After picking up Yoko and Akisu, Bill left the Marine Base. Since it was already late in the evening, he decided to return to the ship and discuss work plans with the team of engineers from the Island of Mechanisms.
On the way back to the ship, Yoko asked Bill to "fly" with them, and Bill, laughing, lifted both kids into his arms. Akisu closed his eyes while Yoko laughed the entire way, and Bill was glad she could still laugh.
The children were adapting quickly, but in an unhealthy environment, this adaptation could turn out to be harmful. Bill knew no one could replace Ryudo, but he hoped to help the girl grow up to be a good person.
Nothing changed that evening. The food was not unloaded onto the caravels since it was decided that the refugee relocation would begin the next day. This news was music to their ears, as they were ready to set foot on land.
When Rans returned with the team of engineers, they laid out the plan for repairing the Victoria. Their first step was to remove the extra cannons and build temporary shelters, which would be possible thanks to the redistribution of weight.
"The hull seems intact," Rans said, listing off a few issues, most of them caused by the explosion of the giant cannon.
Overall, he and his team estimated the repairs would cost 15 million Beli, including restoring most of the mechanical components that had been damaged. This didn't include reworking the gargoyle figurehead Bill wanted replaced—according to Rans, that would take too much time.
The good news was that once the cannons were removed, the ship could accommodate several hundred more people on board.
The next morning, Bill met with Masterson and the new recruits in his office. To his surprise, all sixteen had returned and happily signed their contracts.
He offered them six-year contracts with a starting salary of 10,000 Beli a month—the standard rate for a third mate. They were all carpenters, sailmakers, helmsmen, and cooks, which was perfectly fine. What he needed most were experienced sailors
Then he met with Danny, Denny, and Donny, who were still eagerly expressing their desire to join.
Bill asked around about them, but none of the former residents of the Island of Mechanisms knew the three, so he reluctantly agreed to hire them full-time. Although he had no intention of cutting their salaries, Bill decided he would treat them the same way as Nelson.
Finally, it was time for his meeting with Masterson. Bill had intentionally saved this meeting for last, knowing it would take the longest.
"Come in, have a seat," Bill said as Masterson walked into the office.
After taking a seat at the desk, Bill spoke first:
"Have you thought about what I said?"
Masterson nodded and began:
"Yes, of course, my friend. I liked what you said, and I'm ready to join your division, but I do have some conditions."
Bill had expected this, and since Masterson had the experience he needed and a young child, Bill was ready to listen:
"All right, what would you need to sign the contract?"
Placing his hands on his knees, Masterson replied respectfully but frankly:
"First, let me say that I'm only interested in this because I believe that if I join the Science Division, my daughter Carol will be able to receive a first-class education. Is that the case?"
Bill nodded and explained how the Science Division operated for those who signed a contract, adding that they planned to open schools—though, given the state of their base, that would take several months.
Masterson, who apparently had heard from Rans about Little East Blue island, found Bill's response satisfactory. So he continued:
"All right, that works for me. "My next condition is that I need housing. My daughter is old enough to stay home alone, but I can't let her live in the Marine Base barracks.
This was a serious request, since it's important to understand that even a cheap house on an island connected to the World Government averages between 2 and 4 million Beli.
In fact, the salaries that Marines and their assistants receive are largely structured so that, after six years of service and moderate saving, they can afford a home. For the kind of island Little East Blue was meant to become, Masterson was asking for a house in the 10 to 20 million Beli range.
After discussing plans with the gearwork mechanism engineers, Bill had calculated that the maximum island capacity would be about ten thousand people. That would only be possible by fully utilizing the knowledge he gained from Vegapunk, as well as relying on the civil engineers who designed and built the massive Gear Tower that lifted the entire island into the clouds.
It goes without saying that building such infrastructure would take years, and the island itself would become an extremely expensive place to live.
Tapping his finger on the table, Bill considered the request. As he thought, Masterson simply sat and waited patiently for Bill to speak.