Chapter 102: A Little Welcoming Gift

Bellamy scanned the chaotic seascape. Regrettably, he couldn't spot any sign of his crewmates. Good, he thought. They must have already infiltrated other vessels according to the plan.

Just as he hefted the massive Sea King again, preparing to advance towards the main enemy fleet, his Observation Haki suddenly flared, warning of an attack from behind.

"Winch Clout!" A savage fist, propelled by an incredible force, tore through the air towards him.

"Impressive punching power," Bellamy noted internally. The punch hadn't even landed, but the sheer force radiating from it, the displaced air alone, was enough to make Bellamy narrow his eyes. Fierce, yes. But still far too slow.

Bellamy remained perfectly still on the shattered deck, simply twisting his torso slightly at the last moment. Vinsmoke Yonji's fist shot past harmlessly.

"That uniform... and those ridiculous curly eyebrows." Bellamy instantly identified the attacker. A Vinsmoke.

"Tch. You actually dodged that?" Yonji landed lightly, stretching impatiently. "Is that all you can do, runt? Just dodge?" Though infuriated, Yonji had to grudgingly admit that Bellamy's evasive skill alone made him a tricky opponent.

"Only know how to dodge?" Bellamy couldn't help but sneer. Observation Haki was far rarer and harder to master than basic Armament. And Paper Arts was arguably the most difficult of the Six Powers to truly perfect. The painstaking effort, the sheer willpower he'd poured into mastering Paper Arts and Observation Haki… And this enhanced brat dismissed it as 'just dodging'? Did he even understand what he was seeing? "Want to try again?" Bellamy taunted. "Let's see if I can just 'dodge around' and 'play' you to death, shall we?" What good was immense punching power if it couldn't connect?

Yonji obviously understood this; his taunt had been partly aimed at goading Bellamy into a direct confrontation. But Bellamy hadn't taken the bait, and Yonji's expression soured further.

Just then, a repulsive voice slithered through the air from nearby. "Nyeh-heh-heh-heh! Looks like you two are having fun!" Trebol, thick mucus dripping from his nose, leaped down from a nearby small boat, landing heavily on the broken deck. "Why wasn't I invited to join the game?"

Nearby, the two halves of Krieg's former flagship were rapidly sinking beneath the waves. The massive Sea King Bellamy had used lay stunned nearby, looking very much like a dead serpent. Vinsmoke Yonji, having missed his punch, had leaped onto a broken mast, glaring intently at Bellamy. Trebol's sudden appearance complicated the situation further.

"You're...? Trebol, right?" Bellamy asked, feigning slight uncertainty. The man's revolting appearance was certainly unique. Bellamy had needed a moment to place Yonji specifically. But the moment he saw this mucus-drenched figure, the words 'Sticky-Sticky Fruit User' flashed instantly in his mind.

"Nyeh-heh-heh! So you do know who I am!" Trebol seemed to preen, likely misinterpreting Bellamy's recognition. "Hyena Bellamy. Doffy wants to have a word with you. How about it? Care to take a trip back to Dressrosa with me?"

Trebol's original plan, of course, had been to rough Bellamy up a bit, then perhaps 'train' him into a useful asset. As for actually meeting Doffy? This upstart trash wasn't nearly worthy enough to meet the Young Master in person. But the cunning and raw power Bellamy had already displayed had genuinely exceeded Trebol's initial expectations. This Grand Fleet, while composed mostly of rabble, still represented nearly a thousand ships. Against anything short of a full Marine Admiral-led fleet, it should have been practically invincible in the Four Blues. That level of combined firepower could obliterate a small kingdom with ease. If Trebol hadn't witnessed it himself, he never would have believed that a lone 'Hyena' could survive such an overwhelming bombardment. Yet, somehow, Bellamy had not only endured the thousand-cannon salute but had then used some unknown method to turn the entire sea blood red and throw the fleet into chaos. The Grand Fleet had instantly fractured under his counterattack. This one's actually quite formidable, Trebol conceded internally. A pirate like this, brought under Doffy's banner... yes, that could significantly bolster the Donquixote Family's strength.

Seeing Trebol's calculating expression, Yonji sensed the situation shifting unfavorably. Just as Yonji decided to strike immediately and cut off any potential recruitment talk, Bellamy suddenly took a deliberate step back from Trebol.

"Ugh. Snot-man, don't get too close. You're disgusting," Bellamy said plainly, wrinkling his nose.

Bellamy's utterly disrespectful reaction stunned both Trebol and Yonji into momentary silence. They couldn't believe the sheer, unadulterated arrogance of the Hyena.

Trebol's face contorted with fury. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?!" As he spoke, two thick streams of mucus dripped carelessly from his nose onto the deck, leaving glistening trails. Bellamy visibly recoiled. "Forget it. Just... shut up, will you?" The guy was ugly enough as it was; how could anyone be so physically repulsive? Even back in the New World, when his own crewmates mocked Trebol, they didn't dare be this openly disrespectful to his face. Trebol looked about ready to explode with rage. "You bastard! I'm going to kill you!"

Hearing this, Yonji's eyes lit up. Perfect. "Let's take him together!" He snarled, "Kill him! I'll cut off his head and use it for target practice!"

"Beta Beta Launcher!" Trebol unleashed, spraying thick, blocky wads of sticky mucus from his body at high speed. Yonji instantly coordinated, launching his own attack. "Winch Decapitator!" The glove of his Germa Raid Suit suddenly extended outwards with incredible speed, shooting towards Bellamy like a spring-loaded projectile. The two attacked simultaneously, flanking Bellamy from left and right.

Bellamy gave another cold sneer, effortlessly lifting the massive, unconscious Sea King by its tail and whipping it around his body in a defensive coil. The creature's immense bulk spun rapidly, easily intercepting both Yonji's extended fist and Trebol's mucus projectiles.

One veteran New World pirate executive, one Vinsmoke scion enhanced by lineage factor manipulation and technology. These two likely represented the peak combat power within this entire Grand Fleet. As for the contingents from East and West Blue? Bellamy had already sampled East Blue's 'finest'. Utterly dismissible. The notable figures from West Blue hadn't made a move yet, but Bellamy doubted they posed a significantly greater threat. Worth keeping a cautious eye out, perhaps, but not a primary concern. As long as he crushed these two main players—Yonji and Trebol—Bellamy figured no one else in the fleet would be able to truly impede him afterwards.

"Since you're both so eager," Bellamy said with a malicious grin, "allow me to offer a little welcoming gift."

The Sea King's body, having absorbed the brunt of Yonji's and Trebol's initial attacks, jolted awake with a pained hiss. It only had time for that single, miserable sound before Bellamy coiled its massive length tighter, spinning it rapidly into a tightly wound serpentine ball in mid-air.

"Go!"

With a sharp cry, Bellamy hurled the coiled Sea King like a giant, spinning projectile. The massive body flew through the air with terrifying rotational force, the wind shrieking around it.

"Crude tactics like that won't work!" Yonji scoffed. He retracted his winch-glove, tapped his toes, and his specialized boots instantly ejected powerful jets of gas, propelling him backwards out of the projectile's path.

"Nyeh-heh-heh! Looks like I'm being underestimated here," Trebol chuckled. "Beta Beta Chain!" Streams of incredibly viscous mucus shot from Trebol's body, forming thick chains that instantly wrapped around the spinning Sea King missile. The projectile's rotational momentum and forward impact force were instantly negated, absorbed by the thick, clinging chains. With a heavy thud, the massive Sea King dropped onto the broken deck, ensnared and beginning to struggle frantically. But no matter how much it thrashed, it couldn't break free from the sticky bonds; the mucus seemed to only cling tighter the more it moved.

Trebol might have been considered relatively minor league among the true titans of the New World, but a mere Sea King wasn't something he couldn't handle. A veteran pirate of the New World seas, user of the Sticky-Sticky Fruit, a high-ranking executive of the Donquixote Family... Any one of those credentials alone marked him as a dangerous opponent.

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