Bellamy actually had more ideas regarding his Cave Ricochet Training. For instance, he could strap weights to his body, or line the cave walls with padding and then start bouncing around like crazy. But regardless of the modifications, his own strength was the most crucial prerequisite.
On the path to becoming stronger, besides the indispensable medical care, nutritious food was also essential. The powerhouses of this world, capable of engaging in fierce battles for five days and nights without even breathing heavily, were undoubtedly influenced by the environment of this world. Specifically, the unique ingredients of this world: Sea Kings, giant beasts, dinosaurs, and so on.
These foods must contain abundant and unique nutrients; otherwise, where would these strong individuals come from? Naturally, Bellamy placed immense importance on food. He even planned to go hunting in the forest during his breaks from training.
If his underlings weren't so pathetically weak—so weak that he feared they might die if he went too far—he would have already ventured into the forest to hunt. Ross and Muret were truly too weak, even among the Four Blues, they were among the weakest.
Naturally, Bellamy wouldn't allow his subordinates to remain so useless. Besides his own rigorous training, he frequently urged them to exercise. However, for the time being, the most suitable self-defense for these two was actually firearms.
He had given them the guns he'd stolen from the bandits long ago, but Bellamy had tested them, and they had no talent for marksmanship. This left him feeling rather helpless.
After a week, Bellamy's progress began to slow down. Both his Devil Fruit ability and his physical strength entered a period of gradual growth. This was the normal state of affairs. The explosive growth in power he'd experienced earlier was merely the initial feedback from obtaining the Spring-Spring Fruit.
Of course, Bellamy wouldn't be satisfied with this rate of progress. Back in the black market, he had hired bounty hunters to go into the mountains and hunt tigers. Now, a week later, there should be some results.
After living in the wilderness for a week, it was time to return, and also to replenish their supplies. He himself didn't mind being a savage for a week. But Ross and Muret were starting to feel the strain, especially Muret; not having bathed for a week was driving her crazy.
"Alright, let's head back. We'll rest in town for a day."
"Really, Boss?!"
After living together for a week, Muret had come to fully understand what kind of person Bellamy was. This "Boss" was completely sincere.
In that week, she had applied countless medicinal salves to Bellamy. In her eyes, Bellamy was now a complete and utter lunatic. He was like a monster, completely oblivious to pain and fatigue. Even though he was covered in bruises and would be woken up by the pain at night, Muret had never seen a trace of hesitation on his face when he got up for training each morning.
A monster. That was her assessment of Bellamy.
If Muret felt this way, Ross was even more so. He had originally been one of Hyena's subordinates, and the power and demeanor Bellamy displayed after taking over were far beyond what Hyena had ever shown.
"Boss, I want to stay here and train!"
"Hmm?" Ross's proactive request to train surprised Bellamy. He was quite pleased to see that this subordinate had developed such self-awareness. Maintain this attitude, and even if he was a waste now, he would eventually undergo a transformation.
"Very good, Ross." Bellamy patted him heavily on the shoulder. "But our supplies are running low. We need to go back and restock. There's no rush for training."
Bellamy tightened the bandages wrapped around his body and put on a tattered coat. "Let's go. We'll have a drink at Big Beard's Tavern tonight."
"Yes, Boss!" For Ross at this moment, his boss's approval was more important than anything. His voice was filled with excitement at having received Bellamy's recognition.
Muret shot him a disgruntled look, secretly calling him a bootlicker.
Neon Town seemed unusually lively today, as if there was some kind of festival. Walking down the familiar streets, Bellamy was somewhat surprised by the crowded flow of people.
"Hey, shopkeeper, what's the occasion today?" He casually asked a fruit stand owner and learned that it was the Food Festival, and many chefs had come from other islands.
The reason the streets were so bustling wasn't just because of these chefs, but also because of the indispensable cooking competition that accompanied the Food Festival. The winner of the competition would reportedly receive a prize of two million Belly. And the participating audience also had many benefits, such as being able to enjoy a variety of delicious foods.
"Food, huh? Maybe I could..."
Upon learning about the cooking competition, Bellamy's eyes lit up. Ross's cooking was truly… indescribable. If this subordinate hadn't been so loyal, he would have been slapped to death long ago.
"Excellent! How can I, Bellamy, miss a cooking competition? Hahahaha!"
Overjoyed by this news, Bellamy laughed heartily.
"Let's go and check out the scene."
"Yes, Boss." Ross secretly glanced at Bellamy's expression, feeling somewhat worried.
Bellamy naturally didn't care what his subordinate was secretly thinking. His pirate crew still lacked a lot of manpower. If Ross didn't work out as a cook, there were plenty of other things he could do. Speaking of which, he didn't even have a ship yet…
In truth, a cooking competition with a prize of only two million Belly wasn't a major event. The competition was organized by the town mayor to attract more tourists, so they hadn't invited any renowned chefs. Most of the participants were just wandering cooks, small restaurant owners, or cooks from pirate ships.
But even so, their cooking skills were far more reliable than Ross's. At the very least, when Bellamy arrived at the competition site, the rich aroma alone was enough to make him drool.
"So, a good cook really is important."
With this thought in mind, Bellamy began to assess the participating chefs one by one.
"This one's too old, no good."
"Too ugly. Ruins the appetite."
"I know this guy, a restaurant owner. Pass."
"Huh, this person…"
A very young woman, dressed somewhat strangely, caught Bellamy's attention. A black robe, long hair, a slightly slender frame, and purple lipstick – this woman didn't look like a chef at all.
She looked more like… a witch?
This strange woman was simmering a pot of soup, which from a distance, smelled faintly of medicine.
Curious, Bellamy walked up to the pot. "What are you brewing? It smells strange."
The competition was very informal; the audience was also part of the judging panel. Because the intention was to promote the town, no one interfered with the audience's movements.
"A medicinal soup," the woman replied casually, stirring the pot with a ladle. "Want to try some?"
"Is it tasty?" The most important thing about food, of course, was the taste.
With a bit of curiosity, Bellamy scooped up a spoonful of the soup.
"Why is it kind of green?" The color was strange, and the smell was also strange.
"I don't know," the woman's answer surprised Bellamy. "I don't know what it tastes like either."
"Are you really a chef?" Fortunately, he hadn't drunk it. Bellamy was speechless. "This is medicine, and I'm not sick. Why should I be drinking something medicinal?"
"Then why are you participating in this competition?" Silently ing in his mind, Bellamy couldn't resist licking a bit of the green soup.
Fortunately, it wasn't anything disgusting.
"What does it taste like?" This strange chef seemed even more curious than he was about the taste of her own soup.
"Like grass, a bit bland, but the taste is alright."
It was definitely better than anything Ross could make.
Huh, wait a minute.
"What's happening to my body?"
After drinking a little of the soup, Bellamy was surprised to notice a cool stream flowing through his body. Then, the accumulated bruising from his intense training seemed to dissipate slightly.
"This soup! This woman!"
Bellamy knew better than anyone how troublesome his injuries were, how much they hindered his training, and how much they slowed down his progress towards becoming stronger. But now, this woman, this woman's soup could actually alleviate his injuries.
"Hahahaha, this is fantastic!" Bellamy stared at the mysterious cook, unable to contain his ecstatic laughter.
No matter who she was, he had to have this woman!