By the time they were dropped off at the nearest backwater island, a certain "Elder Falls", Valentine was a wreck. He was sweating through his clothes, yet wracked with shivers. Pain lanced through his wound whenever he moved, and if his focus slipped, his vision would blur. Red kept a close eye on him as they entered the island, asking him incessantly about his condition, which Valentine shrugged off each time.

The settlement they docked at was entirely unimpressive. The houses were small and seemed to be made entirely of local material, mostly wood and thatch. It was a humble town, no more than a hundred buildings in total, one of which they prayed was a hospital.

The oddest thing about the island was the snakes. Snakes basked in piles on street corners and swam in barrels of drinking water, all to the apparent disinterest of the town's few citizens. The few people present stopped what they were doing to stare strangely at the pair, especially at the sickly Valentine. They didn't approach yet, but seemed to exude halted aggression.

A low hissing startled Valentine. He jumped back, only nearly avoiding stepping on a snake. A grass coloured viper slithered by, uncaring. A throwing knife appeared in Red's hand, which he raised in preparation to kill the snake.

"Don't even think about it!" A voice shouted. Valentine and Red looked to see an older man, previously gawking, now scolding them. "Harm that creature and you'll be hanging by the neck!"

"I'd like to see you try…" Red growled, gripping his knife tighter.

"Please," Valentine placed a hand on Red to dampen his aggression. He turned to the older man with a much more amicable, though forced, expression. "We are newcomers here; we beg your pardon. Is it illegal to kill snakes in this town?"

The old man snarled at the pair, looking them up and down to check their intentions. Valentine worked to keep his composure while being scanned by the villager, however difficult it was with burning pain and venom coursing through his the old man took his time, Valentine studied his appearance. He was wearing a strange dress of sorts, and had hoop earrings the size of saucers. Years of frowning had imprinted onto a permanent scowl on his face.

After what seemed like an eternity, the old man spoke.

"Snakes are holy things here, you'll do well to remember that. They were sent here to protect us." The man lowered his arm, and the same snake that Red nearly killed slithered up his arm, coiling like a trained pet. "Understand? Now, finish your business and be off. We don't need any strangers here."

The old man gently returned the snake to the ground, and continued in a lower voice. "And if a snake bites you, it means you're a wretched man, and you won't be welcome here."

The pair watched the expression of the other citizens as the old man left. They watched Valentine and Red with careful eyes, waiting to see their reaction. The message was clear. They gotten their warning, the next incident wouldn't end so peacefully. In the silence, another snake slithered across the path.

"I think we should move along," Valentine whispered. Red nodded, best not linger and draw even more suspicion. They left the town center and walked far from prying eyes, into a sparsely populated area. By the condition the houses were in, it was possible that they were entirely alone. It was a place they could talk openly.

"How are you holding up?" Red asked.

"Feels like I'm being roasted over a fire, and I can't feel my feet," Valentine said.

"Makes sense, you were supposed to be dead-" Red paused to check his pocket watch. "Four hours ago."

"I don't think it'll make much of a difference." Despite the humid jungle that surrounded the town, Valentine shivered in his coat. "You heard how he spoke about snakes, I doubt they would treat snake venom here."

"We have to try the hospital no matter the odds," Red said, "Even if they won't help you, it's the best place to find someone who can."

"We can split up to find it, it shouldn't take long in this town," Valentine said. Red nodded, checking his surroundings before walking off. Valentine walked off in the opposite direction, albeit a lot more painfully.

Valentine paused in front of a notice board. He scanned the layers of overlapping parchment, looking for anything about a familiar papers were amongst the newest on the board. Bounties, for a certain Red and Valentine. His bounty was the same as it had been at the last town, 10 million berries for his unharmed capture. Red's was there too, but Valentine had only gotten a glance at it before. Now he took the time to read the paper in full.

WANTED DEAD ONLY Redwin Asada 15,000,000 Berries

Known to go by 'Red'. If spotted, do not engage lightly. He is a known user of the Six Powers, or Rokushiki. Wanted for the crimes of treason, assault, and desertion in the line of duty. Report any information on Redwin to your nearest Cipher Pol associate.

Cipher Pol? Valentine had heard the name, but knew little of the group. All he knew was they worked under the World Government directly, weren't to be taken lightly, and Red had managed to piss them off somehow.Another addition to the list of people chasing us, Valentine supposed. Since seeing the bounty, he was sure that Red wasn't working for the Marines, but that didn't mean he trusted the man further than he could throw him. Despite his frustrations, he did Red the favor of ripping down his poster along with his own.

With both posters gone, a new space on the board was revealed. It was also a bounty poster, but much older than their own. The sketch was of a young woman with extensive tribal jewelry, an armful of tattoos, and long braided hair. The bounty was hand drawn, and of much lower quality than theirs.

WANTED
Dead or Alive
 "Snake Demon" Aria
 5,000,000 Berries

Wanted for the crimes of theft and heresy on the island of Elder Falls. Known to reside deep in the jungle. Report any information on this dangerous heretic to Shaman Soren. Do NOT accept any services from her under any circumstances.

The information seemed particularly useful, so Valentine folded it up and added it to his growing pocket of stolen posters.

"I think we are out of luck…" Red called out from down the street.

Valentine rose and crossed the street, headed towards a boarded up building. Red picked up a fallen sign and turned it over. It said "Community Hospital".

"Let's check inside, maybe we can find something." Red pried off the board covering the open doorway and lead Valentine inside.

The former hospital was in ruin. From the furniture in the waiting area, to glass vials behind the desk, everything had been shattered to pieces. From the looks of it, they were the first ones to disturb the thick layer of dust that had settled.

"This hospital didn't break itself," Valentine said. "We should leave. Whatever is happening in this town, I don't want to get involved."

"I don't think we are going to find any clues here, anyways. This place is abandoned," Red said. As he spoke, he wiped the dust from a name plate atop the front desk, which was split in two. The name said "Doctor Aria", with the last name scratched and barely legible.

"Maybe there's one doctor left here…" When Valentine's eyes landed on the nameplate, he fished the bounty out of his pocket and showed it to Red. "Snake Demon" and "Doctor" were two titles Red never thought he'd see together, but he saw Valentine's intention.

"Residing in the jungle, is that so?" Red was already tying his shoes. He laced both of them up properly, and started making his way outside. "Come on, there's no time to waste. If we leave now, we might find her before nightfall."

"What if they aren't the same people? What if we go looking for a Doctor, and find a Snake Demon?" Valentine asked. Red didn't respond.