Chapter 40: Sailing

After Bellamy agreed to deal with the Red Flame Pirates, the trading company quickly prepared a small sailboat for them, fully stocked with all necessary sailing supplies.

The Portgas Trading Company was an old, established business, very experienced in seafaring matters. Because this voyage would inevitably involve combat with pirates, the ship was also equipped with several old-fashioned cannons and a large quantity of guns and ammunition.

This was Bellamy's first time setting sail. Although he was the captain, he didn't give orders haphazardly, instead letting Chardin provide him with advice.

As soon as he and his crew boarded the ship, the long-prepared small sailboat became a hive of activity.

Under Chardin's guidance, orders were quickly given. The sails were raised, the mooring ropes were cast off, and the ship slowly turned its bow, smoothly exiting the harbor.

Sitting in the wheelhouse, Bellamy looked at the boundless sea ahead and nodded with satisfaction. This successful departure had been quite rewarding. He now had a very intuitive understanding of how a ship operated, something he could never learn from books.

Casually turning the helm 35 degrees, Bellamy pointed to the nautical chart on the navigation table and asked, "Which course are we taking now?"

This chart was a treasured North Blue chart belonging to the Portgas Trading Company. Islands, sea routes, reefs, and shipwrecks were all clearly marked and delineated. This was something you couldn't buy on the black market.

Hearing Bellamy's question, Chardin began to explain the navigator's knowledge to him in detail.

"Captain, look here," she pointed to a curved line on the chart. "This is the course we'll be taking."

She then pointed to a small black dot on the chart. "This is the Red Flame Pirates' territory, Bird Dropping Island."

According to the chart, they would depart from Minion Island, sail halfway along this course, and then enter an unmarked area before reaching Bird Dropping Island.

Bellamy pointed to this blank area and asked, "How many days will it take to get through here?"

The majority of the chart was made up of these blank areas. Unmarked areas represented the vast, open sea.

"If we don't encounter storms or any unforeseen events, it should take about three days," Chardin answered cautiously.

"Three days, I see."

Storms and pirates were the greatest and most unavoidable dangers at sea. Without encountering insurmountable crises, merchant ships would never deviate from their course and sail into the blank areas on the chart.

This seemingly ordinary chart had been slowly drawn after countless voyages, by countless people, after encountering countless crises.

And the navigator's most important role was, after the ship had deviated from its course, to locate the ship's position and find the nearest island or sea route.

This was a profession that required a great deal of experience, and what Bellamy needed to learn was precisely this invaluable experience.

Not long after the ship set sail, a news coo happened to fly by and landed in the captain's cabin. Bellamy rewarded the clever little bird with an extra 100 Berries.

Picking up the day's newspaper, he saw a very familiar name on the front page.

"Breaking News! Fire Fist Ace Dominates the East Blue, Bounty Soars to 30 Million!"

So fast. In just a few months, he'd already earned the moniker "Fire Fist."

By his calculations, Ace should have eaten the Flame-Flame Fruit around this time.

Thinking of this, Bellamy tossed the newspaper onto the navigation table.

"Hey, Chardin, do you know Ace?" He pointed to the picture on the front page.

"Fire Fist Ace?" Portgas Chardin picked up the newspaper and looked at it carefully.

"I don't. This is the first time I've heard of him."

She didn't seem to be lying. It seemed Ace had no connection with this family. It made sense, considering. Ace had been raised by Garp since he was a child and had no opportunity to connect with his mother's family.

He probably didn't even know the Portgas family existed.

Come to think of it, Chardin should be Ace's cousin, technically.

"It's better that you don't."

Chardin didn't quite understand why Bellamy had suddenly asked this question. But she didn't dare to ask, simply standing beside him carefully, awaiting his instructions.

Drake, standing nearby, also saw the news, but he didn't know Ace either. Up to this point, in almost everyone's eyes, Ace was just an ordinary pirate.

"Captain, Red Flame is also said to be able to spit fire from his mouth."

"This Fire Fist Ace's abilities and bounty are very similar to Red Flame's."

He thought this was what had caught Bellamy's attention, unaware that Red Flame truly wasn't worth his concern.

"Yeah, this kid is rising a little fast," Bellamy said, the corners of his mouth tilting slightly upwards, seeming somewhat interested in the young man. "It's a shame he's in the East Blue. If he were in the North Blue, I might have recruited him into the crew."

Drake had no doubt that Bellamy had the power to defeat Ace. This confidence was based on his own strength.

If he knew that Ace had eaten the Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit, he probably wouldn't have said such foolish words. Without learning Haki, Bellamy would have no way to deal with Ace.

Indeed, upon hearing his assessment, Bellamy chuckled and shook his head. "The East Blue… I'll go there eventually."

"But not now."

The East Blue held something he was determined to obtain. Before entering the Grand Line, he would definitely make a trip there.

"By the way, Ross, what are you still doing here?"

"Go to the deck and get to work. You're the crew's boatswain; you need to be familiar with all the chores on the ship."

He might be called the boatswain, but Bellamy's pirate crew currently had only one sailor – him. He had no subordinates. In other words, all the chores were his alone. Ross's face immediately fell.

But he didn't dare disobey the captain's orders. Ross could only grimace and quickly walk out of the wheelhouse.

"As for you, kid," Bellamy looked at Drake meaningfully. "You'll be my first mate for now."

The captain's first mate was, of course, the vice-captain, the right-hand man of the king. Rayleigh had held this position under Roger.

Hearing this appointment, Drake's face showed no surprise. In his view, this position had always been his.

For some reason, when he received Bellamy's acknowledgment, he felt a slight, hidden thrill.

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