A Pirate's Spring Awakening

In the murky depths of the ocean, a peculiar, eel-shaped submarine glided silently along.

Inside the cramped cockpit, Yonji was curled up on the floor as if paralyzed, his body twitching intermittently. He appeared to be in a very bad state. Reiju held a large roll of gauze, tightly wrapping the stump where her arm had been severed. Ichiji, still in relatively good condition, piloted the submarine while muttering to himself.

"Twelfth replay… win probability, thirty-two percent…" "Add external factor: Bellamy joins the fight. Win probability…" "Is zero," Reiju answered for him. "If Niji were here and we used the complete version of Chromatic Assault against that Ancient Zoan, our win probability would definitely exceed seventy percent."

Their ultimate technique, Chromatic Assault, required all the siblings to unleash its peak power. If their father, Vinsmoke Judge, and his electromagnetic manipulation were added, the technique's destructive capability would be truly terrifying.

"And what about against Bellamy?"

Reiju and Ichiji's gazes turned to Yonji, still lying on the floor. Among them, only Yonji had faced Bellamy head-on. Supported by his Raid Suit, Yonji struggled to his feet.

"Can't win."

He knew all too well how terrifying Bellamy was. Chromatic Assault, while immensely powerful, was too slow. Just like in the battle moments ago, the ultimate move they had poured all their effort into was casually nullified by a single blow from Bellamy. The root cause? It was simply too slow. Being a combination technique, it required a significant amount of preparation time. To defeat someone like Bellamy, speed was an absolute prerequisite.

Yonji began to meticulously recall his battle with Bellamy. The more he analyzed it, the deeper his despair grew.

"That guy Bellamy… he has almost no weaknesses." "Whether it's strength, speed, physique, fighting spirit, combat experience, or even combat intelligence – he's terrifyingly strong in all aspects."

Yonji sighed helplessly. If their father had been present, this battle might have been more manageable. With just the three of them, they stood no chance against Bellamy.

"Oh, right. I also suspect he's already awakened Observation Haki."

Where did this monster even come from? Observation Haki was far rarer than Armament Haki.

Reiju and Ichiji exchanged a look, instantly understanding why Yonji had been defeated so thoroughly. If it had been them against Bellamy, their fate wouldn't have been any better.

"How are we going to deal with this guy? The family's losses this time are too great."

The material losses were secondary; if Bellamy remained in the North Blue, the Vinsmoke family's dominance would begin to waver.

"It's mainly the damage to our reputation. The other losses aren't that significant." Reiju shook her head. They had burned through a few hundred million Beli, which was still within an acceptable range. Organizing the grand fleet to encircle him cost about fifty million in propaganda. Buying the King Punch cost another fifty million, plus 2000 of the latest model Clone Soldiers. The two sunken warships amounted to a loss of over a hundred million. Adding the extensive medical expenses for their injuries, the total came to less than three hundred million.

For the Vinsmoke family, such a sum wasn't enough to cause serious financial strain. However, the massive blow to their prestige was undeniable. How to recover these losses – Reiju was an expert in precisely this.

"As long as we can make everyone forget our involvement, this storm will pass quickly." The reality of their plummeting reputation couldn't be changed, but she could use various methods to minimize the damage.

"We'll hype Bellamy to the heavens. Naturally, everyone's attention will be focused on him." Stroking her severed arm, a malicious plan began to form in Reiju's mind. "Go bribe reporters from the news agencies. Tell them Bellamy could fight tigers at age three and slaughter Sea Kings by five." "At twelve, he wiped out all resistance in his homeland and forcibly took control of an entire island." "He's a once-in-a-century monster of the North Blue."

Ichiji quickly grasped her plan. "Excellent plan," he praised, "but that's not quite enough." "Add a few more lines: Bellamy had only been at sea for a few days when he killed the strongest pirate in the North Blue." "Facing the combined forces of powers from all Four Blues, he fought alone and subdued every pirate from those seas."

"The Four Blues… isn't that a bit too exaggerated?" Reiju was adept at such manipulations; she knew that over-the-top hype could easily backfire.

"It's not an exaggeration." Yonji suddenly let out a wry smile from the side. "Bellamy really could crush them all." "The only reason he didn't subdue pirates from all Four Blues is because the South Blue forces didn't show up." If people from the South Blue had been there, it would be a statement of fact, not just hype.

Ichiji hadn't expected that, even as he tried to exaggerate as much as possible, Bellamy's true combat strength still vastly exceeded his imagination.

"Should we make it even more outrageous?"

Reiju pondered for a moment before rejecting the suggestion. "No need. This is already quite absurd." "If we describe Bellamy as too much of a freak, people will be less inclined to believe it."

Yonji offered another suggestion. "Go find some minor pirates from the South Blue. Dump their corpses and wrecked ships into that blood-soaked sea area." That stretch of ocean had consumed countless lives; the crimson stain certainly wouldn't fade anytime soon. "Then find some reporters and get them to take some good photos." "Make sure to get elements representing the major powers of all Four Blues in the shot, then splash that photo across the front page of the newspapers."

A truly brilliant idea!

Once that photograph was published, it would undoubtedly create a massive sensation. By then, public attention would no longer be on the Vinsmoke family. People might even start to think: if Bellamy is that powerful, isn't it only natural for the Vinsmokes to lose to him? If this plan was executed smoothly, the Vinsmoke family's losses could be minimized.

"We'll do it exactly as you've outlined!" Reiju decisively greenlit the plan, setting the tone for this "killing with praise" strategy.

"I'll contact Father," Ichiji said, also thinking this was a perfect solution. It not only recouped their losses but also shifted everyone's focus onto Bellamy. And, as everyone knew, the Four Blues were the Marines' backyard. With Bellamy being so high-profile and so arrogant, the Marines would inevitably launch a massive campaign to crush him.

At that point, the Bellamy Pirates would either be annihilated or forced to flee into the Grand Line. There would be no third option.