Chapter 49 : Marley

10 Years Before the Fall of Wall Maria.

It was dark when the Anti-Personnel Squad embarked on their mission in the outskirt of Wall Sina, a forest where their musket section made encounter with the three strangers who slaughtered them. The 3D Maneuver Gears that the hastily formed Anti-Personnel Interior Police Unit were equipped with would have succeeded where their flintlock rifle counterpart had failed due to the environment- the forest would serve perfectly for the Gears. Unfortunately, they too, like the squad before them, underestimate their enemy.

The moment Kenny led his squad of ten to the stretch of woods he suspected his targets to be hiding in, he had already signed his squad death certificate. They initially found the strange object that Djel Sannes had reported them, made the same reaction at the object as their infantry squad when they examined them, they got closer to it than Sannes' squad, so close that they manage to lay their hands on the thing, but they didn't find the three people that had came out of it. All hell broke loose when Kenny heard the screams of two of his squadmates, then the forest went silent, for two minutes. After the silence, six of his men opened fired when the orange figure- the man who had slaughtered 20 Interior Policemen on his own emerged from the trees. Their target was supposed to be hard to miss, he was wearing all in orange in the middle of the darkness, in a forest full of green, yet all the pellets from the Anti-Personnel 3D Maneuver Gears' cannisters shots missed. The target was like an orange blur, moving with unfathomable speed, quicker than the Anti-Personnel Squad could aim. When the squad suffered two more casualties it was when Kenny and his squad realized the stranger was armed, with a stick, a red stick. The stick had elongated itself when the stranger in orange swung it to where the squad where and broke two Interior Police when it had made its impact. The squad was down to five when he swung the stick again.

"Evasive Maneuver!" Ordered Kenny, he seized the moment the man in orange retracted his stick, when he paused his movement, to fired his weapon.

The man swiftly dodged and rolled behind a tree. Kenny's attack had failed to kill his target, but it had successfully covered what left of his squad to their retreat. Steams burst behind Kenny as he soared to where his squad had regrouped, behind more trees.

"What the fuck was that thing?" One of the squadmate cried, shakily. He was referring to the stick that the man in orange armed himself with.

"This time he is prepared!" Commented Kenny. He couldn't be bother to answer his subordinate question, because he was as clueless as they were. And he knew he didn't have the time to figure what his enemy's weapon was.

"Shotgun? You were using shotguns?" The Anti-Personnel Squad were startled when they heard the man spoke. "Clever choice! I see you people do learn from your mistake! The shotguns' pellets are certainly be more likely to hit me than what the first guys had!"

By the voice of the man, Kenny could calculate the distance between his squad and the man. He was quite far away though being quite loud.

"When I saw you coming from afar, thought you were flying. Then I hear cables before I see them." And very distracted. Kenny knew he should capitalize on this window of opportunity. "You guys're wearing strange thing on you, it's not Exo Suit, is it? It powered by steam. Some kind of steampunk Exo-Suit? Why didn't you guys use that the first time?"

"The fuck you on about?" Yelled Kenny before whispering to his men. "He's distracted. I'll keep him talking. You two go on foot, quietly. Don't use the Gears, he can hear the cable. Flank the sunovabitch."

Two Interior Policemen nodded quietly before they climbed down and proceed to sneak on foot.

"Your fuckin' equipment. First there's flintlock rifles, then there's your Exo Suit. By the looks of your firearms and how you equip yourself with those. I assume the technologies you're using here fall backs to where I come from 2 centuries atleast!" The man in orange kept babbling his mouth, and Kenny did not understand a word he was saying. But he was talking, and Kenny needed that.

"2 centuries? At least?" Asked Kenny, by his timing, his men must've been a third of their way.

"Probably shouldn't have revealed so much. I hope we're not isekai'd back to the pass, can't be, I didn't know much history, but cool stuffs like a Steampunk Exo-Suit's not something I'd miss." The two men Kenny had sent were half way there. By how loud their target was, and how the orange outfit he wore so stand out, they already located his position. "Some back water country, probably. Though Bulma had very messed up theory about where the fuck we are."

Bulma must be the name of the woman in the group. Considering Sannes and the survivors of the first encounter had spoken so little of her, it's safe to assume that she hadn't taken part in the fighting, so she must not be the fighter among the group.

"What kind of theory?" Asked Kenny, he readied his guns and signal the two that were with him to prepare.

The two Interior Policemen were right on their target's left, they aimed their shotguns at the man. They just need to get rid of this man and they were safe to search for the other two strangers, they were no fighter, it would be a much easier task. And he had seen them, nor was he looking at their direction, perfect. When the Anti-Personnel MPs finally had their aims steady, the man ran away, startled the soldiers fired their weapons and missed.

"That's not bad timing, folks!" The stranger gloated when he pivoted and charged at the two men that had snuck up on him. Kenny and the two others moved out of their covers, used their 3DM Gears to circle the man and opened fire. The forest was the perfect area for the 3D Maneuver Gears, but it was even a more perfect area to take cover from gunshot.

"I just know!" As if his stick was a javelin, the stranger threw it at one the squadmate that was flying on the trees and impaled her chest. The stranger grabbed both his hand onto one of the trees' branches and swung himself upward to the soaring soldiers, pulled the stick off the soldier he had just recently killed and leaped to guy who was just flying next to Kenny.

Kenny landed on the ground and reloaded before the man landed behind him with the corpse of the person he just leapt onto, his comrade's face was squished and that was not from the fall.

"Piece of shit!" The two men on the ground fired their weapons, just for the man to turn into a blur again and ran away from all their pellets' trajectory, all missed them by an inch and wood splinters fluttered around as the trees were the ones that got hit instead.

The man charged toward Kenny, who quickly aimed one of his handcannons at his face. The man in orange shattered the captain's pistol into scraps with one swing from the stick. The target was close enough for Kenny to take a good look at him, despite the dark, Kenny the Ripper could see that the man was Oriental, there was this symbol of some sort on the chest of his ridiculous looking orange outfit. And the man was close enough, no too close that Kenny could know that Kenny was taller than him.

"Fuck!" Kenny shot his other pistol, and hit one of his squadmate when the man dodge.

"Thanks!" Mocked the man in orange, he grabbed Kenny's arm and twisted it. He swung the Captain over his shoulder and manhandled him flat on his back.

The damned stick elongated again and the man in orange pole vaulted on it and swung the stick down on the remaining subordinate in Kenny's Squad. The policeman quickly recoiled back, narrowly dodged the stick. The subordinate shot a cable on a treetop and swiftly reeled upward. The man pole vaulted again, leaping above the subordinate's level and swung the stick sideway, this time the Interior Policemen could no longer dodge it. Blood splattered onto the leaves before pouring down to the ground when the aforemention subordinate lower half plummeted to the ground while his upper torso was still dangling on the cable from his arm.

When the stranger was in the middle of his landing, he retracted his stick and swung at the Ripper. With both his pistols destroyed, and his 3DM Gear out of commission by the earlier manhandling, Kenny the Ripper pull out his long knife and parried the stick. His hand vibrated when the blade and shaft met in a bind and the Ripper skidded a foot back by the force of the impact. Both of the man in orange's hands were busy holding the stick, while Kenny only used one, so the Ripper pulled out a two barreled flintlock pistol from his belt and thrusted it on the stranger's face, and this time he yielded no better result than his previous attempt when the stranger smacked his hand away before he could fire.

"You not the only one with guns." Before Kenny could attempt any more attack, the man broke off the bind and smash the stick on his shins. The stranger pressed both his knees on the Ripper's upper arms, he stabbed the stick on the ground next to the Ripper's face, reach to his back and pulled out an odd looking pistol, the dirt splattered to Kenny's face when the stranger fired five shot near his face.

"Yield!" Commanded the Stranger when the muzzle of his pistol pointed at Kenny's face. Still defiant as he was, Kenny attempt to stab him again, but the man's foot slammed on the Ripper's wrist. "Don't try any! I have two more rounds in this!"

Kenny stared at the gun which barrel was training on his forehead, the gun was leaner than the hand musket that people commonly within the Walls, but it was bigger than his two-shooter, minisized pistol he had just pulled out earlier. The Ripper knew he should not take the stranger's word at face value, of how many rounds his pistol held. Then he shifted his eyes to the casings lying on the ground, those were from the bullets of the gun the stranger just shot, similar to the cartridges of the grapeshots his unit used but smaller in size and was in better design. And by the design of the pistol the stranger was holding, it did not look like the barrel was the place holding the bullets, there was some credit to the man's claim of the gun could hold at least 7 rounds. Knowing now that he was being overpower, and cannot gamble to call the man's bluff, Kenny loosened his grip on his dagger and the man use the tip of his foot to kick it away.

"I'm gonna get off you now! Do not move a muscle until I finish!" The stranger commanded, Kenny slightly nodded in compliance. He could feel the stranger's knees got off his arms before he saw him stepped away from the Ripper, still pointing his pistol at him. "You can stand up now, move slowly!"

So slowly Kenny sat up, and struggled to get back on his feet. The Ripper slowly raised his hands, even though the man in orange did not command him to, but he was not shot when he was doing it so that must meant he approved it.

"Now, keep your hands there." Commanded the stranger as he approached Kenny again, he crouched and removed all the spare grapeshot cartridges from the Ripper's thigh while his eyes and gun were still vigilance on his captive. The cartridges clanked when the stranger threw the cartridges behind him. "Turn around!"

Kenny complied and with the same paces he made when he stood up, he turned around. A woman and a child had been standing behind him, he didn't know how long they had been standing there but when he turned they were there. The woman- Bulma must had been her name, Sannes' platoon never gave any description on the woman's appearance, she overshadowed her male companion in term of oddness, her clothing was strange but those were not as standing out as her hair color, blue. The boy was about ten in age, wearing shirt and shorts Kenny had never seen anyone wore before and his head was in bandages. The woman was covering the child's eyes, probably to shield him from seeing the bodies; by this demeanor, Kenny could deduce that wherever these people came from they had not been very used with violence.

"Have you closed your eyes?" The woman asked the child, he nodded. "Alright, don't open them until I tell you to."

"The fuel to their Exo-Suits!" Kenny gawked at the man when he threw the woman his gas canister. The Ripper's mind was too muddled by the collective of strangers' strange appearance that he had not realize when and how had the man removed the compressed gas cylinder off the back of his 3DM Gear.

The woman caught the cylinder, intrigued by the object, she was smiling when examined it for a couple of seconds. She shifted her gaze from the cylinder to Kenny, her face no longer showed any excitement.

"Perhaps this is a good chance for us to reintroduce ourselves. We didn't have much of a chance for that the last time we met, since your way of showing hospitality was attempted murder." Said the woman. She first gestured at herself, then to the child, then the man and introduced them respectively. "My name's Bulma, the young little rascal over there is Jonathan, and the man who just humbled you over there is Yamcha."

"You have a name?" The man in orange- Yamcha asked. "C'mon, don't be shy!"

"Kenny. Ackerman." Replied Kenny, defeated. "Yamcha, is it? You have a gun, by the way you say it. You have at least 7 bullets. Certainly using it in the fight earlier could have made it quicker in your favor. Why didn't you? Isn't much of a crackshot? Or you didn't bring much ammo?"

"He's only fire to tell us it's safe to reveal ourselves." Kenny widened his eyes when Bulma answered. That one made perfect sense. Bulma and the little boy was no where to be find the whole duration of the fight and only when Yamcha rapidly fired his pistol, they showed up from nowhere right where Kenny was standing. These sunovbitches had brains. "Hope that answers your question. Have any more?"

"Your… Yamcha stayed his hand on me, he pulled his punches. I'm yet to join my comrades of arms," Kenny pointed his head to mangled bodies of his fallen squadmate. ", there must be a reason for that-t."

"We want our victories to last!" Answered Bulma. She shuffled in her jacket and pulled out and box of cigarettes, she light one with some sort of box and proceed smoking.

"I believe there is more elaboration of that." Commented Kenny when he noticed Bulma stopped short.

"Sorry." Bulma blew a puff of smoke out her mouth. "You guys sent men here and tried to kill us ,we killed twenty of you. You came here with 10 men and we kill you all, then what'll happen? You'll send more men here with whatever hardware you have with you, we'll kill them, rinse and repeat. What the hell would we achieve from that then? More of your people would die, and eventually we'd get tired and fucking die."

She took a few step closer to the Ripper and blow a puff of smoke to his face.

"How about we resolve this in a manner that benefits both parties, huh? I don't know whether or not whoever sent you here willing to talk, but I'm quite sure you can arrange the meeting. Bring us to where you came from, and I'll see if we can end this bloodshed with no more bullets have to fly. No more of you or any of us has to die, I'm sure whatever soldiers you have left back in your barrack or whatever would love not having to die, and so do we. What say you?"

"I like that proposal!" Concurred Kenny without any second thought, it was a sound proposal and Kenny had the tendency not to argue with such a good compromise, especially when he was in no position to bargain. "I can get you to my employers, that's all I can do, I can't make any promise if they will listen to you."

"I told you I'll handle that part. You just worry about getting us to your leaders." Said Bulma as Kenny nodded.

"How did you get here? I assume your Exo Suits don't have that much fuel for such a distance." Asked Yamcha.

"Wagon." Answered Kenny.

"Like horsedrawn wagon?" Yamcha raised his eyebrow.

"How the hell else the wagon can move?" Asked Kenny, rhetorically. He was mildly annoyed by the stranger question.

"How backward are you people?" Asked Yamcha, making Kenny to gawk at him at how he response. The Oriental spoke as if the wagon where he came from did not need horse. And the man's question gave Kenny more question.

"How can he know? Yamcha, forget about that. Go with him to the wagon, and bring it here. I'll see if I can grab the bodies." Ordered Bulma, this was when Kenny assumed she the leader of the group.

"Can you? They're pretty heavy!" Yamcha slily remarked. Perhaps not, Yamcha and Bulma spoke to one another like they were equals.

"I can try!" Replied Bulma. "Kenny, consider the return of your men's remains is my token of good faith!"

Kenny made no comment to the blue haired woman's words, instead he tiredly looked at Yamcha, cueing the man to follow him. The Ripper then proceeded to lead Yamcha to where his Anti-Personnel Squad had stashed their wagon. The stranger in orange had not retired his pistol's muzzle away from Kenny's direction as the two was walking, the Ripper didn't need to turn around to know that fact. Kenny couldn't help but to chuckled, this was the second time he was defeated, humiliatingly, the first had been by the hand of Uri Reiss when he turned into a Titan, the second time, the man who had humbled him had no need for the Titans' Power and successfully slaughtered his men. Both times his victors offered him collaboration, perhaps like the old saying went, 'He who knows how to win, never loses. He who knows how to loses, never dies.' Kenny the Ripper had never known he would be the he who knows how to loses, an irony for a man who was in search for absolute power.


Present Time

"Today's groceries, Kenny?" Asked Jack Reed, the pawn shop owner once Kenny Ackerman entered the shop with three paper bags clutched to his chest.

"Yeah, and the day after tomorrow's." Spoke Kenny as he leaned to the shop's door, closing it.

"Let me help you with that." Mr Reed approached Kenny and helped his tenant putting two of his grocery bags onto his cashier desk. Kenny followed his landlord and put the remaining bag with the other. "You're buying for Jesse, too?"

Kenny chuckled when he heard the pawn shop owner uttered the Wolf's alias. He recalled when they first had stepped foot on Marley they came up with aliases for one another, Kenny hadn't bothered with it, but he relented to have his surname changed, Gleaves however had gone all the way.

"Yeah, never know when he'll comeback, but in case he might in the next two days, I don't want him to get pissed off at me for not buying him any food."

"Never had I see Jesse get mad."

"Heh heh, that because you ain't the type to get to his nerve." Chuckled Kenny, amused by how Hermann Gleave won the hearts of the Marleyans he met.

"What type of person get to his nerve?" The pawn shop owner folded his arms.

"Those that under his payrolls, which is just me." Kenny shrugged. He lamented on the fact that he had been Hermann Gleaves' errand since they had gone undercover. Beside from their usual intelligent gathering, decrypting and encrypting, Kenny was the one who ran around buying groceries, cleaning the shelters, cooking the meals. When he had been known as Kenny the Ripper, he had never had it in mind that he one day would have to carve meat, chicken, vegetables and/or fish and cake for some rich ass freelancer.

"Huh, now you make me wonder how you two can work together?"

"Hello, are you ain't from this planet? I love money!" Answered Kenny. "And his job is too much for he to handle it all by himself."

"So do you manage the rent yet? You're two months short!" Probed Reed. The mentioning of the rent money startled Kenny. They were two months short, most landlord had the right to have such late payer evicted, but four months earlier Hermann had paid him in advance and his silvertongue had kept them this shelter.

"Where do you think Jesse went? He went to collect the money the last auction still owing him." Answered Kenny, mentally cursing Gleaves for leaving him penniless.

"How the heck did you buy those groceries then?"

"Mrs Lansa let me owe her."

"Karen accepts IOU, for two months?" Gawked Mr Reed.

The door creaked open, the chime rang as a man in a trench coat entered the shop. Jack Reed brightened face was accompanied with a smile when he recognized the person face, Kenny didn't share the same rejoice as he returned, however.

"How much do we owe Mrs Lansa, Schrader?" There was only one person who called Kenny's allias by the surname.

"Fuck if I know, Jesse!" Kenny glared at Hermann as he answered.

"Mr Reed, the rent we owe you." Hermann tossed a banded pile of cash to Mr Reed, the landlord gleefully counted the money. He stopped for a sudden and took out two bills from the pile.

"20 Vals too much, Jesse." Reed returned the two bills to Hermann.

"The 20 Vals is for Mrs Reed to handle the fresh food in those bags." Answered Gleaves as he politely declined the 20 Vals Jack Reed tried to return to him. "Hope that not too much works."

"She'd happy cooking your meals, Jesse. But 10 would be enough." Smiled Reed, he gave one of the bill to Hermann who reluctantly accepted it.

"Schrader, your cut!" Hermann tossed Kenny an envelope, Kenny opened it and saw banknotes inside with a small paper wrote 'Had they arrive?'.

"It's a hundred Val short!" Replied Kenny after he counted, he didn't care about the money, it was code. The question is of Willy Tybur and his international guest, Kenny would always answer with how many he was short. If the first number of the digits was an even number, they hadn't arrived, if it was odd then they had. Kenny had saw the guest arrived to one of the hotel in Liberio before the sun rose today.

"Too bad!" Replied Hermann, they didn't have a code for the respond on Gleaves' side, however. "I gotta spend mine on paying the debts, consider that one I owe you."

"The rent is not one hundred." Mr Reed stepped in.

"The expenditure is not just all on the rent, I have to pay for the groceries we owe Mrs Lansa. And of course the tools and preparation for the next job isn't cheap." Explained Hermann. "Schrader, you get the bags to the kitchen, help Mrs Reed sort out the fresh food, then bring the dried one to our room. I go and reimburse Mr Lansa. Who else do we owe money to?"

"I ain't that much of a spendthrift." Retorted Kenny as he grabbed the groceries and headed to the Kitchen. "Do I have to cook?"

"Already paid Mrs Reed for that. Meet me at Park Conelius when you done." Answered Hermann before he turned to the landlord. "Mr Reed, apology for any inconvenience. I have to go now, found another client."

Kenny had already open the door to the kitchen when the bell on the entrance chimed as Hermann left the shop. The Ripper shook his head as he left the fresh vegetables and meat of his grocery bags. He thought back to the chain of events that lead him to agree to this assignment oversee.

It had been a few days after the coronation of that Monkey Boy, King Gohan that Yamcha had made his visit to his cell in Miltras. Now Kenny still had that ache in his backside to thing of what Gohan did to him, then had been no difference when Yamcha had shown up with the Power Pole in his visit. What Yamcha had spoken to him about had been just how surprised he had been when had not seen Kenny in the Interior Police's assault at Castle Jutnar. That had been a simple answer, perhaps at the moment he asked, Yamcha had already known why: Kenny feared him. The latest encounter the two had had, had been not in the Ripper's favor, when the then King-in-hiding Rod Reiss had made brief the Interior Military Police Division about his plan on the attacks on the Survey Corps' HQ and Castle Jutnar, Kenny had swiftly petitioned for leading the attack on the Corps, on the basis that the Castle had had Yamcha, he had known for long he had never been the Alpha's match, but he had known what Levi- his nephew had been capable of. The result of the battle had also proved that Kenny was no match to Levi either, and when later of the coup, when Kenny had heard that Levi and the Ten Pupils had been bulletproof the whole time but hadn't figured that out prior, he knew he had been falling back by a large margin. Thankfully, the Alpha had not came to his cell to gloat and mock him of his most recent victory at that time, he had come to Kenny with an offer- to work for the new government as an agent of the Hegemon. Kenny had been told that he had been very close to being pardoned of his past crimes, the new would have pardoned all survivors of the Interior Military Police Division once Maria was retaken, and soon Yamcha would offer him a job. And retaken Wall Maria the King had, he had pardoned all members of the Interior Police and several of the old regime's official in his National Wide Great Pardon to celebrate the victory. The difference had been that it had not been Yamcha to come and recruit him, but Erwin Smith, Marley would have proven to be too much ground for only Hermann Gleaves to cover by himself, and the Marleyan survivors of the Battle for Shiganshina had recognized all Scouts face, and subsequently the Fighter Initiatives. Either choosing that or stay brooding for the rest of his life in streets with little to nothing important to do, Kenny had made his choice, and here he was.

Their first day they had made their arrival in Marley had been quite troublesome, as the Paladin could not fly anywhere near populated areas, it had been a miracle no one had seen them soaring on the sky. Their encounter with the Public Security Authority had been an inevitable event. It had been bound to happen, they had been arrested in by the Public Security Authority when they had failed to provide their identification papers. Initially they suspected Kenny and Hermann to be Eldians, which they were, and demanded to have the two had their blood tested. It should had compromised them, but Hermann had taken up a notch, demanding the Public Security officers to inject them with the Titan serum immediately, saying that the two had had no time to waste. And Public Security had obliged him, it had taken them only a few hours to get the serum, the blood test would have taken days. They injected the two with the serums and the reaction of the two spies had been astounding, the two had clutched their stomachs in agony and vomited blood on the precinct floor, afterward they got the fever, bed ridden the same amount of time need should they had been submitted for the blood test. Kenny Ackerman being an Ackerman so he was not affected by the serum and Gleaves had mustered all the Ki he had needed to reject the serum off his body. The Public Security had been please, they had told them that what happened when non-Eldians got themselves injected with the Titan Serum, they had been cleared for not wearing the armband since they had not needed to, but it had not cleared them from lacking papers. The latter offense had been proved easy to resolve, the three gold ingots from Gleaves satchel had bought them their freedom, apparently Marleyans and Eldians still had something common.

Kenny put the canned food on the desk in the two's apartment, he put them tidily to one corner before changing his outfit to his suit and went out from the pawn shop. He looked no different from his casual self in his Interior Police day, in plain clothe duty.

The Interior Police turned Agent lowered the brim of his hat to cover his face as he strode amidst the streets of Liberio. The park Hermann had chosen for the meeting was 4 kilometers away from the pawn shop, a long walk yet Kenny had to take it. Park Conelius was much closer to Internment Zone, only a couple kilometers with a few extra meters away from its wall. Kenny entered the Park entrance, Hermann had not been here yet, but Kenny chose a bench and took his seat and waited for his partner. Hermann would know where he sat, he could sense energy.

The wall of the internment zone could be vividly seen from the distance, Kenny chose the bench that was facing the zone. Due to it being close to the internment zone, Park Conelius did not see many visitors, few Marleyan would love to be close to a ghetto filled with Devil's Spawns, made the location ideal for Kenny and Hermann's shady business. And many of the pair's contacts were Eldians.

"Gosh it, Mr Schrader, six hundred forty eight ? You having a buffet?" Hermann approached the bench, the Paladin scratched his head as he took his seat.

"Those the food we've been eating for the pass 2 months, Jesse." Retorted Kenny, he sniggered, with that amount of money, no shop owner would allow anyone to shop in their shop. Thankfully Karen Lansa was aware of the nature of Gleaves job, the cover of course, it paid well, but the money never came in time. And they had been short the months prior, and Gleaves had been nice to the local so their food sources were sustainable. "You paid her?"

"Yes. Also Eric from the protective unit, some of the Pub Sec we know and the communication officer we drank with last week." Answered Hermann.

"Why?" Puzzled Kenny.

"The Pub Secs and comm officer are for probing, Eric is for telling Willy that I'm here."
"S'pose you would be spending a lot, a lot more than me. Did the bank grew suspicious of how much gold you exchanged?" Commented Kenny on the way the agents manage their budget. Gold was still the universal currency.

"The Lady exchange them in Hizuru." Remarked Hermann.

"They didn't ask question?" Asked Kenny. He didn't know much of the Far East country, but he knew that they assumed their country would be the one who traded with Paradis.

"Their higher ups know Paradis has men infiltrating Marley." Hermann lighted a cigarette as he answered his partner's question.

"Makes sense, we're not compromised yet. So I think they think they could benefit from our operation." Kenny scanned around the park, there were only a handful a few people jogging and walking in the park, none of them were within the conversation's earshot. "You say you paid some Pub Secs for probing, probing what?"

"They are to probe the whereabout of Theo Magath in Liberio, the Grand Master wish to have a talk with him if he is in the area."
"Yamcha's here?" Cried Kenny, before scanned his surrounding again. No one heard his cry.

"They're here. The whole crew." Whispered Hermann, his face briefly flinched when Kenny was loud.

"We're doing this?" Asked Kenny, whispering this time. "Where are they now?"

"The haunted house you showed me!" Kenny shrugged upon hearing the Paladin's reply. "That's come your job, one of the Pub Sec will contact the Pawn Shop if they heard anything, I want you to be right there when they come. Are you confident of how close you are with Mathew Leonheardt?"

"I don't know how much you paid the Pub Sec to turn a blind eye on how close we are with those in the internment zone, but you didn't waste it." That was a yes from Kenny. "I gained enough trust with those honourary Marleyans so much I can ask money from them."

"That's confident!" Hermann checked his watch, prompting Kenny to do the same. It's still long from the Eldians' curfew. "Before we strike, preferably after we know whether or not Magath is in Liberio, arrange the meeting between Mathew and Peon Leonheardt, we're extracting him."

"Sure I can do such thing, the time and place to set that up would be a fucking headache. What about my extrac-" Commented Kenny, before he could talk about his own extraction he was interrupted by a little girl's screeching voice.

"MISTAH HEISENBERG!" The girl who cried out the Paladin's fake surname was named Gabbi. She and a few more kids in yellow armbands- Warrior Candidates rushed to his direction, following them was a man and woman with red armbands who was walking in more casual paces. Kenny recognised them all, sans the male warrior tailing the candidates.

"Apparently you've been visiting the park regularly!" Commented Herman when Gabbi and another kid- a boy wearing glassed named Udo, hugged him when they came up to him. The other candidates, though panting looking at the Paladin with glee.

"You've no idea Mr Heisenberg, she, Udo and Falcro had made this place their favorite pre-curfew the first time we met." Commented Colt- Falcro's brother as he had to held the young boy back. He and another boy- Porco, were the most mature amongst the warrior candidates.

"Kenny!" Porco, the young man with the blond undercut shown more restrained than his most of his fellow candidates when he politely shook Kenny's hand and then Hermann. "Mr Heisenberg! We didn't see you two here yesterday."

"Or the day before! And the week even before that." Commented Zofia, playfully looking at Gabbi. "Braun over there had been a downer the entire time she didn't see you."

"Obviously they have other things to do rather playing in the park!" Commented the female Warrior that had finally caught up with them. Her name was Pieck Finger, her grey eyes locked onto Hermann's hazels as she tried to speed up the paces with her crutches, the Cart Titan was not used to walk in her human form. "Surely they have to done their job 'fore having the spare time for any leisure!"

"You've found another client, sir?" Asked Udo.

"Yes, I have, Udo. Pieck, uh, take my seat." Hermann stepped up from the bench before helping Pieck sit down.

"Looks like Gabbi here ain't the only bugger missing somebody." Commented Kenny, the Candidates didn't shy from their giggles and the agent and the Warrior had to cover her reddened face.

"Uh, c'mon now, Kenny. He's just being nice!" Said Pieck, trying to deflect what Kenny had just said. "Where's my manner. You guys never met. This is Berthold, our deputy War Chief. Berthold, these are the two collectors we've been telling you about."

"You must be Mister Jesse Heisenberg." Berthold offered his hand as he approached Hermann, which the Paladin shook. "And Mister Kenny Schrader, must be!" He offered his hand to Kenny as he broke off the handshake with Hermann, Kenny shrugged and obliged. "I heard you two gives donations to our families?"

"Guilty!" Kenny raised both his hands up in surrender. "You guys deserve some respects for what you've done and been doing for this country."
The Candidates, upon hearing Kenny's remarks, all stood at attention in single file and raised the right hand in the Marley salute at the two 'collectors'.

"That is quite odd, you obviously not Subjects of Ymir, but … forgive me if I sound like looking a gift horse in the mouth…. But we seldomly get this kind of good treatment from those who didn't share our blood." Commented Berthold, the Warrior placing his hand of his chest as he apologized with his wondering.

Kenny chuckled as he recalled the first time the two agents had ran into the Warrior Unit, which was not much of a coincidence as Gleaves had set up the meeting at that time. Yet he still managed to manipulate the Warrior Candidates to think it had been all a happenstance. Most Marleyans, or non-Eldians in general antagonized them everytime they saw them, so when Gleaves showed them a really good amount of kindness, they fell in love with him.

"I might be one of those people, enlightened, open-minded and see people as people." The Warrior Unit gaped and widened their eyes as they heard Hermann's answer. "Progressive, I believe that's the word."

"And there are two kind people we hate, those that steal from us, and those that attempt to do so." Kenny pointed out.

Berthold's reaction was the most profound comparing to his subordinates, the man looked like he was thinking of something, perhaps some thought on the nature of the two men's work. He shifted his gaze to Hermann, looking at the Paladin, scanning him before he continued the conversation.

"Mr Heisenberg, forgive me if this question is rather strange. But have we met before?" Hermann Gleaves recoiled at the Warrior's question. Oh god, it had come back to him that the Paladin and the Colossal Titan had seen one another's face in the battle for Shiganshina. Somehow, the Grand Master had forgotten about that and his cover was at risk of being blown.

"Schrader," Hermann thought quickly and turned to Kenny. "Is my face that common?"

"I mean, I fuckin' told'y about that like ages ago." Answered Kenny, playing along as he picked up the cue almost instantaneously.

"What're you guys on about?" Asked Berthold as he tried to recall if he had seen Hermann Gleaves before. Pieck and the Candidates gazed upon their deputy War Chief and the 'collectors' puzzledly, wondering where and when had their met.

"This is about the fourth time within the month, somebodeh tell 'im they met 'im before!" Clarified Kenny, the spies were lucky the Warriors weren't sharp on reading body languages, because they were slightly sweating and shaking.

"Coulda be one of yer old clients!" Gabbi pointed out, she nervously smiled when she looked at Berthold before shut her nervous down when she shifted her gaze to Hermann.

"Or business partners!" Added Pieck. She folded her arms, leaned back and gazed at her two new friends, waiting for their response.

"Coulda been, but one actually mistaken Jesse as a guy who sold him cotton candy. We never dealt with the cotton candy vending business. Atleast , not that I know of." Kenny response left the Warriors and the cadets to giggle. "Hey, did you buy candy from a Jesse lookalike? You want Jesse to sell you cotton candy?"

"Who remember a cotton candy vendor anyway." Commented Hermann on his fake recall. "Am I right or am I right?"

"Maybe you do have a common face, Mr Heisenberg." Commented Berthold as he failed to search to his memory. "Hmm, Pieck told me about your job. Artifact collector, I mean I know what that means, but after what she told me that's not sound like what I've known 'bout collectors. Can you clarify?"

"Making interrogation to our new friends already, Berthold? Got promoted to deputy War Chief and you start being an officer, even toward a civilian." Teased Pieck, she rolled her eyes at her comrade question.

Hermann closed his eyes before taking a subtle deep breath. This was just like what Erwin and the Grand Master had rehearsed with them, their cover, their fake jobs. It was the need of the Dragon Balls whereabouts and the knowledge the mainlands had on them that make them the artifact collectors, and they'd been looking for them and it had been widely known to the Marleyans they had made contact with that they were collectors as they had been bragging about it to everyone they had met. The front became a crucial part of their assignment when they had spot a second Dragon Ball in the possession of one of the auctioneer in the Mid East Alliance, so them being artifact collectors had proved useful in their search for the information of the Dragon Balls.

"Well, the name of the job. 'Artifact Collectors', grossly oversimplified the nature of our business. We do more than just outbidding others for artifacts and collect them." Explained Hermann, using the exact lines he had been rehearsing over and over. "The first thing we do is to look at the artifacts few see the values of and revaluate them. Then we broker an auction to a third party on the items those value we have we have redetermined, and when they are sold to the highest bidder, we will receive our agreed sums of remuneration. There are also artifacts that people pay us to keep their true value in the dark, we'll bid them with the lowest cost possible, it's usually low ,yes, but I'm telling you it's still a lot of money too spent. Luckily, those we just mention, the people who want others to be in the dark of the values of artifacts, pay us more than we always have to bid."
It was impossible to know if the Warrior Unit were genuinely convinced by the Paladin's explanation of his job, however none of the Marleyan soldiers' mouths were closed without a long 'oh' uttered from their maws.

Gabbi, Zofia, Udo and Falco had face redden with thrill as their heard the nature of the 'collector' work. Colt and Porco had their hands placed to their chins as they pondered at the details. Pieck and Berthold squinted their eyes, memorizing each sentence Hermann just said for further questions.

"What kind artifact that only a handful knows true value of?" Asked Pieck.

"Those that belong to lesser known celebrities, but had the interesting stories behind it or somehow link to wider known ones. And those belong to ancient civilization yet few got their hands on the document to prove it. Well, most documents were actually widely known, but few actually bothered to read them, or simply deemed the part of that history insignificant, until we tell them." Answered Hermann, he searched his satchel and took out two books that he had bought from a library in Chu. "Here, page 38 and 57 of the first one." He handed Pieck the books. "The Cauldrons that define the significant of their civilization and a halberd head of one of their national heroes."

The Titan shifters turned and looked at the pages, the others leaned and glanced at the pages, she didn't understand the language, but she did see the drawing of the items Hermann had mentioned.

"You understand what they wrote in this." She pressed.

"No, I had to paid a translator for that. What I meant to say is, those that in Marley and the more Westward's nation had few knowledge of the items, we had at least 5,000 Vals in commission for each of the items after we had them auctioned."

"Holy hell, that is at least …." Exclaimed Gabbi before she counted with her fingers. "…. 40,000 Vals in total."

"You must be rich!" Exclaimed Colt.

"Until give our employer his share, spending what we earn for preparation for the job, and try not to spend the rest in gambling dens." Replied Hermann, glaring at Kenny when he spoke the last part.

"Hey, that's five fucking years ago. Let it go!" Barked Kenny. The Warrior Candidates looked at the Ripper disapprovingly.

"How long does it take till the next job?" Questioned Berthold.

"It varies, from 5 months to 2 years." Answered Hermann, apparently the Colossal Titan was not entirely convinced. The Paladin saw why Berthold was entrusted with the Deputy War Chief position.

"TWO YEARS?" The Candidates collectively asked.

"Y'think valuable artifacts around every corner for us to find?" Replied Kenny. "It takes time for us to locate them, especially the lesser known one. And it takes more time for us to set up the sales."

Berthold, Colt, Pieck and Udo nodded in agreement. Valuable items like the 'collectors' mentioned would be time consuming and costly to locate, finding enough buyers for such items would even more troublesome even to the more known ones. The Warriors knew little of the upper class' leisure in this matter, but they'd been running errand for parties before, this kind of ordeal was no stranger to them.

"You mentioned individuals that would pay you good to leave the others in the dark of the values of some of the items you broker. I can assume why they would do that, to buy them with lower price, keeping the artifacts for themselves and/or for later sale." Stated Berthold, to which both Kenny and Hermann pointed at him for approval. "Hope this follow up question is not too intruding, but did anyone of those aforementioned ever used other methods to silence you?"

"Whatcha meant when you said 'other methods'?" Pieck widened her eyes.

"The part where I'm useful." Said Kenny, gestured at himself. "These motherfuckers who think they could threaten us into silence, these motherfuckers who think they could resolves our business with lead rather than gold. I make sure that they pay for such stunts, and if that fails, at least my buddy Jesse does not."

"So you're his bodyguard!" Concluded Colt as he glanced at his agape fellow Warrior Candidates. They had been guessing what Kenny did since they first met. They had either assumed Kenny 'Schrader' to do the same thing as Jesse Heisenberg did, or had absolutely no idea what did he do.

"Yes, he is." Answered Hermann as he took a look at each of the Warrior Unit, they all look invested in and intrigued by the agents' front. "I did mention you guys that I would find lesser artifact and redetermine their value. The problem about that once I determine its value, so would the others. Some of them not willing to share that profit with us. Our work is not a very peaceful one, not always."

"Never thought archeology and artistry could be so dangerous." Commented Porco, the conversation with the two newfound acquaintances shed new light to not just only the Warrior Candidate, but his friends were also left in disbelief.

"Y'have no idea what length people go for money, hell there're worse things people do for less." Added Kenny. Shivers ran across the Warrior Unit spines as they knew he spoke the truth.

"It doesn't sound the job is stable. The pays are good but ain't punctual, and it's hazardous to your health even it shouldn't be." Commented Berthold, his comrade- Pieck nodded in agreement as her eyes showed concern as she looked at Hermann and Kenny. "Not to mention you it might take you sometime to find the next job!"

" I have my other source of income." Spoke Hermann when he reached to his bag, the Candidates cheered when he took out his camera. It was the oddest camera Berthold had ever seen, it was more compact than the ones usually used by other photographers, the lens was attached directly to the base. "It's a more stable source, but it pays less. Oh, I almost forgot!"

Gabbi screeched in excitement as Hermann took out 7 yellow envelopes with names written on them. The Wolf handed each members of the Warrior Unit sans Berthold their named envelopes. Colt and Porco, who were the most composed among the candidate, could no longer curb their excitement as they rushed to their envelopes. Pieck and the candidates opened their envelopes and gasped in awe as they looked at their photos.

"These … these are all in colors." Said Gabbi when she looked at her pictures. The pictures were the ones the Candidates taking together, some with 'Heisenberg and Schrader', some were their families taking with the Candidates, and even with the 'collectors'. Berthold grabbed one of the photos from Porco when he heard of the colors, he examined it and looked at the agents.

"How?" Asked Berthold as he showed the colored photo to them.

"The invention of my employer." Hermann tapped on his camera. "He made three-colored filter screen, and photo-sensitive films that absorb colored light."
"Why didn't he commission it for mass production?" Asked Berthold, the others of the Warrior Unit heard their Deputy War Chief and concurred. "This seems like it would put the regular black and white to shame if he publicized his invention."

"Yeah, why didn't he?"

"This is a gift from him. He wanted me to make a good sum of cash before he sells it en masse." Answered Hermann, and the Warriors eyed were widened with puzzles. "He knew I would beat all the other photographers with this as an edge."

The Warriors contemplated the Paladin's words and concurred with him, commenting how envied they were of him for having such a caring boss. But by per the description Hermann had given them of his career, whomever hiring him was probably a wealthy benefactor to enable him to so generous. They also deducted that the employer had a degree of skill in craftmanship when Hermann later implied that his color camera wasn't the only thing his employer had invented. It was appeared that originally there had been a wider network of the people 'Jesse' working with, and the camera- by extension Jesse's photographer part-time job had been serving as his unknown employer compensation for the mental loss the 'collectors' had suffer when he had seen his co-workers either killed or left the job.

The Warrior Unit had been in war, they should be the one who understood what 'Jesse' had gone through, and it helped his cover. Hermann Gleaves and Kenny Ackerman first met the Warrior Unit in this very park only a few days after they had come home after their four-year long conflict with the Mid-East Alliance.

"It's quite a journey to touring from war to war like you did." Berthold was confused as Hermann commented.

"What do you mean?" Asked Berthold for clarification.

"I was told you were in Paradis, the Devils' Den." Hermann looked at the Candidates, who was the ones that had told him of it. "After what you'd endured there, you two still contribute for the nations."

"We lost four of our Warriors there." Answered Berthold, he glanced at Gabbi, who lowered her head as she was reminded of her grief. "Our best ones."

"Yes, Gabbi's cousin and Porco's brother." Said Hermann as they looked at the family members in question. Porco clutched his fists when the old wound was opened.

"The Devil of All Earth! He toyed with us!" Cried Porco, with red hot rage. Gabbi grinded her teeth in resentment while the other candidates grimaced when the name was uttered.

"The Devil of All Earth? I read of what he could do, Pieck told me of it." Pieck and Berthold went pale when Gleaves took his turn to mention the moniker. "I still can't make it how he let you go."
"We've told you. He was toying with us." Barked Porco.

"He wanted us submit to his will, like Ymir did thousands of years ago." Commented Colt. "He kept the Beast Titan alive, probably he doing all his way, attempting to recruit him."
"Zeke would never betray us!" Said Gabbi.

"Yeah, he is most likely dead." Added Udo.

The propaganda machine of Marley did they job superbly, not that they needed to do much work of it. King Gohan killing Reiner and Ymir consuming Marcel had deepened the hatred of their loved ones back homes and the Eldians population in Marley shared their grievances. The Marleyan fatalities in the battle for Shiganshina also made it harder for the Hegemon to touch the hearts and minds of their families. It wasn't hard for Marley to twist the intention of Gohan's act of mercy as the general populace heard what they wanted to hear.

"I mean no offense, kids. In fact, I love you kids. But you weren't there." Said Hermann, taking the Candidates aback with his opinion. "I prefer to hear it from the people who were there. If that possible."

"I-I ….I don't.." Stuttered Pieck, she recalled the last time she answered Hermann of the wars she fought, she had not shy to tell him the abridged version of the Mid East- Marley war. But she had only confirmed and denied the questions he had made about Paradis through Yes-No.

"You two don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It's hard to relive such a memory." Gleaves closed his eyes as he reassured the Warriors.

"I infiltrated their ranks. I met the Devil of All Earth even before he showed his nature." Told Berthold, Pieck breathed heavily and gawked at her fellow Warrior as he decided to be honest with their new found, common friend. "I first … Reiner met him before we all did. None of us there believed him. It was when we breached the islander devils walls. That kid. The man we know as the Devil of All Earth was only a tad older than any of us. Threw his thing later we know as Ki Ball at him when he crushed further."

The story Berthold was about to tell them, Herman Gleaves and Kenny Ackerman had heard it countless time by either of the veterans of the Survey Corps. The King was not the one who liked to brag about his achievement, yet he was an honest person, as long as it was not about his true origin, whatever question one made about his life story, he would not shy from answering it. So when Berthold told them about the time he had shared with King Gohan in the Trainee Corps and the Survey Corps, it was trying to look surprised was what the agent attempted to do. However, the Candidates and even Pieck heard this for the first time, they all look scared and intrigued the duration of the story telling. None of the Warrior Unit was unrelented to breaking some sweat when Berthold mentioned about the King's introduction of Ki, the thing that was hidden in every living being that only waited to be unlocked by the capables. They breathed nervously at the feat the King had done in the Battle of Trost, Gabbi and Porco spat when they heard the King's moniker he had been dubbed as, the Angel of Trost. Then it the Expedition, the failed one Gohan had participated in. Berthold mentioned Reiner had nervously told him how he leaded the Female Titan to the Coordinate, carving the chart of the Long Range Scouting formation on Annie's hand and marking Eren's position on it.

"Smart, Reiner." Remarked Gabbi, but then she got confused. "Why was he so nervous? He did a good job, did he not?"

"Should have been. It just that later he knew he left out an important variation of the equation." The Candidates squinted as Berthold answered. "Gohan was in Eren's squad."
"Fuck!" Exclaimed Porco. "Was that when Annie got got?"

"No, that was much later. She barely escaped with her lives, and managed to … seemingly killed the Devil."

"She did what?" Puzzled Colt.

"He heard her roar in the forest, didn't have the chance to ask her what happened. But we knew she hadn't been captured then. When the Survey Corps regrouped and prepared to march back, we saw Gohan's corpse."

"He died?" Asked Falco. " You sure it's a corpse?"

"Rumor was already spreading among the Scouts as we got to the rendezvous point. And both Reiner and I saw them placed him among the dead ones, there separate areas to put the dead and the injured, so they couldn't be mixed up." Berthold elaborated on Gohan's supposed death. "It was disbelief and discord at the camp when the rumor spread. Then we heard some medics were called, he was still alive."

"Perhaps it was a mistake!" Commented Pieck.

"No, by what Annie did to him. Slamming him to a tree. The Special Operation Squad was already mourning him at that point, and some of them already told us his iris was wide." Retorted Berthold before he continued in his story.

He told them of how when Reiner and him had later seen Gohan, to take a closer look to his condition, it had been when they and other few other rookie had got separated to the Corps, which he could only later speculated that they had grown suspicious on them. It had been when their War Chief- Zeke Jaeger had made his move on the island that Gohan's energy sensing ability had been disclosed. Then he told them of the Great Ape- the name that he never known, how the Monkey Boy transform to gigantic monkey and beaten the War Chief.

"He looked at the moon, and transformed?" Gasped Udo. The other candidates were already pale listening to the story so it was hard to tell if they were scared by that very detail.

"Th-That sounds like a werewolf." Commented Colt.
"An oversized one!" Added Zofia.

"Weremonkey more like it!" Commented Kenny, and the Warriors nodded at his commentary.

"No lightning, no flesh form around him. You say he gradually gone bigger?" Questioned Hermann, honestly. He had heard of the Oozaru during his training, but never known of the detail, the Grand Master spoke little of the process of a Saiyan's transformation to his Great Ape form. "I know about Titans, that didn't sound like how one would turn."

"Yes, when he turned back, he shrunk, too." Answered Berthold. "He ate two horse carcasses, implying the need for nutrition. He's no ordinary Titan."

"Yeah, duh, because he's the Devil of All Earth. He has to have some unique features. He has a god damned tail." Added Gabbi. "He was bigger than the War Chief?"

Berthold nodded before continued. This giant Ape had not just been strong, but nigh indestructible as well, as a direct hit from one of the Beast Titan's rock throw had only irritated him, and it had jumped a great distance from the castle Reiner and Berthold had been standing to where Zeke had been on.

"I'm gonna throw up!" Falco commented after he tried to measure the distance in his head.

"Apparently the Devil's monkey form couldn't distinguish friends from foes. After his stunt with the War Chief, he turned on us, on the Scouts."

Berthold continued, on how Ymir's reveal of being the Jaw Titan inheritor saved them that day. Porco kicked the dirt when the Jaw Titan was mentioned.

"I getting that one back, I promise you." Roared Porco.

"You say he turned back. He shrunk back. How did he do that?" Asked Pieck. "Did you run around in that Wall till daylight?"

"No, the Scouts couldn't afford that. We cut off his tail." The Warrior Unit let out a sigh of relief at the simplicity of the solution. "That seems to be his weakness."

The story moved on, on how the Scouts had regrouped on the top of the Wall. The Candidates chuckled of how Berthold described the Survey Corps' failure to find the breach, as there was no breach. It was then clear to them how much of a threat Gohan was when they found out Levi Ackerman, one of the island dwellers, had attempted to take the Monkey Boy's life when he had been unconscious. Then they bellowed in anger at how Reiner compromised them.

"Seriously, Reiner? What the hell?" Gabbi crossed her arms in disappointment.

"I was angry at him too. But later when I come to think of it, if he hadn't done that. We'd been lured to prison cell afterward."
"Why so?" Confused Colt.

"They already knew .On how they tried to disarm Reiner. On how everyone without earshot looked tense. If Reiner hadn't done it, I would've never make it back home. Revealing our identities was not a mistake, failing to kill the Devil of All Earth at his most vulnerable was." The Candidates immediately knew what Berthold was talking about when he finished his sentence.

"Fucking missed opportunity." Porco shook his head. "But he's appear to be immortal. It wouldn't have mattered."

"It would have bought us time. He does not heal as fast as us."

"It would have," Concurred Hermann. ", he's all bandaged up after the Female titan."

"And on a crutch!" Added Pieck. "Then the next time you saw him."

"He killed Reiner!"

"Fucking Ki Blasts!" Barked Porco, kicking the dirt again. "Fucking cheats! Witchcraft!"

Gabbi's eyes were soaked with tears when Berthold described the death of her cousin. The Survey Corps had wasted no time finding the two Marleyan nationals and their captives, all due to the Ki Sensing Gohan possessed. Berthold recalled how the tip of Gohan's blade was inches from his face, how Erwin led a horde of Titan to their direction, on how Eren slipped from their fingers once again. He told how Reiner had attempted to get Eren back, how Berthold had known what Gohan had been going to do- the Kamehame, how he had even tried to surrender.

"You tried to surrender?" Gabbi was shocked, as much as the other candidates.

"Moment of weakness. I had seen what it could do. Pieck, you saw it to, the Ackermans, they could do it too. He taught them." Berthold collapsed to his buttock as he was ashamed, and of course traumatized by the past he tried to bury. "Reiner shielded me, but could still feel its heat. My skin seared when on the impact, Reiner's metal plates reddened, and my ribs vibrated by the force. You'd understand why Magath surrendered later if you were there."

"You're barely breathing when I found you, you looked not so unlike your Titan with all those skin I couldn't find." Confirmed Pieck. "There was this crater, guys. It was still smoking where I found him, Reiner… he… I never found Reiner."

"We should have gone home right then, Pieck. None of us was prepared for that." Berthold got back to his feet as he spoke. "Mr Heisenberg, you got a smoke?"

"Right here." Hermann handed Berthold a pack of cigarettes. The Colossal Titan looked at the pack in his hand for a minute, scanning the logo and the name of the brand, after he made sure it was Marleyan he took out a cigarette and Hermann came and lighted it for him.

"Thanks." Said Berthold as he returned the pack. "Where was I?"

"I was there, too. The raiding party had come a long way just to go back that quickly." Responded Pieck.

"And we paid dearly!" Added Berthold.

"We couldn't have known the seriousness of the threat you and the War Chief had spoken of. The men suspected you get it out of proportion out of trauma." Pieck clarified. "It's easy to judge Magath on his insist for the ambush when you're not in his shoes. And to be fair, it initially worked, didn't it?"

"We thought it worked. Even with Gohan killed, the other Ki Users had proved the battle was against us." Retorted Berthold, he took a few smoke from the cigarette before he continued. "Gohan was King when I saw him again. He already knew where our ambush hid. That why I had to feign surrender, get him by surprise…"

The Candidates stood silently as Berthold told them about the Battle for Shiganshina, this was their first time their deputy leader told them about it, Pieck also always skipped the detail. He spoke of the terms King Gohan had offered, how the King had soon seen through the façade, how Berthold manage to injured him when he had transformed. The Candidates gulped when they were told the Devil of All Earth survived all that, they refrained themselves from cheering when they heard the Beast Titan managed to pin him under a rock because they already knew the outcome of the battle. The Candidates frowned when the Colossal revealed he missed the battle inside the district for he had been busy leading the Wall Titans to trample the Survey Corps Reserves, but he had seen what the Devil of All Earth red aura form. He described how quickly Gohan had dispatched the Wall Titans with his Ki Blast, how he had ripped Berthold off his Titan's form and proceeded to torture him.

"He loves to that does he." Kenny rubbed his backside when Berthold mentioned the sodomy he suffered.

"Fucker's a sadist!" Commented Gabbi.

"When I woke up. I'm already on the ship home. Magath had surrendered. Our War Chief, taken. Along with the half of our men." Smoke came out of Berthold mouth as he bitterly spoke. "It was less than fruitless."

"His terms … those prisoners he took, they're hostages. Why Marley hadn't negotiated with them to bring them home?" The Candidate gawked at Hermann as he spoke.

"With the Island Devils?" Screeched Gabbi and Porco.

"We have brothers and sisters of Marley subjected to their captivity. They've been there for four years yet our government done nothin' to ransom them back." Retorted Hermann, his reasoning somehow defused the candidates' tension toward him.

"You think those hostages still alive?" Colt folded his arms.

"The island dwellers be shooting themselves in the foot if they executed those hostages. Devils they might be, but I doubt they're stupid. Our brothers captured by those Devils are their bargaining chips." Kenny nervously looked at Hermann as the Paladin spoke, he spoke as if to blow their covers. "Get our boys back. Revenge can wait."

"You don't suggest we agree to Gohan Winters' terms, do you, Jesse?" Pieck put her hands on her hip, leaned to Hermann and eyed him. "He's the Devil of All Earth!"

"Years in my business told me that you never have to agree to your business partners' terms, you can always bend it, negotiate and compromise. Same applied to competitions." Elaborated Hermann, none of the Warrior Unit made any reaction to his comment. "What I know is, war is bad for business."

"They killed my cousin!" Exclaimed Gabbi.

"And my brother!" Followed Porco.

"And you wish to condemn more fellow Maleyans in imprisonment on that Devil's Dwell for your vengeance?" Retorted Hermann. "I don't say making peace with these people. What I meant to say is if we happen to go war with these people again, I don't want no one to worry of what those devils do to our boys and girls in their chains."

"I don't think any of our superior would hear us out. If we agree with you that is." Berthold stared at Hermann, blankly.

"We can only pray they come to their sense someday, I guessed. Berthold, hearing your story. I'm really sorry for what you and Pieck had to endured. I can only wish these will never have to endure that horror." Hermann pointed at the candidates. "Nor repeat what they had in the Middle East."

"We'll be fine." Protested Gabbi. "We've been through war."
"Which a miracle you made it back. Many soldiers had not had that privilege. Can you be so lucky next time?" Hermann stared at her.

"It's not a miracle, it's Helos." She retorted. The Candidates and the Warriors faces went brighter when she mentioned the name.

"He's real?" Asked Kenny, to which the Warrior Unit nodded.

"He saved the day for us." Added Colt. "We thought we'd lose, but he changed the course of the battle for us."

"Got to see him up close?" Asked Hermann.

"None of us did, we never met him. He flew to Fort Slava and destroyed the Alliance's armoured trains. The Mid Easterns surrendered at the sight of him." Explained Berthold. "He used Ki Blasts, so he could make a good counter-balance to Gohan."

"Looks like we do have chance against the Devil of All Earth. What do you know of him?" Smiled Hermann, before moving on to what he contacted the Warrior Unit for. "If that's allowed."

"You're not missing much, Jesse. Only the brass speak to him personally. We got some description of his appearance up close, but we do know what he looks like afar…." Pieck received no opposition from her comrade as she decided to tell what she knew about the new hero of their nation.


The music played loud and the guests' chatters were the only thing that was able to exceed it. The Tyburs had arranged Liberio's largest hotel to house the ambassadors newly assigned to Marley, now they had it largest ballroom to house the welcome party for the aforementioned ambassadors. Many ambassadors here had made acquaintances to Willy himself since they had been children, so it came as no surprise that the Marleyans would not be remised in their duties to make sure the guests had the best welcoming party as manpower had been amassed to wait tables at the event. The auxiliary troops, nominal troops had been assigned to serve the guests food and drink and tend to the dishes.

After their meeting with Jesse Heisenberg and Kenny Schrader, Falco ,Gabbi, Udo and Zofia were amongst the candidates who were assigned with errand running for the party. It was only several weeks when they had returned home from their war against the Mid-East Alliance, and along with the training afterward before this assignment the candidates had had too little time to rest, though everyone would admit that they appreciate meeting the collectors in their little time of leisure.

The adult staffs monitored the event and actively tended to the guests' requests and needs while the younger staffs were the ones who collected the empty glasses and plates for washing and filling the cups of anyone who needed refills, the Warrior Candidates' duty also collecting new wine bottles from the wine cellar.

"Hmm, what's that? There's devil blood touching the plates." A guest made his comment when he saw Udo working with the plates and cups.

"Urgh, no wonder the food stinks!" Udo heard it when another guest added. The rage filled in his eyes as he gripped the plates and the cup tightly. He and his comrades had risked their lives for the nation yet there were still people treated them with contempt. His rage, however did not last long as it was quickly shifted to fear when he crashed on a woman, spiling the half emptied wine glass he was holding on her dress.

"I-I'm terribly sorry!" Apologized Udo shakily as he nervously gawked at the woman. She looked Oriental by appearance, and she seemed quite concerned of the stain on her clothes. So concerned that she grabbed Udo by the shoulder and pressed him close to her.

"Shh, keep your voice down!" Ordered the Oriental, in a quiet tone.

"B-But your beautiful dress!" Udo should have complied to her demand because one of the staff and few of the guests had noticed the fuss he made.

"Madam, is everything alright?" An adult Marleyan waiter approached.

"How embarrassing! For the life of me, I spilled my wine on my Kimono and had to ask for help." The Oriental woman swiftly and covertly snatch the wine glass from Udo's hand before she defused the situation. "Thank you, young man." She patted on Udo back as she smiled.

"I'm very sorry to hear that. Please, madam. This way." The adult waiter bowed before instructing her to ballroom's exit.

"B-but w-why?" Stammered Udo, this time he had the sense to keep his voice down.

"Hush it! Who knows what would happen to you." The woman whispered to his ear before she followed the waiter to the restroom.

"You okay?" Asked Falco as the woman left his side. Gabbi had also approached him to check on her friende

"Yeah! Can't believe it, she saved my skin, even though she knew I'm Eldian." Answered Udo, his eyes followed the woman who had covered for him.

"She is like Mr Heisenberg and Mr Schrader!" Gabbi's gaze followed the woman she knew was from Hizuru as she was escort to the hallway leading to the restroom. "I know there exists people who appreciate our atonement."

It was a half an hour later when the host of the party arrived. Willy Tybur was accompanied by his wife, his sister- who had been revealed to be the War Hammer Titan and appointed as the Warriors' War Chief, and to the Candidates who waited tables at the party, Jesse Heisenberg was also following him.

"Willy, kin of our savior!" A black ambassador approached Willy and his entourage and greeted. "Lara, never though you would come!"

"Ambassador Ogweno! Long time no see!" Willy gleefully shook the ambassador's hand before the two went into an embrace. When they broke from their hugs, the oligarch noticed another black ambassador, a woman in long-sleeved white dress."Nambia! Oh, Nambia! We were kid when we last met."

"I remember I used to make you cried all the time!" Said Nambia.

"I used to do that too. We have something in common." Added Lara before the two women giggled.

"Willy, do you remember this?" A dark skinned ambassador wearing a red fez showed Willy a large scar on the palm of his hand.

"Oh, from that time you fell from that tree. We're such prankish bunch back in the day!" Answered Willy.

"Who is this new friend of yours? I never had chance to meet." Asked Ogweno, looking at Jesse.

"Oh this is the antiquarian I mentioned in the telegrams. Mr Jesse Heisenberg, these are my friends Ogweno, Nambia and Conan, they are the ambassadors from the Sub-Sentari Nations." Willy introduced the parties to one another, giving the ambassadors time to notice the camera strapped around Jesse's neck. "Ogweno, Nambia, Conan, meet Jesse, he'll be our photographer for the event."

"A pleasure!" Jesse offered his hand and shook hands with Ogweno, Nambia and Conan respectively.

"The pleasure is ours. I could only imagine the skill an antiquarian has in photography to have the Tyburs chose as our photographer." Said Ogweno before Willy took out a photo from his inside pocket. And ambassadors made the same reactions as the Candidates earlier the day when they saw the photo.

"It's colored!" Exclaimed Nambia.

"In good angle, too." Exclaimed Ogweno.

"Most of the magic lay in my toolkit not my skill!" Commented Jesse, jokingly.

"No, Mr Heisenberg, if this was in black and white this would still look amazing!" Conan pated on Jesse's shoulder, complimenting the young antiquarian. "The artifacts and auctioning business would be laid in jeopardy if you ever committed to this! As it would lose a resourceful broker."

"Oh, yes. Mr Heisenberg is on his quest looking for a certain set of artifact!" Willy signaled Jesse for something, which the collector searched his satchel a took out another photo that showed a white orb with three black stars in it. "I almost forgot! There 6 more of this right? It's originally plain, but once you shake it ,the stars here appear."

The three ambassadors leaned in and took a look at the object shown in the picture, two more ambassadors took a look at the picture, being intrigued by the conversation they overheard. The ambassadors examined the object thoroughly and carefully searched their memories to recall if they had ever seen the similar artifact somewhere. A tapping sound of a wine glass interrupted the concentrating ambassadors.

"May I have your attention please!" It was a Marleyan representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affair who got the ambassador attention. "Ladies and gentlemen! We thank you all for coming here tonight! Until recently, we were squabbling our resource in an unsightly war. However, yesterday's enemy is today' enemy!"

"Smooth, mister!" Murmured Jesse as he made notice on the shock on the guests' reactions to the representative speech. The collector raised his camera and took picture of the speaker.

"Pardon me! Yesterday's enemy is today's friend. Let us wash the past down the toilet with our drinks!" Jesse could only sighed and followed Willy to the representative as the speech continued. None of his next word made the ambassadors felt any less uneasy, in the contrary the shock on some of the international guests' faces turned into visible anger. It was natural nobody joined him in his toast. "So raised your glasses and join me for a toast! To everlasting peace!"

"Thank you very much!" Applauded Willy as he approached his representative. " An elegant way lightened the mood of our guests with your humor."

"Huh?" The representative was confused.

"But, I'm afraid our guests' senses of humor vary! Just let me take it from here!" The representative could only nod and be content with Willy's offer as he took over and walked away. Jesse quickly stood behind Willy as the oligarch bowed to his guests who immediately cheered and applauded.

"Yeah, Willy!"

"Kin of our savior!"

"Tomorrow, I invite you to Liberio Internment Zone." The difference expression in the guests' expressions were visible comparing to the earlier underwhelming speech of the representative. As the ambassadors all attentive to Willy's speech. "The home of the people whose blood runs through me and my sister, Lara. Those ones who's called devils for the slaughter of an unfathomable number of people – the Eldian race. Though once regressed more greatly than any others, Marley had shamefully used the devils to oppressed other nations and repeat the tragedy. I'm more than understanding your desire to exterminate the Eldians. But I've arrived at the solution that will solve this endless problem. Tomorrow, I will unravel that solution in my first ever theater-production." Willy raised his cup for a toast, and Jesse readied his camera. "To the greatest playwrights and witnesses of history!"

"To the greatest playwright and witnesses of history!" The guested raised their cups and had a toast in unison and Jesse captured the moment with his camera.

"I think it's good opportunity for a group photo. You know, before everyone… the drinks." Jesse leaned in and whispered in Willy's ear.

"Quick thinking, my friend!" Nodded Willy before he returned to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen. Friends and companions. Gather round. Let us have a group photo to ingrain our friendship into history."

The ambassadors stacked up in 3 ranks, with Willy and his family standing in the middle of the first row, facing the cameraman. Jesse took a few minutes to arrange his subjects, rearranging the tallest ambassador to the third row and the shortest ones at the first, he made sure that Willy could lower his posture being in the first row without his slouch being noticeable. At a three quick looks standing from where he found to be a good angle, he pointed the lens to mass of ambassadors and their hosts and took five shots.

The party continued most casually, mostly with a few gossip and chats, some guests made attempts to play at the piano. The talks were mainly about the trade deals, past relation with Willy among the Guests. Occasionally Jesse was asked to take a few individual photos, some separated group photo, with and without Willy in them.

"Mr Tybur, sir. Could I be allowed to have … Mr Heisenberg, is it?" A Hizuru ambassador- who had changed her Kimono for a new one approached Jesse and the Tybur. Jesse nodded at the name. "If I may can I have him to take a few picture of me outside of the ballroom? This is a very lovely hotel and wished to have some mementos of it before I made my stay in the embassy official!"

"I have no issue with that. Jesse?" Answered Willy, politely.

"I mean I wouldn't available to the others if they request me for pictures." Answered Jesse, looking at the Tyburs for approval.

"It's still a lot of time!" Smiled Willy as he reassured the collector.

"We can wait ,Mr Heisenberg. It's be alright." Added Lara.

"I won't be long, either! Now, excuse us!" Bowed Jesse before he and the Hizuru ambassador took their leaves. Willy waved a waiter to escort the two outside.

The first picture he took for the Hizuru ambassador was right outside the entrance of the ballroom. Then the second location was the sculptures exhibition in the hotel reception. Then the waiter Willy assigned escort them to the fountain in the hotel courtyard.

"This is far enough, thank you. We can find our own way from here." The ambassador dismissed the waiter. "We return to the ballroom in a minute."

The waiter bowed and turned to return to the party. When the waiter was out of sigh, the Hizuru woman's casual demeanor shifted to a more serious one.

"You've achieved the level that few of those in your profession could get to."

"The color of my photos is all due to my toolkit, not calibre of my skill." Replied Jesse.

"You don't recognized my face, do you? I however remember every face I've seen in Paradis, Paladin Gleaves!" The collector who proclaimed himself Jesse Heisenberg had his eyes widened as the Hizuru woman uttered his real name and birthplace.

"I am more surprised of how you know my rank!" Replied Jess- Paladin Gleaves, folding his arms and tilting his head as he scanned the ambassador who saw through his cover.

"My name is Azumabito Kiyomi, I was with the envoy of Hizuru to Para-" Kiyomi's introduction was cut short by the Paladin.

"Not here!" Interrupted Hermann, he motioned his head to the small number of hotel guests lingered around them. He lighted himself a cigarette before leading her to a corner of the courtyard, away from the earreach of the bystander. "And please, keep your voice down!"

After repositioned herself to designated position of her contact, Kiyomi followed his instruction by leaning her back on the wall beside him and started to whisper.

"Lady Winters speaks highly of you and your fellow Fighters. And you were there when I arrived in Paradis."

"I surely wasn't authorized to notice the envoys in my country." Replied Hermann, smoke came out of his mouth every time he spoke.

"I am not restricted to such work ethics. My position as a diplomat dictates me to make notice of details that may or may not benefit my nation for possible treaties." Chuckled Kiyomi, mildly as she commented. "How long've you infiltrated here? You got yourself pretty close to Willy, that's not something could be done in only days, or weeks!"

"Six months, I got to Lara in the fourth. Pouring honey in her ears and offered to take their pictures when I met the rest of the family. When I told Willy about my artifact collecting business, we got here!" Answered Hermann.

"Never knew Lara Tybur to be so susceptible to flattery. You much have some charm in your arsenal." Commented Kiyomi, trying to paint the image of Lara being fooled with seduction.

"It's harder that I made it sound to be. I was in luck that Lara has an interest in archeology and I happened to word it right." Hermann took another puff of smoke before he continued. "I imagine you didn't pull me out here to ask me about my relation with the Tybur, did you?"

"Hmm, it's not very difficult to speculate that the solution Willy was talking about is waging war with your nation." Kiyomi headed straight to the point right after when Hermann suggested her to. "I need a head up of your countermove."

"I don't think telling people of your war plan is something warfighters normally do." Commented Hermann as he averted his eyes on the bystanders in the area.

"If you intent to have a preemptive strike on Liberio before Marley makes a move on you, I prefer not to be caught in a crossfire, knowing of it head on would help that in a large margin." Explained Kiyomi, capitalized on the Islanders fear of endangering their sympathizers.

"Fair enough, the moment Willy announced his declaration of war, our Fighters strike." Relented Hermann, he had not thing to say against her reasoning. "Our attacks would be mainly non-lethal, but stray bullets and explosions may cause collateral damage. So once our Grand Master makes his move, I suggest you stay low and get the hell out of there."

"Good to know. So other Fighters are here to. I suspect they only arrived more recently than you did." Said Kiyomi, deliberately making her gratitude audible.

"Is there anything else?" Asked Hermann.

"Well, if possible, I wish you to deliver my word to Lady Winter. I want to be arranged to have a meeting with Zeke Jaeger in my next visit to Paradis." Requested Kiyomi, to which the Paladin squinted. "Zeke Jaeger was our contact for many years, he been secretly helping Eldians and Anti-Marleyan Volunteer against the republic for his people safety. He had once introduce us with you, and suggested us to make contact with you ones he found the time was right. But when we learned that you had captured him, we decided to do it on our own."

"The Beast Titan is responsible for the countless murders of our innocents civilians and soldiers just in order to build up his cover to Marley. His intention did not justify his actions, so he's still deemed a criminal in our Hegemony. So you must understand your request is too much. However, I'll relay your message once we done with our attack here." Hermann dropped his cigarette and put it out with his foot before giving his answer to the ambassador's request. "I can't make any guarantee on her approval."

"Thank you, Paladin Gleaves!" Bowed the ambassador. The Paladin nervously looked at the bystanders, some of them had already made their walk passed their location. And he did also sense a familiar Ki approaching from the hotel, if the ambassador made any slip-up mentioning his home or his name when said person arrived, months of hard work would be for nothing.

"Jesse, or Heisenberg. My approach here is non-lethal. But if you so happen to compromise me, be acknowledged that a tranq gun and a half dose of pig tranquilizer would be enough to silent you." Subtle but authoritative was the Paladin's grunt and though it did not frightened the ambassador but it had caused her to change her choice of addressing him.

"Very sorry, Mr Heisenberg. I supposed I should refer to 'you-know-who' as your employers from now on then." Said Kiyomi before she bowed again. The Paladin shrugged before nodded to her suggestion. "So your… blue-haired female employer. I look at the draft she handed us, very ingenious in design. And the capsule, the tank. She was clearly not from … your home, was she? What's her story?"

"That's classified. If she wishes to tell you, she will tell you." Answered Hermann.

"Pity. Very well. Your employer, the young one." Kiyomi pouted before regained her composure and asked about the King. "Will he be here for your operation."

"He said he would be supervising us. We're on our own. He wishes to see if we could do this without him." Answered Herm- Jesse before for he motioned his index finger for her to be quiet and step out from the corner they were leaning on. "Gabbi! How did your superior let you leave your post?"

Kiyomi followed his gaze to the entrance of the hotel, a young girl with yellow Eldian armbands was walking toward them. The Hizuru diplomat did not know why the undercover Paladin had to shushed her, the Candidate was not close enough to overhear them.

"Mr Heisenberg! Sorry if I interrupted you, but Mr Tybur requests your audience." Panted Gabbi as she approached the collector.

"Must be something important. Right away, Gabbi! Let's not keep him waiting!" Smiled Jesse before he patted on the youngster's head. "Madam Azumabito, if you wish to return to the party?"

"Right behind you, Mr Heisenberg!" The Hizuru diplomat answered gladly.

So the enthusiastic Warrior Candidate led the 'collector' and the ambassador in their way back to the ballroom. The Candidate seemed to have sprint her way to the fountain for she was slumping on their way to the hallway leading to the ballroom. Normally it was the hotel staff, the adult waiters who would tend to the guests like this, so it could be assumed that she had volunteered.

"You had to ask Mr Tybur to get me, didn't you?" Asked Jesse.

"N-No, he ordered me specifically!" Lied Gabbi.

"C'mon, now. Mr Tybur told me the procedure already, the hotel staff should be the one who do this." Jesse saw right through her lie as he teased, causing the Candidate to blush. "You got reprimanded did you not? You shouldn't dive yourself into trouble like that? Make me feel bad."

"I can't believe you also get invited!" Replied Gabbi, evading the 'collector' s question.

"Willy Tybur's a potential customer, I had to get to know him." Replied Jesse, patting both his hand on Gabbi's shoulders. "Seemed I underestimate his easygoing nature, never expect we'd become friends."

"How do you come to know the young Honorary Marleyan, Mr Heisenberg?" Asked Kiyomi, curios by the Candidate attachment to the 'collector'.

"We've met in Park Conelius. After their campaign in the Mid-East, I met her and her fellow Honorary Marleyan on one of their weekend leaves." Answered Jesse, he let his hands go off Gabbi shoulders when the ballroom's entrance was right infront of them.

"He does not hate us, just like you Madam Azumabito. Thank you for what you did for my friend Udo." Gabbi turned to Kiyomi and smiled at her before the hotel staff opened the door for them.

"Mr Heisenberg!" Greeted one of the ambassadors as Jesse Heisenberg made his reentry. "Hope the Devil didn't bother you with her filthy blood!"

"No such thing! She's been quite helpful! And uh, cut back on derogatory terms," Answered Jesse, he then rubbed on his sleeve near the shoulder. "yellow mean Honorary Marleyan, so be easy on her, please. She fought to earn it!"

"Jesse! Come! I have good news for you!" Called out Willy, the oligarch beckoned him to join him and his Sub-Sentarian ambassadors friends. Some of the ambassadors were also surrounding the Kin of the Savior. "Nambia!"

"Mr Heisenberg, the item of your inquiry!" Nambia showed the picture of the Dragon Ball to the ambassadors before returned it to Jesse when he approached them. "A village chief in my nation of Gaugamela possesses something similar."

Jesse Heisenberg gasped before screeching in excitement. His cheeks were blushing with rejoice and he could not shut his own smile down upon hearing the news. Willy Tybur and his ambassadors nodded in satisfaction seeing the talented antiquarian and photographer's happiness.

"Curb it down! Alright curb it down, it just some part of my memories returning to me. It's orbular and white like in the picture, he showed it to me and Guagamelan colleages once, he shook it, and it showed a black star." Explained Nambia as she trying to curb the antiquarian's excitement for his attention.

"Let me get my notebook, where's the village?" Jesse pulled out a notebook and a pen from his satchel.

"I don't remember the exact location, but the village name is Diagongué, it's in the Southwest of my country, the village chief's name is Denethor." Jesse Heisenberg carefully noted the name in Marleyan alphabets as Nambia gave her instructions. "I can only help you that much!"

"You're not some sort of treasure hunter, are you, Mr Heisenberg?" One ambassador asked him. Jesse looked at the ambassador, the man was white, he wasn't from the Sub-Sentari nation.

"Some might say so, but no. I find and redetermined the value of artifacts few aware of, then broker auctions for their biddings. I can still find such artifacts if they in possession of someone, follow their paper trail and by the word-of-mouth." Explained Jesse as he slowly calmed down. "If the artifacts were hidden somewhere in a sealed-off tomb or buried in some unknown swamps … well It's when I need the help of the people you mentioned!"

The ambassadors and their hosts were left agape when Jesse explained the nature of his work. The guests then nodded at one another with dampened smiles on their face, impressed by the collector's job.

"May I ask, Mr Heisenberg? What is the story behind this thing that makes you so happy to hear of it where about? I hear Willy said that there are six more?" Asked Ogweno, the other ambassadors also looked at Jesse, waiting for the answer.

"Two are currently under my employer possession. One was in his family for generation. The other I managed to find and buy from an auction in Qoquesst ,Naran" Answered Jesse, telling half- truth.

"That's in the Mid-East! When was this auction take place? During the War? Before or After?" Asked whom the others revealed as the Mid-East Ambassador of Naran.

"During the heat of it!" The ambassador gasped at the collector's blatant answer.

"But all entries were blocked for Marleyans!"

"I have unsavory friends!" Answered Jesse, and the ambassador gawked at him. "No worries, it's only my expenditures are illegal. My incomes are clean."

"Your secrets are safe with us, Jesse. Can I call him Jesse, Willy? Can I call you Jesse?" Jesse nodded at another ambassador from the Mid-East Alliance when he requested for a first name basis. "On the condition that you tell me what the values of these artifacts that you were willing to go to so much trouble for one of them, breaking the law that is, dealing with smuggler?"

"That what I ask him!" Added Ogweno.

"The value of an object is determined by the belief of the people who believe it to be. In the case of these objects, my employer and his circle of friends believe that once assembled ,these seven Dragon Balls, as they dubbed them, could grant powerful wish." The eyes of the Tyburs, the ambassadors and the staffs who overheard Jesse's answer were widened like Dragon Balls themselves. Jesse felt no need to hide the story any longer.

"And apparently you believe that also. Judging by expression you made when Nambia told you about the third one." An ambassador from the People Republic of Greater Chu commented. He laughed manically but then stopped short as he found out nobody laughed with him.

"Powerful wish? What kind of wish, Jesse?" Asked Lara as she smiled at him. "Is there any rule to it?"

"Or Wishes, Lara. My employer and his friends been arguing about how many wish would the Dragon Balls grant. But the wish, well, or wishes lay within the power of the Dragon Balls themselves. True love. Wealth beyond measure. Absolute Power. The death of your enemies. Eternal life. Bringing the dead back to life." The crowd trembled with fear and astonishment as Jesse named the examples of wishes that could be made, not a cord violin was stroke, no key of piano pressed, not a drop of wine drank as all those presented in the ballroom was committed on listening the lore of the artifacts. "The rules, well they vary. Each member of the circle has different version on the rules of the Dragon Balls. But there're these ones shared by all versions. The first unchanging rule is that, one the wish granting was finished, the balls scatter to different location until they be found and assembled again." Nambia and Conan nervously looked at one another. "Second, those who have been wished back to life cannot be revived again if they died a second time. That because each wish can only be granted no more than once." The Mid-East Alliance ambassador gulped as the rules were explained. "Third, you can only wish the death of a person, provided that person's power does not exceed the power of the Dragon Ball's creator. Which none us are." The candidates sweated when the third rule was revealed. "Firth, you can never wish to undo the previous one." And the last one was very disturbing. "The last, should the creator of these balls dies, the dragon balls die with him. Reduce to ordinary rocks with no star on them. These still have stars, so that means he is alive somewhere, laying dormant in some dark, empty corner of the earth."

"Start a campfire! Ghost story time!" Jested one ambassador.

"I can believe someone would believed that!" Another commented.

"Hmm, not so sure about that. My employer believes it, his friends believe it." Those that tried to dismiss Jesse's story went silent as he retorted. "And the fact that I have to travel thousands of kilometers from one Ball to the next had already give some foundation to rule number one."

"Some question of the rule!" Lara raised her hand. Jesse motioned her to ask away. "Uhm, can't we bend the second rule by being very specific in our wish? Like if I wish to have two different person back alive in two separate wishes, would it not work because I already wish the first person back alive?"

"I can answer that!" Willy played along. "I paid much attention on what Jesse said about the rules. The second pretty fixated on dead people being revived twice. So I think you can bend it by being very specific! Jesse, is any of the versions say against this?"

"Not to what I know. The versions all say one dead person cannot be revived twice, none say anything about reviving two people in separate wishes. So I think it's possible!" Shrugged Jesse. And yes, two people can be revived in separate wishes, even two separate groups of people can be revived in two separate wishes.

"Why the hell do they have to put bringing dead people back as the example of that rule? It's pretty morbid don't you think? Why not stacking wealth? Of course I can't wished to be rich twice, but if be creative I can wish 40 billions the first time and wish for 30 the next."

"You are a greedy one, Mehmed!"
"Because people would prioritize reviving decease loved ones over wealth!" Kiyomi stepped in, Jesse pointed his index her approvingly. "Money can never fill the holes our lost loved one left behind."

The crowd lowered their heads as the correct rebuttal of the ambassador from Hizuru had relived the grief everyone tried to bury. Every man, woman and child in the room had a certain loved one who had passed away in many reasons and they took this opportunity to take a moment of silence in their honor.

"Mehmed was right! This is morbid!" One ambassador nervously laughed

"Follow ups, Mr Heisenberg." Marta, Willy's wife took her turn to ask. "You said the Dragon Balls are the names of these artifact. Would there be a dragon should the items were gathered together."
"Good question, darling." Added Willy, smiling at his spouse.

"I haven't gather all seven of them yet. But I doubt they are called that if there's no dragon." Jesse scratched his head. The guests were so amused and committed by this story so much that no one else talked about anything else after the story had been told. "And, uh, yes! My employer and his friends always talked about this Divine Dragon that would grant them their wish."

"This employer of yours, does he have a name?" Asked an ambassador, at whom Willy approached slightly elbowed his arm.

"He does. But my work ethics enforced me not to violate our mutual agreement of confidential." Answered Jesse, his answer left the ambassador grimaced in disappointment. "So I cannot reveal his real name. However, he had no bother if anyone learn of his alias: The Brazen Catfish!"

"As in a Catfish made of Brass. What? Does he wear a brazen catfish mask?" Probed the same ambassador. Now this was Jesse's turn to grimace and nod. "My god! Your employer that kind of person is he?"

"Pardon?"

"The kind of people who tries to be wise, always act mysterious. Never speak full sentence, and give instruction in riddles." Spoke the ambassador, leaving the collector speechless. "Oh my god ,he is! Sorry you have to work for that kind of annoying people. You need a drink! Waiters, pour him a glass!"

Udo ran at one of the nearest tables to Jesse and proceed to fill wine into an empty glass before gently gave the aforementioned collector the wine glass. Which Jesse smiled at the Candidate and accepted it.

"That enough, Louis! Let's not turn this event to a gossip on Jesse's boss!" Willy pat on the ambassador's back, dismissing him before returning to Jesse. "My apologies, it appears that I've picked too strong of a wine for the party! So did the Brazen Catfish and his friend ever tell you, what wish will they make if they find all seven?"

"No, he didn't, they didn't. And I never asked! I heard about they would call a bidding to find who get to make the wish, so I'm sure it's not about wealth. " Answered Jesse before turning to the source of the third Dragon Ball whereabout. "Ambassador Nambia, any forewarning before I make contact with this village chief for my Dragon Ball?"

"I afraid that's the bad news. The village chief, Denethor and his sons, well, I'm afraid they are quite possessive of their property. This One-star Dragon Ball is a family heirloom pass down from generations in their family. I do not think any amount of money could convince them hand it over!" Nambia lowered her head and slowly shook it. She felt so ashamed of how limited her help was.

"I'll negotiate." Answered Jesse.

"Please do not hurt them. They're good people!" Pleaded Nambia.

"I'll do no such thing. I dealt with people that are hard to get before, having antiques that are not for sale. Never once I resort to violence!" Reassured Jesse, sipping a little wine from his cup.

"That's good to hear. With your story, I believe we should have another toast!" Willy reached for another glass of wine before he got the ambassadors' attention. "This toast is for my newfound friend, Jesse Heisenberg and his quest for his legendary wish granting set of Dragon Balls. Let us drink for his safe travel, and for his success. And drink for the right wish that may his employer make when he found all of them seven. For our Jesse! For his Dragon Quest! For the Right Wish!"

"For our Jesse!"

"For his Dragon Quest!"

"For the Right Wish!"


It was not an understatement that the house was abandoned. It was a large mansion, capable of accommodating 30 people counting its twin bedrooms, but the run-downed state of the architecture made the place unhabitable. Vines and algae had grown in almost every corner of the house, had the place was not located in middle of a heavily populated city, no one would have found it. The locals told tales of what had had transpired in the house two or three decade ago, about how the owner and his household had been massacred by the Eldian Restorationists. The house was believed to be haunted, its neighbors went to sleep early to avoid hearing and seeing what they did not want to see when night fell and no pedestrians or vehicles would linger to peek a look at what transpired in the house whenever they pass, and no one with adventure in their blood would dare to venture inside the building, no matter how brave they were. And now, with the Fighter Initiatives taking refuge in the house, more people saw movement inside and heard voices coming out had made the ghost story even closer to truth.

There was not much to do for the section of the Fighters who infiltrated Liberio, they had to lay low, so none of them had exited the safe house once Gleaves had guided them there. Most of the time they would just eat the canned food that they had brought with them from Paradis, play the card game which deck Yamcha had carried with him, chit chat about trivial topics and make use of their leisure to rest.

They had had themselves geared up before their embark to the main land, Eren, Yamcha, Annie, Levi, Mikasa and Gunther had put on the Saiyan Armors while the other had donned the sleech black coverall of the Interior Police Anti-Personnel Unit. The six aforementioned Fighters wore the limited high end armor for the reason that they would be expected to be in thickest of the battle, while the others act as supports, and the Saiyan Armors were in a very limited quantity. Gunther had lead Oluo, Eren and Sasha to Karifa, their Liberio comrades could only hope that the four Fighters had located an ideal refuge. They also had personal radios on them, along with two set of ham radios for a further range of communication to the island, and radio wave amplifiers for. Yamcha and Bulma had failed to snatch any Senzu beans in their escape from Bojack, so the fighters had brought some adrenaline shot with them, along with many bandages and medicines for their aid kit. The adrenaline shot did not have the healing proprieties for the Fighters' future injuries like the Senzu Beans should possess, nor could them replenish their stamina like those magic beans, but they would surely numb their pains and distract them from fatigues long enough for the injured and tired Fighters to withdraw to safety.

"The Saiyans exceeded Kami's power, the Dragon could not kill them." Said Yamcha, the stories of his homeworld were amongst the topics of the Fighters' chat.

"That because you didn't get imaginative enough!" Retorted Ymir, she was the one who wondered why the Z-Fighters had not wished to kill Vegeta and Nappa before their arrival on Earth. "See you didn't have to wish them dead. Saiyans cannot breath in space, you could have wish to destroy their pods. Unless … you suspect the Space Pod to exceed Kami's power as well?"

Yamcha's iris dilated as the realization sunk in. As the Jaw Titan's rebuttal was thought over by the Grand Master, he felt the blast of the Saibaman's self-destruct that had killed him came back again. The rules of the Dragon Balls were fixed, but they could away be loopholed, the Z-Fighters and also had always thought to directly in their approaches.

"Sunova… I can believe none of us thought of that! You Eldians aren't quite the primitive screwheads that I thought you were!" Exclaimed Yamcha, genuine in his remark.

"You highly enlightened modern folks would have thought of that had you not so over yourself!" Snarked Ymir, causing her fellow Fighters sans the Grand Master to choke at her audacity.

"Shit! I can't make any argument against that!" Remarked Yamcha as he got his back off the floor.

"That could only work with the Saiyans!" Levi joined the conversation as he drank his soda, still holding the can by the brims. "If it was Frieza or his father, you're shit out of luck. Those fuckers can breathe in the vacuum of space!"

"Now that you mentioned the Frieza Race! I think killing the Saiyans before they reaching Earth wouldn't have been a good idea." Commented Mikasa.

"Have you been dead before? I have. It's less than stimulating, I tell you! I would prefer not dying. Being brought back does not make it any better." Rebuked Yamcha, glaring at the Oriental. "And we lost our Dragon Ball that day!"

"Yeah, Piccolo died so Kami died! The Namekians' Live Links thing is pretty hard to digest!" Commented Annie, she had been slumbering but the conversations interrupted her rest.

"That what I was getting to, Annie! But if the Earth Dragon Balls weren't lost, and the Z-Fighter didn't die. You would have the motivation to go to Namek. Goku wouldn't have the chance to unlock his Super Saiyan, you wouldn't have a chance against the Android!" Continued Mikasa. "Doctor Gero build them to avenge the Red Ribbons, had nothing to do with the Saiyans."
"Oh yeah!" Remarked Annie.

"Yes and there's a chance Frieza would get his wish of immortality! Never know when he learned of the Dragon Balls." Yamcha clicked his tongue as his thought it over, perhaps his death and his friend's had been a necessary pivotal for the safety of his planet. "Wouldn't have been able to stop him either!"

"Oh, Yes! Butterfly effect and all that!" Shrugged Ymir.

"Cell wouldn't have brought Gohan here!" Added Annie, she made no more elaboration on that. The Female Titan glanced at both of her hands, she wondered what would become of her without the Monkey Boy presence in her world, what more damage she and her fellow Warriors would have done to the Island and what they would have retaliated with.

The five Fighters heard footstep coming down from the flight of stairs, Connie was holding his head as he walking down the stairs from the second floor.

"Guys. Next time if you're planin' on disturbin' my sleep, at least don't make me drink so much, man." Said Connie, he had drank too much beer in his time in the safehouse. Now, he was suffering from hangover.

"No one forced you to drink all those beers, Connie! It's not our faults you chose the alcoholic bev'rage!" Sneered Ymir. The No-longer-bald Fighter glared at her disgruntledly as he joined the five.

"Capt' Levi! Can you make a cold one for my head?" Asked Connie tiredly. "Or please Mikasa, blow off my fucking head!"

He had grown to dislike the Initiatives favorism to trivial talk against resting in their leisure. Connie had seen no point of the topics even though he occasionally participated in those small talks. He had once been its most enthusiastic part taker when it had been still about Gohan's old world, Gohan's family and friend, the theoretical science and the Saiyans' History. But then when the small talks became the 'what would you done in that situation' kind of talk then Connie's excitement became waning as the time pass. The most annoying part that he found himself remembering what his teammate had been talking about. The topic had been dragging on what would the Eldians do to stop the Saiyans, Frieza and the android to would have ever trusted Vegeta, or taken a Ki blast for the genocidal prince, to how long would it take for the Z Fighters to eradicate the Titans on Paradis if they had been in full power or could they stop the Eldian Empire had they been traveled back in time 1,000 years ago. To many far-fetched 'what-ifs' that Connie knew to well no one would know the answer of.

"Urhg, let me check. Leonheardt, get over to the table, see if you can find Springer here any wake up juice." Ordered Levi, which Annie rolled her eyes before reluctantly stood up and walked to a table where they had laid their canned provision down. She searched through the cans and picked up a bottle of electrolyte water.

"Master Levi." Annie tossed Levi the bottle, he caught it. The bottle was in room temperature, the former SOS Captain rubbed it in his hands as he altered his Ki. Cold vapor came out of the bottle and his hands as his teammates sensed the shift in his Ki as he was cooling the bottle of electrolyte.

"Springer, for the hangover. Let's save the drinking till we get home, next time, shall we?" Levi handed Connie the cold bottle. The Novice grunted as he accepted the bottle before he uncapped it and poured the water to his face and his mouth.

"Sorry, Captain… I mean Master Levi." Grunted Connie, tiredly. The soldier sat down on the mossed floor before he rubbed his forehead and continued. "My mother just recovered, she didn't allow me to drink for the celebration. I seized this opportunity as it is."

"Should've known better not to bring those beers. That's on me. My bad!" Yamcha approached the Novice and patted on his shoulder.

The only person who wasn't startled when there was a knock at the front door was Levi. The most prestigious of Ten Pupil had been failing to deactivate his Ki Sensing ability despite his magnificent prowess. So he knew exactly who was behind the door.

"Who is it?" Whispered Connie as he joined his fellow Fighters in their fighting stance.

"Relax! It's the Wolf!" Reassured Levi before he strode toward at the door and opened it.

"Holy shit, Gleaves! You scared the shit out of us!" Exclaimed Ymir before Hermann Gleaves entered the house and Levi closed the door behind him.

"It's not good, Grand Master. I come with grave news!" The Paladin abandoned his calm collector façade when he saw Yamcha in the house and rushed to him.

"What is it?" Puzzled Yamcha.

"I was wrong! Willy Tybur isn't declaring war on us next week. He's planning to do it tomorrow." The Fighters grinded their teeth and twitched their faces once they heard the Paladin's answer.

"What the fuck? Neither Erwin or Yelena can finish their preparation that quickly!" Exclaimed Yamcha.

"Nor those on Eren's side. They haven't radioed us in yet. Can't know if they can hear our signal!" Added Mikasa.

"It 's within the 'coming week' dateline you gave us. So it's not entirely inaccurate of your speculation." Commented Levi, he moved to the ham radio in the corner of the room. Fixing the dials and checking the button. "We've already saw the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers loading the weapons on their ships, the Shock Army may just need a battalion of Scout Riders, they wouldn't need all the horses. The rest of the army can move on foot or their rigs." He turned to the Microphone and pressed the Push-to-Talk button. "Chariot to Cannon, how copy?" And then the Master turned to Yamcha as he released the button. "Pyxis' Composite Division and Lobov's Pheonix Division are ordered to allocate 2 Rifles each for the invasion, they can go one each. Hermann, do you know exactly when he made the declaration? Right in the morning? Afternoon?Or night time?"

"He's doing it in the evening, he giving the daytime for the festival!" Answered Hermann.

"Then we still have time!" Commented Levi before he returned to radio. "Chariot to Cannon, how copy? Chariot to Cannon, how copy? Chariot to Guard, how copy? Chariot to Guard, how copy?"

"This is Guard, good copy!" A voice answered from the other end of the radio, and everyone recognized Floch's voice.

"Guard, standby for the Chariot's advice of the chessboard!" Levi spoke to the radio.

"Copy that, Guard's on the move in the barrack!" Answered Floch on the radio.

There was another knock on the door, this time Levi did not look so relax as the next time. The Fighters this time had already had their Ki Sensing activated and was not as tense as the last time.

"Kenny! He must have something to tell us!" Commented Mikasa.

"I rather he relay it to you first!" Grunted Levi as he glared at Hermann. The Ripper's Ki hadn't changed a bit since their last confrontation.

"I bring good news for you Yamcha!" The Ripper walted inside when Annie opened the door. "Oh, Levi. You look dashing in that suit!"

"What good news?" Probed Yamcha.

"Well, what! Jesse Heisenberg, the Pub Sec make your money's worth. Magath is here to visit his General Calvi and his old subordinates. Had already been here by train three days ago." Said Kenny before eyeing Levi whom glared back at him.

"Can we make such arrangement to meet him with time so limited?" Asked Mikasa.

"We have our windows till nightfall." Answered Yamcha. His face was filled with glee. "We have to make our talk private. Know where usually drop by in Liberio? Somewhere secluded?"

"The Pub Sec said he usually visit this one café in his leisure. And this one bar when he used to drink with his men." Answered Kenny. The Fighters clicked their tongues as neither of the locales sounded secluded. "I don't know about secluded. But you can bet your asses that those two are secluded than his old office and his bosses'. Unless you want to go there instead, be my guest!"

"Take this seriously, old man! The attack starts tomorrow evening, Willy fucking Tybur is declaring on us!" Barked Levi, it was the radioman's duty that kept him from jumping at the Ripper.

"Holy fuck! Tomorrow?" Exclaimed Kenny, he put his hands on hip before looking at Hermann. "No wonder I can't find you in the Pawn Shop. Mustva flew your ass straight here once you left the party, didn't you? Alright, what's the plan?"

The six Fighters in Liberio looked at Hermann, demandingly. Hermann then explained to them about the festival that would be held tomorrow in the Internment Zones, and how Willy had alluded his international guests on his plan there tomorrow. After the Paladin finished on his intel, the Fighters had known what to do.

"Well, Captain Germophobe, step aside. Let's reaching our boys and girl in Karifa again, shall we!" Yamcha approached the radio, grabbed the mic and proceed to press the PTT button. "Chariot to All Chess Pieces. This is the advice of the chessboard!"

"Guard Copy!" Said Floch via the radio.

"Elephant Copy!" Said Yelena via the radio.

"Rider Copy!" Said Erwin via the radio.

"Cannon Copy!" Said Gunther via the radio. Once those in the Chariot callsign heard their Cannon counterpart spoke, they snorted, took the Karifa Fighter long enough to answer.

In fear of the Marleyan Intelligence agency intercept the transmission. The Call Signs were made similar to chesspieces of the Elephant Chess. And the message would be also in code. Should Marley intercept this, they would suspect or even know that it was belong to the Paradis Island, however it may take them a lot more time to decipher the intention of the message.

The declaration of war will be made in the following day, so the invasion contingent must be start moving tonight.

"It appears that old Shane can't play us the next game! His son was chased by feral dogs, and fell when he was running. There no bite, but he's strained his ankle! No stitch needed."

All remaining Titans of the Warrior Unit were concentrated in Liberio, so Karifa should be safe for the Ground Forces and Aviators Arms to take.

"The clinic was fully staffed. Everyone is in their shifts, nobody is on leave. Not that the boy would need it."

There civilians, Marleyan citizens, Eldians and international guests would be attending it. Karifa citizens may listen to Willy's upcoming speech through their national boardcast.

"As the motherly instinct dictates, the boy's old lady exaggerated his injuries and demand a numerous forms of prescription. Including the vaccine for rabies. She made a scene, and disturbed the other patience and their families."

Levi had suggested for Composite Division and Pheonix Division to only send one rifle regiment each for the invasion and First Shock Army to only bring enough horses for one battalion. Luckily, His Overlordship's Defense Force also have codes for this.

"Some patients had to calm her down. Suggesting he only need a thorough examination for his two bones. Even if he injection for rabies, they must have examine the dogs that chase him first. And those dogs had none in they pack died, even though one in that pack of five has one its legs broken."

The Fighters would commence their assault the exact moment Willy finished his Declaration of War, and the Invasion contingent should follow shortly.

"Either way, old Shane was able to convince her to wait for the doctor's final opinion."


Next Chapter: Declaration of War