Chapter 8

Chapter 8

'[Observe].'

Lieutenant Jorgen, Orangutan-Human, Lv.31

Lieutenant Jorgen is a Marine officer serving in Caeba Kingdom as well as the user of the Ape-Ape Fruit Model: Orangutan. Jorgen is the nephew of 'Don Masserida' the current head of the 'Masserida Crime Family' and has used his position in the Marines to shield his uncle and the family business for years. He has become an expert at burying paperwork and making both evidence and witnesses disappear.

Health: 2243/2844

[HYBRID-ORANGUTAN] Jorgen is currently in the hybrid form of his Devil Fruit. He is receiving +80% to both STR and VIT, +35% to DEX and -30% to all damage taken.

STR: 124 (+80%) = 223.2

VIT: 158 (+80%) = 284.4

DEX: 73 (+35%) = 98.55

INT: 55

WIS: 46

LUK: 9

I read the stat bonuses for a third time and swallowed nervously. "Mori...Get out of here." I spoke softly but with deadly seriousness. "This fight is beyond your level now."

"What! Are you crazy!" The Chief shouted, completely aghast at the idea. "You can't take him on your own!" The Marine raised his saber up and adopted a defensive stance. "Like hell am I leaving you by yourself!"

Ding!

A Quest Has Been Updated!

Quest: Don Masserida is determined to see put down for capturing his underlings and disrupting business. You've gotten wind of a big meeting going down in just under a weeks time and the big man himself is planning to be there. Join Lt. Jorgen's operation and do not let any member of the 'Masserida Crime Family' escape.

[UPDATE]: Defeat Jorgen and do not let Mori die!

Reward: 3,300 Exp and [Skillbook]: Rokushiki Technique #5 of 6.

[UPDATE REWARD]: ?

With a crazed bloodlust in his eyes, Jorgen rushed in on all fours, making good use of his newly increased mobility and bridged the distance between us in a manner of seconds.

My feet hop backwards on autopilot, trying to gain at least some distance but Mori, the courageous fool, holds his ground and attempts a diagonal slash with his saber.

The Ape-man barely offers the Chief a dismissive glance before barreling right over him, sending the younger Marine sprawling across the room.

'Damn it Chief!'

I slid to a stop near one of the many rifles littering the floor and didn't waste the immediate opportunity. A hooking motion, combined with sharp upwards kick, sends the firearm into the air and my waiting palms snatch it in all the time it'd take you to blink.

My initial shot goes slightly wide but I am rewarded with a flash of blood spurting from Jorgen's left shoulder, forcing the beast man to abandon his charge with a frustrated roar.

90 Damage! (2153/2,844)

I line up the sights and try to land a second hit but the lieutenant is already on the move. A crouch, a roll, a quick zig-zag here and there. The veteran marine danced across the room making every bullet I fired fall short of its mark.

Then in a series of maneuvers would make any parkour artist drool in envy, Jorgen vaults himself to the second floor railing, then up to the third, before finally taken refuge among the steel girders, pipes, and walkways that hang just below the ceiling.

Yellow sparks flash across a steel grate from one last shot failing to land home and I'm met with the disappointing 'clicking' telling me the gun's out of ammo.

'Well shit.'

Unfortunately, this appears to be exactly what Jorgen was waiting for. The fruit-user leaps outward, twists his body into a mid-air flip, and hangs himself upside down from a pipe using his prehensile feet.

His hands thrust outwards towards me, revealing that while he was running around, he'd managed to pick up a few flintlocks of his own.

'Can I just have something go right for once!'

The all too familiar cracking of gunshots fills the room again only this time I'm the one who's being forced to run around in erratic zig-zag patterns.

However while my aim may have been...below average... the long-time military man is no such neophyte. I can only hope that the awkward way he's handling the pistols with his newly enlarged fingers impedes his accuracy at least a little.

-29 HP!

The first shot scrapes across my hip and while it doesn't enter my leg the pain is still enough to get a wince out of me.

I sprint around looking for cover but Jorgen's high position means that none of the options seem good. Staying still even for a moment will probably result in a bullet to the head.

-31 HP!

A second strike hits above my ankle while I'm mid-stride and I'm forcibly sent into a roll just so I can keep moving.

'GODDAMNIT! How the hell am I supposed to get him down from there!'

An item appears in the periphery.

..and suddenly I'm reminded this fight isn't a 1 vs 1.

Jorgen and I both give slight twists of our heads to view it but by it's moving too fast to do anything more that gawk at it for a half-second.

The rocket slams into the lieutenants position and detonates in an incredible blaze of fire and tar colored smoke. A solid chunk of metal roof is blown violently outward and my view of the ape-man disappears beneath a veil of flames and falling debris.

For a moment I'm in a daze, not quite sure what just happened but my vision slowly drifts to the left where a noticeably winded Mori kneels with a spent cannon on his shoulder. "Thought you could use the assist." He says somewhat dryly, chucking the oversized weapon back into the box he took it from.

'Huh...and to think I'M the one who told HIM to leave.'

The Chief moves slowly to my side and gazes up at the burning hole in the roof alongside me. "Did..did I get him?" he asks, his voice cautiously hopeful though obviously disbelieving.

My eyes narrow as I start scanning around the other high places in the room. "I don't think so...at least not completely."

"Well then where'd he-" a 55 gallon steel drum smashes into the Chief from behind cutting him off mid-sentence.

I spin around and immediately fall flat to the floor to avoid a steel barrel of my own. A mildly charred and moderately apoplectic Jorgen shrieks at my narrow save before wrapping his arms around two more and launching them at frightening speed.

I weave between the two projectiles and focus in on the mans health. Based on his singed fur and reopened head wound he definitely took some damage from Mori's surprise.

Jorgen: (1,507/2,844)

'Holy crap he lost over 600 points!'

I'm not sure whether to be shocked it did so much damage or to wonder how he's still in fighting shape at all. A normal man would never have survived that kind of direct hit. Heck, if I'd been hit by it back when I first left Kivuruk I would have reduced to scattered chunks of slurry. Or perhaps a smoking deep-fried skeleton.

'And the [Game] says that his fruit is only reducing his damage taken by 30%...which means the other 70% was all him...The durability of people in this world gets more and more bullshit every day.'

On the other hand though, I've been shot multiple times in the past 20 minutes so what the fuck am I even complaining about right?

The next projectile is a massive crate weighing who knows who many hundreds of pounds and as I hop over it a blue screen pops in my face.

Skill Lv up! Bullet Time Lv. (1/30) → (2/30)

-Your ability to perceive time at a slower rate while in combat. Slowed perception increased from (3%) → (6%)

I dismiss the notification as I land and roll beneath another airborne drum. At a 3% reduction I couldn't see the difference, but at double that amount?

Eh, it's basically the same.

I wouldn't say anything was slow per say. 94% of normal speed is still 94% after all. But there was an almost imperceptible degree of sluggishness to the world around me now. Like you're watching a film and you suspect there may be something slightly off about the frame rate. I wouldn't deign to say this [Skill] is offering me any sizable advantage yet but I'll take whatever I can get.

Bit by bit, yard by yard, I advance on my opponent who is getting increasingly frustrated at both my natural affinity for dodging and his rapidly decreasing supply of 'large things to throw at me'.

Jorgen growls when I reach within two meters of him and he raises the last of the nearby boxes overhead, clearly intent on smashing it down on top of me.

He swings downward and I let myself fall into a slide mid-run.

By the narrowest margins I pass under the crate and smoothly into the mans guard. As my ears fill with the sounds of wood shattering just inches behind my head I vault myself upwards and send both of my feet crashing into the base of his chin.

88 Damage! (1,419/2,844)

"Enough with the Donkey Kong bullshit!" I thunder as my legs strike with enough force to actually life the primate clean off the ground.

Will he understand that reference? Obviously not. Do I care? Take a guess.

For one exquisitely beautiful moment the lieutenant is sent tumbling ass over teakettle through the air but much to my chagrin rights himself rather quickly.

I rush in, trying to capitalize on a potential moment of vulnerability, but Jorgen's already mostly recovered by the time I get there. Bulky orange limbs parry my punches away and though I manage to knock off about 70 health through glancing blows my assault is pretty much a failure.

Especially when his kick lands in the center of my chest.

-92 HP!

A pathetic wheeze escapes my throat as all the air rushes out of my lungs and my body flies backwards from the impact. I tumble across the floor and grimace as I accidentally inhale dirt and dust but despite that it's only a few seconds before I've reached a stop and am getting back up for more.

The Chief slides up next to me with his sword in a defensive pose. "You good?" he asks, never taking his eyes off our opponent. "Ready to keep going?"

"Always ready." I murmur before scoffing out a small laugh. "Y'know I really should be asking you that. I'm a lot more durable that you are."

"Ha! That you seem to be." Mori barks, before spitting a glob of blood on the floor. "Don't worry. I've still got plenty of fight in me."

Jorgen meanwhile has used the free time to his advantage. He's ripped the lid off one of the weapon boxes and seems to be digging for something in particular. When his hands emerged from within the mountain of packing straw they were not without new toys.

'Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me! How many goddamn weapons are they storing in this freaking place!'

The lieutenant had equipped himself a pair of long heavy blades which only got thicker and broader as you traveled away from the hilt. The way the swords ended in a flat head rather than a point visibly reminded me of a style of weapon that I had never seen anyone employ except Zoro's old bounty hunter buddies in East Blue.

In summation?

The weapon design was totally nonsensical. Large unwieldy, unbalanced cleavers that would be better served in a butchers shop than on the battlefield.

And I was absolutely terrified of them.

In the hands of a Zoan user there is no doubt in my mind that it would only take a single strike to split me from crotch to crown...or err whatever the skull downwards version of that phrase is.

Jorgen shrieked another battle cry and practically flew towards Mori and I with one powerful push of his legs. The swords came down at a sharp 90 degrees and while I have time to pivot my body out of the way it is by the barest hairs breadth that my ally manages to do the same.

Not to be discouraged, the officer swings his arms out wide trying to knock us aside with the flat ends of his weapons. I'm able to roll over the top of his arm and give a satisfying clock to the jaw but unfortunately Mori's just not able to move in time.

The Chief's able to put his own saber between himself and the blow, dulling the impact at least somewhat, but the sound of something popping in his arm and the pained grimace on his face show all the good it did.

Alert!

Your allies health has fallen below 40%!

You are in danger of failing your [QUEST UPDATE].

'FUCK THE QUEST! I'm not letting Chief die!'

[Adrenalin Rush] Activated!

STR (120 +70%) → (204)

A fire erupts inside me as my hands fly into a flurry of combination moves. Jabs, hooks, a haymaker, I throw everything I can trying to put the hurt on Jorgen and despite [Adrenalin Rush] activating it's not doing much good.

The Zoan user is taking little bits of damage when he blocks but the problem is that most of the time he isn't even bothering to block. His eyes, though a bit bloodshot from injury, are calm and impassive as he reads my moves almost effortlessly and simply weaves out of the way.

'I don't understand! I should be faster than him!'

Unless...I'm not... unless I'm not as fast as I think I am. My eyes drift downwards to the various GSW's adorning my limbs and torso, many of whom are still bleeding despite [HP Regen] doing it's best to repair the damage.

'Oh.' The realization is a cold one. I..I think my body's starting to fail on me. It just can't handle this level of exertion in it's current state. If not for [Resilience] I would have already fallen down and died.

Alert! [Adrenalin Rush] has expired!

My assault winds down and Jorgen cocks his head to the side.

"Are you done?" He asks, speaking coherently for the first time since his transformation.

Deep heavy breaths of exertion pass over my lips. I try to think of something witty to reply with...but the only thing that manages to come out is telling him to go fuck himself.

The hybrid lets a cocky smirk cover his face, raises one sword up….and then roars in pain as Mori lands a direct hit across his exposed back. Jorgens whole body twists around and the air cracks as the Chief gets backhanded into a pile of rubble by the flat side of the lieutenants oversized butcher blade.

Alert!

Your allies health has fallen below 20%!

You are in danger of failing your [QUEST UPDATE].

Mori's definitely out of the fight now…I'm pretty much there myself...but his last move has given me the chance I needed.

I watch as Mori's sword is knocked from his grip and sails overhead. I leap upward, snatching the airborne saber out of its arc and let a grateful smile take over me….

'Thanks Chief'

...before bringing it crashing down deep into the meaty flesh of Jorgen's right shoulder. The cheap mass-produced weapon gets stuck a few inches in but the job is more than done.

The Ape-man screams -no, he howls- in pain as his whole right side goes slack and both of his weapons fall from his grasp.

I know there's a damage notification. A pretty sizable one considering I can see the words 'Critical Hit!' in my peripheral vision but I just can't seem to tear my eyes away from the lieutenants beautiful screaming agony.

'HA! Not so bad for my first time using a sword!'

Ding!

New Skill Acquired!

Bladed Weapon Mastery Lv. (1/150)

-Your ability to expertly wield swords, knives, spears, or any other sharpened tools.

Skill Level Up! Bladed Weapon Mastery Lv. (1/150) → (2/150)

-Your ability to expertly wield swords, knives, spears, or any other sharpened tools.

I release the hilt of the blade and jump away. 150 levels? Seriously? I mean, I know swordsmen can do some ludicrous shit in this world but that's just-

A long prehensile foot juts outward, encircles my waist and ropes me back into range.

Jorgen's body shifts again as he exists the hybrid-form and becomes a full-fledged orangutang. I'd celebrate because he's actually less powerful this way but I can't due to the terrifying look in the beasts bloodshot eyes.

And I do mean beast.

It seems the lieutenant has momentarily checked out.

'Uh oh.'

My body is slammed face-first into the concrete floor and the primate screeches angrily as he lifts me up only to throw me back down again.

I catch glimpses of blue screens, telling me the damage that I'm taking but before I can hope to read them I'm chucked like a piece of discarded trash across the room into a pile of destroyed scaffolding.

Through bleary vision I can see the animal approaching Chief who's only managing to stand by using a metal bar as a makeshift cane.

He doesn't stand a chance.

I need to move. 'But it hurts.' I need to move! 'I've lost feeling in my arms..' I have to help him! 'He probably has it covered… I NEED TO MOVE!

My hands clutch the remains of a steel grate and suddenly I'm running across the room with the makeshift bludgeon.

[Adrenalin Rush] Activated!

STR (120 +70%) → (204)

Alert! Daily Limit Reached!

"JORGEEEEN!"

The beast turns to the sound of my roar and a glint of intelligence returns to its eyes. Just a spark. Only large enough to know whats about to happen.

I push the last of my strength into my legs and leap into the air, just high enough to get gravity on my side when I bring the chunk of metal straight down onto the animals skull.

I couldn't see the overgrown monkey's face. A combination of my spotty vision, the grate in the way. And his head being knocked downwards….but I like to think...that in that moment...his eyes bugged out so far he could've put God Enel to shame.

Your opponent has been knocked out!

"AND THIS TIME STAY DOWN!"

Ding!

Quest Complete!

Quest: Defeat a Devil-Fruit user.

Reward: 5,000 Exp and +10 to any stat.

Ding!

Quest Complete!

Quest: Don Masserida is determined to see put down for capturing his underlings and disrupting business. You've gotten wind of a big meeting going down in just under a weeks time and the big man himself is planning to be there. Join Lt. Jorgen's operation and do not let any member of the 'Masserida Crime Family' escape.

[UPDATE]: Defeat Jorgen and do not let Mori die!

Reward: 3,300 Exp and [Skillbook]: Rokushiki Technique #5 of 6

[UPDATE REWARD]: ?

Ding!

A '?' mystery box has been placed into your inventory. Open it to receive one of three rare items.

You have reached Lv. 29!

You have reached Lv. 30!

Congratulations! You have reached Lv. 30!

Stat points awarded per Lv up increased! (10) → (15)

You have 25 points to spend!

I slump onto the floor and let my shoulders sag in relief. "Today...sucks...I am done with today."

Mori hobbles over, doing his best not to put pressure on his right side. "We ain't finished yet Jack… we need to somehow find a Den-Den-Mushi and call it in...though between you and me I'm not sure I have the strength to go into town and get one."

I lazily scroll through my [Inventory] searching for the snail I took off Blackjack. Not a care in my mind that the Chief was watching me do it. "Will this one work?" I ask, holding up the little blue guy.

A befuddled expression crosses the Chief's face. "Where did you..?" he starts off confused before letting loose a big hearty laugh. "Hahahaha! You know what? I don't even care! Yeah! That'll work fine."

I slowly pick myself up off the floor and toss the snail Mori's way. I drag my feet over to nearby box and take a few minutes to rest.

Eight minutes and 33 HP regenerated later my friend is still on the phone and I'm starting to feel a little bit less like death warmed over.

May as well start sorting through some of these prizes.

The quest for defeating a Devil-Fruit user had honestly slipped my mind. When I first received it I instantly filed it away under the 'Far-Far-Future Goals' section of my mind. It was foolish of me to think life would just cooperate and wait till I was ready.

Still, now that it's here I may as well enjoy it. A +10 to any stat?

Any stat?

Well there's really only one candidate isn't there.

LUK (15) → (25)

Still haven't discovered a way to easily rank up this trait. Hell, I haven't even discovered for sure what it does. I can only guess that with such heavy restrictions on leveling it up the [Perks] it eventually grants will be game breaking.

At the moment though I'd just settle for my side quests to stop going FUBAR from the slightest complication.

Fat chance of that happening.

All right next order of business. I've got 25 points and 5 categories to spend them on. At the moment I am far too exhausted to give this critical thought. General improvements all around. Besides, If I'm going to start earning 15 per level there's no need to be stingy.

Points to spend (25) → (0)

STR (120) → (125)

VIT (103) → (108)

DEX (103) → (108)

INT (47) → (52)

WIS (45) → (50)

I take a minute to pause. Breathing deeply as the new 100 points of max health grant a small revitalizing burst.

Okay. Time for the big boys.

I check to see that Mori's back is turned and pull the main prize from the [Inventory]. The main reason I accepted this damn quest in the first place.

Ding!

You have obtained a [Skillbook]. Would you like to use it now? [ACCEPT/DECLINE]

Come on. Give daddy the Tekkai. Daddy wants to see a Tekkai. In conjunction with my [Physical Endurance] skill I could start a juggernaut build.

'And I'm getting really really tired of having the crap kicked out of me every time someone in my own weight class shows up'

I clicked [ACCEPT] and mentally rubbed my hands together in anticipation. Roll those dice, come on. Give me something good.

Ding!

New Skill Acquired!

Rokushiki Technique #5 of 6. (Kami-e). Lv. (1/50)

-One of the vaunted 'Six Powers.' By handing control of their movements over to the subtle currents in the air, users of this technique can twist their body around attacks and briefly coast alongthe wind. Masters of this [Skill] can flatten their forms to be paper thin or even invent their own variations of this technique.

Note: Due to your low level with this [Skill] there is an 80% chance the [Skill] will fail on use.

"Aww. Kami-e? That's like the lame one." I whined with a noticeable pout. "It didn't have to be Tekkai...Soru and Geppo would have been fine too..."

'And an 80% chance of straight up not working? What the heck [Game]? None of my other [Skills] have come with penalties that bad. Ugh, I'm gonna have to grind this ASAP.'

Whatever. Let's just go the main event.

You know I'm kind of surprised that the '?' turned out to be a mystery box for a second time. When I saw the [UPDATE REWARD] sure the thought struck me that it could be the same deal as last time but...I just thought the [Game] might have a bit more of a degree of randomness for me y'know?

Is it weird that I feel a small sense of dread?

I mean, I'm about to get a free prize.

One that only become available about 10 minutes ago when I got the [UPDATE] and all I can think about is how I've mentally locked myself in to the 'Ancient Language Path'.

Ding!

You are attempting to open a mystery box.

Please select one of the following three items.

1. Treasure Map- Gomago's Grotto: Six years ago the South Blue pirate captain Gabrian Gomago and his crew were defeated and slaughtered to the last man. Two weeks before the decisive battle though, Gomago stashed all of his plunder inside a hidden alcove he had discovered many years prior. This map may be the only surviving clue to help locate the elusive lost riches which rumor claims includes one of the worlds 50 Ryo Wazamono Grade Swords. Selecting this item comes with +5 levels to the [Skill] [Bladed Weapon Mastery].

2. [Skillbook]: Reading the Ancient Language Vol.2:The Poneglyph's and their texts are one of the greatest mysteries of the world. After obtaining Vol.1 you planted yourself in the worlds 'Top 20 Experts' when it comes to reading the lost text. A pretty sad achievement considering you only understand three letters of it. With this [Skillbook] you can expand your knowledge and maybe read more than just the word 'The'. Selecting this item comes with a permanent +3 INT and +3 WIS.

3. Mysterious Mushroom: There are many known magical fruits in the world but what's the deal with this spotted green and white fungus? Scientists have confirmed that it has no special properties they can detect and yet myths and old wives tales persist that it can be used to bring the dead back to life. Consuming this item grants you +1 life and +3 LUK.

'Ohhh ho ho fuck you [Game]. Seriously. You're going to dangle a strong start on a swordsmanship career and a freaking 'Mario 1UP Shroom' in front of me and I'm going to have to ignore them both because I'm already committed to the knowledge route.'

Is my weakness to the sunk cost fallacy a personality flaw. Oh absolutely. Is me being cognizant of that fact going to stop me from cutting my losses and choosing options 1 or 3?

Not a chance.

I selected the second option and, after re-checking that Mori was still preoccupied, extracted the [Skillbook] from my inventory and consumed it.

INT (52) → (55)

WIS (50) → (53)

Ding!

You have unlocked the letters 'W', 'X', 'Y' and 'Z' for the lost language.

Someone somewhere is definitely laughing at me. Are you laughing at me ROB? I feel like I can hear your cackling.

Four letters this time but they're all among the least useful. It's almost like I've made no progress at all.

I wiped the small scowl off my face as Mori approached and returned the snail to my care. "Backup should be here in less than five. Apparently the local branch was already mobilizing due to the smoke coming out the roof."

"Well at least something is going right today."

The Chief slides down on the crate next to me and fishes a half-empty pack of cigarettes out of his pants. He glances around at the ruined mess of a warehouse and sighs tiredly at the mixed array of unconscious bodies and corpses. "What a fucking mess..." he whispers mirthlessly.

I'd agree with him but suddenly there's another question pressing on my mind.

"You didn't happen to see where my guns went did you?"

It's only been a few days since the shoot-out and though there's been no report in the local papers much of the town has been talking about the incident in hushed whispers. The Marines of course tried to keep the whole thing quiet, but like most scandals, someone seems to have blabbed.

The Captain of the local base, a man with a thick white beard named Rasure, asked the two of us -or in Mori's case ordered- to stick around until the end of the week in case any other questions arose.

On Earth the kind of injuries Mori received would have had the man laid up for weeks. Bullet holes and broken bones were not things you got to just spend a few days sleeping off.

It's quite fortunate that no one bothered telling the One Piece universe that. The Marine doctor at the Philridge branch took one look at the Chief and said 'All he needs is 3-4 days rest and he'll be right as rain.'

For me though...it's a slightly different story. Although my heal rate may not be advanced enough to make a stark difference in the heat of battle, 'At least not yet', the fact that I was back to 100% before even going to bed that night had people goggling at me like I was some kind of medical marvel.

I even overheard a doctor whispering to his colleague about wanting to take a few blood and tissue samples. A part of me is curious if they'd discover anything...but on the other hand...best to stay away from men in white coats.

It wasn't hard to keep myself busy as I waited around for Mori to heal. Obviously there were many areas of the base I wasn't allowed in to, but as long as I didn't try to ditch the 'escort' who was following me everywhere I was pretty much allowed to do whatever I wanted.

Two afternoons in the shooting gallery netted me an equal number of levels in [Firearms], raising my accuracy up from 'Poor' to 'A bit above Average' and in the evenings I spent time with a local Ensign who was happy to join me for some bouts of light sparring.

[Unarmed Combat] reached all the way to Lv.11 and [Kami-e] I'm proud to report has already risen to Lv.8. Now the [Skill] only has a 45% chance of failing on use. Still objectively garbage? Sure. But all that improvement was just from a few sessions of grinding. A little more time with the technique and I'll be able to incorporate it seamlessly into my fighting style.

I do need to watch for any slips of the tongue though. Just because I can use one of the Rokushiki doesn't mean I need to announce it to the world every time I use it. Can you imagine if I actually shouted "Kami-e!" in the middle of a Marine training area? The last thing I need is word reaching one of the higher ups around here and they start grilling me on where I learned it.

Unfortunately when my partner, Ensign Sylvia, grew tired of hand-to-hand training and insisted we move on to swordplay my performance became..less than stellar.

I could tell I had her pretty impressed before, the two of us were even starting to throw light bits of flirting into our bouts. But once my practically nonexistent level of swordsmanship made itself known that spark of interest in her eyes dimmed noticeably.

Oh well. At least [Bladed Weapon Mastery] gained two levels out of the whole thing.

According to her my swordsmanship was now almost to the level where 'A freshly frocked Petty Officer won't openly laugh at your incompetence'.

An indignant piece of my brain wanted to dispute the harsh claim but considering that I only have a (4/150) in the [Skill] I have to begrudgingly accept it as a fair assessment.

Whatever.

I prefer to fight with my hands anyway.

Eventually my downtime came to an end though and after 4 days Mori has finally been cleared to leave the infirmary. The Chief was barely a free man for 15 minutes before the pair of us were summoned to Captain Rasure's office.

"Once again I would like to congratulate you two," The man behind the imposing wooden desk spoke as he ran one hand through his impressive facial hair. "Uncovering a hidden agent within the Marines ranks -a commissioned officer no less- is a major victory. Chief Mori I'd like you to know that I've spoken to your CO and we're both in agreement that your actions warrant a promotion to 'Master Chief'. It goes into effect at the end of the month. Congratulations."

"Th-Thank you sir!" Mori responded, still standing ramrod straight at attention.

Rasure smiled warmly. "If you continue to perform admirably you could have quite the profile to submit towards an officer program in a few years. So long as you keep up with your training there's no reason you can't wear the coat someday." Rasure spoke with a gesture to his golden epaulets.

The Captains hands returned to his desk and then his smile shrank back down to neutral. "That all being said, I'm afraid to say the situation has become rather…delicate." The Captain said with a tired sigh. "Back when he was an Ensign, Jorgen underwent a small apprenticeship beneath Rear Admiral Aquino who as you know oversees all the bases in this quadrant of South Blue. Hearing that his one time protege was a criminal plant...well..the Rear Admiral has become equal parts furious and embarrassed. If that wasn't enough it seems that the crown prince of the Caeban royal family was secretly using the Masserida's to provide him with..." Rasure shook his head despondently. "Never mind. It doesn't really matter. The point is that there's pressure coming in from all sides to just sweep this story under the rug as quickly as possible."

"No big deal." I say with an over-dramatic shrug. "The masses have always suffered from short-term memory. By this time next week all the townsfolk whispering out there will have moved on to other things. So long as all the pricks go to prison where they can't bother me anymore its no skin off my bones."

Captain Rasure gave a tiny smile and nodded subtly in agreement. "I'm glad you have that attitude young man. Unfortunately, it makes what I have to say next taste all the more unpleasant. Due to the connections Masserida had with the prince, your name is now known to some people in very high places in this Kingdom. Now since you're a civilian I can't actually give you a direct order. But I think it would be in your best interest if you went back to Yeutton, got on a ship, and left this Kingdom as soon as you're able."

And just like that my day is ruined.

I mean... I wasn't exactly planning on putting down permanent roots here or anything but I'd grown rather fond of the place. Some of the local restaurants back in the port town had even started treating me like a regular.

"For how long?" I asked.

Rasure gave a minute shrug. "Couple years at least. Sorry son."

I ran my hand through my hair and gave my own frustrated sigh of resignation. "It's okay. Just life I guess."

Three Days Later, The Cracked Pearl

I push open the broad wooden doors of the tavern and feel the familiar scent of smoke and booze wash over me. "Shots all around! It's my last night in town boys and everything's on me!"

A raucous of excited cries and raised glasses was the response. You know the funny thing is I could have sworn that most of these people hated my guts. What with the whole 'bounty hunter' thing and all. It just goes to show how incredibly quick you can turn opinions around by buying people free drinks.

I make a beeline for the bar to see that Bill has somehow missed my farewell declaration. He's hunched over the counter and talking in whispers with a figure shrouded from head to toe in a dark brown cloak.

"Well speak of the devil and he shall appear." Bill mutters in good humor as he catches sight of me and exits his hushed conversation. "That's him right there."

The hooded figure swivels around on his bar stool and stands to greet me. He pulls the hood back revealing white skin, black eyes, and brown frizzy hair that hides his ears.

Korka, Supply Officer, Lv. 33

'Hmm. That's an odd title.'

"Ah, there he is. The bounty hunter on the rise. It's a pleasure to meet you Jack." Korka the mystery man greets as he offers me his hand.

"How can I help you?" I politely reply as I complete the handshake.

"I'm going to go straight to the point. I would like to hire you for a job. 2,500,000 Beri for 4 months of your time."

I could actually feel one eyebrow quirk upwards. Money isn't a concern for me at the moment. It probably won't be for a long time after the Blackjack payout. Hypothetically speaking, I had enough to last me years.

But 2.5 million was still a serious amount of coin. Even if I could easily make more by doing the bounty hunter thing, my soon to come departure from Caeba has left me a bit directionless at the moment. As it stands, I don't see any harm in at least hearing the man out. "What's the job?"

Korka grinned and waved his hand airily. "Oh nothing too difficult. I just want you to sit on a trade ship all day and help protect it from pirates as it travels between point 'A' and point 'B' a few times."

My eyes narrowed just slightly. A simple protection gig? There had to be more to it than that. For the kind of cash he's offering you could just hire two dozen normal men to do the job. Hell, you could probably find half of them without ever leaving this bar. "What's the ship carrying?"

"Oh the usual," The man dismissed casually. "Food, clothes, guns, nothing really out of the ordinary."

I paused a moment, mulling over his answer, before asking what obviously became the next most pertinent question. "Who's it for?"

Korka leaned in and whispered his next words directly into my ear.

"The Revolutionary Army."