Chapter 187: Acquiring the Fruit
"Sold to the gentleman in white!"
The venue fell into deathly silence. Several wealthy merchants and nobles who'd been eager to bid on the wine immediately retreated, not because they lacked funds, but because they feared they wouldn't leave the auction house alive.
This was the Golden Emperor's territory. Most pirates—even Supernovas—wouldn't dare cause trouble here, fearing Gild Tesoro's retribution. But the Seven Warlords of the Sea were different entities entirely.
Especially not someone like Rhodes, the world-renowned Dragon Slayer Swordsman.
Seeing this, the host on stage could only maintain an awkward yet professional smile, hammer raised uncertainly. She couldn't bring it down, yet she couldn't not bring it down.
If she finalized the sale, they'd lose money. Rainbow Wine's base value wasn't astronomical, but its extreme rarity—coming from the New World's wine capital—combined with auction house atmosphere, could easily fetch 400 to 500 million berries, possibly more.
But if she didn't finalize it... the consequences would be far worse.
"200,000,000 berries—SOLD!"
The host brought down the hammer decisively, nearly weeping inside, though her professional facade never cracked. She quickly composed herself and announced enthusiastically:
"Next up is the absolute climax of tonight's auction—the grand finale! I'm certain many of you attended specifically for this item!"
As she spoke, two staff members approached the stage carrying an ornate lockbox reinforced with steel bands.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the finale of this auction: a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit!"
The host opened the box with a flourish, revealing a strange fruit covered in distinctive spiral patterns.
"According to verification by Devil Fruit specialists, this is most likely the Shiro Shiro no Mi—the Castle-Castle Fruit. An extraordinarily powerful spatial-type Devil Fruit!"
"This category of Devil Fruit is exceptionally rare, comparable in scarcity to Logia-types! With even minimal development, its versatility and power can be tremendously enhanced!"
"Therefore, we've set the opening bid for this fruit at 200,000,000 berries!"
The host's announcement sent the audience into excited murmurs, everyone filled with envy and desire.
Devil Fruits were always the most coveted treasures in the pirate world, granting superhuman abilities with near-limitless potential—especially those with unique strategic applications.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let tonight's grand finale... BEGIN!"
The moment she finished speaking, a flurry of bidding erupted from the audience.
"210,000,000 berries!"
"230,000,000 berries!"
"250,000,000 berries!"
Bids continued climbing steadily, though the increases remained conservative. Everyone was still gauging their competition, reluctant to reveal their maximum price prematurely.
"300,000,000."
Rhodes raised his hand casually and rounded up the figure.
The instant Rhodes spoke, the heated atmosphere in the auction hall seemed to plunge into ice water.
Most bidders immediately withdrew.
A few hesitated momentarily, weighing their options—after all, this was an extremely rare spatial-type Devil Fruit with immense potential—but ultimately retreated as well.
No one dared challenge the Dragon Slayer directly, fearing inevitable and brutal retaliation.
"..."
Rhodes said nothing more, his calm and indifferent gaze sweeping methodically across the audience.
His look appeared ordinary, but to those caught in it, the sensation was overwhelming—like a mountain crushing down, an ocean overturning, nearly suffocating in its intensity.
This was a technique Rhodes had learned on Amazon Lily: channeling Haoshoku Haki through one's gaze.
It was a favorite intimidation method of the Kuja Empresses. The principle was simple—focus Conqueror's Haki into your eyes, projecting overwhelming will that demanded submission from those within range.
Meanwhile, in a shadowed corner of the auction hall...
"What incredible presence! This kid's growth rate is truly monstrous."
Silvers Rayleigh took a sip of his sake, genuine surprise crossing his weathered features.
The last time they'd met, he'd sensed Rhodes had tremendous potential for world fame, but he hadn't imagined that day would arrive so soon.
"Haoshoku Haki, no less... At his age..."
Rayleigh tilted back his sake jug, only to find not a single drop remaining. His expression darkened considerably.
When it rains, it pours.
He patted his pockets, suddenly remembering he'd lost all his money gambling yesterday.
Was he going to have to sell himself to another auction house again?
Rayleigh scratched his silver hair in frustration. Most of Sabaody's auction houses had already "purchased" him multiple times—Shakky would be furious if she found out he'd done it again.
On stage, the host looked visibly distressed. What should have been a sensational finale had been completely dominated by Rhodes, resulting in hundreds of millions in lost potential revenue. She felt resentful yet helpless.
Never mind the Rainbow Wine, but this spatial Devil Fruit could have fetched 700 to 800 million berries easily!
Seeing the host's visible hesitation, Rhodes smiled with slight amusement.
Honestly, I wish she wouldn't finalize it—then I could just rob the place and save a fortune.
The Golden Emperor is absurdly wealthy anyway. Who better to steal from?
But the moment Rhodes shifted forward slightly in his seat, he heard the host's trembling voice, nearly on the verge of tears:
"S-sold! 300,000,000 berries! Congratulations, Rhodes-sama, on acquiring this rare Devil Fruit! Tonight's auction is now concluded!"
The moment she finished speaking, staff began ushering guests toward the exits.
The remaining attendees were stunned. That had been remarkably swift.
Rhodes was somewhat speechless himself.
It seemed the auction house management understood the temperament of powerful individuals extremely well, and knew exactly what would happen if they stalled or resisted.
They looked experienced—clearly having encountered similar situations frequently.
The auction ended, and guests gradually dispersed.
Those who'd won items were led backstage by staff to collect their purchases and settle payment.
When Rhodes arrived at the collection area, he found the young host Nicole waiting for him personally.
"Welcome, Rhodes-sama. I'm Nicole. These are the two items you acquired tonight."
She gestured elegantly to a table where the Rainbow Wine bottles and the Devil Fruit box sat.
"According to house policy, we're pleased to offer you a fifty percent discount on your total purchase."
Rhodes raised an eyebrow in surprise. "House policy?"
"The Golden Emperor maintains a registry of the world's most powerful individuals. Distinguished figures on this list receive fifty percent discounts on all purchases across our affiliated businesses, and you, Rhodes-sama, were recently added to that registry."
The young woman spoke in a pleasant, professional tone, giving him an appreciative smile.
"Clever businessman."
Rhodes nodded with genuine respect.
What merchants in the pirate world feared most were overwhelmingly powerful individuals—masters who possessed the strength to simply take whatever they wanted.
These people could rob you blind and flee to the seas before backup arrived. No matter how influential your backers, once they'd escaped with the goods, pursuit became nearly impossible.
By offering substantial discounts, the Golden Emperor had effectively established mutually beneficial relationships with these dangerous powerhouses. Combined with Gild Tesoro's own formidable strength and influence, this strategy greatly ensured the security of his business empire.
You can't strike someone who's smiling at you. With such tactful policies, Rhodes couldn't find any excuse for aggression and simply paid the discounted price.
"150,000,000 berries total. Thank you for your patronage, Rhodes-sama. We hope to see you at future auctions!"
"Next, I need to prepare for crafting the storage equipment..."
Rhodes muttered with barely contained excitement as he walked down Sabaody's bubble-filled streets after leaving the auction house.
He'd been anticipating this for so long!
But suddenly, Rhodes's expression shifted subtly, sensing someone following him.
This person possessed incredible power. Even with his advanced Kenbunshoku Haki, he couldn't precisely locate them—only vaguely detect their presence through its distortion.
However, Rhodes didn't need precision.
At this moment, there was only one person on the Sabaody Archipelago who could consistently outmatch him in Observation Haki, and who would actually bother following him.
"Rayleigh-san, I wonder why a legendary figure such as yourself is following me?"
After turning into a quiet alley, Rhodes stopped calmly and looked back over his shoulder.
"Hoh? You have quite sharp senses, young man."
As expected, an elderly man with distinctive silver hair and beard emerged from the shadows, smiling genially.
"I'm not really 'following' you per se. I just wanted to ask if I could trouble you for some of that wine."
His eyes sparkled as they fixed on Rhodes's bag, looking for all the world like a drunkard barely restraining himself from drooling.
(End of Chapter)
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