"That hottest commodity he mentioned..." Nami said with a grim expression. "He's talking about Camie, isn't he?"
"I think so."
Everyone's faces darkened as they looked at the large object covered by a white cloth in the distance.
Hearing about it was one thing—seeing it was another.
The next moment, Disco pulled off the white cloth, revealing the figure inside—it was Camie!
"Camie!!"
Hachi immediately became agitated, itching to rush forward and rescue her right then and there.
But he knew he couldn't—and shouldn't.
Because... there was a Celestial Dragon ahead!
"If Camie is here, that means... Meiser didn't make it in time?" Franky frowned.
"Treating a lady like some kind of commodity... these damn bastards!"
Sanji's veins bulged on his forehead, his hatred for this wretched auction house burning fiercely.
"It's fine. We have the money," Nami said. "We'll just buy her back."
After calculating carefully, they had roughly a billion Berries. As long as they could buy back their friend, it didn't matter if they spent it all.
"Please... Nami..."
Both Hachi and Pappag burst into tears. At this moment, they had no choice but to rely on the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Hahaha, it really is a merfolk!" Saint Charlos exclaimed excitedly. "I must have her!"
At this moment, Saint Charlos had already envisioned the size of the aquarium he would prepare.
This time, he'd make it dozens of meters wide—then he'd throw the merfolk in with some piranhas and see if she could survive! Hahaha, that would be so entertaining!
"Ladies and gentlemen, behold—a young female merfolk!" Disco announced with a booming laugh. "A rare treasure that might not appear even once in years!"
"Now, let the bidding begin! The starting price is—"
"500 million!!"
Disco was stunned when Saint Charlos suddenly stood up and called out the bid.
This Celestial Dragon... was making an offer right away?
"I bid 500 million Berries!" Saint Charlos declared again. "That merfolk is mine!!"
The other bidders glanced at him and instinctively lowered the signs they had just raised.
"Such terrifying wealth..."
"There's no way we can compete."
"Even if we could, we shouldn't—that's a Celestial Dragon..."
Terrified, the others averted their eyes from Saint Charlos, realizing the merfolk was beyond their reach.
Gulp. Disco swallowed hard. He never expected this merfolk to fetch such an astronomical price.
For him, this was an incredible business achievement!!
"Ahem... Saint Charlos has bid 500 million Berries. Does anyone wish to bid higher?" Disco asked.
Saint Charlos wasn't angry—this was just auction protocol—but he didn't think anyone would dare...
"600 million!!" Nami shouted. "We bid 600 million Berries!"
Crack.
Veins bulged on Saint Charlos' forehead as he turned to glare at Nami, his eyes practically spitting fire.
That glare made Nami instinctively take a step back, but the thought of Camie's situation made her step forward again.
"Huh?"
Disco was stunned, never expecting someone would actually dare to bid against the Celestial Dragons.
This was competing with a Celestial Dragon... Wasn't this pure suicide?
Law also gave Nami a surprised glance, never imagining the Straw Hat Pirates would dare to bid against a Celestial Dragon.
Could it be... this Merfolk had some connection to them?
"I bid 700 million!" Saint Charlos glared at Nami. "That Merfolk is mine!"
"Then I bid 800 million!"
"Lowly human, are you seeking death?" Saint Charlos roared.
"This is an auction. Everyone has the right to bid, no?" Nami retorted.
"Heh."
Saint Rosward chuckled at Nami's words.
The old man turned to look at Nami with amusement. "It's been a while since I've seen such a bold lowly human."
"Take her with us later."
Clearly, Saint Rosward had taken an interest in Nami and planned to capture her after the auction.
As a Celestial Dragon, no one would dare stop him from doing such things.
Hearing Saint Rosward's words, Saint Shalria smiled. "How rare for Father to take interest in such lowly humans."
"Haha, occasionally I do get such whims."
Saint Shalria nodded, then turned to Saint Charlos. "Brother, let her witness the wealth of the Celestial Dragons."
Listening to his sister, Saint Charlos sneered. "You're right."
To challenge the Celestial Dragons in wealth... This lowly human truly had a death wish.
With that thought, Saint Charlos declared, "I bid 1 billion Berries!"
"O-one... one billion Berries..."
Nami's pupils shrank, her body going limp as she slumped against Chopper.
"It's over... This is all the money we have..."
"What do we do now?"
"What's wrong? Not continuing?" Saint Charlos taunted. "If you raise the bid, I can keep going—"
"Of course... provided you have the money to match."
"Ha ha ha ha."
Saint Charlos' voice was like a demonic chant, making Nami's mind reel.
They... only had one billion...
"Damn it! If that's the case, we'll just have to take her by force!" Franky growled.
"No! The collar around Camie's neck will explode and kill her!"
"Then what do you suggest?"
"Prepare for battle," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette.
Given the current situation, buying Camie back with money was impossible.
In that case... they had no choice but to fight!
"Then I'll go find Meiser first and snatch the key," Franky said.
"Got it!"
"Hey, shouldn't you announce who this Merfolk belongs to now?" Saint Charlos demanded.
"Ah, of course, Saint Charlos-sama~" Disco cleared his throat. "Well then, since no one else is bidding... this Merfolk now belongs to Saint Charlos-sama!"
"Ding~"
With the fall of Disco's gavel, this round of the auction came to an end.
"Hahaha, I'm taking this merfolk home with me!" Saint Charlos laughed loudly.
As he spoke, he glanced back at Nami and the others, sneering, "You lowlifes actually thought you could compete with me in wealth? How laughable."
Hearing Saint Charlos's mocking words, veins bulged on the faces of the Straw Hat Pirates, but none of them spoke further. After all, empty words meant nothing.
Just then, a Flying Fish Motorbike crashed down from the sky, smashing a huge hole through the venue's ceiling.
"BOOM!!"
"CRASH—"
Amid the falling debris, Luffy and Zoro tumbled to the ground.
"Lu... Luffy?!" Sanji stared dumbfounded at Luffy. Why on earth had this guy fallen from the sky with Zoro?
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Luffy glared angrily at the lanky man from the Flying Fish Riders. "Couldn't you have landed properly?"
"You idiot! This is a flying fish, not a bird! How could it possibly land smoothly here?!" the man retorted furiously. "Besides, you're the one who told me to charge straight in!"
The lanky man was practically fuming. If not for Luffy's insistence on barging in, he wouldn't have crashed so recklessly.
"Hey, even if we were heading back to the Thousand Sunny, there was no need to rush like that," Zoro grumbled, rubbing his head with a grimace. "You just grabbed me mid-journey..."
He had been asking for directions back to Grove 1 when Luffy suddenly yanked him onto the flying fish, nearly killing him in the process.
Shaking his head, Zoro glanced around and blinked in confusion. "Huh? Where the hell are we?"
Weren't they supposed to be returning to the Thousand Sunny? How had they ended up in this strange place?
"Luffy, didn't you explain anything to this Moss Head?" Sanji asked.
"Nope."
"Then what the hell is going on?" Zoro looked at his crewmates, puzzled. Something big seemed to have happened.
Wait—why was Nami sitting on the ground?
"Nami, what's wrong?"
"I'm fine," Nami said, standing up. "Luffy, we lost the bidding. We couldn't outbid the Celestial Dragons."
"What are you talking about? Where's Camie?"
"There!"
Following Nami's finger, Luffy spotted Camie on the stage, and his expression hardened. "Camie, I'm here to save you!"
With that, Luffy charged forward without hesitation. The rest of the Straw Hat Pirates immediately followed, realizing words alone wouldn't rescue anyone now.
"How noisy," Saint Rosward muttered, frowning. "What's with these pirates?"
"Clearly, they're a bunch of fools who don't know their place," Saint Shalria said coldly. "They must be here for that merfolk."
"Perfect. Father, since you're fond of pirate captains, why not take theirs as well?"
"Hmm, good point."
Saint Rosward grinned, slowly turning his gaze toward Luffy. As someone with a keen interest in pirate captains, he made a habit of keeping up with newspapers and wanted posters.
And Luffy... is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates!
"Then I'll be the one to capture them!" Saint Charlos stood up, aiming his pistol at Nami. "Starting with this woman!"
Bang!
Thud!
"Huh?"
Nami was stunned as she watched Hachi take the bullet meant for her.
"H-Hachi...?"
"I'm sorry, Nami... for dragging you all into this dangerous situation..."
"Hey, is this really the time for that?!" Nami shouted urgently. "Chopper, hurry! Check his injuries!"
She never expected Hachi to take a bullet for her like this.
At that moment, a man noticed Hachi's extra arms and gasped in horror.
"Hey, look! This guy's from the Fish-Man race!"
"It's true! He has multiple arms..."
"Ugh, why is this disgusting Fish-man on land? Just die already!"
"Die!"
Hearing the jeers around them, Chopper froze.
"Why are they...?"
"Because I'm a Fish-man," Hachi said with a bitter smile.
The Straw Hat Pirates, who had stopped in their tracks, fell silent at his words.
Just because he was a Fish-man... he was hated like this?
"Well, this is unexpected..." Disco muttered, frowning. "But at least the buyers this time are Celestial Dragons. We'll still get paid."
That was one good thing about Celestial Dragons—if they promised payment, they always delivered. After all... money was something they never lacked.
Just then, Disco noticed a stranger stepping forward—a man holding the very merchandise they were supposed to sell!
"Hey, kid! Who the hell are you?!" Disco's expression turned icy as he glared at Meiser. "Why are you holding our merchandise?"
Crack!
At the word "merchandise," veins bulged on Meiser's forehead.
"Merchandise...?"
"That's right, merchandise!" Disco smirked. "Once they enter this place, they lose their rights as people. Slaves are—"
Before he could finish, an identical man suddenly appeared beside him.
Then—a fist, wreathed in Haki, came crashing down!
BAM!!
The punch shattered Disco's skull with brutal force.
Whoosh!
BOOM!!
Like a cannonball, Disco was sent flying, slamming into the far wall with a deafening crash!
Cough!
Blood sprayed from his mouth as his head lolled—lifeless.
The auctioneer who had operated in Sabaody Archipelago for years had met his end at Meiser's hands.
The sudden turn of events immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Is that... Bloodline Ninja Meiser?" Law muttered, eyeing Meiser in surprise. He hadn't expected him to emerge from there.
So the Straw Hat Pirates were all assembled now.
"Meiser!"
Nami and the others cheered at the sight of Meiser and Merry.
"Thank goodness! Merry's safe!"
"We're saved!!"
"Bastards, what's with these people popping up one after another?" Saint Charlos said angrily. "Are you all looking to die?"
It was bad enough that these guys in front of him had no regard for their lives, but now another one showed up?
"These two are perfect, I want them!" Saint Shalria exclaimed excitedly. "Father, I want this man and the kid!"
"I want them as my slaves!"
"Haha, suit yourself."
Saint Rosward still wore a smile on his face, as if the murderous Straw Hat Pirates didn't even exist.
"Truly... looking down on everyone."
After withdrawing his gaze, Meiser silently walked toward Camie, intending to free her from the glass tank.
At the same time, Luffy also moved.
"Huh?"
"What's with that look in your eyes?" Saint Charlos glanced at Luffy approaching him and raised his gun. "You bastard, are you also looking to die?"
Unfortunately, Luffy ignored him, continuing to walk forward without a word.
Seeing Luffy's defiance, Saint Charlos pulled the trigger without hesitation.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Three bullets mercilessly shot toward Luffy, but he easily dodged them.
"He dodged the bullets?"
A flicker of disbelief crossed Saint Charlos eyes. How could someone in this world evade his bullets? After all, in the past, he could kill anyone he pleased.
"You bastard, you—"
"BAM!!"
This time, Luffy, now close to him, didn't give him a chance to finish. A powerful fist slammed into his face, sending him flying backward.
"Whoosh—"
"Clatter—"
Seeing Saint Charlos caught precisely by Meiser's Shadow Clone, the onlookers instantly paled in horror.
"He... he hit a Celestial Dragon?!"
"Hey, what else are you planning to do?"
Seeing Meiser gripping Saint Charlos without any intention of letting go, Saint Shalria immediately stood up, glaring at him furiously. "Let go of my brother, you lowly scum!"
Glancing at the oblivious Saint Shalria, Meiser grinned at her. "Don't worry... your turn will come soon."
With that, he lightly tossed Saint Charlos into the air, raised his right hand, and infused his fist with Haki.
"Armament... Super Strength Fist!!!"
"BOOM!!"
The terrifying force of the punch brutally caved in Saint Charlos' chest, shattering his heart instantly.
A torrent of blood sprayed from his mouth as the impact sent him flying, smashing through the wall and leaving a gaping hole.
After landing outside, his head lolled to the side—dead.
"You—!"
Saint Rosward glared at Meiser in fury. "You lowly—"
"Shut it."
"Wha—?!"
Seeing Meiser suddenly appear beside him, Saint Rosward's pupils shrank. Was this guy planning to kill him too?
Realizing this, he immediately tried to call for his guards, but Meiser was far too fast.
"Slash!"
In the next instant, a flash of steel—and Saint Rosward felt the world spin around him.
"Huh?"
What's... happening to me?
Why is the world spinning?
But soon, Saint Rosward understood what was happening—he saw his own body.
So this is it... I've been cut down... This lowly wretch actually dared to kill me?
Even in his final moments, Saint Rosward refused to believe someone would dare to kill him.
In the end, his gaze settled on his daughter.
And there she was, pinned to her seat by a sword.
If only we hadn't left home today...
With that final thought, Saint Rosward's consciousness faded into darkness.
You...
Saint Shalria trembled as she weakly reached for Meiser, but the Grass Sword piercing her chest left her with no strength left.
Finally, her hand fell limp.
"Thud—"
After pulling out the Grass Sword, Meiser calmly sheathed it at his waist.
Only then did the crowd realize what had just happened.
"The... the Celestial Dragon is dead!!!"
"You demon! Are you trying to tear the heavens apart?!" a man shouted in terror, staring at Meiser.
He never dreamed someone would actually dare to attack a Celestial Dragon.
Now, everyone present at the venue might be arrested as accomplices!
"Killing a Celestial Dragon will tear the heavens apart?"
"Then let the heavens be torn apart!"
"Madman..."
Seeing not a trace of fear in Meiser's eyes, the man felt he had encountered a lunatic.
Of course—only a madman would dare to do such a thing.
With that thought, the man scrambled toward the exit, as if afraid Meiser might strike him down next.
"Everyone, run!!"
"The Marine Admirals are coming!!!"
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