The giant bird posed for a while, its glistening muscles almost blinding them. After a dozen or so breaths, with a series of explosive sounds of tearing muscle, the bird collapsed to the ground, dead.
Its unusual manner of death greatly piqued Bellamy's curiosity.
"All its muscles are torn, but not a single bone is broken." Bellamy squatted down and examined the giant bird's body. "The blood vessels are all ruptured, and the fascia is severely damaged."
With injuries like these, even if it survived, it would be crippled. He then checked the brain and heart.
The heart had exploded into a bloody mess, but the brain seemed surprisingly normal. It appeared that the main effect of the potion Mia had force-fed it was on the body.
This stuff's effects were very similar to the Energy Steroids from Fish-Man Island. What would happen if a Fish-Man drank that potion? They could probably withstand this kind of destructive enhancement, and their strength would increase explosively.
"Mia, do it again. Can you make an identical potion?"
It was necessary to record the formula for this stuff.
"I can."
Not only could she make an identical one, but she could also adjust the potion's properties. She could strengthen or weaken it, or even add other ingredients to neutralize it and make its effects milder. This was Mia's special talent in herbalism.
"Then write it down. We might have a use for this potion."
When it was time to play, they could play however they wanted, but when it came to serious matters, Bellamy's attitude became stern. Mia also knew what was important, and seeing the captain suddenly become serious, she knew it was time to stop fooling around.
"For now, let's call this stuff 'the Potion'."
"Pay attention and create a stable formula first."
If this stuff really had effects similar to the Energy Steroids, it would be a great asset. Despite its terrifying side effects, this kind of thing could save lives in critical moments, especially for relatively weaker companions.
Because of this unexpected development, Bellamy lost his appetite. "Alright, let's stop eating for now."
"I can't afford to spend too much time on this island. Should we split up, or should we come up with another plan?"
Splitting up was naturally the most efficient solution, but it was also risky.
"Captain, I think we could try to find some local inhabitants," Drake quickly offered his suggestion.
An island this large couldn't be completely occupied by a single pirate crew; there had to be native residents.
Bellamy pondered for a moment. "That's a good idea."
Although he'd never heard of any towns existing on Bird Dropping Island. He should have gathered some intelligence from the black market before setting out. His preparations were insufficient.
"Perhaps I should get a Den Den Mushi and plant an informant in the black market."
That would make things much more convenient. He already had someone in mind for this informant role. Once they returned, he would arrange this matter.
"Then let's search. I'll take a look around from the sky. Drake, you lead the team and continue forward."
"Send me a signal every two hours." In the end, Bellamy decided to split the group.
With a spring jump, he leaped onto the nearest tree trunk, chose a random direction, and took to the air using Moon Walk.
Rapidly kicking the air was a very tiring activity. Fortunately, this forest was full of tall trees, and he could conserve energy by landing on the treetops when he fell.
But it was also these trees that greatly hindered Bellamy's movement. Suspended about a hundred meters in the sky, looking down, he saw only a continuous expanse of green.
Besides treetops, there was nothing else to be seen.
"I'm just worried that the natives here might live in treehouses."
That would be troublesome.
Bellamy swept rapidly across a high altitude, trying to find anything out of the ordinary. He'd assumed this would be a very time-consuming and laborious task, and he'd prepared himself for a long, tedious search.
Unexpectedly, after a few hours, he discovered an unusual area in the center of the forest.
A large, vibrant field of colorful flowers abruptly appeared in the heart of the forest. Anyone with eyes could see this area from a great distance.
Filled with curiosity, Bellamy descended from the sky and landed at the edge of the flower field.
"Strange, why aren't the birds flying over here?"
As soon as he landed, he noticed many oddities. This seemingly vibrant flower field was full of butterflies and bees, but there were no birds or animals present. The birds living on this island seemed afraid to approach this place.
Such a bizarre scene made Bellamy cautious.
He thought for a moment, then went to a distance and caught a few birds, broke their wings, and tossed them into the flower field. Before long, as expected, the birds showed clear signs of poisoning.
This flower field was poisonous.
"This is getting interesting. I'm becoming more and more intrigued by this island."
Bird Dropping Island had unexpectedly many secrets, and Bellamy was becoming increasingly invested in this place.
He fired a signal flare, found his companions, and told them about his discovery. After some discussion, Bellamy's group decided to scout the perimeter of the flower field first, to see if they could find any traces of human activity.
And this search, they found it.
"Captain, look at this," Drake said, pointing to a groove in the ground. "This is the track of a wooden wheel."
"The freshly turned soil next to it looks very new. Someone passed by here recently."
Bellamy was thrilled to have found a clue so quickly.
"Let's go, follow these tracks."
They followed the obvious tracks, winding their way back into the forest.
After following the clues for a long time in the forest, the sound of metal striking metal came from ahead.
Bellamy raised his hand, signaling the others to be quiet. "I'll go take a look. You guys be on alert."
He sensed that if they continued forward, they would encounter members of the Red Flame Pirates.
Normally, he might have just kicked his way in and crushed them directly. But this strange Bird Dropping Island had now captured his interest, and Bellamy was eager to find out what secrets this island held.
He tiptoed carefully forward.
Soon, a cave entrance came into view. In front of the cave opening, several drunken pirates were sitting on the ground, bragging and chatting.
The sound of metal striking metal occasionally echoed from inside the cave.
From this information, Bellamy vaguely guessed what was going on.
"Slaves? Mining?"
He swiftly jumped behind the pirates and knocked them out, then carefully examined the cave.
"This place is most likely a mine."
So, what should he do next? Other things didn't matter, but ruining things wasn't good.
Since he'd promised Chardin to rescue her father, he wouldn't easily go back on his word.
"First, I'll interrogate them for information."
These pirates were most likely members of the Red Flame Pirates.
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