Like a king star surrounded by a celestial court, the massive Germa warship sat encircled by hundreds of lesser vessels. Aboard the warship, Vinsmoke Yonji watched the lone enemy sailboat charging recklessly towards his position and couldn't help but sneer.
"Still trying to resist, even now? Wouldn't it be simpler just to lie down and die?" Yonji casually gestured to a nearby subordinate. "Pass the word: whoever takes Bellamy's head gets the lion's share of the bounty." A cruel smirk touched his lips as another thought occurred. "Oh, and tell them... blasting him to smithereens with cannon fire is perfectly acceptable."
Yonji felt a flicker of anticipation. What kind of spectacle would unfold once that order was carried out? Surrounded by nearly a thousand ships... even if each vessel only had a single cannon... Under the combined volley of a thousand cannons, even Germa's most advanced Raid Suits would be overwhelmed. "He'll be vaporized in an instant, won't he?" The thought of such utter annihilation was... amusing.
Soon, Vinsmoke Yonji's orders disseminated throughout the vast Grand Fleet.
On the fleet's left flank, aboard one of the roughly three hundred pirate ships clustered there, Trebol's slimy face contorted in annoyance. "If I only bring back a pile of ashes, Doffy will be angry," he muttered. Pulverizing the target wasn't ideal for the Donquixote Family's potential interests in Bellamy. But with the battle about to commence, it was too late to interfere or change the plan. "Such an unlucky brat. And here I thought he might make a useful dog," Trebol mused. "Nyeh-heh-heh." Since the outcome seemed inevitable, Trebol shrugged and passed along Yonji's command to his contingent. "Prepare to fire! Blast them to dust!"
On the opposite flank of the main fleet were the contingents primarily from East and West Blue. Upon receiving the order, Don Krieg, clad in his signature golden Warlord Armor, stomped onto his deck, roaring commands. "AIM! ALL GUNNERS, TAKE AIM! GET EVERY CANNON READY TO FIRE!" Flanking the Krieg Pirates, the crews led by Kuro of a Hundred Plans and Capone 'Gang' Bege were no slower to react. Cannons of all shapes and sizes, along with ranks of riflemen, were swiftly brought to bear, all sights trained on Bellamy's approaching ship, awaiting the moment it entered optimal range.
Lost in the anticipation of the imminent barrage, no one seemed to notice a strange, unsettling crimson tinge rapidly spreading across the surface of the water.
By now, the encirclement had tightened considerably, the distance between the Sea Shark and the main fleet closing rapidly. From the deck of the Sea Shark, Bellamy and his crew could clearly see the terrifying spectacle: countless cannons and gun barrels aimed directly at them.
Ross felt his knees start to tremble. He glanced sideways; Mia and Muret didn't look much steadier. But then...! "GYAHAHAHAHA!" A familiar, defiant laugh rang out from the bow. It was the Captain! But why? Ross couldn't comprehend it. How could the Captain possibly laugh in the face of such overwhelming odds?
Bellamy shrugged off his outer coat, tossing it casually into the churning sea. "Drake," he called back, "are you afraid?" "Yes, Captain. I am," Drake replied honestly. Drake believed there was no shame in admitting fear when facing such seemingly insurmountable odds. "Good," Bellamy nodded curtly. "Fear keeps you sharp. Stops you from being reckless."
A visible shimmer of heat radiated from Bellamy's body as scorching air blasted outwards. His skin took on a distinct reddish hue. Silently, he had pushed his First Gear state to its absolute limit.
"The Blood Bait's taking effect," Bellamy noted, his eyes catching the spreading crimson stain on the water. "Good. Let the chaos begin below." He turned to face his crew one last time. "No matter what happens... hold out until I get back." Everything that needed saying had been said. Everything that could be done had been done. Their fates were now in their own hands.
"Second Gear! Activate!"
With Bellamy's growing mastery over Life Return, his Second Gear mode had finally reached a stable, mature stage. As long as the combat wasn't excessively strenuous, he could now activate Second Gear at will, allowing him sustained aerial mobility. The key difference between his Second Gear flight and standard Moon Walk was endurance. As a Spring Human fueling the process internally, as long as his heart kept beating, he could theoretically stay airborne indefinitely. This battle was likely to be a protracted affair. Conserving stamina would be absolutely critical.
With a final glance back, Bellamy launched himself off the deck of the Sea Shark, seemingly running straight out onto the surface of the ocean. To onlookers, it might have appeared as if the water beneath his feet had solidified, allowing him to run across it like solid ground. But anyone with decent eyesight could discern the truth: Bellamy was propelling himself forward with incredible speed using some form of advanced aerial movement technique, skimming just above the waves.
"His Moon Walk technique is incredibly refined," Tashigi observed through her binoculars, impressed. "No, that's not Moon Walk!" Smoker corrected her instantly. He was a user of Moon Walk himself; he knew what it looked like, and this wasn't it. Moon Walk involved rapid, powerful kicks against the air itself. Bellamy's current movement was smoother, faster... more akin to actual flight. "How in the world is he doing that?"
Smoker's expression grew grim. "Patch me through to Intel Division. Now. I want every scrap of combat data they have on Bellamy, past and present. Immediately." His intuition hadn't failed him. This Bellamy was far from ordinary. Just based on this flight capability alone, the entire concept of encircling him with a naval fleet seemed like a farce. He could simply fly away. So why isn't he fleeing? What is he planning?
As Bellamy streaked across the water, he rapidly closed the distance, entering the effective range of the fleet's forward cannons. Everyone watching—pirate, hunter, Marine—knew what was coming next.
Aboard the Germa 44, Vinsmoke Yonji rose from his seat, eyes gleaming. "Hold fire! Wait just a moment longer! Let the rear ships get into range!" The encirclement was now incredibly tight, the ships packed almost hull-to-hull. Yonji, eager to witness the grand spectacle he envisioned, issued the foolish command to hold fire, wanting the maximum number of guns to participate in the initial volley. Consumed by his anticipation, he remained oblivious to the countless crimson bubbles now furiously rising from the depths all around the fleet. The previously calm sea was becoming increasingly choppy, agitated by unseen forces below.
This ad-hoc Grand Fleet was bound by greed, not loyalty. Trust between the various crews was virtually non-existent. After being momentarily stalled by Yonji's order, the temptation of the immense bounty proved too great for some. Someone, somewhere in the fleet, couldn't wait any longer and lit the fuse of their cannon.
BOOM!
The single, piercing report echoed across the water, followed by a heartbeat of stunned silence.
And then, all hell broke loose. The roar of thousands of cannons and firearms erupted simultaneously, enveloping the world in deafening thunder.
BANG! BANG! BANG! "FIRE! FIRE! KILL HIM!" BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! "ALL GUNS, FIRE AT WILL!" WHUMP! CRACK! BOOM! "FIRE!" BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
An unimaginable storm of lead and iron converged on the single, seemingly insignificant figure suspended above the waves. In an instant, the sky was choked black and grey with smoke and shrapnel. It was a truly breathtaking, terrifying tableau unfolding upon the sea.
A thousand cannons roared as one; ten thousand shots screamed through the air!
This was the overwhelming spectacle Yonji had eagerly anticipated—a scene of destructive power rarely witnessed, perhaps only once in decades. Everyone watching instinctively held their breath, wondering how many seconds it would take for the lone figure to be utterly annihilated, blasted into nothingness.
"Can anyone possibly survive that?" Even Smoker, who had suspected Bellamy might have some trick up his sleeve, felt his certainty waver in the face of such absolute firepower.
Aboard the distant Sea Shark, Drake, Ross, Mia, and Muret stared fixedly at the point where their captain had been, their fists clenched so tightly they drew blood. If not for the miracles their captain had already shown them, despair might have overwhelmed them completely.
Yet, through it all, only one person remained utterly focused, his resolve unshaken, his goal unwavering. From within the heart of the explosive maelstrom, Bellamy's furious, defiant roar cut through the din.
"You think this is enough to kill me?! Who the hell do you think you're looking down on?!" "Observation Haki—Maximum Output!" "Paper Arts: Grand Cyclone!"