In a pitch-black, silent room.
Bellamy sat alone in quiet meditation. Time ticked by, second by second, yet his abdomen and chest remained perfectly still, as if he were a statue.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from the doorway.
Bellamy's eyes snapped open, and an incredibly savage killing intent radiated uncontrollably from them.
"Finally!"
How much time had passed? Two days? Three? All Bellamy knew was that the large pile of meat in the quiet room had been completely devoured. And in his seventy-seven Life Essence Apertures, he had stored over seventy hours' worth of the four types of energy.
This meant that in the upcoming fierce battle, Bellamy could recklessly squander his power without any concern. Seventy hours of stamina would allow him to fight continuously for days and nights without any need for rest. Seventy hours of vitality would let him maintain his Observation Haki without the slightest interruption. The vast life force accumulated in his apertures was even more terrifying; as long as Bellamy wasn't killed on the spot, he could recover from any injury, no matter how severe, in an instant.
The final component, elasticity, was somewhat redundant, as stamina could be converted into his Devil Fruit's power. In all his time as a pirate, Bellamy had never encountered a situation where his elasticity was insufficient. A lack of stamina, however, was a frequent problem.
"Onigumo, you must be getting impatient too!"
Bellamy slowly clenched his fists, the fighting spirit in his heart as hot as molten lava. Onigumo saw him as a heinous criminal who had to be killed, and the feeling was mutual.
He had never forgotten the debt from that sword strike.
"Report, Lord Bellamy! A large Marine warship has been spotted near Sun and Moon Island. It is suspected that Marine Vice Admiral Onigumo has arrived."
Lao G had been particularly proactive during this time, snatching up every dirty and tiring job, and constantly flattering the other crew members. He was like a model employee of the year, diligent and uncomplaining. But Bellamy's Observation Haki had long since seen through to his true thoughts. If not for the fact that he still had a great use for this cowardly, life-clinging waste, Bellamy would have already sunk him to the bottom of the sea for his petty schemes.
"I know. You are dismissed."
This battle was his alone.
Bellamy slowly rose and straightened his appearance. As someone who usually paid no mind to his looks, he had never been one to care about his appearance. But this battle held great significance for him, and so, in an extremely rare moment, he took the time to groom himself.
"Very good."
Both outwardly and inwardly, he was perfectly prepared.
"Give the order. Have everyone withdraw from the port district."
Bellamy was going to kill Onigumo, once and for all, right here on the docks.
"As you command, my lord." Lao G hurried off towards the port district.
"This battle, I will win!"
Bellamy suddenly closed his eyes, and an incredibly dense Observation Haki shot out from his mind. The formless spiritual power instantly swept across half of Sun and Moon Island, enveloping every living being within its range. At this moment, the joys, sorrows, and anger of countless beings flooded into Bellamy's mind.
This was the first time he had so completely peered into the hearts of everyone around him.
Bellamy filtered out all the weaker minds. Soon, a few of the most powerful souls became clear in his vision.
"I see you, Onigumo."
The moment Bellamy's Observation Haki locked onto Onigumo, the Vice Admiral abruptly raised his head.
"Who is it!"
Who was using Observation Haki so brazenly?
Anyone who had mastered Observation Haki would surely be able to detect such a forceful intrusion. What Bellamy was doing was equivalent to forcibly stripping the clothes off someone's back. No strong fighter could tolerate such a provocation.
Onigumo immediately activated his own Observation Haki, sending it hurtling back in the opposite direction. In an instant, the two formless spiritual powers collided in the void.
Observation Haki had almost no offensive capability, and no one would ever try to use it to attack. But if one's Observation Haki was strong enough, it could forcefully suppress the weaker party. The importance of Observation Haki in battle was self-evident.
Before they had even met face to face, Bellamy and Onigumo had begun an invisible clash.
This clash continued until the warship docked. Onigumo suddenly withdrew his Observation Haki.
"Found you!"
The person using Observation Haki was not far away.
Is it you, Bellamy? In his heart, Onigumo had already made his judgment. It had to be Bellamy.
"So he deliberately stopped on Sun and Moon Island to wait for me!"
What arrogance!
But then again, this was Bellamy. It would be stranger if he wasn't arrogant.