Chapter Five: Isla de los Huos – The Cursed Auction
The night was heavy with fog, and the sea swallowed the moonlight in silence.
On the deck of a small ship, Adam stood—his long silver hair draped over his shoulders like a shimmering curtain, and his loose cloak fluttering in the wind, casting an aura of quiet authority. Beside him, Jairo watched the distant island lights, heart pounding with anticipation.
The ship neared the stone pier, where guards scrutinized every new arrival.
Adam and Jairo disembarked calmly into a crowd of all kinds: scarred pirates, bounty hunters hiding their weapons, finely dressed merchants, blue-capped sailors, and syndicates from the underworld. Scarred faces, tattooed arms, cautious glares, and venomous smiles.
At the auction gate stood a massive man with a long list, asking each entrant for their name, then stamping their hand with red or blue depending on their rank.
Adam gave a quiet false name. Jairo followed.
The guard pointed at them.
— "Auction rules are clear: no fighting, no stealing, no chaos. Break them, and you're tossed to the sea or blacklisted."
They passed through stone corridors lit by oil lamps until they reached the grand underground hall.
Noise and chaos filled the air:
A merchant haggling over a treasure map.
A pirate offering a rare sword for ammunition.
A bounty hunter bargaining for the head of a wanted man.
In shadowy corners, mafia and gang members exchanged codes and deals, watching with merciless eyes.
In side rooms, darker trades took place:
Rare weapons for secrets, smuggling routes sold for bags of gold, forbidden knowledge whispered for a price.
Adam sat in the shadows, eyes sharp, his quiet aura making those nearby uneasy.
Jairo sat beside him, trying to look calm in a den full of human monsters.
A small bell rang. Silence fell.
The auctioneer appeared—a bald man with a thick mustache—and shouted:
— "Welcome to the annual Isla de los Huos Auction! Cause trouble, and you're banned for life!"
The bidding began.
Swords. Maps. Ammo. Slaves. Zoan-type Devil Fruits (Animal Forms).
Each item was met with offers, shouts, or fierce haggling.
Then came a glass case containing a strange green fruit.
The auctioneer raised it high:
— "A genuine Devil Fruit… The Devour Fruit!"
The crowd murmured:
— "That one's cursed…"
— "The last guy who ate it turned into a walking pile of metal."
— "He drowned—too heavy to swim!"
The auctioneer scowled and snapped at his assistant:
— "Anyone mocking our goods or spreading rumors—blacklist them."
Silence returned.
In the front row sat a man in civilian clothes, wearing a small Marine badge on his chest. A man in his thirties named Harold, a Navy captain.
He raised his hand calmly:
— "I want that fruit. I'll pay double."
Whispers halted. All eyes turned to him.
— "A Marine officer bidding on a cursed fruit?"
— "They say it's for his son…"
In the shadows, Adam smirked. His eyes gleamed with cunning. A faint violet aura shimmered around him—danger coiled in silence.
The auction was about to explode, tension thickening.
Outside, the sea screamed. The fog thickened.
Adam and Jairo prepared for their next move...
And no one yet knew—th
e night would end with a spectacle this auction had never seen.
✨ End of Chapter.