With eyes full of apprehension, Gladius warily watched Merlin, who stood before him looking as if nothing had happened.
He could be certain now that Merlin's strength went without saying; in close quarters, he was probably not Merlin's match. However, Gladius gave Merlin a deep look at this moment: "If you want to be hired by our family and cooperate with us, just this level of strength is not enough. If you have the guts, come find us after the auction ends.
"Our ship is at..."
Merlin raised his hand to stop his words, looking at him with a gaze that remained calm: "I went to that area on the northeast coast last night."
There was no need to say the rest. Hearing this, Gladius's pupils couldn't help but contract slightly. Then he also said calmly: "I will wait for you there then."
After speaking, he turned and left.
At this time, Merlin looked around and saw people nearby covertly sizing him up.
Glancing at Teresa, who looked like she wanted to say something but stopped, Merlin grinned: "Let's go!"
Saying this, he walked in the intended direction.
Not long after, each of them held a super-large deluxe five-layer ice cream worth 500 Berries.
Savoring the icy sweetness and richness of the uniquely flavored cone ice cream, Teresa beside him stared straight at Merlin.
"Anything you want to ask?"
Merlin smiled at this time.
Teresa hesitated in her gaze, but still asked: "Is what you said true?"
Merlin glanced at her, "Which one?
"Seeking cooperation with them? Or those four kingdoms?"
"I'm worried about you. Whether the four countries or the Donquixote Family, none of them are simple."
"I know, but some things just have to be done, otherwise my thoughts won't be clear."
"Sigh! Can't do anything about you." Teresa sighed, then said: "But is it really okay? For me to know your thoughts."
"Will you go out and blabber?"
Merlin chuckled lightly, while Teresa retorted helplessly: "How could I go out and blabber?"
"So you really plan to become a pirate?" Teresa was somewhat helpless, "I really don't want to arrest you in the future."
"It seems you are determined to become a Marine!"
Merlin's words carried some emotion.
Speaking of this, Merlin looked at her with a serious gaze: "If I get a bounty later, I hope you won't reveal the relationship between me and Yol and Lami."
"You don't plan to take them?" Teresa asked in surprise: "Are you afraid of implicating them?"
Merlin's gaze was calm at this moment. He took a bite of ice cream, then said lightly: "When I officially set sail in the future, I will take them with me. As for now, it's still too early for them."
Teresa opened her mouth. She had thought about pulling Yol to become a Marine together in the future.
Now it seemed impossible.
But thinking about it, since they had always been inseparable, how could they separate just like that?
Somewhat depressed, Teresa turned her head and said seriously to Merlin: "I will remember. I'm not a loose-lipped person.
"They are my good friends; I have an obligation to protect them."
However, speaking of this, "You probably won't go back this time, right? So do you plan to let me take letters back?
"Also, now that you're leaving, what about my brother?"
Merlin smiled upon hearing this, "Letters? Okay. As for Ful's issue, let him decide for himself when the time comes."
The two wandered on the streets of the Safe Zone. It was almost noon at this moment.
Merlin glanced at his pocket watch and smiled at her: "Let's go! I'll treat you to lunch.
"By the way, remember, don't mention my relationship with Yol and the others outside."
Teresa nodded helplessly: "Rest assured, I'm not a loose-lipped person."
Before long, the two arrived at the restaurant Merlin went to yesterday noon.
They ordered a table full of dishes again.
When the dishes were all served, two figures appeared at the restaurant entrance.
And when he saw Merlin at the back, Law crossed his arms over his chest and snorted stinkily in Merlin's direction. The voice wasn't loud but not small either, yet enough to attract Merlin's attention.
Seeing Merlin look over, Law grinned: "It seems you didn't trick me this time."
In the past, Merlin had often tricked him on some matters.
Law glanced curiously at Teresa at this time, but didn't look more. He walked straight over with Baby 5 and sat in the seats.
At this moment, Law looked at Merlin with helplessness in his gaze, "On our way here just now, we met the family officer Gladius. He mentioned you. Did you have a conflict with him?"
Merlin smiled, then said: "Let's not talk about him now. Let's eat first."
At this time, Teresa poked Merlin's arm curiously with her finger, gesturing with her eyes at Law and his companion. Seeing this, Merlin smiled: "The male is Law, sort of my childhood friend! The girl is Baby 5, a quite sensible little sister I just met yesterday."
And at this time, hearing Merlin introduce her, Baby 5 smiled happily with a flushed little face: "Hello! My name is Baby 5.
"I am Big Brother Merlin's... 's..."
At this time, a voice sounded abruptly: "Follower (butt-kisser/tagalong)!"
"Right~ Follower!" Just as the words left Baby 5's mouth, her eyes suddenly went blank. Immediately after, she turned her head, transforming into a shark face, and roared shrilly: "Law—do you want to die? You are the stinky follower."
Saying this, she stomped one foot on the bench, transformed her right hand into a cannon barrel, and pressed it directly against Law's face. Her angry little face flushed red: "I've tolerated you for a long time! You've been bad-mouthing me since last night. are you done yet?"
Law calmly reached out to push aside Baby 5's cannon arm, then looked at Merlin and said speechlessly: "Because of your words, this guy has become much more self-aware now. Although it's not a bad thing, because of this, she has become even more annoying.
"Before, as long as I didn't want her to follow, I just had to say it in a requesting tone, but now it doesn't work.
"..."
Saying this, Law was helpless: "I didn't plan to let her follow along originally. Even Buffalo didn't come, but she wouldn't listen."
Seeing this, Merlin smiled: "Isn't this quite good? Having autonomy is more interesting than being a puppet, isn't it?"
Law nodded helplessly, "Let's go out for a walk again later!"
Merlin nodded with a smile: "Then let's eat first! By the way, this guy beside me is called Teresa. She is my employer for coming here this time."
Hearing this, Teresa beside him looked surprised, but didn't say much. After all, Merlin had just told her those words.
So.
She just smiled and nodded to the two of them.
A table of sumptuous food was quickly swept clean.
After paying the bill.
The four left the restaurant.
The four walked and chatted on the street. However, not long after, noticing that Merlin and Law had some concerns in their chat, Teresa understood tacitly and smiled at Merlin: "I remember I seem to have something to do, so I'll go back to the ship first.
"You guys have fun."
After saying that, Teresa winked at Merlin, then rubbed Baby 5's head, and then turned around with a smile, carrying the suitcase, to part with the three.
"You have quite good luck with women!" At this time, Law said to Merlin in a strange tone (yin-yang weirdness). However, Merlin glanced at him and said lightly: "It's okay! Unlike you. Keeping a straight face every day, as if others owe you money.
"And a poisonous mouth. One look and you are the type that no girls like.
"Oh! Not right either. Maybe some girls really like your aloof tone."
At this time, Baby 5 added insult to injury timely, saying grumpily to Law: "No, I don't like Law. He acts cool all day long. Doesn't look mature at all.
"Just like a brat who hasn't grown up, needing others to worry about him every day.
"Not tall either. Older than me, but only about the same height as me."
Law's face instantly turned pitch black, looking at Merlin while gritting his teeth. This guy could always provoke his emotions so easily. This guy was his nemesis.
And at this time, Merlin asked Law: "Regarding my matters, you should have told them last night, right?"
Law understood the meaning in Merlin's words as soon as he heard it. First, he glared at Baby 5 grumpily, and then said: "It was Buffalo who accidentally let it slip. Then under Lao G's questioning, he spilled everything out at once.
"Later Baby 5 also followed up and supplemented some of your image!
"Finally, having no choice, I could only pick some unimportant things to deal with them."
And at this time, Baby 5, who was very good at reading expressions, heard Merlin's inquiry. Her face instantly became somewhat uneasy. She peeked up at Merlin and whispered: "Did I do something wrong? Sorry."
Merlin shook his head with a light smile: "Doesn't matter. I intended to contact them anyway.
"Since it's said, it's said!"
At this time, the three unknowingly arrived at the entrance of an alley with steps. Merlin glanced at it, then sat on the topmost bluestone step.
Law and Baby 5 also sat over. At this time, Law asked somewhat curiously: "You have already met Gladius. Do you want to go there with me?"
"You will know later."
Hearing this, Law's face instantly darkened: "You're doing this again? Saying nothing."
Merlin just turned his head to look at Law and smiled, "After dark, I'll take you to a place. There are some things I want to tell you."
Law blinked, suspicious: "Really? What things?"
"Can I go?" And at this time, Baby 5 beside Law asked in a low voice.
Law refused flatly: "Not taking you."
However, at this time, Baby 5 didn't look at him, but just stared eagerly at Merlin.
Regarding who was the boss between the two, she could still distinguish clearly.
And seeing this, Merlin smiled. But just as he was about to speak...
Suddenly, a rush of footsteps came from the alley behind him at this moment.
Hearing this sound, Merlin immediately turned his head to look.
And what entered his sight was a grass-green-haired girl, holding a smaller dark-green-haired girl, panting heavily from a hundred meters away, but running over with flying steps.
Merlin's gaze condensed. At this time, he also saw three young men looking like dirty hooligans chasing behind them.
At this time, the girl holding her sister ran to the alley entrance and saw someone blocking the exit.
A look of coldness couldn't help but emerge in her eyes. But when she saw Merlin's face, her eyes obviously became stunned.
A complex look of interwoven vigilance and hope couldn't help but flash in her eyes.
"Please save us again?"
The girl gritted her teeth and cried out for help to Merlin, who had already stood up.
And at this time, Merlin had already recognized the comer.
They were two of the six women who escaped from that Demon Man Ibuki last night.