As Alex, Benezia, and Tereza go through all the tasks they want to do in Water 7, Alex feels a hint of depression; his body is not in great shape, as he still needs a few more days to get back into good fighting condition.
"Doesn't sound like much of a vacation to me," Alex mutters, dragging a hand through his hair. "Not that you're wrong... it's just hearing all of that in one go is kind of exhausting."
"Everything is optional," Benezia replies. "We'll simply do what we can."
"I agree," Tereza adds lightly. "That sounds good."
As the Puffing Tom gradually slows and rolls into the city, the group—along with a number of other passengers—makes their way off the train.
Stepping onto the platform, Alex is immediately struck by the beauty of Water 7. The city, full of canals and layered stone paths, features a stunning mix of architecture and flowing water. A particularly interesting sight are the water-powered Gate Elevators that carry people to the higher tiers of the city.
"We'll need to rent a Bull," Alex says, still gazing around with fascination. "Without one, getting around this place would be a hassle."
"Uhm... hello?" Tereza interjects, giving him an irritated look. "You do remember my ability, right? Surely you haven't forgotten that I can fly?"
Does she seriously get jealous when I ride other mounts besides her...?
"In my defense," Alex begins, raising a hand, "we said we didn't want to draw too much attention to ourselves, right? Flying through the city would immediately out us."
"I have to agree with Alex," Benezia adds, though she sounds mildly reluctant. "While I'd also prefer our usual mode of travel, I think it would be wiser to remain anonymous for now. Let's contact Nico Robin first and decide about the Bull afterwards."
"Follow me," Alex says, leading them into a more secluded area—an empty corner flanked by tall stone walls.
"Before I call her," Alex says, looking unsure. "Do we mention Bellamy and Sarquiss? I feel the urge to claim the bounties for ourselves...."
"Impossible," Benezia states outright. "Did you forget? It was already reported in the newspaper. Even if we claim we didn't take the heads, we'll be suspected of lying. The risk is simply too high. It's best to admit to it. In the end, money is just money. The mission takes precedence."
"I guess you are right," Alex admits. "I didn't consider the repercussions."
Soulmate shouldn't be sad. Princess Jewel will fish up a Sea King and become rich!
"..."
"Please don't," Alex says, his head beginning to throb in pain.
He then pulls out his Den Den Mushi and dials the number Robin had given him.
"This is Miss All Sunday speaking. Report your situation," comes her calm voice through the receiver.
"This is Mr. 6. We've reached Water 7 and require information about our contact," Alex replies, his tone clipped and professional, fully aware that the line might be monitored.
As long as she doesn't say the word 'void,' we're fine. Can't afford to expose ourselves like a bunch of amateurs. I nearly called her Robin and introduced myself as Alex. That would've been a catastrophic screw-up...
"Your contact is situated in the shopping district," Robin answers coolly. "Proceed to the upper level of the city and head northeast. Next to a large bank and the headquarters of the municipal commerce chamber, you'll find an unsuspecting shop with Yellow and Blue striped curtains. That is your destination. The codeword is: 'Utopia.'"
How... imaginative.
"Looks like we're getting to ride a Bull after all," Alex says, a grin forming on his face.
Princess Jewel wants a Bull of her own! It looks tasty!
Robin continues, ignoring Alex's passing comments. "There is no need to report in daily—or even weekly. You're expected to focus on your mission. Your contact will monitor your progress and report it. The organisation expects results. We urgently need funds for our upcoming operations. Naturally, you'll be allowed to keep a portion of the bounties. The rest will be used for our operations, a significant part reserved for bribes, especially to the Marines, and to cover the cost of middlemen needed to claim those bounties in the first place."
"Understood. One more thing. We already have two rather... high bounties in our possession," Alex says slowly. "We had to stop flying to rest, and we also ran low on supplies, so we made a brief stop on Jaya. We ended up in a fight and took down Bellamy the Hyena, along with his first mate. We have their heads with us. Of course, we'll—"
"That is... surprising," Robin interrupts him. "You should take a look at today's issue of the World Economy News Paper. It's already been reported, and your bounties have increased significantly. Please keep a low profile. Your mission takes precedence. That said, if you submit those two heads, we'll reluctantly count those as acceptable results for your entire stay, meaning, even if you don't manage to capture anyone else, we'll let it slide. What we truly need right now is information."
"Newspaper, huh? Okay, thank you for the warning. We'll proceed to the store you mentioned. I'd also like to request additional funds. We've taken some serious damage and need to hire doctors, restock our food, and pick up new equipment," Alex explains smoothly, lying without hesitation.
Give us more money... hehe.
"Submit the two heads. You'll receive the standard share of the bounty. That should be more than sufficient for your needs," Robin replies, her tone frosty and unmoved.
Bitch... although, now that I think about it, Crocodile might be listening in. We can't expect her to just hand out cash, ignoring the organisation's rules—our mission is to earn money, after all. If she started giving it out freely, the whole point of the operation would collapse. I get it... still annoying though. We could have earned a lot of money if we had found a way to claim those bounties for ourselves.
"Fine..." Alex says flatly.
"If something urgent comes up, call immediately," Robin finishes, then hangs up.
"How rude," Alex mutters. "She didn't even flinch at my attempt to squeeze out some extra funds. I wonder if Crocodile was listening in. She didn't mention the keyword either."
"It's certainly possible," Benezia says, frowning thoughtfully.
Crocodiles are inferior to Spiders.
How random....
This silly spider... nothing ever ruins her mood. She just keeps getting sillier by the day. Honestly, I think she's the only one truly enjoying this whole journey.
"Hm?" Alex glances up at her and can clearly see Jewel's expression. Her little spider face is practically radiating joy, eyes glimmering with satisfaction, staring down at him happily.
"At least one of us is still in a good mood," he says, cracking a small smile. "Maybe you're onto something, Jewel. Let's try to enjoy this place while we can."
"Jewel is right," Tereza agrees. "Let's report in, then explore the city a little. I can't wait to explore it."
"Let's rent a few bulls and get to it then," Alex says, already moving forward. "Since we're still close to the station, we might as well grab a map so we don't get lost. There should be a place nearby where we can rent bulls, too."
Benezia nods and gestures toward the distance. A small, round building is visible at the far end of the street.
Alex follows her line of sight and sees exactly what she's pointing at. The building is surrounded by quite a few people, most of them appear to be tourists or new arrivals from the station. Most of them are dressed casually, a few dragging along their luggage.
"This looks like one of those little tourist huts... reminds me of the ticket counter in Alexandria. I'm actually feeling a bit nostalgic," he murmurs.
The group makes its way toward the building, walking at a steady, relaxed pace.
As they go, Alex finds himself lost in thought.
I kinda miss Steiner and the others. Water 7 is nice and all, but I would have loved to see Lindblum too... well... maybe one day.
As they approach the tourist counter, Alex steps forward confidently, smiling at the female attendant, who appears to be in her early thirties.
"Welcome, sir, how can I help you?" the woman asks, dressed in a tidy blue uniform that reminds Alex of a stewardess or airport attendant.
"Money or life," Alex says with a big smile. "Your choice."
"Haha, stop joking, sir. Are you new to Water 7?" the attendant replies, unfazed.
"Yeah. For now, I just want to buy a map. And if you could point us toward the nearest rental shop for those... those... I forgot the exact name. The water bulls," Alex explains, scratching the back of his head.
The woman smiles and giggles softly. "They're called Yagara Bulls, sir. My shift's almost over—if you wait a few minutes, I'll give you a private tour! In return, just invite me to lunch later?"
No way! It seems those extra CHA points are finally paying off! A woman—an actual good-looking one—is flirting with me! This is the peak of my life. What a turnaround. Of course, I'll accep—
"He already has company, sorry," Tereza interjects, stepping in smoothly and wrapping her arm around Alex's shoulders.
Alex instantly sighs, looking dejected, his fantasy of being flirted with shattered into a thousand pieces.
Noooo...!
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