"Hold on! Are you serious? You're a lawless pirate, and you're lecturing me about human rights?" The man in sunglasses was brimming with confidence, emboldened by the presence of the Celestial Dragons. He had no fear of anyone daring to cause trouble.
"Human trafficking is outlawed worldwide, isn't it? How many Beli did you bribe the World Government with?" Chopper wore an angry expression, though his small stature hardly made him seem threatening.
"Oh? You figured that out... So? What are you going to do about it?"
"This is absolutely absurd! Are you all working together?"
"How could it be... Is the World Government truly in league with them?"
"Hahahaha! This is reality! What human rights do you lowly pirates have? What can you possibly do in front of the Celestial Dragons?"
"You bastard!" Sanji couldn't take it anymore and raised his fist, aiming for the man's face. However, Chopper, ever the voice of reason, held him back, stopping his attack.
"You can't, Sanji-kun..."
"Enough! In that case, we'll buy Nagalong back through their proper procedures!" Doros knew they couldn't keep this up. Having made his decision, he declared it loudly and led the way toward the auction venue's door.
Meanwhile, the islands of the Sabaody Archipelago were receiving today's latest newspapers.
X. Drake casually picked up a newspaper, but his expression turned grim when he saw the eye-catching headline. The people around him who had also received the papers weren't as calm; gasps and exclamations filled the air: "The Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division, 'Fire Fist' Ace, is going to be publicly executed!"
"What?!" Spectators who were unaware of the news were also shocked.
"If the Navy plans to do this... then Whitebeard will have to go and rescue him, right? Could it be that..."
Drake confirmed their fears in a somber tone: "That's right! War... is about to break out!"
"War? Hahahaha... Bring it on, bring it on! Let's kill them all! Otherwise, how will we ever make a name for ourselves?" Scratchmen Apoo patted his belly gleefully, making drumming sounds.
At this time, Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp were still en route to the auction on Island No. 1...
Back at the auction, Disco loudly declared the ownership of the slaves: "If there are no further bids, then Item 17 will go to esteemed guest number 87! Three... two... one! Congratulations to esteemed guest number 88!"
The man holding number 88 suddenly beamed with joy, standing up and waving to everyone.
Squeak!
The auction doors suddenly swung open. The curious audience looked back, but their expressions quickly shifted.
Saint Charlos arrogantly strode into the venue with three slaves—one man and two women. Seeing the host still shouting, he was delighted and said gratefully: "Great, the auction isn't over yet!"
A black-clad bodyguard hurried forward and whispered, "I just heard that the bidding for lot 17 has concluded. Perhaps the auction is coming to an end."
"Tsk! This is so frustrating! It's all this kid's fault!"
After Saint Charlos finished complaining, he began to yell and curse, fiercely kicking the male slave crawling at his feet. Still not satisfied, he ordered the black-clad bodyguard next to him: "Sell this kid too. I don't want such a slow piece of trash."
The black-clad bodyguard nodded, agreeing quickly.
Sanji and the others who witnessed the entire scene had serious expressions, whispering amongst themselves, clearly wary of these vile individuals.
The auction staff finally reacted, trotting forward and kneeling at Saint Charlos's feet, saying respectfully: "Saint Charlos! Your seat has been arranged; you can take a seat at any time!"
"Hmph! Take me there quickly!"
"Yes!"
Led by the staff, Saint Charlos strode down the aisle. For a moment, the auction venue fell into an eerie silence. People turned their heads away, avoiding Saint Charlos's gaze, fearing they might be spotted and abducted in front of everyone. This was no joke; the Celestial Dragons could indeed do this, their privileged dominance giving them the confidence to act as they pleased.
Footsteps continued to echo as Saint Charlos reached his seat. Shalria Palace turned her head, smiling softly, and greeted him: "You're finally here, Brother Charlos!"
"Okay!"
Saint Charlos responded calmly and sat down next to Saint Roswald. Seeing him settled, everyone in the auction venue breathed a sigh of relief, and the auction continued.
"Next to come onto the stage is Item No. 18! You may not know that just a few days ago, No. 18 was the captain of a pirate ship!" Disco's introduction quickly livened up the atmosphere, drawing cheers from the audience.
"Number 18, that is, Lashiba, his bounty is as high as 170 million Beli..." Disco briefly introduced Lashiba's selling points and then suddenly found something wrong.
The next moment, Lashiba fell to the ground with a hideous face. To avoid becoming a slave at the mercy of others, he had bitten his tongue and committed suicide in front of so many people!
"What?!"
Lashiba's death caused some timid people to scream, and Lashiba's blood continuously dripped onto the auction table.
"This bastard!" Disco knew this was not the time to hesitate, as it could cause chaos in the auction venue. He quickly called on the staff to pull down the curtain above their heads. For a moment, the auction's progress was put on hold.
But Disco was a seasoned host, and he quickly handled the matter. After simply using the excuse that Lashiba had "fainted" due to nervousness to fool everyone, he decided to bring out his best mermaid in advance to restore the excitement of the auction venue.
"Well, the product I'm going to introduce to you next is a super popular item that will make you forget the unpleasantness you just had!"
Rhythmic and passionate drum sounds rang out, and the staff pushed a huge cart covered with white cloth onto the stage.
"I believe many people want to get this item because this type of item has almost become extinct recently. Some warriors risked their lives to go to Fish-Man Island, only to find that even Fish-Man Island has disappeared completely!"