Hunting Party Headquarters, Location: Terra Incognita. The HQ was in the middle of the ocean with nothing around but water. Jonathan Crow, HP Region Officer in charge of Roseholics district, arrived inside the office room to talk to the higher-ups. It was quite dark in there. The higher-ups were all HP World Officers working in the back office. Executive Vulture Raconteur was in there as well. Jonathan kneeled before them.

"Jonathan Crow. What brings you here?", one higher-up asked.

"Late Territory officer Arthur Robinson was under my wing for a long time. He was in charge of Oniginia town. He served greatly till his last day. May his soul rest in peace. Moving forward, I'd like to share my recommendation about his replacement.", said Jonathan.

"Who do you have in mind?", the higher-up asked.

"...Marquis Roosevelt.", said Jonathan.

"A Sector officer? A subordinate of your subordinate? Why do you think he is capable?", the higher-ups doubted.

"Boss, there's no better option for now but him, trust me on this. I've been keeping an eye on him for a while. A Sector officer must take on 'D' class missions. Marquis Roosevelt has accomplished 460 'D' class missions, 67 'D+' missions, 12 'C-' missions, 7 'C' class missions, 3 'C+' missions, and 1 'B-' mission. A Sector officer targets Rank 751 to Rank 1000 of the most wanted criminals and has an average kill count of around 500. Marquis' kill count is 847, 56 of them are between rank 550 to 750, 3 of them are Tera rank criminals where a Sector officer is supposed to take on Giga ranks.", Jonathan stated.

"He's overqualified.", one higher-up became surprised. Then they were being thoughtful.

"Boss, You won't be disappointed with this decision, I promise.", Jonathan urged.

"And what if he makes us disappointed?", another higher-up asked.

"Then I'll take full responsibility for it. You have my word.", Jonathan made a vow.

"You are very confident in him.", one higher-up said.

"Then that's decided. Marquis Roosevelt is now promoted to HP Territory officer and he will be in charge of Oniginia town of Roseholics district, replacing Arthur Robinson.", the World officers made a decision.

Wabisabi Restaurant, Oniginia Town, Roseholics District. A group of HP officers, dressed in fine police uniforms, were having Dango (dumplings) and Sake. They were all Sector officers Iris, Gyri, Heliko, Darby, Winston, and newly promoted Territory officer; Marquis Roosevelt.

Note: Iris and Gyri were female officers.

"This is a toast to Marquis Roosevelt for becoming the Territory officer!", Heliko hyped up as they cheered and drank.

"I'll drink to that.", Marquis was all cool with attitude.

"We have one member short now that you became our new Boss.", Gyri joked.

"Shut up.", Marquis reacted in a cool manner.

"Anyone in mind for your replacement?", Darby asked.

"I have one friend in mind. Depends if he's interested.", said Marquis as he took a sip.

All of a sudden there was a broadcast on Marquis' radio, "Territory officer of Oniginia Town. There's a 'C+' rank mission for you. There has been a robbery at the Supreme Bank of Oniginia Town branch. I request you and your team go and accomplish the mission. Mr. Marquis Roosevelt, do you copy?"

"Yes, sir. I copy.", Marquis responded. The broadcast ended.

"A bank robbery, huh?", Iris asked.

"Yes. First mission as a Territory officer.", said Marquis.

"A 'C+' mission, is it?", said Heliko.

"Yes. If it was just a 'C' class mission, it would mean there's no need for Sector officers to back me up except the one in that area. Now that it is a 'C+', it means all the Sector officers under my wing would back me up.", Marquis stated as he finished his drink.

"Then let's not waste any time and kick the robbers' butts. Let's go, Boss.", Winston cheered up as Marquis smiled.

"Let's go!", the rest of the Sector officers cheered up.

Then they arrived at the Bank and the Sector officers began investigating as Marquis waited outside smoking a cigarette. After a while, they came back after an investigation.

"What's the report?", Marquis asked.

"According to the Manager, there has been a robbery of 10 O Vowels (10 Million). The robbers dubbed it 'New Millennium Robbery'. There were 5 guys in masks. The chief of the robbers is suspected to be called Meatloaf.", Heliko informed.

"10 O, huh? That's one big number... Any word on when it happened?", Marquis asked.

"Yesterday. Around the closing hour.", said Heliko.

"And the broadcast was around 11:30 today.", said Marquis after a thought.

Suddenly, the bank manager rushed to him, begged on his knees, and cried, "Officer! Please help me! Please solve this problem! Or else I'd have to take all the liabilities! Yes, I'm a bank manager, but 10 O Vowels is too much for me! I have 2 little children at home. The management would take everything from me and my family. We will have to beg on the streets!"

"Settle down. I'll see what I can do. Don't panic.", Marquis tried to calm down the manager and then asked, "Do you remember where they headed?"

Then he suddenly got a phone call which he answered.

"Hey, bro. Congratulations on your promotion. Long time no see. Where's the treat?", a familiar voice was heard.

"Chipiko? Thanks, but hey, I'm in a middle of a big ass mission. Mind if I call you back later?", said Marquis.

"I know what you are up to and I know where the robbers are headed. Meet me up at Waste City.", said the familiar voice, and the call ended.

"Who was it?", Iris asked.

"...An old friend.", said Marquis.

Later. They arrived at Waste City. The place was filled with deserted buildings with no one around and there was dust everywhere like a sandstorm.

"No sign of robbers and your old friend, Boss.", said Heliko.

"I trust that bastard. He is never wrong. Scatter and carefully look around. Put your radios on and communicate silently. Inform immediately if you find something or a clue. Now, go!", Marquis ordered them.

"Roger that, Boss.", Sector officers strongly replied and scattered.

Then they looked into the city and inside the buildings for hours that it was late afternoon, but found nothing suspicious.

"I swear to God, Chipiko, if this was a prank all along, I'd sell you and pay the money to the Bank! The mission will be accomplished anyway!", Marquis was losing his cool.

Then suddenly Gyri said on the radio, "Hey, guys! I found something. Come to my location using the radio."

Then Marquis and the rest of the Sector officers arrived where Gyri was which was inside a room of a building.

"What did you find, Gyri?", Heliko asked.

Gyri removed the furniture then the carpet, and underneath there was a big hole, a tunnel that leads somewhere.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's jump in.", said Iris. Then they jumped into the tunnel and it led to a huge sewage tunnel where they landed.

"I swear, Gyri, if this doesn't lead to the robber's hideout then I'll kill you!", Iris barked.

"Hey, don't blame me. Let's hope we will find something at the end of it.", said Gyri.

"Let's move on.", said Marquis. Then they were walking and Heliko stepped onto something. Marquis noticed and realized that it was a trap.

"Everyone! Guard!", Marquis shouted. A huge explosion occurred. The fire was about to catch on them but it stopped spreading and not moving at all. Then the fire was absorbed into something. Everyone was confused. Sounds of footsteps were heard that were heading toward them from the end of the tunnel and it appeared to be Eiffel Roseholic.

Sector officers' jaws dropped and uttered in shock, "Iron Kid!?"

"That's the old friend you were talking about!?", Gyri asked in disbelief.

"That's a long story...", Marquis sighed.

"Hey, Boss.", Eiffel joked.

"Stop messing around, Chipiko.", said Marquis.

"What a nice faction you have there. So, what do you call yourselves?", Eiffel kept joking.

"Sublime.", Iris answered which irritated Marquis.

"What are you doing here?", Marquis asked.

"Well, not all heroes are Police officers.", said Eiffel.

"So, where're the robbers?", Marquis asked.

"Well, I don't know. Let's find out. Follow me", Eiffel led the way as they started walking.

"Follow you!? Why should I follow you! I'm the Territory officer of Hunting Party!", Marquis barked.

"Oh! Sorry, Boss.", Eiffel laughed.

"Shut up! I don't need your help if it isn't obvious by now.", Marquis was annoyed.

"Well, as long as you are getting the reward, it would be rude of me to do the entire job myself and leave nothing here for you. So, I'm not helping you at all. Do your job arresting the robbers.", said Eiffel.

"Shut up!", Marquis was exasperated as Eiffel laughed.

Then they arrived at the end of the tunnel and into another deserted town. There were gang members that were standing and smoking in alleys. But they appeared to avoid the officers. Eiffel and Marquis looked around then looked at each other.

"This looks familiar, isn't it?", Eiffel asked.

"You don't mean Helveltica, do you?", said Marquis.

"Too soon, Scorch... You remember?", said Eiffel.

"I don't wanna remember.", said Marquis, then ordered the Sector officers, "Just like before. Scatter." Then they scattered everywhere except for Marquis and Eiffel.

"...I won't follow your lead either.", said Eiffel as Marquis sighed.

Meanwhile. Inside the robbers' hideout which was on the top floor of a building. The robbers were upset as its chief was furious.

"Where's the rest of the money!? Where is it!? Did it get lost!? WHERE IS IT!?", the chief was outrageous.

"I don't know, Boss. That's the total amount we have counted.", an apprentice robber cried.

"Then why doesn't it match with the number on the news!? Where's the rest of the money!? Does it have wings!? Did it fly away!? Where is the money!?", the chief was enraged.

All of a sudden they heard an announcement, "Meatloaf. This is the Hunting Party. You are surrounded. I suggest you come out and surrender now."

"*beep*! It's the Hunting Party!", the chief was frightened.

"What do we do now, Boss? We are finished!", said an apprentice robber in fear.

"Go! Get the hostage! Now!", the chief ordered.

Outside the building.

"Meatloaf? What a weird name.", said Marquis.

"This is so unprofessional. We should just go and break in.", said Eiffel.

"For once, I'm agreeing with you. Ok, I'll go.", said Marquis.

"No! I'll go!", Eiffel started arguing. Both started an argument and went into the building, reached the top floor, and broke into the room. Found out the robbers got a hostage who was a kid, grabbed him by the neck, and pointed a gun at him.

But Marquis shot him immediately, set the hostage free, and said, "*beep* move."

The robbers brought out their guns to shoot, but Marquis shot them all before doing so except for the chief named Meatloaf who was frightened as hell.

"Make a move, *beep* head.", said Marquis.

"You are as cold as ever.", said Eiffel.

"I hate tension. I also hate when they use guns to threaten others. So, only action for them is to shoot them dead instantly.", said Marquis, then said to the robbers' chief, "Let's go."

The robbers' chief cried and begged for mercy and tried to get away, but Marquis arrested him. Eiffel got the hostage. Marquis was checking the bag where the money was.

"Is that all? 10 O?", Marquis asked Meatloaf.

"Y-y-yes... I mean n-no!", Meatloaf was shivering in fear.

"You want to play Truth or Die with me, huh? Where's the rest of the money?", Marquis pointed the gun at him and threatened him.

"No! No! No! I swear! That's all we've brought! I don't know where the rest of the money is! I swear!", Meatloaf cried.

"...Let's go.", said Marquis after standing silent and disappointed for a while.

Then they were going downstairs, Eiffel was carrying the boy, Marquis was carrying the bag, and then they met the gang members on the stairs.

"After entering, no outsiders escape Waste City.", said one of them.

"And when encountered, no one survives Marquis Roosevelt.", said Marquis.

"And now we have this. How did they get past your officers, Marquis?", Eiffel asked.

"Told you it's definitely Helveltica all over again.", said Marquis.

"Okay. I got this.", said Eiffel.

"No! I got this!", Marquis argued.

"You got this upstairs. Now it's my turn.", Eiffel argued as well.

"I'll fight these guys. You protect the child.", said Marquis. Both got into a huge argument then one gang member shot Eiffel's arm. Then all the gang members fired their guns at them. Eiffel stood in front of them and caught all the bullets using his bare hands, all the bullets in his hand melted down. The gang members were in disbelief. Then they started beating down the gang members on their way. After beating them up, Marquis and Eiffel started a race of who could get outside first. But on the way, the kid tripped and fell. Eiffel stopped for help, carried him, continued going downstairs, and met a gang member on the way with a bomb. Meanwhile, Marquis made it outside with Meatloaf and the bag to find the Sector officers fighting the gang members so he started helping them.

Suddenly there was a huge explosion in the building.

"What the hell!?", Heliko was shocked.

"Chipiko!? Where is he!?", Marquis found Eiffel was missing so he turned furious. Everyone was silent in despair.

"Chipiko!!!", Marquis screamed in agony on his knees.

But after a while, a silhouette appeared that was coming out of the building and it was Eiffel carrying the kid on his back. Both were unharmed and had no scratches at all.

"Son of a gun...", Marquis was relieved. Eiffel gave a sarcastic grin which annoyed Marquis.

"Where is your wound?", Marquis asked in curiosity.

"Well, I don't know. It stopped hurting so I looked for it but couldn't find it. It was gone.", said Eiffel. Then they all laughed together.

Later in the evening. Inside Oniginia HP Station's prison, Marquis and the Sector officers, and other officers went in for interrogation with Meatloaf. The officers were beating him up as hard as they could.

Marquis told them to stop after a while then approached him and asked, "Where's the rest of the money?"

"I... I don't know!", Meatloaf panted.

"Hmm... Heliko.", Marquis asked Heliko.

"Yes, Boss?", Heliko answered.

"It's gonna take a long while for us to prove him fully guilty and where the rest of the money is... I say why waste that much time? Why don't we officers kill this rascal right here right now and I'll report to my Region officer that they all died in a gunfight.", Marquis stated.

"What!?", Meatloaf got scared. Marquis took out the gun and pointed it at him.

"I swear! I swear! I don't know where the rest of the money is! Have mercy!", Meatloaf begged for mercy. Marquis pulled the trigger.

"Don't do it! Please! Believe in my words!!!", Meatloaf cried. Marquis shoot him, but the gun had no bullets. Meatloaf pissed in his pants in fear and fainted.

Marquis left the prison in disappointment.

By a riverbank, Eiffel handed over the kid to his parents. The parents thanked him and the kid hugged him and bid farewell. Marquis joined him, lit up a cigarette, and offered him one who declined.

"So, what happened?", Eiffel asked.

Marquis stayed silent for a while and stated, "What do we learn from this mission?" Eiffel wondered.

"I say I figured out all the scenario.", Marquis continued then narrated the bank robbery incident as follows:

"During the bank robbery, a robber told everyone, 'Don't move, lie on the ground. The money in the bank is not yours, but your life is. So just do as I say'. This is called the 'Mind Changing Concept'; pushing conventional thinking in the opposite direction.

Suddenly a woman lay down on the table. Chief of the robbers said, 'Hello Madam, this is not a film shooting going on in here, it's a robbery. Lie down on the ground as I say, or I will shoot you'. This is called 'Professionalism'; focus on what you are trained for.

Returning to the hideout after the robbery, the apprentice robber said, 'Boss, let's count the money'. Chief of the robbers replied, 'Hey stupid, it will take a lot of time to count all this money here. Watch the news tonight or tomorrow morning. Only then you will understand how much money has been stolen'. This is called 'Experience'. This is why experience is more valuable than educational qualifications these days.

Next morning, the news was that Ten O (Ten Million) Vowels was robbed from the bank. The robbers counted over and over and found that they managed to bring only Five O (Five Million) Vowels. Then where is the rest of the money? This is where it gets a plot twist."

"Huh?", Eiffel reacted in curiosity.

Marquis continued, "I wondered since the very start of this mission; why didn't the bank manager inform us immediately? Why the day after the incident?

...After the robbers left, the bank officer told the manager to inform the police. The manager said, 'Okay, but let's remove another Five O Vowels from the money that is here, then add this money to the stolen money and file a police report. They both kept another Five O Vowels to themselves. This is called 'Going With The Flow'; turning adverse conditions in the favor. *Eiffel was shocked* They removed Five O Vowels overnight just like that.

The manager regretted, 'Sigh, I wish there were robberies every month!' This condition is called 'Turning Despair Into Hope'; turning forced labor into a personal advantage.

The robbers ended up crying to one another, 'We risked our lives and earned Five O Vowels while the manager earned Five O Vowels without doing anything.' That is why it is said 'Education and Knowledge are more precious than gold'.

Meanwhile, the manager smiled with a sinister grin. The loss they had due to the robbery was recovered. This is called 'Make Hay While The Sun Shines.'

Now the question is who is the bigger thief? Educated people or uneducated people? Those who rob one and a half thousand vowels or those who kill millions and millions of vowels with the strike of a pen or the law? We always beat up thieves that steal shoes, thieves that steal domestic animals in the village, and pickpockets on the bus or train. Because they are small. And we hold umbrellas on big thieves, letting them avoid rain and sunlight. Educated thieves are respected and favored in society today. The fault is ours. If we were right, many things might have changed."

Eiffel stood silent upon hearing those words and asked, "So what are you going to do about it? You've got no evidence."

Marquis laughed for a while then answered, "The greatest encounter against those whom you have no evidence of, but you know that they did, is to ensure they disappear without any evidence too." Then they both laughed.

"So, what are you gonna do now?", Marquis asked.

"I gotta go and sleep. It's been a hell of a year for me and it's only the first day. Happy new year, Scorch.", Eiffel told Marquis then left.

"Happy New Year, Chipiko.", said Marquis. Sectors officers joined him.

"So... How is he your friend?", Gyri asked.

"...We went to the same high school.", Marquis answered.

"Wait! Don't tell me you are thinking of him as your replacement!?", Iris startled. Marquis said nothing at all, he only smiled.

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