The whole situation seemed ridiculous to Bill.
But that was the price he had to pay for Victory, and therefore for the future of his Department, so he didn't dwell on it as he opened the tent flap.
"Good morning, Nelson," he said cheerfully. "We're sailing, as you've probably guessed, and as soon as we're out of port I'll help you learn to walk again. How about that?"
Even though Bill had been beating Nelson every day since he picked him up from Smoker's custody, he always tried to start the conversation with him on a positive note.
Nelson, in turn, perceived this kindness as weakness and, despite everything Bill had read about him in his personnel file, immediately began to scold him.
Bill, looking at this fat Marine, still couldn't imagine how this man had ranked fifth in the Marineford Marine Academy and received the rank of Commodore of the Blue Sea.
If the files were accurate, and Bill had no doubt they were, Nelson Royale had finished fifth on the strength of his tactical ability alone, as he had no physical ability at all.
To better understand this, Bill contacted Ricky and Sasha, who, among other things, explained to him that for Nelson to rank so highly, despite likely failing all the combat tests, he must have absolutely excelled in the practical and tactical exams.
"Nelson?" Bill spoke again, wondering why it was taking him so long to answer.
Nelson's eyes were open, he stared ahead and blinked as if he had just noticed Bill, and as the anger flashed across his face, he suddenly smiled.
— Good captain, good captain! How good of you to come. And you say we are leaving port now? Ah, I seem to sense the ship moving already. We must spread our sails if we are to reach our destination.
Bill, both puzzled and confused, raised an eyebrow and asked,
- Are you okay, Nelson?
Nelson: - Quite, quite. We are not in the "eternal box" yet, and there is no point in delaying until we are there.
Hearing this, Bill nodded and decided to come back later.
- Well, that's a good mood. I'll be back soon, as soon as we leave the port.
As he was about to leave, he was stopped by the fat man's shout:
- Ah, ah! Captain, tell one of the boys that dinner time will soon be coming. As the saying goes, "a well-fed sailor is a happy sailor."
"Oh, that's it," Bill thought with an inner smile, understanding why Nelson was behaving better than usual.
He had put Nelson on board the ship the night before after "bathing" him - that is, Bill had thrown him into the ocean with a sponge and a stick and not pulled him out until the sponge had reached the right place.
It was about 8 a.m., and Nelson had not eaten since 6 p.m. the previous day.
For the average person this was normal, but for someone like Nelson, who was clearly addicted to food, he had probably never gone ten hours without eating in his adult life.
Bill understood this to some extent, but like any addiction, he believed that the only way to overcome it was through self-discipline. That's why, even if he wasn't always kind to Nelson, he always started out politely and made an effort to help.
With that in mind, Bill looked at his new crew member and said,
- Lunch? Nelson, don't you know that today is a day of fasting?
He saw that it took Nelson a moment to process the news and was surprised when he replied:
"An excellent idea! To instill the idea of a shortage of provisions in the Jacks is right, very right!" Then, continuing in a less enthusiastic tone, he added: "But for us and for the 'bezzies' our rations do not need to be reduced, right?"
Shaking his head with a smile, Bill simply replied:
- No, Nelson. Today is a day of fasting for all of us. It is good for the body, and we have a long journey ahead of us.
Nelson didn't get indignant, but instead said:
- I understand... yes... the good captain knows what's best for those under his care, that's what.
At the same time, Bill heard him mutter under his breath, "That collared face... just wait and see."
Bill had seen this trick used by a few unpleasant people, and he had previously written it off as an annoying, two-faced cultural quirk because he had never seen anything like it while he lived on Vallipo.
Now it seemed odd, and if it had not been for the fact that Nelson was too clever by half to know when to shut up, it might have taken Bill much longer to notice.
Nelson: - But, Captain, the day of fasting began with dinner yesterday, didn't it? I know, I know! Very well, you will order a full meal prepared by noon.
"This bastard is going to starve me to death! Just wait, as soon as I get to the snail-communicator, I'll send him into the noose!"
Bill had complete control over his body. Like when he met that tall shipwright on Water 7, he could tell when a man was distorting his voice. He knew because he could do it himself.