My companions and I began chatting and discussing all kinds of topics to pass the time. We, of course, avoided talking about anything important or private, just in case the room contained any listening or spying devices.

After an hour and thirty minutes, give or take five minutes of waiting, the waiting room's door opened, and ensign Obrien came through it while carrying a piece of paper.

"The results just came from our medical department, "Ensign Obrien said as soon as he made his entrance without bothering to take a seat. "The head you have delivered is indeed Jelly bean Jack's head," He concluded with a calm tone, and I can feel the "but" coming from a mile away.

"But I'm afraid there has been a complication, and I won't be able to hand over the cash reward on his head to you," He stated as he crossed his arms while looking at us calmly.

"Oh boy, here it comes,' I thought inside my head but chose to say nothing and wait for the ensign to elaborate further while looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"It's actually not a bad thing for you. You see, jelly bean Jack had attacked a ship that belonged to a merchant with connections to some important people," He while gesturing with his hand to emphasize the importance of said people.

"So his bounty was raised to sixty million berries instead of the earlier forty million," ensign Obrien remarked, but he seemed like he still had something to say, causing me to stay silent, waiting for him to keep going.

"And that's why I can't hand over your rewards as any bounty higher than fifty million berries needs to be signed by a marine captain before being given," He concluded.

"Is this the part where you tell me that there's no marine captain in the base right now?" I asked as I began rubbing my forehead with a sigh of annoyance.

"I'm afraid that is correct, but there's no need to worry as the captain is merely on patrol right now and will be back in a day's time since we already sent a message to inform them of the situation," He remarked as he waved his hand to the side as if waving away our worries.

"In the meantime, you are more than welcome to wait for the captain here," he concluded and said nothing else while looking at me and waiting for me to respond.

"The offer is appreciated, but I'm afraid we can't stay here," I replied and continued to speak, cutting him off before he said anything.

"Our ship needs some maintenance, and we can use this time to have her looked at by shipwright since the Irishia kingdom is close by," I stated quickly to cut off any further arguments he might have since he seemed to want us to stay here for some reason.

"This is my personal transponder snail number," I said as I stood up and took out a small piece of paper from one of my pockets. "Contact me when your captain is here, and I'll come as soon as possible," I concluded as the ensign took the small paper from me and placed it in his pocket, causing my companions to stand up as well, preparing to leave.

"If that's the case, then suit yourself, but take this with you, it's the official papers stating you have indeed delivered Jack's head and are entitled the appropriate cash reward," he said as he passed me the piece of paper he's been holding. "Bring it with you when you come to receive your reward," he concluded, and I pocketed the paper he offered me too as my companions and I left.

We soon set sail and left the marine base behind as we made our way to the Irishia kingdom's docks, and the entire crew was currently on the deck near the helm.

"So, Laffite, You've been a sheriff for a long time and must have had some contact with the marines," I said while looking at Laffite, who was currently steering the wheel. "Is this normal? Delaying us to give us a bigger reward, I mean," I asked with a calm voice as I leaned on the railing.

"I didn't have too much contact with the marines, as the Ballywood kingdom usually handles its own criminals," Laffite said with a shrug. "But I know for a fact that they would normally hand over the older, lower bounty when something like this happens if the new bounty wasn't made public yet," He concluded after a second of contemplation.

'Something is going on, and I need to know what it is, but is it worth the risk?' I thought as I lowered my head to look at the deck while pondering.

"So they must be up to something, just like the captain said. This bounty might prove more trouble than its worth," Elly said as she leaned on the railing next to me.

"I'm sure we can handle anything they throw at us, but in the end, it's the captain's decision," Laffite stated with a smile and returned his attention to steering the ship, seemingly losing interest in the subject.

"I wonder what those marine punks are scheming," Bob remarked while twirling his mustache as he turned around to look at the marine base behind us with narrowed eyes.

Wilson, however, just snorted in derision and made no comments about the subject as he sat on a barrel and began gulping alcohol, and Byron said nothing because he was new to the crew and his word didn't carry much weight with the crew yet.

"I say we go along with whatever they have planned," I said with a shrug after I finished debating the risk in my head. "If it's a trap, then we fight our way out," I concluded with a smile.

"I know for a fact they can't get any marine with a rank higher than a rear or vice admiral here in a single day's time," I stated while looking at my companions. "While a vice-admiral might be a little troublesome to deal with even for Wilson, Laffite, and me, I'm sure we can make quick work out of him if we work together," I concluded with a confident smile, causing my companions all to nod in acknowledgment, except for Wilson whose smile was of savagery and expectation instead.

Third-person point of view:

Somewhere in west blue.

A tall woman stood on the deck of a ship while looking down on a dozen or so men dressed like pirates who were lying unconscious on the ship's deck with their bodies covered in large, black metallic rings, seemingly deep in thought as she smoked a cigarette.

"Perurururu," Came the voice of a transponder snail from her pocket, forcing her to break out of her reverie as she picked up the call.

"Report Ensign," she demanded in a stoic voice as she sat on a barrel behind her while placing her left leg over the right one.

"Captain, I'm afraid That I wasn't able to convince the silver hand bounty hunters to stay in the base as you asked," ensign Obrien's voice came through the snail's mouth as it morphed to resemble his face. "They had an excuse for not staying that I couldn't refute without sounding suspicious to them," the ensign concluded in a respectful tone.

"While Hina would have preferred to have more information about them before meeting them, this is fine as well," the tall woman Hina said in the same stoic tone she used earlier. Even as she spoke in the third person form, creating a bizarre contrast, and making her speech very strange to listen to.

"Is there anything else you wish to report ensign?" She asked as she flicked her cigarette to get rid of the ash.

"Yes, captain. That person was with them as reported by our people in the Ballywood kingdom, and their ship seemed like the retired old Jim's work as well," the ensign replied in an even more grave voice.

"Hina sees. Will that be all ensign?" captain Hina said as she stood up and kicked the head of a pirate who regained his consciousness and was trying to crawl away.

"That's all, Captain Hina," replied the ensign in a clear, loud voice.

"then you are dismissed ensign, but don't forget to send someone to monitor them and make sure they do it subtly," she concluded and hung up the call without waiting for the ensign to reply.

...

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