A Pirate's Spring Awakening

In the small room at the end of the hallway, Drake turned off the lights and got into bed as soon as he entered, seemingly falling asleep immediately.

After a long while, when all was quiet in the dead of night.

"They should all be asleep." Drake sat up in bed.

He sat quietly for a moment, listening for any sounds, and then let out a soft sigh of relief.

Then, a terrifying scene unfolded.

Drake's head suddenly began to transform rapidly, rows of fangs and sharp teeth protruding from his mouth.

Transformation: Allosaurus Man.

After a series of cracking and popping sounds, a small Allosaurus appeared in the room.

Sharp claws and teeth, a ferocious and terrifying head, and eyes filled with wildness, all revealed the brutality of the Allosaurus.

"Hyena..."

He recalled the disastrous feast that evening. His father's death had always been his greatest weakness.

To gain the trust of this pirate scum, he had to rip open his wounds and display them.

Softly muttering Bellamy's name, Drake tried to suppress the violence in his heart.

"It's not time yet."

His transformation into Allosaurus form in the middle of the night wasn't for combat.

A sound similar to regurgitation came from the room, and after a while, he spat out a special, slime-covered Den Den Mushi.

"Purupurupuru."

"This is Major Drake."

"Yes, the mission is proceeding smoothly. I have gained Bellamy's trust."

The daytime suicide was just an act. He was an Allosaurus Man who had eaten the Ancient Zoan Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Allosaurus.

A mere pistol couldn't even pierce his skin.

Drake felt his performance was a success. Given the Hyena's vicious and cruel nature, according to intelligence reports, he should be very appreciative.

Instructions quickly came from the Den Den Mushi. "Mission code name: Infiltration."

"Infiltrate a gang and search for anomalies."

"If you discover important information, contact headquarters immediately."

"Roger, understood."

Click. The Den Den Mushi was hung up.

Drake swallowed the Den Den Mushi and deactivated his transformation.

His father had been shot dead by Doflamingo for losing the Ope Ope no Mi. The World Government not only ignored this, but even intended to erase this part of history.

To avenge this great wrong, Drake had volunteered to join the Navy's top-secret special forces.

But why! What was the deal with this absurd infiltration mission?!

Having him infiltrate a small gang was one thing, but they also wanted him to become the gang leader. Had headquarters abandoned him?

Although Bellamy always claimed to be a pirate crew, both Drake and the Naval Intelligence Department believed he was just a small-time gang leader.

"Damn it!"

Drake clenched his fists tightly, trying to calm the anger in his heart.

No matter what, he would avenge his father.

No matter the cost!

Burying all this deep in his heart, Drake lay back down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

The dark little room returned to silence.

The next day, early morning.

It was still dawn when a knock came at the courtyard door.

"Who is it, so early in the morning?" Mani rubbed her eyes and went to open the door.

"Ah, are you looking for Mr. Bellamy? Please wait a moment."

Last night, the bounty hunters who had ventured deep into the forest were attacked by wild beasts, suffering heavy casualties.

According to the information brought back, they were ambushed by a saber-toothed tiger.

The bounty hunters felt they were no match for this fierce beast and fled back in a panic, relaying the news to Bellamy.

"A saber-toothed tiger?" Bellamy pondered while eating breakfast.

This news somewhat disrupted his training plan.

In his plan, tiger bones were very important.

It seemed that his plan to check out the Portgas family would have to be put on hold for now.

"Is everyone here? Then let's have a meeting first."

Come to think of it, Bellamy had never acted together with all these subordinates he'd recruited.

In that case, it was time for a team operation.

It was necessary to cultivate team spirit and improve the team's coordination.

Moreover, the opponent was just a saber-toothed tiger.

Thinking of this, Bellamy glanced at Drake. This was a perfect opportunity to test this guy's capabilities.

"I'm going to venture deep into the forest to slaughter this saber-toothed tiger."

Bellamy paused here, scanning the assembled group. "Everyone will participate in this operation."

"Including the cook and the doctor."

Hearing that the doctor also had to participate in the battle, Muret's expression turned sour.

With her level of understanding, she probably wouldn't comprehend Bellamy's intentions, but Bellamy had no intention of explaining it to her.

"Did you all understand? If you understand, then get to work on preparations."

Next, he needed to find those bounty hunters, because he needed a guide.

Bellamy had never ventured deep into Minion Island's forest, and he believed no one else in the group had either.

Therefore, a guide familiar with the paths was essential.

Those bounty hunters had a cooperative relationship with the black market; finding them wouldn't be difficult.

The challenge was how to get a guide out of them.

Bellamy's method was simple and crude: throw money at them.

If it wasn't enough, throw more.

With 1 million Berries thrown in, someone quickly succumbed to the temptation and came forward.

But this person looked a bit familiar. Wasn't this guy...?

"What's your name again?"

"Eddy, Mr. Bellamy, I'm Eddy."

Eddy? No impression.

After some self-introduction, Bellamy finally realized it was the short guy from the mountain bandit hideout.

No wonder he couldn't remember him.

With the guide sorted, and the preparations complete, the six-person team set off promptly and efficiently.

It was his first time venturing into the forest, and even Bellamy felt a faint sense of anticipation.

However, the primeval forest wasn't as beautiful as he had imagined.

It seemed to have rained heavily recently, and the ground was full of puddles and potholes, covered in decaying branches and leaves.

The leaves had rotted into a black, mud-like substance, and the wildly growing branches could strike you at any time.

If you weren't careful while walking, you could easily slip on moss-covered stones.

Bellamy's group stumbled along, slowly venturing deeper into the primeval forest.

In the evening, the sun had not yet set.

Bellamy's group arrived deep in the forest.

"Ptooey, ptooey."

The air here was filled with the smell of rotting mud and decaying wood; it was not fresh at all.

Staying in this place for too long, Bellamy felt like his entire respiratory tract was starting to stink.

"How much further?"

He was already feeling uncomfortable, let alone the others.

The team's morale was low; not only were they physically exhausted, but they were also mentally drained.

This team operation seemed to be a bit of a failure.

"We're almost there, Mr. Bellamy."

Conversely, the guide, Eddy, still seemed to be full of energy.

This guy, he seemed to be looking down on him a little.

"Everyone, snap out of it! Be on guard for attacks that could come at any time."

Bellamy clapped his hands loudly and deliberately adjusted the team's formation, getting everyone moving.

He had absolute confidence in his ability to kill the so-called saber-toothed tiger.

But these subordinates were too fragile; if they were ambushed, they'd probably be taken out one by one.

Simply raising their spirits wasn't enough.

Bellamy took the lead himself, and positioned Drake at the rear of the team.

The doctor and cook were surrounded in the middle, receiving their protection.

Ross and Eddy were placed on either side of the team, providing protection while also bearing a certain degree of risk.

After a round of formation adjustments, the team gradually began to develop some synergy.

Indeed, pressure was the greatest driving force for progress.