Small Fry

North Blue · Unnamed deserted island · Coastline

The sun slowly sank in the west, casting its golden afterglow over the desolate, silent beach. A group of excited small-time pirates stood in a circle around a metal box on the ground, waving their arms and legs, their faces alight with undisguised pride.

"Hahahaha! Finally! It's finally my turn to make a name for myself!"

Bellamy planted his hands on his hips and threw back his head, laughing so loudly and extravagantly that it seemed he wanted the whole North Blue to hear him.

"Lord Doflamingo has finally acknowledged us!"

He pounded his chest proudly. "Once we hand this box over to our contact, we'll officially join the Donquixote Family!"

"Boss, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Sarquiss rubbed his hands together excitedly, his eyes shining and drool nearly running from his mouth. "Once we join the Donquixote Family, we'll be able to do whatever we want in the North Blue!"

"Then we can beat up anyone we don't like! Marines or pirates, it won't matter. The moment they see the Bellamy Pirates, they'll have to tuck their tails between their legs!"

"Hehehehe..."

Hewitt bared a mouthful of sharp teeth and chimed in with a sly grin. "Then we can live it up like the officers, pick up any beauties we want, and spend as much Beli as we like!"

"Yeah, yeah! The good times are finally here for us!"

Rives, standing nearby, shouted excitedly as well. But then he suddenly stopped, scratched his head, and asked with a puzzled look:

"But... Boss, Lord Trebol gave us the job, but I don't think he ever told us what this contact looks like?"

The air fell silent for a moment.

Bellamy's extravagant laughter stopped abruptly. His expression froze, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"...Huh?"

Sarquiss, Hewitt, and Rives all turned to look at Bellamy, their eyes clear and stupid, yet full of confusion and doubt, as though asking, Boss, you don't really not know, do you?

A drop of cold sweat appeared on Bellamy's forehead, and he swallowed. But he quickly forced himself to remain calm, puffed out his chest, held his head high, and said arrogantly:

"Hmph! On a deserted little island like this, there's not a soul in sight, not even a ghost! If the contact shows up, we'll recognize them at a glance! Why even ask something so trivial?"

"Ohhh! That's our boss for you! You've thought of everything!"

Sarquiss immediately began flattering him, grinning so hard his eyes nearly disappeared. "A job this simple couldn't possibly go wrong! You're amazing, Boss!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

Hewitt and Rives hurriedly agreed. "You're so smart, Boss. Ordinary people would never think of that!"

Bellamy beamed, his nose almost pointing at the sky. The nervousness he had just felt vanished, and he was about to boast some more about his great wisdom when someone suddenly tapped him gently on the shoulder.

Sarquiss pointed at the beach in the distance. "Um... Boss, I think someone's coming."

Bellamy froze and turned to look. In the sunset's afterglow, a tall figure was slowly approaching them, a white coat billowing in the wind as his outline grew clearer.

"Hahaha!"

Bellamy quickly grew excited again. Beating his chest, he shouted extravagantly, "It's got to be the contact! See? My reasoning was right!"

The members of the Bellamy Pirates cheered and jumped for joy again, as though their dream of joining the Donquixote Family was already within reach. They failed to notice the chilling aura coming from the figure drawing closer...

They turned to look and saw a tall, slender figure slowly approaching them in the sunset's afterglow.

His white coat of justice snapped in the sea breeze. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his young, handsome face, and his composure was unsettling.

"A Marine?"

Bellamy narrowed his eyes and studied him, then scoffed, his face full of disdain. "Tch, he's so young and handsome, he's obviously just some Marine brat. A mere rookie dares come alone to the Donquixote Family's turf?"

"Boss..."

Sarquiss hesitated before quietly warning him, "But... how does he dare come alone?"

"What are you afraid of?"

Bellamy waved a hand with a sneer. "I'm Hyena Bellamy, the Spring Man who ate the Spring-Spring Fruit! A little Marine brat like him is just coming here to die!"

With that, he strode forward, pointed a finger arrogantly at Roy's nose, and shouted, "Hey! Marine brat, do you know whose turf this is? How dare you swagger over here looking for death?"

Roy stopped and glanced at them indifferently before his gaze settled meaningfully on the metal box.

"The Donquixote Family? When did that Little Turkey start recruiting trash like you?"

"Has he fallen so low that he'd even pick ignorant idiots like you as his scapegoats?"

"What did you say?!"

Bellamy's face instantly darkened. His eyes reddened as he glared and roared furiously, "How dare you insult Lord Doflamingo?! You're asking for death!"

He stomped down hard, his legs instantly compressing into springs. The next second, he shot toward Roy like a cannonball, his fist whistling through the air straight at Roy's face!

"Spring Snipe!"

But Roy couldn't even be bothered to move.

"Bang!"

The spring-loaded fist had barely reached Roy when he casually extended a finger and stopped it with ease. It was as though Bellamy had struck an indestructible iron wall; he couldn't advance even an inch!

Bellamy froze, his eyes widening in terror. "How is that possible...?"

"With so little strength, you dare call yourself a member of the Donquixote Family?"

Roy shook his head slightly. "That flamingo is smart, though. He sent a bunch of idiots like you to your deaths. Looks like that's all you're worth to him."

"Bastard, what did you—!"

Before Bellamy could finish cursing, Roy casually raised a finger and gave him a light flick.

"Boom!"

A terrifying impact exploded in an instant. Bellamy flew backward like a bullet and slammed into a distant rock wall, shattering the stone and sending dust billowing into the air!

"Boss!!" Sarquiss shouted in terror.

Roy walked slowly toward the metal box, his voice icy. "Where's my stuff? Hand it over."

Sarquiss gritted his teeth and drew his sword, though his arm was visibly trembling. "You've got to be kidding! This is a job Lord Doflamingo assigned us. You're a Marine, so what gives you the right..."

"A job?"

Roy chuckled, his lips curling mockingly. "Don't be ridiculous. This is nothing but the price he paid to buy his worthless life. He sent fools like you to deliver it because he never intended to let you go back alive."

Sarquiss froze. Before he could react, Roy's figure appeared right in front of him like a ghost!

"Nani?!"

Sarquiss's expression changed drastically, his pupils contracting!

Roy raised his hand and brought it down in a crisp chop. "Pirate idiots like you are just wasting food by staying alive anyway."

"Bang!"

Sarquiss didn't even have a chance to react before he was sent flying. His neck broke instantly, and he died on the spot.

"Sarquiss!" Hewitt and Rives went pale with fright, turned, and ran!

But they had only taken two steps when both felt a pain in the back of their necks. Their vision went black, and they fell heavily to the ground, never to rise again.

Roy lowered his hand, calmly picked up the metal box with one hand, and slowly turned to look at Bellamy, who was climbing out of the rubble in the distance.

Pain wracked Bellamy's body as he struggled to steady himself. Blood kept pouring from the corner of his mouth, and he stared at Roy in terror. "You... who are you?!"

Roy didn't answer. He simply looked at him calmly, as though looking at a wretch who was about to die. "Go back and tell Doflamingo—"

His lips slowly curled into a chilling sneer:

"I've accepted the price he paid for his life this time."

He paused, then slowly added, "And tell that Little Turkey that the next time I see him, the consequences won't be so simple."

Bellamy stared at Roy in terror, cold sweat pouring from his body. He turned and scrambled away in panic, stumbling as he fled, all traces of his earlier arrogance gone.

Roy watched the direction Bellamy had fled, snorted coldly, and turned away with the box, disappearing into the island's twilight.

The sea wind howled across the deserted island, which was deathly silent. Only the sunset's afterglow fell quietly on the three cold corpses on the ground...