Chapter 4: Recruiting
Asking about the direction where the marine branch is, Ryo finally arrived at the base carrying the head of the pirate captain.
"What are you here for?" a marine guarding in front asked as he saw Ryo coming.
Showing the sack in his hands, he said, "I have killed a group of pirates yesterday. This time, I wanted to check if there is a bounty in his head and claim it"
When the marine take a look inside the sack, his expression greatly changes. It was clear that he was inexperienced in this area as his face turned pale just by seeing a severed head. Fighting the urge to throw up, the marine said, "Come follow me inside, the captain would check if there is a bounty in this pirate"
"Thank you" Ryo followed inside the base while also looking around him.
Entering an office, Ryo saw a man sitting with a cigarette in his mouth. The man saw the two enters his office and asked, "Whats going on here, why did you bring him here?"
"Captain, this man claimed that he had killed a group of pirates and were here to claim if there is a bounty on the pirate's head" the marine officer reported and handed the sack to the captain.
Peeking inside, the captain saw that it was a head and his expression turned serious. He then look at Ryo inspecting him. This young man that seems to have no muscle in his body defeated a group of pirates? The captain were not convinced that the young man really killed a group of pirates. He thought that there must be some kind of help from other people.
But since it is a pirate that they killed, then there is no problem here. "This head is a little bit bloody. Lets change location as I don't want my office to be dirty and have a bloody stench inside. We will see if we can recognized this pirate and see if he has a bounty in his head"
Ryo agreed to the request and followed behind the two.
The three arrived at a somewhat empty room, the marine captain take out the head from the sack and inspect the face of the head seriously. After that, he took out a stack of wanted posters from his pocket and looked at it one by one.
"This" after looking at the wanted posters, the marine captain took one out and show it to the two.
'WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE'
'BARBARIAN LOG'
'BOUNTY: 8,000,000 BERRIES'
"This is the man you've killed, a pirate known for raiding small villages in West Blue. Although not strong, he and his crew was a nuisance for us marines. With you killing him, it is a great help for us. The 8 million bounty you will get it, but before that. There is something I want to ask you" the marine captain look at Ryo's eyes deeply and said, "I know that you are not a pirate nor a bounty hunter because this is the first time I saw you and I've never heard of a young man like you in this area. Do you want to join the marines, there is an undergoing marine recruitment in the island. If you want I can directly promote you to be my lieutenant and won't undergo the test?"
If the system didn't want him to become a pirate, Ryo would think of joining the marines. But since there is a mission and he didn't know if there would be any penalty if the mission isn't completed, Ryo had no choice but to refuse the offer. "Captain, I appreciate the offer but I would have to decline"
The brows of the marine officer beside him furrowed and was about to talk. But the marine captain raise his hand to stop and just said, "Could you tell me the reason why you refuse my offer?"
Ryo smilingly answered the captain, "I will just say that there is something I needed to accomplish. That's why I can't join the marines"
The marine captain thought for a moment before speaking, "If that's your decision, then I won't force you to join. Follow me to my office, I will give you the reward for killing this pirate"
"Alright"
The process of taking the reward was just very short and Ryo already leave the marine base.
'Now I need to find a crew for my pirate group. Also I can't use the previos pirate ship as the marines already took it. I need to find a boat that I can use' looking around him, Ryo watch as the people in this island were just casually strolling around the area. It seems that the way the marine captain do his job in the island was great.
While he was walking in the streets, Ryo noticed a delicious smell around. There he saw a restaurant just ahead of him and felt that he was hungry. It was already a couple of hours since he had eaten anything. So he decided to eat first before finding someone to be his crew.
Entering the restaurant, Ryo found an empty table and sit. A waiter comes to him and take his order before leaving.
"Hey, look there is a new face here. Young man didn't you see that only real men is allowed here. Look at yourself, do you even have a have down there?" a drunk man said and laugh as he pointed at Ryo.
The people inside all glance at Ryo and laugh at him. But from their laugh, Ryo could feel that they were all just having fun so he didn't mind it and join them. "Old man, why did you know that I didn't have any hair down there. Did you peep at me while I'm bathing?"
Looking at Ryo's expression that looks like he was an aggrieved young lady hugging herself. The people burst into laughter and the expression of the drunk man hardens. He didn't think that this tender man would fight back against him.
"Kid did you just called me an old man? F*ck this brother here is only 23 years old, and you're already calling me an old man. Don't you think that you're hurting my feeling by calling me that?" the drunk man continues to drink his beer as his saliva scattered everywhere as he talks.
The waiter suddenly comes over carrying a tray of food. "Customer, it is better that you don't talk to that drunkard. He was a known fighter in the island, and the marines wanted already came to recruit him many times. But he always refused them saying that his time drinking beer would lessen if he joined them"
Hearing that the drunk man was a known fighter in the island certainly piques Ryo's interest to him. Being a fighter and seemingly a strong one is certainly a good point. If he could invite him to become his first mate, then it would be great. But first, he would need to see what abilities this drunkard has.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone