Read my new story (CaveLeather)
Game of Thrones: The Sword King
Game of Thrones: From Deserter to Power
Game of Thrones: King of Harrenhal— Garth Greenhand Stat Panel
"This is an intelligence-selling spot in Black Pearl Town. As long as you can pay the price, even if you want to know the color and style of the underwear worn today by a certain princess of the Volgala royal family, they can get it for you."
Saying this, he winked at Merlin. Unfortunately, it was equivalent to making eyes at a blind person right now.
Merlin couldn't see it at all at this moment.
"The thoughts of you rich people are really perverted enough. By the way, Ful, did you pay to buy that before?"
"Don't talk nonsense! I'm not that kind of pervert." Fulvio was speechless: "I'm just making an analogy for you!! An analogy!! I haven't bought that."
Merlin scoffed disdainfully, "Say it! You brought me here. Is it to meet one of your lovers?"
"Why have you learned all these poisonous words from my sister?"
Fulvio was exasperated, "Alright, let's not talk about this. You eat some fruit or something here first. I'll go to the back to buy a list of personnel from various forces currently on the island."
After speaking, he got up and walked towards the bar counter, his figure soon disappearing into a hidden door.
Merlin chuckled lightly. In this dim environment, he felt surprisingly relaxed physically and mentally.
The habits of the electric eel were influencing Merlin.
However, thinking of the electric eel, the Equipment Slot interface appeared before Merlin's eyes. He couldn't help but look at the Synchro Values of his current two equipped items.
[Calamity Fruit]: Synchro Value 83% → 98%
[Electric Eel]: Synchro Value 30% → 52%
The Calamity Fruit continued to grow as always. Approaching one year, the Synchro Value was finally about to max out.
Merlin pondered in his mind. He was about to face a choice: whether to bind the equipment.
"If I didn't know that Devil Fruits possess the level of [Awakening], I might have unequipped it. After all, I've already obtained the specialization for manipulating Calamity."
"If I don't bind it, then the Synchro Value of the Calamity Fruit might never reach 100%. In that case, can I still obtain the fruit ability's [Awakening]?"
After all, for him, this was just equipment, not something he swallowed whole.
"And fruit awakening, as far as I know, brings ability effects like 'assimilating the environment' and 'permanent modification,' which is equivalent to fully developing the potential effects of the Devil Fruit ability.
"This also involves those thoughts in my heart—whether the Calamity characteristics I store can be permanently 'anchored.'
"However, after binding, the negative effects brought by the Devil Fruit will also permanently exist in my body."
Trade-offs, choices.
Wisps of black flame rose in Merlin's eyes, and then his heart settled, "Bind!"
And at this very moment.
As Merlin confirmed it in his heart.
The first slot of the Equipment Slot interface suddenly burst forth with a glowing azure brilliance, and the Calamity Fruit equipped within the slot was fully permeated by this [Azure] brilliance at this moment.
Right at this moment, pitch-black, complex, and exquisite spiral "Arabesque" patterns appeared inside the slot, and slowly, steadily, inch by inch, they spread and engraved themselves onto this equipment slot.
And the instant this strange pattern representing the Devil Fruit finished engraving.
A fulfilling, warm sensation emerging from the depths of his soul quietly flowed to every corner of his body, to the end of every hair tip.
And in this instant, Merlin had an instinctive intuition that the medium of Calamity, his own black flame, was vaguely beginning an extraordinarily marvelous transformation at this moment.
And at this moment, the rising black flames in Merlin's eyes were becoming increasingly profound.
[Calamity Fruit]: Synchro Value 98% → 99%
Quietly, Merlin discovered that the Synchro Value with the Calamity Fruit increased again, and that extraordinarily marvelous feeling in his body was becoming increasingly clear.
It felt like something he needed to get off his chest.
At this time, Merlin looked at the two slots in the Equipment Slot before him. One looked like a deluxe version with a skin, while the other looked primitive and bare.
A sense of disparity arose spontaneously.
Breathing slowly, calming the feeling in his heart that felt like a cat scratching.
At this time, Merlin looked at the [Electric Eel] in the Equipment Slot. Although the Synchro Value with it had reached 52%, he still hadn't obtained a brand new specialization.
"But it should be soon. I have the feeling that something is about to appear in my body."
"Not eating the fruit? Don't like it?"
Fulvio walked over at this time, looking at the untouched fruit platter, and asked somewhat curiously.
The black flames in Merlin's eyes faded away, and he smiled and said: "Did you get the intelligence you bought?"
Seeing Merlin didn't explain, Fulvio smiled helplessly. However, he nodded at this moment: "Mmh, recently, people from some powerful forces have arrived here one after another. Among them are several guys who are very hard to deal with."
Saying this, he handed a palm-sized piece of paper in his hand to Merlin, his tone serious: "Take a look yourself. Remember to destroy it after reading. The content on it is recorded in great detail."
Merlin raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at the note in his hand, then smiled: "Then currently, you shouldn't have anything else to do, right?"
Fulvio nodded with some confusion: "No! What we need to do now is to wait steadily for the auction to start.
"Why? Do you have something to do?"
"No, but I don't want to stay here. The smoke smell here is too strong, and the ventilation isn't good. It's making me a bit dizzy."
Saying this, Merlin picked up the wine glass and drank it in one go, then stood up and waved the note in his hand at him: "I'll go for a walk. I'll go back to the ship to rest tonight. I won't disturb you seeking pleasure here."
Fulvio looked at Merlin helplessly. Hearing this, he scolded with a laugh: "Scram, scram, scram, go aside. I originally thought about taking you to a good place here to live it up for a night!
"Now I don't want to take you!"
Merlin glanced at him, chuckling lightly: "Did you bring enough money? Don't make me call Teresa to redeem you later."
Visibly, Fulvio's face turned pitch black instantly. He gritted his teeth: "I! Am not going to the red-light district!"
But by this time, Merlin was already walking towards the outside. Fulvio's eyes widened, and he immediately started cursing under his breath.
But just then, a beautiful hostess with a water-snake waist walked over, twisting her hips.
She reached out and stroked his face seductively, speaking in a coy voice: "Brother Wandering Sword, it really is you! Monica thought her eyes were playing tricks on her! I've missed you to death!"
"Scram, scram, scram! Go aside, I didn't bring money today!"
Fulvio pushed her aside.
The hostess lost her footing, stumbled backward, her face stiffening, her lips trembling.
Then she turned and left angrily.
The abalone couldn't be sold...
Fulvio picked up the bottle and took a big swig of alcohol, saying exasperatedly: "Damn Teresa, your brother's reputation has been completely ruined by you!"
Outside the bar.
Wearing sunglasses, Merlin walked towards the main street district, holding the paper up in front of his eyes, reading the information on it.
Walking among the crowd in the street, even without looking ahead, Merlin was still accurately avoiding passing pedestrians.
Although his vision was blurry and he couldn't distinguish people from animals ahead.
Under the boost of the [Electric Eel], by releasing weak currents invisible to the naked eye, a bio-electric field was formed around his body.
And over these few months, the long-term adaptation to electric shocks on his physical body had made this operation ingrained in Merlin's instincts.
And this was the reason why Merlin sensed just now that "it should be soon."
Because Merlin really felt it was soon.
And with this peculiar bio-electric field surrounding his body.
Within a ten-meter radius.
Any living creature that intruded into the sensing range of Merlin's electric field appeared in Merlin's perception like a human-shaped current biological body composed of bio-electricity.
And as everyone knows, the life activities of biological bodies are often accompanied by the operation of bio-electricity.
And not only that, now as this feeling appeared, Merlin's own perception circle was magnified.
Sometimes, as long as his mind quieted down, the various auras around him would be perceived by his consciousness from time to time.
"Is it Observation Haki (Kenbunshoku Haki)?"
Merlin thought silently in his heart.
Visualization tempering spiritual will, Lightning Reflexes and Beast Instinct bringing keen neural reflexes and sixth sense perception, plus the current bio-electric perception—with all these marvelous abilities added to one body.
It seemed normal for him to awaken this potential power that already existed within his body.
It was just that it worked sometimes and sometimes didn't.
Walking on the street, a moment later, after finishing reading the intelligence information in his hand, Merlin simply closed his eyes directly, beginning to experience this solitude as if being deep in darkness alone.
His steps were steady, wandering aimlessly among the crowd on the street, his breathing even and carrying a unique rhythmic cadence.
Dividing his mind into two uses.
Merlin recalled the intelligence information on the paper in his hand in his mind.
There were several forces that could be considered dangerous at present.
Williams, the only son of Rakeid, the Legion Commander and Duke of the Volgala Kingdom.
He possessed powerful strength himself and was accompanied by a ship of fierce soldiers, surrounded by attendants.
The Demon Pirates, Captain "Demon Man" Ibuki, with a bounty of 36 million Berries.
An unknown Zoan ability user. It was said he came to auction the Devil Fruit for the ship's first mate, his younger brother, to improve his strength in preparation for heading to the Grand Line.
The Donquixote Family, Trebol Army officers Lao G and Senor Pink, and Pica Army officer Gladius.
A veteran pirate force in the North Blue. Two of the three officers who arrived this time were ability users, and it was said there were also several apprentice ability user members coming along.
Ghost Hand Himi, the boss of the organ trafficking gang in the outer perimeter of Black Pearl Town.
A very ferocious and ruthless person, a leading figure in the underground forces controlling the North District of the island's outer perimeter.
Apart from these few people who Merlin considered quite formidable, the remaining ones like pirate captains or chamber of commerce guard captains were not that important.
Of course, Wandering Sword Fulvio and his sister Greatsword Teresa were also among them.
Thinking of these last two, Merlin couldn't help but smile. Calculating this way, what tier would he, who could beat the two of them...
Be considered in?