Chương 52: I come here for my money (Part 2)
Minutes later the three arrived at Lex's office.
Fred sat on the couch near Lex's desk, Captain Mcnugget was lounging near the window, and Lex was filling out the paperwork as usual.
"As always managing your follies sir...
What should I call you now?
[Demon Hunter], [Hero of Ballywood], [Beast Tamer], [Orgy Creator]... or [Dirty Jobs]?" Lex asked sarcastically
"[Dirty Jobs]? Fuck! Another new nickname?
Is it for that job in Nascara?
Damn...
Why can't I just stick with one nickname for life like the pirates?" Said Fred, somewhat stressed from having to remember so many nicknames, some of which he didn't like at al
"Because with pirates, that nickname is etched on their wanted poster and is rarely changed until they're dead.
If it bothers you that much, just become one and let us put a reward for your head." Lex replied even more sarcastically as he was still busy with the paperwork.
"And risk finding a madman like me out there?
No thanks, I've had enough with people trying to steal my money" Fred replied as he got his ass off the chair and began to train even in that situation
"HAHAHA!
Ok, that's all...
The total for the six heads that you have brought me is 169,594,100 berries!" Lex said very happily... to immediately finish his report with a more gloomy tone "But... subtracting taxes it's 144,154,985 berries
I know, I know... but...
Don't make that horrible face!"
"I try to control myself... I swear..." Fred responded, trying without much success to suppress his murderous urge so well reflected in his terrifyingly expressive face "But...
It's hard...
..."
And after a few seconds, when Fred seemed minimally human again, Lex continued with his report, this time with a bit more seriousness than before "For the boats we will offer you 57 million taxes this time...
It's not as much as the other times as they were extremely old and damaged from that naval fight they took part in
...
As long as our new tenants don't have any surprises in them..."
"Don't worry, as long as the offers for the sale of the ships are fair no new tenant will drink... by mistake... my [Gut Purifier Mark 9]" Fred replied, accepting Lex's more or less coherent offer… but without forgetting to remind him and the entire base why they should be fair with him
"Don't joke with that...
It took us days to clean all that mess and many more days to clear the smell...
Captain Zola was in a rage..." Said Lex, who felt nauseous when remembering how the cells smelled those days... to immediately ask with obvious sarcasm "By the way, what happened to the loot those pirates carried?
Has it fallen overboard again, or did they have absolutely nothing?"
"Yeah...
Exactly...
Same thing again…" Fred replied, making his sarcasm so extremely obvious that was even insulting.
And Lex continued with that ridiculous contest of sarcasm, not getting angry in the least despite knowing the truth "I see...
Once again I can't tax you with the new 3% tax on [Recovered Goods Stolen by Pirates] that you love so much"
"Yeah... a disgrace..." Fred said, ending this little comedy to return to more important issues, although still with an ironic tone. "Listen, since I'm supposedly [contributing] so much to the economic development of the organization wit my taxes…
I am even willing to pay for it despite how much you have already plundered me."
"Don't you have enough work with perfecting the Seimei Kikan?
Also, your speed is as impressive or more impressive than some Marines using Soru" Lex asked as he indicated to Fred where he had to sign to process all the paperwork.
Lex knew full well that Fred had spent a small fortune to obtain the Seimei Kikan two years ago. An extremely difficult technique to use, but relatively easy to obtain as it's not owned by a specific group of power
He had seen him use it over the years, but even to this day he hadn't managed to master it 100%... and it was no secret that his speed was amazing.
That is why he didn't understand why he wanted to start learning new techniques when he still needed to perfect the old and already had substitute skills that worked perfectly.
"I've already learned to control the Seimei Kikan almost perfectly with my hair, it's only a matter of time before I can extend that control to my entire body...
And yes, I have enough tools to consider myself a big shot in the West Blue, but...
Isn't sufficient...
I need to learn all of that to increase my power to levels worthy of the New World...
I think I'm about to learn Tobu Zangeki... so possibly with a different manual it could inspire me
Haki is still a tough nut to crack that refuses to wake up...
And Rokushiki, especially Tekai, Soru and Gepo would greatly improve my survival if I learned them... for now I have developed a technique with effects similar to Soru, but it's not the same..." Fred answered really frustrated for not having been able to acquire all the skills he had wanted during his first three years as a bounty hunter.
He had certainly greatly increased his individual combat ability thanks to his torturous training and near-death experiences, obtained many new gadgets, upgraded his arsenal of poisons, greatly advanced his academic research and had gained a lot of experience in slaughtering his enemies at the tender age of fifteen... however, Fred urgently yearned for those practical powerful abilities that he had seen so many times in his favourite manga.
Unfortunately Lex couldn't help him excessively to obtain the missing pieces either "The Tobu Zangeki could be negotiable, the Haki hardly and the Rokushik is an impossible request as you well know...
But if you joined the Navy you could easily get all that for free and…"
"NO!
Come on Lex!
Don't bother me too!" Fred protested while he made the last signature to the contract
"Sorry, orders from Captain Zola
I had to try it at least once
The first and the last, I promise" Lex replied as he handed the copy of the contract to Fred
A contract that he would indeed analyze before using his Pact Magic, so while he was reviewing it asked to kill time "Why the hell is that woman so obsessed with me and sending talented young blood to the headquarters?
Wouldn't it be better to have them at her base if they're that good?"
"It's not that hard to imagine why.
Those young marines sooner or later will march to the Marine Headquarters no matter how much any Base Captain wants to monopolize them and also sooner or later they will become the new elite within the organization.
Winning the sympathy and favor of many future Vice-Admirals and even Admirals or even a Fleet Admiral has many many uses.
And the best time to invest in their future right when they have just started their career... and obviously you have a lot of potential
So much so that she tries to get along with you despite your... irregularities... and the fact that you make us look bad with your success." Lex responded apathetically as he happily caressed Captain Mcnugget's plumage, who despite being a wild bird was as docile as a puppy to the caresses of beings he considered non-hostile.
"Okay...politics...
And can't Zola rise within the organization on her own?
She's not lacking in strength from what I've been able to see and her brain isn't atrophied like Francis's or other idiots." Fred asked once more as he finished analyzing the contract.
And Lex evidently replied after feeding his favorite bird with dried meat "If she didn't have all her family so settled in this city, she surely would have gone to the Grand Line a long time ago.
But some like Zola and I have other priorities than ascending.
You should know it well"
"I know Lex...
What I don't know is how you allow that…
CERTAIN LITTLE PERSON COULD BE HIDDEN INSIDE YOUR COUCH WHEN HE SHOULD BE AT HOME!!" Fred said as he used the Seimei Kikan to control his very long red hair, introduced it like a snake into the sofa and
He took a child out of it!
Something that made Lex jump "CLARK!!!"
"KYAAHHH!!!!" Captain Mcnugget also yelled due to Lex's startle
That boy hanging upside down with Fred's hair tied to his ankles was Clark, Lex's son, who was now six years old and used to hide everywhere...in an extremely well in addition...
MUA HAHAHA!
How did you find me this time Fred?" Clark asked, still hanging in the air by his ankles, but not caring much about that fact, he even found it funny and tried to look cool even in that situation.
And Fred obviously answered him trying to look as well in an overacted way as well to play along "You're still breathing too loud for my ears, plus I've sat on this couch enough times to know something was off."
"Clark! What are you doing here instead of being at home with your mom!?
And how did you get in here!?" Lex yelled angrily as he grabbed his six year old son by the ankles to interrogate him face down as they sometimes did with captured pirates.
"MUA HAHAHA!!
How did I get in here!?
I'm a Marine Ninja! An expert in the art of escape and infiltration, especially in Marine bases!
And I have come to learn ninjutsu from Fred-Sensei!" Clarck responded grandiloquently, very immersed in his role ... until the blood began to go down to his head "...
I come almost every day waiting for you to come to surprise you, finally today I was lucky..."
Only then did Lex take pity on his scion and left him standing on the ground, where he would receive a few slaps on the ass.
"For the last time...
I'm not a ninja, so I can't teach you ninjutsu" Fred replied, somewhat tired of receiving job offers, either to teach or to be taught.
"But you are super fast, use throwing weapons, transform into other people, use poisons, infiltrate impregnable fortresses to kill without being detected, use smoke bombs to flee...
You're the closest thing to a ninja I know" Clark answered as Lex continued to slap his ass, something that didn't hurt too much thanks to his [ninja ass cushion-protector] that following Fred's advice he prepared in case he was caught
An answer coherent enough for Fred to reflect briefly "Hmm….
Now that you mention it... yes, it makes sense...
But no... I can't teach you any of that, your mother would kill me..."
Since Fred became a bounty hunter three years ago, he had almost always come to collect the rewards at the 80th Branch Marine Base and whenever he could, Lex invited young Fred, still a child in his eyes, to stay at his house instead of any hotel or ship
For this reason, it didn't take long for Fred to become a great friend of the family and, above all, to win the love and admiration of Clark, who treated him as if he were his real older brother.
"...
Hmm... will you take me to the Dacuza Zoo for my birthday to make up for it?
I know you got free tickets for life after the incident with the kidnapped animals...
Can you tell me that story while we eat?" Clark asked, being consistent in negotiating terms that his mother and father could agree to.
"Only if you behave well and stop playing being a ninja at dad's workplace..." Lex said, negotiating on Fred's behalf at the same time that he made the same proposition as always "To all this Fred
Do you want to come eat and rest at home? I guess you're exhausted from hunting pirates back and forth."
An invitation that this time Fred would have to decline "I'd love to, but I have to keep working now that I'm on a roll
You cannot earn millions of berries weekly by resting"
"What the hell do you need so much money for? You've already wiped out practically every important and [valuable] pirate in the area!
There are hardly any big shots left in the West Blue anymore
Charley [The Hulk], Nikura [The Inhuman], Ronald [The Flamethrower], Damian [The Stabber], Suzaku [The Flea], Jenny [Nuts and Gears]
These are all the only ones currently over 50 millions, leave some for the others!
...
Or at least tell me what's your next target...
In this way I can request the money in advance so that and not make you wait several days to receive the payment...
And avoid going after them only to find out you've already captured them.
Again..." Lex said somewhat irritated as he handed him a notebook with all the West Blue bounty posters, updated and ordered from highest to lowest reward.
"I'm still not sure
I will need to study the situation first to establish the most efficient route and mode of capture
But when I have something I'll call you to advance the money" Fred replied as he glanced at the reward posters, some of which were new or different from last week
One of the good things, at least for a bounty hunter in the age of piracy, is that there were always new pirates with good rewards, no matter how many were hunted.
"Ok, but take it easy" Both Lex and Clark said as they played with Captain Mcnugget before he went out the door or the window
Something that Fred replied as usual "You know it's impossible
See you Clark!
See you Lex!
See you money!
We're leaving Captain Mcnugget!"
"KIAAAHHHH!!!" Said Captain Mcnugget, who flew out the window in the direction of Fred's submarine, from where they would march to another island in a few minutes.
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You'll be able to see 8 chapters in advance in my Pa-treon
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Meralman
Meralman I hope you like reading this story as I do writing it and that you leave me your comment, review and vote if that's the case.
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