To keep up with Bellamy's speed, Drake had relentlessly trained in the Six Powers technique, Shave. However, he hadn't expected that Bellamy's first choice of technique to master would also be Shave. And because Bellamy was a Spring-Spring Man, the difficulty of learning Shave was far lower for him than for an ordinary person. As a Spring-Spring Man, kicking off the ground dozens of times at high speed was as easy as eating and drinking. The Six Powers technique, Shave, was practically tailor-made for him.
Two afterimages darted rapidly across the grassy field, appearing and disappearing in an instant. Clouds of dust billowed up, covering most of the field, a testament to the intensity of the battle, far exceeding the ordinary.
However, after a long while, the onlookers became puzzled. Why, after all this fighting, had there been no actual collisions at the center of the battlefield? What were they doing?
Faster, faster, even faster. Drake desperately tried to capture Bellamy's figure, but he couldn't even graze the hem of his clothes. Every time he felt he was about to catch him, he found it was only an illusion. This sense of defeat repeatedly struck at Drake's spirit, making him increasingly frustrated.
Realizing that his speed would never surpass Bellamy's, Drake finally gave up on the chase. "Damn it, are you just going to run?!" he roared, his anger erupting uncontrollably.
Just as he finished speaking, Bellamy's voice came from behind him. "Run? What are you talking about?" If he wanted to, the battle would have already ended. Without Observation Haki, Bellamy could easily toy with him using just Godspeed - Shave.
"When?!" When had he gotten behind him? He hadn't sensed a thing. Beads of sweat appeared on Drake's forehead. Damn it, he's too fast. Is this the Spring-Spring Man? Terrifying.
"Kid, are you giving up already?" Bellamy had just finished warming up; he didn't want the battle to end so quickly. After training so hard all this time, he also wanted to test his progress.
"Pay attention to my left foot."
"Left foot?" Drake immediately looked at Bellamy's left foot. He instantly noticed something peculiar. Bellamy was standing on his right foot, while his left foot was constantly ball of his foot. Was there some special significance to this strange stance?
Seeing Drake's confusion, Bellamy decided to explain. "This stance is the secret to my movement technique." His left foot rapidly kicked off the ground, providing power, while his right foot, with a single burst, controlled the direction. This was the perfect movement style Bellamy had painstakingly developed after a month of experimentation. He could move at high speed while also freely changing direction.
Forward, backward, left, right, diagonally, even in a full circle. The terrifying potential of Godspeed - Shave far exceeded Drake's imagination. But this technique also had a clear flaw: before learning Moon Walk, the space above and below became major openings. Bellamy deliberately reminded Drake to pay attention to his stance to test his comprehension.
"This stance..." Drake pondered for a long time, finally grasping a crucial point. "With this stance, this high-speed movement must have very high requirements for the terrain."
"I understand." Having grasped the most crucial point, Drake launched his attack without hesitation. The Allosaurus's ferocious claws erupted, "Finger Pistol: Dragon Claw!"
This time, he didn't target Bellamy's body, but rather the ground beneath his feet.
BOOM!
The dragon claws slammed into the ground, creating a large crater in the grassy field.
"Well done, you little brat," Bellamy said, standing at the edge of the crater, applauding with genuine appreciation. "To slow me down, all you have to do is make the ground uneven." He hadn't learned Moon Walk yet, so he couldn't walk on air. Naturally, the terrain would greatly affect his Godspeed - Shave movement.
The battle was starting to get interesting. And that was exactly what Bellamy wanted.
"Faster, even faster!"
"Don't get distracted!"
"Don't always aim for vital points, hit the body, dammit!"
"Even when you're panting, you can't let your guard down!"
"Get up and keep going!"
The battle lasted from noon until evening, finally ending when both sides were exhausted. The cook and the doctor, who had been watching for half the day, finally had a chance to be useful. After a lively banquet, it was late at night.
Back at the martial arts hall.
In the small room at the end of the hallway, Drake buried his head under his pillow, remaining motionless for a long time. "Why... why am I weaker than even a small-time hoodlum?" Today's battle had made him realize that Bellamy was much stronger than he had imagined. Even fighting with all his might, he couldn't defeat Bellamy. Drake couldn't accept this fact, no matter what.
"No, I don't believe it!" He threw the pillow aside and sat up abruptly. "How can I give up so easily?"
"I am Red Flag - X - Drake!" He still had to get revenge on Doflamingo; how could he lose to some nobody so casually? "I absolutely cannot stop here!"
It was already very late.
Back in his room, Bellamy was about to rest when a rapid knocking on the door startled him. "Who is it, coming to see me at this hour?" If there was something to discuss, why didn't they bring it up during the banquet?
Bellamy opened the door with a puzzled expression, only to find Drake. "You little brat, what do you want at this hour?"
"There's a question I've been wondering about for a long time, and I need to ask you." This question was very important to Drake; it even related to his view of pirates as a whole.
"A question? You've been wondering for a long time?" Bellamy was a little confused, unsure what the kid was up to. "What question? Go ahead and ask."
Seeing Bellamy's casual attitude, Drake stared intensely into his eyes. "That day, when we suddenly encountered that giant beast, why did you step forward without hesitation?"
So, it was that question.
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" Bellamy asked, a slight, bemused smile playing on his lips. "I'm the damn Captain!" What was this kid thinking about all day? He came to ask him this kind of question in the middle of the night? What was he playing at? Was there something wrong with his head?
Bellamy glared at Drake and slammed the door shut.
"What kind of reason is that?!" That answer was far too casual.
Since joining this small group, Bellamy had repeatedly challenged Drake's psychological limits. Before truly getting to know him, Drake could never have imagined that a notorious small-time hoodlum could possess such courage.
"Is he really Bellamy?" The Headquarters' intelligence must have been seriously flawed. The Hyena in the intelligence reports and the real Bellamy were two completely different people!