Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Bounty

The underground world was shrouded in darkness, with the only source of light being the dim chandeliers overhead. The entire space was silent, as if time itself had come to a standstill. Yet, the crumbling stones falling from the walls and the repetitive drip of water outside reminded everyone that this was merely a moment of quiet.

The receptionist remained frozen in shock, unable to react. Moments ago, she had planned to make fun of Yu Higashino, but now, astonishment filled her heart, leaving no room for mockery.

“Is there anything else you need to ask?” Yu Higashino repeated.

The receptionist still didn’t respond, for at that moment, chaotic footsteps echoed from all directions as others from the Exchange rushed over, having heard the commotion.

“What happened here?!” someone called out to the receptionist seated at the counter.

Before she could reply, everyone’s attention shifted to the gaping hole smashed into the wall, the shadowy figure lying beneath it, and Yu Higashino sitting calmly before the receptionist.

“Are you the one causing trouble?!” someone demanded.

Then another noticed the figure by the wall was Kakuzu.

“Kakuzu-sama?” the person called, uncertain.

This realization quickly spread among the crowd. Suddenly, the chaotic scene grew quiet again. All eyes turned to Yu Higashino, and the atmosphere grew heavier.

[How did Kakuzu end up like this?]

[Was it him? Who is he?]

[Is he really that powerful? It looks like Kakuzu didn’t even have a chance to fight back!]

As speculation rippled through the crowd, Yu Higashino spoke.

“No trouble here. My friend forgot who I was, so I helped him remember,” he explained calmly.

[Friend? Remember? Beaten like this?]

Though it sounded completely off, a quick-witted individual spoke up, “Ah, so it was just friends fooling around. Sorry, sir, we misunderstood.”

He turned to those beside him, “Let’s go, leave the gentleman to his amusements.”

As long as it wasn’t trouble, whatever discord existed between bounty hunters was none of their concern.

Besides, with someone this strong, they dared not provoke him.

“Yes, let’s go. Nothing serious happened here.”

“Right, absolutely,” others quickly agreed.

And so, just as quickly as they had gathered, the crowd dispersed. Once again, only Yu Higashino, the receptionist, and Kakuzu lying on the ground remained. The scene returned to its eerie silence.

Yu Higashino asked for the third time, “Is there anything else to register?”

This time, the receptionist finally snapped out of her daze.

“N-no, but I still need to take a photo. May I trouble you once more, sir?”

“Of course.”

Yu Higashino allowed the receptionist to take his photo.

“Is that all?”

“Yes, from now on, Lord Luffy, you are officially registered here as a bounty hunter.”

Yu Higashino thought for a moment and asked, “I heard there’s a credit rating here. Kakuzu and I are friends, so my credit should be higher, right?”

The receptionist instinctively glanced at Kakuzu, still on the floor, swallowed hard, and answered, “Yes, sir. Your credit rating has already been raised to Level Four. According to regulations, that’s the highest level a newcomer can attain.”

“Very well.”

After acknowledging her answer, Yu Higashino grew curious. “Isn’t it risky to rely solely on photos for identification? What if someone impersonates me?”

“We have special techniques to counter transformation jutsu, so that won’t happen.”

Indeed, if they couldn’t detect transformation jutsu, bounty claims would be impossible to verify.

With his curiosity satisfied, Yu Higashino got down to business:

“Earlier, I killed a rogue ninja from the Land of Water and wanted to know if he carried a bounty. What should I do?”

“We have records for all wanted ninjas. You can check for yourself, or if you brought the corpse, we can help you identify him.” As she spoke, the receptionist produced a thick register.

Yu Higashino found it odd; there was a computer nearby, and she had registered his information electronically, yet she still used paper records.

He accepted the register but didn’t look through it. Instead, he took out a stone.

“I brought the corpse.”

The receptionist was puzzled. Brought it? Where?

Then, to her astonishment, Yu Higashino restored the stone to its original form—the body of Kohei Matsuzuki.

“Th-this…” The receptionist was so shocked she could barely form a complete sentence.

“Please help me check. He said his name was Kohei Matsuzuki, but I’m not sure if that was an alias.”

“…Yes, sir.” The receptionist managed to regain her composure.

She produced another register and began searching, while Yu Higashino leafed through his own.

Nearly all famous ninjas in the world had bounties. In the original story, Asuma was worth thirty-five million ryo, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki fifty million, and so on.

Yu Higashino found Asuma’s name in the register, though his bounty was only around twenty million ryo. He also saw several village leaders listed, with bounties exceeding a hundred million ryo—enough to guarantee a lifetime of comfort for anyone who could defeat one.

After some searching, the receptionist found Kohei Matsuzuki’s identity.

“Sir, his real name is Keita Hozuki. He was a Chunin from the Hidden Mist Village who later defected.”

Yu Higashino was mildly surprised; he hadn’t expected Matsuzuki to be from the Hozuki clan. He recalled that the Hozuki clan possessed many secret techniques, including the ability to liquefy their bodies. Strangely, Matsuzuki never used them.

Oh, right, he was killed instantly—no wonder.

“How much is his bounty?” Yu Higashino asked.

“One million ryo.”

“That much?”

“For a Chunin, it’s quite high. It’s probably related to him being from the Hozuki clan,” the receptionist explained.

Yu Higashino didn’t mean it that way; he was simply surprised. Normally, his commissions earned him about a thousand ryo per job, but this time, by coincidence, he’d slain someone worth a million ryo—nearly a thousand times more. It was a bit absurd.

After a brief moment of surprise, Yu Higashino regained his composure.

What would he do with so much money? Just let it sit around?

He thought for a moment. “Do you offer deposit services here?”

“Uh…” The receptionist was thrown by the question.

“I’m sorry, sir, we don’t have that kind of service.”

“Alright, then exchange him for the bounty.”

“Of course, sir. Please wait a moment.”