After what felt like an eternity of hushed negotiations and document exchanges, Skull and Shakky finally stood up from their private table simultaneously. Judging from both their satisfied expressions, the intelligence trade had clearly gone well for everyone involved.
Jerry glanced at his pocket watch and gently patted Kotatsu, who had been lounging contentedly at his feet throughout the lengthy business meeting.
"Are we finished here, Skull?" he asked. "If so, let's head out and find some lunch. This place charges way too much for food—I'd rather eat somewhere that won't bankrupt us."
"Sure, let's go," Skull agreed readily, clearly pleased with whatever arrangement he'd made with the information broker.
Since it was approaching noon and everyone's stomachs were beginning to protest, finding a good meal seemed like the logical next step.
After Skull packed up his documents and bid polite farewells to both Shakky and Rayleigh, the trio headed out of the establishment and began making their way toward the other numbered groves of the archipelago.
Back inside the bar, Shakky couldn't help but chuckle at Jerry's parting comment.
"That kid actually called my prices expensive," she said with obvious amusement.
"How did your conversation go with him?" she asked Rayleigh curiously.
"Well..." Rayleigh paused thoughtfully, swirling the contents of his glass before responding. "I'm not quite sure how to put this, but he's definitely unusual. Completely different from other pirates I've encountered over the years."
"Besides that, he doesn't seem particularly interested in reaching Laugh Tale at all," the former first mate continued with genuine puzzlement. "Maybe there's just too much of a generation gap between us. I found it difficult to relate to some of his conversational topics, haha."
Rayleigh's assessment was honest—Jerry's mindset and priorities seemed to operate on a completely different wavelength from most ambitious pirates.
"Ha! That's quite interesting," Shakky replied with knowing laughter. "It seems the intelligence reports about him aren't entirely accurate after all."
"Well, I think I'll head out for a walk myself," Rayleigh announced, finishing his drink and standing up from the bar stool.
With that, the legendary pirate made his own exit from the establishment, leaving Shakky to contemplate the unusual crew that had just visited her bar.
Jerry and Skull had claimed they were going to search for food, but they didn't have any particular cuisine in mind—they were simply wandering through the grove districts and seeing what caught their attention.
As they walked casually through the busy streets, Jerry found himself glancing around periodically without changing his expression. It was becoming increasingly apparent that his substantial bounty increase had attracted quite a few followers throughout the Sabaody Archipelago. Various suspicious individuals were attempting to tail them with varying degrees of subtlety.
Jerry chose to ignore these would-be bounty hunters and information sellers as long as they didn't actively disturb his peaceful exploration. After all, dealing with small-time troublemakers would only create unnecessary complications.
Before they managed to locate a suitable restaurant, Jerry spotted two familiar figures emerging from what appeared to be an amusement park complex. Carina and Carrot were walking together, with Carrot still chattering excitedly about her recent experiences while Carina listened with the patient expression of someone who'd been hearing similar enthusiasm for hours.
"The spinning teacups were amazing, Sister Carina! And that roller coaster that went upside down—I've never experienced anything like it!" Carrot was explaining animatedly, her rabbit ears practically vibrating with residual excitement.
When they'd first arrived on the island, Carrot's attention had been immediately captured by the towering amusement park attractions visible from the docks. Carina had originally planned to spend their free time exploring the shopping districts, but she'd been dragged along by her enthusiastic friend and ended up spending the entire morning riding various carnival attractions.
They were taking a lunch break from their adventures when they happened to encounter Jerry and Skull on the street, much to Carina's relief—her ears desperately needed a respite from Carrot's non-stop commentary.
"Wow, Carrot, you went to the amusement park?" Jerry asked with genuine interest. "You look absolutely thrilled about the whole experience."
"Yes, Brother Jerry! It was incredible, even though there were huge crowds and we had to wait in long lines for some of the popular rides," Carrot replied enthusiastically, immediately shifting her conversational target to Jerry now that she had a fresh audience.
Jerry understood how overwhelming a first amusement park experience could be for someone who'd grown up in the isolated kingdom of Zou. He listened to her excited recounting with genuine patience and smiled at her infectious joy, though only heaven knew whether he was actually absorbing the detailed play-by-play she was providing.
The reunited group continued walking and chatting as they searched for a suitable restaurant. Eventually they found a busy establishment that seemed popular with both locals and visitors, suggesting the food quality would be worthwhile.
After everyone had settled into their seats and placed orders for lunch, they couldn't help but overhear the animated conversation taking place at the neighboring table. The topic that had captured everyone's attention was an upcoming Devil Fruit auction scheduled to begin that very afternoon.
After listening to the discussion for several minutes, Skull suddenly tapped his forehead with the expression of someone who'd just remembered an important detail.
"No wonder Shakky mentioned she had some additional information for me," he said with obvious realization. "She was referring to this Devil Fruit auction. Apparently it's become common knowledge throughout the archipelago, but I hadn't been paying much attention to the local gossip."
"Really? What did she tell you about it?" Jerry asked, his curiosity clearly piqued. "Do you know what specific abilities this fruit is supposed to grant?"
Despite all his time in the pirate world, Jerry realized that apart from witnessing Ace consume the Flame-Flame Fruit, he'd never actually seen an uneaten Devil Fruit in person. The opportunity to observe one—even if only from a distance—held genuine appeal.
"According to what Shakky mentioned, it's supposedly a Zoan-type fruit," Skull explained thoughtfully. "Probably just a standard animal transformation ability rather than anything particularly exotic. She didn't provide any specific details about which animal it might be."
"Well then, after we finish eating, why don't we go check it out?" Jerry suggested casually. "Even if it's just an ordinary Zoan fruit, it might be interesting to see how these auctions operate."
Since he wasn't planning to spend the afternoon fishing and had no other pressing obligations, attending the auction seemed like a reasonable way to spend their time.
"Sister Carina, let's go too! I'd love to see what a real auction is like," Carrot chimed in eagerly, clearly excited by the prospect of another new experience.
"Sure, sure, we'll go," Carina agreed readily, though her enthusiastic response had less to do with curiosity and more to do with opportunity.
A distinct golden gleam had appeared in Carina's eyes—the unmistakable sign that she'd identified a potential target. After all, Devil Fruits were incredibly valuable commodities, often selling for tens of millions of berries depending on their specific abilities.
Carina found herself unconsciously smiling as she began mentally calculating whether there might be an opportunity to liberate such a valuable prize from its current owners. The challenge and potential profit of such an endeavor was exactly the kind of scheme that appealed to her professional instincts.
"Oh my," Jerry said with obvious amusement, having immediately recognized that particular expression on Carina's face. "What exactly are you plotting now, little thief?"
"Ahem, I'm not telling you anything," Carina replied with feigned innocence.
"You don't need to tell me—it's written all over your face," Jerry pointed out with a knowing grin. "The moment you heard 'Devil Fruit,' I could practically see the gears turning in your head."
Combining Carina's suddenly cheerful demeanor with the mention of an extremely valuable auction item, Jerry didn't need exceptional deductive skills to figure out what kind of plan was forming in her mind.
The group continued their conversation in hushed tones while gathering additional information from the various loud discussions taking place throughout the restaurant. It seemed like half the establishment's customers were talking about the upcoming auction in one form or another.
By the time their food arrived, they'd developed a fairly comprehensive understanding of the situation. The auction was being held at a large, multi-purpose venue with the Devil Fruit scheduled as the grand finale item. Before the main event, there would be numerous other valuable objects up for bidding.
Based on the timing they'd overheard, they could probably enter the venue soon if they wanted to secure good seats. The auction had been heavily promoted throughout the archipelago, so attendance was expected to be substantial.
Except for pre-registered VIP guests, anyone wanting to participate needed to present a significant deposit and arrive early for registration—otherwise, they risked finding no available seating.
After quickly finishing their lunch, the group headed directly toward the auction house location. During the walk, Carina insisted that Jerry disguise himself more thoroughly to avoid affecting her potential "business opportunities," since his was the highest bounty and most recognizable face among them.
Jerry shrugged and produced a half-face mask from seemingly nowhere—a simple mouse-themed disguise that completely covered his features above the nose. His system-granted storage space had expanded considerably as his overall abilities grew, allowing him to carry an impressive collection of miscellaneous items including various disguises and, of course, his ever-present fishing equipment.
The auction house itself was an impressive structure—magnificent yet tastefully understated, designed to convey dignity and elegance rather than gaudy ostentation. The architecture suggested this was a legitimate, high-class establishment rather than some back-alley operation.
Upon their arrival, reception staff immediately guided them toward the venue's registration area where non-VIP guests could sign up for participation.
"Welcome, honored guests," the enthusiastic staff member greeted them professionally. "If you're not among our pre-registered VIP members, please provide your information here for standard registration."
"We'll need to register then," Jerry replied, deciding to follow proper procedures rather than attempting to sneak in or cause unnecessary complications.
"Certainly, sir. May I have your name for our records?" the staff member asked politely, pen poised over the registration forms.
"Jay... uh, actually it's... the Magnificent Mighty Mouse, Micky," Jerry replied, barely catching himself before blurting out his real name and instead providing what sounded like a ridiculous alias.
After completing the routine paperwork and meeting the deposit requirements, they found themselves standing near the venue entrance waiting for the doors to officially open.
"Hey Skull," Jerry said with sudden concern, "this auction house isn't owned by Doflamingo, is it?"
"Um... maybe? Probably? Possibly? Actually, probably not?" Skull replied uncertainly, realizing he hadn't thought to investigate that particular detail during his information gathering.
The question had just occurred to Jerry, but now he found himself genuinely worried about what kind of operation they might be walking into.