As Noctis sat and relaxed in his inn room above Teddy's Bar with his partner Three, a knock at the door interrupted his moment of peace. Groaning with annoyance, Noctis pulled himself off the bed to open the door. "Yeah, if it's about pay-" the longleg began to explain before realizing that it was not in fact the innkeep asking about tonight's payment. Instead, single letter was left pinned to the outside of the door, addressed directly to Noctis. Immediately, Noctis felt uneasy, as everyone he knew on Baltigo that was friendly had other means of contacting him, or were asleep in the room behind him.

Pulling the letter off, Noctis went back into his temporary residence and locked the door behind him. Taking a seat on the chair, Noctis began to carefully read what the message had to say:

Letter wrote:"Noctis Sol. D. Coronus and Devroux D. Alter, please know that an opportunity has been presented to you, courtesy of the People's Prince. Your repeated transgressions and interference has been noted, and a bounty of 50,000,000 Beli has been placed upon each of you, as we are sure you are aware. However, these grievous errors and crimes can be forgiven, should you choose to accept the opportunity. Do know that you are not the only to have made the mistake of crossing the Underworld. As such, the estate of Garrolt Taylor has elected to allow for such problems to eliminate themselves. A man by the name of Sakuma Aquaflore, or 'Scarface', has been found severely lacking in performance during a most critical job. Should you eliminate him and provide proof of his termination, you will be rewarded with a sum equal to your current bounty on Baltigo before it is reset and forgiven. However, do know that an equal offer has been presented to Mr. Aquaflore. In order to expedite this process as well as keep it out of Greater Baltigo, a location within the Nil District has been assigned for your future dispute, which you will find marked below. Please deliver evidence of completion to the steward located outside the upcoming Grand Baltigo Casino, thank you."

-The Eighth Estate

Noctis felt a pit in his stomach as he went over the implications of the letter. Not only did the Underworld, and by extension Taylor himself, know where Noctis was, they were in a position to make unilateral demands of him. Noctis had no reason to trust the note itself, but taking the bait and snuffing out the threats before it became problematic was just about Noctis' only option. With the man known as Scarface perhaps already hunting him and Devroux, Noctis tore away an unnecessary piece of the letter and quickly wrote down the situation, leaving it on his bed for Three to find when she awoke. Pulling his sword Kuroi off the wall and holstering it on his back, Noctis left the inn room.

As Noctis descended the stairwell into the bar below the inn rooms in Teddy's, he gave a passing glance to the bartender, who was working away at cleaning up for the night. Approaching the bar, Noctis seemed to catch the man by surprise, not expecting anyone to bother him after closing. "Can I help you, sir?"

"Yes actually, I was wondering if you could tell me anything about a certain bounty here on Baltigo. I believe he goes by Scarface." Noctis explained, making it straight to the point so he could get out of the man's hair.

"Hmm. I'm not too familiar with the bounties around here, but I do recall the Marines delivering a few updates. You could check on the wall to see if anything looks familiar." the barkeep replied, polishing away at glasses before placing them carefully under the counter. He pointed to the bounty board set up just to the side of the bar, posters carefully pinned up as if they had just been organized.

"Thanks for your help. Late night work, ya know? I'll look the board up before getting out of here, don't wanna cause you any trouble on my behalf." Noctis expressed his gratitude before making his way up to the board, comparing the names to the one he had been given. He didn't mention the fact that this particular bounty was issued by an organization less reputable than the government, but it couldn't hurt to give it a look anyway.

After a few moments scanning the rows, Noctis' eyes locked on one name in particular towards the bottom of the board. Sakuma Aquaflore. The man not only was wanted by the Underworld and Taylor for 50 million and a free pardon, the government was after him as well, for an even greater sum of 80 million beli.


Noctis' curiosity was now peaked as the prospect of double dipping from both parties enticed his greed like nothing else. Even if he were being played by Taylor, which he felt was likely, he could still come out more than empty handed. And if the People's Prince kept his end of the deal, then Noctis would come out of this a much richer man. "Interesting, interesting..." Noctis said involuntarily, taking the poster and folding it up into his pocket along with the note he had received from the Eighth Estate.

With a final gesture towards the barkeep, Noctis made his way out of Teddy's to prepare for this excursion. First and foremost on the agenda, Noctis needed to find a way to generate proof of Scarface's defeat and capture. While Noctis could do something gruesome like taking an ear, or other body part, he didn't much feel like torturing a man or being judged by the marines he was to bring the bounty hunter into. He needed something more concrete and less bloody. Photographic evidence was the first thing to come to mind, which would likely require a vision dial. Still, the Ninth District was close, and full of black market shops open at all hours of the night. Surely a dial wouldn't be hard to find.

His next course of action decided, Noctis put his hands into his pockets and began his stroll to the Ninth District, glancing over his shoulder every now and again just to make sure he wasn't being followed.

Sure enough, a dial stall existed on one of the many market streets within the Ninth District. Noctis approached and made the transaction quickly and without issue, leaving the area hastily to avoid staying in one place for too long. Sakuma could already be hunting him after all, without any regard for the assigned location.

The listed address within the Nil District was nearby, relatively speaking. It was easily within walking distance, which relieved Noctis as much as it made him anxious. He knew nothing about Aquaflore's abilities, strength, or aptitude, which made the situation far more tense than it had any right to be. As Noctis carefully entered the slums, Noctis could spot his battleground immediately. A decently large building abandoned in the midst of construction, it made for a fitting place of execution away from any valued properties or civilians.

The further Noctis moved into the squalor of the district, the more on edge he felt. He had been humbled not just once, but twice in recent memory, and in his mind such a performance was inexcusable. If he had any shot at his aspirations, he had to be better. The recklessness he exhibited had almost killed him twice over; this time, he would be the one to exert his dominance, and not through sheer force as he had in the past.

Noctis form began to waver ever so slightly as he brought his body into a gaseous state as he walked, keeping up the regular appearance of a man walking. He still wasn't very experienced with manipulating his power, but the finesse involved in maintaining his intangibility without sacrificing his humanoid form was a vital skill that he needed to grasp quickly. This situation was a key example as well as excellent practice as his body became more solid looking with every stride. Sakuma could very well attack at any moment, so keeping his defenses up was paramount.

As he finally reached the entrance leading into the abandoned facility, his body was fully solidified, the small traces of gas leaking out of his body that had earned him justified glances of suspicion now gone. Yet, even more notable than that was the fact that he hadn't been attacked by Scarface on his way here. Perhaps the hitman and bounty hunter had a sense of honor, or maybe he was so afraid of Garrolt Taylor that he didn't dare deviate from the instructions given to him. Either way, it was fortunate for Noctis as he moved into the open doorway, ready for the batt-

Without a sound, Noctis' thoughts were interrupted as an object whizzed through his forehead and into the ground behind him with a sharp pinging that was undoubtedly gunfire. The bullet having passed through his gaseous form, Noctis recoiled at the sensation for a moment, having never experienced anything like it before. Despite this, however, he immediately sent his glance towards where he guessed the bullet had come from. Above and center, given the trajectory it went through his head. As his focus gathered on the area, Noctis saw a blurred figure moving from the spot, an unfinished second floor balcony.

Acting on instinct, Noctis lept upwards towards the balcony where he had last seen the blur of what was almost assuredly Scarface. Traveling through the air, Noctis reached back to grip the handle of his blade, Kuroi, ready to strike at the first sign of Aquaflore. Instead as he arrived, another bullet grazed his form from behind, ricocheting off his weapon and into the ground. It seemed that whatever Sakuma was capable of, his speed was superior to Noctis' own, who struggled to keep track of the man's location as he moved and fired towards the longleg.

Unwilling to continue a fruitless chase, Noctis jumped back down into the center floor of the building, bringing Kuroi into the earth to act as a large metal shield in front of him. Holding his hands out, Noctis started to generate his new creation from the air, Rokumori Gas. Purple clouds began to accumulate along the perimeter that the second floor formed around Noctis, growing and becoming increasingly dense in an effort to force Sakuma out into the open, or suffer the consequences of exposure.

A tense period of silence followed shortly after the completion of his gaseous ring, as Noctis waited patiently to intercept Aquaflore's next move as he came into the makeshift arena. Gripping the handle of his blade, Noctis listened carefully, but the site remained quiet as ever, that is until a form rushed the center arena, cleaving through Noctis' side and out the other end, Noctis' intangibility once again saving him from a sure hit. Turning to face the exit wound, he finally stood face to face with his mark, Scarface.

"Hm... I thought it was a fluke, but I guess not." Sakuma uttered, in part directed at himself as well as Noctis. The hybrid fishman that stood before him adjusted his gloves before holstering his pistol into his back pocket. The air that Aquaflore gave off was confusing, and dangerous. He seemed incredibly professional, and serious. Not one to banter. Yet his mannerisms were like that of an overwhelmingly lax and disinterested person, as if killing was really just another way to pass the days.

Taking up a martial stance, Sakuma made it clear that he was going to handle things hand to hand. A sheen surrounded his hands ever so slightly, tipping Noctis off to his use of busoshoku haki, something Noctis himself had only just learned to use. As Noctis hoisted his blade up to meet Scarface's stance, the hitman made no such formalities, an almost invisible blur impacting Noctis' stomach, bypassing his intangibility and causing him to slide on his feet to the edge of his arena. The speed at which Aquaflore moved and attacked was even more overwhelming than Noctis had anticipated, and the damage the longleg felt was a dull and radiating pain throughout his abdomen, indicative of internal bleeding, though not an overly serious wound.

Aquaflore pulled himself up from the crouched position he must have attacked in and looked Noctis up and down in silence, studying him and his reactions to the attack he had just made. Noctis wasn't ignorant enough to not understand exactly what Sakuma was doing, as well as what he had just done. It was something he had done many times in the past, as slave fighter. Scarface was sizing up his prey, sending a moderate blow to determine what sort of force and effort would be required in order to bring them down.

"Not bad, but not good either. I'll release your soul for you soon enough." Sakuma expounded before returning to his stance. Noctis pulled his free hand away from his abdomen, taking up a wider defensive form. He had no idea what exactly releasing his soul had to do with the fight, but there was no time to think it over, as several blows impacted Noctis' side and torso, causing him to swing out with Kuroi reflexively, hitting nothing but air as Aquaflore reappeared where he had started.

The damage Noctis was taking was compounding rapidly, and as he was, he couldn't track Scarface's movements in the slightest, let alone counter them. Not only that, but the Haki Sakuma used to land such vicious strikes only made them hit like trucks, Noctis body doing little to dampen the blows that seemed to rattle his bones. As the hitman proceeded to dismantle Noctis with a series of attacks, aiming at his joints, Noctis couldn't help but lament his acquisition of Armament Haki and envy Devroux's Color of Observation. Whether it was the scenario he was in now, or in the past, time seemed to slow to a crawl around him in moments of crisis, but he was never truly able to grasp the feeling, to replicate it at will.

Yet now, as he was left at the mercy of an opponent who moved at a rate he couldn't oppose, Noctis had little choice left. As more blows brought Noctis down to a knee, he did his best to compose himself, to focus on his surroundings and his opponent. Still, with every attack Aquaflore made, Noctis' mind seemed to quake. Unable to handle further punishment for long, Noctis made a breakthrough. As his senses sharpened and his perception of time dilated, Noctis understood the connection between duress and Haki. It was not just a simple skill, but his will manifested to compensate for what he lacked.

While Aquaflore still traveled a significant rate faster than Noctis' own, the longleg was finally able to see more than a simple blur in the brief moments of conflict. As Scarface moved to deliver another attack, Noctis noticed something peculiar about the man. While the hitman moved, his eyes didn't, staying locked onto a single point as if he were more of a projectile than an actual fluid fighter. At his top speed, Aquaflore couldn't see his surroundings any better than Noctis could see him previously.

As Aquaflore moved back to the center of the arena, his expression was conflicted. "I really hoped this would have lasted longer, and I hate to put you down like this... but business is business."

Noctis understood what was coming next, and remained kneeling on the ground, hand still firmly gripping Kuroi as if he were still beaten and unable to fight back, just as before. As Scarface moved, Noctis was able to see where the hybrid man planned to finish him, and pulled Kuroi up in response, not able to aim and strike at Sakuma, but rather simple pull the blade into the man's anticipated path before it was too late.

Sure enough, Noctis felt the impact against his weapon before anything else, as he picked himself up to see the hitman's upper chest covered in blood from where Kuroi raked across him. The man's eyes were a mixture of anger and shock, as he held his hand against the wound. "You... did you just hustle me?" Aquaflore muttered, as if betrayed.

Not about to let him think otherwise, Noctis simply smiled through his pain. "Who knows?" Clearly needing to reevaluate his plan of attack, Aquaflore paced backwards before the pair circled each other slowly. What came next for Scarface was obvious to Noctis; he would have to slow himself down, or risk another counterattack he couldn't see coming. Still, all this did for Noctis was put him on an even playing field. The battle wasn't over quite yet.

The two men once again faced each other and took their stances, sure that the next exchange of blows would be the final. "I misjudged you. Heh, and to think I was gonna take on two of you."

"We all make mistakes, but I made mine in the past. You'll have to pay for yours now." Noctis assured, Rokumori Gas flowing from his hands and around Kuroi. After a mutual grin of respect, both Noctis and Sakuma Aquaflore rushed at the other. Using Nagare to accelerate to top speed immediately, Noctis could follow the hitman's suppressed movement, thrusting his weapon toward the man's abdomen with a harsh blade of Rokumori Gas extending along the edge. Still, Sakuma's speed was nothing to scoff at, the fishman moving just enough out of the way to trade blows sending a strong uppercut into Noctis' jaw while his own stomach was sliced.

The pair didn't disengage, however, instead sending attack after attack, each one hitting the other just barely enough to be indecisive. However, as the seconds wore on, Scarface began to slow, the gas from Noctis' attacks having entered his wounds and eating away at his strength to continue. Aquaflore's vision was hazy, his balance beginning to fail him. Still, the two men squared off one final time, Noctis now able to deliver an easy blow to the back of his head with the flat body of Kuroi, knocking him completely unconscious.

Noctis, while injured, was able to stand tall over the defeated bounty hunter, knowing that he had succeeded with far less injury than his past two battles. Unwrapping the duracloth from the handle of Kuroi, Noctis leaned down to Aquaflore, tying his hands together. Reaching into his pocket, the longleg retrieved the vision dial he had purchased earlier, taking a few pictures of the restrained, bloodied and beaten Scarface as proof of his elimination. After placing the dial back where it had come from, Noctis tossed Aquaflore over his shoulder, and began his trek to the Naval HQ on Baltigo.

From the Nil District, the Navy HQ was only a short distance away, perhaps wanting to offer some sort of humanitarian effort, or at least provide the facade that one existed. The walk was brief, but filled with plenty of late night stares as Noctis traveled along with what could have been confused for a corpse. Still, no one stopped him, either out of fear or simple disinterest. As Noctis approached the station, two marine officers spotted the pair and ran out from behind there posts, rifles drawn. "Stop! What exactly are you doing?"

Putting his free hand up in resignation, Noctis explained. "Just here to turn in a bounty, gentlemen. One Sakuma 'Scarface' Aquaflore."

Hesitantly, one officer stepped forward and began to inspect the pair, before determining their legitimacy. "Alright, alright. Just set him down, and we'll take him off your hands." Nodding, Noctis slowly placed Sakuma onto the ground, leaning him up against the foundation.

"And here's your compensation. Remember to turn that in for your money." the second officer explained from behind his post, pulling out a piece of paper and stamping it to indicate it's authenticity before handing it to the longleg. Smiling, Noctis gave the two officers a gesture of thanks, snapping one last picture of Aquaflore in custody, before making his way back into the night. He was ready for a long rest, but he had one last stop on his way back to Teddy's. The Lord's District, located in the center of Baltigo, was home to every casino on the island, including the new Grand Baltigo Casino that supposedly had yet to open. It was there he was instructed to leave the proof of Scarface's elimination to a steward just outside. Sure enough, the trek to the casino was filled with nothing of note other than the cool night air. As Noctis arrived, a single masked individual stood, dressed as a dealer to an otherwise vacant facility. "I assume you're the one to talk to in regards to Mr. Aquaflore?" Noctis asked the man, who nodded silently before extending his hand.

Placing the recently taken photos into the steward's grasp, the representative began to look them over, nodding along as he inspected them. "Excellent. You'll find you and your companion's bounties cleared before morning. Expect your personal payment at your dwelling within your inn room when you arrive." the masked steward announced, dismissing Noctis as he walked into the empty building, disappearing into it's depths.

Noctis above all other things, was tired. But he couldn't quite rest until he made it back to Teddy's and made sure things were on the up and up. As he walked into the bar, the owner was just preparing for opening, who nodded at Noctis' familiar appearance before letting him in. Walking up the stairs, Noctis knocked and made his way into the inn room he had called home in recent days, unsure of what to expect. As he opened the door, however, he was pleasantly surprised. There Three slept away, having not even gotten up to read the note Noctis had left earlier, as well as a decent sized sack he didn't recognize on the edge of the window. Opening it to find his payment in full, every single beli. Besides the fact that they had managed to get here before Noctis, he was more shocked to learn that even Garrolt Taylor had a sense of honor at times.

[Exit]