Luffy sat calmly, gazing at Bellamy.
No matter how much Bellamy sneered, Luffy's will did not waver.
The ship that had just fallen from the sky had been confird by Robin's research to be over two hundred years old.
A re Knock-Up Stream could never launch a ship that high, let alone keep such vessels falling for centuries. If there truly was an island in the sky, however, everything suddenly made sense.
Bellamy scoffed.
"Behind every so-called mystery, there's a natural explanation. Yet fools ignore the truth, choosing instead to cling to fairy tales and empty dreams."
He threw back his head and laughed at Luffy's calm, unwavering gaze.
"I thought of testing you. If you passed, I would have introduced you to soone important. You might have joined the ranks of pirates who will rule this new era. But now I see you're nothing more than dream-chasing idiots."
His contempt spread to the entire crew.
"Your captain is a fool, so your vice captain must be one too. That hundred million Berries bounty on Shirogai? Hah, it must be a mistake. Probably just the Marines adding an extra zero by accident."
Bellamy waved dismissively.
"When Doflamingo sama asks, I'll simply say I never t you. No need to waste his ti with hopeless fools."
He smashed a wine bottle at Luffy's feet.
"The era of pirates chasing dreams is over! Golden Cities? Erald Cities? One Piece itself? Just lies the Marines spread to control weak-minded idiots like you!"
He sneered, voice sharp with scorn.
"Even so so-called great pirates drown themselves chasing these lies. Instead of ruling the seas, they waste away chasing fantasies, only to die with nothing. And when they die, people call them 'drears' who lived in their own illusions. Pathetic!"
Bellamy swirled his wine glass, giving Luffy a mocking glance.
"To , it's the greatest joke in this world. A naked mockery of losers chasing things that don't exist."
Luffy unclenched his fists and slowly looked around the room.
Every pirate in the bar laughed at him, mocking him, mocking Nami, mocking Zoro.
A room full of n who had long abandoned their dreams.
Pitiful.
Bellamy noticed the pity in Luffy's eyes. His face twisted with rage.
"Don't you dare look at like that!"
With a roar, he smashed the bottle across Luffy's face.
Crack!
The glass shattered. Luffy fell back to the floor, his Straw Hat tumbling aside.
He lay there silently, staring at the ceiling.
If I ever lose my dream… will I end up like them?
Zoro, standing nearby, loosened his grip on Wado Ichimonji and exhaled slowly. His gaze swept across the room of jeering pirates.
A bunch of frogs at the bottom of a well… The difference between us is imasurable.
Bellamy slamd another broken bottle on the ground beside Luffy.
"Because of trash like you, the Marines look down on all of us!"
Slam! Slam! Slam!
The rest of the bar joined in, hurling their cups and bottles at Luffy and Zoro, cheering at Bellamy's words.
"Hahaha, well said!"
"Get out! We don't welco fools who chase dreams!"
"Disappear from Mock Town, you worthless losers!"
"You don't belong in a pirate's paradise!"
Their jeers rose louder and louder, like a storm.
Nami clenched her fists in fury, glaring at the bottles shattering around them.
"Luffy! Zoro! Forget our agreent, beat these bastards down!"
But Luffy sat up, his face bruised yet calm. He looked straight at Zoro.
"This fight… we cannot take it."
Zoro t his eyes. No words were needed. He understood.
"Alright, Captain," Zoro said quietly.
Bellamy snarled and charged, slamming his fist into Zoro's chest and knocking him to the ground.
"Hey, swordsman! Where's that ferocity from before, when you pressed your blade against my neck? What happened to it?!"
Zoro rose without a sound, dusting himself off. His face was expressionless.
Bellamy struck again, driving his fist into Zoro's stomach, sending him crashing into a food crate.
Still, Zoro stood up silently, refusing to fight back.
Nearby, Sarquiss smirked as he kicked Luffy to the floor, punching him again and again. Yet each ti, Luffy pushed himself up, only to be knocked down once more.
Chairs and bottles flew at them from every corner of the bar. The room echoed with the sound of shattering glass and breaking wood.
Outside, the noise had drawn a crowd. Pirates gathered, whispering with anticipation.
"What's happening inside?"
"Looks like Bellamy and his crew are fighting so outsiders."
"A pirate with a Straw Hat… and two companions…"
One passerby froze when he heard those words. His eyes sharpened.
"A pirate with a Straw Hat?"
He pushed through the crowd, forcing his way to the front. Peering into the bar, he muttered under his breath.
"Straw Hat Luffy… the very man Shirogai San told about."
---
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