Merlin's prediction came true.
Specialties weren't endlessly obtainable. Even though the synchronization rate of the Ancient Zoan [Megalodon] fruit had reached 40%, there was still not a hint of that peculiar instinctual feeling of a specialty appearing.
Merlin sensed his own body. Even with the Megalodon equipped, the physical boost it brought him was less than ten percent.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Merlin felt a bit helpless, but at the same time, it was also a joy. This undoubtedly proved that his biological level had already surpassed that of a creature like the Megalodon.
So, continuing to equip the Ancient Zoan Megalodon fruit would probably just be wasted effort.
Merlin looked at the reflection of his eyes in the window glass before him. After pondering for a few seconds, he decided that since he had already reached 40%, he might as well wait until 50% to see. It would only take about a month.
And Merlin could afford to waste that little time.
Thinking of this, he stopped dwelling on it. At this moment, a smile appeared on Merlin's lips. Regarding the destination of the Sick-Sick Fruit, Merlin had given it to Lami the last time he went home.
Although Lami was still young, she had received enlightenment in medical arts. In the year and a half since leaving Flevance, she had continued to self-study medicine during her free time from training.
In her words, their family studied medicine, a tradition passed down for generations.
And in Merlin's view, giving this fruit to her was quite appropriate.
Lami could analyze pathogens through the Sick-Sick Fruit, thereby deciphering the disease and creating immune antibodies against it.
Because of this, after eating the Sick-Sick Fruit, Lami begged Merlin to infect her with Amber Lead Disease again. She said she wanted to decipher the antidote for Amber Lead Disease.
Seeing the determined look in her eyes, Merlin agreed—of course, it was only a mild case of Amber Lead Disease.
Thus, Lami had a new medical mission.
And Yor, San Pao, and the others were honorably promoted to experimental lab rats.
Merlin was happy about this.
After all, it wouldn't do them any harm.
Furthermore, during this time, Merlin had tried equipping many existing things.
Equipping seawater, but because seawater in this world possessed "PYROBROIN" characteristics, it would suppress his own abilities, making the loss outweigh the gain. Thus, equipping Seastone was the same.
Equipping ordinary stones, but because they lacked extraordinary characteristics, no specialties could be extracted. Equipping a Sea Swallow Mountain, but because it was a whole entity he couldn't shake, it couldn't be equipped for now.
He tried equipping many, many existences, but in the end, some worked, while others had too many drawbacks. Ultimately, choices had to be made.
Perhaps this was the restriction of being nearly perfect but unable to be completely perfect.
Perhaps those who could be absolutely perfect were never ordinary humans, but some kind of higher-dimensional existence transcending humanity.
Time flew by.
After breakfast.
Merlin steered the ship away from this hidden harbor and entered the vast azure sea.
9:00 AM.
Amidst the crisp cry of a News Coo, Merlin waved his hand. It landed from the sky on the railing. After handing over 50 Berries for a copy of the World Economy News Paper, it spread its wings and flew away.
Unfolding the newspaper.
Merlin flipped through it, and soon, his gaze involuntarily narrowed slightly.
—
Shocking! Donquixote Doflamingo VS Sand Crocodile ends in a draw! But instantly taken out by Crescent Moon Hunter???
On the front page of the newspaper, the first image showed half the sky filled with yellow sand and half with white thread waves like a tsunami. But immediately in the second image, a woman in her twenties with a fierce face stabbed a sword through Doflamingo's lower back from behind.
Blood spilled from his mouth and nose, and his eyes were full of disbelief, pain, and confusion.
However, the follow-up to this event came to an abrupt halt.
Follow-up... gone!
Merlin's eye twitched. They really mastered the essence of cliffhangers!
Whoever wrote this really deserved a beating!
Patiently flipping through, there was no other interesting news in the rest.
"Today's new paper?"
Pink's voice came at this moment. Saying this, he leaned his head over. At this time, Merlin handed the newspaper to him.
Turning around, he went back to the cabin. Pink looked at Merlin blankly, feeling that his mood wasn't very good.
Of course Merlin's mood was bad. If Doflamingo died, his Devil Fruit and that intelligence would be gone.
In the cabin living room, Merlin picked up a Den Den Mushi and dialed. Sitting on the sofa, he listened to the purupuru ringing of the snail.
Soon, the Den Den Mushi's head imitated a familiar silhouette. Seeing this, Merlin secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. "Seems you didn't die yesterday!"
Today's newspaper reported what happened yesterday. On the other end, sitting on a sofa wrapped in bandages, a creepy smile rose on Doflamingo's lips. "Fuffuffuffu! That bitch somehow ran into Rossi, turned into his appearance, got close to me after I finished fighting Sand Crocodile, and stabbed me.
"That was really quite thrilling!
"By the way, that guy has the Mythical Zoan Nine-Tailed Fox ability; she can transform into others."
Merlin's gaze was subtle. "What about the opponent? Did you kill her?"
Doflamingo's face instantly darkened, gritting his teeth. "She ran away, cunning as a fox. That guy's absolute strength isn't up to mine, but her power and speed aren't bad.
"And because I was heavily injured, the family didn't chase her."
In other words, power and speed not weaker than yours, Merlin understood.
"Need me to treat you?"
Merlin spoke after a few seconds of silence.
"Yes!" Doflamingo grinned. "That stab was a bit severe. Even though I treated it myself, it'll take ten days to half a month to recover.
"The current North Blue is like a bloody coliseum, and an injured beast will be attacked by the pack."
"Tsuru really played a big game!"
Listening to his words, a smile rose on Merlin's lips. "You should be quite interested in the Shichibukai position too, right?"
"As long as you walk out of this beast fight, presumably there might be a spot for you in the end."
Doflamingo's mouth curled up unconsciously. "It seems you also see the benefits of the Shichibukai. This is the bait this time. Delicious, but pricy. If not handled well, it could rot your guts."
"Then let's wish us a stomach of steel first! Hehe!"
Merlin laughed.
"Fuffuffuffu! Well said."
Doflamingo laughed out loud. "Where are you now? I'll come find you?"
"Where are you?" Merlin asked. Doflamingo's eyes flashed as he said, "Near Flevance."
Merlin raised an eyebrow lightly. "Then let's meet at the port of Flevance. I should be able to get there in about two days."
"Okay, see you in two days."
Doflamingo said.
Merlin hung up the phone, then dialed another one. It connected quickly.
"Merlin, what's up?"
Fulvio's voice appeared. Merlin said directly, "The tracks of Crescent Moon Hunter Catarina Devon.
"Find them for me."
In an office on a large ship docked at the port of Black Pearl Island, Fulvio heard Merlin's words and smiled. "Okay, let's keep the line open. Once there's news, I'll contact you immediately."
"Good! Then I'll leave it to you."
Kacha!
The Den Den Mushi hung up.
At this time, Pink standing at the door couldn't help asking, " is Doffy okay?"
"Can't die."
Merlin smiled. "We'll see them in two days."
Saying this, Merlin moved to the deck. Feeling the direction of the airflow on his body surface—not bad, it was a tailwind. Immediately, he said to Pink who followed up, "Full sails."
"Okay!"
He hurriedly went to raise the sails.
Merlin came to the helm at the bow. The shadow curtain opened under his feet, wrapping and permeating the entire ship. Immediately after, rows of shadow propellers manifested on both sides and the rear of the ship, spinning rapidly.
Instantly, the sailing ship's power transformed. The shadow propellers accelerated, carrying the wind power. At the bow, the shadow even manifested a triangular wind-breaking arc.
The ship's speed was unstoppable.
And this was the reason Merlin was confident in compressing the original one-week voyage into two days.
"Wow—oh—wow—"
Perona and Baby 5 hugged the ship's railing, sticking their heads out with mouths open against the rushing strong wind, having a great time.
Merlin controlled the shadow to wrap the rudder and even the internal load-bearing structures, providing sufficient protection. Relying on memory and the nautical chart Monet brought over, Merlin controlled the direction.
The entire large ship reached a flying speed completely unsuited for its material.
Joy flashed in Monet's eyes. This thrill of standing at the bow with the scenery flying by on both sides was intoxicating.
At this time, Pink walked over, hunched against the wind, with helplessness in his eyes. "Isn't your speed a bit too fast today?
"If we hit a ship head-on, we'll probably all go to heaven, right?"
Merlin's mouth twitched, turning to look at him speechlessly. Pink froze, instantly asking somewhat guiltily, "What?"
"You said it too late!"
Merlin turned back calmly, looking ahead. His Observation Haki sensed that in just a minute, after speeding for nearly 1500 meters, a pirate ship was sailing towards them head-on.
Less than five hundred meters away, which meant about ten seconds.
Merlin suddenly shouted, "Hold on tight!"
Instantly, ice spread under Monet's feet, plating the bow with a layer of hard ice. Simultaneously, Pink's lower body sank into the deck.
Amidst Perona's scream at the railing, Baby 5 transformed into a suit of steel armor wrapping around her.
In this moment, shadow control. The mast on the ship bent backward. Then the shadow swelled, and the entire ship turned into a pitch-black cone. At this moment, the pirate ship in front slammed into them head-on. In this instant, the hard shadow cone comparable to alloy—Boom!—smashed the oncoming pirate ship into scattered, flying wooden fragments.
Mixed with a few bewildered, short screams.
After passing through the pirate ship, Merlin controlled the shadow ship-cone, turned around, and slowed down. As the shadow dissipated, the ship returned to its original form.
The assimilation effect of the shadow: when Merlin's shadow merged into the ship's shadow and controlled the transformation, the ship would also take on the shadow's unique plasticity.
And at this moment.
Merlin used Observation Haki and vision to examine the wreckage on the sea surface and the few surviving pirates popping their heads out of the water.
Merlin narrowed his eyes, looking at the man with the strongest aura among them, and said calmly, "Gale Barron. Bounty 120 million. Any business in this sea area?"
Barron was a young man in his twenties, shock still in his eyes.
But upon seeing Merlin, his pupils shrank suddenly. "White Demon? How can it be you?"
At this time, whistling snowflakes fell from the sky. Monet's arms turned into a pair of pure white ice crystal wings flapping, and a blizzard instantly swept through the surrounding wreckage planks.
Crack crack crack!
Ice froze on the sea surface.
Merlin's figure flashed, arriving in front of Barron, and said calmly, "Speak, what are you doing here?"
Barron swallowed. "If I tell you, will you let me go?"
Merlin's eyes were calm. Suddenly, he chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Forget it, I already know!"
Immediately after, a tentacle shadow blade pierced out from under his feet, instantly slicing through his neck.
At the same time, the remaining few pirates beside him had also been frozen into ice sculptures by Monet.
Merlin leaped onto the ship, then steered it towards the direction they just came from. There was a surging fighting spirit coming from there. Not long after, just a few kilometers later, a black coffin-like small boat appeared on the sea surface.
Hawkeye Dracule Mihawk.
At this time, hundreds of meters away, Mihawk's gaze was sharp as an eagle. In those peculiar yellow and black eyes, a flash of surprise appeared as he looked over. "White Demon Merlin? So, the powerful presence I sensed was you."
Whispering in a low voice, the corners of his mouth lifted. He sat up from the small boat, holding the hilt with one hand, and raised the pitch-black, ornate cross-guard great sword from his back.
Supreme Grade Blade - Yoru.
Immediately after, a dark lightning flashed. Amidst the humming atmosphere, a green slash broke through the sea, rushing straight for Merlin's bow in a breath.
With a hint of expectation in his eyes, he looked at Merlin's figure at the bow not far away.
In this moment.
Merlin drew Zanye. As he raised his right hand, charging was complete mid-way, and then he swung a slash.
In an instant, the dark red slash and the green slash collided fifty meters away from the ship.
Boom! Like an explosion, an air wave lifted, causing ripples on the sea surface.
A thick fighting spirit flashed in Mihawk's eyes, and then his deep, cool voice came with the sea breeze. "You're not bad. How about finding a place to fight?"
Merlin also had fighting spirit in his eyes. Even if he wasn't the world's number one yet, his current strength was definitely not poor!
However, as the two ships approached, Merlin shook his head at him. "Busy today, another day. But as long as you're still in the North Blue, I can find you anytime."
Hearing this, Mihawk was surprised but didn't think much of it, only saying with some regret, "Seems I can't enjoy myself to the fullest today!"
Merlin smiled. First meeting, good impression. So, his shadow extended into the cabin, and soon a bottle of fine wine was delivered to his hand by the shadow. Looking at Mihawk on the small boat on the sea below.
He tossed the fine wine in his hand over. Mihawk reached out in surprise and caught it. Merlin laughed, "My treat. Let's fight another day when there's a chance!"
Mihawk's mouth curled up slightly, looking somewhat cool and arrogant. "Good!"
Then, the two ships, one big and one small, went their separate ways. At this time, Monet spoke, "What a terrifying man."
And Pink followed, "The name of Great Swordsman, Marine Hunter Hawkeye Mihawk, is widely circulated on the sea."
Merlin smiled, thinking of that piercing will on Mihawk just now, as if he could cut through anything. He thought to himself, His level of swordsmanship is probably a level higher than mine.
Thinking this, the equipment slot appeared before Merlin's eyes, at the specialty column.
[Specialization Level Swordsmanship]: Mastered swordsmanship techniques, but you are no longer satisfied with this. You pour your will into the blade; your mind is the sword's intent.
Looking at the specialization specialty in front of him, which had advanced a month ago, Merlin's eyes were calm. Just now, Mihawk's casual greeting slash required him to charge up to shatter it.
This didn't mean he was definitely stronger than Merlin, but rather, in terms of the will attached to the slash, he was stronger than Merlin.
Merlin's mouth curled up. "Conqueror's Haki again?
"It seems those top powerhouses who use sabers and swords all have Conqueror's Haki!"