Marineford Era, 1526.
May 28.
Dawn was just breaking, and a breeze was blowing.
Whooo—
Three hundred meters in the air.
Even a breeze turned into a gale at that height.
Merlin was clinging to the hard, sheer rock face, which rose at a 90-degree angle.
"Whew..."
He panted softly, the wind howling in his ears. The skin between his fingers was scraped raw. Gritting his teeth, he looked up at the summit of Sea Swallow Mountain, still two hundred meters above him, and continued climbing.
At that moment,
it seemed as though the mountain wind, summoned by the sheer cliff, was trying to stop Merlin from conquering it.
He pressed his body against the cliff and climbed one step at a time, his fingers gripping the cracks and protrusions in the rock.
Merlin's gaze was utterly resolute.
This wasn't his first time climbing this cliff.
For the last five months of the past half year, wind, frost, rain, and snow had never stopped him. Every morning, Merlin came here to clock in.
A test of will and physique.
Rock climbing was the best way to hone them.
At first, Merlin had often tumbled off the cliff, breaking bones all over his body.
But thanks to "Lightning Reflexes," he could adjust his center of gravity in time as he fell, keeping himself from dying instantly when he hit his head. Thick, sturdy vines also grew along the cliff, giving him something to grab.
On top of that, he had gained several new talents over the past six months to help keep him alive.
And with his Calamity Ability, Merlin didn't take serious injuries like these to heart. As long as they didn't kill him on the spot, they only cost him more or less energy.
Through this training, he had