Chapter 14
The next morning, while I was working out, Rory disembarked from his ship and came ashore on the island. He waited for me to finish working out near my tent, which was transforming into a better and more permanent lodging.
"What's with them? And what are you guys doing?" Seeing that some of the members of the Black Hat Pirates are working and walking around without any restraint on their bodies.
"Your tent looks so worn out, so we thought we should show our gratitude by making a better one for you. Don't worry, it's not for free. We will be deducting the charges from the remaining bounty of Black Hat Brody and others."
Turning towards the people who are working, he continued, "As for them, I am thinking of recruiting some of them. Only those who haven't done much pirating, those who will have more chance of transforming themselves. After doing a background check, I found that most of them have gone into a life of piracy due to circumstances that are out of their control."
While I would advise against doing something like this since Rory believes in them and has gone through the due process to minimize the risk, I didn't mind too much. It was his business; after all, he would be the one who was going to bear the consequences of his actions.
Handing me a snail about the size of a palm attached to a small rotatory dial and a microphone on its back, Rory handed it to me.
"Don't let expose it to seawater or anything salty, it would damage it, and always feed it daily with some leaves."
After giving me a set of instructions on how to take care of it, it appears he was hesitant to part with it. Then he handed over to me a piece of paper with the number "1002016019" written on it.
"This is the number of your Den Den Mushi. So, only give it to people that you deem necessary."
"I will. Thanks for letting me buy it from you." It was essential for me to possess the Den Den Mushi to get updated on the news on the world outside of this Island after being in the dark for too long.
As we continued our conversation, the workers were about to finish renovating my tent. Before, it was just a tent, a place where I could only sleep at night but now, its image has completely changed.
My tent now stood on an elevated platform made of wood; on its side was a balcony with a fireplace and a tub on the side of it. The tent itself is now made of materials that are more durable than its predecessor and in the interior of it was a cabinet, with a box containing the two daggers, my clothes and a few sheets of paper inside of it. Its door is fitted with a mirror and on its side was a place to put my Den Den Mushi. And to protect it from the weather, all the woods used in constructing it are varnished thoroughly.
"Thank you for all these." Leaving my Den Den Mushi on the cabinet, I expressed my gratitude.
With an excited look on his face, Rory replied, "We still have a surprise for you."
A boat with a grayish sail, not big enough to make it look like a sailboat, was pushed to the shore. On the boat was a tiny cabin. While it is still small compared to the ships, its appearance gives off a sturdy look.
Boarding the boat to inspect it, I turned to Rory and said, "You know, this is too much. I can't accept this much goodwill and charity from you."
"Don't worry, I am not giving you all of these out of the goodness of my heart. And now, with all of these, you would have used up all the money with maybe a few hundred Berries left. Besides, I know you will have to leave this island someday, so I took the initiative." He replied, everything he has done since yesterday has shown me the kind of man he is, a man unwilling to be indebted to people as much as possible.
Walking inside the cabin of the boat, I saw that it was an all-in-one room consisting of a stove, a sink, a small shelf, and a single bed. It has better accommodations than my previous shelter. It seems like the people Rory has chosen are more crafty and useful than they appeared, making me trust him more regarding his decision to recruit some of the Pirates under his wing.