Intelligence!

Chapter 46: 046. Intel!

The sun was setting.

Orange light streamed in through the window. Mercer rubbed his eyes and sat up, still a bit groggy from sleep.

"Is it morning already?"

Mercer looked out the window with a dazed expression.

For a moment, he couldn't tell if it was sunrise or sunset.

"Obviously, it's evening, the sun is setting. Kid, you must be half-asleep."

Kuzan, sitting opposite him on the sofa, scratched his head and yawned, clearly having just woken up himself.

"So that's how it is, haha~" Mercer chuckled. He took a deep breath and exhaled, and with the Qi flowing through his entire body, his entire demeanor instantly changed.

The daze in his eyes vanished.

He reached out, picked up a cup from the coffee table in front of him, and drank the cool tea in one gulp.

"Right, my name is Mercer, not 'kid.' You're Kuzan, right? I remember Uncle Bogard calling you that when we first met."

Kuzan looked at Mercer blankly. "What? You're just calling me by my name? I'm a disciple of your grandfather, so by seniority, you should call me Uncle. Just calling me by my name is a bit much."

Mercer said with a smile, "We're not close. For now, let's each address each other as we please. If we get to know each other better later, I can call you 'brother' or whatever."

Kuzan's lips twitched. Without a word, he'd been demoted in seniority.

He helplessly held his forehead, looking speechless. "Then just call me by my name. As long as you don't call me 'brother,' you can call me whatever else you want."

Mercer shot him a look, as if to say he was very helpless with him.

Kuzan felt a pang of annoyance.

This brat was just too unlikable, not cute at all like that other guy.

He sniffed the air and caught a whiff of cooking food drifting in from outside. Mercer knew it was time to eat.

He immediately stood up, patted his pants, and looked at Kuzan. "The cafeteria is serving food. Let's go eat."

With that, he ignored Kuzan and walked out.

Kuzan sighed, also stood up, and walked outside.

Upon arriving at the dining hall, a lively atmosphere filled the room. After greeting some acquaintances, Mercer went to the food counter and got two full plates of dinner.

Stir-fried noodles with shredded Sea King meat.

He carried his food to an empty seat and began to eat. Karasu landed on his own plate of food on the table and also started eating.

A moment later, Kuzan's tall figure arrived and sat opposite Mercer, also eating heartily.

The two didn't speak, each eating their own meal. Before long, Bogard also arrived.

He looked at the two and smiled, "Oh? You two seem to be getting along quite well, eating at the same table."

Mercer smiled back at him, then continued to eat his meal. He sensed the food entering his stomach, and as he breathed, it began to be broken down and digested by his stomach and intestines.

A short while later, Kuzan watched Mercer, who had already eaten the equivalent of five adult servings of food and was still eating, with no significant bulge in his abdomen. His eyes narrowed.

He subtly extended his Observation Haki to sense.

The next moment, their Observation Haki clashed invisibly.

Kuzan's eyes widened slightly, his mouth agape.

He felt a sense of disbelief.

Mercer, with his cheeks puffed out, looked up at him and glared. "That's very rude of you."

Seeing Kuzan still in a daze, Mercer pouted. "That's a provocation. Believe it or not, I'll challenge you to a one-on-one fight."

Hearing this, Kuzan, who had snapped back to reality, curled his lips and said with great interest, "A one-on-one? Interesting. Although I don't really want to bully a child, if you really want to fight me, I suppose I can accept."

Bogard looked at Kuzan with a peculiar expression, seeming to want to say something but holding back.

The next moment, Mercer smiled.

"Alright then, let's have a competition later. We'll stand at the top of the mast and pee against the wind, seeing who can pee the straightest and farthest. Do you dare?"

Kuzan's face stiffened.

If they actually had this competition, he was certain that such a "glorious achievement" would spread throughout Marine Headquarters, and he would be utterly humiliated.

Not only that.

If they actually did it, he would undoubtedly top the list of the dumbest idiots at Marine Headquarters for the year.

From then on, in the hearts of the beautiful female Marines, his label would be "pervert."

Consequently, he would lose his advantage in choosing a mate among the pretty female Marines.

It would be a complete loss.

Even though he didn't care about those women himself, the thought still made his scalp tingle.

In an instant, his gaze towards Mercer cleared up. This brat was ruthless, capable of devising such a self-destructive tactic that harmed both sides.

He truly lived up to being Garp's grandson.

Mercer frowned, watching Kuzan's dramatic facial changes. "Are you thinking of something rude? Give me a straight answer, are we fighting or not?"

Kuzan: "."

Seeing Mercer's serious expression, Kuzan's mouth twitched. He couldn't quite figure out what the kid was thinking anymore.

He had no choice.

"I think we should forget it. How about you think of something else? Do you have any other proposals for a match?"

Pfft!

Bogard, sitting nearby, his shoulders shook as he couldn't help but laugh. The super famous Aokiji, Kuzan, was actually defeated by a little brat.

No, he had to share this. Such a funny story couldn't be kept to himself.

Instantly, Kuzan shot him a glare, and Bogard smiled as he turned his face away.

Mercer thought for a moment and said playfully, "How about we have a competition to see who can wear women's clothing? The kind that shows off the thighs?"

Upon hearing this, No, he really couldn't hold it in anymore. Bogard's mouth twitched violently. The thought of Kuzan wearing women's clothing and showing off his hairy legs made him burst into laughter again.

"Hahaha, Kuzan, I think Mercer's suggestion is great. I want to see you."

But before he could finish speaking, an unnerving chill washed over him. Frost instantly covered his eyebrows and hair.

He shivered from the cold.

Bogard finally remembered the power of this "monster" junior in front of him, and his mouth twitched.

He quickly said, "I was wrong, please forgive me."

Kuzan let out a sigh of relief, exhaling a cold mist. He then looked at Mercer exasperatedly:

"I forfeit. I apologize. It was wrong of me to use Observation Haki to sense you just now. Let's drop this, okay?"

Seeing this, Mercer knew when to stop. It was just a joke. Even if he had agreed, Mercer wouldn't have.

Childhood dark history was not to be trifled with; those things would follow you for a lifetime.

Mercer was self-aware.

He also knew when to quit while he was ahead.

After all, he couldn't defeat the man in front of him right now.

Just getting a small advantage was enough.

Too much would be counterproductive.

Immediately, his expression turned serious, and Mercer said, "Since you've forfeited, I'll reluctantly let you off the hook. Don't let it happen again, Kuzan."

Hearing this, Kuzan's mouth twitched uncontrollably. He felt like he was having an exceptionally unlucky day.

He hadn't gotten the better of either of these two, being completely dominated by them.

"Sigh." Kuzan sighed, finished his meal in a few bites, nodded at the two of them, "I'm done eating. You two eat slowly. I'm leaving."

With that, he went to return his dishes.

Mercer smiled.

Looking smug.

Bogard glanced at Mercer, a strange look appearing in his eyes. "Kuzan didn't lose unfairly. You tricked him."

"Well, who knows."

Five days later.

The warship sailed into a sea area, and in the distance, a large island shrouded in smoke appeared.

"Troya"

A World Government affiliated nation constantly embroiled in war.

Internal conflict.

External war.

But strangely, this country had never perished in the midst of the conflict. Instead, it had somehow persisted in a bizarre state.

"The Kingdom of Troya, a nation with a long history."

"It has no royal family internally. No, it has three royal families. After the old king of the royal family died hundreds of years ago, none of his three children would yield to the others, each wanting to become the king of the country, the master of the nation.

Thus, the Hundred Years' War began."

The eldest princess, Elizabeth, was a strong-willed militarist who controlled a portion of the nation's armed forces.

The second prince, Ishu, was adept at navigating all social circles and controlled the nation's economy, possessing wealth and merchant fleets.

The third prince, Morgan, was a powerful swordsman who commanded an elite swordsman unit.

All three crown princes were talented individuals with considerable support within the country, and each controlled a part of the nation's power.

Thus, war broke out.

Even after a hundred years, until the three crown princes had all died of old age, the country's king had still not been decided.

But centuries passed, and everything changed.

On the ruins of this once prosperous nation, on this island, three families emerged that effectively controlled the island (the nation).

The Elizabeth Family, the island's law enforcement force, representing the descendants of the eldest princess.

The Ishu Family, the island's internal and external commercial alliance, representing the descendants of the second prince.

The Morgan Family, an assassin organization involved in the underground of the surrounding seas, representing the descendants of the third prince.

They were interdependent yet mutually wary. In this new Great Pirate Era, none of them could do without the others, yet each wished the other two would perish quickly so they could reign supreme once more.

This was the current state of affairs on this island nation.

And because of this, the island had been in a state of perpetual warfare.

When foreign enemies invaded, the three great families would unite as one to face them.

But when there were no foreign enemies, they would often secretly wish to destroy the other two.

Their leaders were very intelligent; they knew the World Government was a powerful backer, so they had always been a member nation.

As a result, as long as they paid their Heavenly Gold on time each year, the Government wouldn't interfere no matter how much internal conflict there was.

If they encountered foreign enemies they couldn't handle, the Marines would have to step in to help resolve the situation.

It was a very peculiar "nation that wasn't a nation."

Bogard calmly recounted the history of this peculiar nation, while Mercer stood with him on the deck, listening to his tale.

"I've lived a long time, so the wars on the island are just internal strife?"

"Yes, it's internal strife, but this is the fiercest one in recent years. Many outside criminal organizations have been hired to participate. It's possible one of the families might actually unify this country this time."

"Then which family do you think it will be?" Mercer asked curiously. "Do you get the feeling any of them has a better chance of winning?"

Bogard thought for a moment. "I don't know. It's also possible this country might truly face extinction this time."

Mercer chuckled. "Who knows? It's not the Marines' business anyway. They're a member nation and protected by the World Government, so you can't interfere."

"That's true," Bogard said helplessly. "But only the civilians will suffer."

"You're overthinking it. The war has been going on for hundreds of years. What kind of civilians who are still alive and adapted aren't capable of something?"

Bogard was speechless.

It had to be said, though, that for a nation to remain in existence and not be annexed next to the military powerhouse, the Flower Country, for so long while in a state of war, it was clear that the three leaders of this country were no simple figures.

"Ikas."

The port city on this island.

The port.

A warship docked in a corner nearby. Leaning on the railing, Mercer gazed at the pedestrians in the port. Their expressions were hurried, and a subtle look of vigilance could be seen on their faces.

The people coming and going at the port all bore clear marks of weaponry and equipment.

Be it swords.

Or firearms.

Not only that, but Mercer also saw some people carrying cleavers and rolling pins.

It was somewhat comical.

But understandable.

For the people here, only weapons could provide them with a sense of security.

"Then when will you go find that person? Your mission."

Mercer asked.

Bogard, looking speechless, grumbled, "How would I know? That's something Vice Admiral Kuzan and Vice Admiral Garp should be worrying about. I just need to follow orders."

"Oh."

Mercer made no comment and then waved to Karasu, who was flying in the sky. The latter immediately descended from the sky and landed on Mercer's shoulder.

"Mei, what is it?"

Mercer said, "Why don't you go explore the island? Go ask around if anything interesting is happening. Just remember to be careful."

Karasu nodded, then pushed off with his claws and took to the sky, flying towards the port city.

Watching this, Bogard's eyes were filled with envy as he said without restraint:

"Your crow is truly intelligent and doesn't attract attention; it's practically a natural intelligence operative."

"Envy is useless. This kind of intelligence gathering probably isn't very useful to you anyway. You have the Marines backing you, so you shouldn't lack sources of information."

Bogard disagreed somewhat, saying, "It's different. The Marines' intelligence system doesn't serve just me. How could it be as convenient as your bird? By the way, Mercer, if I really catch a few crows, will you train them for me?"

"Three at most. And the Taming fee for each is one million Belly. I won't even mention my labor costs; the key is the preparation of some medicinal ingredients."

A flash of understanding crossed Bogard's eyes. So, this Taming process did involve the use of drugs.

"Alright, I'll contact you when I catch them then."

Mercer looked at the distant port and suddenly smiled, "I'll go take a look around there. We'll probably be staying here for a while too, right?"

Bogard nodded, "If nothing unexpected happens, we'll be here for several days."

"Alright then, I'm off to have some fun."

Mercer placed his left hand on the railing, lightly hopped over the barrier, and jumped off the deck.

He landed steadily on the ground of the port.

He turned back and waved with a smile at Bogard, then strode purposefully into the city.

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