Chapter 186: The Auction House
Grove 1 was a lawless zone, teeming with pirates, human traffickers, and all manner of criminals.
Of course, this posed no obstacle to Rhodes.
His Warlord status carried considerable weight in Paradise—the first half of the Grand Line. Upon recognizing him, these lowlifes quickly averted their gazes and gave him a wide berth.
Rhodes ignored them completely and headed straight for the entrance to the Human Auction House.
He didn't have a ticket, but who was Rhodes? The Dragon Slayer Swordsman, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
He simply walked up to the entrance. The guards immediately recognized him and scrambled to let him through.
Upon entering, he found the auction hall enormous—already packed with hundreds of attendees seated in rising tiers.
The door guard had immediately informed management that a Warlord had arrived. They quickly dispatched a stunningly beautiful bunny girl in a revealing outfit to greet him personally and escort him to the front row VIP section.
Ignoring the bunny girl's almost suggestive demeanor and lingering touches, Rhodes waved her away dismissively. He'd dealt with countless such advances before and had no interest.
He glanced around the auction hall and was mildly surprised to spot a World Noble seated not far to his right.
The woman wore expensive silk garments, had a crystal bubble helmet over her head, and carried herself with that distinctive air of supreme arrogance...
Rhodes felt he'd seen this particular Celestial Dragon before. It must be Shalria—one of the three World Nobles who would be present when Luffy punched Saint Charlos in the original timeline.
The female Celestial Dragon noticed his direct gaze and glared back at him, seemingly furious that he'd dared look upon Shalria Palace without immediately prostrating himself.
Rhodes narrowed his eyes slightly. He didn't want to provoke the World Nobles prematurely—not before the Paramount War, at least—but he also didn't want them disrupting the auction with their usual entitled antics.
An idea suddenly struck him.
A thin strand of lightning gathered at his fingertips. Under Rhodes's masterful control, it snaked through the air invisibly, evading all detection before plunging directly into the Celestial Dragon's body.
Bzzt...
Rhodes's control over his Devil Fruit power had reached truly exceptional levels.
The voltage was perfectly calibrated—just enough to completely paralyze Shalria's nervous system without causing visible injury.
Unable to speak, her body completely immobilized, frozen in place as if she'd been turned to stone.
Terror flickered in her eyes.
The sensation of remaining fully conscious yet unable to control her own body was incredibly disturbing and frightening.
Her bodyguards and attendants, however, remained completely oblivious to her condition. They were actually secretly grateful that Lady Shalria was being so unusually quiet today—no screaming demands or violent outbursts.
Rhodes smiled faintly and turned his attention to the stage.
The auction was beginning.
Under the expectant gaze of the crowd, a beautiful young woman dressed in an elegant yet revealing outfit gracefully stepped onto the stage under spotlights.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome! I'm your lovely host, Nicole!"
She spoke with practiced enthusiasm, her voice carrying clearly through the packed hall.
"We've meticulously prepared this auction over many months, gathering treasures from across all four Blues and both halves of the Grand Line. I'm sure you're all eagerly anticipating what we have in store!"
"So without further delay, let the auction begin!"
The host gestured elegantly, and assistants immediately brought out the first item—a sleek box that gleamed under the lights.
"For our opening item: a complete combat suit from the Vinsmoke Family of North Blue!"
As she finished speaking, attendants opened the box with a flourish, revealing a form-fitting, technologically advanced green combat suit.
"This raid suit is not only fireproof and waterproof, but also dramatically reduces impact force from attacks! A must-have for adventurers, warriors, and anyone who values their life!"
"Starting bid: 20,000,000 berries! Bidding begins now!"
Her announcement set the crowd buzzing with excited chatter.
"The Vinsmoke Family?!"
"How impressive—they actually managed to acquire a Germa 66 raid suit!"
"Aren't they afraid of retaliation for auctioning this openly?"
"This auction house is backed by Gild Tesoro, the Golden Emperor. How could they possibly fear even the Vinsmoke Family?"
Bidding began immediately. Something that could dramatically boost combat effectiveness just by wearing it was naturally highly coveted by pirates and mercenaries alike.
Rhodes was mildly surprised to see it.
The Vinsmoke Family—Germa 66—was a legendary mercenary organization that once ruled all of North Blue. Even now, despite their decline from those heights, they still commanded a seat at the Reverie and wielded considerable influence over the World Government. They remained a top-tier military power with deep resources and cutting-edge technology.
Of course, Rhodes had zero interest in the raid suit. Setting aside whether it would provide any meaningful benefit to someone at his level, the main issue was that the green color scheme was absolutely hideous.
Over the next period, several extremely rare items appeared—exotic goods from North Blue, South Blue, and other distant regions Rhodes had never visited.
While he wasn't particularly interested in acquiring them, it was certainly eye-opening to see such variety.
"As expected of the Golden Emperor's auction house—the quality is simply exceptional!"
"This is nothing. Gild Tesoro's personal auction in Gran Tesoro—the world's largest entertainment city—is THE premier auction in the entire world. They say even the Yonko send representatives, and world-class treasures always appear there."
"It's a shame... ordinary people don't even qualify to attend those kinds of auctions."
The atmosphere remained heated. With his enhanced hearing, Rhodes could clearly distinguish these conversations even across the crowded hall.
"Now, let's move to the climax portion of our auction!"
The host clapped her hands, and two exceptionally beautiful young women, dressed in scandalously revealing attire, emerged from backstage, led on delicate chains.
"These two lovely ladies are both celebrated courtesans, carefully trained from childhood at Pleasure District establishments."
"Besides their exquisite beauty and stunning figures, they're also highly proficient in dance, music, and all manner of... bedroom techniques. They absolutely will not disappoint!"
"Pleasure District products are guaranteed top quality! Starting bid: 30,000,000 berries!"
The atmosphere immediately intensified. Beautiful women—especially those skilled in various arts—were obviously highly sought after commodities.
"35,000,000!"
"40,000,000 berries! I want both sisters!"
One after another, wealthy merchants and nobles—dripping with jewelry and expensive clothing—raised their bids enthusiastically. In this pirate world where entertainment options were limited, beautiful women were undoubtedly one of the most prized diversions.
Rhodes, however, showed no reaction whatsoever.
After spending time with Robin's elegant beauty and even witnessing Hancock's breathtaking allure up close, such heavily made-up women held no appeal for him anymore.
In the end, the "courtesan pair" sold for 100,000,000 berries.
The host hammered down the sale with satisfaction and announced with renewed energy:
"Next up—our penultimate item!"
As soon as she finished speaking, nine bunny girls emerged from backstage in formation, each holding an exquisite crystal tray. Upon each tray sat a single ornate bottle of wine.
Remarkably, the wine's color constantly shifted—sometimes deep crimson, sometimes pale emerald, sometimes a dazzling prismatic blend resembling a liquid rainbow.
"This is the legendary Rainbow Wine from the wine capital in the New World! It's universally regarded as the finest liquor in existence. If you're a connoisseur, don't miss this opportunity!"
The host licked her lips with apparent longing, playing up her desire.
"I really want to taste it myself... but duty calls!"
"Reserve price: 100,000,000 berries!"
Almost before she finished speaking, and just as other bidders were opening their mouths—
A cool, authoritative voice cut through the room:
"200,000,000 berries."
Everyone turned in surprise.
A handsome young man in white sat casually in the VIP section, one hand resting lightly on his sword hilt, his expression making it abundantly clear he had zero concern about anyone daring to compete with him.
In fact—
No one did dare to compete.
Recognition rippled through the crowd in whispers:
"That's the Dragon Slayer!"
"One of the Seven Warlords..."
"Best not to provoke him."
The only person who might have been arrogant enough to challenge a Warlord—the Celestial Dragon Shalria—remained conspicuously paralyzed and silent in her seat, unable to so much as twitch a finger in protest.
"S-sold! To the distinguished gentleman in white! 200,000,000 berries!"
The host quickly hammered down the sale, clearly eager to avoid any potential conflict.
(End of Chapter)
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