"I bid 100 billion—I want everything tonight!"
There was no arrogance, no condescension.
The voice from the central window on the second floor remained as composed and unruffled as ever.
As if the casually mentioned 100 billion Berries were nothing more than a trivial string of numbers to him.
Anyone with keen hearing would notice a hint of drowsiness in that voice.
For the third time, the auction hall fell into dead silence.
But this time, the calm did not settle as it had before.
Whether on the first or second floor, pairs of eyes, red with anger, turned toward Caesar.
Suddenly, someone on the second floor could no longer hold back and let out an enraged shout.
"Bastard! Who do you think you are? Just because you have money, you think you can ignore the auction house's rules? Do you think money gives you the right to do whatever you want?"
"Sorry..." Caesar's indifferent voice rang out.
The man who had angrily questioned him was taken aback, his aggressive tone softening slightly.
Since the other party was backing down, then perhaps...
"Having money really does mean you can do whatever you want!"
Caesar's mocking voice followed.
Along with it came Shiki's roaring laughter.
"Jihahaha! A bunch of fools and trash! I'm here to participate in an auction—isn't having money meant for buying things? You paupers, if you have the guts, just raise the bid! Stop wasting time with all this nonsense!"
The face of the man who had shouted turned the color of liver, his mouth hanging open for a long time before he managed to stammer out a few words.
"100 billion? You say it so easily, but I don't believe you actually have that much money! I suspect you're just here to cause trouble! Tesoro! What's the matter with you? Why would you invite troublemakers like these to the auction? You'd better give me, Milanovich, an explanation! Otherwise, once I return, I will definitely report to the World Government and apply to revoke your legal operating license!"
The man named Milanovich was so furious he seemed about to explode.
He was a prince from one of the World Government's affiliated kingdoms, and his wealth was naturally substantial.
He had come to the Golden Ship specifically for some of the treasures being auctioned.
As a collector, although the Adam Wood hadn't caught his attention, the great-grade sword Shura had delighted Milanovich, and he was eager to spend money to acquire it and enrich his private treasury.
As for the Zoan-type Mammoth Fruit, the grand finale of the auction, it was a treasure he deeply coveted!
If Caesar really took everything with a bid of 100 billion, wouldn't his entire purpose for coming to the Misty Sea be completely thwarted?
He had initially been somewhat inclined to forgive Caesar, but upon hearing Shiki's utterly arrogant words, Milanovich completely lost his temper.
Unable to hold back any longer, he leaned halfway out of his window and shouted loudly.
As Milanovich stood up and shouted, the already frustrated crowd in the massive auction hall erupted like a lit powder keg.
One by one, they rose to their feet, hurling angry rebukes.
"That's right! I think you're just here to cause trouble. Security! Where are the security guards of the Gran Tesoro? Get these two troublemaking bastards out of here!"
"Tesoro! I'm the captain of the New World's Bloodbath Pirate Crew, with a bounty of 870 million! Is this the kind of crap auction you invited me to? There's no order at all!"
"Tesoro! Tesoro! Where the hell are you, you bastard? I'm the new king of the Sorbet Kingdom, and I'm going to report you to the World Government! They should revoke your privileges as a World Government affiliate!"
Everyone was seething with rage.
Some of the angrier individuals even rolled up their sleeves, ready to teach these two arrogant fools a lesson.
Seeing the situation turning dangerous, Carina quickly slipped away.
Backstage, Tesoro's face was dark, his teeth gritted audibly, and veins bulged on his forehead.
He was utterly enraged!
Tesoro hadn't expected that someone of Caesar's stature would engage in such trivial behavior.
Yes, trivial.
From Caesar's tired tone, Tesoro could tell that the man was simply bored and had decided to do something that would infuriate everyone present!
The vast majority of the guests in the auction hall held significant status and influence worldwide.
Otherwise, his shrewd subordinates wouldn't have invited them to the auction.
This also meant that Tesoro might be able to offend one or two of them, but he couldn't afford to offend many at once, let alone all of them!
If he truly alienated these people, and they lodged complaints with the World Government, his hidden entertainment city in the Misty Sea—the largest in the world—would likely be on the brink of collapse.
Gritting his teeth, Tesoro prepared to head to Caesar's private box to say something.
But at that moment, a burly and imposing man, his face and bare upper body covered in extensive burn scars, walked in with an indifferent expression.
In his hand, he was gripping a short, elderly man with long grayish-white hair, bound tightly by layers of chains.
"Bullett! You!"
The newcomer was none other than Douglas Bullett, known as the Devil's Heir.
The extensive red burn scars covering his body were the medals he had earned from single-handedly resisting the Buster Call, enduring countless artillery bombardments.
Tesoro stared at Bullett, who was completely ignoring him, his face a mix of shock and fury.
He lowered his voice to a furious growl, "Bullett! What are you doing? Why are you bringing this old man here at a time like this? Have you lost your mind? Caesar and Shiki are right up ahead!"
Bullett glanced at Tesoro, his eyes filled with undisguised disdain and contempt.
"Tesoro, your habit of cowering in the corner whenever a strong opponent appears is getting more and more irritating. Get out of my way and don't ruin my mood. Otherwise, I'll sink this piece-of-junk ship of yours!"
Bullett's mocking words made Tesoro's eyes bloodshot.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked audibly.
A chilling murderous aura erupted from Tesoro's body, and the nine golden rings on his ten fingers slowly expanded, detaching from his fingers.
"Bullett! I've had enough of you..."
*Buzz!*
Before Tesoro could finish, Shiki, who had been unable to even eat the grapes offered by the mermaid sister due to the noisy crowd in the auction hall, suddenly flew into a rage.
He abruptly rose from the bathtub.
The splashing water spilled over the edge of the tub and poured through the window, which was only slightly higher than the tub's rim, drenching a large crowd of people on the first floor.
Shiki's eyes narrowed sharply, and an overwhelming, terrifying Conqueror's Haki erupted from his tall and imposing figure, rumbling outward like thunder!
In an instant, the entire auction hall seemed to be swept by a hurricane-force gale.
Pitch-black lightning bolts crackled through the air, striking the opulent walls and ceiling of the auction house, blasting large craters into them!
Meanwhile, the rowdy, shouting crowd in the hall instantly collapsed, with over 80% of them falling to the ground.
Their eyes rolled back, foam spewed from their mouths, and their bodies trembled violently and uncontrollably.
The remaining 20% didn't fare much better.
Their faces turned pale, devoid of color, as they stared in terror at the enraged Shiki.
"I said you're trash, and that's exactly what you are!"