Bellamy didn't really believe that good people were always rewarded. In his previous life, in a civilized society, even staged accidents for insurance money had almost become a full-fledged industry. It was even less likely in the world of pirates, where being indiscriminately kind would almost certainly lead to a miserable end.
In his opinion, if someone insisted on being a bleeding heart, the most important thing was to protect themselves first. He'd always thought that the foolish woman, Chardin, would eventually suffer a major setback because of her naivete.
But accidents are called "accidents" because they are unexpected. After handing the slaves over to Chardin, Bellamy had completely forgotten about the matter. There was still a huge pile of supplies and treasure in the base that needed to be moved to their new ship. To prevent missing any important treasures, like a hidden Devil Fruit, he'd practically turned the entire base upside down these past few days.
It wasn't until Mia came to him, saying she had something important to report, that he learned what had been happening.
The natives of Bird Dropping Island were descendants of a kingdom that had been destroyed. Before the kingdom fell, a group of civilians had fled into the poisonous flower sea in the center of the island. At the time, the main force of the Marines was busy besieging the tyrannical King, so no one bothered with these refugees, allowing them to survive by sheer luck.
The outside world was so dangerous that these civilians didn't dare to leave, so they simply made their home in the poisonous flower sea. According to them, many people had died before they finally found a way to resist the toxins.
There was one crucial figure in this story, and when Mia mentioned the name, even Bellamy was momentarily stunned.
Doc Q!
He never would have imagined that he'd hear Doc Q's name in a place like this. Bellamy knew the sickly fellow was from the North Blue, but he had no idea he was actually born on Bird Dropping Island.
No matter how you looked at it, Doc Q was an extremely dangerous and bizarre individual.
Of course, Mia hadn't come to him specifically because of Doc Q. He was a shadowy figure, not very well-known, and few people in the North Blue had heard of him.
However, this matter was very much related to him.
The natives wanted to offer a special medicine, claiming it could help him recover from his injuries and, supposedly, even increase his resistance to toxins. They relied on this medicine to survive in the poisonous flower sea.
Bellamy was very interested in this medicine they spoke of. His injuries weren't a major concern, but if this thing could really increase toxin resistance, it would be an incredibly rare treasure. Especially since his crew included a cook who was always plotting to poison him. Improving his toxin resistance was absolutely necessary.
Furthermore, this medicine was supposedly developed with Doc Q's involvement, which piqued his curiosity. Perhaps he could use this medicine to get a read on Doc Q, to see what kind of path this guy was following.
Due to this unexpected turn of events, Bellamy temporarily halted his treasure hunt. He sent Ross back and had the ship's doctor, Muret, come instead. He planned to enter the poisonous flower sea with the doctor and the half-baked witch doctor.
According to the natives, this special medicine could only be prepared within the flower sea. As long as they were returned home, they would offer the medicine with both hands.
Bellamy wasn't worried about them playing tricks; he simply released all the natives, while having the clones continue to watch over the others.
After Muret arrived, Bellamy immediately set off for the poisonous flower sea at the center of Bird Dropping Island.
To enter this area, filled with toxins and with air thick with various poisonous powders, one needed to wear full-body protective suits and full-face gas masks.
In fact, the reason the natives of this island had been captured as slaves by the Red Flame Pirates was because someone, unable to endure the isolation any longer, had run out of their hidden sanctuary and been captured by the pirates.
Without knowing the details, this dangerous area was indeed incredibly perilous. But with detailed information and a familiar guide, it was no challenge for a seasoned pirate crew. As long as one pirate could enter and exit alive, this unusual sanctuary would be doomed.
This village originally had over a thousand people. All the adult men had been captured and enslaved, leaving behind only the elderly, weak, women, and children to struggle for survival.
Bellamy, along with the two women, a party of three, all fully equipped, arrived at the deepest part of the flower sea. Following the villagers' directions, they found a hidden cave entrance and officially entered this village buried underground.
"It was underground, after all." No wonder he hadn't spotted it from the air. It made sense; with the air outside filled with poisonous pollen, survival on the surface was impossible.
"This way, please, sir."
Back in the village, the villagers visibly relaxed. The elderly who had remained behind were initially startled. But when they learned that the others had been brought back, everyone burst into tears.
However, was this village truly saved?
Bellamy didn't think so. There was no such thing as a pure land in this world. Even if there were, it would be something one had to fight for with their own two hands. Hiding wouldn't solve anything.
He wouldn't say these things to the villagers, and he didn't care to. Not everyone could understand such a concept. Different upbringings, different educations, different worldviews… it was impossible to explain.
If there was anyone in this world who could save them, and was willing to, it would be the Revolutionary Army. But at this point in time, the Revolutionary Army was still developing in the shadows. Finding them would be incredibly difficult.
As far as Bellamy could see, the fate of these people was already sealed. After they left, the next time pirates landed on Bird Dropping Island, everyone in this village would once again face a terrible catastrophe. He could save them once, even twice, but what good would that do? Could he save them three times, four times?
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