"Valk! Is it really you? I can't believe it..." Maritis sobbed, the real warmth of his touch confirming she wasn't dreaming. She ignored his violent retching—questioning that would have to wait for another time.
This entire sequence had unfolded in mere moments. The guards were well-trained and hadn't been seriously injured despite being knocked back, but the timing of the slave auction had worked in Valk's favor. With so many staff members assigned to managing the large number of slaves both on and off stage, only a single strong guard had been positioned near the Devil Fruit display.
Moreover, most attention—including that of the staff—had been focused on the princess during her presentation, meaning Valk had accidentally chosen the perfect moment to strike.
"What have you done?!" the auctioneer screamed in panic once he realized what was happening.
After all, Valk hadn't just rushed the stage and destroyed venue property—he'd also consumed the Devil Fruit that was supposed to be the evening's grand finale. This level of loss was far beyond what a mere auctioneer could be held responsible for. His only hope was to capture the intruder immediately and somehow salvage the situation.
"Eh? My... Devil Fruit..." Carina muttered softly, stretching out her hand helplessly as several people around her shot her strange looks.
"Young people today are so impulsive," sighed Rayleigh, the slave who had kept his head down since appearing on stage. According to the normal auction sequence, he would have been next up for bidding.
Among the guests present were politicians and nobles from various nations, numerous pirates attracted by the Devil Fruit, and many powerful guards employed by the auction house itself. In Rayleigh's experienced opinion, without external assistance, Valk would most likely die here today.
Furthermore, not everyone possessed the ability to remove slave collars—even if Valk was standing right next to the person he wanted to rescue.
The venue staff quickly mobilized into action, while the elite guards Valk had brought with him rushed forward to provide support. The hall transformed from bustling excitement to complete chaos in seconds. Most of the weaker guests fled in panic, with only a few remaining to defend their positions.
Those who possessed power or courage—and especially those with ulterior motives who regularly engaged in questionable activities—watched the unfolding situation with great interest. This was particularly true of three separate pirate crews scattered throughout the audience.
These were pirates from the Four Blues and the Grand Line, with their captains bearing bounties worth tens of millions of berries each. Most of the other dignitaries and royal family members from various countries evacuated immediately under the protection of their personal guards.
Jerry and his crew remained to observe the situation. Preparing for the worst-case scenario, he quietly instructed those around him:
"If this escalates into a large-scale battle, you should hide in a corner or exit directly. Find an opportunity to return to the ship and implement our emergency escape plan."
"Don't worry, Boss Jerry! All that training has been useful—I can run really fast now," Skull replied confidently.
"Carrot, make sure you don't get separated from the others," Jerry added.
"Got it, Brother Jerry," Carrot confirmed.
After acknowledging their instructions, the crew moved out of their seats to continue watching the excitement from the aisle, ready to flee if necessary.
"Ahaha! Damn it! I came all this way just to get that fruit, but some nobody beat me to it!" complained one pirate captain.
"Hmph! You fool—did you really think you could obtain a Devil Fruit?" another scoffed.
"Hey! Why are you guys still arguing? The fruit's been eaten—be more careful!" warned a third.
"Eaten? Well, that just means he'll die eventually, and the fruit will regrow somewhere else! Ahaha!" the first captain laughed maniacally.
"Besides, we can still snatch that princess away! Hahaha!"
Several pirate captains from the West Blue, South Blue, and Grand Line surveyed the chaos erupting around them while bickering among themselves. They all wanted to wait and see if any opportunities presented themselves—otherwise, they wouldn't let Valk, who had stolen "their" fruit, escape alive.
After finally regrouping at the stage, Valk and his men found themselves completely surrounded by auction house personnel with no clear escape route. Several of his guards were already injured from the fighting.
Valk roared in frustration, barely managing to activate the power of the Devil Fruit he'd just consumed. His body suddenly transformed, muscles bulging as he took on the hybrid form of a muscular, upright Shiba Inu—complete with a dog's head on a human body.
"Ah... the Dog-Dog Fruit, Shiba Inu Model?" Jerry observed with amusement.
"How ridiculous he looks," he couldn't help but comment on the half-beast transformation.
The Shiba Inu warrior wielded a sword in his right hand while swinging his left fist with savage power, his new form radiating fierce strength.
"I'll lead the charge!" Valk shouted, attempting to break through the encirclement with his subordinates and Maritis in tow. However, they were blocked by several of the auction house's elite guards and couldn't advance further.
His heart sank. He hadn't expected the venue's security to be so well-trained and powerful that they could actually contain him even with his new abilities.
"Don't even think about escaping!" the auctioneer called out, seeing that the situation had stabilized with the intruder successfully blocked. "Besides, running away with her is pointless—she's wearing a slave collar that will explode if tampered with!"
"Leave me behind, Valk," Maritis said through her tears, watching him fight desperately in front of her. "I'm grateful you came to save me, but I... I can't escape."
"You should all leave quickly!" she pleaded, knowing the auctioneer was right. She had witnessed other slaves being blown to pieces for attempting to resist.
"Ah! Be careful!" she suddenly screamed.
While Valk was distracted and turning to respond to her, an elderly man dressed like an ordinary guard—who had been lurking inconspicuously in the crowd—suddenly launched a surprise attack, striking Valk squarely in the chest.
The devastating blow sent Valk flying backward to land in front of Maritis, blood streaming from his mouth.
Maritis screamed and threw herself protectively in front of Valk, trying to use her own body to block any follow-up attacks.
At this critical moment, Rayleigh decided he'd seen enough. Shaking his head with a resigned sigh, he released an overwhelming aura that filled the entire venue.
With the exception of Valk's group and a few other slaves whom he deliberately spared, his massive wave of Conqueror's Haki swept toward everyone in the hall.
Jerry had anticipated this development and stepped forward, projecting his own corresponding Haki to help shield Carina and the others behind him from the oppressive force. Even though Rayleigh had released it casually, the momentum was still incredibly sharp and dangerous.
Following this, Jerry also unleashed an equally powerful burst of Conqueror's Haki, targeting several intelligence operatives and guards who had been confused but not completely knocked unconscious by Rayleigh's initial wave. Their eyes rolled back as they collapsed with drool flowing from their mouths.
"Young man, that's quite disrespectful of you," Rayleigh called out with mock complaint, raising his head to look at Jerry. "Did you really have to make an old man like me take action?"
"Haha, I was just about to start myself, but I had a moment of bad timing and nearly missed my cue. You beat me to it," Jerry replied with a grin.
After witnessing most of the people in the venue get overwhelmed by the combined Conqueror's Haki from both legendary figures, Rayleigh addressed Jerry with half-joking reproach.