Chapter 39: A Boring Woman

"Gyahahaha!" As if he'd thought of something amusing, Bellamy suddenly burst into a fit of manic laughter.

He casually pulled out a flintlock pistol from his waist and tossed it to Chardin. "Go, take this gun and kill some random thug on the street."

"Show me your resolve, woman of the Portgas family."

"Don't disappoint me."

What an interesting test. Good and evil, strength and gentleness, often existed on a thin line. Killing was the fastest way to shatter that balance.

Strength and weakness weren't always apparent from outward appearances. This woman's true nature would be easily revealed through this test.

Chardin fumbled to catch the gun, looking at Bellamy in a panic. "Mr. Bellamy, I... I've never fired a gun before."

As she spoke, her tears began to flow again. But tears had no effect on Bellamy; they only served to annoy him.

"Ah, is that so?"

This woman was utterly boring.

His disappointment was palpable in his words.

Bellamy lightly tapped the armrest of his lounge chair, sinking into thoughts about the pirate crew's future. He was currently planning to set sail, and a skilled navigator was urgently needed.

Chardin had come at just the right time. Otherwise, based on her performance just now, he would have thrown her out long ago.

He'd been searching for a good navigator for a long time, and waiting indefinitely wasn't an option. Fine, he'd give her one more chance. After all, it was a navigator, one of the most scarce professions on the sea.

After a long while, he came back to his senses and looked again at the silently weeping woman. "Then shoot yourself."

"In the leg or arm."

If she didn't even have this much resolve, this woman wasn't cut out to be a pirate.

"See how nice I am to you? Hahahaha!"

He'd even specifically reminded her to aim for her arm or leg. Drake hadn't received such preferential treatment back then.

Hearing this condition, Chardin's face turned pale with fright. "Something like that... how could I possibly do it?"

"No one would shoot themselves," Mani muttered quietly, thinking Bellamy was deliberately making things difficult for Chardin.

Mia, on the other hand, understood Bellamy's intentions. It was just that, looking at the frail woman beside her, she shook her head inwardly. Bellamy, that madman, had incredibly strict requirements for his crew. Even she had almost given up several times.

Even if Chardin did join the Bellamy Pirates, she wouldn't be able to withstand such brutal training.

"This girl is quite pitiful. Oh well, I'll help her out one more time."

Mia sighed silently, glared at her captain again, and sashayed out the door.

Before long, she returned, dragging a scruffy-looking pirate with her.

Tossing the pirate onto the ground, Mia glanced at Chardin. "Pick up the gun and shoot him in the head."

The pirate still looked bewildered, clearly unsure why he'd been brought here.

"You..."

Bellamy didn't like trash talking in front of him. He casually flicked out a burst of wind, knocking the pirate unconscious.

"Alright, for the chef's sake, I'll give you one more chance."

Chardin was taking too long to act, and he was starting to get impatient.

"Kill him, and you're a member of the Bellamy Pirates."

This test was truly as simple as it could get. Even Mani thought so, not to mention Mia.

Their commotion in the front yard had alerted the other crew members, and they gradually arrived on the scene.

Drake, who arrived last, had a complicated look in his eyes after learning about Bellamy's actions. "That's not like him. Is it because of the navigator position?"

It made sense. After learning about the effects of Sea King meat, Bellamy had been planning to set sail lately. A skilled navigator was indeed highly sought after.

Muret and Ross didn't think so much. They were mostly there to watch the show. Perhaps this would be a future comrade.

Under everyone's gaze, Chardin finally, slowly, raised the flintlock pistol, aiming it at the pirate's head.

As the gun rose, the atmosphere in the yard slowly solidified. Everyone seemed to be waiting for that moment to arrive.

But after a long wait, Chardin still hadn't made a move.

Seeing her constantly trembling hands, Bellamy already had his answer.

He picked up a small stone from the ground and casually flicked it, piercing the pirate's head.

"You should leave, woman."

What was supposed to be an interesting event had turned out to be so utterly boring. Bellamy's mood had soured.

"I'm... I'm sorry."

But she really couldn't do it. Killing a complete stranger… she simply couldn't bring herself to do it.

The flintlock pistol fell to the ground, and Chardin hugged her knees, kneeling and weeping loudly.

"I hate hearing crying."

Crying often represented weakness, and Bellamy's tone was now filled with impatience.

"Take her away."

His good mood for the day was ruined.

"Wait a minute." Mia seemed to still want to salvage the situation. "Captain, haven't you read a lot of books?"

"Since we don't have a navigator, you can have her teach you."

"Of course, she should still pay the full price."

Since they couldn't find a reliable navigator anyway, the captain might as well take on the role himself.

"Huh, that doesn't seem like a bad idea."

The navigator issue was an old problem that had remained unresolved, and it was giving Bellamy a headache. Finding a skilled teacher to instruct him didn't seem like a bad idea.

He was eager to set sail soon, and he could use the Portgas Trading Company's ships for practical experience. Learning on the go, he should be able to grasp the basics fairly quickly.

For sailing in the North Blue, a basic level of proficiency was enough.

Bellamy thought it over seriously and felt that this solution was acceptable. Most importantly, the Portgas Trading Company could immediately provide him with several ships to practice on, which would save him a lot of effort.

"Very well. Chardin, is it? Go inform your company to prepare the ships."

After a series of twists and turns, Bellamy finally made his decision.

"Thank you, thank you so much, Bellamy-sama!"

"As long as you can save my father, you can use all the money in the company as you wish."

Chardin hadn't come to Bellamy out of desperation. The Red Flame Pirates were the highest-bounty pirates in the entire North Blue. No one in this small town of Minion dared to oppose them. Those pirates who usually seemed fierce and ruthless would often turn weak-kneed at the mere mention of their name.

She had anticipated many scenarios before coming here, but she hadn't expected so many complications.

There were many things she couldn't have imagined. The Red Flame Pirates were of no consequence to Bellamy. The only slight concern was that the Red Flame Pirates might be connected to Doflamingo.

"The Heavenly Yaksha, huh?"

Because of his past self's foolish actions, Bellamy's records included the fact that he was a Doflamingo admirer. For him, this was an indelible stain. Doflamingo had long been a target he was determined to kill.

"Everyone, get ready. We're setting sail."

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