Chapter 18 - The Bounty Claim and New Conflict

The boys were sitting on the deck of their ship, enjoying the gentle rocking of the waves. The sun was shining brightly, and the seagulls were calling out above them. It was a peaceful moment, a nice break after the fight they had.

"Man, it's so peaceful now," Raiden said, leaning back against the mast, and stretching. "I could get used to this."

"Yeah," Ronan replied, nodding in agreement. "But you know it never stays this quiet for long on the sea."

Raiden chuckled. "True. But let's enjoy it while it lasts."

Right at that moment, a loud, panicked scream cut through the calm. Bluto, the captured pirate captain, had woken up. He was bound tightly with ropes and was now struggling and shouting, his eyes wide with confusion and fear.

"Hey! Where am I? What's going on? Let me go, you scoundrels!" Bluto screamed, his voice echoing across the deck.

Ronan rolled his eyes and stood up, walking over to Bluto. With a swift slap to the back of Bluto's head, he silenced him. "Will you shut up already?" Ronan growled. "You're on our ship, and you're not going anywhere."

Bluto winced but stopped struggling, instead sitting down and grumbling under his breath. After a moment, he looked up at Raiden and Ronan, his face a mix of anger and curiosity. "What happened to my treasure?" he demanded. "Did you steal it?"

Ronan turned to Raiden, a blank look on his face. "Did you loot his ship before sinking it?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Raiden blinked, a look of realization spreading across his face. "Uh, no," he said slowly. "I, um, I didn't think about that."

For a moment, there was silence. But as soon as what Raiden said set in, both Ronan and Bluto erupted into screams.

"Why didn't you loot the ship first?!" Ronan yelled, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Are you an idiot? My treasure was on that ship!" Bluto bellowed, his face turning red with anger.

Raiden panicked, his eyes wide. "I-I...they looked so poor! I didn't know they had a treasure!" he stuttered. "Also, what if they had more men? We couldn't risk it!"

Ronan facepalmed, shaking his head. "Unbelievable," he muttered. "You didn't think for a second about the treasure?"

Bluto, still furious, shook his head. "You fools! You sank my ship with all my gold on it!"

Raiden, still trying to justify himself, looked between the two of them. "I thought it was the best thing to do at the time! I mean, we can always find more treasure, right?"

Raiden was trying his best to hide the fact that he was so excited to finally use his devil fruit that he didn't even think about the treasure.

Ronan sighed, exasperated. "You really need to think things through, Raiden."

Bluto, on the other hand, had calmed down a bit, though he was still glaring at Raiden. "You're lucky I didn't have anything too valuable on that ship," he grumbled. "But still, you owe me for that."

Raiden ignored Bluto and looked at Ronan. He finally let out a sigh and nodded. "Okay, okay, next time I'll remember to loot the ship first."

"Next time?" Ronan raised an eyebrow. "As if I'd let you do shit like this again."

Bluto just huffed and sat back down after being ignored, crossing his arms and muttering to himself about disrespectful kids.

"Yeah, yeah," Raiden said, shaking his head. "I'll do better next time."

For a while, the three of them sat in silence, the only sound the gentle lapping of the waves against the hull. Raiden and Ronan leaned back, trying to enjoy the peaceful moment once again. But Bluto, still bound and grumbling, wasn't about to let them forget his presence.

"Can't believe you sank my ship," he muttered. "What kind of pirates are you?"

Ronan glanced at him, his patience wearing thin. "You're still alive, aren't you?" he snapped. "Just be grateful for that."

Bluto narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything more, deciding it was best not to push his luck. Raiden and Ronan shared a look, both of them silently agreeing that it was going to be a long trip.

_____

The ship sailed smoothly into the harbor of Shells Town, its silhouette standing out against the afternoon sky. The town was bustling with activity, a mixture of merchants, townsfolk, and, surprisingly, a large number of pirates. Despite the presence of a Marine branch, Shells Town seemed to be teeming with rogue elements.

Raiden stood at the bow of the ship, looking out over the town. "Shells Town, huh?" he muttered to himself. "Doesn't seem as peaceful as I remember."

Ronan looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You've been here before?"

"N-no. I just didn't think there would be so many pirates here." Raiden quickly came up with a response.

Ronan, standing beside him, nodded. "Yeah, it looks like trouble is brewing here. What are the marines even doing?" He spat out venomously.

Raiden just shrugged in response. He didn't really know about the current situation of this place. In the anime, Morgan was the captain of this marine branch. And well, let's just say there wasn't much difference between him and the pirates.

As the ship docked, Raiden turned to Ronan. "Alright, Ronan. I need you to stay on the ship. We can't risk anyone seeing you. You're too recognizable."

Ronan frowned but nodded. "Got it."

Raiden's attention then shifted to Bluto, who immediately turned pale. "Wa-wait! Boss! You don't have to turn me int-"

Raiden didn't want to waste any more time on this idiot, so quickly hit Bluto on the back of his head and knocked him out.

Raiden adjusted his swords, slung the big man over his shoulder and jumped down onto the dock. "I'll be back soon. Just keep an eye out and don't cause any trouble."

Ronan saluted mockingly. "Aye, aye, Captain."

Raiden smiled and jumped off his ship, landing gracefully on the weathered wooden dock of Shells Town, his boots making a soft thud against the aged planks.

The dock was bustling with activity as sailors unloaded crates of goods from various ships and townsfolk, who hurried about their daily chores.

As soon as Raiden set foot on the dock, he immediately felt the gaze of curious onlookers upon him. The sight of a young boy carrying a bound man, slung over his shoulder was undoubtedly unusual, and whispers spread among the dockworkers and passersby.

Despite the lively activity, there was an underlying tension in the air. Shells Town, known for its strategic location and bustling port, was also infamous for its pirate activity. Even with the Marine presence, the town seemed to have a chaotic charm that drew all sorts of characters to its shores.

Raiden took a look around sneakily and shook his head. 'Unbelievable. I knew that this place had a large amount of pirates, but this is insane.'

Nearly forty percent of people on the port were pirates. How did Raiden know that? Well, he used [Observe] as soon as he landed here, so he was pretty sure about that.

Raiden adjusted the weight of Bluto on his shoulder and glanced around, searching for any sign of the Marine base. He spotted a grizzled 'dock worker' nearby, leaning against a stack of crates and watching him with keen interest. Without hesitation, Raiden approached the man, with a laid back expression.

"Excuse me," Raiden began politely, "Could you point me in the direction of the Marine base?"

The dock worker's eyes narrowed slightly. He studied Raiden and the unconscious man slung over his shoulder. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded toward the town square. "Straight down that road," he grunted, his voice rough and cautious. "Can't miss it. But watch yourself, kid. This town ain't always friendly to strangers." He said with a subtle hint of warning in his voice.

Raiden nodded in thanks, maintaining his friendly demeanor. "I appreciate it," he said with a nod before turning and heading down the indicated path. As he walked away, he felt the dock worker's gaze linger on him, but he just ignored him. The man was of no threat to him.

The 'dock worker' watched Raiden leave, his eyes narrowing further with suspicion. 'This brat...he is definitely a bounty hunter.' He thought with a frown.

"I should tell the others." He muttered under his breath. Without wasting any more time, he quickly straightened up and hurried off.

As for the said 'bounty hunter', he was casually along the bustling streets of Shells Town.

The town seemed alive with activity—street vendors selling their goods, children playing near the docks, and the occasional Marine patrol 'keeping watch' over the area.

Raiden even saw Food Foo, the iconic restaurant he had seen in the anime, although they didn't seem to be doing too well at the moment.

He briefly considered stopping in for a meal, but Bluto groaned on his back, reminding him that he had other important things to do too. With a sigh, he continued on toward the Marine base, wanting to take care of his business quickly.

The narrow streets of Shells Town twisted and turned, leading Raiden closer to his destination.

Finally, after walking along for nearly ten minutes, the imposing structure of the Marine base came into view ahead—a massive building with a fluttering Marine flag.

Raiden paused for a moment to appreciate the grand structure of the Marine base. 'Honestly, if I didn't know what kind of trash these guys are, i would've been brainwashed too.' He thought to himself with a shudder. The building just had that aura of authority that you couldn't ignore.

While he stood there, admiring the structure a Marine officer noticed him and quickly approached, a stern expression on his face. "Hey, you there!" the officer shouted. "What are you doing here? And who's that you've got on your back?"

Raiden turned to face the officer, maintaining a calm demeanor. "I captured this guy, Bluto." he explained. "I'm here to claim his bounty."

The Marine officer's eyes widened in surprise at the mention of Bluto's name. "Bluto, you say?" He stepped closer to inspect the unconscious pirate slung over Raiden's shoulder. After a quick examination, he nodded, confirming Raiden's claim. "It really is him. He's been causing quite a bit of trouble in these waters." He said, trying to maintain his composure.

'Damn it! What is a bounty hunter doing here?! This idiot doesn't even know where he is!' He thought, frowning inwardly.

The officer clicked his tongue and straightened up motioning for Raiden to follow him. "Come with me," he said, his tone now more serious. "We'll process your bounty inside."

Raiden raised his eyebrows, but nodded nonetheless and followed the officer through the heavy wooden doors of the Marine base. The interior was bustling with activity—Marines hurried to and fro, some carrying documents, others...doing other things.

The officer led Raiden down a corridor to a large room and knocked lightly on it.

"Come in." Raiden heard a gruff voice from the room. The officer with Raiden opened the door and led him inside.

Lieutenant Kuroda sat behind the large desk, a stern-looking Marine with a stack of papers meticulously organized in front of him. His sharp features were accentuated by a well-defined jawline and a pair of intense, dark eyes that seemed to miss nothing. His short, neatly trimmed black hair was streaked with gray, hinting at years of service and experience.

"What is it?" Kuroda said, not looking up from his paperwork.

"Ahem. Lieutenant, this boy here captured Bluto. He wants to cash in his bounty." The marine officer with Raiden informed Kuroda.

The man looked up from his papers, his sharp eyes scrutinizing Raiden. "You say you captured Bluto?" he asked with a deep frown.

"Yes, sir," Raiden replied, lowering the big man to the ground with a thud. "He's all yours."

Kuroda stood and walked around the desk to inspect Bluto. After a moment, he nodded. "Ahem. Yeah...Good work. Bluto has been a thorn in our side for a while. You'll be compensated accordingly." He said with a pretty visible fake smile and turned to the officer who had brought Raiden in. "Prepare the bounty payment."

'Geez, why do I have to deal with a bounty case. This idiot doesn't even know we don't do this in Shells Town. And I can't even refuse him. Damnit! I just hope those guys don't find out about this.' Kuroda thought with a scowl.

The officer nodded and quickly left the room. Kuroda returned to his desk and looked at Raiden. "Tell me, boy," he said, his tone filled with genuine curiosity, "how did you manage to capture Bluto on your own?"

It was pretty hard for him to believe Raiden. To him Raiden looked like a little kid, even though his height and build said otherwise. While he knew he shouldn't judge anyone, especially on the sea, this was East Blue and not the Grand Line.

'If this brat actually captured Bluto, I should try and recruit him. It would be bad if he follows the wrong path.' Kuroda was already salivating, thinking about the promotion he would receive if he managed to recruit someone as talented as the boy in front of him.

As for Raiden, he just shrugged modestly. "I had some help from my friend on the ship," he said, not wanting to reveal too much. "We managed to overpower him during a skirmish at sea."

'Ho? He isn't bragging? That is not what I expected.' Kuroda raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Impressive," he said. "It's not every day that someone brings in a pirate of Bluto's caliber. Especially of your age. You must be quite skilled."

Raiden simply nodded with a smile, not really commenting further.

The officer returned with a pouch of bellies and handed it to Raiden. "Here's your reward," he said. "2,00,000 bellies, as promised."

Raiden accepted the pouch with a nod of thanks. "I appreciate it," he said.

Kuroda watched him for a moment before deciding to put forward his offer. "If you ever decide to put your skills to use for the Marines, we could use someone like you."

Raiden gave a small, polite smile. "I'll think about it," he said, not adding anything further. With that, he turned and left the room, making his way back through the bustling corridor.

"Keep an eye on him." Kuroda turned towards his subordinate. "And make sure those idiots don't rat us out."

"Got it boss." The man saluted and left the room.

Kuroda watched the guy leave his room and frowned. "Don't do anything stupid, boy. I don't want to have to put you down."

.

.

.

"That's the bounty hunter right?"

"Yeah. What a lunatic."

"I know right? He would be lucky to make it out of this place in one piece."

Raiden raised an eyebrow at the whispers. His enhanced stats made eavesdropping quite easy. He glanced back once and smiled knowingly. 'How interesting. All of them are in too huh?'

He shook his head, ignoring the mindless chatter and exited the building.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the bustling streets of Shells Town as he made his way back to the dock.

By now, the rumors that a bounty hunter was here had spread. Raiden could feel a lot of eyes on him. Some looking at him with fear while others with pity.

Raiden sped up, not really wanting to spend even a minute more in this place. He was not scared, but he didn't want to confront multiple pirate groups together.

Luckily the docks soon came into view, and Raiden felt a small sense of relief as he saw his ship in the distance. 'Finally. I didn't want to fig-'

Just as he was about to cross the open area leading to the docks, a loud voice rang out, interrupting his thoughts. "That's him! That's the brat who tried to claim the bounty on Bluto!"

'... obviously. Why did I even think I can go for a single day without some kind of conflict.'

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