Safe Zone.
In a remote alley near the outer perimeter of the North District, above ground was a storefront selling "seafood," while the basement housed the bounty exchange office.
After deducting the twenty percent fee for each of the two heads Merlin had harvested, he only received a total of 44.8 million Berries.
Coming out of the Gold Exchange below, Merlin's expression couldn't help but darken slightly. Just like that, 11.2 million Berries were gone.
Teresa, carrying the suitcase, looked equally depressed: "No matter how many times I come, I feel like my heart is bleeding. The commission here is just too ruthless!"
Merlin glanced back, an inscrutable look in his eyes: "Do you know who controls this Gold Exchange behind the scenes?"
Teresa narrowed her eyes slightly, looked at Merlin, and said: "Quite a few forces are involved. The kingdom's royal family, some big merchants, and I heard there are also famous brokers from the underground world contributing."
"Famous brokers?" A gleam flashed in Merlin's eyes as the two walked in an alley. "In the North Blue, among the famous people active in the underground world, there is the Donquixote Family.
"Do you think they are involved in this Gold Exchange?"
Teresa was stunned upon hearing this, somewhat unsure. She looked at Merlin doubtfully and said: "But they are also pirates, right?"
Seeing this, Merlin smiled and didn't say more. After all, that guy wasn't as simple as he appeared on the surface.
At this time, Teresa handed the suitcase over, saying helplessly: "You can't always make me carry your money, right?"
Merlin thought for a moment, "I'll give you a one thousand Berry tip. You carry it. I don't want to."
"Deal."
Teresa agreed readily without a second thought, looking at Merlin with a giggle: "Originally, I thought five hundred Berries tip would be enough.
"Say no more, the boss is generous."
Merlin was speechless: "Then I take back my words. Only giving you five hundred Berries."
"Stingy ghost! Bleh."
Teresa bared her teeth and made a face at Merlin, then she laughed cheerfully first: "That works too. I don't want the tip anymore. Treat me to ice cream!"
Hearing this, Merlin smiled: "Lead the way!"
Walking out of the alley, the two arrived on the main street. The street instantly became lively.
People came and went, all kinds of people. In less than a moment, Merlin had already seen two groups of pirates from different pirate ships.
As for why.
"Fuck you, you mongrel, still so arrogant in the Safe Zone? Are you blind? Can't you recognize me?
"Do you really think we dare not make a move?"
"Who are you calling a mongrel? You are the mongrel, your whole family is. I am the Second Mate of the Mantis Shrimp Pirates. Do you fucking want to die?"
"What bullshit Mantis Shrimp? I am a squad leader of the Donquixote Family's outer circle. Do you have the guts to curse again?"
Merlin looked with interest at the center of the street ten meters away. Two groups of pirates were blocking the street, confronting each other fiercely.
At this time, he saw a burly man with a full beard among them roll up his sleeve, revealing a circular smiling skull tattoo grinning slyly on his arm.
On the tattooed smiley face, a solid diagonal line like a prohibition symbol pierced through the smiley face.
Carrying a thick sense of mockery.
It was the symbol of the Donquixote Family.
And at this moment, Merlin saw the Second Mate of the Mantis Shrimp Pirates' expression change instantly upon hearing the name of Donquixote, turning pale in a flash.
But right at this moment.
"Oh?" A calm voice came from the crowd nearby: "You said you are an outer member of our family? Then why don't I remember someone like you?"
A young man with light blue spiky hair wearing a black trench coat walked out. Calm words came from the mouth behind a grayish-white mask.
Gladius.
This "Explosion Man," somewhat famous in the North Blue, was also an officer of the Donquixote Family.
And at this moment, seeing the person arriving, the bearded man's expression changed wildly, a trace of panic appearing in his eyes: "I, I, listen to my expla..."
Slap! Gladius grabbed his arm and lifted it. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and suppressed angry words appeared at this moment: "Daring to impersonate someone from our family aside, you actually tattooed the slash of our family emblem in the reverse direction?"
In this instant, the palm gripping the imposter's arm suddenly made creaking sounds, then expanded rapidly. Seeing this scene, the bearded man immediately let out a terrified scream: "Ahhh, spare me..."
And when the surrounding people saw this, they also began to flee in panic.
But in just two breaths, Gladius's palm had expanded to the limit.
Boom!
A deafening air explosion appeared, mixed with the bearded man's brief miserable howl. Then, the violent shockwave of the explosion spread instantly to the surroundings.
A few seconds later, the dust dissipated.
Gladius shook off the bloodstains on his glove, glancing at the idiot whose arm had been blown off by the explosion and who was lying on the ground breathless.
Then, he looked coldly at the other group of pirates who had been blown away by the shockwave. Then he looked around at the people lying on the ground who hadn't run far yet and said: "I don't care who you are. As long as anyone dares to impersonate our family casually, once discovered, it is a capital offense!"
However, speaking of this, his words paused slightly: "Of course, if you sincerely want to join our Donquixote Family, then we also welcome your joining."
At this moment, those who had moved away around the street looked at this guy who dared to kill in the Safe Zone with apprehension, but no one dared to speak at this moment.
Merlin put down the hand blocking his face, patted a little dust off the short sleeves on his shoulder, and looked at the guy standing on the street surface showing cracked traces at this moment.
At this time, Teresa beside him looked at Gladius with a solemn gaze: "His bounty is 30 million. Although it doesn't look like much, his strength isn't weaker than mine.
"He is a Paramecia-type Pop-Pop Fruit (Pamu Pamu no Mi) ability user."
Teresa whispered the opponent's intelligence to Merlin. Hearing this, a flash of surprise passed through Merlin's eyes: "You know the Pop-Pop Fruit?"
Teresa nodded, "Vice Admiral Tsuru docked at our Petrel Island for a few days before. I visited her warship back then and saw an illustrated handbook recording Devil Fruits in her room.
"Therefore, I kept some formidable fruit abilities in mind.
"This guy's ability is very strong, but activation takes time. Just need to pierce the expanding part before he expands to the limit threshold to stop his explosion.
"By the way, the principle of his ability is similar to injecting air into a balloon and exploding it upon reaching the limit.
"It's an explosive shockwave."
Listening to Teresa's continuous explanation close to his ear, Merlin's ear felt a bit itchy, but at the same time, he was also very surprised by her memory.
And in the field, Gladius looked around with dissatisfaction at this moment. Unexpectedly, no one took the initiative to come forward and beg to join their family.
somewhat angry.
Just a bunch of trash.
However, at this time, a glint appeared in his eyes. He looked towards Merlin's side—black hair, black pupils, heroic appearance, carrying a pitch-black long sword at his waist, and a dagger on the outside of his right thigh. Thinking of Buffalo and Baby 5's...
Description of the image.
However, at this time, he also noticed Teresa beside Merlin, but he didn't care at all. Just a somewhat famous female swordswoman who wasn't even a Sword Master (Kengou).
Gaze moving slightly, he stepped forward to Merlin, ignoring Teresa's vigilance, and sized up Merlin with some curiosity in his eyes: "You are... Merlin?"
Hearing this, a strange luster flashed in Merlin's eyes, and he chuckled lightly: "I shouldn't be famous enough yet for a big shot like you to remember, right?"
Gladius narrowed his eyes slightly: "It was you who influenced Baby 5 through words, right! Daring to interfere with the growth of our family members casually.
"You have quite the guts!"
Although he didn't care much about Baby 5, she was still someone from their family after all.
Having her thinking interfered with by others displeased him.
At this time, Teresa looked at Gladius solemnly and said: "Are you here to pick a fight?"
Gladius glanced at her, then ignored her, still looking at Merlin: "I heard from Buffalo that you seem very strong, and Law also invited you to join our family, but you said you would wait until after the auction ends to answer.
"Is that still the case now?"
Seeing this, Merlin smiled, looking at him calmly: "I thought about it again and again last night. Forget about joining your family. After all, your family might not dare to take me."
Gladius narrowed his eyes slightly. However, at this time, Merlin continued: "Since Law is with you, you must be clear about my origin.
"The royal families of the four countries that destroyed Flevance, and the Flevance royal family that has betrayed and fled, are all my targets.
"Are you sure you want to take me in?"
Merlin said this intending to make them back off. After all, if Donquixote wanted to continue developing in the North Blue, they wouldn't touch the allied nations right now.
Gladius's pupils constricted suddenly. Unexpectedly, the targets were the royal families of four allied nations.
Do you think you are the evil army Germa 66?
Is this kid crazy?
Damn, crazier than Law.
Seeing the shock emerging in Gladius's eyes at this moment, the corner of Merlin's mouth raised in a smile: "The Donquixote Family has been deeply cultivating in the North Blue for many years, and various channels must be very developed. But presumably, you also have quite a few enemies. Are you interested in hiring me?
"I'll do things for you, and you provide me with the remuneration I want.
"We can cooperate."
Listening to Merlin's words inexplicably, a touch of mockery gradually emerged in Gladius's eyes: "What do you think you can do alone? What makes you think we would need you? Hire? Laughable."
Merlin looked at him calmly and said lightly: "Based on strength."
Gladius's eye corner twitched, and he said angrily: "Do you think you alone can compare to our entire family?"
Merlin shook his head gently, "How is that possible? Even many ants can kill an elephant. Can't compare to your entire family. However..."
Speaking up to here, Merlin looked at him with a seemingly non-existent provocation in his eyes: "But stronger than you, that I can be certain of."
Hearing this, Gladius almost exploded with anger. At the same time, his head suddenly expanded. But the next moment, his pupils constricted sharply. He only felt a residual shadow flash by, and immediately after, he saw that sword tip almost touching his eyeball.
Although confident in his physical strength, his eyeballs... he had no confidence.
So, his head, expanded like a pufferfish, remained like that, but his gaze looked coldly at Merlin: "Stab down if you have the guts, see which of us dies first."
Merlin's gaze remained unchanged, tone calm: "The one dying will be you."
Although Gladius had a fiery character, he wasn't stupid. Meaninglessly wasting life wasn't advisable.
"But after I die, you will face the endless pursuit of the Donquixote Family."
However, speaking of this, his head expanded to the critical point slowly returned to its original state.
And Merlin also sheathed his sword at this time, making a crisp click sound. Subsequently, he asked him: "How about it? Want to consider it?"