"Waaa!! It's so cold, so cold~"
On the deck, Perona was wrapped in a snow-white plush coat.
Only her slender calves, tightly encased in black and white striped fleece-lined leggings, were exposed. Wearing cotton gloves, she held a broom, sweeping snow off the deck alongside Baby 5. Her little face was flushed red from the cold, looking quite amusing.
"Yeah! It's freezing. But we're really weak; look at Big Brother Merlin!"
Hearing Baby 5's voice, she turned to look. Merlin was still wearing a single layer of clothes with just a grey trench coat over it.
Envy flashed in her eyes, but soon replaced by a smug look. She lifted her chin and huffed lightly, "So what? As long as my spirit body comes out, I can even wear a swimsuit."
Baby 5 looked speechless but also envied her a little. "Your ability really is freakish."
Perona puffed out her cheeks and rolled her eyes angrily. "Your ability is the freakish one! Transforming your body into all kinds of weapons, and made of steel too.
"These past ten days, haven't you looked at yourself? Ever since Lord Merlin's heirloom dagger's shadow was stuffed into you, hasn't your skill with short swords and daggers grown really fast?"
Hearing this, Baby 5 rolled her eyes back. "Then why don't you mention that Big Brother Merlin's own shadow was stuffed into you?
"Your body flexibility and Taijutsu have become quite impressive, haven't they?"
Perona looked exasperated. "Then why don't you mention that I've been tired as a dead dog every day these past few days?"
At this point, hearing their humble-bragging, Pink couldn't help but retort, "Two bratty kids who don't know how good they have it. Only you two get to enjoy this kind of opportunity; I haven't even tried it yet!"
Perona wasn't afraid of him—he was a defeated opponent, after all. She lifted her little head proudly. "Who told you not to be one of us? If you were, Lord Merlin would definitely help you too.
"Besides, he wastes time sparring with you every day to help you grow.
"You should learn to be grateful. You chain-smoking addict."
Seeing this girl become Merlin's number one fangirl in just ten days, Pink's eye twitched. But he had to admit, Merlin was genuinely good to his own people.
It was a different kind of good from Doffy.
It was more... comforting.
"Are you sure Snow Demon Storm's lair is in the nearby mountains?"
Merlin came over and asked. Pink's eyes flashed, and he nodded. "According to our intelligence, his subordinates usually appear in this port, and his ship should be on another shore of this island.
"Our intel says he's connected with the royal family of the Country of Ice. Recently, it seems he's going to become the leader of a national defense navy for this country."
Pink thought for a moment and gave an example. "Just like the Happo Navy in the Land of Flowers in the West Blue.
"And the Snow Demon goes out from time to time to plunder other pirate groups in the nearby waters.
"Also, our intelligence says that guy sometimes deliberately drives some pirates to plunder merchant ships passing through here. Once the pirates succeed, he attacks and defeats those pirates.
"Gaining both fame and fortune.
"He's very smart, isn't he?"
"Heh! Does the royal family in this country collect taxes from the Snow Demon?"
As soon as Merlin said this, Pink narrowed his eyes. A few seconds later, he sighed with emotion. "You see things clearly. Based on the keen intellect I've gained from years of experience, it's probably exactly as you said.
"After all, the Country of Ice is poor in agricultural resources. The greed of the royal family and nobles here is famous in the surrounding seas."
Merlin glanced at this guy, who was praising himself.
"These things don't matter."
Saying this, Merlin looked at Perona. "You and Baby 5 stay to watch the ship. Pink, Monet, and I are going to handle business."
Perona blinked, suddenly looking expectant. "I want to go too. My spirit body can fly and go through ground; I can find them more easily. Baby 5 can stay and protect my body, okay?"
Merlin thought for a moment and nodded. Training her was a good thing.
Perona could go, but she couldn't. Baby 5's face fell instantly. Perona cheered happily, ran back to her room in the cabin, took off her shoes, crawled under the covers, and lay down. Immediately, a spirit body identical to her main body in scale emerged.
Passing through the wall to the deck, Merlin glanced at her and waved his hand. "Let's go!"
The three of them plus one spirit body disembarked.
Baby 5 lay on the railing, watching them leave enviously. She looked back at the snow on the deck, made a bitter face, picked up the broom, and began sweeping vigorously.
The snow on the ground in this town was only a thin layer. Walking on the street, it made a crisp crunching sound underfoot.
It didn't take them long to arrive near a coast on the island, guided by what Perona saw from high altitude.
Looking at a large three-masted grey-white ship docked not far from the shore.
Merlin used Observation Haki to sense the dozen or so auras on board. Immediately, his shadow extended rapidly. Once on the ship...
Positions swapped.
Merlin's figure appeared on the deck. At this moment, cheerful laughter rang out as Perona flew down from the sky, floating beside Merlin.
"Who are you?"
Two pirates cleaning snow on the deck noticed them and shouted loudly.
"Hollow hollow! Negative Hollow!"
Perona waved her hand casually. Two ghosts flew out quickly, passing through their chests.
Instantly, the two men knelt on the ground, spouting extremely negative words.
At this time, two more ghosts appeared, quickly diving into the ship's deck and shuttling around inside.
Within ten seconds or so, under Merlin's keen hearing, waves of negative remarks rang out everywhere inside the ship.
"Hollow hollow!" Perona covered her mouth and laughed happily, looking at Merlin with a very smug expression. "This lady is amazing, right?"
Merlin glanced at her, nodding with a smile. "The fruit ability is indeed good, but the main body is a crybaby who would weep for a long time from just one punch."
Perona puffed out her cheeks, looking at Merlin with dissatisfaction, and huffed delicately. "You only know how to bully people. Can't you praise me properly?"
Merlin smiled, then looked at the pirate ship. His gaze moved slightly as Monet and Pink jumped up.
"Merlin, should we interrogate these pirates for the specific location of the Snow Demon's lair?"
Merlin shook his head. "Monet, you and Pink search the ship. See if there's any treasure first, then just burn it!
"When the thick smoke rises, barring any accidents, they will come out."
Saying this, he looked at Perona. "You go watch from the sky. See if there's any other movement in the mountains later."
The three nodded and quickly began to act.
Merlin looked calm. He went to the railing, drew his sword, and casually dispatched a pirate on the deck, leaving only one alive as a final guarantee. Then he looked toward the stretching snow-capped mountains in the distance.
The mountains were filled with tall trees, obscuring the layout inside.
Although Merlin could search inch by inch with Observation Haki, Monet and the others needed to accumulate some actual combat experience.
Soon, various cries of pain came from the cabin.
A while later, Monet and Pink came out, both with some bloodstains on their hands.
"There's nothing valuable inside. That guy probably doesn't store his plundered treasure here."
Merlin smiled. "Burn it!"
Pink nodded. He went to the cabin entrance, smashed the cask of strong liquor placed there in advance, and lit it with a lighter.
With a woosh, raging flames quickly ignited inside the cabin. Soon, the fire engulfed the entire sailing ship.
Merlin controlled the shadow to grab the pirate, standing with the other two not far from the shore, looking into the distant mountain forest.
The fire spread, and billowing thick smoke rose into the sky like a beacon.
Meanwhile, deep in the snow mountains, at a cave entrance halfway up the mountain.
From here, one could clearly see the pirate ship on the coast. At this moment, a pirate curled up on guard duty widened his eyes.
Seeing his Admiral's pirate ship catch fire, his legs trembled uncontrollably. He looked through a telescope and soon spotted a familiar figure.
Immediately, he scrambled into the spiral tunnel behind him, which was fully five meters in diameter.
"Bad news! Admiral, something big happened!!"
After running two hundred meters, he arrived at the entrance of a crude stone palace inside the mountain belly. Climbing the steps, he shouted to the two pirate guards at the door, "Something big happened! Our ship on the coast has been set on fire by someone!"
The pirate guards standing at the door were shocked. They quickly moved to ring the iron bell on the right side of the gate with the hammers in their hands.
Clang clang clang—
For a moment, the inside of the mountain was like a disturbed hornets' nest.
Bursts of shouting and noisy commotion came from within the buildings.
Two minutes later, the reporting pirate who had been on guard at the cave entrance rushed up the stairs to a large door on the top floor and banged on the iron door. Bang bang bang.
With a creak, the door opened. A burly man in his fifties, heavily made up and shirtless, opened the door.
Through the crack in the door, one could see a luxurious large bed in the room.
Several fair-skinned men and women were faintly visible under the hazy curtains.
At this moment, seeing the flushed face of his Admiral, Storm, wearing a creepy smile, the pirate who came to report swallowed hard. With terrified eyes, he stammered, "Ad... Admiral, our... our ship on the coast. It... it was set... set on fire by unknown people!!"
Hearing this, Snow Demon Storm's eye twitched. However, at this moment, he was more puzzled than angry. He didn't have many enemies in the North Blue, and his business was currently transforming. The only one who might trouble him was...
"Is it Doflamingo?"
The pirate swallowed saliva, nodding and shaking his head hurriedly, speaking fast. "This subordinate didn't find the Donquixote Family's pirate ship there, but I saw one of the Donquixote Family executives, Senor Pink, there."
Hearing this, a savage look flashed in Storm's eyes. Licking his lips, he sneered, then turned his head and shouted toward the bed curtains, "Number Two, stop playing dead. Come with me to meet that little blondie Doflamingo owes. This time I will definitely catch him and play with him until he dies!"
Saying this, his gaze turned coquettish as he looked at the pirate in front of him. "Little thing, as punishment for disturbing my good time, you will serve me in bed tonight!"
The pirate's face turned pale instantly. However, hearing the voice, a look of confusion floated onto his face. "O... okay, Admiral, I'll listen to you."
Only then did Storm smile with satisfaction. A forced melon isn't sweet, but it quenches thirst. Reaching out with an orchid finger gesture, he stroked the pirate's rough face.
Seeing him shudder instinctively, Storm chuckled playfully.
Then, he turned and went back into the room.
After he left, the pirate snapped out of it with a start. His legs were shaking, his face mournful. Trembling, he went to the palace entrance. Looking at his companions who were ready for battle, he silently joined the ranks.
At this moment, at the cave entrance halfway up the mountain, Perona, who had followed the bell sound here, looked curiously at the footprints on the ground at the cave entrance with lively eyes, so she floated in.
Soon, she was shocked to discover a whole new world inside the mountain belly. Finding two hundred people sharpening their swords in the clearing at the palace entrance, she was spotted by Storm coming out of the main door.
Licking his lips, he chuckled lightly. "Oh!? Which family's little sweetie got lost and ran to my place?"
Perona noticed him immediately. Seeing his heavy makeup, wearing only a white fur coat and red triangular briefs, his burly figure, and a circle of black hair on his chest, a wave of disgust surged in her heart. Reflexively, she sent a ghost flying over.
Storm's pupils shrank suddenly. With a whoosh, he dodged the ghost and sprinted to Perona's spirit body in the blink of an eye.
A large hand covered in black hair grabbed at her head.
Her vision blurred, followed by a sky-covering darkness. Then the thick hand passed through her head, and his body passed through as well. Perona's eyes trembled, and she turned her head stiffly to look.
Then she saw Storm's arms turn pitch black, grabbing at her again.
"Yaaaah!!"
Perona let out a tragic, ear-piercing scream. Her spirit body quickly dived into the ground and disappeared.
Storm narrowed his eyes painted with pink eyeshadow. A red light flashed in them. His Observation Haki couldn't sense Perona's aura. His heart moved slightly. "A spirit-type ability user?"
A few minutes later, Perona fell from the sky crying loudly, landing in front of Merlin and throwing herself into his arms. Unfortunately, she passed straight through.
Merlin turned his head and looked at her in confusion. "What's wrong? What are you crying for?"
Perona's lips trembled. She took a deep breath and said aggrievedly, "I found their lair. That Snow Demon Storm is a super pervert, a transvestite. He knows Haki and almost injured my spirit body. It was so scary!
"Woo woo woo!"
Surprise flashed in Merlin's eyes. He looked at Pink beside him. "How is that guy's Haki?"
Pink's eye twitched. "Very strong, not below Doffy's. I told you, that guy retreated from the New World."
Merlin nodded and said with interest, "Let's go! Let's go meet him."
Immediately, led by Perona, they walked into the mountains. However, ten minutes later, the group encountered a team of more than two hundred people at the foot of a mountain.
And the leader...
"Ah!" Perona exclaimed, pointing at Storm and shouting angrily, "It's him, that damn pervert!"