"Lord Bellamy, this is a dedicated line Den Den Mushi."
In that short amount of time, Lao G had somehow managed to procure a special Den Den Mushi. This guy was certainly self-motivated. The magnetic fields of the Grand Line were extremely chaotic, making communication over long distances difficult with ordinary Den Den Mushi. These dedicated line models were quite rare, and you weren't always guaranteed to find one for sale on the black market.
"Well done." Bellamy never skimped on money. "Here's a few tens of millions of Beli. Consider it your startup capital."
After wrecking the Celestial Dragons' fleet, he had casually grabbed some money on his way back. For the short term, the Bellamy Pirates would not be lacking for funds.
"Thank you, my lord!"
Upon hearing there was money to be had, a wide smile spread across Lao G's face. Not everyone was like Bellamy, with such a disregard for wealth. In this world, Beli was the only universal currency. As long as you were rich enough, you could obtain most things in this world, including Devil Fruits, famous swords, rare slaves, and world-renowned treasures.
Even the World Government itself was not immune to being bought off with money. The Gold Emperor had once spent a fortune to have World Government officials cooperate with him.
Since Bellamy was generous with his money, Lao G naturally felt even more willing to submit.
"This is Lao G, my new intelligence agent," Bellamy said, casually introducing him to the crew without revealing his full identity. This man was disposable in the long run; there was no need for such formalities.
"Where is the intelligence on the Gold Emperor?" This was the first task he had given Lao G.
"Right here, my lord." Lao G quickly produced a file and handed it over.
Gold Emperor: Full name, Gild Tesoro. Age: 39. Devil Fruit: User of the Paramecia-type Gold-Gold Fruit. Title: King of Gran Tesoro, the world's largest entertainment city. Other: Top-tier entertainer, the undisputed King of Casinos. A world-class business prodigy who, in just twelve years, went from a penniless slave to the richest man in the world. It is said that the Gold Emperor controls 20% of all the Beli in the world. Motto: "Those without money can achieve nothing."
The next few lines were all introductions to the Gold Emperor's more famous officers. Bellamy gave them a cursory glance and moved on.
"Not bad."
To gather so much information in such a short time was quite impressive. Since he was now at odds with the Gold Emperor's faction, Bellamy naturally had to be prepared. But judging by the man's style, he seemed to be obsessed with money. Bellamy had a feeling that the chances of another direct confrontation with him were not high.
"Forget it. Let's talk about Jio-Ken."
They were currently resting in an abandoned warehouse in the port district of Sun and Moon Island. The ship was docked at the pier, and the vice-captain had already taken some men to prepare supplies. Since they had learned in advance that the fleet escorting the Heavenly Tribute would be passing through, the crowds near the port had long been dispersed. For a short time, no one would disturb them.
"Jio-Ken is an excellent martial art. If Lord Bellamy is dedicated to the path of the fist and foot, you must practice it," Lao G said, his spirits lifting instantly at the mention of Jio-Ken. He had practiced this martial art his entire life; it was practically engraved in his very marrow.
"Why else would I be asking you about it if I didn't plan to learn?" Bellamy retorted. "First, tell me who created this style."
Bellamy was genuinely curious about who had created such a unique form of martial arts.
"It was my father."
"My father was a fisherman. He fished the seas his entire life. In his old age, all sorts of ailments began to plague him, making his life a living hell," Lao G explained. "Later, he found a very famous doctor on the island. Under that doctor's guidance, he fumbled his way into creating Jio-Ken."
Afterward, this martial art, which was originally just for health and wellness, was heavily modified by Lao G, who eventually brought it to the battlefield.
"Which island, which doctor?"
The famous doctors of this world, if nothing unexpected had happened, were likely one of a select few.
"Drum Island. Dr. Kureha."
"I knew it!" An "as expected" expression appeared on Bellamy's face. "If I have the chance, I must pay a visit to Drum Island."
After a detailed discussion, Bellamy gained a deeper understanding of Jio-Ken. Next, he carefully studied Lao G's training notes. With Lao G's personal explanations, Bellamy quickly grasped the most essential part of Jio-Ken: the theoretical knowledge of how to store life force, energy, and stamina.
Next came practical application. A large portion of this content involved the theoretical system related to Life Essence Apertures. However, only a small part of it completely overlapped with the knowledge Bellamy already possessed. The rest was an unfamiliar territory he had not yet mastered.
"It seems I can't neglect my medical studies."
Whether it was martial arts or physical techniques, in the end, they all came back to the human body itself.
As for the rest of the miscellaneous moves—the combat system that Lao G had added himself—Bellamy discarded them like trash. The Lower Back Pain Stance, the Sore Legs Stance, the Dry Eyes Stance... what kind of nonsense was all that?
The most essential and original part of this martial art consisted of only one move: the ultimate secret art that Lao G had named "Jio-Ken Ultimate Secret Art: Battle Preservation Fist." That single move was more than enough. There was no need to gild the lily.
If you don't have the talent for it, don't just go changing things, you idiot.