Lieutenant Colonel Hammond didn't care one bit about Jay's injuries.
What he really cared about was the money!
According to standard procedures, all property seized from pursuing pirates should be handed over in full: part of it distributed as bonuses, part kept by the base as operational funds, and the rest sent to Marine Headquarters.
But clearly, not many people actually follow that rule.
Especially in the Marine branch bases scattered across the Four Seas, almost none of them take it seriously.
Once the money is in their pockets, who'd willingly spit it back out?
Don't even ask, if you do, the answer is always: "There wasn't any," or, "The loot was too small."
Either way, the report will say whatever they want it to say.
Marine Headquarters, faced with this reality, usually turns a blind eye.
Because there are some unspoken truths everyone just quietly agrees on.
In such a massive organization as the Marine, how many people actually joined for true justice?
To motivate the lower ranks to go after pirates, you have to let them taste some profit. That's the only way to light a fire under them.
And sure, that tactic kind of works… but not that well.
Because, at the end of the day, staying alive is more important.
Risking your life fighting brutal, desperate pirates just for a bit of cash?
Totally not worth it.
How much money do you think those pirates are carrying anyway?
If they were really rich, they wouldn't need to become pirates in the first place.
But the moment you wear that Marine uniform, there are way more lucrative paths to get rich.
Just look at Lieutenant Colonel Hammond, he's practically swimming in wealth!
And he never misses a single opportunity to squeeze more out of anyone.
Case in point, he already had his eye on the loot from Jay and his team.
Fortunately, Jay had planned for this. Buck tossed all the random junk they'd collected onto the ground, saying, "This is all of it."
After all, pirates usually spend their loot within days of getting it. Even if they stole a fortune, it's not uncommon for them to be broke soon after.
Colonel Hammond's face turned green the moment he saw what was presented to him.
This is it?
Just as he was about to explode, Jay somehow slipped up beside him and discreetly stuffed something into his pocket.
"Sir, you have no idea, these pirates are broke as hell!"
Ahem... well, that's not uncommon. All right then, go get some rest. Also, I'll need the official report for this mission as soon as possible. There are follow-up procedures to handle.
Jay nodded in understanding. "This operation's outstanding results were, of course, all thanks to the brilliant command of Colonel Hammond. I'll polish up the report a bit and send it to you right away."
Seeing that Jay got the hint, Colonel Hammond finally nodded in satisfaction and walked away with his hands behind his back.
Of course, what mattered most was that he hadn't walked away empty-handed.
Just now, Jay had slipped a full 500,000 Berries into his pocket.
There was no other way, if this greedy old dog wasn't pleased, this matter wouldn't be so easily settled.
It was better to spend a little to secure the recognition for the achievement as soon as possible.
"Buck, give them 'Iron Hammer' Beck's head. As for the rest of these arms, gather them up and bring them to me."
"Huh? Boss Jay, you're not actually gonna..."
"You think I'm joking? Get to work!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Marine clerks in charge of logging trophies had no idea what Jay needed those severed arms for, but considering his rising status, they decided to do him a favor and let Buck take the stuff.
After all, it was all useless junk to them. They'd just log it and toss it or burn it anyway.
By now, Jay, now a sergeant, had already moved into his new single-occupancy room.
No one would be bothering him there.
So, once Buck delivered the severed arms, Jay immediately locked the door, took out the special reagents he had bought earlier, and began working.
The logic was simple: the sooner he fulfilled the fusion conditions, the sooner he would grow stronger, and he lived by that principle.
As for the mission report...
He handed that task off to Buck.
Buck knew exactly what could and couldn't be written.
And when it came to sucking up, Buck was a master.
Then Jay went into isolation.
The official excuse? His injuries were too serious and he needed rest.
The real reason? He was in his room, making human hand specimens.
Even Kira Yoshikage would salute him as a fellow professional.
Evil!
So evil it needed to be condemned outright!
No one knew how long he toiled away, but eventually Jay let out a long breath as he finally heard the system notification he had longed for:
[Condition Met: Cut off the left hands of 44 individuals and preserve them as specimens. "Hand Demon" (Blue) fusion successful!]
As the 44 preserved left hands shattered into light and were absorbed by the system...
The "Hand Demon" (Blue) character card in his slot was successfully fused into Jay's body.
[Dexterous Hands: Slightly enhances hand flexibility.]
This ability became one of his own, or more precisely, a new innate talent.
And finally, one of his five card slots was freed up again.
At this point, the cards Jay had loaded were:
[Yujiro Hanma] (Red)
[Mitsuri Kanroji] (Orange)
[Inosuke Hashibira (Young)] (Purple)
Through fusions, he had gained the following abilities:
[Logistics Medic]: Slightly accelerates recovery when resting. (White)
[Beauty of the Courtesan]: Slight boost to personal charm. (White)
[Diligence]: Slightly improves training effectiveness. (White)
[Dexterous Hands]: Slightly enhances hand flexibility. (Blue)
None of these were especially powerful, but they were relatively easy to acquire.
Additionally, now that all bonus abilities had been activated, the fusion conditions for [Inosuke Hashibira (Young)] (Purple) were finally revealed:
[Inosuke Hashibira (Young)]
~From:Demon Slayer Universe
~Tags: Boar-headed Youth
~Rarity: Purple
Passive Bonus Ability:
[Body Control]- Allows free manipulation of posture, temporary dislocation of joints, and shifting internal organs within a limited range. (Activated)
~Activation Condition: Jump off a 100-meter-high cliff.
Active Bonus Ability:
[Tactile Sense]- Detects air vibrations; skin can sense hostility and killing intent within a limited radius. (Activated)
Activation Condition: Wear a boar mask and endure the focused stares of 100 people for one minute.
Status: Eligible for Fusion
Fusion Condition: Clear the dungeon instance: Hide-and-Seek in the Deep Mountains (Attempts used: 3/3)
Jay took special interest in this new fusion format and studied it thoroughly.
Apparently, the system would teleport him into a dungeon instance. As long as he fulfilled the requirements and completed the challenge, the fusion would be considered successful.
The "attempts used" clearly meant he only had three tries.
If he failed all three, this character card could never be fused.
No doubt, these fusion conditions were harder, and more complex.
After all, no one knew what kind of horrors awaited in that dungeon.
Still, from the name, he could glean a few hints.
But Jay wasn't in a hurry to try it just yet, he planned to recover fully first, then enter at his peak.