By the next morning, the news of Park's death had spread across the entire nation.
All those traitors who had once sided with Park were captured and imprisoned.
All those who had been enslaved were now free.
The people celebrated with cheers and tears of joy.
It hadn't been a long time, just two months under oppression, but that short period had made them cherish freedom more deeply than ever before.
Luffy stood on the deck of the pirate ship, watching the people gathered at the port to see him off. His gaze was complex.
Some looked at him with admiration. Some, with reluctant farewells in their eyes. But a few watched the ship disappear into the distance with a different light in their eyes, gleaming with excitement and greed.
Some things, people never think about if they've never seen them.
But once they've tasted their beauty, someone will always be willing to do anything to possess them.
Luffy shook his head. "Well… it's not really my problem."
He opened the system shop to browse this month's random items. "Hmm… looks powerful, but way out of my price range."
Steering the ship, Luffy followed the Log Pose toward the next destination.
Port Sabaody, a port city located in the central section of the first half of the Grand Line.
Anyone who had spent time on the Grand Line, merchants, pirates, bounty hunters, or Marines, would typically carry a permanent pointer to Port Sabaody.
It was the largest commercial trading hub in the entire first half of the Grand Line.
Here, any item could be traded, including the heads of wanted pirates.
Here stood the biggest auction house in this half of the sea. Devil Fruits, famous swords, cutting-edge scientific research, all had shown up for sale at some point.
Of course, rare items weren't auctioned every day. The usual goods were gold and silver trinkets, antiques, calligraphy… and slaves.
In Port Sabaody, pirates and marines could sit down and eat in the same room, because no one dared to start trouble.
This was the domain of Warlord of the Sea, Donquixote Doflamingo.
Naturally, Luffy didn't know any of that. He was just following the Log Pose, which pointed him straight here.
As soon as he reached the harbor, Luffy's eyes lit up.
Rows upon rows of pirate ships lined the port. To him, each one looked like a small fortune waiting to be claimed.
But Luffy wasn't stupid. Any port that could accommodate so many pirate ships at once was clearly more dangerous than it looked.
He decided it would be wise to do some recon first. He might be strong, but not invincible. If he barged into the wrong place and it turned out to be a den of powerful enemies, things could go very badly.
He docked his ship at the pier and stepped ashore.
The entire wharf was paved with marble. It wasn't exactly clean, but it was level enough for freight carts to move without issue.
The place was bustling.
Crowds of people swarmed the docks, shoulder to shoulder. Some were loading cargo onto ships; others were unloading it. The air was filled with the roar of voices and the clatter of goods.
Navigating through the crush of people was tough. To move faster, Luffy even used Observation Haki.
Once he made it out of the port area, the largest building in the city came into view, the Camus Auction House.
It sat at the end of a wide main road that ran straight from the docks.
Both sides of the road were lined with large shops. The auction house only dealt in rare treasures, so for everyday needs, most people preferred to shop at the stores along the road.
Every major merchant guild with a name on the Grand Line had a branch here.
Several side streets cut across the main road at intervals.
These side streets were home to all the service industries you could imagine, bars, inns, hot springs, brothels, casinos.
Some areas even offered all-in-one "full service" packages, occupying entire blocks.
The crowds here weren't as packed as the docks, but the streets were still far from quiet.
Luffy wasn't interested in the businesses selling salt, fabric, or household goods. What he really wanted was a good meal.
But this was also his first time seeing an actual auction house, in either his past life or this one.
His curiosity got the better of his appetite. He decided to take a look inside, especially after overhearing a passerby mention that a special item was being auctioned today: a Devil Fruit.
That alone was enough to pique Luffy's interest.
Outside the auction house…
The auction was already underway, and the guards at the entrance were turning away anyone who tried to enter.
Luckily, Luffy had his own methods.
Acting clueless, he strolled up to the front gate. Just as the guards moved to block him, a subtle burst of Conqueror's Haki radiated from his body, striking them with a wave of invisible pressure.
The guards fell into a brief daze, and Luffy walked right past them.
"Hey! Did you see that guy?" a nearby pirate said, eyes wide. "He went in after the auction started!"
His companion quickly hushed him. "Don't stare! Anyone the guards won't stop isn't someone we should be commenting on."
The first pirate immediately ducked his head, glancing nervously around. After confirming no one had noticed, he let out a sigh of relief.
Luffy, meanwhile, had no idea he'd just scared the hell out of a pirate.
Inside, the auction was in full swing.
At that moment, a beautiful jeweled crown was on the block.
"This crown," the auctioneer announced grandly, "was handcrafted by renowned West Blue gem artisan Master Shakimins! It features two perfectly symmetrical rows of red crystal gems, decreasing in size as they near the center. And at the very heart, this is the real prize, we have the legendary Forest Heart gemstone, which rivals the Desert Heart and Ocean Heart in fame!"
"In sunlight, the gem's radiance turns the entire crown a stunning shade of green, a symbol of royal nobility! The opening bid is 30 million Berries!"
The auctioneer's words were as theatrical as they were unverifiable. Then he banged the gavel to start the bidding.
Luffy quietly watched the nobles and elites fight tooth and nail, perhaps even bankrupt themselves, just for a fancy green hat.
He was here just to see the spectacle, not to buy anything.
In the end, the crown was sold to a noble named Gebilao for 99.99 million Berries, setting the hall ablaze with excitement.
Each item that followed was more extravagant than the last. The crowd grew more frenzied with every bid.
But Luffy didn't understand most of what was being sold.
The only item he recognized, a Grade One "Great" Sword, went for a relatively modest 20 million Berries.
As the auction dragged on, Luffy was on the verge of dozing off.
That was when two elegant attendants appeared, carrying a box as they walked solemnly out from behind the stage.
The auctioneer tapped the gavel lightly to calm the room.
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for…"
"Today's grand finale, a Devil Fruit!!"
He spread his arms wide in dramatic flair as a spotlight fell perfectly onto the box.
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