Chapter 62 The Benefits of Cable Television
Despite the fact that they were leaving the outrageously placed Marine Base, a majority of the passengers of the Sea Train were not Marines. They were actually the families of the Marines. Many of them were not even going to Water 7.
Rayleigh chatted with the various young women and elderly men and learned that after Water 7, the Sea Train traveled to an island called Pucci, along with a place called St. Poplar and San Faldo. The train left Enies Lobby in the morning and arrived at San Faldo at noon before turning around and returning back to Enies Lobby after night fell.
Before the sea train, these islands were basically dying. The Great Age of Pirates started by Gold Roger made the act of stealing merchant ships and turning them into pirate ships the national past time and the trade between islands suffered horribly, despite the proximity to Enies Lobby.
The sea train changed all that, enabling reliable and quick trade between these islands. The train didn't hold more than a single ship's worth of cargo making it less appealing to raid over groups of merchant ships. The reason that trade flourished in the area wasn't because of the train's payload, but because of its frequency. Having it travel back and forth every day for years was enough to bring the life blood back into every island it passed through.
According to the passengers on the sea train, each island had its own specialties. Water 7 was considered the holy land of ship building. It was initially a set of seven ship building companies built on an island, but recently, all the companies were unified into a single company called Galley-La by a man named Iceberg.
Pucci was very well known for its delicious food while St Poplar was renowned for its liquor. San Foldo was actually famous for its festivals. With these places all connected in a way that allowed for daily commutes, this was a lively region and popular area for everyone.
From what he was told by his fellow passengers, once they arrived at Water 7's station, they could find a place that let you rent Bulls. Despite the name, Bulls were large, well trained seahorses that were used as taxi-like boats. You rented a Bull, hopped on board, told it where you wanted to go, and it would take you there.
Water 7 was obviously inspired by Venice, but had a design all its own to stand out. As the train approached the island, it could be seen in the distance and looked like a giant fountain. The water pouring from the top of the circular island flowed down to the sea and formed street-like rivers the Bulls could swim up and down. Ships could also be pushed and pulled throughout the island using these water-ways, making it an incredible convenience for the shipbuilders who lived there.
"Ah, seems the old boy is at it again."
One of the passengers looking out the window spotted something that made the other passengers take a look before returning to their seats.
Rayleigh and Gaston also took a peek. The tracks of the sea train did not lead directly into the station via a straight line, but led partially around the island before turning into the station, so it was possible to see the end of the tracks from the windows.
Standing on the tracks appeared to be a van sized frog. Not only did it have black hair on its back, but much of it was tied in what appeared to be a Japanese top-knot.
Gaston asked one of the passengers, "Why is that frog on the tracks?"
Said passenger, an old man with a walking stick, slowly answered, "He's trying to stop the train. Not sure why. But he does so every so often."
Gaston looked understandably confused at that, "Often? Does he jump away at the last moment?"
The old man chuckled, "Nope," but didn't elaborate further.
The train was now in the last stretch to the station and they couldn't see the frog anymore, but a few moments later, the train shook a bit.
Looking out the window, Rayleigh and Gaston both saw the frog sent flying into the air from getting impacted by the train.
Gaston asked, "Is he gonna be alright?"
The old man shrugged, "He's been fine so far."
That obviously brought up more questions than answers, but it seemed to be a normal occurrence for the locals which made it a bit less interesting.
After arriving at Blue Station, the pair got off and asked for directions to the place they could rent Bulls. The Bulls came in different sizes with different carrying capacities, but the smallest bull was enough for the pair and their belongings and renting it for the day only cost 2,000 berries.
The bull itself had the shape of a small lochness monster with a face that looked closer to a horse than a dinosaur. A two-seater wooden boat was attached to its back like a saddle and the one they rented was light blue with purple spots.
Rayleigh patted its head causing it to give an appreciative neigh before he asked, "Can you take us to Dock 4?"
Said bull nodded with an excited neigh in the affirmative before Gaston and Rayleigh jumped onto the boat on its back and it took off.
The water ways of Water 7 reminded Rayleigh of the package delivery ways of Omashu from Avatar, the Last Airbender. They were ridiculously convoluted, everywhere, and fast. Some water ways weren't even on the ground, but waterfalls that their bull directly swam up while Gaston held on for dear life and Rayleigh laughed at the absurdity of it. He definitely wanted to stay here for a few days if possible. This place made water parks from Earth look like lazy slip and slides.
Something Rayleigh learned during the train ride here was that the Water 7 of today was leagues different from the Water 7 of the past. Right now, even if the Sea Train were to stop running, they would still be fine. There was plenty of strength on the island and they had a lot of connections. Pirates weren't feared and those who wanted to fix, buy, or build a ship without paying the right price were easily exchanged for their bounties with the local Marine Office.
Of course, this paradise of shipwrights had its own problems. Like the Venice it was modeled after, the island was sinking. Oh, and every once in a while, a massive tidal wave struck the island.
According to Oscar, the guy who would take them to Banaro Island was waiting for them at Dock 4. If they could find him quickly, they could arrive at Banaro Island before sunset, return the next morning, and have Gaston on the Sea Train back to Enies Lobby that night. From there the Marines could handle returning him home. Rayleigh was just there to make sure he didn't get unlucky. Or at least that's what he thought for the first five minutes.
"Throw them in the sack!"
Rayleigh honestly didn't think the Grand Line would have been that dangerous to travel through but was promptly proven wrong. Before even reaching their destination, while the pair was still on the Bull, they were targeted three times.
The first time, two large bulls carrying two groups of six people surrounded them and pointed pistols at them, attempting to rob them outright. None of them understood why their bulls suddenly spiraled onto their backs, sending them all into the water.
The second time was the same as this third time, a trio of dastardly looking fellows jumped from the roof and tried to land on their bull with a big sack. They were really trying to pick up the pair and throw them in a sack. None of them understood how they completely missed their landing and ended up in the water.
Rayleigh himself didn't look like an easy target. He was sixteen and thanks to his training could pass for nineteen or twenty. Young, but not particularly weak. The problem was Gaston. He practically radiated weakness. To pirates and kidnappers who made a living doing such things, he probably looked like he was made of solid gold in their eyes.
After cutting through the various rivers in the city, the group made it to Dock 4 and got off, saying goodbye to their bull and heading off to find the ship that was supposed to be their ride.
The dock itself looked like a construction site, which it was. Magnificent ships worthy of dreams were built piece by piece with care and efficiency. Wood was sawed and shaved to size before being bent and nailed into place. With the manpower and setup available, even a ship capable of carrying fifty men could be built in a week or two.
There were dozens of ships along the numbered piers of Dock 4. The man paid to take the pair to Banaro Island was supposed to be on Pier 21, but when they asked the crew on the ship from that pier, the first mate replied, "The Captain's at the Iceberg Bar. You'll need to talk to him first."
The pair fended off two more robberies and another kidnapping attempt before finding the bar and asking the bartender, "Is Captain Hook around?"
The bartender pointed at a man drinking at a table with a woman who had three chins. From the smile on the man's face, he either had different tastes than most, or the beer was very good at changing perspective.
Despite the name, Captain James Hook did not in fact have a hook for a hand. That was just his last name.
Rayleigh approached and asked, "Are you, Captain Hook? I'm here for Oscar Ivanshore's request for passage to Banaro Island."
The heavily inebriated man looked with disinterest at Rayleigh before rolling his eyes and muttering, "Fine, wait on the ship. I'll be there in two hours." He then got up and took the 'woman's hand and walked her to the stairs at the end of the bar leading up to rentable rooms. Rayleigh decided not to think about it.
The pair returned to the ship and no one robbed or tried to kidnap them this time. Seems they eventually learned their lesson.
Rayleigh chatted with the crew and found that they were privateers. Basically, legal pirates. Companies or the Government would pay them to do certain things which weren't always nice. They were basically mercenaries of the sea. A number of them had experience as bounty hunters before getting recruited to this boat. Of course, that didn't mean they were trustworthy.
Rayleigh saw a number of guys come and go from the ship, one of them was a familiar fellow who tried to kidnap them earlier, friends of the crew apparently. From that moment, the crew became a bit more distant and wary, something Rayleigh found to be a good sign. Since they heard that Rayleigh easily dealt with others, they knew there was no easy money to be gained going against the escort job.
The captain staggered back to the ship and Rayleigh wondered how much the man would regret his day after the hangover ended if he remembered it.
The captain slurred some orders before heading to his bed, but the first mate already knew what to do, so the ship set sail for Banaro Island.
In the Grand Line, compasses were useless and there were usually clouds at night and strange winds, so navigating without a Log Pose was not recommended. Besides the Log Pose, there were also Eternal Poses. They were a special kind of Log Pose that could be locked onto a specific island and would always point to that island. There wasn't an Eternal Pose for every Island, but you could buy one or have one made as long as you paid enough. Oscar Ivonshore's payment to James Hook included the funds needed to get an Eternal Pose to Banaro Island, to ensure the journey was as swift and clean as possible.
After a few hours of sailing, their destination was on the horizon. Without exception, every island in the Grand Line has some notable feature or quirk, and Banaro Island was well known for the giant rocks that bore a similar shape to bananas. The island was only a few kilometers wide, but the giant banana rocks jutted out hundreds of meters tall and could be seen from a long distance away.
Banaro Island was a relatively peaceful trade island so it had a decent port for their ship to dock at. On arrival, it was normal to check out the other ships around and check for a Jolly Roger to see if there were any Pirates on the Island. From what they saw at least, none of the other ships had the tale-tell skull and crossbones design.
Rayleigh and Gaston hit the port and walked into the town to get directions on Black's mansion while Hook's crew checked the market for anything worth trading.
Before they arrived, Rayleigh told Gaston, "If any of the stuff is fake, don't tell them right away. Don't tell them a single piece is fake if you see any of it is fake. On the other hand, if it is real, tap my shoulder."
Gaston asked, "What? But why?" His father asked him to appraise everything. If it was fake and worthless junk, what good was it to tell them it was real if they were trying to fool them?
Rayleigh sighed. This was the problem with cultures that lacked cable television. They were too unfamiliar with such common troupes.
Rayleigh's favorite shows were the kinds you learned a lot from like Burn Notice, Leverage, and White Collar. From there you learned how criminals operated and how to deal with them.
After shaking his head, Rayleigh answered, "If they are trying to scam us, they will go to plan B if you are not fooled by the fake stuff."
He looked scared for a moment, "You mean they'll rob us?"
"Something like that. Just don't say a single piece is fake, got it?"
Gaston did not understand the purpose, but such instructions were easy to follow as they made their way to the house nestled up to one of the towering banana shaped rocks.
The decrepit mansion looked weathered beyond years. It had not been painted or restored in decades, at least. There wasn't a single pane of unbroken glass in any of the windows that weren't empty, leaving the pair with the distinct impression this was probably a scam. Before they reached the entrance, the door opened and a tale and round bellied man with combed back hair and a suit that looked two sizes too tight came out and said, "Ah, Mr. Ivanshore. I'm glad you could join us for this opportunity. Please, come in, come in."
Seeing that Rayleigh hadn't run away, Gaston elected to continue on and into the house. Besides the decrepit walls, floor, and roof, the interior was filled with junk that looked like someone literally took it from someone else and threw it inside so they could claim it came with the house.
Black began describing, "This here is an authentic Gastanburg couch. It's a little dusty, but they stopped making these centuries ago. And these portraits were painted by the great artist, Le Hugh. They are priceless! And this chandelier..."
Gaston tried to give a fake smile while quickly glancing at Rayleigh every few seconds. The fact that Gaston had not said anything or toughed Rayleigh's shoulder proved what the young artist thought of everything.
Black continued walking them through the house while highlighting all the valuable pieces and their history. Rayleigh honestly wondered what the con artist thought his chances of fooling them really were.
Now, Rayleigh sensed the other presences in the house waiting for the signal to likely pounce and kidnap them. He could easily take them all out, but where was the fun in that? What good was having all five seasons of Leverage on his DVR if he didn't take the opportunity to mess with a con artist trying to trick him?
Black asked at the end of the tour, "So, what do you think?"
Rayleigh answered, "It looks alright, do you mind if Gaston and I discuss this in private in another room?"
"Of course, right this way." Black took them to an empty room right next to where the rest of his crew were waiting in silence. Though the room they were in was empty, every word they spoke could be heard from the other room.
Once they were 'alone,' Rayleigh asked, "So, what do you think?"
"I, I don't know." He was told not to say it was fake after all.
Rayleigh nodded, "That's right. I have no idea where these guys obtained such valuable treasures."
Gaston had no idea what he meant but didn't want to say something wrong and just added, "Me neither."
Rayleigh said, "That fool has no idea what he really has. How dare he calls Bruce Wayne's Masterpieces the work of that no talent Le Hugh. He must really think those paintings are fake. The full value of what he told your father was only 5 million berries. But those three paintings are worth over 69 Million berries on their own. Since the idiot has no idea what he has, I believe it is best not to tell him. Let's agree to his proposal and have your father send the money to send everything across the Calm Belt. A mere five million for a collection with 69 million is robbery finer than most pirates could ever claim."
Gaston's eyes widened as he caught onto the plan. He asked, "But what if he catches on?"
Rayleigh laughed loudly. "Impossible. The only way for that collection to gain its value is for them to be taken to an appraiser. The best appraiser who could write up the documents that prove the value of these paintings would cost five million Berries! Even if this group of fools was able to gather that much, they'd never think to hire an appraiser for what they believe is either a fake or forged piece of junk. No. We'll play along and give them what they want. It's only five million berries and for giving us such treasures, they deserve a tip, don't they?"
Gaston nodded, "Right. Okay."
Rayleigh then opened the door and found Mr Black down the hall like he had not been eavesdropping the whole time.
Gaston took in a breath and said, "Mr. Black. I believe this collection is genuine and will be informing my father to send the funds to have everything shipped over by tomorrow. Is that agreeable?"
"Oh? Of course, of course! That's wonderful." Black looked ecstatic.
The pair then left the house and headed back to town where their ship had finished its business and was waiting for them to return.
Only after the ship left the island did Gaston ask, "So what should I tell my father?"
"The truth. It was a scam and everything was fake. That being said, I'm sure we can find some stores in Water 7 that sell good furniture, so it's not much of a loss." The heaven for shipbuilders was also the heaven for all woodworkers, so they certainly had a few good things.
Gaston asked, "Then why did you tell them that my father would send them the money tomorrow?"
"So they would not hesitate to spend 5 million berries today to get those paintings appraised. Any other time, it would be a waste and risk to do it, but if they know they will get the money back tomorrow, they will be willing to take the risk today."
"But what if they wait until tomorrow since they think the money will come tomorrow?"
Rayleigh shook his head, "Don't you know it is a crime to treasure a jade ring? When you have something valuable, the best thing to do is to get rid of it before others learn of it. With such a valuable painting, the best option would have been to kill us both since we knew of it, but letting us leave would give them five million more berries. Their greed forced them to let us go, but what if we simply hired someone to go back and kill them and take it? Criminals consider such things since that is exactly what they would do. If it takes us a day to get the money, then it would also take a day for us to get someone to come back and kill them. So they have to sell the painting before we get the money."
Gaston looked at Rayleigh in awe at his deduction abilities, but this kind of stuff was common sense to those who watched cable television.
Rayleigh continued, "If we pretended to be fooled by the fake valuables, they would have been suspicious. But if they knew we were planning on betraying them and they knew how to stab us in the back first, it is obvious what they would do. To be honest, they probably never thought you would think the stuff was real. They likely planned on kidnapping you and getting a ransom for you from your father. But even your father isn't worth 69 million berries, so I was able to replace their plan with a different one."
For such a crew to pull such a stunt, Rayleigh doubted they would have more than 5 million. If they didn't have enough, they'd likely take a high interest loan under the assumption they could pay it back right away. In other words, Rayleigh had completely destroyed them. And he did so without harming them in the slightest.
After returning to Water 7, the pair rented another Bull and went around the city to the various shops. Gaston didn't like anything he saw, so Rayleigh suggested that the young artist write his own designs for furniture and have it built. Gaston agreed and they found a good store that was willing to do it. They eventually made a deal to make enough custom furniture for the house and have it sent back to the South Blue to the Ivanshore mansion.
Once that was taken care of, Rayleigh loaded Gaston back onto the Sea Train heading for Enies Lobby, his work complete.
Now, he decided to have a bit of fun. Rayleigh spent three days wandering around Water 7. Besides visiting every shop, he also rode every inch of the waterways, because, why not?
Once he was finished, he headed for the island that was famous for its food and spent another three days there, enjoying the sights and food. He intended to go from there to the island of liquor and the island of festivals, but his journey was cut short by a familiar face.
"Hey Swordsman, that you?"
Rayleigh turned to the side and spotted a black haired youth wearing a very distinctive hat.
"Captain Jack?"
"Ha! That's right. Glad you still remembered."
Rayleigh looked at the hat for a moment. It was the exact one Jack wore in the Hunter World. Rayleigh asked, "Did you turn your hat into an inventory item?"
"Of course I did. Even if I don't have a ship, I will always be Captain Jack as long as I have this hat."
Rayleigh nodded at the sea wisdom. Indeed.