Sakazuki grinned and ruffled Enel's hair.
"It's still early, kid. Go get some sleep.
And make the most of your time with Dr. Vegapunk—learn everything you can."
Enel nodded hard.
"Yeah!"
He turned and headed back to his own room.
Sakazuki shook his head, then picked up the newspaper he hadn't finished reading.
Time slipped by...
A month and a half at sea vanished in the blink of an eye.
Sabaody Archipelago.
Sakazuki and Enel disembarked, watching as government officials processed the transfer.
Enel was reluctant to part ways with Vegapunk.
For over a month, he'd spent more than eighteen hours a day with the scientist.
Whether it was because Enel was a genius or all scientists were this obsessive, their discussions had been all-consuming—eating and sleeping became afterthoughts.
Vegapunk saw Enel's gloom and smiled gently.
"It's alright, Enel.
We'll have a chance to meet again."
He glanced at Sakazuki.
"Thank you for looking after me this past month, Mr. Sakazuki."
Sakazuki nodded, giving him a reassuring look.
Vegapunk smiled, waved farewell, and was escorted to another warship.
As Vegapunk vanished from sight, Sakazuki pulled out a handful of bounty posters—pirates currently hiding out on Sabaody Archipelago.
He flipped through them, then tucked them away and looked at Enel.
"Come on.
Let me show you what real darkness looks like."
Enel gave a low, dispirited "Mm," then followed Sakazuki into the bustling city.
Now, both men had shed their Marine uniforms, cloaked in heavy capes that concealed their forms and faces.
"Sabaody Archipelago," Sakazuki explained as they walked.
"The gateway to the New World.
Every kind of person winds up here: human traffickers, slaves, nobles, commoners, Fish-Men, pirates, bounty hunters, Marines, government agents—you name it.
Zones 1 through 29, those giant red mangrove trees, that's the lawless district.
Anything goes there."
As Sakazuki finished, they arrived at their destination.
"We're here."
He gestured for Enel to follow.
A massive, round building loomed above, five bold characters emblazoned across the top:
Human Auction House…
Inside, the two took their seats. Enel scanned the room with wide eyes—
Nobles radiating arrogance.
Notorious pirates from wanted posters.
Young men with clenched fists, glaring hatefully at the stage.
With his powerful Observation Haki, Enel felt the tangled web of human desires and suffering that filled the auction hall.
Suddenly, the host—who'd been preparing backstage—bolted out in a fluster.
Sakazuki raised an eyebrow.
Moments later, the host and a manager led in a Celestial Dragon, face hidden beneath a hood.
They ushered him to the VIP box.
Once the Celestial Dragon was settled, the host wiped the sweat from his brow, hurried to the stage, and took a deep breath.
"Welcome, everyone, to the monthly Human Auction at Tree No. 1!
Tonight, we've prepared a fine selection of quality slaves—
and some truly special merchandise!
Here's hoping you all find the perfect purchase!"
The crowd erupted in cheers and jeers.
"Wooooooo!!!"
Not far from Enel, a group of middle-aged nobles whispered about which slaves to buy.
A middle-aged woman scoffed,
"The last slave I bought barely lasted ten days before breaking down.
This time, I'll get myself a young, strong Fish-Man.
Fish-Men are ten times tougher than humans, you know.
Ohohohoho~"
She covered her mouth and giggled.
A middle-aged man beside her grinned,
"I heard there's a princess up for auction tonight.
I'm planning to win her—imagine, a real princess!
Kehkehkeh~"
The woman teased,
"You always did have a thing for pretty girls~
Kehkehkehkeh~"
The man leered, his laughter greasy and vile.
Enel frowned. Treating people like livestock… Was this really normal here?
He glanced at Sakazuki, but the Vice Admiral's face was cold and unmoved, eyes fixed on the stage.
Suppressing his disgust, Enel withdrew his Observation Haki and stared straight ahead.
Onstage, the host saw the mood was right.
"Alright, our first item tonight—
The eldest daughter of a famous musical family from the Toloati Kingdom in West Blue!
A voice that stuns the world—
A living music box who can sing any song you wish!
Height: 176 centimeters. Weight: 98 pounds.
A heavenly voice—
Loshitia!"
WOOOOO!!!
As the beautiful, trembling girl was led onto the stage, the crowd's excitement surged to a fever pitch.
The host continued,
"As tonight's opening item—special price!
Starting bid, 800,000 Belly!
Now, let the bidding begin!"
Buyers waved their paddles and shouted out prices.
In moments, the number soared from 800,000 to 2.7 million.
The host finally called,
"Congratulations to bidder No. 74—sold for 2.7 million Belly!"
Below the stage, the slobbering noble holding paddle 74 leered at the girl, drool trickling down his chin.
For Enel, the shock was indescribable.
He burned with rage, ready to leap up and destroy this filthy auction house—wipe this place from the earth.
But a massive hand clamped down on his shoulder—Sakazuki.
"Don't let your anger blind you," came the Vice Admiral's flat voice.
"This is just the beginning."
Enel stared at Sakazuki's cold, unfamiliar face.
He'd never seen him look so distant.
"Think carefully about what you did wrong."
With that, Sakazuki let go. Enel forced himself to calm down, clamping down on his fury, watching the rest of the auction with a blank stare.
Not once did he blink until the end.
That evening, having bought not a single slave, the two walked the streets in silence.
Sakazuki led the way to their next destination, speaking as they went.
"Have you figured out where you went wrong?"
Enel's voice was ice-cold.
"I have."
Sakazuki stopped and looked at him.
"So? What was your mistake?"
Enel closed his eyes.
"I was wrong because I'm too weak."
Sakazuki shook his head.
"You still don't get it."
He sighed inwardly, then continued.
"As a Marine, you can't lose sight of the bigger picture.
Letting a glimpse of darkness push you into reckless action—that's your greatest failing.
You never once thought about the consequences.
Sure, destroying the auction house would save a few dozen slaves.
But then what?
You'd be branded a criminal, hunted down.
You're a Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit user—no one could ever catch you if you ran.
But what about your future?
You're meant to become an Admiral—someone who could save millions across the seas.
Your research could bring people closer together, change the world.
Your name could be written in textbooks for generations.
Would you throw all of that away for the sake of a few slaves?
You'd become a fugitive, forced to run forever.
Decades later, when your life finally ends,
You'd look back and regret everything you did today.
You once had everything others envied—
and you destroyed it all with your own hands, just to satisfy a moment's rage.
Even when Vice Admiral Morris passes away, you wouldn't be able to attend his funeral.
You'd have to hide behind the clouds, watching from afar—
silently weeping, alone."
"Enough!!!"
Enel shouted, eyes red with fury.
Sakazuki's words cut to the bone, exposing a brutal truth—
Some justice can never be carried out.
"Let's go."
The Vice Admiral's cold voice rang out.
Enel followed, Sakazuki's words echoing in his mind as they made their way toward their next destination—
the Marine branch of Sabaody Archipelago.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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