Chapter 131 Commotion at the Auction (Part 1)
After verifying his funds at the entrance of the auction house, Eric was given a bidding paddle.
"Pretty formal, huh? Even checking for funds," Eric joked. "This is even more official than that auction house in Sabaody Archipelago..."
Kurumi casually replied, "That place is controlled by one of the Seven Warlords, Donquixote Doflamingo. Very few dare to stir up trouble there. But this place is different—it's a real mixed bag."
Sure enough, not long after they entered the venue, shouting erupted outside the gate.
"Dammit! We spent half a month sailing here and you won't even let us in?!"
"Apologies, everyone. Due to the high value of the items in this auction, a last-minute rule was implemented—only customers carrying over a million Beli may enter."
"So it's just discrimination, huh?!" The speaker looked like a pirate, clearly hoping to score big at this auction.
"..." The guard at the gate simply gave him a smirk that said, "Yes, I am looking down on you."
"I'll kill you!" The pirate drew the blade at his waist and slashed toward the guard.
Picking a fight without hesitation—classic pirate behavior, paired with average pirate intelligence.
Boom! It wasn't a normal gunshot, but a thunderous blast like that of a small cannon.
As the smoke cleared, the pirate was nowhere to be seen—blasted straight into the opposite wall.
Pirates truly were tough. Even after being hit with such a powerful blast, his body wasn't turned to mush on impact.
"Boss!"
His underlings rushed over, peeling their captain off the wall and checking his injuries.
"Boss!" Another cry of anguish rang out. It seemed the boss couldn't be saved. The furious crew, looking like they'd caught mad cow disease, drew their weapons and charged with bloodshot eyes.
Bang bang bang! The prepared guards raised their flintlock rifles in unison and opened fire in formation.
No matter how skilled one is, bullets still hurt—especially for the weak. Firearms remained deadly. And in the hands of skilled users, they were even more dangerous.
Many had turned to piracy because they couldn't survive under the oppressive taxes of kings and nobles. Guns were expensive—far more so than ordinary blades—so most pirates only carried machetes and relied on intimidation to rob civilians of their valuables.
But in the face of a wealthy auction house, blades simply didn't cut it. A perfect moment to teach these poor fools what pay-to-win power really means.
Dozens of underlings fell under the web of crisscrossing bullets, and just like that, an entire pirate crew was annihilated.
Eric, using his [Mind Net], observed the small disturbance outside the auction calmly. He wasn't concerned. Pirates were used to bullying others at sea—running into a hard wall was their own fault. He was far more interested in what was about to happen inside.
The big shots in the front rows of the hall didn't care either. Sprawled comfortably in their premium seats, the noise outside was drowned out by the hum of conversation within.
'So many people here… hmm, kind of want to rob the place again.' To Eric, everyone here looked like a walking million Beli. His eyes practically turned into Beli signs.
"That's..." His [Mind Net] picked up the presence of someone in a white coat—CP0.
"Damn, they really came." Eric immediately felt that nothing good would come of encountering that guy.
...
The auction began quickly. One item after another was brought onstage, none selling for less than a million Beli—they were all high-quality goods.
Eric and his group sat in the audience, watching casually. They weren't particularly interested in the jewels and famed blades on display.
As time went on, each item drew longer bidding wars. The deeper into the auction, the more valuable the goods. Wealthy bidders competed fiercely, neither side willing to back down. The host's face was practically blooming with joy.
Eventually, one side would always hit their mental limit and reluctantly give up.
At least there were no slaves being auctioned here. That kind of thing only happened openly in Sabaody Archipelago.
After nearly two hours, they finally reached the final item.
"Now, everyone, we've come to the highlight of today's auction—a Devil Fruit!"
The host once again riled up the atmosphere. The crowd instantly perked up—most of the pirates were here for this very reason.
Colorful lights began flashing, spotlights danced across the hall, and then converged at the center of the stage.
A platform rose slowly from a hidden opening in the middle of the stage. Under a semi-spherical al glass cover sat a strange, earth-yellow fruit.
"As you all know, those who eat a Devil Fruit will be cursed by the sea and lose the ability to swim. But you're also aware that all three current Emperors of the Sea are Devil Fruit users!"
"This fruit is a Paramecia-type. While the exact ability is unknown, two of the three Emperors also possess Paramecia abilities!"
"Do any of you here have the courage to eat this unknown fruit and become the fourth Emperor of the Sea?!"
The host skillfully dodged specifics while hyping the fruit to the level of the Emperors. But in truth, even without Devil Fruits, Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido would've been formidable. The fruit was just icing on the cake.
But for these pirates? They needed the cake—badly.
When the crowd heard the title "Fourth Emperor of the Sea," their eyes glowed green with greed. Their faces lit up with desire, like hungry wolves.
And honestly, calling them wolves wasn't far off. Pirates on the sea were like wolves—rushing in to strike whenever they saw a chance, looting wildly if they succeeded, fleeing fast if they failed.
Just as the long-hidden Devil Fruit appeared, the same CP0 agent Eric had seen in Gourmet City stood up and left the auction hall—still wearing the same outfit and mask.
He had been searching for the Ope Ope no Mi, a red, heart-shaped fruit he had seen in the records. This one didn't match.
"Phew~" Eric breathed a sigh of relief after watching the agent leave the hall. So he wasn't here for Eric—just looking for a specific Devil Fruit. This one wasn't it.
Eric made a mental note to limit his exposure to government forces, especially the intelligence branches. Better to quietly build up strength. The next time he appeared before the World Government, they'd be powerless to stop him.
"The starting bid is 100 million Beli! Let the auction begin!"
"I'll go first! 130 million! All you broke bastards, step aside!"
"Bidder No.1 offers 130 million Beli!"
"Hmph, 140 million! You're not that rich yourself!"
"Bidder No.7 offers 140 million Beli!"
The bidding war kicked off with a bang. The numbers being shouted made even the spectators' hearts race. The price quickly soared past 200 million Beli.
At that moment, Kurumi noticed something odd. "Those pirates staring at the fruit with glowing eyes… don't seem like they plan to bid."
Chiron added, "That's not all—they're also eyeing the ones who are bidding."
"They're not just planning to snatch the Devil Fruit. Looks like they want to rob the bidders too. Hah, and they're not the only ones."
"Either way… this is going to be fun~"
(END CHAPTER)
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