.
So he had nothing to worry about.
Reno smiled as he watched Garp disappear from sight.
Only after he was completely gone did he mutter to himself,
"Another ten billion coming in soon. Life is getting better and better."
After Garp left, Reno lay comfortably on a chair, waiting patiently.
He had no intention of sneaking out now.
There would be plenty of opportunities later.
If he left now, the deal might fall through.
So this time, he would be a man of his word.
After leaving Reno, Garp did not meet anyone at headquarters.
He went straight to the port, boarded his dog-head warship, and set sail.
Around five in the afternoon, time passed quickly.
Reno was still lying in the courtyard, waiting for Garp to return with his money.
Just as he was about to lose patience, a flash of red appeared in his eyes.
A smile spread across his face.
"That old man finally came back. I've been waiting forever."
Not long after, Garp appeared at the courtyard entrance.
He was carrying a massive sack over his shoulder, over ten meters in size. It looked extremely heavy, yet he moved with ease.
"What is Vice Admiral Garp carrying such a huge bag for?"
"No idea. I saw him bring it straight from the warship."
"If it came from the ship, the soldiers should know. Anyone care to explain?"
A group of Marine soldiers followed behind him, curious.
However, no matter how they asked, no one knew what was inside.
That was because Garp had already ordered everyone on the ship to keep quiet.
Those soldiers had fought alongside him for years and would not betray his trust.
With a loud thud, Garp threw the sack onto the ground.
Then he turned and glared at the crowd behind him.
"You all seem very free. Want me to arrange some training for you?"
"Not good!"
"Run!"
"Get out of here before he drags us into training!"
The soldiers immediately scattered.
Within moments, everyone was gone.
Garp's training was infamous.
If not for the fact that it actually improved strength, people would think he was just torturing them.
After chasing everyone away, Garp turned back to Reno and said,
"This is ten billion Beli worth of treasure and cash. Check it yourself."
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