Boom!
The city gates were smashed open.
The slaves had completely lost their minds.
They wanted to escape.
But—
More than that, they wanted revenge. The people here were the very ones who had captured and sold them. How could they not seek vengeance? For those who had endured the torment of the Celestial Dragons and had been turned into something less than human, revenge was the only thing on their minds.
Once someone escapes, their first instinct isn't always to flee—it's to fight back.
Especially for those broken by torture.
"They're coming."
Arthur whispered with a slight smile. Then he leapt into the darkness, activating Wind King's Barrier, and vanished into the night.
Buzz~~
It was as if he had never appeared at all.
"Damn it!"
"What the hell is going on?"
The old man's face turned grim. He was one of those left behind in the Trading City—a high-ranking figure in the world's largest auction house.
Eternal Auction House.
The name itself conveyed a clear message: eternal stability, eternal dominance.
That was what it stood for.
And its master was none other than one of the infamous Dark Emperors.
Not just an Underworld Emperor.
No.
The title of Dark Emperor referred to a ruler who reigned over the true darkness of the world—far beyond the reach of mere underground lords. It was the difference between a Warlord of the Sea and a Yonko.
As the manager of the Trading City, Bobby's status was unshakable. The wealth he controlled was on par with that of any underground emperor.
Of course, the Dark Emperors had spent decades—centuries even—building their empires. Underground Emperors were nothing more than nouveau riche in comparison.
They weren't even on the same level.
"Bobby, manager of the Trading City and Eternal Auction House... by that title alone, your status surpasses even the underground emperors of the New World."
Just then, a light yet youthful voice echoed beside him.
Bobby's expression darkened immediately.
There, leaning casually by the window with arms crossed and a smile on his face, stood a blond-haired boy.
"Hmm?"
Bobby froze slightly—then instantly recognized him.
"Arthur Pendragon! You're with the Rocks Pirates, aren't you...?"
As a top agent under a Dark Emperor, Bobby was no fool. He quickly pieced everything together.
The Rocks Pirates were behind the slave rebellion.
They had freed every last one of them.
"Well then…"
Arthur smiled. "Bobby, how about handing over all the treasure? Don't worry—as long as I get enough, I won't do anything to you."
"HEHEHE!"
Bobby chuckled coldly. "How arrogant! Do you think I, of all people, would be intimidated by a brat like you? I've seen all kinds of shit in my life. Even if you're with the Rocks Pirates!"
Clang!
Slash!
Arthur didn't waste time arguing. He was on a tight schedule—this wasn't the only target tonight.
Despite his age, Bobby had decent strength and managed to block Arthur's first strike.
Unfortunately, in the next instant—his arm went flying.
"Gah!"
With a pained grunt, Bobby turned pale. His aging body couldn't handle such agony.
Even so—
He still tried to speak sternly. "Brat, you know what this means right? The cost—"
"Got crazy?"
Arthur interrupted him.
"Or are you trying to make me afraid?"
"You think the lunatics of the Rocks Pirates would care about something like this?"
"Sorry to break it to you, but…"
"I'm one of those lunatics too."
"I know very well—your Dark Emperors have influence on par with the world's superpowers. But guess what? The Rocks Pirates have crushed superpowers before."
"You think you're stronger than them?"
"…"
Bobby's face froze.
He wanted to curse.
He had always avoided dealing with the Rocks Pirates precisely for this reason.
Every last one of them was a madman.
They didn't care about consequences.
In this world, everything followed basic rules. But the Rocks Pirates? They spit on the rules. Total maniacs.
Worse yet—
The number of monsters in that crew was staggering.
Rocks, Edward (Whitebeard), and many others… the sheer number of top-tier fighters was terrifying.
Just look at the Kingdom of Adam or the Iron Empire—superpowers that roamed the New World unchecked.
What happened?
When the Rocks Pirates first formed, they flattened those powers with brute force. Slammed them into the ground and beat them into submission.
No joke.
Superpowers like those had taken generations—centuries—to build.
Sure, they had a few Admiral-level powerhouses…
But how many of those were loyal?
One? Two? That's already pushing it.
No one mass-produces Admiral-level fighters!
But Rocks?
He showed up with six Admiral-level members, countless Vice-Admirals, and a whole army of elites.
It wasn't even a fair fight. It was dimensional warfare.
They were simply unbeatable.
There was no chance of victory.
Even in the future Four Emperors era, most crews had one or two Admiral-level fighters at best.
The Rocks Pirates?
They had so many it broke the rules of the sea.
"Hah."
Arthur could tell from Bobby's dark, heavy expression exactly what he was thinking.
He continued calmly, "Hand over the treasure. This is your last chance, Mister Bobby. I know there are no real powerhouses here in the Red Line for your auction house to rely on. Don't try to stall—I'm not here to waste time."
"Fine."
Bobby stared deeply at Arthur.
In the end, he gave in.
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