Crack... Crackle... A sound like shattering ceramic emanated from Bellamy's right arm. Dozens of fine fissures spread rapidly from his bicep, glowing crimson like fresh wounds, quickly covering his entire arm. That final punch, the "Underworld Tiger," had surpassed the limits his body could currently withstand. The more overwhelming the power unleashed, the fiercer the resulting backlash.
"And even then... I almost couldn't break through his defense completely." Bellamy grit his teeth against the pain. "The gap between myself and the Yonko... it's still this vast!"
The intense pain radiating from his fractured arm barely registered in Bellamy's mind. What truly consumed his thoughts was the distance yet separating him from the true emperors of the sea. Years later in the original timeline, Capone Bege's strength would clearly increase significantly; his castle form would become larger, its defenses even more formidable. Yet, under Big Mom's furious assault, just a few direct hits had pushed Bege into a near-death state. The comparison proved it unequivocally: he was still far, far away from reaching the level of a Yonko.
"My absolute strongest attack, pushed beyond my limits with that drug... and it still likely pales in comparison to a casual blow from a Yonko."
This realization, this immense gap... it didn't discourage him. Instead, it sent a thrill coursing through his veins, making his blood boil with excitement! Confronting the vast difference in power between himself and the true titans of this world didn't breed despair, but rather an almost ecstatic fervor.
"This is... This is fantastic!" The challenges ahead, the peaks yet to climb—they were magnificent! To have come to this world, to face such possibilities... he was truly fortunate. A flush spread across Bellamy's face, born not just from exertion, but exhilaration.
Just then, the aftereffects of the experimental potion began to surge through him, wave after agonizing wave. The backlash from forcibly unlocking his latent potential manifested as a searing pain, both internal and external. But Bellamy easily pushed the physical agony to the back of his mind. His entire being was consumed by one singular, overwhelming desire: the infinite craving for more strength.
The Admirals! The Four Emperors! The Gorosei! It was precisely because such monsters existed that this world was so damn exciting! How? How could he reach the level needed to defeat these true titans? Just imagining confronting them directly, matching them blow for blow, made Bellamy's breath quicken. It wasn't fear, but an irrepressible, almost primal excitement.
Deep within Bellamy's soul, a violent streak had always lurked, typically only surfacing fully in the heat of intense battle. But now, merely fantasizing about fighting the Yonko made his blood sing, made his entire being thrum with anticipation.
And in that moment of burning clarity, Bellamy finally, truly understood what he ultimately desired. Conquering the world? Overthrowing the Celestial Dragons? Bullshit notions of justice or evil? Even romance or personal connections? None of it mattered. Not truly.
What Bellamy truly craved, deep down, were incomparably fierce battles. He yearned to use his own fists to personally crush those legendary monsters. He wanted to climb to the absolute summit through his own blood, sweat, and relentless effort.
He wanted... to become The Strongest!
"So that's it... That's what I truly desire, deep down!" In that instant, all confusion, all lingering uncertainty within Bellamy vanished. His path was clear. Any lingering self-satisfaction he might have felt from crushing this makeshift 'Grand Fleet' evaporated instantly, dwarfed by this incomparably vast, insane ambition.
To become the Strongest, he would inevitably have to challenge this world's current pinnacles of power: the Four Emperors, the Admirals, the Gorosei, even those legendary old pirates lingering in retirement... If he couldn't defeat them all, overcome them all... how could he possibly claim the title of Strongest?! Such ambition wasn't merely arrogant; it bordered on sheer lunacy. A fool's dream. But it was precisely this insane, foolhardy dream that set Bellamy's blood ablaze with purpose.
"Even if I die trying... I won't have any regrets, will I?"
——————
When Bellamy, battered and bearing the marks of his exertion, finally rendezvoused with his crew aboard a commandeered vessel... Muret couldn't help but cry out in alarm.
"Heavens! Captain! What happened to you?!" He'd seemed fine when they separated earlier! How had he ended up looking like this in such a short time? Muret immediately rushed over with an armful of emergency medical supplies.
"Don't make such a fuss. Just some minor strains," Bellamy waved her off dismissively, though his arm throbbed protestingly. Internally, he knew the experimental concoction was the primary cause; forcibly unlocking potential always came with a physical cost. It could potentially hinder his future development path if left unaddressed.
But this world also had Devil Fruits. Minor internal damage caused by a drug? Find the user of the Heal-Heal Fruit, get patched up. Problem solved. This potential solution was why Bellamy wasn't overly concerned about the long-term risks of pushing his limits with such artificial means. The potential rewards far outweighed the manageable risks.
"Just wrap my arm for now," he instructed Muret. "We still have that transaction to finalize." He glanced towards Drake. Drake gave a curt nod. "Everything is secure." Good. The hostage was safe. Next step: finalize the deal with the Vinsmokes.
Acquiring the King Punch technique was, for Bellamy, just as crucial as mastering the Six Powers had been. It was a unique boxing style purported to allow the user to infinitely accumulate power before unleashing it. Legends claimed that if one charged the punch for a full day and night, the resulting blow could potentially take down even a Yonko. Of course, that was likely just hyperbole. No one had ever actually tested that theory. But Bellamy knew a little about its current user, Elizabello II. Apparently, after charging for just one hour, Elizabello II could unleash a punch capable of shattering a fortress wall. That level of power amplification, from just an hour's charge, was comparable to the boost Bellamy got from half of that experimental drug. And that was only one hour. If one could genuinely charge it for a full day... the destructive potential was staggering to contemplate.
Crucially, Bellamy's own Spring-Spring Fruit possessed inherent energy storage capabilities. And his developing 'Clockwork Spring' concept aimed to allow timed release of stored power. Accumulate power, store it indefinitely, release it on demand... The King Punch technique and Bellamy's Devil Fruit abilities seemed like a match made in heaven. A perfect synergy.
No matter the cost, Bellamy was determined to obtain the King Punch. The Vinsmoke family's earlier offense, their attempt to hunt him down? Compared to his now-clarified, burning ambition... it meant nothing. Mere 'face' or 'prestige'? Worthless compared to his ultimate dream.
Bellamy might not be capable of the same depths of madness and utter lack of restraint as someone like Blackbeard. But if necessary, Bellamy was fully prepared to cast aside his pride, his 'face', let it be trampled into the dirt, if it served his ultimate goal. Once a person's true ambition ignites, truly burns hot, it becomes an inextinguishable fire.
Perhaps the biggest difference now between Bellamy and someone like Blackbeard... was that Bellamy still retained some semblance of a human moral baseline. Some lines he wouldn't cross. If he were to ever cast aside even that final shred of restraint... even Bellamy himself shuddered to think what kind of monster he might become, and what might become of the world as a result.