"Why has this old man lived to such a ripe age?"
"Because I know when to be sensible, of course."
When speaking of his age, Lao G's face was full of pride. It was indeed rare for someone in their seventies to still be fighting to the death on the high seas.
Lao G then took out a thick notebook from his clothes. "This contains the essence of my martial arts, accumulated over a lifetime. Lord Bellamy, I implore you to accept it."
This series of bizarre actions left Bellamy at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. The moment the old man had climbed out of the sea and discovered that Gladius was dead, he had immediately kneeled. His knees were certainly flexible. As expected of an old pirate who had survived into his seventies, he really had his own methods.
Bellamy took the notebook and flipped through a few pages. It was indeed what he wanted.
"You may go."
Seeing how cooperative he was, Bellamy decided to let him off. A character like Lao G didn't have many years left to live anyway. Letting him go wouldn't cause any major trouble.
Hearing the tone in Bellamy's voice, Lao G let out a huge sigh of relief. I don't sense any killing intent. It seems this old man has managed to survive yet again. It was clear this wasn't the first time he had pulled such a maneuver.
Lao G lay on a piece of broken deck and began to paddle away. Just then, Bellamy suddenly called out to him again. "Wait a minute."
"I almost forgot to ask you. How does Doflamingo plan to kill me? Tell me about your plan."
Bellamy was currently in a state of severe information deficit. He might be able to obtain a lot of important information from this old man.
Lao G gave a sheepish laugh and began to explain their specific plan to Bellamy. This old man was quite the character; the moment he opened his mouth, he sold Doflamingo out completely. The plan to hunt down Bellamy, specific intelligence on the Donquixote Family, the distribution of the Flamingo's forces in the black market... even the plan to usurp the throne of Dressrosa.
As long as Bellamy dared to ask, he dared to answer.
By the end of it, Bellamy had practically stripped the Donquixote Family of all their secrets.
Lao G's face was a mask of misery, and he was just short of getting on his knees and kowtowing to Bellamy. "My lord, I beg you, please don't ask any more." If Doflamingo found out he had revealed so much, he would surely be killed.
Bellamy looked at the old man, feeling quite surprised himself. This man was being a little too cooperative, daring to spill everything. Was it because the older you get, the more you fear death?
This man... he might be useful.
"Lao G, don't go back."
Hearing this, Lao G thought Bellamy was about to kill him and immediately started wailing. "Spare my life, my lord! Ask away, please, ask away! I'll tell you anything you want to know!"
"What I mean is, you'll be a dead man if you go back anyway." Why would he go back after selling out the Donquixote Family so thoroughly? "From now on, you work for me. I happen to be short on men."
"You can just gather intelligence for me on land."
"What!" Lao G was shocked. He never thought Bellamy would actually want to recruit him. But...
"What is your family's punishment for traitors?" Given Doflamingo's character, it was probably quite cruel.
Sure enough, as Lao G thought about it, his expression changed dramatically.
"It's different if you work for me. I won't micromanage you," Bellamy said. "As long as you provide me with regular intelligence, you can live wherever you want." Bellamy knew that as long as this old man still feared death, he would never escape his grasp.
Now, he just needed to give him some reassurance.
"Later, I'll release the news of your death in battle," Bellamy offered. "The Donquixote Family will think you're dead and won't go out of their way to look for you. The Grand Line is a huge place. As long as you find a small island to hide on, no one will ever find you. Well? Think about it seriously."
In truth, just by looking at Lao G's expression, Bellamy knew he was already tempted.
"If you go back, aren't you afraid I'll contact Doflamingo?" By revealing just a few secrets that no one else knew, Lao G would be finished. "Faking your death is your best option."
With the conversation having reached this point, Lao G really had no choice. As long as he wanted to live, he could only do as Bellamy said.
"Your subordinate, Lao G, pays his respects to Lord Bellamy."
After much consideration, the old fox finally submitted.
"Very good." Bellamy nodded in satisfaction. Recruiting an old pirate without much effort was an unexpected gain. "Go to Sun and Moon Island and wait for me. Be careful and don't let anyone discover your whereabouts."
He casually tossed him a Den Den Mushi and immediately gave him a task. "Pay attention and gather intelligence on the Gold Emperor. I'll question you when I get back."
"Yes, my lord."
Lao G bowed respectfully to Bellamy, then paddled away on his plank.
"I wonder how long this old man will be useful."
A man like Lao G certainly couldn't be trusted. However, Bellamy didn't need to worry about him betraying him for the time being. With the threat of the Donquixote Family looming, he wouldn't turn traitor anytime soon. As for the future... in the future, Bellamy would have no need for such a turncoat.
He had only recruited him out of desperation, having no one else available. If he had even a few trustworthy subordinates, who would bother with someone of this caliber?
"It's time to end this battle."
Having smashed the fleet escorting the Heavenly Tribute, it was easy to imagine how the Five Elders would react.
Sun and Moon Island was not a place to linger.