After dinner.
Merlin returned to his room, holding a thick Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, and began to diligently read the knowledge recorded within.
Images and ability descriptions of various Devil Fruits flooded his eyes.
Under "Lightning Reflexes," his mind worked rapidly, understanding and memorizing the knowledge of various abilities.
Not long after, Law and Baby 5 followed Monet in. Merlin was somewhat surprised by their arrival, but it didn't matter.
Their evening extra training began.
During the week on the ship, Merlin would also teach them some cultivation.
At this moment, Merlin began teaching them the Lynx Body Tempering Art he had developed.
As they warmed up and stretched their muscles and bones, bursts of wailing and howling began to appear, even attracting Rosinante who lived on the same floor.
But seeing that it was just a few people training, he silently left.
For some reason, he felt a pang of sadness. Law hadn't come to see him today.
Time flew by.
Merlin had been with the Donquixote Family for a month.
During this month, every afternoon, Merlin would unfailingly engage in a long, flesh-to-flesh brawl with Pica.
The progress of his Armament Haki cultivation was also quite pleasing.
From time to time, he would also engage in pure Taijutsu battles with Lao G. Since Merlin's arrival, the entire Donquixote Family, from top to bottom, was filled with a sense of urgency.
Occasionally, Doflamingo would also step in to spar with Merlin.
In his words, he couldn't let Merlin be a freeloader; a good whetstone shouldn't be wasted. Consequently, the remaining executives were motivated and began to take time every day to fight Merlin.
Those weaker in strength would team up in pairs to gang up on Merlin.
Merlin welcomed all comers. After all, in the North Blue, this was ostensibly the only place that could accelerate his growth.
Monet's cultivation was equally pleasing. This girl had great resilience and wasn't afraid of fatigue, persisting in training every day until she broke through her limits. Under this positive atmosphere, the group worked even harder.
Competition!
Everyone started competing.
Even a lazybones like Buffalo, pricked by his conscience, began training with the executives.
Consequently, even some of their respective missions began to be pushed back.
Doflamingo was happy to see this, the corners of his mouth rising. After all, in the past, he couldn't force these family members to undergo such ascetic-like training.
Because of this drive, Doflamingo was gratified, and his eyes looked even softer when gazing at Merlin.
One day at the drinking table, emboldened by alcohol, he even invited Merlin to join his family, promising the position of a Supreme Executive, offering the "Joker" seat.
However, Merlin had no interest in being a Joker, so it came to nothing.
In the days that followed, firstly, they felt fortunate; secondly, they felt they couldn't save face. A group of executives ganged up on Merlin, but still, under Merlin's desperate fighting style, they quickly recognized reality.
This Laplace Merlin was not a man they could mess with.
And today was Merlin's first official mission after being hired.
8:00 AM.
At this moment, beside Doflamingo's flagship, the Numancia Flamingo, below another brig.
Looking at the short Law who only reached his chest, and seeing the dissatisfaction in his eyes, Merlin smiled: "Do you want to go too? Unfortunately, I'm not the one calling the shots here."
Law and Baby 5 wouldn't be going on this mission. Merlin didn't know what Doflamingo was thinking.
Buffalo was allowed to go, but these two weren't. Merlin had some guesses about this, but it wasn't important.
Law looked helpless, glancing at Rosinante who had come along, "Corazon is going too, why can't I?"
At this time, Rosinante reached out and pinched Law's cheek, pulling it. He grinned widely and held up a note that read: "Beg me. If you beg me, I'll go to Doffy."
Law's face darkened. He slapped Rosinante's hand away and laughed angrily: "Want me to beg you? Keep dreaming. You idiot."
On the side, Baby 5 looked at him with teary eyes, "Then what if I beg you?"
Rosinante rolled his eyes and boarded the lowered gangway without looking back.
Merlin smiled: "While I'm away, you two must train hard!"
Saying this, he also boarded the ship without looking back. Monet flashed a brilliant smile at the two: "Ufufufu, then I'm off too!"
Watching the two board the ship, Baby 5 was very reluctant, thinking to herself: "It would be great if I were like Monet."
Then she glanced at Law and found envy in his eyes too, which balanced her feelings somewhat.
Merlin returned to his assigned room on the ship. Sitting on the bed, the equipment slot interface appeared before his eyes, and a smile flashed in his eyes: "In one month, the synchronization value of the two equipments has increased nicely."
The synchronization value of the synthesized [Human-Human Fruit, Demon Form] had reached 17%.
And the synchronization value of the [Peacock Mantis Shrimp] had reached 24%.
Merlin also had a throbbing feeling that a new specialty was about to appear.
It would be within these few days...
3:00 PM.
Merlin stood at the railing. Rosinante was also there. Merlin watched Monet swinging her sword intently on the deck, while Rosinante stole glances at Merlin, unaware that the cigarette in his mouth had burned down to the butt.
Soon, Rosinante jumped up on the spot, spitting out the cigarette butt that burned his mouth with a pained look.
Seeing this, Merlin chuckled: "You really are a clumsy guy."
Rosinante blinked, looking at Merlin curiously. He took out a pen and paper and quickly wrote a sentence: "You're talking to me? Don't you dislike me?"
Merlin looked at him with a subtle gaze: "You're the one who dislikes me, right? Every time I train with Law, I can see you watching jealously from the side. Is there something wrong with your... sexual orientation?"
Rosinante's mouth fell open, staring at Merlin dumbfounded. Then he danced around in exasperation, almost breaking character and spewing profanities. A few seconds later, he wrote angrily: "You stinking brat, if I couldn't beat you, I'd throw you off the ship right now."
Merlin looked at him with a faint smile, "Doflamingo hinted to me that on this mission, I should take good care of you and try to restore your ability to speak. He said if I can help you speak, he'll give me a thank-you gift of ten million! And I agreed!"
Rosinante's eyes instantly went blank. He wondered why he was temporarily sent on this mission. So the problem lay here. He instantly became alert.
During this month, he had been bullied quite a bit by this punchable brat. He immediately wanted to slip away.
But just as he moved, Merlin, perceiving his muscle movements through the human electric field, had already extended his foot to trip him.
Bang! Rosinante face-planted on the deck. Immediately after, Merlin moved and sat on his back, ignoring his struggles.
His right index finger buzzed with electricity, then pressed against the back of Rosinante's neck. Under the sizzling current, Merlin looked at Rosinante twitching constantly under his buttocks.
Malice without killing intent overflowed in his eyes. Merlin knew this guy was a Marine spy and guessed that during this month, some of his intelligence must have appeared on the desk of his adoptive father, Sengoku, at Marineford.
Already unhappy about it, he found this chance to deal with him.
He had to make him speak, or his thoughts wouldn't be clear.
The paralyzing pain from all over his body made Rosinante grit his teeth, daring not to make a sound. His eyes were full of aggrievance, and his heart was bitter.
This naturally evil brat.
Merlin narrowed his eyes. This guy's endurance was indeed good. Although he was a good person, they were not on the same path.
On the second floor of the cabin, at the railing.
Gladius and Lao G looked at the tragedy on the deck with subtle gazes. Beside them, Buffalo was terrified, his teeth chattering: "Is Merlin being too harsh?"
Gladius gave him a subtle look, "If I say this is treatment, will you feel better?"
Lao G felt sympathetic pain just watching this scene, gritting his teeth: "That damn brat, how can his ability be so disgusting?"
Merlin increased the current while absorbing with black flames. Whenever Rosinante was in so much pain that he was about to lose consciousness, Merlin would absorb it.
Repeating this cycle, Rosinante's consciousness became blurred. But at this moment, his mouth trembled slightly, and he murmured somewhat unconsciously: "So... uncomfortable! I'm in... so much pain."
At this time, his gaze moving slightly, Merlin stopped the "treatment." Whoosh! A figure arrived. Lao G looked at Rosinante on the ground in shock, then at Merlin, stammering: "It really works? I heard him cry out in pain just now?"
Merlin smiled lightly, "Mmh, it's good that there's a reaction. Maybe he'll be cured when he wakes up. Even if not, a few more times in the future should do it."
Lao G looked at Merlin with a very complex gaze, but also somewhat excitedly: "If Rosinante's illness is cured, the Young Master can also resolve a regret. Thank you for your treatment!"
Merlin smiled and said nothing.
Three days later, in the blink of an eye.
Afternoon. Merlin was doing push-ups on the deck. He had been doing them for three hours. Suddenly, a flash of joy passed through his eyes.
A marvelous feeling emerged out of thin air from every corner inside his body.
At the same time, an unusually severe muscle tearing pain began to surge from every corner of his body. Through perception, Merlin could faintly detect that his body had already begun to undergo some kind of change.
The next moment, the equipment slot interface appeared.
Merlin saw the [Peacock Mantis Shrimp] surrounded by a rich azure halo.
A moment later, as the body pain began to subside, the equipment slot screen changed, and the information bar appeared in his eyes.
At this moment, Merlin saw a brand new special specialty appear on it.
[Super Burst]: Under your adaptation, you have obtained the physical potential to quickly accumulate force between muscles and burst out.
Under the dual perception of Observation Haki and bio-electricity, Merlin sensed that his muscles had become somewhat different at this moment.
Although his body frame hadn't changed at all, the internal muscle microstructure had subtly produced a peculiar arrangement.
And this was the proof that he had obtained this special specialty.