Ward first appears as the concerned employer of Scooter, who was missing after a big hurricane. But it turns out he wasn't just interested in Scooter's safety because he cared, it's because Scooter was after the sunken treasure in the 1800s shipwreck of The Royal Merchant, just like the Pogue kids. And just like the kids, they were following in the footsteps of leader John B's dad. But the reason they had to follow in Big John's footsteps instead of just help Big John out in his own quest is because Ward accidentally killed John B's dad. And instead of reporting the tragic accident — caused because the already mega wealthy Ward was greedy about his split of the Royal Merchant's $400 million of gold — Ward physically fought Big John, pushed him into a boat cleat, and caused a gnarly head injury. Then, instead of seeing if he was okay, Ward just assumed Big John was dead, pushed him overboard, and covered everything up.