Chapter 53: Tombstone on Whiskey Peak
"Last night..."
Forrest Gump was in a hurry and his words were not so good. He gesticulated for a long time before he finally told the whole story of the conversation he accidentally overheard last night.
"That's right. I don't know when they will take action, so Lord Gel, you should quickly find your crew and leave here immediately! The Black Bull gang is very scary!"
Although he had anticipated that someone would have inappropriate thoughts after seeing his group spending money like water, Gul was still very grateful to Forrest Gump for disregarding his own safety and resolutely choosing to run over to remind him of the danger.
Gel patted his shoulder and said with a smile:
"Forrest Gump, thank you for telling me this. I understand. By the way, have you had breakfast?"
"Breakfast? Not yet."
"Eh? No! Lord Gel, now is not the time to talk about this! You should hurry back to the ship and gather your companions to leave here!"
Seeing that Gul was not in a hurry and was even thinking about eating breakfast, Forrest Gump was a little crazy.
"Forrest Gump, just pretend you knew nothing about this, or you'll be retaliated against after we leave."
"I'm fine, Lord Geer, don't worry. I'm from here, and the mayor won't allow them to do anything rash. Besides, there were many people present yesterday, and they can't be sure who leaked the news."
Gel was also somewhat curious as to why the mayor disagreed but still allowed this group of people to attack him. Was he trying to kill someone with a borrowed knife?
"That's good. Don't worry. My friends are all very strong. Don't worry. Let's go. We'll set off and eat breakfast on the way."
Gel smiled and patted the bulging paper bag with a yellow "M" printed on it on his hand.
It’s useless even if the eunuch is anxious if the emperor is not.
Forrest Gump had no choice but to follow Gur's instructions and drive the carriage towards the back mountain.
...
As Forrest Gump drove the carriage out of the town, he began to look around. It was a desolate place, and he was afraid that Black Bull and his group of vicious people would suddenly rush out from somewhere to rob him.
"Lord Gel, are you really alright? They are a group of strong thugs!"
"It's okay, don't worry. If they want to attack, they will target the weakest looking people. Come and eat something first."
Gel said as he handed him a spicy chicken burger.
"good to eat!"
"But Lord Gel, aren't you worried about the safety of your companions?"
"Since they are seeking money, then it is most likely kidnapping and extortion. How much money can they get from murder and robbery? Besides, my companions are not weak enough to be slaughtered at will."
Gel thought that since the other party wanted to kidnap people, then it would be most appropriate to choose Biya and Ajin. He could just treat it as a test of their recent practice. At worst, if they were really caught, he would spend money to redeem them, and then kill these people and get the money back. He would not suffer any loss.
"Godeng, Godeng~"
There were sounds of horse hooves as they soon passed over the bare Whiskey Mountain covered with tombstones.
Geer asked a question that he had been curious about in his previous life:
"Forrest Gump, why do you people here not only bury the pirates after killing them, but also erect monuments for them?"
Forrest Gump quickly waved his hands, swallowed the chicken fillet in his mouth, and explained:
"No, Captain Gill, these graves are not for pirates, they are for people from our town. Only warriors who died in the battle against pirates are allowed to be buried on this mountain. The mayor said that this has been the rule for decades. The adults have said this since he was old enough to understand. They said that this is the only way for the heroic spirits of the warriors to come back, so that they can stand on the mountain and see the town they once protected at any time."
"This...! So many tombstones! This is actually the Martyrs' Cemetery!"
Gel jumped off the carriage and looked at the endless tombstones. He was speechless and extremely shocked.
Forrest Gump, who was driving the carriage, did not notice that it was slowly moving away.
Gel bought dozens of jars of good wine from the system and poured all the wine on the ground. The air was filled with the rich aroma of wine.
"My fellow martyrs, please forgive my unintentional offense. I will buy you a glass of wine today."
After doing all this, Gel caught up with the carriage and returned to the carriage. After walking for about an hour, just when Gel opened the front window and was about to ask if they had arrived, he saw a naval base in front of him. From a distance, he could see the Seagull flag fluttering in the wind above the base.
Although it is called a naval base, it is actually just a small garrison.
Gel silently took out a mask, sunglasses, and a baseball cap and put them on himself.
Under normal circumstances, after capturing or killing a bounty criminal, you need to go to the local naval base to check the bounty order.
It may be that some leaders in the navy thought that the pirate bounty business was profitable, so someone suggested to their superiors that in order to make it easier for bounty hunters on the island and nearby to come and redeem the bounty, this base should be added. In fact, it was to make it easier for them, the middlemen, to make a profit from the difference.
On the one hand, he finds all kinds of reasons to deduct the bounty hunters' wages, and on the other hand, he reimburses the world government in full. Why not make money without doing anything?
Gel lamented that everyone's brains became smarter as they made money.
After all, the navy cannot get a bounty for catching pirates, because the navy’s own obligation is to eliminate pirates.
It's already included in your salary. Why do you still want to earn extra money?
This is also one of the reasons why most navies are not keen on catching pirates, as it is both laborious and thankless. If they succeed, it's fine, but if they fail, they may lose their job at best or their life at worst.
I would rather do nothing than make a mistake.
This is the way of survival they believe in.
Young sailors may be more motivated and want to move up through military achievements. Smart people have long discovered that promotion depends on connections and opportunities. If someone has a strong background, it is not just because he caught pirates that military achievements can be attributed to him. As for those who come from grassroots backgrounds, it is best to make money honestly.
If a pirate kills another pirate and goes to claim the bounty, there is a high probability that he will get himself in trouble, so he can only find ways to snatch some meat from the pirate hunter.
To summarize, after capturing a bounty hunter, the pirate hunter can go to the local naval branch base, and after confirming your identity and that of the pirate, you can get the bounty.
Of course, if the exchange amount is too large at one time, sometimes the base may not have enough money. At this time, a corresponding certificate will generally be issued, allowing pirate hunters or people who need to exchange bounties to go to a larger naval base to collect it.
...
"stop!"
"The Whiskeytown Naval Base is ahead, please come forward and be inspected!"
Two navy soldiers wearing white peaked caps, white sleeveless shirts and blue scarves shouted loudly.
"Brothers, I am from Whiskey Town, and we are here to collect the bounty."
Forrest Gump raised his hand and walked forward. It was obvious that he had been here before and knew the procedure.
When the two soldiers heard that it was a bounty exchange, their expressions immediately became kind and their words became more polite. They let Gel and the other man in without even checking them. Those who came to exchange the bounty were all the God of Wealth, whom they could not afford to offend.