"So you brought me in on this to be the anchor for the auction."
Aeridar narrowed his eyes, his face expressionless as he looked at Tesoro and Doflamingo. "Because you think that with the three of us together, even the Yonko would have to be wary, right?"
Clap~ clap~ clap~ clap~
Tesoro clapped his hands and admitted openly, "Aeridar is indeed brilliant. With the three of us together, we could even take on a Marine Admiral."
"Of course, with the exception of Kizaru Borsalino."
"Using me as a shield isn't off the table," Aeridar said, pointing at the auction list. "But I need a copy of the Great Swordsman Udeno's swordsmanship secrets, and I need to borrow the original manuscript for a night. Also, if I bid on anything, I expect a discount on the final price."
"The Great Swordsman Udeno's swordsmanship secrets, huh..."
Tesoro and Doflamingo exchanged glances, then looked at Oliver below them. Finally, Doflamingo nodded and agreed. "No problem. We'll get you the swordsmanship secrets shortly. And I can approve a 20% discount on any purchases you make."
"Cheers!"
Aeridar grinned, raising his goblet of golden champagne and swirling the liquid inside.
After the discussion, Aeridar, Oliver, and Betilla were led by Baccarat to a very large, luxurious suite.
Splat~
"Here you go, the Great Swordsman's swordsmanship secrets."
In the living room of the suite, Aeridar tossed a yellowing notebook onto the coffee table.
"Nice work!"
Oliver appeared on the sofa as if in a flash, instantly flipping through the notebook and praising the find. Betilla was right behind him, squeezing in next to Oliver, and the two of them eagerly began poring over the book.
While Aeridar didn't know the exact levels of swordsmanship or the specific standards for a Great Swordsman, he could be sure of one thing: swordsmen like the former Hodgil Gutte or Elvish Saxon, and even the current Oliver, could only be called renowned or top-tier swordsmen. A Great Swordsman was at least on the level of a Marine Admiral.
Such a record of a Great Swordsman's techniques was an invaluable item for any swordsman. For the weak, even if they didn't learn the specific skills and theories, they could use it as a reference to avoid pointless detours. For the strong, even the "World's Greatest Swordsman" Hawk-Eyes Dracule Mihawk would want this manuscript to hone and perfect his own skills, seeking to advance his swordsmanship further. There was nothing more important to him than improving his swordsmanship.
"Remember to copy it down so you can take it back and study it slowly."
Aeridar rolled his eyes, poured himself a glass of champagne, and sat down opposite them. "Heh, I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's auction!"
....
The next day, Marine Calendar 1518, July 28th.
Gran Tesoro, Golden Emperor Hotel, VIP Auction Hall.
The hall was a massive space, divided into two levels: a lower level with 2,000 general admission seats and an upper level with 500 VIP seats.
The auction stage was at the front, and all the walls, seats, and lights were golden. The floor was covered with high-quality red carpet, and the incense was the same luxury brand offered to the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.
People came and went in the hall, including elegant nobles, lavishly dressed merchants, and fierce-looking pirates.
Over 90% of the seats were already filled. Male waiters in white suits and female waiters dressed as bunny girls moved through the aisles, serving tea, water, and pastries to the seated guests.
At that moment, Aeridar, Doflamingo, Oliver, and Betilla were personally escorted by Baccarat to the central VIP seats on the second floor.
"Haaaah~"
Oliver let out a long yawn, looking sleepy and listless. "I knew I shouldn't have come. This is so boring."
"Ugh, I even have dark circles!"
Betilla held up a small mirror, looking worriedly at her reflection. She and Oliver had stayed up all night to study the swordsmanship secrets, so it was natural that she felt mentally exhausted now that she was finally relaxing.
"Fufufufufu~ You two seem to be quite satisfied!"
Doflamingo sat casually on the sofa with his legs crossed.
Looking at Doflamingo, Aeridar's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "I'm really excited! I hope there's some fun to be had!"
"Hey, hey, Aeridar, don't be so petty. You're still mad, aren't you?" Doflamingo's eye twitched a little, feeling speechless.
As the two of them chatted, more time passed, and the hall was completely filled.
Ding~
Suddenly, a crisp, clear sound echoed throughout the hall. The noisy crowd slowly fell silent. The floor of the auction stage cracked open, and a golden platform slowly rose from below.
Tesoro stood on it, wearing a golden suit and a golden-and-white coat. A red flower was pinned to his chest, and he was adorned with a gold necklace, gold earrings, gold rings, and a large, gold-encrusted top hat.
Snap~
"Showtime!"
Tesoro snapped his fingers, and the golden floor rose up like a liquid, forming a stand for a microphone. He then inserted the golden microphone he was holding into the stand.
"Welcome to Gran Tesoro! It's my pleasure to have you all here. Are you all having fun?"
"For many of you, this is our first meeting. I'd like to introduce myself. I am the owner of this ship, Gild Tesoro!!!" Tesoro said into the microphone, his arms spread wide with a smile.
"So that's Gild Tesoro!"
"The rumored Golden Emperor!"
"To build a place like this... I want to crush it!"
"Did Golden Ring Aeridar give his permission to build such a large entertainment city in the New World, or was it someone else?"
"He's so long-winded. I'm here for the auction."
Hearing Tesoro's self-introduction, many people who weren't familiar with him started to whisper, while others grew impatient.
"Some of our guests are a bit impatient, and of course, our main event today is the auction. So, let us officially begin!" Tesoro said, clapping his hands.
Step, step, step...
A tall, beautiful woman dressed as a bunny girl walked onto the stage, holding a golden tray covered with a red cloth.
"First, the very first item!"
Tesoro snatched away the red cloth. On the tray was a brown Devil Fruit with a swirling pattern, a bunch of three bananas connected together.
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