Green’s Dictionary of Slang

belly up v.

[belly up adj.2 (2)]

(US) to die.

[US]L. Heinemann Paco’s Story (1987) 130: Plenty good Marines bellied up because of cocksuckers like him.
[US]J. Stahl Permanent Midnight 20: Bill [...] drank like a fish and bellied up in his twenties from liver disease.