"Next up! The absolute highlight of today's auction!!!"
Disco, the human trafficker acting as host, spun around flamboyantly on the stage. With an exaggerated flourish, he tore away the thin veil covering a massive glass tank.
"Item Number Ten!!! A Fishman from Fish Man Island, Kemi!!!!!"
"Wah ah ah ah!!!!!"
The moment Kemi appeared inside the transparent tank, the entire auction hall erupted.
"Oh my God! A Fishman at a slave auction?! This is incredibly rare!"
"A Fishman! Damn it, I didn't bring enough Berries. If I knew this beforehand, I would have emptied my vault!"
"She's young too! If someone buys her, that's a living treasure!"
The Straw Hat Pirates were seated among the crowd.
"Hmph, those bastards…"
Sanji's eyes burned as he glared at the frenzied bidders, veins bulging at his temples.
"They're all lusting after Miss Kemi's beauty!"
He spun around dramatically, clutching his chest as his expression turned resolute.
"Miss Kemi! I swear I will save you!!"
"Relax."
Nami sneered confidently, folding her arms.
"These idiots think they can compete with me? This grandma is extremely rich."
Ever since gaining control over the Gold Gold Fruit, Nami's confidence had reached absurd levels.
Money? Berries?
She had more than enough.
Given enough time, she would control all the wealth in the world, every last piece of gold.
"Bidding starts!!!"
The instant Disco announced it, two voices rang out at the same time.
"Five hundred million Berries!!!"
"I bid five hundred million Berries!!!"
"Huh?!"
The hall fell into stunned silence.
All eyes turned first toward a Celestial Dragon seated in the front rows, then shifted backward toward a beautiful orange haired woman holding up bid paddle Number Seventy Three.
"Hiss…"
Even Disco sucked in a sharp breath.
Fishmen were valuable, yes, but opening with five hundred million Berries from two bidders simultaneously was far beyond expectations.
One being a Celestial Dragon made sense.
But the other was clearly a pirate.
Since when were pirates this wealthy?
"We have two bidders offering five hundred million Berries," Disco announced quickly. "Is there anyone willing to go higher?"
The hall remained silent.
"Since the bids are equal, can either party increase the—"
"Six hundred million Berries!!!"
Nami raised her paddle again without hesitation, her voice firm.
At the same time, she calculated calmly in her head.
Six hundred million Berries.
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji combined were worth exactly that much.
Worst case, she could sell the three of them later.
"One billion Berries!!!!"
An enraged voice thundered from the front.
Saint Charloss slammed his paddle down, his face twisted in anger.
The entire auction hall erupted again.
One billion Berries, just for a Fishman?
The Celestial Dragons truly lived up to their reputation as World Nobles.
Surely the other bidder would back down now.
"One point one billion Berries!!!"
Nami's clenched voice echoed clearly through the hall.
Whoosh.
"One point one billion Berries! That's insane!"
The crowd became even more feverish, twisting around to stare at the woman daring to challenge a Celestial Dragon head on.
"Damn it! How dare you compete with me?!"
Saint Charloss turned around furiously, his expression ugly with humiliation.
The moment his gaze landed on Nami, however, his face froze.
Then, it melted into a foolish, slack jawed grin.
"Hehehe… so pretty…"
Drool dripped as he pointed at her excitedly.
"I want you to be my wife!"
"Huh?!"
The hall fell into stunned chaos.
They were bidding for a Fishman.
How did this suddenly turn into a Celestial Dragon choosing a woman?
"I will immediately arrange the procedures to welcome the Fourteenth Wife to the Holy Land," the black clad guard beside him said respectfully, bowing deeply.
Saint Charloss clapped his hands like a child, staring greedily at Nami.
"Hehehe! Whatever my wife bids for naturally belongs to me too! Hand over the Fishman!"
Nami felt her stomach twist violently.
That idiotic smile made her nauseous.
"Who would ever be your wife, you idiot?!"
Sanji exploded with rage, flames nearly igniting in his eyes as he bit down on his cigarette.
"You bastard! How dare you speak to Nami-swaan like that! She's my wife!!"
Bang!
Nami smashed him on the head without hesitation.
"Shut up! I'm not your wife either!!!"
"How dare you insult a World Noble!"
Fully armored guards surged forward at once, steel spears gleaming as they surrounded Nami, Sanji, Chopper, Hatchan, and Pappagu.
"Sirs, please wait! The auction hasn't officially concluded yet!"
Disco rushed forward, sweating profusely as he tried to mediate.
"Hehehe, since my wife placed the winning bid, you can collect the money from her."
Saint Charloss waved lazily.
"But the Fishman belongs to me."
Disco swallowed and slammed the gavel three times.
"The winning bidder is Saint Charloss's Fourteenth Wife!"
"This is bad…"
A CP Zero agent beside Saint Rosward spoke quietly, his expression tense.
"Saint Rosward, the pirates being surrounded are the Straw Hat Pirates. Their leader is closely associated with the Arrogant Emperor, Shirogai Yamikuro."
"The Marines specifically warned us not to provoke that man recently. It may be wiser to—"
"Nonsense!"
Saint Rosward slammed the table violently, his face contorted with fury.
"We are the descendants of the creators! The greatest Celestial Dragons in the world! Why should we fear pirates?!"
He glared coldly at the CP Zero agent.
"Go kill them. If you fail, don't bother coming back."
The CP Zero agent fell silent.
So this was how it would end.
Provoking that monster, at this moment, when the Marines were preparing for war with Whitebeard.
If everyone here died today, it would not be surprising.
Yet duty was absolute.
Such was the terrifying privilege of the Celestial Dragons.
One careless command from them was enough to send even the most rational CP Zero operative marching straight toward death.
---