"These Marines here really were loaded, huh?"
Bellamy had flattened the place; everything here was naturally ownerless now.
It was just that he'd really overdone the destruction. Vast amounts of gold, silver, and jewels were scattered everywhere, and countless fragile Beli banknotes had been obliterated in the chaos. These fallen Marines seemed to have had a penchant for collecting gold and silver coins; after all the buildings were demolished, the entire ground glinted gold and silver. From a distance, it looked like some treasure trove had been discovered, spilling coins across the landscape.
There was no way Bellamy could take all this miscellaneous loot with him.
He hadn't prepared before coming; if he'd known the garrison was this rich, he would have just sailed the Sea Shark straight over. Besides, the ship's hold was already stuffed with a mountain of gold, silver, jewels, and several hundred million Beli. The unused cabins were even crammed full of various rare trinkets, pearls, agates, and whatnot, courtesy of those two women.
If he brought back any more junk, even his own quarters would probably end up cluttered.
"Ah, screw it. Just burn it all."
It was just money, after all. If he needed cash, he could just go hunt down a few pirates. Strength was the root of everything. As long as he was strong enough, the entire ocean was his treasury.
Rummaging through the piles of treasure for a bit, Bellamy found two pairs of Sea Prism Stone handcuffs and one Sea Prism Stone chain.
He was quite surprised to find such a stockpile of Kairōseki in a small place like this. Sea Prism Stone wasn't something just anyone could get their hands on. Logically, a mere garrison in a minor location, led by only a Lieutenant, shouldn't have been able to acquire so many Sea Prism Stone items.
Thinking about it, the person backing this Lieutenant might be some high-ranking Marine officer.
No, scratch that. It was more likely someone high up in the World Government backing scum like this.
The black market had to have support from World Government higher-ups. To run a slave trade this massive, spanning almost the entire world, without top-level World Government backing? Not even a ghost would believe that.
"Tsk tsk, I've destroyed the black market and this base entirely. Someone must be hopping mad right about now, huh?"
But what could they do about it? Why were pirates so rampant, and why did the Marines and World Government often have to turn a blind eye? Because they couldn't find anyone, of course.
Trying to find a specific ship on the vast ocean? Calling it looking for a needle in a haystack wasn't an exaggeration at all. Once Bellamy set sail, nobody could touch him. Only when docking for supplies was there a risk of being cornered. As for chance encounters at sea, aside from certain special shipping routes, the probability was extremely low.
That's why, during the Summit War, Whitebeard was truly throwing his life away by showing up where he did.
The objectives for this trip back were pretty much complete. Aside from the fallen Marines who had vanished somewhere, there wasn't much left on this small island to hold his interest.
Bellamy gathered a lot of wood and started a large fire, ensuring the entire base was thoroughly destroyed.
As a Devil Fruit user, the moment he touched Sea Prism Stone, his stamina would rapidly drain. Finding a sturdy wooden stick, he carefully picked up the Kairōseki items and returned to the shore where he'd arrived, finding the small boat still tied to a tree.
Before leaving, he took one last, deep look back at Minion Island.
"I probably... will never come back here again, will I?"
Farewell, then... hometown of another world.
"Waaaaah...!" "I don't wanna be a pirate!"
Aboard Bellamy's ship, the sound of a little girl crying suddenly broke the air.
As Bellamy rowed the small boat back, he heard the wailing from a distance.
"Doesn't want to be a pirate?" This kid sure has some nice ideas.
Even if she wanted to join the crew, Bellamy wouldn't agree, let alone entertain her not wanting to be a pirate.
Tossing the bundle of Sea Prism Stone items onto the deck, Bellamy made a small jump back onto his ship. He'd barely taken a few steps after returning when a small hand quickly latched onto his leg.
"Boss! I don't wanna be a pirate! Waaaaah..."
This brat had clearly been waiting here for him.
Seeing her trying to pull this stunt, Bellamy didn't indulge her. "Don't want to be a pirate? Then I'll toss you into the sea to feed the sharks."
"Hmph." Mani pouted but didn't dare say anything more.
Muret came over from the side, leading her younger brother. "This kid's been making a fuss about going home ever since she got on board."
"She's been so noisy my head hurts," Muret complained. "If you'd come back any later, Boss, I would've had to plug my ears."
"Go home? What home?" If Mani dared to go back, she definitely wouldn't survive three days. Did she think those people in the black market were pushovers?
These two kids were purely dead weight; Bellamy had no intention of keeping them around for too long. He planned to find a peaceful little village in the East Blue and drop them off when he eventually headed that way. Foosha Village would be good. Shimotsuki Village, where that swordsman Zoro came from, seemed fine too. Even in the turbulent Great Pirate Era to come, those two villages should be relatively safe. Leaving them there, Bellamy could rest easy.
"Alright, brat, stop looking at me like that." Patting Mani's head dismissively, Bellamy pointed towards the somewhat messy deck.
"Starting now, you're an intern sailor of the Bellamy Pirates." "Go on, swab the deck for me. Make it clean."
"Right, you too." Bellamy pointed at Muret's brother, who was shrinking back nearby. What was his name again? Ah, didn't matter. "You go with her. I don't keep freeloaders on my ship."
Muret shot her captain a harsh glare but didn't say much more. It was just some chores, after all. Her brother wasn't some pampered, useless weakling. "Go on," she told him gently. "Big Sis is here; no one can bully you."
As if he had the time to bully kids like them anyway, Bellamy thought wryly.
"Alright, that's settled then." "Drake, weigh anchor! Ross, hoist our Jolly Roger!"
The pirate flag had been ready for a while. The design was a standard skull, but the crossed bones typically beneath it were replaced with two crossed springs. Simple, but the meaning was straightforward. Anyone familiar with Bellamy would recognize it instantly.
The Bellamy Pirates, on this day, finally, officially set sail.
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