Chapter 349: You Wouldn't Want to Know

Garp had kicked open the Admiral's office door more than once, even breaking it several times.

But every time he kicked the door in the past, he was met with Sengoku's furious glare.

And Sengoku's extremely abnormal behavior at this moment indicated nothing less than that whatever was coming next would be huge.

Even so, Garp was too lazy to beat around the bush.

His character was just like his pair of iron fists; he always preferred to be straightforward.

Hearing this, Sengoku took a deep breath.

"Here's the situation: just now, the Five Elders officially issued a document to cut the Navy's military budget."

"Garp, you know."

"The Headquarters and the various branches along the Grand Line consume countless military funds every year, not to mention the branches in the Four Seas and the Navy Academy."

Sengoku changed the subject and continued speaking.

"The Navy needs to gradually open up new revenue streams to eventually break free from the World Government's influence, but we don't know how to make money."

"I don't know how either," Garp said, utterly puzzled.

"Sengoku, asking me to catch pirates is fine, but asking me to make money... I really don't know how to make money."

Seeing that Sengoku wasn't getting to the point, Zephyr brewed a cup of hot tea and brought it over.

"Sengoku wants you to ask Dragon."

"Dragon?" Garp didn't catch on immediately: "Ask Dragon what? To make money? Dragon doesn't know how to make money either."

Seeing this, Tsuru took over the conversation.

"The Revolutionary Army has completely changed its appearance these past two years; they are all using new-model firearms produced in the South Blue. A few days ago, we asked Dragon how he solved the military funding problem, but Dragon stammered and was unwilling to reveal too much."

Garp finally understood.

"I see."

Noticing Garp had fallen into deep thought, the four of them—Sengoku and the others—waited in silence for Garp to make his choice.

As long as they could learn from Dragon's mouth exactly how the Revolutionary Army solved its military funding troubles, the Navy would have the confidence to stand before the World Government.

Not only could they obtain maximum autonomy, but they could also uphold true justice.

However, Garp shook his head.

"You haven't known Dragon for just one day; I can guarantee Dragon definitely doesn't know how to make money."

Sengoku voiced the doubt buried deep in his heart for a long time.

"Then where does the Revolutionary Army's military funding come from?"

In fact, over these years Garp and Dragon had maintained frequent contact; even though the two father and son held different stances, Dragon was ultimately his only son.

Garp knew this clearly.

Dragon and Mo Ni were close friends, and Dragon even held a kind of fanatical admiration for Mo Ni; the Revolutionary Army's military funding must be related to Mo Ni.

But there were some things Garp could not say, at least not during this special period.

If this caused Dragon and Mo Ni's revolutionary cause to fail, or if the World Government found out in advance, Garp would have no face to visit his two grandsons in Inazuma.

And Garp's silence,

made Sengoku and the others even more convinced—that Garp definitely knew where the Revolutionary Army's military funding came from.

After exchanging glances, Sengoku took out a Den Den Mushi designed to prevent eavesdropping.

Kuzan used Observation Haki to scan the surroundings, and after confirming three times that no one was eavesdropping, he nodded.

"Garp, this matter is truly extremely important."

Tsuru spoke softly: "Once the Navy gains freedom over its military funding, we can also break free from the World Government's influence to the maximum extent."

Garp still shook his head.

"You wouldn't want to know."

The instant those words fell, a flash of inspiration suddenly crossed Tsuru's eyes; she seemed to understand where the Revolutionary Army's military funding actually came from.

Except for that man, no one on the Grand Sea could afford such vast wealth.

Inazuma is known as the wealthiest nation on the Grand Sea; the revenue from selling Sea Prism Stone products alone each year is enough to cover the Revolutionary Army's military funding.

This guy has hidden himself really deep.

Tsuru looked at Garp meaningfully; Garp, this fellow with thick eyebrows and bright eyes, since he knew these secrets, wouldn't he be hiding even deeper?

Garp picked up the hot tea Zephyr had poured.

"Ah hahaha~ Zephyr, this is the first time you've poured tea for me."

Zephyr stood frozen in place; from Garp's words: "You wouldn't want to know," Zephyr had already realized who was providing the military funding for the Revolutionary Army.

At the same time, he realized,

that since Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen was already supporting the Revolutionary Army, he probably had no power left to pay the Navy's military funding; the Navy's scale was countless times larger than the Revolutionary Army's.

Thinking of this, Zephyr burst out laughing.

The truth they had been desperately pursuing, pinned with high hopes, and viewed as the key to breaking free from the World Government's control, turned out to be this situation.

Even if Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen still had the ability to pay the Navy's military funding and was willing to pay it, should the Navy accept it or not?

If they accepted the military funding, how would they settle the score from the Battle of Marineford in the future?

If they didn't accept the military funding, would they continue to be controlled by the World Government as they do now, and continue to execute the so-called Buster Call?

However, the Navy had already reached a critical crossroads deciding its future.

If they didn't make a change now, sooner or later, the entire Navy would become the lackeys of the Celestial Dragons.

As an instructor at the Navy Headquarters Training Camp, Zephyr knew that among the officers entering the Navy through the Great Conscription, quite a few took pride in becoming the Celestial Dragons' lackeys.

For a moment,

only the sound of Garp drinking tea remained in the Admiral's office, while Sengoku, Tsuru, Zephyr, and Kuzan fell into deep thought with various expressions.

After a long while, Kuzan broke the silence.

"Capron Saint Saint Saiwen."

"These are just your guesses, right?"

Learning that Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen and the Revolutionary Army were allies shattered the understanding Kuzan had built over the years in that very moment.

In a way, Kuzan actually approved of Dragon's choice: given the World Government's level of corruption, only a complete overthrow could establish a new order.

Although it would be followed by a quite long period of painful transition.

For instance, the seas would enter a period of riot, and countless innocent commoners would be dragged into the war between the Revolutionary Army and the World Government.

But for Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen.

Especially after the Battle of Marineford, Kuzan felt Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen was nothing but an ambitious man who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

Although he would rebel sooner or later, Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen's rebellion was merely to realize an even greater ambition.

However, just now.

Kuzan actually learned that the man he regarded as an ambitious schemer shared the same dream as the Revolutionary Army: to liberate all slaves and overthrow the World Government.

Under Kuzan's gaze, Garp put down his teacup and sighed.

"Kuzan, I really know nothing."

Garp regretted deeply why he had spoken those extra words just now; wouldn't it have been better to simply say he didn't know or call Dragon face-to-face?

Given Dragon's caution, he certainly wouldn't have revealed anything, so how could it be that Garp was now in a position where he was wrong no matter what he did?

If he spoke, he would have no face to visit his grandson in Inazuma in the future.

If he didn't speak, the three old companions and his eldest disciple would surely think he was on Saint Saint Saiwen's and the Revolutionary Army's side.

"Kuzan." Sengoku slowly shook his head, signaling Kuzan not to continue asking.

Based on Sengoku's understanding of Garp, if Garp was unwilling to speak, continuing to press would yield no results.

This situation is fine for now.

They currently only suspect that Saint Saint Saint Saiwen and the Revolutionary Army are allies, but whether the suspicion is true... those who understand, understand.

A strange sense of relief flashed through Sengoku's heart.

Relief that his beloved son, Donquixote Rosinante, was currently serving as an intern in the Morning Star Group.

If Saint Saint Saint Saiwen's rebellion succeeded, his son would surely have a bright future ahead.

Back then, he had truly bet correctly.