"It's over."
Seeing the savage killing intent on Bellamy's face, the commander instantly knew he had run into a true monster.
He was a dead man.
This man had no intention of going to Mary Geoise to apologize; he wanted to go to Mary Geoise to wreak havoc. Even if you smashed the commander's head open, he would never have dared to imagine that someone would actually go to Mary Geoise to kill a Celestial Dragon. The Celestial Dragons were inviolable. This law was practically engraved upon his very soul.
"Drake, wash away your humiliation with their blood."
"I understand, Captain!" Drake clenched his fists tightly, transforming his shame into a chest full of killing intent. "Everyone here must die!"
The eyes of the Allosaurus had, at some point, turned a bloody shade of red.
"Good. Go and unleash the rage in your heart," Bellamy said with a laugh. "Gyahahahaha! You're my vice-captain. How could you hesitate before a mere Celestial Dragon?"
"This battlefield is yours."
As for Bellamy, he was now going to drag the rats out of their sewer. He was convinced that Doflamingo's men were nearby. No one would dare to ignore his threat and let him run rampant on the Grand Line. Unless Doflamingo no longer wanted his businesses, Bellamy's revenge would surely teach him the meaning of heart-wrenching pain.
He had vaguely seen a few sailboats in a corner earlier. He would deal with them first.
This fleet escorting the Heavenly Tribute was not actually much of a threat. There were hardly any skilled fighters among them; they relied entirely on the Celestial Dragons' reputation to swagger around the seas. In hindsight, it was Bellamy who had overreacted. He truly hadn't expected to encounter something like this, in this place, at this time. It was as if an unseen hand was manipulating events from behind the scenes.
Bellamy soared into the air, zipping through the sky, and soon spotted a bald old man with veins bulging on his forehead.
That old man?
He looked so familiar. Wasn't that the Donquixote Family officer, Lao G? The Jio-Ken martial art that Bellamy had been so eager to obtain was this old man's specialty.
"So they did send people to hunt me down."
His guess had been correct. Doflamingo had indeed sent his men.
"But why is it only this old man?" Was Doflamingo underestimating him? Was a single Lao G sent here just to be served up on a platter?
Just then, a thin man in mechanical armor with an explosive hairstyle stepped out from the side. "Bellamy, you actually found us."
"I'll defend, you attack," Lao G said.
"No problem."
Gladius and Lao G exchanged a look. They had been partners for decades. A single glance was all they needed to communicate everything.
"Looks like these old bones will have to go all out." Lao G held out his hands, forming a strange "G" shape.
Jio-Ken Ultimate Secret Art: Battle Preservation Fist!
This was the ultimate secret technique of the Jio-Ken style. Lao G's ancestors, so they could fight even when sick, injured, or weakened by old age, had developed this special ki manipulation art that allowed them to store the strength of their youth and preserve it within their bodies.
As he unleashed this secret art, Lao G's body rapidly swelled to several times its original size. The muscles all over his body exploded with growth, and his strength and agility instantly returned to their youthful peak.
Bellamy stood in the sky, quietly waiting for Lao G to complete his transformation.
"Impressive."
This ultimate secret art was truly impressive. The rejuvenating effect alone was enough to earn Bellamy's admiration. But what he coveted most was the technique's ability to store life force and vital energy within the body, ready to be unleashed at any time. This technique was practically tailor-made for him. If Bellamy, a spring-man, were to acquire such a skill, it was impossible to imagine what kind of chemical reaction would result.
Seeing that Lao G had finished his enhancement, Gladius immediately launched a quick attack.
Black Feather Arm Cannon!
The black armor encasing Gladius's arms rapidly inflated. When his arms reached their limit, a terrifying explosion, carrying with it countless flames, shot towards Bellamy.
Gladius was such a minor character that he hadn't left much of an impression, but seeing this peculiar ability, Bellamy instantly remembered who he was: a user of the Pop-Pop Fruit. He could make his own body inflate and detonate, or cause any inorganic object he touched to do the same. The user of the Pop-Pop Fruit could detonate their own body and any inorganic material without harming themselves.
This fruit not only possessed terrifying raw destructive power, but its user also needed no defense. The moment they were attacked, they could simply self-destruct to repel the enemy. From a certain perspective, this ability was a perfect counter to close-quarters combat. Part of the reason Diamante had sent only two officers to capture Bellamy was the confidence he had in the Pop-Pop Fruit.
However, the fruit's strengths and weaknesses were both very obvious. The user had to touch an object to cause an explosion. This meant the blast radius was inevitably fixed around the user's body.
In a flash, Bellamy devised a strategy to deal with Gladius. Against such a tricky opponent, a direct assault was out of the question. He would first suppress him with long-range attacks, then force him to expose a weakness with a relentless barrage, and finally, end it with a single, decisive blow.
With a plan in mind, Bellamy leaped into the air and kicked out twice. One vacuum blade sliced straight through the fiery cloud caused by the explosion, while another vacuum wave followed close behind, aimed directly at Gladius.
Just then, a tall figure swiftly moved to block Gladius's path.
Seal of G!
Lao G, with his hands in the "G" position, unleashed a palm of ki that violently collided with Bellamy's vacuum wave.
CRACKLE...
The immense force pushed Lao G's body back several dozen meters.
"What domineering power."
Although he had expected it, after truly clashing with Bellamy, Lao G could feel the old bones all over his body groaning in protest.
"This young man... he's something else."
A casual blow was this terrifying. If Bellamy landed a full-power punch on him, his body would probably be torn right through. Right now, Lao G's role was defense. He needed to withstand Bellamy's furious assault to support his teammate's attacks.
But why, all of a sudden, did he feel so uncertain?