"Fujitora Issho."
"Bellamy."
Both men were in a terrible state. Fujitora could hardly remember the last time he had been so battered since he first made a name for himself. When he was just an ordinary young swordsman, he had faced desperate situations several times. In the end, he had relied on his astonishing willpower and a bit of luck to escape each time. After obtaining the Gravity-Gravity Fruit, Fujitora began the legendary second half of his life. With this incredibly powerful fruit, he traveled alone from the Four Blues to the New World, encountering countless formidable enemies along the way, yet never tasting defeat.
Zephyr had a point: relying too much on a Devil Fruit ability leads one to neglect their own body. But when a fruit's power is too immense, physical skills truly become difficult to apply in battle. This was true for Kizaru, and it was true for Fujitora. With a single move that could generate a hundred times the force of gravity, how many people in the New World could even stand firm before him?
Yet, such a man was a complete unknown to the world. Few even knew of his existence.
Bellamy knew why.
"To not see is a blessing, for this world is filled with too many foul things one would rather not see."
Fujitora had chosen to permanently close his eyes to avoid seeing the sin and filth that filled the world. But by living in perpetual darkness, he had, paradoxically, come to see the world more clearly. Fujitora was one of the few truly awakened people in this world. He knew full well how dark and corrupt the World Government was, and he understood even better that the Celestial Dragons were the source of all evil.
And yet, he was powerless to change it. From a certain perspective, Bellamy was perhaps the person in the world who understood Fujitora best.
"It's painful, isn't it, Fujitora?"
"What?" If it were mere physical pain, Fujitora wouldn't have cared in the slightest. How could someone who had reached his level be bothered by mere suffering? But he understood that wasn't what Bellamy was asking.
"To know exactly where the problem lies, yet be powerless to change it," Bellamy's voice suddenly rose. "Or rather, to not dare to change it! Fujitora, do you know why I went through all this trouble to capture you?!"
Only now did Fujitora realize that Bellamy's ultimate goal was to take him alive.
"Why?" No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't comprehend the reason.
"Come," Bellamy said, opening his arms and exposing his chest to Fujitora without reservation. "I know you can see."
When Observation Haki is trained to its peak, it awakens all sorts of mysterious powers. Katakuri's ability to see the future, Roger's ability to hear the Voice of All Things, Otohime's empathy. And Fujitora's ability to see into the hearts of others.
Since choosing to permanently close his eyes, Fujitora had maintained his Observation Haki without ever turning it off. This method of training was more effective than any special regimen. After more than a decade, his Observation Haki had naturally entered a new realm. But after that, his suffering only intensified. Perhaps only Viola knew just how filthy the human heart could be.
Had Viola ever peeked into Bellamy's heart? Of course she had. How could anyone with such an ability resist the temptation? But Bellamy had never warned her against it, nor had he ever cared about her power. Was it because he didn't know or understand what she could do? No, Bellamy knew better than anyone the extent of Viola's abilities. He simply didn't care.
Just as now, Bellamy completely exposed his inner world to Fujitora. He even invited him to take a look deep inside. "Take a good, long look."
Fujitora's "Mind's Eye" couldn't achieve what Viola's could. The uniqueness of the Glare-Glare Fruit was unparalleled, even in the world of One Piece. He could only clearly observe a living being's inner world when he was extremely focused and the other person's guard was down. But now, Bellamy was voluntarily lowering his defenses.
Fujitora didn't hesitate. He mustered what little Observation Haki he had left and plunged directly into Bellamy's mind. Although Observation Haki had no offensive power, allowing a stranger's spiritual energy to roam freely within one's own mind was an uncomfortable experience for anyone. Bellamy endured the discomfort, waiting as the seconds ticked by.
After a long while, Fujitora finally understood everything.
"So, it was all for the sake of..."
"That's right. It seems you know everything now."
Fujitora's expression was dazed. Bellamy's plan was so insane, yet so grand. After seeing it, a trace of longing actually stirred within his heart. But as he recalled the details, many questions also arose. "Is this highly secret information... truly accurate?" A person's memories were too vast; a mere ten minutes was not enough for him to see all of Bellamy's thoughts. The secret that he was a transmigrator was buried deep in his heart, a place even Viola had never seen.
"If it weren't accurate, why would I have sought you out?" Bellamy countered. "If it weren't accurate, how did I manage to recruit the Golden Lion?" He had already proven with cold, hard facts that his information channels were incredibly reliable.
"Is that so..." If Bellamy truly succeeded, then this filthy world would be thoroughly cleansed.
Fujitora hesitated. "No, I can't." A hint of guilt flashed across his face, but his expression quickly firmed. "If your plan truly succeeds, what will happen to the innocent civilians?"
"There will always be bloodshed," Bellamy stated. He knew better than anyone the consequences of his plan. But countless historical facts had already proven that refusing to pay any price, refusing to shed any blood, would only lead to a much greater cost in the end. A short, sharp pain was the best option. That was the answer history had given.
"I'm sorry, I can't do it."
"Hah," Bellamy sighed, deeply disappointed that even this couldn't persuade Fujitora. He and Fujitora were, after all, not on the same path. "Even without me, what have you done? You've done nothing. You even...!"
The fact that Fujitora would eventually go and become a dog for the Marines was the one thing Bellamy could never understand. When it came to darkness, what place was more corrupt than the Marines? Marine Headquarters was right next to the Sabaody Archipelago, which was right next to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. Fujitora would have been better off as a pirate hunter than as a dog for the Celestial Dragons.
"Even what?" Fujitora asked. Since his debut, he had never joined any faction, always remaining a lone wolf. If there was one thing he had done most in his life, it was helping civilians. For Bellamy to say he had done nothing was, in fact, wrong. The number of civilians Fujitora had helped in his life was at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand.