Inside the spacious auction hall, the bright lights shone like daylight. Soft carpets covered the floor, and rows of seats were arranged around the central auction platform in an orderly fashion.
The second floor was divided into twelve private rooms, each offering a clear view of everyone below — a luxury reserved for the powerful and the wealthy.
To put it bluntly, even a single private room could easily outmatch all those seated below.
The hall was bustling with people streaming in one after another, finding their seats as they awaited the start of the auction.
They chatted animatedly, discussing the items listed in the catalog, critiquing their favorite treasures with a tone that made it sound as if they were determined to win them at any cost.
But what most of them were truly curious about was that mysterious slip of paper — what exactly was written on it? Why had the Carmeline Family saved it for the final bid, even placing it above a Devil Fruit?
Of course, these people weren't the kind to be privy to such secrets. Those who did know were already seated in the private rooms.
And the people in those rooms were here for one reason — the last two auction items.
In one of the rooms sat Weiss. Theodore and his brother had gone off to handle something, so Weiss was alone for the moment. He considered using Observation Haki to scan the other rooms and see who was present, but decided against it. It might be seen as impolite.
Through the glass of his room, he gazed down at the growing crowd below. The seats were nearly full. Suddenly, in a distant corner, he spotted two familiar faces.
…
…
"Brother, do we really have to stay here? What if something goes wrong?" a twin-tailed girl dressed like a server whispered nervously to the young man beside her.
"Don't worry. Everyone here is a big shot. What danger could there possibly be? This is a major auction event — something we can brag about when we go back."
The young man was self-aware enough not to view these people as prey. If he ever had such foolish ideas, he might quickly discover who the real prey was.
These two were, in fact, the same siblings who had once tried to scam Weiss back in Loguetown.
As the pair whispered quietly to each other, the lights in the auction hall suddenly dimmed. A spotlight illuminated the center of the auction platform.
A middle-aged man stepped onto the stage with composed steps. He subtly scanned the crowd — nearly every seat was filled by fearsome pirates and wealthy merchants of great influence.
Even though he had hosted over a hundred auctions, he couldn't help but feel nervous tonight.
The merchants weren't too concerning, but the pirates... those were trouble.
He glanced at the room where Weiss was seated. Knowing the infamous "Sword Demon" was present brought him a bit of comfort.
Taking a deep breath and stepping into the light, the man spoke loudly:
"First, let me welcome everyone to the Carmeline Family's grand auction. I am Tokefi, your auctioneer for this evening. A pleasure to be your host."
"Let us begin by thanking Lord Joker for generously providing us with a precious Devil Fruit — a rarity in all the seas."
"Next, we thank Lord Lodas from Room Eight, a pirate with a 150 million bounty, and Lord Picku from Room Nine, whose bounty is 149 million. May you both find treasures worthy of your name."
"Gratitude as well to the Groo Family in Room Four, the Arlista Family in Room Five, the Pierrevi Family in Room Six, and the Dauben Family in Room Seven. We hope you enjoy yourselves."
"And last but not least, we extend our deepest thanks to Lord Weiss the Sword Demon in Room One for his unwavering support of the Carmeline Family."
Tokefi then bowed deeply toward Weiss's room — he knew that his very life tonight might depend on that man's mood.
Ordinarily, such a long-winded introduction would've sparked grumbling or even uproar from the pirates seated below. But with Weiss in the room, they simply stayed silent and listened to Tokefi 's opening remarks.
What Tokefi didn't know, however, was that in Room Five, the so-called representative of the Arlista Family was already unconscious on the floor, bruised and bloodied.
In that room now sat a man with red hair, wrapped in a scarf, with a woman standing behind him.
What Tokefi also failed to mention was that in Room Two were two powerful Navy officers — one with a spider tattoo on his thigh and the other with a rat-like face.
And in Room Three, a group of black-clad individuals were silently watching, eyes locked on the crowd like wolves in the dark.
"Tokefi, are you done with the introductions yet? How long do you plan to keep bowing?" came an exaggerated voice from Room Eight — Lodas.
"Yes, Lord Lodas! Let us begin the auction!"
"First, allow me to present our opening item — a crown dating back three hundred years. This crown has a long and storied history. Through it, you can appreciate the rich culture of a bygone kingdom, admire the craftsmanship passed down through generations, and who knows — maybe even find a flake of the old king's dandruff!"
Tokefi's playful remark earned a few chuckles from the crowd.
Just then, an usher brought out a tray covered in red cloth.
Without delay, Tokefi lifted the cloth, revealing a crown of red silk and golden trim.
"A 300-year-old crown. Starting bid: 3 million Berries."
Silence.
"It's said this crown hides a treasure lost for 300 years. If you win it, you might just become richer than a kingdom overnight."
Still no one spoke. Tales of hidden treasures flooded the seas by the hundreds every day, and 99% of them were lies. The rest were usually snatched up long ago.
Aside from collectors, few were truly interested.
Tokefi wasn't surprised. The Carmeline Family had anticipated that all items except the Devil Fruit would likely fail to sell.
That slip of paper wasn't meant for auctioning — it was meant to be fought over.
Just as Tokefi was about to declare the item unsold, a timid voice came from the audience:
"Three million and one hundred thousand Berries?"
They had actually meant to bid three million and one Berry, but were afraid it might seem like a joke.
"Sold!"
Tokefi didn't even bother confirming — he struck the deal immediately.
As expected, most items afterward were met with disinterest. The crowd was saving their money for the Devil Fruit.
"And now, we come to the third-to-last item — a fine-grade sword, forged from Deep Sea Cold Iron. The blade emanates a chilling aura and is sharp enough not to retain even a drop of blood!"
"Starting bid: 10 million Berries!"
"12 million!" shouted a small-time pirate with a modest bounty. He knew full well he didn't stand a chance of winning the Devil Fruit, so this was his best shot.
"14 million!"
He wasn't the only one with that idea.
"18 million!"
"20 million!"
"22 million!"
"25 million!"
"25 million, once! A blade that cuts hair mid-air — a fine weapon is a second life on the battlefield!"
"Twice!"
"Third time — sold! Congratulations to this fine pirate for acquiring Abyss!"
The pirate immediately finalized the transaction and left the auction without looking back. As he stepped outside, he noticed something strange — the crowds in the square had thinned significantly.
Both inside and outside the auction, the number of people had dropped...
"And now," Tokefi announced, "we come to the item you've all been waiting for — the Paramecia-type Devil Fruit…"
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https:// ko-fi.com/sami27
(COMPLETED)