After sailing for a day, the Sea Shark began to slowly veer off the established shipping route, heading towards uncharted waters.
In the wheelhouse, Drake was bent over a sea chart, constantly making measurements and muttering softly to himself. After a long while, he finally calculated the coordinates, drew a thin line on the chart, and marked a spot beside it.
"Captain, where exactly are we going?" Drake couldn't help but ask, looking at the newly drawn line. Based on their current heading, they were sailing towards a blank area on the map, devoid of any islands.
Bellamy was sitting before the helm, head down, reading the day's news. Hearing Drake's question, he answered casually, "The Calm Belt."
"The Calm Belt?"
They were on a sailboat, without any modified propulsion systems. What business did they have going to the Calm Belt? Besides, the Calm Belt teemed with Sea Kings; it was incredibly dangerous. A mere medium-sized sailing vessel wouldn't last long against a Sea King's assault.
"Mm," Bellamy grunted, somewhat distracted. "Don't worry, we're not going in. Just poking around the edges."
Bellamy's first objective for this voyage was Sea Kings.
His progress with Life Return was slow, and he needed the flesh and blood of Sea Kings to nourish his body. He had made considerable preparations for hunting them, but truthfully, even he didn't know if these preparations would actually be effective. After all, he had no prior experience in this area.
Drake remained puzzled, unable to fathom the purpose of skirting the edge of the Calm Belt. Bellamy had never mentioned his thoughts on Life Return to his subordinates. Among their current group, he was still the only one who had fully mastered all Six Powers.
"Captain," Drake spoke up again after a moment's thought, "the supplies we brought this time are only enough for a month at sea."
If fully loaded, this medium sailboat could carry provisions for several years. But without cold storage or refrigerators, food couldn't be preserved for long. Their one-month supply was only possible because they'd brought large quantities of vegetables like potatoes and onions. Furthermore, drinking water was a major concern. The one-month estimate for water usage already accounted for potential storms consuming extra reserves.
"I know what I'm doing. Don't worry about it."
If this operation went smoothly, food certainly wouldn't be an issue. Water might be a bit tricky, though. He'd have to see if Sea King blood was drinkable. If not, they'd just have to resupply at a nearby island.
The thought brought a flicker of annoyance to Bellamy.
Seriously, the technological level of this world was a complete enigma. At the absolute peak, you had things like Lineage Factors, laser cannons, weather manipulation, cloning, and modifications—all sorts of black technology running wild. But looking at the overall tech level? Ninety-five percent of ships were still sailboats.
It was just damn ridiculous.
Last night, when he'd wanted to read, he'd ended up using an oil lamp. A kerosene lamp, no less! It was unbelievable. There were too many things to complain about; he didn't even know where to start.
Bellamy didn't even bother hoping for a diesel engine. Even a simple steam engine would drastically improve their quality of life. Yet, he hadn't heard of steam engines being produced anywhere in the entire North Blue, even with the Germa Kingdom located there. If they couldn't be found there, the chances in the other Blues were even slimmer.
He'd probably have to check out the Land of the Future on the Grand Line for something like that. Hopefully, the scientists there wouldn't disappoint him.
——————
Ten days later.
In the waters bordering the Calm Belt, a lone sailboat slowly cut across the vast, empty expanse of the sea.
Bellamy stood high on the mast, telescope in hand, scanning the surroundings.
Based on his geographical knowledge of this world, crossing the Calm Belt from this direction would lead directly to the Grand Line. The Marines relied on their Sea Prism Stone-plated, self-powered ironclad warships to travel freely between the Four Blues, the Grand Line, and the New World. Pirates, however, were restricted to specific passages to move between these seas.
The Marines only needed to deploy heavy forces at these choke points to keep a tight leash on pirates. And this shaped the current distribution of power on the seas. The Marines held firm control over the Four Blues, while the New World was predominantly pirate territory. The Grand Line, caught in the middle, served as the primary battlefront between these two major forces. The World Government operated behind the scenes, manipulating the overall situation.
It was a simple, clear-cut power dynamic. And it wouldn't be easily broken until the Whitebeard Pirates met their end. As for the Revolutionary Army, their current strength and influence were still too weak to affect the grand scheme of things.
And the Seven Warlords? Those perpetually untrustworthy figures pleased neither side. If a full-scale conflict truly erupted between the Marines and the major pirate crews, the Warlords would undoubtedly be the first to be purged.
Surveying the bigger picture, the event that would have the greatest impact on the future of these seas was the fall of Whitebeard.
The Summit War… I absolutely cannot miss it!
It was a war that would genuinely shape the future of the entire world. How could Bellamy miss it? How would he miss it?
To secure a place for himself in that conflict, strength was paramount. Without enough power, he'd end up like Luffy – risking his life only to watch helplessly as Ace died before his eyes. Bellamy couldn't even begin to imagine the depth of Luffy's despair at that moment.
That was the tragedy of the weak. He would never allow himself to be so powerless.
Right then. Time to begin the Sea King Hunting Plan.
Sea Kings were intelligent creatures. Hunting these colossal beasts meant their sailboat was highly vulnerable to attack. If a Sea King launched an assault from beneath the waves, Bellamy and his crew would have no way to retaliate. They could only watch their ship sink before fleeing ignominiously in a small boat.
Naturally, Bellamy wouldn't permit such an outcome.
His plan was this: he would take a small boat himself near the edge of the Calm Belt and drop a large amount of pungent dried meat as bait. The Sea Shark would sail far away, ensuring it remained undetected by any potential Sea Kings.
After that… the thrilling hunt would commence.
The plan reeked strongly of Bellamy's signature style—reckless, dangerous, and prone to disaster with the slightest misstep. Yet, Bellamy himself thought the plan was brilliant. While hunting Sea Kings, he could simultaneously train his Observation Haki.
As for what happened if things went sideways? That possibility had never even crossed his mind.
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