Chapter 17

In the end, Bellamy met his demise at the hands of Enel and their group who arrived later.

The rest of the pirates were intimidated by Arthur, whom they found terrifying. Consequently, a bunch of sky islanders took over the small bar.

These newcomers, unfamiliar with Qinghai wine, drank it hastily and fell into a deep sleep in the tavern. The following day, Arthur changed into a black suit, leaving behind a gold coin and a letter before departing.

The letter likely contained explanations and instructions, advising them on certain matters. At the end of the letter, Arthur left a special note for Webber and the other Sandia people, along with a storybook.

The storybook was likely "The Great Deceiver Rolando." The letter also informed Wyper and the others that the descendants of Noland were searching for Shandia on the opposite side of the island.

After these gestures, Arthur made some purchases and set off alone in a boat.

Following Arthur's departure, in a room in Devil's Town, Bellamy, who had been gravely injured, regained consciousness from his coma with new found strength.

Sitting up with effort, Bellamy and ginger touched his chest. The previous day, he had been attacked by a group of individuals who seemed to wield a mysterious power, causing him pain with just a touch to his chest.

"Is it a Devil Fruit power, like shockwaves?" Bellamy coughed, feeling the pain of six or seven broken ribs. "We need to discuss this. After all, it involves the appearance of a terrifying Devil Fruit like the Thunder Fruit."

From a cabinet, Bellamy retrieved a smiling phone snail with red sunglasses.

"Blueno, Blueno~"

On an island in the New World, nestled amidst boulders, stands a grand palace atop a high point in the center.

"Hello? This is Granulated Sugar speaking, who's on the line?" A cute little girl, carrying a basket like an ordinary person, answered the phone snail.

"Ah, it's Bellamy. I have important information to relay to the Young Master," Bellamy's weak voice came through.

"Bellamy? I'm not familiar with that name, but go ahead, tell me what you know," Sugar tilted her head, indicating her lack of recognition.

On the other end, Bellamy's expression soured, but he had no choice but to explain, "There's someone on this island with powers from a Thunder Fruit, a fruit that's been sought after for centuries and recently appeared as a government reward."

"Huh? Thunder Fruit?" Granulated Sugar pondered for a moment, realizing this news might interest the Young Master. "Hold on, I'll inform the Young Master right away."

"Alright, understood." Bellamy decided to report this because the world government had been searching for the Thunder Fruit for centuries.

Just like the Ope Ope no mi Fruit, certain fruits are incredibly rare and valuable, prompting the World Government to offer hefty rewards for their discovery. Notable pirates also keep a keen eye out for the appearance of such rare and potent fruits, like the Thunder Fruit.

"The Young Master! Where is the Young Master?" Granulated Sugar roamed the palace, searching for Doflamingo.

After a while, she found Doflamingo sitting by a window, gazing outside.

"Young Lord?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's you, Sugar. What's the matter?" Doflamingo displayed great patience and concern when dealing with his subordinates, whom he considered family.

"Well, a man named Bellamy mentioned he's discovered clues about someone with the Thunder Fruit ability and said he'd report it to you," Sugar rushed over, holding the phone snail.

"Oh? Bellamy, eh?" Doflamingo chuckled deeply, turning to face the phone snail.

"Hello? This is Doflamingo speaking."

"Young Master, it's me, Bellamy! I've found someone who might have the Thunder Fruit ability," Bellamy's excitement was palpable as he spoke to Doflamingo, whom he greatly admired.

He then recounted the details of the encounter under Doflamingo's inquiry.

"It appears he indeed possesses the Thunder Fruit ability. If he becomes a pirate, the Marines will surely have a headache with that fruit," Bellamy remarked thoughtfully.

"But if he joins the Marines, pirates will be in trouble. The power of that fruit is no less than that of an Admiral's fruit ability. What a fortunate fellow," Doflamingo said with a smug and rebellious grin.

On the other end, Arthur, overhearing Bellamy's conversation with Doflamingo, withdrew his Observation Haki. His boat hadn't gone far, and Bellamy had already begun reporting.

"It seems having a reliable intelligence network is crucial," Arthur thought to himself. "I didn't expect the Thunder Fruit to be a prized reward from the World Government."

Arthur's yacht sailed into the open sea. He had already planned his next destination.

Gazing at the three eternal pointers in the cabinet, Arthur steered the boat in the direction indicated by the pointer marked with Alabasta.