Although it was a tactic, Bill genuinely took an interest in the pirate's life. He wanted to understand what led the 27-year-old man to a life of piracy. Of course, he didn't ask this question directly, but instead mentioned various moments from Forky's life, presenting them in a non-linear fashion.
By the end of the conversation, if everything the pirate said was true, Bill concluded that this man had no serious reason to become a pirate.
Yes, he was poor, but not destitute.
Yes, he had a difficult childhood, but it seemed he was loved, as he spoke warmly of his mother.
From this, Bill concluded that the man became a pirate simply because the opportunity presented itself.
Forker found a ship, and Forky followed him for the loot.
This was Bill's final assessment of Forky, but it wasn't the main goal of the interrogation.
When they stood up, Bill patted the pirate lightly on the shoulder and, smirking, said, "Don't forget to come up with a good story when you return."
Hearing this, Forky looked a bit puzzled but still smiled and asked, "What?"
Nodding as if surprised, Bill looked at the pirate with feigned amazement and said, "A story about why you weren't beaten like the others! We had such a good chat that there was no need to use force, but the others wouldn't know that unless you tell them."
As Forky was about to say something, Bill interrupted him: "And it's better to come up with why you smell like beer in advance... though maybe they won't notice, but still, be prepared!"
Saying this, he placed his huge hand on Forky's back and guided him to the exit of the room, but with each step, the pirate resisted more and more, until Bill stopped and asked, "What's the matter, Forky?"Nervously glancing around, the pirate said, "Bi... I mean no... Captain Ox, you need to at least hit me a little. I can make up a story about the beer, but I can't go back there without a single mark."
When the pirate said this, Bill realized he had him.
Feigning surprise, Bill exclaimed, "Forky! I can't just hit you like that!" Then he pointed his thumb at Ricky, "My subordinate is watching me, and if I break the rules, how can I enforce them later? Come on, let's go."
This time Forky didn't wait for Bill to lead him back; he started backing into the room.
"Captain, please, I'm not asking for a hard beating!" Forky looked at Ricky and said sincerely, "You understand I'm asking him myself, right?! He's not breaking any rules!"
Seeing this, Bill looked at Ricky, then back at Forky, raised his hands, and said, "Alright, alright. I can do you a favor, but I need something in return."
Bill noticed the gears turning in the pirate's head and quickly added, "I'm not asking you to betray your friends, never. I just need to know."
He stepped closer and asked, "Where were you planning to sell the goat?"
Hearing this question, the pirate lowered his gaze, and Bill realized he had succeeded.
After leaving the TK base, Bill reflected on the past two weeks while holding a weight. Forky had told him that the pirates didn't have a specific buyer for the Mink, according to his words. Pirates rarely sold their own goods. Bill himself had never encountered this, but according to Forky, when pirate ships entered "friendly" ports, cunning merchants often approached them and bought their goods at a significant discount.
Forky couldn't believe it himself, but insisted that they didn't even know what the goat was and thought it was just a rare animal.
Having received the little information he needed, Bill slightly "beat" the pirate and sent him back to his cell.
Over the next week and a half, he continued to call the pirates for repeat interrogations. When he wasn't working on designs for his laboratory, lifting weights, or overseeing the ship, he interrogated each one individually.
These interrogations weren't harsh, as the goal had changed: Bill didn't need the full story from each of them; he was just gathering small bits of information from each interaction.
The information obtained this way was fragmented, but when Bill interrogated Forker again, using the insights gained from other pirates, he managed to silence the captain.
The base didn't cause them much trouble and even bought Forker's pirate ship. In the end, after restocking supplies, they received just over 10 million Beli and continued on their way to the island of Little East Blue.
Standing on the deck of the "Border Breaker," Bill saw a flock of "News Coo" postal birds and tossed a coin. One of the birds dropped a newspaper to him.
To his mild surprise, it wasn't the "South Blue Times," but an issue of the "World Economic Newspaper," a Grand Line publication.
Bill recognized it—this was the largest newspaper in the world, but he didn't like it because it only published the most sensational news. And this issue was no exception.
He read the headline:
[The Largest Bounty for the Famous Pirate from East Blue!]
After the unjustified destruction of half the island, including the entire 16th base of the Sailors of East Blue, the notorious pirate known throughout East Blue—Monkey D. Luffy—received the largest initial bounty in this part of the sea. Unofficial sources claim that many criminals from East Blue have joined his infamous crew, but since this data hasn't been confirmed, other bounties have not been announced yet. However, one thing can be said for sure: the Straw Hat Pirates are extremely dangerous, and this newspaper will keep track of their movements
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