Chapter 64: A Vicious Trap

The Dojo.

In the usually empty front courtyard, two enormous wooden crosses now stood.

Bound to the crosses were two young kids.

The structures were so large that the children looked more like they were hanging from them than tied to them.

As Bellamy sped through the air using Moon Walk, he spotted the scene from a distance.

A surge of anger instantly welled up within him. A miscalculation. I should have cleaned up around my doorstep before leaving.

Although he had anticipated trouble, seeing this scene laid out before him still ignited Bellamy's fury.

These corrupt Marines… in his eyes, killing them had been optional.

But now, it seemed, if someone was determined to court death, nobody could stop them.

Bellamy kicked rapidly off the air, arriving directly above the dojo.

Making the crosses this huge… were they afraid I wouldn't notice?

They knew he had annihilated the Red Flame Pirates, yet they still dared to pull something like this. Did these corrupt Marines have some kind of ace up their sleeve?

Despite Bellamy generally looking down on Red Flame – whose claim as the strongest pirate in the North Blue was definitely unfounded – Red Flame still held significant sway in the North Blue, especially in a small place like Minion Island.

For these corrupt Marines to provoke him, knowing what he'd done, they must have some confidence in a hidden card.

Thinking this, Bellamy took a deep breath.

Observation Haki required absolute calm to be used effectively.

Bellamy had awakened his Observation Haki through chance circumstance; he was far from mastering it to the point where he could activate it instantly at will.

Right now, with his heart full of anger, using Observation Haki was impossible.

He tilted his head back. The vast blue sky always had a way of broadening one's perspective, of calming the fire within. He let the rage gradually subside.

"Observation Haki: Scan!"

An invisible wave pulsed outward from his body, instantly sweeping over the entire dojo.

In that moment, the entire layout below was reflected in Bellamy's mind's eye.

It was said that Observation Haki, trained to a certain level, could even perceive the thoughts within people's hearts.

Bellamy's newly awakened Haki was naturally far from that miraculous level. However, the intense, almost undisguised malice radiating from those hiding below… he perceived that clearly.

Fifteen people, spread out in various positions, surrounding the crosses.

There were significant bulges under the kids' clothes, as if something had been stuffed inside.

If I'm not mistaken, it's explosives, nine times out of ten.

And the chains binding the two kids… they had actually blocked his Haki scan just now.

Observation Haki was a power of the spirit, capable of easily penetrating ordinary matter.

But there were always a few special materials in this world capable of blocking such perception. Bellamy knew almost instantly what they were.

"Sea Prism Stone!"

Appearing in this place, under these circumstances… it could only be Sea Prism Stone.

So, the news that I ate a Devil Fruit got out after all.

In that case, the corrupt Marines' setup was crystal clear.

He was a Devil Fruit user. The moment he touched the Sea Prism Stone, his powers would be neutralized. Then, the explosives strapped to the two kids would detonate.

If he somehow survived that, snipers hidden nearby would deliver the killing blow.

Such a vicious trap… If Bellamy had walked in unprepared, he really might have fallen for it.

One had to admit, they lived up to their name as corrupt Marines.

When it came to playing dirty tricks, they were far more venomous than your average pirate.

But since he had seen through it, the game was over.

Once a trap is exposed, it loses its greatest value.

Bellamy descended from the sky like a bolt, launching himself directly at the corrupt Marines lying in ambush.

They barely had time to react. All they sensed was a fierce gust of wind flash past before they lost consciousness completely.

Having dealt with the small fry, Bellamy turned his attention to the two kids, a headache beginning to form.

If the bombs detonated on contact, these kids wouldn't survive.

But how could he disarm them without touching them?

He wasn't a bomb disposal expert. The only method he could think of was to snatch both bundles of explosives and throw them away as fast as humanly possible.

He could only hope now that when the corrupt Marines planted the bombs, they hadn't used the instant-detonation kind.

Bellamy approached the two children. They were currently unconscious, but their breathing was steady; their lives weren't in immediate danger.

He closed his eyes, mentally rehearsing the removal process in his mind.

Then, without hesitation, his hands shot out. He grabbed both bundles of explosives with blinding speed, ripped them free, and hurled them upwards.

BOOM! BOOM!

Two explosions rocked the air less than a meter above Bellamy's head.

A fierce shockwave carrying flames rained down. Just then, an even more ferocious fist intent surged upwards from below, completely neutralizing the blast's remnants.

Once all danger had passed, Bellamy lowered his fist, standing tall as he carefully examined the chains locked onto the children's arms.

Locked this tight… trouble.

The two chains were clamped firmly around their arms. Without a key, removing them would be impossible.

Sea Prism Stone's hardness was beyond what Bellamy could currently destroy. His only option was to find someone in the black market who could pick the locks.

The black market was a chaotic mix of people; finding a few thieves shouldn't be too hard.

Thinking of thieves, Bellamy suddenly recalled a certain interesting kid he knew.

I needed to find him about something anyway. Might as well go straight to him.

Bellamy's most important reason for returning was to retrieve his ship's doctor's brother.

Dealing with these corrupt Marines had been secondary.

Of course, now that these bastards had dared to plot against him, they shouldn't blame him for being ruthless.

The violent explosions moments ago had jolted the two children awake.

As soon as they opened their eyes and saw Bellamy, they both cried out frantically.

"Boss Bellamy, run!"

"There are bombs on us!"

What was Muret's brother's name again? Ah, doesn't matter. The boy burst into tears the moment he saw Bellamy.

Mani, however, was remarkably calm, quickly shouting out the warning about the explosives.

Bellamy patted her head. "Don't be afraid. I already got rid of the bombs."

With casual movements, he broke the two wooden crosses, then lifted both kids, one in each hand.

"You're safe now. I'll take you to get these chains off."

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