Prologue
Rain continued to pour down as night fell on the small village of Kuroyusa. In front of the Town Hall, three men stood conversing; two of them were Marines. One dressed in the uniform of enlisted personnel; a white button-down short sleeve shirt with a blue kerchief around the collar, blue pants and brown shoes as well as a white baseball cap with "Marine" printed in blue letters across the front. The other marine wore a baseball cap similar to his counterpart, a lavender button-down shirt, a purple necktie and blue pants with a long white coat with the Japanese characters for "Justice" emblazoned on the back; the coat was common attire among Marine officers. The enlisted man held an umbrella in order to shelter himself and his superior from the downpour. The third carried no umbrella, instead he wore a long, black trench coat over dark green pants, black boots, and a black leather akubra hat to shield himself from the elements.
"Sorry that you had to come all the way out here for nothing Mr. Jones." the Marine officer told the man in the trench coat.
"Don't worry about it, Commander." Jones said. "I'm a little disappointed that I can't make any money here, but I'm happy for the folks of the island."
"So, will you be heading back tonight?"
"I was planning to," Jones said as he looked up at the sky "but this rain doesn't look like it's going to be letting up anytime soon. I think I'm just going to get a room at the inn here and wait until morning."
"Sounds like a wise decision. Now, if you'll excuse us, we really need to tend to other matters."
"No problem, I think it's about time to get out of the rain, anyway. Be careful out there, you guys."
"You do the same."
The two Marines went inside Town Hall. Once the door was shut, it did not take long for the enlisted Marine to address his concerns.
"Commander, are you sure it's a good idea to allow someone like that guy to stay in this town? He could really become a problem for us."
"Relax, Sergeant. He's just a bounty hunter, he won't concern himself with this town now that he knows he can't make any money."
Outside, Jones started making his way toward the inn when he saw a boy coming toward him.
What the hell is this kid doing out here all by himself in this weather?
He was about to say something to him when he noticed the look of rage burning in the boy's eyes. It was then that Jones noticed the outline of a pistol concealed within the boy's rain-soaked shirt. In spite of the fact that he walked right past him, the boy did not even seem to notice that Jones was even there. Jones watched as he made his way toward Town Hall where the Marines had set up their temporary headquarters.
This might not end well. Jones thought to himself.