"This is Nanohana Station. Please check your overhead luggage rack for any personal belongings."

These words were accompanied by a gentle knock on Linedwell's cabin door, helping to notify him - if the PA system's message wasn't clear enough - that it was time to disembark. Finally, after a voyage that seemed to go on forever, they'd reached their destination - Sandy Island. The young Ensign let out a slight sigh before closing the book he'd been using to pass the time and getting up into a standing position. As he turned slightly and began to grab a duffel bag that he'd brought with him, he couldn't help but think about the letter he'd received during his journey here. A Marine courier managed to deliver the letter after boarding the train during one of the prior stops. Linedwell had left Marineford so suddenly that the courier didn't have enough time to deliver the letter. Admirably, this courier took his job seriously, and decided to take another Sea Train in order to intercept this one - and luckily, it worked. The letter explained that he'd now be serving under a newly promoted Commodore by the name of "Lu Dahn Ricchi", something that Mr. Miyagi had informed him about before he left. The letter also gave Linedwell the impression that this Mr. Ricchi was quite the character. He apparently had only just received his promotion, and in no time at all, he was already heading a campaign of his own. From this alone, it was quite easy to tell that this was a man of ambition. Knowing little else about him, Linedwell had already approved of his superior. The young Ensign was also someone that valued success and recognition above all else; working under someone who held those same values would obviously give Linedwell the opportunities he needed to advance as well - as long as he was bold enough to take advantage.

There was a lot to take in when thinking about just how eventful his time on Sandy Island could possibly be. Outside of his new assignment, Linedwell had also made his way here as a result of the hint he'd been given by his Sensei back on Marineford.

"An ancient place, huh?

The Rainrex heir laughed quietly to himself as he thought back to his conversation with the old man; the strap of his duffel bag slinging over his shoulder as he began stood behind a line of others that were also exiting the vessel. Though he completely trusted the old man wouldn't lead him astray, he still had trouble coming to grips with the idea that "monsters" populated the place in which Mr. Miyagi mentioned. The man was old, after all, could it have been possible that he was simply mis-remembering or over exaggerating in order to keep Linedwell on his guard? Regardless, he'd figure out if the truth behind it all soon enough. Right now he needed to focus on meeting up with his new unit. The letter he'd received specified that he was to meet them at a certain time, lest he miss the ship and find himself reprimanded. The idea of punishment fueling him, Linedwell put a bit of pep into his step and began to make his way through the beautiful city of Nanohana to the port.

The distance between the train station and the port wasn't too immense, and with a few directions from polite civilians that were out enjoying the nightlife that the city had to offer, Linedwell managed to find his way to the port.

"Eight-fifteen..."

As the young Marine made his way down the port, he'd begun to scan the multiple ships that occupied the port. Not exactly because he couldn't differentiate an obvious Marine vessel between merchant ship and civilian ships, but because he simply felt the need to view many of them with awe. The craftsmanship that many of these vessels held were extremely impressive. He could only imagine owning one of these ships at some point in the future, as his current pay could barely hold him over. Soon enough, he came across the ship he'd been looking for; luckily, he'd arrived with time to spare. Making his way onto the vessel via the boarding ladder that connected the ship to the docks, Linedwell now found himself on the deck and in the presence of two individuals. Both men in question were seated at a table in the middle of the deck. Linedwell could only surmise that one of these men was his new superior, but he had no idea which man it was. The young Marine soon perked up and began standing at attention, his right arm sharply moving upwards and into a salute.

"Good evening, Commodore Ricchi. Ensign Linedwell Rainrex reporting for duty, sir."

Linedwell could feel himself internally cringe as he introduced himself, not so much because he felt that he'd made a mistake, but because he felt the act itself was entirely too degrading. He'd lived his life for so long under the beck and call of the Claret family, that he he hated nothing more than to pay such respect to anyone else. However, this was the life he'd chosen after leaving his servitude. If he was going to succeed and soak up everything that the Marines and the World Government could teach and bestow upon him, he'd need to humble himself. Actions like these were merely a part of the game, and Linedwell would continue to play it until he found himself being the recipient of such salutes.

With the reading of the mission pamphlet completed, Commodore Ricchi began to go a bit further into things that the pamphlet seemed to leave out. Though it mentioned that there were ten kilograms of this "Fools Gold" in circulation, it hadn't mentioned that only nine of the ten were actually left in circulation due to the actions of a fellow Marine unit. His words following this information gave the impression that they were to be in competition with this unit, even though this "competition" wasn't explicitly stated. However, Commodore Ricchi's statement of not being "sated" unless more than half of the credit was personally attributed to his unit was more than enough evidence.

Throughout the rest of his speech explaining the expectations he held for his new recruits, as well as his views when it came to those within his unit, Linedwell couldn't help but admire his flair for public speaking. The man was a wordsmith, capable of gracefully putting words together in a way that could easily ensnare anyone within listening range. However, Linedwell's admiration for this talent was due to the fact that his superior was more than capable of using this ability in quite a manipulative manner. Though his words came across as elegant, the core of these words and phrases illustrated that this was a man that valued and prioritized his accomplishments and standing more than anything else. By beautifully stressing accomplishment, accountability, as well as faith in the abilities of those within his employ, their successes would ultimately reflect upon their superior; which was his primary concern.

With his speech coming to a close, Commodore Ricchi soon reached into his coat pocket before he pulling out a manila folder. After shuffling through a few papers inside, the Commodore began to hand sheets of paper to each of them - handing three sheets to Captain Uchis before two sheets were handed to the Ensign. Whilst this occurred, the Commodore had already begun explaining the purpose of these sheets; as they were being tasked with carrying out surveillance upon those described in the wanted posters they'd been handed. While listening to his superior's words, Linedwell began to read through the descriptions of the two he'd been tasked with.

A Revolutionary and a Pirate. Linedwell couldn't help but wonder if this Revolutionary was merely working alone, or if the the Revolutionary Army had their own stake within this plot. With the floor being opened up for questions, he figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. Before the Ensign could speak, however, Captain Uchis decided to take a turn first. The question seemed to be a pointed one in nature - not necessarily one with the intention of tricking him or giving him something hard to answer, but to give the Captain an idea of who Commodore Ricchi was on a moral and ethical level. In all honesty, Linedwell was curious about how their superior would answer the question as well.