The Swordfish slowly returned to the dock at Faris Valley Town.
The sun had almost completely sunk beneath the horizon, leaving only a dark crimson glow along the edge of the sea.
"Brother Caheiro! The captain and the others are back!"
On the dock, Caheiro and the procurement team had been waiting for quite some time. Seeing the ship return, everyone visibly relaxed.
Caheiro stood up from a stack of cargo crates, adjusted his hat, and quickly walked to the gangplank.
"Boss, how did it go?" he asked with concern. "That guy…"
Sami was the last to step down the plank. He casually brushed nonexistent sand from his clothes.
"He's pretty strong, but I still knocked him out."
"Don't just stand around. Let's move the supplies aboard first. I'll explain everything once we're inside."
"Understood."
Caheiro nodded and immediately turned around.
"Move it! Get everything loaded!"
Soon the Swordfish finished loading its supplies and settled quietly back into its berth.
Inside the ship, however, things were far from quiet.
The crew who had gone to watch the battle and those who had stayed behind for supplies quickly gathered together, bursting into excited discussion.
"Hey, hey—why are you all bruised up?"
One of the cooks who had just returned stared at the bandages and bruises on the others.
"That guy really that strong? One man against all of you?"
"Pfft! He's only a little strong," one sailor with a bandaged head immediately protested.
"Compared to our captain he's nothing!"
"You guys who went shopping really missed out! You didn't see the scene!"
"What scene? Hurry up and tell us!"
The procurement team crowded closer.
"The captain's true form!"
One sailor spread his arms dramatically.
"It was this big—three stories tall!"
"No way!"
"That's wrong!" another sailor pushed forward excitedly.
"I measured it—well, estimated it! At least twenty meters!"
"Completely translucent, pink and glowing… no wait, majestic and elegant!"
"Dozens of tentacles whipping around like whoosh whoosh whoosh! That so-called Mad Shark got tied up like a rice dumpling!"
"My god… the captain actually looks like that…"
"Poison too! The tentacles are poisonous! One touch and that guy went numb!"
"So where is he now?"
"In the lower hold prison. He's neighbors with that Morris guy."
In contrast to the noisy chatter below, the captain's cabin was far more serious.
Sami sat back in the main chair.
Aldo, Marcus, Caheiro, Feiqi, and the other core officers sat around him.
Sami spoke first.
"This Barnes guy… the Marines seriously underestimated him."
"If we sell him for 99 million, that's way too cheap."
He shook his head.
"Judging by the strength he showed today—and that pure martial obsession of his… he's worth at least 130 million."
"130 million?!"
Aldo's eyes lit up instantly.
He slapped his thigh excitedly.
"Then let's use the old trick!"
"Spread rumors saying we want to recruit him as a… officer…"
He paused, then suddenly brightened with an even "better" idea.
"No! Officer isn't enough!"
"Let's say we want him as vice captain!"
"When the Marines hear that, they'll panic! His bounty will shoot up!"
Aldo folded his arms proudly, waiting for praise.
Instead—
Sami's smile disappeared.
"What did you say?"
"Vice captain?"
The other officers also frowned at the same time.
They exchanged looks of disbelief.
"No. Absolutely not."
Sami rejected the idea without hesitation.
Marcus spoke immediately after.
"Exactly. Aldo, think about it."
"What we did with Morris fooled the Marines—that's fine. They're our enemies."
"But if we publicly claim Barnes will be vice captain, the audience won't just be the Marines."
"Civilians. Other pirate crews. Underworld merchants."
"Everyone will hear it."
He looked around the table.
"What is a vice captain?"
"It's the second most important position on a ship."
"A brother who shares authority and guards your back."
"If we claim that position for him and then sell him…"
"How will people see us?"
"The Jellyfish Pirates would become a crew that sells its own vice captain."
"Our reputation would collapse overnight."
"No serious talent would ever join us again."
"And no partners would dare deal with us."
Aldo immediately deflated like a punctured balloon.
He scratched his head awkwardly.
"I just wanted to make more money…"
There was no anger in his eyes—only regret that his "brilliant plan" wasn't accepted.
Marcus continued calmly.
"Aldo, remember something."
"There are a few fundamental rules for surviving in this world."
"Besides strength, the most important are credibility, reputation, and principles."
"Even pirates are no exception."
Caheiro picked up the discussion.
"I agree with Marcus."
"This world may follow the law of the jungle, but reputation and principles still matter."
"Expressing interest in recruiting someone is one thing."
"Giving them real authority is another."
"With Morris, we only said we admired him and wanted to recruit him."
"The Marines themselves exaggerated it and labeled him an officer."
"We never actually promised anything."
"And only the Marines heard it anyway."
"Fooling them is fine."
He leaned forward slightly.
"But for Barnes, we don't need to give him any title."
"We just need to guide public opinion so people believe he's extremely valuable to us."
"That's enough."
Aldo rubbed his face roughly.
"Alright, alright!"
"If everyone says it's a bad idea, then it must be."
"What Marcus and Caheiro said makes sense."
"Our crew's reputation is worth more than a few extra million berries."
"We can't ruin our name for that."
Sami nodded approvingly.
He rested his elbows on the table, fingers interlocked.
"Exactly."
"Making him vice captain would be stupid."
"All we need to do is send people to taverns, casinos, and street corners…"
"…and praise Mad Shark Barnes."
He leaned slightly forward and lowered his voice.
"Praise his shocking strength."
"Mention the trouble he caused us."
"The key is to make it sound real."
"Detailed."
"Maybe even a little fearful."
Then Sami leaned back in his chair again, a smile appearing on his face.
"As for what the big shots in the Marines think when they hear it…"
He spread his hands casually.
"That's their problem."
He turned toward Caheiro.
"This job is yours."
"I trust you know how to handle the balance."
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