"What a joke! Don't forget, you're all alone. Who do you think you are?"
By then, the rest of the Donquixote Family members had rallied around Doflamingo.
One of them—a sleazy, middle-aged man with a perpetually runny nose—gripped a steel staff topped with a flame, shouting his anger.
Another merged into the ground, assimilating the stone to rise up as a towering rock giant dozens of meters high. Yet, when he opened his mouth to curse, a comically high-pitched, squeaky voice came out: "Kid, don't think just because you have a little strength you can act wild in front of our family!"
Hearing that voice, the corner of Merlin's mouth twitched, his lips trembling slightly.
A massive, hulking man, yet he sounded like he'd inhaled helium.
The contrast was just too jarring!
Merlin scanned the group glaring at him... No, he noticed one person wasn't angry. In fact, that guy looked almost delighted.
Donquixote Rosinante.
Merlin remembered him—the "foolish younger brother" who would become one of the only two people to ever truly hurt Doflamingo.
Merlin smiled, black flames coiling around him, though his eyes remained as calm as a still lake. He looked at Doflamingo and said flatly: "Observation Haki lets me gauge the strength of living auras. Maybe I can't win if your whole family jumps me at once, but I can guarantee one thing... before I die..."
Merlin trailed off, his cold gaze sweeping across every member of the Donquixote Family.
He didn't need to spell out the threat. He trusted Doflamingo understood exactly what he meant.
Doflamingo's expression shifted uncertainly. He thought back to the brief exchange they'd just had; he hadn't exactly gained the upper hand.
However, being threatened like this put him in a spot where backing down would make him lose face.
Time ticked by slowly in the standoff. Merlin watched the sullen Doflamingo, while the rest of the family looked a bit lost.
They weren't afraid of death.
They just kept glancing at Doflamingo, waiting for his final decision.
Merlin saw that Doflamingo seemed to be waiting for something—an excuse, perhaps. Merlin made a decision. He looked at Doflamingo and said nonchalantly: "Sorry, the ten minutes are up. So, are you going to break your word?"
Merlin hadn't actually timed it. But seeing Doflamingo hesitate, he guessed the man needed an out.
Hearing this, a strange glint flashed in Doflamingo's eyes. He took a long, hard look at Merlin. Cooperation? If this guy were just a strong idiot, there'd be no point—he'd kill him even if it cost him half the family. But right now? A smart man is someone you can work with.
And now, he had his step-down.
"Fufufufu!" Doflamingo's mouth stretched into a dangerous grin, his tone ferocious: "Playing smart with me... but I suppose I did set the rules first."
"Doffy?"
"Young Master?"
"We aren't going to take the chance to kill him?"
Doflamingo shot a glance at the woman who spoke last, a flicker of dissatisfaction in his eyes. Truly brainless.
"Jora," a tall man with a long, horse-like face spoke up coldly. "As Executives, one of our duties is to uphold Doffy's reputation. are you questioning him?"
"Diamante, I'm sure Jora just misspoke. Don't be too hard on her," Doflamingo said with a grin, though the warning was clear.
Jora finally caught on.
"I'm sorry, Young Master. I spoke out of turn."
Merlin watched the family drama unfold with a calm expression.
"So? Does this mean we have a deal?" Merlin asked.
Doflamingo put a hand to his forehead and chuckled. "Heh, follow me."
He turned and walked toward a building nearby.
Merlin smiled. As expected. Without a blood feud between them, a smart guy like Doflamingo would always choose the option with the most benefit.
He didn't follow immediately. Instead, he walked over to where Monet lay unconscious, knocked out by the earlier blast of Conqueror's Haki.
Looking at her lying there, Merlin felt a bit helpless. Without rigorous training, she just couldn't handle the mental pressure of Conqueror's Haki yet. He picked up the sword, Fubuki, from the ground, then grabbed Monet's arm and hoisted her onto his shoulder.
Gladius and Senor Pink came over and picked up Law, Baby 5, and Buffalo, who were in the same state.
"Since we're partners now, I hope you won't cross the line in the future," Gladius said, giving Merlin a deep look, his tone complicated.
He hadn't expected Merlin to be this strong. A sense of urgency gripped him—he was still too weak.
He knew that if it weren't for the family's presence holding him back, the Young Master probably wouldn't have agreed to this so easily.
Merlin smiled. "As long as you don't provoke me, I think you'll find I'm very easy to get along with."
With that, the group carried their unconscious burdens, with Gladius leading the way.
A short while later, in a living room on the second floor.
Merlin sat at the far end of the table. Monet, still out cold, was slumped in a chair next to him.
Merlin looked up at Doflamingo, who sat at the head of the table, flanked by his family members.
Doflamingo leaned his elbows on the table, staring at Merlin. "Talk. How exactly do you want to cooperate?"
"Two years. I'll stay with you for two years. During this time, I'll handle your dirty work. As long as it doesn't cross my bottom line, I'll clear out your enemies for you. I imagine you've made quite a few enemies during your expansion in the North Blue."
Doflamingo's eyes lit up with interest. It was true. His aggressive expansion had put a target on his back.
And with this guy on board, he wouldn't be so passive when dealing with that old witch from the Marines.
"So, what's your price? Money? Power? Or something else?"
Merlin's lips curled up. "One Devil Fruit per year. Plus, I want the training methods for Haki. And... the current location of the Flevance Royal Family."
"Impossible! You think Devil Fruits are cabbage sold at a roadside stall? Not even everyone in our family has one yet!"
Diamante slammed the table, glaring at Merlin. Pica chimed in with his squeaky voice: "That's highway robbery! I don't think you have any intention of cooperating!"
The rest of the family glared at him again.
Merlin remained unfazed. "It's a negotiation. I ask for the moon, you lowball me. That's how business works."
Merlin chuckled softly. "Sure enough, people are different. Look, Doflamingo hasn't said a word yet."
Mockery. Blatant mockery.
The two who spoke turned beet red.
Tap, tap, tap.
Doflamingo knocked on the table, grinning as he looked at Merlin with a hidden expectation. "Cut the crap. Before we partner up, let me ask you something. Your ability allows you to rapidly heal physical injuries, right? Can it cure aphasia acquired after birth?"
A sharp glint flashed in Merlin's eyes, though he feigned confusion on his face. Seeing this, Doflamingo looked melancholic. "My brother, Rosinante... due to some childhood trauma, he developed a mental block and suffers from aphasia. If possible, please treat him."
Most of the room turned to look at a man in his twenties sitting quietly, smoking a cigarette.
He had short blond hair, wore a red hood, and a black feather coat identical to Doflamingo's. His face was painted like a clown.
Merlin glanced at him, a knowing smile playing on his lips. The kind-hearted, foolish brother doted on by Doflamingo.
"My fruit ability can only transfer injuries. I can't cure mental illnesses."
Disappointment flashed in Doflamingo's eyes. But then...
"However," Merlin continued, "I'm not entirely out of options for his kind of mental block. It's just that the treatment is a bit... rough. I don't know if you can stomach it."
Merlin smirked at Doflamingo.
Doflamingo looked at Merlin in surprise, clearly intrigued. Meanwhile, the subject of their conversation, Rosinante, suddenly got a glazed look in his eyes.
"Be specific. Let me consider it."
It wasn't just Doflamingo; the rest of the family looked expectant. Doflamingo had spent years looking for doctors to cure his brother.
Merlin's grin widened. "It's common knowledge that bio-electricity exists in every corner of a living body. Neural signals are just electricity. I can use high-frequency electric shocks to continuously stimulate his brain. Usually, when pushed to the brink of death, the sheer explosion of mental energy triggers a terrifying survival instinct in living creatures. Perhaps under that kind of stimulation, he'll suddenly be able to speak. And with my ability, he won't die—at most, he'll just suffer some flesh wounds."
Merlin glanced around the room, his smile practically predatory. "I've provided the cure. The choice is yours."
The room went silent. The method was... excessively violent.
"Are you a devil?" Gladius couldn't help but mutter, staring at Merlin in horror.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Rosinante, the man in question, was sweating bullets. Only he knew the truth—he wasn't sick at all.
Doflamingo's eye twitched. He looked at his brother, seemingly tempted, but still asked, "Rossi? What do you think?"
Rosinante shook his head frantically, eyes filled with terror, looking at Merlin as if he were a monster.
Seeing this, Doflamingo felt a headache coming on. He didn't want to force his only remaining family. He sighed. "Let's shelf the treatment for now. Let's talk about your terms. I can't give you a fruit every year. One fruit, total. And..."
He looked at Merlin seriously. "During these two years, you will heal any injured family members for free. As for the rest... I agree. I'll give you the intelligence on the Flevance Royal Family within two years. And I'll pay you a monthly stipend of 600,000 Berries—the standard rate for a Family Executive."
Merlin smiled and extended his right hand.
"Then, here's to a pleasant cooperation."