Sea Circle Calendar 1517, October.
This marked the second month since Bellamy had entered the Grand Line. The continuous sea voyage had inevitably stirred feelings of restlessness and frustration among the crew.
"Just bear with it a little longer."
According to their course, they were about to reach Sun and Moon Island. But now was not the time to rest. Sun and Moon Island was no paradise.
There had been no activity on the seas for some time; all the major powers seemed to have fallen silent. But Bellamy knew this was merely a facade. A storm was brewing in the shadows, threatening to tear them to shreds.
From his last conversation with Tsuru, Bellamy could guess that the Marines had already made their move against him. But without Drake as his inside line, he had no way of knowing their movements.
Then there was the issue of the pirates, which was another major problem. Doflamingo had made it clear he wanted him dead, and the Gold Emperor had thrown his lot in as well. With these two giants of the underworld working together, Sun and Moon Island was likely already crawling with a horde of pirates and bounty hunters, all waiting to claim their heads.
"So, who will my opponent be this time?"
If they could just overcome this one hurdle, the road ahead would be much easier. Once they reached Carnival City, they would be at the midpoint of this sea route. The number of nearby islands would increase, and the seas would become more open. They wouldn't be cornered on a single route like they were now.
Bellamy had his own theories about the formidable enemies he was about to face. He estimated that the Marines would most likely send another Vice Admiral. As for Doflamingo, it was unlikely he would come personally. The Flamingo was more likely to dispatch his top officers, who would then lead a massive force of bounty-hunting pirates in a naval assault against him—forming a grand fleet to crush him at sea.
In fact, this was the typical strategy for a major power looking to annihilate a small pirate crew like theirs. As long as one's strength hadn't reached a certain level, being surrounded by hundreds of pirate ships was a death sentence for a crew with only one or two small vessels.
"I doubt I'll be seeing any fishing boats on the Grand Line."
The great siege in the North Blue had been utterly absurd. Fishing boats and cargo ships had shown up to gawk at him as if he were a gorilla in a zoo. The fate of those onlookers had been tragic, of course; they were all crushed to pieces by a rampaging Bellamy.
But this time was different. The weather on the Grand Line was treacherous and unpredictable; fishing boats couldn't possibly venture far from coastal waters. If another grand siege were to happen, Bellamy would likely be facing hundreds of medium- to large-sized warships. That would be a battle far more difficult to handle than the last.
"The one thing I can be grateful for is that I have never strayed from my own path."
Bellamy extended his right hand and slowly clenched his fist. The power lurking within his palm, a force capable of easily tearing steel apart, was the source of all his confidence.
"What's wrong with chasing power? I just want to become the strongest!"
In this world, the ultimate law was the survival of the fittest. So what was the point of things like justice, love, or wealth? All he wanted was power! Only power could protect him. Only power could allow him to follow his own will. Without power, he was nothing.
Just as Bellamy was lost in his thirst for strength, Drake's startled cry broke his reverie.
"Captain, there's something ahead!"
"Hm? What is it?" Bellamy snapped back to reality, taking the telescope from Drake's hand and looking forward.
A massive fleet was slowly approaching them from the other side of the horizon. From a distance, it looked to be composed of over three hundred warships. More than half were medium-sized vessels, and the rest were large warships, each dozens of meters high and hundreds of meters long.
A fleet of this size would never appear on the open sea for no reason.
"So they're here. That was fast."
It seemed the fleet sent to eliminate them had arrived. This time, however, they weren't in a pre-arranged battlefield. It was uncertain how effective the Blood Bait would be.
"Notify everyone to prepare for battle. We're charging straight in."
When a grand fleet of this scale attacks a single small ship, they could simply blast them to pieces with long-range cannon fire. Their only choice was to break into the enemy's formation. This new ship they had just stolen was definitely a lost cause.
"Take only what's important. Abandon everything else."
All the money they had just plundered was now for nothing. Fortunately, Bellamy had never cared much for wealth. Aside from the cook and the doctor feeling a pang of regret, about ten million Beli and a large amount of gold and treasure were casually abandoned.
"Captain, should we use the Blood Bait now?"
They had acquired a good amount of medicinal herbs on Stilt Island and had already prepared a new batch of Blood Bait.
"Go ahead," Bellamy said. "But we're not near the Calm Belt, so I doubt it will attract many Sea Kings."
The true nests of the Sea Kings were in the Calm Belt, where the effects of the Blood Bait could be maximized. In ordinary seas, it would only cause some confusion. A grand fleet of this caliber would surely have ways to deal with a few dozen Sea Kings.
"Everyone," Bellamy began, his gaze sweeping over his crew, "you have to survive this."
If they could just make it through this, the path ahead would be much smoother. He took out several Vivre Cards, checked each one carefully, and then placed them back into a specially made pocket.
"I'm going on ahead. You all follow."
With a light tap of his foot, Bellamy's body transformed into a gust of wind, vanishing in an instant.
"This ship is definitely a goner."
They had only just gotten this vessel. Drake had been at the helm the whole time and was just getting familiar with it, only for it to be destroyed. He patted the ship's wheel and let out a rare sigh. "I'm going too. The rest of you, keep up."
Transform: Allosaurus!
Drake swiftly transformed and, using Moon Walk, shot off after Bellamy.
Ross watched the vice-captain's departing figure, feeling a bit dejected. His Rhino-Man form was incredibly clumsy. Once transformed, his weight would skyrocket, and his body would become round, making it extremely unsuitable for aerial movement.
"I wish I could have a cool transformation and just fly through the air!"
Alas, he could not.
"I'm off. You guys hurry up," Ross said with resignation. He could only remain in his human form and quickly follow on foot.
"If we all go, what about the clones?" Muret asked, looking at the clones on the deck with a look of pity.
"What else can we do? Toss them into the sea to feed the fish."
It was the same as last time. In a battle of this scale, the clones weren't even qualified to be cannon fodder.
"Such a waste. We'll have to find some more clones somewhere next time."
"Give me a break. Let's just focus on surviving first," Mia retorted casually, but her expression quickly turned serious. "You have to make it out alive, Muret."
"You too."
The two women looked at each other and shared a light laugh.
"Let's go. We shouldn't keep the captain waiting."
Perhaps it was due to all they had been through. Facing the impending bloodbath, neither woman flinched. Without a moment's hesitation, they followed.