Chapter 62: Preparations to Set Sail

Setting aside its unsettling nature, the ancient book was undeniably a rare treasure. The witchcraft, curses, potent elixirs, and hexes detailed just on the first page left Mia utterly astonished.

Although she was only an amateur, Mia possessed a decent breadth of knowledge. Ignoring the witchcraft and hexes for a moment, several of the elixir recipes contained within, if they could actually be brewed, would rival the effects of the Life Flower Elixir.

And so, Bellamy abandoned the idea of setting it ablaze immediately.

Of course, that didn't mean he'd let his guard down.

Bellamy quickly decided: they would squeeze every bit of value from this book while still on the island, and then discard it.

Take it out to sea? Impossible.

Only a fool would bring something like this onto their ship. Bellamy even felt a degree of apprehension watching Mia transcribe its contents. Letting that thing aboard was asking for trouble.

To prevent any mishaps, he stood watch, eyes fixed on Mia as she copied the information.

Bellamy didn't need to guess; he knew she wouldn't be able to copy everything the book contained. In fact, it was highly probable that whatever she did manage to copy would be flawed. Perhaps a potion recipe missing key ingredients, or a curse lacking crucial syllables. Lacking deeper knowledge in this field, Mia couldn't discern the authentic from the deliberately misleading. Nevertheless, Bellamy allowed her to transcribe the elixir recipes.

Beyond the potions, however, Bellamy forbade her from touching anything else. He'd rather gain nothing than introduce such a significant hidden danger into his crew.

Focusing solely on the elixir recipes didn't take long. Mia soon finished recording everything she could.

After carefully reviewing her notes, Bellamy unceremoniously tossed the ancient book onto the ground.

Should he destroy it?

He'd been mulling over this question for some time. The book was clearly a dangerous artifact; leaving it here could potentially cause immense trouble down the line.

But… could "it" truly be destroyed so easily?

With this doubt lingering, Bellamy kicked the book into the nearby campfire.

Silently, the ancient tome turned to ash.

The entire process went incredibly smoothly, devoid of any strange occurrences. When the fire died down, only a pile of dust remained on the ground.

"Let's go."

Though he knew there might be more to it, some lingering peculiarity, Bellamy decided not to investigate further. He couldn't afford to waste more time here. Having achieved his goals, it was time to leave.

Returning to the pirate base, Bellamy found the slaves and immediately declared their freedom. After sending them on their way, he exchanged farewells with Chardin and her father, formally parting ways.

Once their ship was navigated out of the channel and into the open sea, Bellamy turned back one last time. He returned to the now-empty base and set it ablaze, engulfing the entire structure in a sea of fire.

With that, this tumultuous adventure finally reached its conclusion. Now, he would embark on a new journey.

Using Moon Walk to return to the deck, Bellamy barked his orders.

"Hoist the sails! Full speed ahead!"

"We're heading back to Minion Island!"

"Aye, Captain!"

——————

The medium-sized sailing ship, christened the Sea Shark by Bellamy, had been sailing the open sea for five days and nights.

Having lost their skilled navigator, Bellamy had strayed off course several times during the voyage. What should have been a ten-day journey was stretched to fifteen. However, this challenging experience provided him with invaluable sailing experience. Bellamy was confident that with a little more time, the Four Blues would no longer pose an obstacle to his travels.

What struck Bellamy most during the voyage was just how useful the clones were.

These ten were a sophisticated commercial model, each specially conditioned before sale. They could handle any chore; they possessed all the skills expected of a sailor.

They ate little and worked hard. They never complained or expressed fatigue.

Their combat abilities were somewhat lacking, but Bellamy didn't need them for fighting. So, what more could he ask for? He'd genuinely mourn the loss of even one of these clones.

Bellamy had no connections to the Germa Kingdom; even with money, acquiring such high-quality units wouldn't be guaranteed.

Once they returned, it would be time to establish his own network of eyes and ears. Specifically, he needed to acquire a good supply of Den Den Mushi and Vivre Cards. Communicating across these vast seas relied almost entirely on Den Den Mushi.

Bellamy felt he'd done a thorough job cleaning up the Red Flame Pirates, but he couldn't be certain that after all this time, news hadn't already reached the outside world. Den Den Mushi were simply too convenient. Small enough to fit in one's fist, easily hidden anywhere, and instantly usable when needed – impossible to detect unless caught in the act. Bird Dropping Island was large; who could say for sure if any Red Flame remnants survived, or if those survivors carried Den Den Mushi?

Therefore, Bellamy kept the Sea Shark sailing without a pirate flag, maintaining the appearance of a merchant vessel as they headed towards Minion Island.

His main purpose for visiting Minion Island was to address some potential issues. The two women had learned a plethora of potion recipes and were eager to start developing new concoctions daily. But without materials on board, they could do nothing.

After this stop at Minion Island, Bellamy intended to officially raise the flag of the Bellamy Pirates and begin his conquest of the seas.

His journey would start in the North Blue.

According to his plan, he would first make a name for himself across the North Blue, aiming to become the pirate with the highest bounty there. Then, he would detour to the East Blue to acquire something specific he desired. From the East Blue, he'd pass through Loguetown, visiting the place where Gol D. Roger met his end.

Finally, he would enter the Grand Line, beginning the next stage of his journey.

All of this hinged on him not falling midway.

During his travels, whenever he needed to dock for supplies, he would inevitably clash with local powers. The Marines, Doflamingo, the black market, the Germa Kingdom, various pirate crews, slave traders...

Too many to count. Forces large and small; righteous, evil, and neutral. A chaotic, messy mix.

Almost all of these entities would be hostile towards Bellamy.

This highlighted just how arduous the path Bellamy walked truly was. To say the world was his enemy was no exaggeration.

If he'd had a background like Luffy's, things certainly wouldn't be this grim. But Bellamy was just an ordinary punk, raised in the gutters, unsure of even who his parents were.

This meant he had two choices: either join a major power, lean on their strength, and slowly grow by absorbing resources. Or, struggle desperately down this path where the world itself was his enemy, until he became the towering tree.

Only these two paths were available to Bellamy; there was no third option.

Yet, given his personality, he would absolutely never join some faction only to bow and scrape. Even if it meant dying in battle immediately, Bellamy would accept it gladly.

From the very beginning, there was only one path he could choose. And only one path he was willing to walk.

To carve out a bloody path across these seas with his own two fists.

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