The first thing the Commodore did when he made it back to the Enforcer was stash the bricks of Fool's Gold in a place no one would search for it. That place was the chest he had designated for a prisoners belongings. Definitely since he had no prisoner in his keep, there'd be no logical reason to check such a place and of course the chest was locked.

Once that was done he retreated to his own personal quarters and poured himself a glass of wine. "Fucking Briggs." Various candles in his room lit the space as he sat in chair and recapped the night. It was a success, but Briggs had still managed to get under his skin and piss him off. He had three of the Fool's Gold bricks in his possession and he doubted those were the last bricks. If they were, the encounter with Briggs would have taken a much different turn. Lu Dahn wasn't sure this meant he had a chance to get three more of the bricks, but he could at least get one more. He had to question if it was even worth it if he couldn't acquire up to six of the bricks though. Having six would mean his mission was a success. If there aren't even three more in circulation to acquire, was there any point in the mission anymore? He took a long gulp of wine out the glass and poured himself some more. With both his elbows on his desk, he held his head in his heads and took a moment to just ponder and realign himself.

He was Lu Dahn Ricchi. Refined didn't begin to describe how immaculate he was as a Marine, as a gentlemen, as a person, and as a professional. He was one who had both, raw natural talent, and the work ethic of a King who came from the slums. When standing next to a man, no matter who they were, was he not always above them and capable of things it took multiple of his peers to handle. This was beyond ranking, this was the favor of God and who was he to give up halfway through a mission and put God's blessing to waste? "Forgive me." He took a moment to pray for forgiveness, and with that he had found realignment with who he was.

Indestructible.

After his realignment ritual, Lu Dahn tended to his guns. Cleaning them and reloading them, it was important to keep them in the best condition possible. It showed good character and it was a diligence exercise. Just like making ones bed everyday, even if they weren't used, Lu Dahn likes to clean his guns every night.

After that he began to get his mind off of work with a book his grandfather had left him in his will. It was a book based on the foundation of willpower and self empowerment. As a child Lu Dahn was always into books that strengthened him in one way or another and this book was no different. Not too deep into his reading session he heard a metallic noise that broke his focus. Since all the men in his Unit were dispatched elsewhere, not even on Sandy Island, he knew whoever it was wasn't an ally of his. He doubted it was Briggs, this was unlike him. So he carefully and silently grabbed his pistol that was idle on his desk where he always kept it when not on his hip. Getting up from his seat, he slowly crept to the door of his quarters and put his ear to it.

The sound of rope being straining under tension could be heard. He had pulled the ladder up, so it couldn't be coming from his ladder, but coupled with this rope straining noise, he heard what sounded like boots stepping on wooden boards like someone could be on the deck. He readied his firearm, then quickly pushed the door open and aimed out not the deck, but no one was there. Changing his focus, he saw the claw of a grappling hook was gripping into the railing of the ship. The sound of rope and footsteps on wood was someone walking up the side of the ship. Running over to where the grappling hook was deployed, he was about to fire on whoever was walking up the side of the Enforcer, but when he saw who it was he just sighed.

"Kamacho, what are you doing here?" The two Marines sat at an arraignment on Lu Dahn's deck. Two chairs and a round wooden table. Lu Dahn brought his wine and glass out with him, though Kamacho wasn't interested in drinking.

"What you said earlier in Alubarna. I want to start working for my own sake." Lu Dahn shook his head and took a sip of wine. "I figured that's what this was about." While he expressed that he was just feeling for his old comrade, Lu Dahn was feeling his own self on the inside. Just as he had plotted to, he planted a seed in the man's mind. He didn't think it would begin to sprout so soon. That goes to show that the man already had these thoughts though. Now all he needed to do was capitalize on this moment and get as much information out of him that he can. How would he get Kamacho on his side though?

"So what is it that you want to do to change your situation?" Kamacho had his head down in sadness and thought since Lu Dahn had saw him last and said the thought provoking sentence to him. Normally he was a happy go lucky and cheerful guy. "I don't know. I love being a Marine and what we stand for. It's just . . ." "It's just that you feel like you aren't getting recognition for your hard work." Lu Dahn knew this feeling all too well if that's what was going on and it was one of the reasons he left Briggs' unit in the past. "I mean . . . I guess. But it's not like I think I carry the work load of the whole Unit or anything." Lu Dahn nodded. "I totally understand. It's not cocky to feel that way. It's natural. As basic as it is, even as humans, like dogs we want to be patted on the back for a job well done. We want people to recognize us for what we do." Kamacho looked up at Lu Dahn for the first time since he arrived and he nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly!"

Lu Dahn smiled. If this were animal planet, Kamamcho would be a fly that unknowingly wandered into a spider's web thinking it was a comfortable bed to rest in. Lu Dahn would carefully tuck him in, but in actuality he was just ensnaring him in his web to get the man under his control. Not to do bad things of course, but just to further his own agenda. Though it was manipulation, it was for a good cause. "I didn't get promoted to Lieutenant or Captain until I left Briggs' unit to be honest with you. I don't know if he's aware, but he keeps people stagnant in the ranking department for sometime. If I were you, I'd get a higher ranking officer to write you a good commendation for a promotion." He casually sipped from his wine glass. He was leading the man where he wanted him to go. "Could you write me a commendation?" Lu Dahn laughed out loud, not disrespectfully . . . well it probably was, but he didn't mean for it to be rude, it was just funny how silly Kamacho sounded to him.

"I can't do that for you. For one we have a bond that extends beyond work. This conversation is an example of that. I'd be willing to overlook that and do it anyway, because not many people know that since that was so long ago. But, the second issue is I don't have any content to even commend you about. To my knowledge you've done nothing these two years we haven't seen each other." Kamacho put a finger to his chin and nodded thoughtfully. Lu Dahn just sat back and hopped the guy was bright enough to put two and two together, so he could get to what he really wanted. "Hmmm. I guess I should ask the Rear Admiral then huh?"

Lu Dahn wanted to facepalm and call the man an idiot right then and there, but it wouldn't help his cause. Now he had to convince him that it was a bad idea to do that, when in actuality it could work. "Like I said, Briggs probably likes to keep people where they are. He has a good crew and doesn't want people getting promoted and leaving his Unit to run their own. If you rock the boat with him, you might end up regretting it." He emptied his glass of wine and set the glass down, then he leaned in on the table with his arms. This was a tactic to make a conversation feel much more intimate and private as it is often used in public settings when telling someone something that's kind of confidential. Obviously they were alone, but still the body language Lu Dahn was using would make Kamacho feel like Lu Dahn was dropping gems for his sake. "Look at it like this. I was an Ensign under Briggs for two years right? I get deployed to a new superior officer, then get promoted to Lieutenant in less than a year. Then I get promoted to Captain another half year later. That's two promotions in one year. Then with one more year of hard work, here I am as a Commodore. You don't think that's odd?" It was odd indeed, but not only because Briggs didn't promote his men, but also because Lu Dahn had threw a bunch of people under the bus to advance through the ranks fast.

Kamacho wasn't that bright though, so he didn't ponder that deep into it and just saw it as Briggs was selfish and didn't look out for those who looked out for him. "You're right . . . thanks man. No one else really shares this stuff with lower ranking Marines." Lu Dahn chuckled and nodded. "I'm aware, so I'm trusting you to make good use of this information." Kamacho nodded. "So if I could do something commendable, you'd vouch for me?" Lu Dahn nodded and internally rejoiced, the conclusion was almost near. All of this for a sip of information that Kamacho might not even have. The Commodore just hopped it wouldn't be in vain.

"What could I do?" Instead of sighing and taking pity on Kamacho like he wanted to, Lu Dahn put on a thoughtful guise. "Hmmmm . . . I'm actually pretty short handed around here." He looked around the Enforcer that felt pretty barren now that everyone was gone. "Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask where your Unit is." Lu Dahn poured the last bit of wine into his glass as he thought of how to answer.

"Long story short, on paper I'm on leave in Water 7 right now. Since I'm not currently active duty, they dispatched the members of my unit elsewhere until I'm back. I'm here in Alabasta for the same reason Briggs is and actually to show him up." Lu Dahn laid his whole hand down for Kamacho to see. Not like the guy was playing the game to begin with, but it wasn't often Lu Dahn could be 100% open with someone. "I see . . . So your encounter with Matziyah Faults." Lu Dahn nodded. "I'm guessing I have the same leads that Briggs does, but I happened to beat him to this one." Kamacho nodded, a lot of things were starting to make sense now. "So you have some Fool's Gold?" Lu Dahn's heart skipped a beat, but he put his glass of wine to his lips and forcibly drank some to prevent it from looking like the question took him aback. He knew Kamacho was a bit empty headed, but he didn't think he'd just outright ask a question that'd be in such a murky territory.

This is where Lu Dahn needed to conversation to go anyways, so he actually wasn't upset beyond the initial shock factor of the question. "That depends on how many bricks of Fool's Gold Briggs has." Kamacho titled his head to the side a bit confused since he took the answer as if it was an actual literal answer. Lu Dahn wasn't going to spoon feed him though, he was grown after all. A few moments passed and then the dots connected. "Oh, you're asking me to leak information to you?" Lu Dahn rolled his eyes at Kamacho. "I wouldn't call it leaking since we're all Marines working towards the same thing. But it's just a bout of semantics, so sure. Leak the information you have on Brigg's operation to me." Kamacho thought about it for a moment and an impatient Lu Dahn had to give the man some direction. "How about this. In exchange for a commendation, you assist me in my personal mission to retrieve the remaining bricks of Fool's Gold. I'm short handed, so you'd be less of an Ensign and more or a partner. If me and you could even just match a Rear Admiral, five bricks for five bricks, that'd say a lot to the higher ups itself. You probably wouldn't even need a commendation from me at that point." The whole time he spoke Lu Dahn could tell the Ensign was eating up every bit of the dream he was trying to sell him.

"I like the sound of that, but is it possible with just us two? Briggs already has 5 of the bricks." This whole conversation was a train wreck, but Lu Dahn could only focus on the fact that it'd be impossible to get three more bricks since there were only two left to gather. Was partnering with Kamacho even worth it now? The guy was honestly and idiot and he'd probably be more trouble than help. "Lu Dahn?" "Yeah, I hear you, just thinking . . . " Was the mission even worth it now? Just as quick as he had that thought, he remembered what he'd just told himself before Kamacho arrived. He'd always put his best foot forward and see his missions out to their ends. "Faults didn't have any bricks, so that means five of them are just out there. I haven't investigated any of the other targets though, so I have a lot of people to check in on." Lu Dahn lied hoping Kamacho would take the bait he had threw out. "Well with you taking down Faults and him having no bricks, the last person that Briggs had yet to get to was some old guy named Rou something."

Lu Dahn had honestly forgot how much of an airhead Kamacho was, but it honestly didn't matter now. All the information he needed was presented to him so perfectly. The race was now on even grounds since Lu Dahn now knew where, or rather who, the finish line was. He downed the last bit of wine in his glass, effectively finishing the bottle. "Gold Tooth Roukishi." Kamamcho snapped as if it were on the tip of his tongue the whole time. "Yeah, that's the guy." Lu Dahn leaned back in his seat, he was feeling so much right now and amongst them was slightly tipsy from the wine bottle he'd finished. "This makes things much easier . . ." "Hm?" Lu Dahn averted his gaze from the starry sky back to Kamacho. "The outcome of this campaign is only one play away. Either I get to Roukishi first and even out the score or lose." His gaze went back to the stars. It didn't help that Roukishi was such a wild card. He wasn't inherently dangerous. He was exactly what he appeared to be, an old man, but he was dangerous when he had the resources. If he's had the Fool's Gold for some time, he could have used them to amass himself pretty hefty force of people for protection.

Since Matziyah was the last person in contact with the dealer since he killed him, that means Roukishi has had the last bricks for at least a day, more than likely much much longer than that. With his beehive of connections he'd definitely have heard about others involved with the Fool's Gold getting brought down and Faults' defeat as well. All eyes would be on him and he'd surely make use of the spotlight and make the Marines work for their victory if they were to claim it. "So when are we going to go for him?" Lu Dahn chuckled, he had forgot he was "obligated" to let Kamacho tag along, but honestly he wasn't too against it. The guy was an idiot, but that's what made him potentially useful. The Commodore would look down at the Ensign and smile. "We'll head out tomorrow morning."

[Exit]