The auction proceeded in an orderly fashion.
First came various firearms and weapons, many of which boasted technology far exceeding the average level of this world.
Bidders were endless; there was simply no such thing as an item failing to sell.
Next came Devil Fruits and slaves.
Devil Fruits appeared twice. One was a Zoan-type Porcupine-Porcupine Fruit, which, after a bidding war, was snatched up by a portly, short man with a large belly.
The other was a Paramecia-type Butter-Butter Fruit, won by a tall woman with a slender neck.
As for the slaves.
Humans were rare; the auction house primarily supplied rare races, from Longarm Tribe members to Fish-Men, Longleg Tribe members, and everything in between.
The most expensive were two beautiful Snake-Neck Tribe women. Their starting bid was originally only 9 million Berries, but as soon as the old man hosting the auction called out the price, the tall woman who had won the Butter-Butter Fruit immediately bought them for 50 million Berries.
As she made the bid, everyone around could feel a chilling cold radiating from the tall woman.
—She seemed quite displeased about the presence of Snake-Neck Tribe slaves.
Onstage, the white-haired auctioneer spoke:
"Alright, everyone, we've finally reached the end, the moment you've all been anticipating—the main event auction item!"
With no items going unsold, the white-haired old man was clearly in a much better mood. He clapped his hands, smiling, and immediately, the rumbling sound of cart wheels came from behind the stage.
"Now, I can openly tell you all that our Windsor family's originally prepared main event item for this auction was actually an adult male Giant."
"However, there was an unexpected situation yesterday, and that fellow's presence simply wasn't impressive enough, so we replaced him with an adult female Giant."
At these words, whispers immediately broke out among the seats below.
"What does that mean? A male Giant isn't impressive compared to a female Giant?"
"Over in Sabaody, male Giants' starting prices are usually around 40 to 50 million Berries, while female Giants don't even reach 10 million…"
"Strange… Could this female Giant have a special identity?"
The white-haired old man took in the bidders' reactions, smiling without a word. It wasn't until the massive cart finally reached the front of the curtain that he finally raised his voice and announced:
"Ladies and gentlemen, let us all bear witness to the main event item of this auction—"
"Female Marine Rear Admiral of the Giant Tribe!"
The red cloth on the cart was suddenly ripped away, and spotlights illuminated a tattered, scarred female Giant, unconscious in a cage, appearing before everyone.
At that moment, the entire auction house erupted in an uproar.
"Are you kidding?! A Marine Rear Admiral?!"
"Is the Windsor family playing with fire?"
"Messing with regular Marines is one thing, but a Rear Admiral… Are they not afraid of Marine retaliation?"
Some were shocked, some worried, but after a brief moment of surprise, many bidders' eyes flickered as they surveyed the female Giant in the cage, an intrigued look on their faces.
"It seems quite a few people are interested, after all."
The white-haired old man chuckled grimly. "Our Windsor family's reputation has always been excellent in the underworld. There's no need for anyone to doubt this female Rear Admiral's identity. Without further ado, let the bidding begin…"
"Starting bid, 90 million Berries. Each increment must not be less than…"
Boom!
Before he could finish, a sudden, thunderous crash echoed, shaking the surrounding rock walls violently. Dust cascaded down from the ceiling.
What was that noise?
The white-haired old man's face showed displeasure. Just as he was about to instruct a subordinate beside him, a brilliant golden laser shot straight towards him, piercing his forehead and demolishing most of the auction stage behind him. The old man's eyes widened. Before he could react to what had happened, his body stiffly toppled backward.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry, I didn't quite catch that…"
At the same time, a lazy voice drifted in. "Could you repeat that, please? The minimum increment, how many Berries was it again?"
Rumble!
Another tremendous crash. The eastern rock wall suddenly crumbled open. Amidst the rising dust, three figures stepped into the passage, coldly sweeping their gaze across the entire auction house.
The person leading them wore a white coat of "Justice" and was exceptionally tall. It was Kizaru.
The two figures behind him were Gumiiru and Nao.
They used Moonwalk to keep close behind Kizaru, having arrived a step ahead. Behind them, a large number of Marine soldiers were closing in to surround the area.
"It's the Commander of the G-2 Branch, Vice Admiral Borsalino!"
"What's wrong with the Windsor family? Wasn't this place supposed to be well-hidden? How did the Marines find it?!"
"As expected, they dared to auction a Marine Rear Admiral; now they've brought trouble upon themselves, haven't they?"
Kizaru's reputation was undoubtedly huge in the nearby seas. The bidders who recognized him were thrown into a panic.
Some, sensing things were about to go wrong, had already backed away when the old man was shot. Now, seeing Kizaru, they fled toward the exit without looking back.
Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!
But before they could run far, several golden light beams shot out, easily piercing through their chests from behind.
"My apologies for alarming everyone, truly…"
Kizaru looked at the remaining bidders, who were frozen in place, not daring to move. He slowly began, "But until I allow you to leave, you'd best stay put and not run off, okay?"
With the situation initially under control, Nao dashed to the stage and approached the giant's cage.
There were a few fully armed gunmen by the cage. Seeing him, their hearts tightened, and they instinctively raised their weapons.
"Get lost!"
A flash of sword light. These men hadn't even had a chance to pull their triggers before they all screamed and collapsed to the ground.
"Rear Admiral Buma…"
Looking at the scarred female Rear Admiral before him, Nao gently sighed. He suddenly cut the cage open with his sword, then took off his own jacket to cover Buma's torn clothing.
Then, he turned, his gaze coldly sweeping across the entire hall.
"Vice Admiral."
He gently caressed his sword hilt, speaking in a low voice towards Kizaru: "If I kill everyone here, both bidders and proprietors, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
A chilling killing intent spread, making the bidders who heard his words stiffen and their eyes fill with terror.
"Hmm… That might not be quite right, would it? Our Marine regulations usually prioritize arrests. Young man, don't be so bloodthirsty; you'll make things very difficult for me."
Kizaru wore a troubled expression, frowning in thought, then suddenly shrugged. "Oh well, just this once. Don't let it happen again."
"Understood, thank you, Vice—"
Before Nao could finish, he suddenly saw Kizaru smilingly raise his fingertip, and several lasers burst forth, shooting towards the armed guards in all directions.
Wails and screams instantly echoed ceaselessly throughout the entire auction house…
Nao's eye twitched slightly.
That cunning old man!