T/N: I have not had time recently to update due to life and have been absent for almost a month. I plan to release the guaranteed 15 I missed in the month of May and maybe the chapter following up to the 12th of this month. If I do not get this month's chapter up to date today, it will be released tomorrow. Anyway, thanks for reading :)
After Jay and the others were escorted back to the base, many people had very complicated expressions.
Such a dangerous mission… and that kid actually pulled it off…
Even though the result was something worth celebrating, jealousy doesn't disappear, it only grows stronger.
A rookie who had only been in the Marine for a few months was now standing on equal footing with them!
Of course, that didn't sit well with anyone.
But when it came to risking their lives the way Jay did, none of them were willing.
They'd heard all the details.
Jay had practically brushed shoulders with death. The enemy's stab had barely missed his heart.
The doctors even said he was only alive thanks to sheer luck.
Otherwise, it would have been certain death!
And that's not even mentioning his counterattack afterward.
That kind of luck and courage left everyone speechless.
All they could do was secretly grumble with envy.
With Buck and the others spreading word after they returned, more and more people came to know of Jay's heroic deeds.
Especially his refusal to abandon any comrades, even in the face of death, this won the unanimous respect of all!
Sure, some might call that "foolish" or "not smart"...
But no one wants a teammate who'll stab them in the back or run at the first sign of danger.
As a result, Jay's reputation was skyrocketing!
After years of silence, the 88th Marine Base seemed to have finally found its rising star.
Normally, Colonel Hammond would've immediately snuffed out any potential threat to his power.
Anyone who posed a challenge to his authority would be swiftly dealt with.
But right now, another matter had him overwhelmed.
Which side to choose… would determine how much money he could make in the future.
Compared to that, Jay, who was merely being idolized by a few lower-ranked sailors, could be put on the back burner.
Once Hammond had time, he could easily crush that kid.
What he didn't know was: Jay wasn't going to give him that chance.
Colonel Hammond's life… was already on the clock.
A few days later, a new appointment was posted.
As Jay had hoped, he was directly promoted to Warrant Officer.
However, along with that came a notice of approved leave.
The message was clear: Jay should focus on recovery, and only return to duty once he was fully healed.
Obviously, this was a classic case of kicking down the ladder after crossing the river.
Even Colonel Hammond thought Jay's promotion was happening too fast.
Now that Jay's skills weren't needed anymore, he could be benched.
What good is a promotion if they don't even give you a chance to earn more merits?
And as for when he'd be reinstated, that would depend entirely on Hammond's word.
As long as Hammond said no, Jay could be on indefinite leave.
Worse yet, on the surface, there was nothing wrong with this arrangement. People might even praise Hammond for "taking care of his subordinates."
It was a brutal move.
When the notice came out, Buck and the others were furious, gathering around Jay to voice their outrage.
But Jay cursed them out on the spot and told them to scram.
There was no need to provoke the Colonel any further, laying low was exactly what Jay wanted right now.
Besides, that guy wasn't going to be around much longer anyway.
After a few days of basic recovery, Jay left the base under the excuse of "changing environments to aid healing."
In truth, someone Daz Bonez had been looking for had finally shown up.
To avoid any delays or complications, Jay had to act immediately.
Ironically, the long leave had turned out to be a huge help.
…
In a bright and spacious church, dozens of women were devoutly singing hymns.
But standing at the front wasn't a clergyman, it was an eerie man in a black top hat, wearing a robe covered in crosses, and sporting red lipstick.
Behind this flamboyant man, a terrified middle-aged man was tied to a cross.
His mouth was stuffed with a cloth, making muffled sounds as he struggled frantically.
The strange man noticed this and tapped the man's stomach with his cane in annoyance.
The middle-aged man winced in pain, his eyes bulging, face flushed, and forehead breaking into a cold sweat.
Only when the singing stopped did the flamboyant man open his arms wide.
"Lost lambs, let us now begin the judgment of the demon!"
The women, their eyes vacant, moved forward like lifeless puppets and formed a line.
The first woman stepped up, picked up a sharp dagger, and stabbed it deep into the man's body!
Blood gushed instantly from the wound.
The man twisted and struggled violently, overcome by pain and terror.
But his "judgment" had only just begun.
The second woman took the dagger and stabbed it into his thigh.
When she pulled it out, blood splattered across her face, yet she remained unfazed.
She was like a puppet, controlled by invisible strings.
Then came the third, then the fourth…
Sadly, the man didn't survive the round.
He died in agony and despair.
"What a shame. I declare this judgment a failure."
The flamboyant man snapped his fingers.
The snap was like undoing a spell. All the women in the church suddenly snapped out of their trance.
"Ahhh!"
"Father Edward is dead!"
"Blood! Why is there so much blood on my hands?!"
"Mommy… sob… sob…"
"I didn't kill anyone! It wasn't me! It wasn't me!"
Bloodstained daggers were tossed to the floor.
None of the women had any idea what they had just done. But the blood on their hands, their faces, and clothes said it all.
"Alright, time to go home, lost lambs," the strange man said.
He suddenly looked toward the entrance of the church, a smile spreading across his face, and decided to let the women go.
Not that he needed to say anything, they were already screaming and fleeing in a panic.
Once only the strange man remained, he finally spoke again. "Our friends outside may now enter."
Even before he finished, two figures walked into the church.
"That was quite the performance. Looks like I found the right person."
"So… what should I call you? Devil Sheriff? Or Impostor Priest Lafitte?"
One of them pulled back his hood, revealing a strikingly handsome face.
It was none other than Jay, accompanied by Daz Bonez.
After deciding to build his own crew, Jay immediately thought of this "Devil Sheriff" from the West Blue.
In the original story, this man had boldly infiltrated Marine Headquarters alone to secure a Warlord title for Blackbeard, clearly a capable force unto himself.
Rather than letting Blackbeard snatch him later, Jay figured: why not recruit him first?
And that's what led to today's "chance encounter."