After the influential figures from various factions submitted their requests for changes while lining up outside, Caelan, who was seated in the side hall of the palace, wore a wide smile.
The entire performance just now had been orchestrated by Caelan from the beginning. It was all a scheme to take advantage of these forces.
"They don't care about the auction itself. They just want to find some backdoor deal or special benefit and pester me every single day. You think I'd let that slide so easily?"
Caelan slapped the stack of petitions in his hand, clearly pleased.
These factions had been loitering around for several days, bothering him in different places, trying to extract insider information or discounts.
Even if he didn't meet them directly, it was still annoying being watched by a bunch of flies in secret.
If it weren't for the possibility that they might be future customers or middlemen helping to drive up the price, he would've already wiped them out.
Now, conning them out of some money could be considered a form of compensation for all the mental anguish they caused.
However, Caelan hadn't expected Monkey D. Dragon and cadre Koala to be among them.
He planned to deal with Dragon and Koala last, after handling the rest.
At that moment, seeing more than a dozen people willing to pay 100 million Berries for his autograph, Uta suddenly got excited.
"Caelan, Caelan! Wasn't my acting pretty good just now?"
Uta, with her red and white hair, was sitting astride Caelan's thighs, arms wrapped around his neck, taking full credit with pride.
She had just acted like a die-hard fan, a performance she perfected by watching how the mermaids looked at Caelan.
If she were to rate her own acting, it would be a perfect 100.
Uta looked at Caelan with her large, sparkling eyes, practically begging for praise.
"You were amazing. Not only are you the best singer, but also the best actor."
Caelan affectionately scratched Uta's dainty nose and gave her high praise.
"Hehe, you're exaggerating!"
Although she said that, the smile on her lips showed she was clearly enjoying the praise.
"Be good. Go hide for now. I'll reward you after I finish dealing with these people."
Caelan gently kissed her forehead and spoke tenderly.
"Hmm~"
Uta's cheeks flushed a little, and she let out a soft, barely audible response. Being close to Caelan still felt awkward for her, unlike Nami and Robin, who had long settled into a natural relationship with him.
With that, Uta trotted off with light steps and hid in a side room.
Once Uta was out of sight, Caelan called in the first male fan—Fast, the messenger of the Shipping King.
"Greetings, Caelan-sama!"
Fast respectfully handed over a stack of 10,000 Berry bills with proper etiquette.
"I admire your devotion, Fast."
Caelan weighed the bundle of notes in his hand and instantly knew it totaled 100 million Berries. He smiled gently.
Then he picked a postcard from a pile of beautifully crafted cards on the table and signed it in a flamboyant style.
"Caelan-sama, I'm your loyal admirer. I'm very interested in the artificial Devil Fruit you're auctioning. I was hoping we could conduct a private transaction. I promise we won't let you lose out on price."
Fast spoke with utmost respect, cautiously observing Caelan's expression.
But Caelan handed over the signed postcard with a smile. "I'd actually like to trade with you privately, but the auction has already been announced in the newspaper. I'm a man of my word, you see."
Fast took the postcard, but his smile had turned stiff. "Caelan-sama, we truly are sincere."
"I'm honest too, and I stick to what I say. Now that you've received a 100 million Berry autograph, please make room for the next fan."
Caelan's smile faded slightly, and his eyes narrowed.
"…Yes, Caelan-sama."
Fast reluctantly lowered his head and agreed. But if he really just spent 100 million Berries for a signature, that was a massive loss.
Still unwilling to give up, Fast asked, "Then, Caelan-sama, is there anything we should pay special attention to during the auction?"
"Of course. The auction is at noon the day after tomorrow. Don't be late."
Caelan replied casually, waving his left hand to dismiss the guest.
This was an important event. Being late would be problematic.
Fast turned and left with a dark expression, his steps heavy.
A hundred million Berries, and all he got was this?
This was daylight robbery!
As he neared the palace gates, Fast nearly tore up the postcard in frustration, but the thought of it being worth 100 million Berries made him clutch it to his chest protectively.
"Fast, how was it inside?"
As soon as Fast reappeared, many people in line eagerly asked.
Don't go in. It's a total scam. There's no information in there!
Fast almost shouted, but he held back.
Why should he warn others when he already got rained on?
"I didn't get anything."
Fast wore a sorrowful face and walked away without responding to anyone else.
"He definitely got something!"
No one believed him. They became even more eager to meet Caelan.
One by one, the next visitors went in and came out.
"I think I gained something."
The second person wore a mysterious expression and hurried off like Fast.
"There really is something valuable in there!"
The crowd grew excited.
"I need to go back and prepare."
The third person left only one sentence before rushing away.
"I saw wisdom!" (Translation: I'm an idiot who got scammed.)
"I gained so much, I'll never have such a gain again in my life!" (Translation: I'll never get scammed like this again!)
One after another, they entered and left, all wearing looks of satisfaction.
Soon, everyone who wanted autographs was gone, leaving only Monkey D. Dragon and Koala.
"What exactly did they get?"
Dragon and Koala looked puzzled as they made their way into the side hall where Caelan was.
"Hello, Caelan-sama!"
Koala handed over 100 million Berries to Caelan.
Then she stared at Caelan with great anticipation, eager to hear what kind of shocking secret he might reveal that had made all the previous guests so pleased.
"Hello, Koala. I didn't expect the Revolutionary Army to have a fan of mine. You're really cute."
As usual, Caelan handed her a signed postcard and tossed in a casual compliment.
When you don't know what else to say to a girl you've just met, calling her cute is always a safe bet.
And someone who gives you a 100 million Berry red envelope upon meeting? Of course that's cute.
"Thank you for the compliment, Caelan-sama!"
Koala was clearly pleased by the praise.
But she still waited eagerly for the shocking reveal she expected to follow.
"Now that the autograph's settled, we can talk about your business."
Caelan turned to Dragon, signaling it was time to get down to the real discussion.
"Is... is that it? Just the autograph?"
Koala asked in disbelief.
"Isn't getting my valuable autograph for 100 million Berries already enough of a reward?"
Caelan looked completely satisfied with himself.
"One hundred million Berries, just for an autograph?!"
Koala was shocked.
If that was all, how could those shady guys have left looking so content?
Dragon's expression darkened. Spending 100 million Berries for just an autograph was absolutely ridiculous.
He suddenly realized—those people from earlier had been scammed just like them, and were now hoping to drag others down with them.
They had all put on smug faces just to make sure everyone else followed in their footsteps.
"Yes, just a little trick. But it worked beautifully."
Caelan said cheerfully and called Uta out from the room, scooping her into his arms.
The joy of a successful scam always felt better when shared and Dragon and Koala made perfect witnesses.
"So this was all a scam from the start…"
Koala bent forward in dismay, her whole body feeling weak.
Is there no more trust left in the world?
Everyone's a con artist!
Is this what the cunning of the big city feels like?
It's terrifying!
Koala, who had always worked honestly within the Revolutionary Army, now felt the full brunt of the world's cruelty.
Dragon was equally frustrated. Thinking he could get something for free had been wishful thinking.
What could he use to trick a man like Caelan, who could make billions off a single scheme?
And he had already lost 100 million Berries at the first meeting. He was completely at a disadvantage, even in terms of morale.
(To be continued.)