The news that Bellamy might be on Carnival City quickly spread through various channels. Unseen forces had been continuously monitoring his movements from the shadows. He had made so many enemies that the moment this news broke, the entire intelligence network of the underworld buzzed with activity.
The Gold Emperor, Doflamingo, the Vinsmoke Family, Marine Intelligence, the World Government's espionage agencies—these were all major powers that Bellamy had offended. In addition, there were countless others seeking him out for revenge, for his bounty, or for their own strange reasons.
The whereabouts of one man, Bellamy, held the attention of countless people. The moment he showed his face, innumerable intelligence agents began to analyze his purpose.
Carnival City was no ordinary island. It was the terminus of the Sea Train, and from here, one could easily cross half the Grand Line. The reason for Bellamy's appearance on this island was crystal clear: he obviously wanted to take the Sea Train as a shortcut.
But what was Bellamy's final destination?
Almost everyone wanted to know where he was going. If they could guess his destination, they could intercept him on the island in advance. But when Bellamy had stolen the Eternal Pose, he had burned down the entire warehouse. Besides his few crewmates, no one knew their final destination. Even Lao G was unaware that they were heading to the Boin Archipelago.
The Boin Archipelago was a little-known "living" island. Moreover, it was not marked on ordinary sea charts. It would be impossible for anyone to guess their destination through sheer speculation.
Bellamy himself was well aware of how many people were watching his every move. Forgetting everyone else, he had just recently killed Onigumo. Who knew what kind of force the Marines would dispatch to hunt him down this time? It certainly wouldn't be an ordinary Vice Admiral. He estimated that his next encounter with the Marines would be with either Garp or one of the three Admirals.
As for Doflamingo, even if he was reluctant to get involved personally, after Bellamy had destroyed one of his large auction houses, he probably couldn't stand it any longer.
Then there was the World Government. He wondered if they would send CP agents to assassinate him. Logically, after he had wrecked the fleet escorting the Heavenly Tribute, the Celestial Dragons shouldn't have let the matter rest. But so much time had passed, and there had been no movement from the World Government, as if they had forgotten all about him.
Bellamy didn't know it yet, but Ace's existence had drawn a great deal of fire away from him. Otherwise, he might have been facing Kizaru by now.
Finally, there were the Gold Emperor and the Vinsmoke Family. Given the Gold Emperor's style, Bellamy could probably just talk to him and settle things with some compensation. But compared to taking compensation, Bellamy much preferred the idea of grabbing the Gold Emperor by the head and slapping him a few times. If he could twist his head off in the process, that would be even better. As for the Vinsmokes, the family's power was limited; for now, they couldn't cause much trouble.
After killing the person in charge of the auction house, Bellamy left with the Slow-Slow Fruit. The auction house had been completely destroyed; it would be better to build a new one than to try and repair it. Next, he prepared to cause some trouble for the Gold Emperor. The casino run by the Gold Emperor was also on this central street, not far away. The incident at the auction house had a huge impact on the casino's business. By the time Bellamy reached the casino entrance, many people were hastily leaving.
He assumed no one had recognized him, so he swaggered right in.
Just then, a strange man suddenly called out to him.
"Mr. Bellamy, please wait a moment."
"Hm?"
Someone had called out his name. Bellamy looked down at his own appearance. He was in his adolescent form. How had he been recognized?
Bellamy looked at the man who had stopped him. "And you are?"
"Good day, Mr. Bellamy. I'm a reporter from the World Economic Journal," the man said, showing Bellamy his work ID. "I'd like to have a word with you. Do you have a moment?"
What did a reporter want with him? Bellamy was well aware of his reputation on the seas. Ordinary people wouldn't dare to approach him so casually.
"If you have something to say, say it here." A few words wouldn't hurt. He was actually quite curious about these reporters.
"It's like this. Our president, at the request of the Gold Emperor, wishes to mediate the conflict between you and him."
Originally, the president of the World Economic Journal, Morgans, was supposed to come himself. But some major news had just broken in the New World, so he had to send his elite subordinate to handle this matter instead.
"Isn't your president being a bit nosy?" Bellamy asked. "Do I look like an easy person to talk to?"
With his current appearance, Bellamy actually did look quite approachable. The reporter almost burst out laughing. Fortunately, he remembered what kind of monster he was facing and quickly suppressed his amusement.
"The Gold Emperor has promised to offer a large amount of compensation," the reporter continued. "And as a sign of his sincerity, he will also present you with a Gran Tesoro VIP Gold Card. With this card, you will receive a fifty-percent discount on all purchases in Gran Tesoro."
A fifty-percent discount right off the bat... that was quite a generous offer. But as it happened, Bellamy had no interest in money whatsoever. The reporter's pitch was actually starting to annoy him.
"Alright, that's enough. Get lost." Bellamy waved his hand dismissively. It would take more than that to persuade him.
Seeing Bellamy's reaction, the reporter immediately became anxious. "Mr. Bellamy, please wait just a moment." Realizing he was out of his depth, the reporter immediately dialed his president's dedicated line.
"President, I'm speaking with Bellamy right now. It's like this..."
Soon, Morgans's voice came through the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
"Lord Bellamy, my apologies for not being able to speak with you in person," Morgans began. "The World Economic Journal is one of the most well-informed organizations in the world."
The other two were the Cipher Pol units and Marine Intelligence. In the world of One Piece, these three organizations had the most detailed and accurate information.
"If there is anything you need, you can ask me for help at any time," Morgans offered. "Consider it a favor I owe you."
A favor from the president of the World Economic Journal was naturally of great value. And as it happened, Bellamy was in desperate need of intelligence assistance. He had been in the Grand Line for nearly three months but had heard no news of Trafalgar Law. In his plans for the future, the Op-Op Fruit was of crucial importance, so he had been wanting to track down Law's whereabouts.
Now that Morgans had come to him, Bellamy naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass. He could put aside his trivial matters with the Gold Emperor for now.
Nothing was more important than the pursuit of power.