Chapter 25 - First Bounty

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The next day....

The ship docked when it reached its destination, the port city, Einret.

The passengers got off the ship and left the port. Lepus and Brisa also leave.

Meanwhile, the haughty merchant ordered his men to pick up his chest and get off the ship.

Then, the haughty merchant boarded a carriage carrying the chest to his client's place, at the Marine Post in the city.

Arriving there, he immediately met his client, a Marine officer.

"Oh! You've come, Kerrek!

"Hahaha! Thanks for the welcome, Captain Chourou!"

"Okay, you didn't forget the thing, did you?"

"Hahaha, of course not. It's in this chest."

"Good! Bring it in!"

Kerrek then entered the building with his subordinates who brought the chest.

Arriving at Captain Chourou's office, the merchant immediately opened the chest.

But, after the chest was opened, the merchant felt something strange and lacking. And he soon realized that the sword case wasn't there!

"Gone!?"

Kerrek was taken aback!

Then Captain Chourou asked in confusion.

"Hm? What's gone?"

Kerrek also answered hysterically!

"Sword! The sword is gone!?"

"What!? That sword that gone!? How could that be!?"

Captain Chourou is getting hysterical now.

"I don't know either! This chest was locked and I just opened it!"

"That.... Take out all the stuffs in that chest! Maybe there's a clue!"

Then they were assisted by their respective assistants to take out the contents of the chest one by one.

After all the items in the container were taken out, they found an envelope at the bottom. They took it and opened it. The envelope contains a piece of paper with a message written on it.

[ Next time watch your mouth. - R. L. - ]

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After reading the message they wondered.

".... What does it mean?"

"It seems... this message is from the person who stole the sword."

"What!?"

Then Captain Chourou asked Kerrek.

"Is there anything else missing?"

"Just some general stuff. Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, Sword Catalog, and World Atlas."

"Hmm...."

After thinking for a while, Captain Chourou again asked Kerrek.

"Have you had any problems or conflicts with other people lately?"

"What conflict!? .... Hm!? No! I remember something! .... While on the ship, I collided with a little girl and snapped at her a little! Then the boy who was with her frowned and glared at me!"

"Little girl? A Boy?"

"Right!"

"Do you remember what he looked like?"

"The boy looks young. Maybe 15 years old, about 175cm tall, with short grey hair. Meanwhile the little girl, around 10 years old, has slightly long black hair, and is dressed in a maid uniform."

"A 15 year old boy. A 10 year old little girl dressed as a maid.... Why do I feel familiar with them?"

They then paused and thought for a moment.

After a while, Captain Chourou's assistant spoke.

"Sir, could they possibly be fugitives?"

"Fugitives? Is that even possible? They're just kids, right?"

"But sir, I remember something when mentioned about kids.... If I'm not mistaken, a few months ago there was a rumor saying that some young members of the Donquixote Pirates had disappeared without a trace. So I was wondering could it be them?"

Hearing his assistant's statement, Captain Chourou was shocked!

"What!? Donquixote!? Get information about them!"

"Yes, sir!"

After a while, the assistant took and handed over the data information about the Donquixote Pirates and their crew.

After that, Captain Chourou showed some photos to Kerrek.

"Is there anyone in these photos you recognize?"

After looking through the photos, then Kerrek looked to two photos in surprise and pointed them, namely a teenager boy and a little girl!

"Hm!? Yes! There's no mistaking it! They're the ones! They must be the one who have stolen the sword!"

Captain Chourou is surprised to see the two photos that Kerrek points to!

"This.... Rex Lepus and Brisa. Rex Lepus.... RL. Looks like there's no mistaking it.... Even though we don't know how could he managed to steal the sword from a locked chest, nothing is impossible with certain abilities! .... I'll report this to my superior. Kerrek, you can go first."

"Tch.... Fine."

After that, Kerrek grudgingly left.

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Moments later, Captain Chourou contacted his superiors with Den-Den Mushi.

After a while, Den-Den Mushi connected.

"Hello...."

"Report, sir! I'm Chourou! We failed to get the sword! The sword is gone!"

Hearing his words, Captain Chourou's superiors were shocked and shouted!

"What!? How could be!?"

"That's.... That sword seems to have been stolen by Rex Lepus! He left a message with the initials 'R. L.'. From there we conducted an investigation which then led to Rex Lepus!"

"Rex Lepus? Who is that?"

"He's a former member of the Donquixote Pirates!"

"Donquixote!? Damn it!!!"

*brakk

The superior sounds angrily pounds a table. And Chourou could only silent.

"...."

Some time later, Captain Chourou's superior gloomily asked.

"Has there been a bounty for him?"

"Not yet, sir!"

"Then publish a wanted poster for him! Set a bounty of 20,000,000 Beri for Rex Lepus!"

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WANTED: Rex Lepus the "Empty Hare". Bounty: 20.000.000 B.

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