Smoker had already sent people to gather and deliver water, and Bill knew his own crew was nearly finished with their tasks by now.
Before leaving, Bill said he would need to consult with his team before deciding whether to take the fat Marine aboard—though he knew they desperately needed that galleon.
The money involved was simply too good to pass up, and the ship could carry as many as fifteen hundred people. In fact, it was so large that it could stand in the natural harbor at Little East Blue as a temporary shelter while the town was being built.
Leaving the Marine Base behind, Bill headed toward the Frontier Run. Rounding a corner, he spotted Rans leading a group of about twenty men and women.
Beside Rans walked a blond man dressed like a cowboy, six pistols strapped across his chest. Following behind him was a little girl holding a book, and further back were several men—three of whom Bill recognized from the Island of Mechanisms.
Bill also noticed four rough-looking men being dragged along in bindings. Though their faces looked frightened, they didn't put up any resistance.
Not jumping to conclusions, Bill guessed Rans was probably headed to the Marine Base. As soon as his friend saw him, Rans shouted cheerfully, "Bill!"
After a few moments as they came together, Rans began his report: "I've found sixteen reliable sailors willing to sign on, and there are four more potential helpers who want to speak with you first." He gestured to the two groups of men as he spoke.
Nodding, Bill smiled and greeted the sixteen who had agreed to join, then the cowboy, followed by the little girl trailing after him.
He then turned his attention to the other three men, now certain he'd seen them on the Island of Mechanisms.
Going one by one, Bill listened as Rans introduced the sixteen recruits. They were all young—Bill guessed the oldest couldn't be more than twenty-one.
Rans continued, "And this is Daddy Masterson, a former special operator and artilleryman I met after capturing those pirates. He used to work as a pirate hunter, but he said he's willing to enlist again if the terms are right"
Nodding again, Bill introduced himself, and after learning that Masterson had retired with the rank of ensign, he said they'd discuss possible terms once the current issues were resolved.
Ensign wasn't a high rank, but for Bill—who was short on manpower—a former sailor no older than thirty was too valuable to pass up.
Turning to the three scrawny guys, Bill said, "I recognize you. You were at the castle on the Island of Mechanisms. I didn't see you fight, but I remember you wore the Trump Pirates' emblem. Why shouldn't I have you arrested?"
At that, everyone else turned to look at the three men, who looked stunned.
The three glanced around and huddled together, whispering so quietly that even Bill, with his sharp hearing, couldn't catch their words.
After a brief discussion, they turned back to the group, and the guy with purple hair spoke up first.
"Sir! We're tired of doing evil things…"
Then the guy with black hair added, "They always want to take over the world…"
Finally, the one with orange hair chimed in.
"But the bad guys always lose…"
The purple-haired one returned, saying, "And I'm tired of losing!"
"Losing isn't fun…"
"And they never offer any benefits!"
Then all three of them sighed and said in unison,
"We don't want to take over the world anymore…"
After that, the trio continued to explain that now they just wanted to join those who had already conquered the world, and all they really wanted was a job and maybe a place to live.
After a few minutes, Bill raised his hand, and they fell silent. Looking at them, he asked, "What are your names?"
"Danny," said the guy with purple hair.
"Danny," added the one with black hair.
"Donny," finished the redheaded one.
"And how long did you work for King Bear?" Bill asked.
Danny: "A month?"
Danny: "About two months…"
Donny: "They never gave us any benefits!"
Nodding, Bill continued his questioning. "Who did you work for before King Bear?"
Danny: "Eldoraggo…Danny: "He yelled a lot, and then he lost…"
Donny: "He didn't give us any benefits, either!"
After that, Bill thought these guys were strange, but decided not to arrest them. Saying he would question them later, the group returned to the Marine Base and handed over the pirates whom Rans had captured.
They were three brothers with the last name Rayleigh, and a reward of 800,000 Beli had been offered for their capture. It wasn't much, but Bill thanked Rans for his work when they stepped outside.
Looking up at the sky and then at the assembled group, Bill began his speech:
— Thank you all for deciding to join our division. We are part of the Science Unit, and our primary goal is to promote scientific progress. Unlike other divisions, our main task isn't hunting pirates. That doesn't mean we won't be fighting piracy—after all, we are Marines—but there are other divisions that specialize in that.