"The key wasn't the apple, but the book?"
The withered apple was now in Bellamy's grasp. In the next second, he crushed it to dust. He sifted through the fragments, finding only an ordinary, albeit decayed, apple.
"So, Doc Q's trump card might be curses?"
Even though he might have guessed his trump card, it didn't seem to be of much use. Curses were known for their bizarre nature. The world of One Piece wasn't known for its wizards; it was an extremely obscure and niche profession.
Feeling it was somewhat pointless, Bellamy stopped focusing on Doc Q. He was now more interested in his newly awakened Observation Haki.
Haki was a latent power possessed by all humans in the world of One Piece. This power was an innate ability, like presence and intimidation, existing as an instinct. However, most people were either unaware of this power or, despite wanting to use it, couldn't awaken it throughout their entire lives.
There were three types of Haki. Conqueror's Haki was too rare to mention. Armament Haki was the power Bellamy currently coveted the most, bar none. Finally, Observation Haki, the power he had just awakened.
This Haki had many abilities: sensing attacks, predicting the opponent's next move, sensing the strength of living beings, sensing the emotions and thoughts of living beings, and sensing the position and number of objects outside one's field of vision. These were the basic abilities of Observation Haki, with range and intensity varying from person to person.
After comprehending this power, Bellamy realized that Observation Haki and Paper Drawing looked similar but were actually two completely different paths. Observation Haki focused more on sensing with the mind, while Paper Drawing was entirely based on physical perception.
Observation Haki was a miraculous power based on the mind, requiring a calm state to be used effectively. It was difficult to use Observation Haki when emotionally agitated or having lost one's composure. Paper Drawing, on the other hand, could be maintained as long as one's stamina didn't run out.
The highest level of Observation Haki allowed for a brief glimpse into the future. The upper limit of Paper Drawing, however, was predetermined from the start.
Bellamy's Observation Haki had awakened suddenly, and he was still very unfamiliar with this power. He tried to actively activate it again, but found it very difficult, far from the smooth, instantaneous activation he'd experienced during the crisis. This was another ability that required long-term training and development.
But Observation Haki had a very high upper limit; it was an almost indispensable power, worthy of his considerable effort.
Although it seemed like a long time had passed, most of what had happened was Bellamy's internal thought process. From encountering danger, the eruption of his potential, activating and deactivating First Gear, to awakening Observation Haki and forcibly closing the ancient book – this entire series of events took less than a minute.
The others in the cave hadn't yet reacted to what had happened when they saw Bellamy suddenly freeze in place. Muret and Drake exchanged a furtive glance, seeing confusion in each other's eyes, clearly unsure of what was happening with their captain.
Bellamy, immersed in his contemplation of Observation Haki, didn't notice their confusion.
After a long while, Mia finally returned to the cave with a pile of strange items. The cave was only so big; they had already searched it thoroughly. But apart from the book, they had found nothing. It seemed that this ancient book was their only reward.
"Dead man's hair, toad's heart, and snake's eyes."
"Alright." Mia placed the items, which sounded disgusting just by their names, around the ancient book.
Then, she closed her eyes and began to chant silently. Bellamy listened carefully for a while; it was a language he couldn't understand at all.
"Forget it, I'll leave this kind of thing to the professionals."
He didn't have the energy to learn these strange things; he'd rather spend that time delving into his own power system. Awakening Observation Haki on this trip to the underground village was already more than satisfactory. Bellamy didn't want to force anything else.
If they could take this book back, they would. If not, they would burn it. After that, they would leave Bird Dropping Island.
As the incantation reached its end, the ancient book, which looked extremely sinister, suddenly jumped up from the bed. It looked as if the book had suddenly come to life.
Mia quickly sped up her chanting, but it seemed to have little effect. Bellamy knew that the evil power hidden within the ancient book was at work. As long as this power was sealed or expelled, the book would return to normal.
He didn't quite understand why Doc Q hadn't taken this bizarre ancient book with him when he left. But there was a similar item in this world that might serve as a reference: the cursed sword, Seven-Star Sword.
This cursed sword also possessed an evil power. Legend had it that under a red full moon, this cursed sword would bring slaughter and war. Bellamy, through his Observation Haki, sensed an extremely mysterious and sinister power from this book.
He didn't know how this power compared to Seven-Star Sword, but since Doc Q hadn't taken it, it meant that it was a power that couldn't be easily utilized. Or, it was a power that would bring a huge backlash.
Thinking of this, Bellamy made up his mind.
By now, Mia's forehead was covered in sweat; she was clearly giving it her all. But this ancient book, which had suddenly come to life, was still bouncing around in the air. Those watching even had the illusion that it was mocking Mia's overestimation of her abilities.
Only Bellamy vaguely understood that this was not an illusion.
"That's enough."
Bellamy suddenly spoke, interrupting Mia's spellcasting.
"Burn this book."
"Captain!" Mia was clearly very reluctant to just burn it.
"Say no more."
Bellamy didn't have time to waste here. Having made his decision, he immediately had someone fetch a torch.
The book seemed to sense the danger; it flew up, trying to escape. But how could it possibly escape with its speed? Bellamy picked up the torch and slammed it down onto the ancient book.
Instantly, the cover caught fire.
The next second, something astonishing happened. The ancient book immediately lay down on the ground, opening to the first page, as if presenting itself for inspection.
Bellamy's eyelids twitched. This wasn't a book; it was a sly old fox.
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