[The older man peered at the inscription on the tropical tank for a moment, honestly too unsettled by the blob fish to look at it too long. Did they have those on Eos? He hoped not. Ugly.]

I believe it might be three. The riddle doesn't specify that it is referring to the same chocobo each time. So a chocobo is in the back with two in front of it, a chocobo is in the front with two behind it, and there's a chocobo in the middle. Just a theory.

[He's not much of a riddler, but he is a problem solver and finding loopholes became a specialty of his when he began writing snd revising laws. A glance back at the blob fish tank and he gives an approving nod to Kenichi.]

Well done.