Bellamy led his crew toward the most conspicuous golden ark at the edge of Mock Town, his heart pounding with excitement.
He had finally received a mission from that man. That man hadn't forgotten him.
As long as he could complete the mission successfully, he could officially become a member of the Donquixote Family!
However, as he stood in the shadow of the golden ark, looking up at the super giant serpent, his body trembled involuntarily.
The serpent's cold, vertical pupils were appraising him, and its breath seemed to carry the lingering scent of blood from the pirates who had caused trouble days before.
"I am Captain Bellamy of the Bellamy Pirates. I come representing the Donquixote Family…" Bellamy forced his voice to remain steady.
"I know. Follow me." A bald warrior carrying a giant Impact Dial suddenly blocked his path, his pristine white wings gleaming with a metallic luster in the sunlight.
Bellamy frowned slightly, feeling he couldn't disgrace the might of the Donquixote Family. "I am an envoy of the Donquixote Family. I wish to see your Captain."
Ohm replied coldly, "Our Captain has no time to deal with small fry like you."
Bellamy's face flushed and paled, but he ultimately held back, emphasizing his status again. "I represent the Warlord of the Sea, Donquixote Doflamingo. Aren't you afraid of Doflamingo-sama's wrath?"
The Four Priests who had gathered exchanged glances, then burst out laughing.
"Is he talking about that flamingo who ran away with his tail between his legs after being scared by Captain?"
"He holds no sway here with us."
"You dare insult Doflamingo-sama?!" Bellamy was furious. Insulting him was one thing, but insulting his idol was absolutely unacceptable!
His crewmates quickly grabbed and held him back. "Captain, we can't start a conflict with a Warlord!"
Ohm responded coldly, "We are merely stating facts. The five monsters are ready. Take them and leave."
This cold dismissal completely enraged Bellamy. He pushed his crewmates aside. "I absolutely will not allow you to insult Doflamingo-sama! He is the pride of the North Blue!"
His legs instantly compressed like springs, and he shot forward at a speed barely visible to the naked eye.
However, Ohm simply sidestepped slightly, easily dodging the attack.
"How is that possible?" Bellamy couldn't believe it. He knew his strength was no match for a Warlord's, but the opponent was clearly just a minor crewmember under the Warlord. Could it be his strength wasn't even comparable to a mere underling?
'No, it must just be luck!' Bellamy launched a frenzied assault on the four, but each attack was effortlessly dodged, as if he were being toyed with like a bull in a bullfight.
On the deck of the Ark Maxim, Setsuna looked down at Bellamy below, who was still shouting something about 'the pride of the North Blue', and couldn't help but shake his head.
This was a textbook case of an idol-worshipper stepping on every landmine imaginable.
Doflamingo had once asked him why he gave up a comfortable life to become a pirate.
Bellamy replied that such a life was too boring… precisely stepping on the landmine that reminded Doflamingo of his father, who gave up being a Celestial Dragon to live as a commoner.
And that phrase, 'pride of the North Blue', was the landmine of all landmines.
Doflamingo had been bullied terribly by the people of the North Blue as a child. How could he possibly consider himself a person of the North Blue?
It was a testament to Doflamingo's self-control that he didn't just shoot him on the spot back then.
Ace looked down curiously. "Captain, is there something noteworthy about this guy?"
Setsuna chuckled. "Don't you think his ability is quite similar to your brother's?"
"Haha, now that you mention it, it really is," Ace suddenly felt an itch to fight. "Should I go down and have a match with him?"
Setsuna was speechless. "Be a decent person."
Perhaps feeling they had toyed with him enough, Ohm knocked Bellamy out with a single chop and tossed him to his trembling crew.
"Take your Captain and follow me."
At that moment, Robin returned, holding a delicate Eternal Pose. "Captain, I've found an Eternal Pose for the Gourmet City."
Setsuna nodded slightly. "Well done."
The Gourmet City wasn't on their planned route. Only an Eternal Pose could temporarily change their course. Fortunately, there were enough pirates in Mock Town, and after offering a reward, they managed to find one.
"We'll set sail officially once Ohm finishes handing over the monsters."
…
The Gourmet City of Pucci, hailed as the world's number one [Paradise for the Taste Buds], was experiencing an unprecedented spectacle.
The [World Chef Competition], hosted by the World Government, was in full swing here. The championship prize was a staggering 1 billion Berry, attracting top chefs from all Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line.
Masters of red wine-braised beef from the East Blue, artisans of deep-sea fish sashimi from the West Blue, fanatics of volcanic grilled meat from the South Blue, sushi masters from the North Blue… Top chefs rarely seen in everyday life were commonplace here.
The streets were filled with a myriad of aromas… the savory scent of grilled meat, the rich fragrance of pastries, the fresh smell of seafood… The entire city seemed enveloped in the atmosphere of fine cuisine.
However, just as the competition was in full swing, a massive fleet crossed half the Grand Line to arrive at this very place.
"Gasp! That's a battleship made of gold! Which pirate crew is so reckless, flaunting wealth like that?"
"Look at the flag! It's the Warlord of the Sea, the Gourmet Navigation Group!"
Panic spread through the crowd like a plague. Although this fleet called itself a 'navigation group', the 'reputation' of the Warlords still struck fear in their hearts.
"Are they here to steal the prize money? That's 1 billion Berry!" A pastry chef exclaimed, squeezing his cream piping bag so hard it burst.
"They probably wouldn't, right? Why would a Warlord care about such a small amount of money?"
"That's even worse. Since they're called the [Gourmet Navigation Group], they might be here to capture all of us chefs!"
"N-no way… This is a competition hosted by the World Government…"
"Ha! Do you think the World Government would offend a Warlord for the sake of us chefs?"
Panic spread through the crowd. Some were already packing their belongings to flee.
"Warlords truly have a terrible reputation," Setsuna shook his head slightly, stepping into the air from the deck. "Everyone, I am not here to ruin this feast, but to join it."
"I give you my word that this competition will not be disturbed in any way. Anyone who dares disrupt this competition will have me as their enemy!"
Hearing Setsuna give his personal guarantee, the entire island fell into a brief silence, then erupted into thunderous cheers.
"Excellent! With a Warlord maintaining order, we don't have to worry about pirates suddenly appearing from somewhere to disrupt the competition!"
"Heheh, I guarantee there were pirates lurking nearby earlier. They probably don't dare show their faces now!"
"It seems this new Warlord is quite reasonable. Not like that other new Warlord mentioned in the papers, the one they call [Tyrant], who killed who knows how many people!" A chef who called himself a 'master' sighed.
Beside him, a newly appointed Warlord walking by silently felt a sting of offense.