A distance of three hundred meters.
Neither close nor far. First, Merlin could observe clearly; second, the distance was also within the range of his Observation Haki perception.
And among Observation Haki users, generally speaking, if a user perceived someone without Observation Haki, the other party wouldn't be able to detect it.
Merlin had used Observation Haki to perceive Law and his group at close range before, yet they still couldn't detect it. However, the keen-sensed Law seemed to have felt something strange.
Regarding this, Merlin came here at this moment because he wanted to use Observation Haki to perceive and probe one of his targets.
Living creatures emit aura intensities that vary according to their own strength.
Right after awakening Observation Haki and obtaining the specialization, Merlin instinctively understood this point.
A large ship about two hundred meters long had two hundred and twenty-five different auras on it, some strong and some weak.
The general intensity was just slightly stronger than ordinary people.
However, two people among them had very remarkable auras, giving Merlin the feeling: "They have aura intensities not inferior to Ful. Pretty impressive!"
In Merlin's view, this meant they had at least the strength of a bounty upwards of thirty million.
This was what Ful had said: his strength currently allowed him to easily defeat pirates with a bounty of around thirty million.
Time passed minute by minute. On the opponent's ship deck, those soldiers were still doing what they were supposed to do, without any situation like an emergency assembly.
"It seems there are no Observation Haki awakeners on this ship."
But thinking about it, in the Four Blues, people possessing the power of Haki were still very rare.
As far as Merlin knew, Observation Haki perception could also "collide." Or rather, to be more specific, it was mutual perception between perception ranges.
Another half hour passed. When the sun in the sky was falling toward the sea surface, Merlin left this place.
He started probing clockwise around the edge of the port from the east.
Before long, he saw a ship with a pink flamingo appearance by the coast.
Merlin didn't use Observation Haki to probe. At this time, Merlin saw Law and the others on the deck. Law was holding a katana, swinging it diligently. It seemed he might have been stimulated by Merlin.
Without staying too long, he continued forward.
Before long, at a location slightly to the northwest of the island port, Merlin saw a two-masted sailing ship with a pitch-black appearance. The bow was decorated with two curved bull horns.
On the mainmast, a black flag with a white skull sporting curved bull horns fluttered in the wind.
Groups of rough pirates were playing cards and drinking on the deck, but there was only one person with a decent aura up there.
About the intensity of Teresa.
Stopping his figure, thoughtfulness appeared in Merlin's eyes: "Is 'Demon Man' Ibuki not here?"
How could someone recorded on that intelligence paper alongside Ful only have an aura intensity of Teresa's level? "Is it the Demon Man's younger brother, Ilash?"
Merlin thought so in his heart. "Then where would he be right now?"
Perceiving only thirty-six auras on the pirate ship, "The Demon Pirates are said to be a gang of about fifty people.
"Then where did those absent people go?
"Out drinking and having fun? Obviously doesn't look like it.
"Are they still selling off the supplies they plundered?"
Merlin's gaze moved slightly. Since his ship was docked here, given Demon Man Ibuki's usually cunning character, presumably this area was beneficial to him.
And the controller of the outer perimeter of the North District, doing the business of organ trafficking.
"Ghost Hand" Himi. "Demon Man" Ibuki?
Was there some secret connection he didn't know about?
Regarding pirates in this world, Merlin had heard a lot from Ful before. As long as they were slightly presentable and had slightly better brains, they generally had some involvement with dignitaries or people in forces on some islands.
Either raising bandits to enhance self-importance.
Or being black gloves (doing dirty work).
Or cooperating for mutual benefit.
The world wasn't black and white, but a mass of deep gray mixed together.
Merlin expelled these thoughts from his brain. These things had little to do with him now.
But since he had already thought of this, Merlin didn't mind running an errand to take a look now.
One of Ghost Hand Himi's strongholds was said to be at a location in the outer perimeter of the North District near the Safe Zone.
Although he wasn't very clear about it, Merlin, who had now awakened Observation Haki, could perceive some things more conveniently even though the range wasn't large yet.
Thinking this in his heart, Merlin was already walking toward the interior of the town.
And the direction he was currently in was exactly within the scope of the North District.
Walking on the street, Observation Haki spread out with his consciousness. Accompanied by the slow consumption of mental power, he perceived along the way.
Pedestrians on the outer streets remained the same, as lively... and chaotic as ever.
Merlin walked quickly with a purpose toward the direction of the Safe Zone. Before long, he arrived at the boundary of the Safe Zone. At this time, standing on the roof of a four-story building, Merlin looked around toward the outer perimeter from here.
Perceiving with Observation Haki.
Then he began to sprint along the dense rooftops. The buildings here were dense; the alleys between buildings were at most five meters wide and at narrowest half a meter.
Leaping constantly on the rooftops.
And for a moment, Merlin also had some joy. Parkour on these buildings gave a somewhat joyous feeling.
Not long after, Merlin's figure stopped on top of a three-story flat-topped building.
A gleam flashed in his eyes, "Found them. Two people with auras slightly stronger than Ful's.
"Shouldn't be wrong..."
Two tall humanoid outlines appeared in the perception range combining Observation Haki and the electric field at this moment.
Two hundred meters away to Merlin's left, there was a six-story square residential building covering an area of two hundred square meters.
Inside this six-story building, on the third and fourth floors, there were a total of twenty auras present.
But at a location on the second floor, a group of humanoid aura outlines totaling sixty appeared there.
And inside this group of people, Merlin detected two aura intensities crushing all surrounding auras.
But fifteen of the auras were very ordinary, like ordinary people, and among the perceived outlines, there were body types less than 1.3 meters.
"Children? Or dwarves."
Thoughtfulness appeared in Merlin's eyes.
And not long after, Merlin clearly perceived...
Bursts of very condensed, ferocious aura came from inside the second floor of that building.
Two different aura fields.
Or it could be said to be a kind of competitiveness, fighting intent, killing intent.
"Talks broke down? Or..."
And right at this moment, a furious curse suddenly came from that location: "Ghost Hand, you bastard, when have my goods ever been this cheap?
"Since you seek death, I'll eliminate you, a competitor, first."
Boom!
Suddenly, Merlin saw the wall of that second floor shatter instantly. At the same time, a sturdy, shirtless middle-aged man flew out backward from there.
With a bang, the man's feet landed heavily on the ground.
Immediately after, a more sturdy middle-aged man around thirty years old, fully four meters tall with upward-curved bull horns growing on both sides of his head, rushed out from the breach in the building.
Landing heavily on the ground amidst a cloud of flying dust, the horned man cursed angrily at the former: "Ghost Hand, since you took the lead in not keeping the rules between us, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Ghost Hand sneered, standing with feet apart, and raised his arms wrapped in weird tattoo patterns, clenching his fists: "Damn bullshit. A batch of fifteen slaves, at most just decent looking, and you want 15 million Berries from me? Ordinary humans are at most 500,000. Offering you 8 million was already me considering our past friendship.
"Demon Man Ibuki, you insatiable dog mongrel."
The Demon Man's face instantly turned pitch black. He gritted his teeth and cursed: "Ordinary humans are 500,000, but my goods this time are all fucking original, unused beauties.
"I was full of sincerity, but didn't ask for much more, damn it."
"Bullshit. There are even brats less than ten years old. That's fucking sincerity?"
Ghost Hand's gaze was cold: "It seems you have confirmed you're going to the Grand Line. You already look down on this relationship with me. You want to double-cross me (black eat black)?"
A flash of shame and anger instantly passed through Demon Man Ibuki's eyes. He said no more, first roaring on the spot: "Little ones, kill for me!"
And while he was speaking, his feet stomped the ground fiercely. Then, in the blink of an eye, he drew a large machete from his waist, rushed wildly in front of Ghost Hand, and raised the blade to chop down: "I'll cripple your claws first."
Apprehension flashed in Ghost Hand's eyes, and he dodged hurriedly. The Demon Man chased closely, swinging his blade repeatedly.
At this time, Merlin looked into the hole in the building not far away. Dense gunshots rang out instantly from there, followed by miserable screams appearing from there one after another.
But mixed with other voices.
"Watch out, all of you. Be careful with these goods. If they break, there's no play later."
"Bastard, open fire, rocket launchers! Kill all these damn pirates for me."
"Holy crap! Dodge quickly!"
Right at this moment, Boom! A deafening explosion of fire appeared. A wall on the second floor of the building shattered instantly, and five pirates who visibly couldn't survive fell out from there.
The scene also quieted down instantly.
Demon Man Ibuki glared at Ghost Hand Himi at this time, "Bastard, you actually let people use rocket launchers?"
Ghost Hand's gaze was fierce. His chest now had a bloody knife wound: "Heh! I just like seeing your hysterical look. Die!"
Saying this, he took out a grenade from his trouser pocket, pulled the ring, kicked the ground, and charged forward.
The Demon Man's eyes constricted suddenly, and he retreated backward hurriedly. Ghost Hand laughed maniacally with a grin, but in less than three seconds, he threw it fiercely at him.
The Demon Man's eyes stared angrily, watching the grenade fly toward him. Having difficulty dodging, he roared and threw himself hurriedly to the side while holding his head.
Boom!
A fireball four meters in diameter exploded above his head. The Demon Man was blown over by the explosion in an instant.
At this time, Ghost Hand took out his only remaining grenade from his pocket, smiled hideously at him lying on the ground, and spat: "Did you think just because you are an ability user, you definitely have me cornered?
"I've been guarding against you long ago, damn it."
However, at this moment, as he just pulled the ring, the lying Demon Man suddenly climbed up from the ground and pounced toward him.
The distance of about ten meters vanished in an instant. With a squelch, the pair of bull horns standing on the Demon Man's head instantly pierced through his chest.
Ghost Hand's eyes bulged, spitting out a large mouthful of blood in disbelief, "How is this possible? You can actually withstand a grenade?"
Despair involuntarily emerged in his eyes, but it turned ruthless in an instant. The grenade gripped in his right hand was pressed against the Demon Man's chest.
"Then let's die together!"