Chapter 95: Sabaody Archipelago – Human Auction House (3)
"Didn't expect them to be auctioning off a mermaid this time. That's rare."
"Why? Is that species really so uncommon?" Kurumi asked curiously.
"More or less. But it's mainly because this island is dangerous for fish-men and merfolk."
"One or two hundred years ago, fish-men and merfolk were classified as fish, and they were persecuted by humans from all over the world—seen as subhuman."
"Even though fish-men are ten times stronger than regular humans, no matter how strong a species is, it can't overcome overwhelming numbers. The oppression continued until the World Government formally declared friendly relations with them."
"And there's another ugly part of human history—slave trade and trafficking. That culture is still tolerated here. This island still discriminates against merfolk and fish-men."
"Discriminates? But aren't mermaids incredibly popular here? How does that work?" Esdeath frowned. "If they're hated, shouldn't they be slaughtered?"
"Who knows. But it's only female mermaids that are considered popular merchandise. Male merfolk aren't."
Kurumi's voice was full of killing intent. "Hmph. And what do they plan to do with them after they buy them?"
"That depends on the buyer. Most probably display them in aquariums. The rest will spend their lives confined to small tanks. And some twisted nobles might have... other ideas."
In Eric 's heavily female crew, all the women fell silent. The air felt like the quiet before a volcanic eruption.
"With the rise of the Great Pirate Era and the explosive increase in pirates, female mermaids became a hot commodity. High price, low risk. So many pirates started capturing and trafficking mermaids once they reached Fish-Man Island."
"But ten years ago, the legendary pirate Edward Newgate—Whitebeard—formed an alliance with King Neptune of the Ryugu Kingdom and declared Fish-Man Island his territory. His name alone scared many pirates into backing off."
"Still, some curious mermaids can't resist their desire to see human society and swim toward the archipelago's edge—only to be captured by greedy traffickers."
"Ara, poor little mermaid. Human society doesn't just have beautiful sights—it has plenty of darkness too."
"Using only his name to deter so many pirates… Edward Newgate must be strong. I'd love to fight him someday."
Same story, completely different takeaways—Kurumi and Esdeath never failed to contrast.
"Captain, I've obtained the full backstage map of the auction house and the location of the slave collar keys." Perona recalled several invisible ghosts and reported in.
"Well done."
"I also found the auction house's little vault. Over 100 million in cash."
"Excellent. You even went above and beyond the task I never gave you. When we get back, I'll have Da Vinci make you a few custom toys."
"Horororo~ Thank you, Captain Eric !"
"Now, let's start the bidding!" Disco began whipping the crowd into a frenzy.
Several bidders tightened their grips on their paddles, eyes fierce, ready to raise their bids the moment it began.
"Starting price—70 million Berries!"
"Seventy-five million!"
"Seventy-eight million!"
Bidders raised their paddles one after another, shouting out offers.
"Two hundred million!" Saint Charlmak declared, instantly crushing the under-100-million bids.
"Saint Charlmak bids 200 million! Any higher?" Disco called out.
The other mermaid bidders fell silent, sighing in frustration. That price far exceeded any known mermaid auction.
Just as Disco approached the hammer to seal the deal, a voice interrupted the silence.
"Hey! I want to bid too…" Eric spoke up.
"Oh? Another bidder? What's your paddle number…? Why hasn't the staff handed him a number yet?!"
Disco paused, and even Charlmak turned to see who dared challenge his purchase.
"T-That guest already has a paddle…" the staff member who'd served Eric said nervously.
"But I don't plan to pay." Eric 's voice dropped cold. "My offer is… your lives."
His icy words rang through the hall, sending shivers down every noble's spine—quickly replaced by rage.
"Who?! Some lowly commoner dares speak like that?!"
"Do you know who we are?! Kneel and apologize!"
The entire auction floor erupted in angry yelling.
Disco's heart sank. Could this be trouble? There was a Celestial Dragon present! He quickly sent a minion to alert his boss—"Heavenly Yaksha" Donquixote Doflamingo.
"Esdeath, freeze the entire building. Don't let a single one escape."
"Understood."
Crack crack... The temperature plummeted. A chilling wind swept through the hall. Thick ice quickly sealed the outer walls, fusing the doors and even freezing the ceiling solid.
Someone shouted, "Devil Fruit user!"
Then someone recognized her. "That's the 'Ice Queen' Esdeath—the one who defeated a Warlord!"
Unlike in the anime, where nobody ever recognized the Straw Hats, here everyone knew her face.
"Well, none of you are leaving now." Eric smiled and blinked onto the stage.
Bzzzt! Without even using a named attack, a regular lightning discharge turned Disco into a crispy, smoking silhouette.
"Eek!" Many women who'd never seen a killing screamed.
Clank clank clank—several fully armored guards rushed forward, forming a line in front of the Celestial Dragon.
Charlmak wasn't afraid. No one had ever dared harm a Celestial Dragon. He scowled, "Hey, do you have any idea what happens to those who strike me? How dare you—"
Smack! Eric , using the full power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, instantly appeared before Charlmak and backhanded him, sending him flying in a spinning arc mid-sentence.
The entire hall went silent—then jaws dropped.
"Saint Charlmak!" The armored guards finally reacted, rushing after their fallen master and launching an attack at Eric .
Bzzzt! A brilliant flash of blue lightning erupted. The guards' armor and flesh fused from the intense heat.
"You didn't hurt the nearby civilians with that. Your control has really improved," Esdeath complimented with a nod.
"Kurumi, use your power to drain their time!"
"Finally, my turn~ Come, City of Devouring Time!" A black-red domain spread through the room. Nobles collapsed from their seats or slumped over where they stood.
"What's… happening?!"
"H-Help…"
"Just relax and become 'my' time." Kurumi grinned.
"Kurumi, have your clones search them and collect all the money."
"Leave it to 'us.'"
"No problem, 'me.'"
"Copy that, 'me.'"
The chorus of identical voices terrified the barely-conscious nobles. Some women even began sobbing.
"Akame, go with Perona and retrieve the slave collar keys. Free everyone wearing one."
Akame nodded. "Mm." She followed the floating Perona to the back.
Esdeath walked over and placed her hands on her hips. "So, what now?"
"What now?" Eric grinned. "Do you want to handle the Celestial Dragon personally—or should I?"
A strange red glint flashed in Esdeath's eyes. A stranger would've been terrified—but Eric had long since gotten used to it.
"May I? Can I torture and interrogate him?"
"Of course. But you'll likely end up on an Admiral's blacklist—hunted for life. Also, forget about ever becoming a Warlord."
"I don't care about Warlord titles. As for Admirals—I'm not afraid. The only thing I care about… is your opinion of me." Esdeath's direct confession caught Eric completely off guard.
Eric smiled wide. "I can't let you shoulder all the blame alone. If someone's going to strike a Celestial Dragon, it's going to be me too."
(END CHAPTER)
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