Bird Dropping Island, formerly known as Flower Bird Paradise.
Long ago, this island, along with Minion Island and Sea Swallow Island, belonged to a prosperous kingdom. That all changed twenty years ago when a tyrant inherited the throne.
This king, known as Abalo Pizarro the "Corrupt King," was not only excessively cruel but also incredibly arrogant. During a World Government meeting, he caused a major disturbance, simply because he wanted to sit in the head seat.
Ultimately, Abalo Pizarro, notorious for his extreme wickedness, was arrested by the World Government. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, and his history was erased by the World Government. The once-prosperous kingdom subsequently collapsed in a major war.
Flower Bird Paradise was separated from the kingdom, and due to its unique geographical features, it gradually became known as Bird Dropping Island.
"This island is huge."
After five days and nights, Bellamy's group successfully arrived at the outskirts of Bird Dropping Island. Gazing from the sea, Bellamy couldn't help but marvel at the island's sheer size. He'd initially thought that the Red Flame Pirates' base wouldn't be that large. He hadn't expected the island to be several times bigger than Minion Island. It seemed he had underestimated the strongest pirate crew in the North Blue.
"Finding a single pirate crew on an island this big won't be easy."
Regardless, they needed to get ashore first. Without a dock, it was difficult to bring the ship close. One of the captain's most crucial duties was navigating to shore, a task Bellamy took very seriously. Shallow waters or underwater reefs could easily ground the ship, leading to serious trouble.
Usually, upon arriving at an unfamiliar island, the crew would drop anchor offshore and take a smaller boat to land. Bellamy took out his telescope and began carefully scanning the surroundings.
Vast expanses of forest, tall, lush trees, and dense flocks of birds periodically soared across the sky. This was an island teeming with life.
After searching for a while, he couldn't find any gentle slopes along the island's edge. It looked like they would have to use the small boat after all.
"One person should stay behind."
Bellamy didn't trust the merchant ship's sailors. It wasn't that he feared they'd rebel, but rather that their combat abilities were too weak; they could be wiped out easily.
Bellamy called all the members to the bridge to discuss their options.
"This island is so large, finding the Red Flame Pirates' base could take a considerable amount of time," he said. "Let's hear your thoughts. Who wants to stay, and who wants to come with me for a look around the island?"
Chardin immediately raised her hand. "Please, take me with you. I beg you."
There had been no news of her father for so long, and he might very well have been killed. But until she received concrete confirmation, she refused to give up even the slightest hope. Even if Bellamy didn't take her, she would go ashore on her own.
Bellamy simply nodded, neither approving nor disapproving of her decision.
"What about the rest of you? Who's going ashore, and who's staying?"
The crew whispered amongst themselves for a moment, and finally, the doctor, Muret, volunteered to stay behind. The others decided to go with Bellamy to stir up some trouble with the Red Flame Pirates.
"Alright, Muret alone should be enough to handle any ordinary small-time thieves."
Still feeling a bit uneasy, Bellamy made sure to agree on a distress signal with her: a special type of red smoke. Even from ten miles away, the smoke would be visible once ignited.
Only after making adequate arrangements did he feel comfortable boarding the small boat, preparing to land on Bird Dropping Island.
"Captain, you're being unusually fussy today," Mia teased Bellamy as she leisurely rowed the small boat.
"This isn't being fussy; it's my responsibility."
As captain, he needed to know what needed to be done and what could be left alone. Like Luffy, he could be as goofy as he wanted when fooling around. But when it was time to be serious, he had to step up and take responsibility as captain.
"What about those sailors? They're also working for you, aren't they? Why aren't they under your protection?" Mia seemed to be hinting at something.
The last time they encountered pirates at sea, the merchant ship's sailors suffered heavy casualties. If Bellamy had acted sooner, no one would have died. Mia clearly had strong feelings about this, and Bellamy had noticed.
He thought for a moment, then replied, "Maybe someday, if I'm in a good mood, I'll save a bunch of civilians on a whim."
"But I will never, out of momentary compassion, save a group of sailors."
This had nothing to do with good or evil, right or wrong. Those were subjective concepts. Who could truly distinguish between them? Only strength and weakness were eternal truths. This was the path Bellamy revered most.
"I understand," Mia said, giving Bellamy a deep look.
To take up arms was to cease being weak. Was that how Bellamy viewed the world?
Through this conversation, not only Mia but also Drake and the others sitting nearby gained a deeper understanding of Bellamy.
"Alright, let's drop this topic. Prepare to land." He had no interest in such a boring conversation.
The small boat soon reached the nearest beach, and Bellamy's group finally set foot on the island covered in bird droppings.
It seemed like no humans or animals had passed through this area in a long time. Their feet immediately sank into a thick layer of white, unidentifiable matter. It was obvious this was an accumulation of bird droppings.
Over long periods, this stuff hardened into guano, an excellent fertilizer, almost as effective as Jin (Jinkela-a fictional super-fertilizer popular in Chinese internet memes, often used humorously to denote something incredibly effective).
Mia curiously picked up a pinch of the white, powdery substance and brought it to her nose.
"It has a foul, fishy smell."
She casually tossed the powder aside, and a thought suddenly popped into her head: "I wonder what would happen if I added this ingredient to a medicinal concoction..."
"Today's lunch will have a little bit of this bird dropping added."
"The Captain will definitely love it, hehe."
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