Half a day passed in the blink of an eye. Urged on by Walker and the others, the collection of money was swift, and the remaining amount was gathered in no time.
Inside the palace, King Riku looked at the immense wealth before him, feeling his heart bleed. But, for the sake of Dressrosa, this small sum of money was completely worth it.
"Alright, let's go!" King Riku turned his face away, unable to look at the hard-earned money of his people any longer. Every extra glance brought another pang of pain.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
A grand procession set out with chests of treasure, ready to gamble for Dressrosa's future.
Kyros bid a temporary farewell to his wife and daughter and set off with the king. Behind them, Scarlett held Rebecca and watched the departing group, her heart filled with silent hope.
At the gathering place of the pirate alliance, King Riku arrived with the treasure.
"Here is the ten billion Berries," Walker said, his somewhat portly frame running up to Monroe and the other pirates. "Count it. If there are no mistakes, please fulfill your promise!"
Monroe sat on a small mound of earth, idly flipping a dagger in his hand. Hearing Walker's words, he let out an eerie cackle, his sharp eyes fixed on the minister.
The sound of Monroe's laugh sent a shiver down Walker's spine, but he forced himself to endure the discomfort, ready to complete the transaction.
"Tsk tsk! Lads, go take a look," Monroe said, shifting his gaze from Walker and immediately ordering his men.
"Out of the way, out of the way! Hey, you're blocking the path!"
Three or five arrogant pirates swaggered toward the men guarding the treasure. If anyone was in their way, they shoved them aside forcefully, completely disregarding the expressions on King Riku's men.
"Let them pass!" Simmons commanded, his face dark. He knew they were in no position to argue. He quickly ordered his men to step aside and not to provoke these madmen.
Bang!
Several pirates eagerly threw open a chest. The brilliant, dazzling gold inside momentarily blinded them.
"Hahaha! Captain, it's treasure! It's all treasure!" the pirates who were inspecting it shouted excitedly.
Hearing his subordinate's report, Monroe's mouth split into a wide, happy grin. After all, who didn't love treasure?
"Captain, is everything in order?" Walker asked cautiously. "Can you fulfill your promise now?"
"Of course!" Monroe stood up and addressed King Riku's party. "Our reputation has always been excellent!"
"Is that so? That's wonderful!" Walker exclaimed, overcome with excitement.
Hearing Monroe's words, the weight on King Riku's chest lifted. Even Kyros's stoic, impassive face showed a flicker of joy.
Monroe watched their excited expressions, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "We accept the ten billion Berries," he continued. "However, you didn't deliver it within the specified time. So, you have to add more money!"
Monroe's words shattered the joyful atmosphere. The lively scene immediately fell into a cold silence.
"You didn't say that before!" Kyros stepped forward without hesitation, demanding an explanation.
"Did I not say that?" Monroe dug a finger into his ear with a roguish look, his eyes drifting toward his crew members.
"We heard it loud and clear! The captain said half a day!"
"That's right, that's right! And he calls himself King Riku! How can you be a king if you're so poor?"
The pirates, catching Monroe's signal, understood immediately and began to relentlessly mock King Riku and his men.
"You... despicable!" Walker couldn't contain his anger any longer and cursed at them.
"Look out!"
Thud!
The moment Walker finished speaking, Monroe sent him flying with a single kick. Kyros's warning had been useless.
"Tsk tsk tsk, we're pirates," Monroe sneered, shifting the blame. "Besides, you're the ones who didn't keep your promise. You're the despicable ones."
"You bastard!" Kyros was beside himself with rage and was about to charge forward to fight Monroe.
But at that moment, an old, weathered hand gripped his arm tightly, stopping his impulsive action.
Kyros turned to see who was holding him back and asked, bewildered, "Why?"
King Riku simply shook his head and said calmly, "Too many people have died already. Scarlett and Rebecca are waiting for you. Don't be rash!"
"But they're so despicable!" Kyros said furiously.
"Calm down!" King Riku commanded, his grip tightening.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Hearing the king's stern command, Kyros calmed himself, but his eyes, fixed on Monroe and his men, were filled with a murderous intent.
Monroe felt Kyros's killing intent but remained completely unfazed, the sneer on his face only growing wider.
"I wonder, how much more do we need to pay for you to keep your promise?" King Riku stepped forward and asked.
"Hahaha! As expected of King Riku! Now that's the magnanimity of a true king!" Monroe laughed, praising him mockingly.
King Riku felt nothing but disgust. He had no desire for a pirate's praise.
The laughter stopped abruptly. Monroe looked at King Riku seriously and said, word by word, "Just one billion. After that, this matter is completely over. We will never bother you again."
"Another billion? Do you think our money grows on trees? Do you have any idea that we've nearly bankrupted ourselves just to gather this ten billion? Are you trying to kill us?" Simmons couldn't help but shout. As the one in charge of the collection, he knew how difficult it had been to get this money. Another billion was truly a death sentence.
"One billion," King Riku murmured bitterly.
He now felt that the pirates had never intended to keep their promise. This was all just a cruel game to torment him, to take his life. He felt so naive for believing the words of pirates. It would have been better to stick to his principles and die a glorious death in battle than to suffer this humiliation.
"One billion is impossible. You won't get another Berry," Kyros said, sharing the king's sentiment. It was clear these pirates were just toying with them.
"Well, well, the great kingdom of Dressrosa can't even come up with such a small amount," Barossa taunted from the side. "King Riku, you've really failed as a king! What, are your subjects unwilling to contribute?"
"Damn pirates, what do you know? This is our money! What does it have to do with King Riku? Why should we have to give it to him?" some of the bolder citizens who had gathered around King Riku's group muttered resentfully, hearing Barossa's words.
The king heard them, and his already ashen face grew even darker.
"Shut your mouths!" Simmons exploded, having heard them as well. "Do you not realize the gravity of this moment? Everything we do is for Dressrosa! Are you unwilling to part with such a small sum? Are you even citizens of Dressrosa?" In his mind, their actions were entirely justified.
"What do you mean? You want us to use our money to atone for King Riku's sins? He should take responsibility for his own actions! What does it have to do with us?" The citizens, emboldened, now confronted Simmons directly.
King Riku's heart was bleeding, but he couldn't clear his name of the false accusations. And his hands were indeed stained with the blood of his people, which filled him with shame and guilt.
"Hahaha! What a show!" Barossa laughed heartily, watching the scene unfold.
"King Riku, this is your last chance," Monroe said, pressing his advantage. "We only want this last one billion. After that, everything between us is written off, and we will never set foot on this barren land again."
"Your Majesty, we should just fight them! I refuse to believe they are invincible," Leo said, appearing on the dejected king's shoulder.
"No. If we do that, too many people will die." The kind-hearted king could not bear it. Hearing Monroe's final ultimatum, he felt there was still a glimmer of hope.
"But..." Leo was speechless. He had now seen the extent of King Riku's weakness.
"Well? Have you made up your mind, King Riku? Otherwise, we're about to get started."
"Fine," King Riku said to Monroe. "But we cannot raise that much money right now."
"No money? How is that possible?" Monroe shook his head, not believing him.
"All the money we have is already here. There's nothing left!" Simmons interjected.
At this, Monroe smiled. "If you don't have money," he said to the crowd, "then you can use things as collateral."
"That's right! Just use things as collateral!" the other pirates chimed in.
King Riku was at a loss. He couldn't think of anything else they could possibly offer.
As the king hesitated, indecisive, Monroe grandly displayed a document to the crowd.
At the top of the sheet were the words 'Human Trafficking'. Below, a list of prices for various races was laid out.
Humans started at 500,000 Berries, Tontatta at 700,000, and so on, with the prices increasing. The highest, of course, were for merfolk and Devil Fruit users.
Everyone's eyes were drawn to the document Monroe was holding. But the more they looked, the deeper their panic grew.
"Are they going to sell us as slaves?"
The thought ignited a burning hatred in the crowd for Monroe and his pirates. Human traffickers were despicable. In any era, no one would show them any tolerance.