I reached the top of Pirates

Chapter 241, Section 240: The Protection of Our Own People's Lives!

The next day, at 5 a.m.

"Ah~ I can't take it anymore. I want to sleep, the light is making me dizzy."

"I also."

Bang!Bang!
Moses looked at the two people slumped on the carpet on the floor, a slight smile playing on his lips:
"Two dishes."

Then he thought of the Bloody Mary he had treated them to last night, and the way they looked so "enjoyed" with their foreheads and necks bulging with veins.

At that moment, their expressions were quite good.

Mercer rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit dizzy and sleepy. He tidied up the empty wine bottles and some unfinished snacks scattered on the floor in front of him.

Fried peanuts, boiled edamame, and cold bison ear salad.

This dish was specially prepared by Makino after they returned last night, when she saw that the food on the table for Mercer and the others had been finished.

After tidying up the bar, Mercer gave the two of them a low-quality water spirit to help them sober up, then picked them up and tossed them onto the sofa.

I went back to my room on the second floor to wash up. As soon as I entered, I noticed the uneven surface of the bed.

Mercer washed off the smell of alcohol in the bathroom.

I snuggled into the warm, soft blankets.

Wake up to dawn.

A round gear clock hangs on the wall of the room. It's 8:30 in the morning. There's no one around, but you can smell a faint fragrance.

After getting up and washing up, I went to the window and opened it.

Inhaling the fresh air that comes in from outside.

click!
Just then, the door opened, and a slender, mature figure walked in and closed the door.

“I thought you were going to sleep a little longer.” A porcelain bowl was handed to her, and Mercer turned around to take it, looking at the clear soup inside. “Thanks, Makino.”

A dull mouth.

"Although I knew it wouldn't be of much use to you, I still went and cooked for you. I also cooked a bowl for the two of them."

Oh, by the way, Shanks and the other guy have already left.

Moses looked at her with a smile, while Makino looked bewildered, touching her smooth, moist face.
"What? Is there something dirty on my face?"

He took the porcelain bowl from Messer and blinked in confusion.

He reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, then leaned down and captured her smooth lips in his mouth.

With her eyes slightly wide open, looking into Mercer's burning gaze so close to hers, Makino's eyes gradually welled up with tears.

A few minutes later, her chest heaving heavily, she punched Mercer's chest with her little fist in dissatisfaction: "You went too far."

Mercer sat on the edge of the bed, watching her sit in his lap, her weight entirely on his legs.

"I can go even further, want to try it?"

"Don't want to? Hey? What are you doing?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to take a look."

"You!"

……

Watching her hastily pack her clothes and flee, Moses shook his head and smiled, then went to the window to look out at the sea.

"It's not completely melted yet. It seems the ice I froze is quite good."

After tidying up the room, a gust of wind blew up, dispersing some strange smells in the room.

Just then, shouts began to come from outside.

"Méther, we're leaving now, aren't you going to come out and see us off?"

Shanks has a really loud, raspy voice.

Put on a shirt.

He jumped out of the window, reached the deck railing, and looked at Mihawk on his ship. Moses raised an eyebrow.

Are you two going together?

"Yes, I'm going back to Kuraigana Island on the Grand Line, and Shanks is on the way."

"Oh! I'll leave you a mark here. Don't remove it, okay? I'll throw your little cross knife over to you another day."

He then pulled out the Death Gun, bang!
A bullet was fired at his right leg.

A realization flashed in Mihawk's eyes. Was it the gun with the marking ability?

Unaware of the danger, the leg muscles tensed, and a sudden burst of strength erupted.

With a clang, the bullet was launched away, and a frequency fluctuation spread from Mercer's body. The launched bullet floated back and was swallowed by the gray mist.

"Yes, it's been successfully marked. Remember to keep an eye on it during this period."

Mihawk was intrigued; this dangerous ability, meant for reaping souls, was being used for transportation. What an amazing fellow!
"Okay, I'll remember that. Goodbye then."

He nodded in acknowledgment.

Moses nodded with a smile.

He then waved to Uta, who was watching him expectantly, and said with a smile:
"Let's go there to play sometime."

Uta nodded emphatically, then chuckled and said, "I will."

With Shanks' excited shout of raising the sails, the Redford and the small "coffin" boat tied to the side sailed away with the wind.

Hanafza waved to Messer. "Me too. Goodbye."

Messer nodded and waved his hand. He had to give them this much face, even if he didn't care about his father.

Runti's father also passed away.

A gust of sand gathered around me.

Old Sha appeared, a cigar dangling from his lips, and looked at Mercer calmly, saying, "Then I'll go back and prepare the construction materials. After that, you bring the island over, and we'll discuss how to build it then."

Moses nodded. "Okay, I plan to build a city of mechanisms and clockwork. I know a group of talented people, and we'll get in touch later."

Crocodile looked surprised, but nodded nonetheless.

He transformed into sand and vanished.

Just then, Ya Dabao flew over and landed on the fence. Moses laughed:

"Something happened."

"Caw!" the doctor exclaimed. "The doctor is looking for you."

laboratory.

Moses arrived here, carried by the ripples in space.

Kureha was wearing a white lab coat and was bending over, conducting an experiment using a high-powered microscope.

Seeing Messer approach, he said, his attention divided, "That girl Runti said you obtained a batch of IQ and experimental data from the Golden Lion. Now take me there."

Mercer nodded and looked at Ya Da Bao, "Fly towards the sky. Let's go."

Moses observed the layout of the room, which had been significantly adjusted over time, and took in everything.

She took out a vial of the Angel 2 gene serum that Kureha would occasionally replenish from a low-temperature storage cabinet.

After finishing her work, Kureha turned to look at Messer and said, "Come lie down, I'll examine you."

Although Moses was puzzled, he did as instructed, as it was a family tradition.

Lying on the operating table.

The surgical field expanded, scanning Mercer's entire body and collecting blood samples for testing. After a moment, Kureha smiled with satisfaction:
"It seems the Golden Lion didn't harm you at all; you're in great shape."

"Yes, because I learned a new and interesting concept about regeneration."

"By the way, the Zephyr my grandfather brought is here to treat your illness. When the time comes, just let him know and charge him as you see fit."

Kureha raised an eyebrow. "What? What did he do to you?"

Mercer shook his head. "Not really. Anyway, we're a big dog family, so we have to live up to our family tradition."

Anyway, Doctor Doriel, your fees have always been quite exorbitant.

"You brat, if I didn't charge exorbitant fees, how would I have raised you?"

Kureha slapped Moses on the forehead, laughing and scolding him in an annoyed tone:
"Get up quickly, there's nothing for you here. By the way, Law, Chopper, and the others came over this morning to submit their applications for genetic modification."

Did you know about this?

"Yeah, I know, but since they're willing, let's just modify them."

But genetic modification shouldn't affect their future, right?

"No, how should I put it? Genetic modification is like the modification of a special race, like the Lunaria race."

"However, after the transformation, one's potential will be affected to some extent. There is no such thing as a free lunch; there are gains and losses."

Mercer nodded, sat on the operating table, and a gray mist spread across his body.

Devour her.

The two are in a state of near-fusion.

The essence of water and earth spirits, along with the surging gray mist, began to temper every corner of her body.

in consciousness.

"You ate the water spirit before, but I made the earth spirit after you left."

The surgical field emerges on the body's surface, scanning for changes in one's own body. No matter how subtle the change, it will be clearly perceived.

as time flows.

A physical tempering process is complete.

Kureha sat next to Messer, stretching out her body and sensing the changes within herself.

A very magical change.

The thousands of bones inside his body are tightly interlocked, forming a dragon-like structure, which was previously modified on the hot spring resort island.

I was very curious about this body structure, so I named it Mercer Modification.

"We've arrived at the lab over there."

Ya Dabao spoke from the chair next to him.

The two appeared in public.

Looking at the field of IQ flowers.

"Not bad, that guy Shiki the Golden Lion."

Just a glance.

The two entered the underground laboratory, which was filled with state-of-the-art experimental equipment, no less advanced than their own. Kureha's lips curled into a smile:
“Great, this can become my second laboratory in the future. Some large-scale experiments can be conducted here.”

He reached out and patted Moses beside him, nodding with great satisfaction:

"Great. This is a nice gift."

Mercer laughed and said, "By the way, there's another village over here where the people have white feathers growing on their arms."

"Shall we go take a look?"

Flipping through the experimental data, Kureha raised an eyebrow: "Was all of this done by the Golden Lion and his crew?"

"Yes, it was him."

"Wait a minute, no rush, let me finish reading the documents first."

The rustling sound of pages being turned filled the air.

Mercer also looked at the data. It was detailed but also rough, and it was all about animals. A bunch of laymen, really trying to pick up sesame seeds while holding a watermelon.

Kureha became increasingly speechless as she watched.

Kureha: "You have no vision, a bunch of idiots."

Moses: "That's right."

"I'm planning to use the data here and a small portion of IQ to trade with the World Government for a batch of Devil Fruits. Could you help me organize them and create some seemingly sophisticated but actually misleading information for them?"

Kureha raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Petty. But fine, what can you do when they're so annoying?"

How do you plan to make the deal?

"Ten Logia-type, ten Paramecia-type, and ten Mythical Zoan-type."

Kureha's eyes widened:
"Cough!!! Do you think this is possible? You wouldn't rip off a sucker like this, would you?"

"No fever?"

As he spoke, he touched Mercer's forehead with his right hand and looked at Mercer with a puzzled expression.

He rolled his eyes at her speechlessly, "Go ahead and ask for an exorbitant price. If you don't give it to me, I'll say I'm selling it to Kaido, or Charlotte Linlin."

Kaido has a Quinn, who is also a top-tier genetic engineer.

They start by asking for an exorbitant price, but business is negotiable. We'll see who has the better tactics then.

"Aren't you afraid they'll send their generals to arrest you? They have absolutely no integrity."

"Why do you think they secretly made a deal with Kaido? It's because of their strength."

"I can crush a golden lion in its prime. Although I can't beat them because they outnumber me, they can't kill me."

"I have plenty of ways to play with them."

Kureha: "Peak period?"

Moses explained it to her, and Kureha's lips twitched. She then kicked Moses hard in the backside, saying dismissively:
"You brat, don't do anything dangerous again. What if you get beaten to death?"

Mercer rubbed his buttocks helplessly. "Relax, I only do it when I'm sure. I can't bear to die."

Kureha pouted:

"That's right, a whole roomful of little hooves are waiting for you."

We have them at home, and we also have them outside.

Mercer said awkwardly, "Dolly the Physician."

He reached out and stopped Moses from saying what he was about to say.

"I don't care about your private life, but they are all good girls. Don't let them down, or I'll..."

He gave Messer a disapproving look.

Moses replied earnestly, "Okay."

Time passed, and two hours later, Kureha finished reading the information here and laughed:

"You've gained quite a bit. I'll get all the data and information for the transactions sorted out for you, and I guarantee they won't be able to spot a single problem."

"Then trouble you."

The two left this place and soon arrived at another small spring island.

The edge of the lake, surrounded by lush greenery.

There is a beautiful village here.

The approach of Messer and his companion immediately alerted the village women washing clothes by the lake.

Come forward.

Moses smiled and got straight to the point: "The Navy should have come here yesterday to learn about the situation, right?"

"Who's in charge of your village now? I have something to say to him."

A middle-aged woman stood up, looking at Moses with some wariness:

"Please wait a moment, I'll go find the village chief."

A short while later, a robust middle-aged man in his fifties walked over, with white wings on his arms.

This person used to work for the Golden Lion. In fact, all the boys in the village who were ten years old or older were forcibly taken away to work, and the young women were also taken away.

After the Golden Lion died, they were freed.

Upon seeing Moses, the man's face showed shock and confusion. Unfortunately, he knew Moses. "What brings you here?"

Mercer said casually, "Yes, it's just a small matter."

"The World Government already knows about the IQ and the beasts on your island, and I will trade this with them."

Your use of IQ Body Evolution has inevitably brought you into their sights.

At that time, they might give you a solution; whether it's good or bad, you can decide for yourselves.

The purpose of my visit is to ask if you would like to come to my city, which is currently uninhabited.
I can't guarantee anything else, but as long as you have a job, you won't have to worry about food and drink. Please consider it.

Also, I will pay you some money; I need your blood for data recording.

The middle-aged man's eyes flickered with uncertainty; he didn't quite believe what Mather said, having suffered persecution from the great pirate for over a decade.

They became somewhat easily frightened.

However, he wasn't stupid to have survived the Golden Lion and risen to become a minor leader.

An IQ that could attract the attention of the legendary pirate Shiki and be studied for over a decade must be something extraordinary.

Now, judging from what this person said, it's possible that the world government has also set its sights on them.

They now have two options.

Or, walk with the person who defeated the Golden Lion and showed them goodwill?

Or, take a gamble and hope for resettlement from that high and mighty world government?
The man immediately became humble and said resolutely, "We will go with you, and we hope you will treat us well. We will work for you in the future to repay your protection."

Mercer nodded, looking at the helpless villagers who had gathered around him, and then at the village chief.

"Identification"

Strength rating: D+
It's somewhat useful.

"I won't force you to come with me. I'll give you a day to think it over. You can choose to stay or leave."

Messer looked at Kureha: "As for the blood draw, I won't help you with that."

Kureha said calmly, "Let's go back first. This isn't urgent. I'll ask Law, Chopper, Reiju, and the others to come and help us later."

Moses said, "Whatever you say. Shall we go and see that Zephyr now?"

"Well, let's go."

After informing Zefa and cleaning himself, he arrived at the castle laboratory.

Kureha reached out and pressed her hand against Zefa's forehead, scanning his internal condition.

"Yes, I understand your body. I can cure both a severed arm and asthma."

Then, looking at Garp, she said, "You know my pricing here; it varies from person to person. So, can you accept the price of one Devil Fruit?"

Garp's lips twitched, and even Zephyr suddenly sat up. "Why don't you just go and rob it?"

Kureha said calmly, "As a former admiral and current chief instructor of the headquarters, I don't need to tell you about his worth."

I believe the Navy would be willing to sacrifice a Devil Fruit for you, right?

Zefa's lips twitched.

Garp looked at Kureha speechlessly. "Given our relationship..."

Kureha waved her hand to interrupt, "Our relationship is only that you can get treatment here for free, because of Mercer."

Garp rolled his eyes, his face darkening as he pulled a Devil Fruit from his pocket.

“I knew your fee wouldn’t be cheap. This is what I had Zefa exchange for with merit points from headquarters before we came here.”

"Now it's yours."

As he spoke, he threw it at Moses.

Picking his nose, he said, "Dog-Dog Fruit. Bull Terrier form. Not bad, quite an interesting canine."

Mercer raised an eyebrow, somewhat speechless.

Upon seeing this, Garp curled his lip and said, "What? You're disgusted? You don't even like it?"

"No, it's just that I killed the user of this fruit about seven years ago."

"That's really interesting. By the way, Grandpa, would you like to get a big dog to play with? I think you're too lonely by yourself."

"Sure. If you don't like it, give it to me."

"Alright, give me your 'winning people over with virtue' and your nails. I'll go over and reforge them for you."

Karp, controlling the growth of his nails, broke them off and handed them over along with the "Winning Hearts and Minds" nail from his lower back. Mercer, speechless, took out a nail clipper and gave it to him.

"I'll take care of this. I'll give you a dog to play with later."

Garp laughed and said, "Oh!"

Mercer took the items and left the laboratory, heading to the forging room.

The operation was successful.

A few hours later.

Zefa appeared on the deck, holding a bottle of capsules for conditioning the body, looking completely bewildered.

Looking at the large, white, muscular dog following behind Garp.

"So, the Devil Fruit I exchanged for was given to you by that kid right away?"

Garp crouched down, petted the dog's head, and chuckled as he smiled broadly.
"How about it? My son Mather is so filial, isn't he? He's my most beloved grandson."

Aside from being a troublemaker, he's perfect in every way.

Zefa glanced at him, his teeth aching with anger, then his brows furrowed:

"By the way, that little girl is a user of the Op-Op Fruit, right?"

Karp nodded: "Remember to keep it a secret, don't go around telling anyone. Doriel is our own lifeline."

Zefa glanced at him and nodded.

"I see."

Seven days later.

morning.

A large ship belonging to the World Government sailed in from the distant sea.

(End of this chapter)