Bill recalled how the clown Caesar used to do something similar when he was on his way to meet Dr. Vegapunk. It annoyed him then and it annoyed him now.
After about an hour, Bill could no longer tolerate it and, without resorting to violence, roughly sent the pirate captain back to the cell.
Now he was reflecting on his mistakes and thanking the heavens that no one had witnessed his pathetic failure.
"I allowed him to control the conversation."
That was Bill's main takeaway that day as he kept thinking over what had happened.
Bill had read many novels during his time on Earth, and some of them detailed interrogation techniques, from brutal ancient tortures to tricks that made suspects betray their cause.
He didn't believe he was wrong for not beating the pirate, as Bill believed that torture was ineffective.
No, his problem was that he underestimated the pirate and overestimated his own ability to do something he had never learned. No matter how many TV shows he remembered or how many books he had read—hypothetical knowledge could not replace real experience.
Deciding to correct this, Bill spent the next few days bringing in one pirate after another and questioning them about their activities.
He tried different tactics; in some cases, he took the lead, in others, he just listened. He was especially interested in what happened to Miyagi, but none of the pirates knew where they planned to sell the mink, and all their stories were roughly the same. The more he interrogated them, the more he became convinced that these individuals were mere opportunists, with no grand plan. If there had been a plan, only Forker and Forky would have known, so Bill needed to carefully consider his next steps.
Thinking about this, Bill returned to the captured pirate ship to inspect the repairs Rans had been working on over the last few days.
Everything on the pirate ship had been thoroughly examined, and much of it was repaired. Of course, the pirates didn't have a great treasure, but there was plenty of beer, biscuits, and salted fish, so there was no need to worry about food.
All food supplies and additional sailing equipment were transferred to the "Border Breaker," leaving only cannons, crude bedding, and stolen items on the pirate ship.
Although the materials weren't worth much money, they were gladly accepted to replenish the ship's hold.
Thus, despite the small crew, the ship was fully stocked.
After discussing the restoration of various parts of the pirate ship with Rans, Bill went to Ricky to explain his plan to make Forky talk. Together, they set up one of the empty cabins for better interrogation.
Once everything was ready, Bill went back to the prisoners' cell to pull Forky out just as roughly as he had done with Forker. He made sure to do this firmly, dragging the pirate up the stairs and out of sight of the other pirates.
When they reached the makeshift interrogation room, Bill found Ricky standing to the side with papers in his hands, right where he was supposed to be.
The room contained only one wooden table, one lantern, and two chairs; it was lit by the dim light filtering through a small window.
Carefully and without leaving traces, Bill abruptly seated the pirate on a chair and took a position opposite.
Once seated, Ricky came up from behind, handed him a folder, quickly struck a match, lit the lantern, and then stood back by the wall.
Even with the lantern burning, the room remained dimly illuminated, but the shadow cast by the light highlighted Bill's massive figure.
Looking at the pirate for a second without saying anything, Bill opened the folder and began to read:
"Forky Forkinson, 29 years old, bounty — 2 million Beli. Wanted dead or alive.
These documents say your first act of piracy occurred just two years ago. It states that your crew robbed a naval base on one of the islands shortly after that."
Putting the papers aside, Bill leaned forward slightly and continued, "Tell me, Forkinson, do you know what the punishment is for such crimes?"
The pirate seemed scared under Bill's pressure but still replied, "I... "I'm innocent. I don't know why I'm here. Attacking the Sailors? I'm not that brave!" He shook his head and continued, "And... I can't fight! This is all a mistake!"
Hearing this, Bill realized the pirates had conspired. This was expected from criminals, and while it might indicate they were hiding something, it was likely their last chance for freedom.
Anticipating such a response, Bill leaned back and, feigning defeat, said, "Oh? Well, I knew I wouldn't get anything out of you. I even beat the others, I'm sure you saw, but they didn't talk either."
This was a lie, but Bill guessed that Forky was not in a state to remember whose arms and legs had been broken among his crew.
"But look," Bill continued, "I need to interrogate you for a certain amount of time, so let me tell you a bit about myself."
So, for the next two hours, Bill shared stories about his childhood, and gradually Forky began to relax.
Bill even asked Ricky to bring some of the good beer they hadn't finished in Vallipo, and laughing, the pirate and the Sailor chatted about various things.
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