"Drake, right? Pick up that gun and shoot yourself."
Bellamy produced his own pistol and tossed it to him. He still wanted to test whether this Drake was the same Drake he knew.
This request seemed a bit excessive, and the atmosphere in the room thickened.
Drake seemed stymied by the demand, frozen in place. Bellamy's expression gradually turned impatient. "Kid, are you scared?"
"No!"
As if spurred on by the taunt, Drake suddenly snatched the pistol from the ground and cocked it. For some reason, he aimed it at his own chest.
"Watch carefully!" Before anyone could react, Drake pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet flew from the barrel, and the scene was plunged into an eerie silence.
"This guy..."
Bellamy's gaze was filled with a strange mix of emotions. Was this kid acting? He'd only told him to shoot himself, not commit suicide.
"I... I'm not dead?" Drake seemed bewildered as he climbed back to his feet. "What just happened?"
The moment the bullet left the barrel, Bellamy, who had been prepared, knocked the muzzle a few inches to the side. Naturally, Drake was unharmed.
"I told you to shoot yourself, not kill yourself." Bellamy narrowed his eyes and beckoned him over. "From now on, you're a member of the Bellamy Pirates."
"Your position is provisionally… deckhand." He pointed at Ross. "That's the chief deckhand, Ross. For now, follow him and get familiar with Neon Town."
Drake didn't show any sign of joy at this news. Who knew what was actually going through his head.
"Ross, give him 100,000 Berries to get a change of clothes." That jumpsuit he was wearing looked ridiculous. Bellamy hated it.
"Yes, Boss."
"Hey, brat, come with me." Although he felt a twinge of bitterness, Ross was still quite happy that the boss had recruited a new subordinate, especially one who seemed so unusual.
Just then, Mia seemed to remember something and clapped her hands. "Captain, sir, with a new member joining, shouldn't we have a feast?"
"A feast?" It sounded good. "Of course. Go get it ready."
The household funds were running low, so Bellamy needed to visit the local Marine base to collect his bounties.
"Everyone, get to work. I'm heading out."
Picking up the box on the ground, hoisting the sack he'd brought back last night, and carrying the heads of the three pirate captains, Bellamy strode out the door.
North Blue Marine Branch - Nimium Island Base.
At this point in time, the four seas were relatively peaceful, and few pirates dared to cause major disturbances. As a result, the Marines stationed in the four seas were mostly retired old men, cripples who had suffered severe injuries, or simply guys who weren't recognized by headquarters.
Bellamy arrived at the Marine base alone and, without a care in the world, tried to walk straight in.
The guards at the gate naturally wouldn't let him pass. "Halt! Who are you?"
"Bounty hunter. Here to collect." Bellamy lifted the box and the sack, his tone full of impatience.
It wasn't that he was intentionally trying to act arrogant; he simply looked down on the Marines. That's right, Bellamy, from the bottom of his heart, despised the Marines of this world.
In his eyes, these Marines were nothing more than dogs who maintained the rule of the Celestial Dragons under the guise of justice.
After coming to this world, he might become a pirate, a bounty hunter, or even a merchant. But he would absolutely never become a Marine.
There were certainly many righteous individuals within the Marines, and their actions were truly admirable. But as long as the Celestial Dragons remained the rulers of this world, everything they did was wrong.
It was wrong from the very foundation, and no matter what they did afterward, it would never lead to a good outcome. Everything the Marines did was, at its core, to maintain the rule of the Celestial Dragons.
The Buster Call was something that could never be justified. A Marine Admiral slaughtering civilians to protect the Celestial Dragons? What was the meaning of their so-called justice?
"Who is this guy? He seems so arrogant."
"He looks kind of familiar." The guards on duty exchanged a glance, quickly communicating.
"Wait here."
The soldier couldn't make a decision, so he went inside to inform his superior.
Before long, a lieutenant wearing brown-tinted glasses emerged. The guy was dressed like he was on vacation, which Bellamy found somewhat amusing.
"State your name, bounty hunter." The lieutenant's attitude was extremely cold.
But Bellamy's attitude was even colder. "Bellamy."
Hearing this name, the lieutenant's brow furrowed instantly. "Hyena Bellamy. I've heard of you."
The lieutenant looked at the box and sack he was carrying. "Those are the heads of Black Bull, Great Shark, and Hungry Ghost, right?"
So, the events of yesterday had already reached the Marines.
"That's right. Give me the money." Bellamy licked his lips and simply tossed the heads onto the ground.
If they didn't give him the money, he'd go in and take it himself.
Calling his attitude arrogant was an understatement; he was utterly contemptuous and unrestrained.
The Marines were an organization of force; they wouldn't be easily bullied.
The lieutenant's hand had already moved to the gun at his waist, but at the moment he drew it, his peripheral vision caught Bellamy's expectant gaze.
What is he expecting?
The lieutenant was suddenly startled, and a few drops of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. This lawless bastard… "You… you wait here."
Cursing under his breath, the lieutenant turned and walked back into the Marine base.
"He ran away pretty fast."
He'd been looking forward to something, but this guy was too much of a coward.
Ten million Berries – Bellamy collected every last one.
There had been some amusing conflicts along the way, but unfortunately, the North Blue Marines were too soft. So soft that Bellamy couldn't muster the slightest interest in them.
He gave 3 million Berries to Mia, the Demon Chef, to purchase the ingredients they needed lately. He gave 2 million to Muret to buy better medicine. The hunters had hunted a fierce tiger and brought back fresh tiger bones, which cost another 500,000 Berries. The remaining 4.5 million he kept to spend himself. "Money is still not enough."
Ten million, gone in the blink of an eye. But for high-intensity training, this money was essential.