Chapter 130 The Auction is About to Begin
While Eric and the others were gathered together, in a hidden corner of the restaurant, several CP3 intelligence agents, dressed in white coats, wearing black gentleman hats and sunglasses, were having a tense meeting around a table.
"Reporting, sir. According to orders from above, our intelligence operatives have spread throughout Carnival City, but so far, there has been no report of Eric's crew being spotted."
"Those damned CP0… relying solely on their assumptions to force us to drop everything and search for the Eric Pirates in Carnival City."
"Keep your voice down!" one agent nearly covered his mouth in fear.
"Relax," the agent who had just complained said indifferently, "those lofty CP0 guys, the direct subordinates of the Celestial Dragons, and those high-ranking officials who give us orders from their comfy offices won't ever show their faces on the frontlines."
He took a sip of his drink and continued, "You know why? Because they're scared of dying. We're just cannon fodder sent to scout Eric and his crew."
Bang! A heavy wine glass slammed down on the table.
It instantly drew most of the restaurant's attention.
Even Eric looked over, pausing in surprise at their outfits.
Dressed like that, how could people not be suspicious? It was like something straight out of Detective Conan's Black Organization. Wearing attention-grabbing black hats and coats in broad daylight—were they trying to cosplay as Gin and Vodka with those white suits?
But something seemed off with their numbers...
"Sorry! Sorry! Our companion is drunk!" Two other agents quickly stood and bowed repeatedly to the other guests.
In principle, drinking was prohibited during work, especially for intelligence agents who were expected to remain inconspicuous in public.
This complaining agent had clearly committed countless violations.
"Ugh, not even one CP0 agent showed up, yet we're forced to take on the most dangerous recon work to help them." The slightly drunk agent kept grumbling. "We're doing the riskiest job for the lowest pay."
The others fell silent—because he wasn't wrong.
Their duties included not just surveillance but also infiltrating dangerous criminal organizations. If they were ever exposed, not even their bodies would be found.
Many colleagues, assigned to deep cover missions, simply disappeared without a trace. If not for their grieving families, it would be as if they had never existed.
These agents had seen it all firsthand—having to deliver the news to the loved ones of those missing in action, even getting cursed or struck by those families.
To cut costs, the government even refused to pay death benefits, claiming that without a body there was no confirmation of death—even after over a year of no contact. "You seriously don't know if they're dead?!"
"Eric's crew are merciless demons. They even brutally killed a Celestial Dragon. If we encounter them, we'll be torn apart!"
Hearing that, Eric rolled his eyes. He'd never go that far—at most, he'd just electrocute them to ash.
"But Scáthach's rune magic is really effective. Even at this distance, they can't detect our real identities."
"Of course. I also added a cognitive disruption rune to your clothes. What they see isn't what we really look like."
"No wonder everyone keeps calling me an old man..."
As a government intel unit, they had access to confidential materials. He'd personally seen the photos of the Celestial Dragons being tortured, which gave him nightmares for days.
"I can't do this anymore—I just got married. I want to resign and leave with my wife!"
"Moss, calm down!" his teammates tried to comfort him. "We're part of a government intel agency. You can't just leave that easily!"
"Think of your family. Don't do anything rash!"
"Sigh, I used to think a government job was a guaranteed future. Never thought I'd be shackled like this for life," another agent muttered.
"Even a Buster Call's ten warships couldn't stop Eric. Admiral Sakazuki is still lying in a hospital bed! What can we possibly do against them? We're just being sent as bait so the government can track his movements."
"Alright, alright," their team leader tried to soothe them. "Since we haven't actually spotted Eric's crew, let's just report that there's no sign of them. And if we do see them… we say they slipped away in the crowd. Easy."
A seasoned intel captain—skilled in dodging responsibility, slacking off, and covering up mistakes.
"Let's eat, let's eat!"
"Yeah, it's all on government expense anyway!"
"Waiter! More pizza!"
"Coming!"
These low-level agents, who were supposed to work silently and loyally, suddenly vented all their frustrations and happily began enjoying their meal—leaving Eric and the others, who had been eavesdropping nearby, speechless.
Eric had just witnessed, in a short span of time, a government worker go from ranting about his job, to trying to quit and run off with his wife, to being persuaded by colleagues, and finally settling down to feast on public funds with a cheerful attitude.
"Well, at least now we don't have to worry about more intel agents swarming this place."
"And we've found the location of the auction. Now we just wait for it to begin in four days. Over the next few days, we'll sell off the treasure we seized in Sabaody Archipelago in batches."
"Perona, assign a few scouting ghosts to attach to those guys. At the very least, we'll know what they're up to these next few days."
Eric glanced subtly at Akame. With the money they'd soon have, he might finally be able to buy the Imperial Arm [Shikoutazer] from the system shop.
'Akame, the day you're reunited with your sister isn't far off,' Eric thought to himself.
Even if he bought Shikoutazer now, he wouldn't summon it immediately—but at least the funds were finally within reach.
Once they rescued those in captivity and sent them to the East Blue, he would reunite the sisters.
Akame sensed Eric's gaze and tilted her head in confusion. "?"
...
At the end of April, the long-anticipated auction finally began.
Eric had just sold off all the treasures he'd taken, his funds surpassing 2.5 billion Beli. He was in his room, debating whether or not to buy the Imperial Arm Shikoutazer.
Outside, Chiron knocked on the door, interrupting his thoughts. "Captain, we're just waiting on you."
"Coming!" Eric quickly got dressed and opened the door.
'I still have to attend the auction. If I win a Devil Fruit, I might not have enough money left…'
'Wait a sec. Aren't I a pirate now? Isn't robbing auctions technically a "legit" part of the job?'
Kurumi, whose heart was fully invested in Eric, asked curiously, "Eric-, what's with that sudden enlightened look?"
"It's nothing," Eric replied. 'I'll see if this auction has any shady dealings. If it does, I'll serve justice in the name of the heavens.'
Clearly, he was just planning to use "justice" as an excuse to line his own pockets.
Walking through the streets, Eric observed the people around him. "There sure are a lot of 'criminal types' out here..."
"Yeah, those fierce-looking guys over there are all pirates. But each one's bounty is around ten million. I bet they're all here for the Devil Fruit."
"A good Devil Fruit can massively increase your combat power. These guys probably don't want to be stuck in the shallow waters of Paradise for the rest of their lives."
'Once the auction ends, it'll be the perfect chance to round up all these wanted criminals and cash in their bounties through the system.'
The muscular, thuggish pirates nearby all suddenly shivered for no apparent reason.
Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
Hurry up! The promotion ends on February 2, 2026.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10