"Princess from a fallen kingdom! Look at that enchanting figure! Starting bid, 800,000 beli. Let the auction begin!"
"One point five million!"
"Three million!!"
The hall boiled with excitement. Nobles, tycoons, even a few pirates sat in the audience, eyes glued to the beauty on the stage.
"They're treating a person like a joke! And she's a lady this beautiful!" Sanji couldn't accept it at all.
Nami's expression was grim. She didn't even know if the Straw Hat Pirates' money would be enough to buy Camie back.
And honestly, it didn't look good.
Ever since Ozz and Whitebeard took over Fish-Man Island, fewer and fewer mermaids were "allowed" to be caught. That meant Camie could easily go for an outrageous price.
Then the Celestial Dragons arrived mid-auction.
The nobles and wealthy merchants who had been enjoying themselves instantly stiffened. Heads lowered. Eyes averted. No one wanted to catch their attention.
But the truly connected, the ones with real influence and wide intelligence networks, remained unbothered.
Anywhere else, sure, the Celestial Dragons could do whatever they pleased.
But this was Sabaody.
As long as they didn't go too far, even Celestial Dragons couldn't run wild here.
Seeing a few "commoners" daring to look up without fear, Charlos felt irritated. His runny nose wobbled as he sniffed.
"If this were anywhere else, anyone who looked at me like that would be dragged off as a slave!"
Led by guards, the two Celestial Dragons strode toward the front rows.
The auction house manager personally came to greet them, yet he didn't grovel. He simply bowed and guided them with practiced courtesy.
"See? If you're talking auctions, Saint Ozz's place is the most complete. They even sell mermaids here. It's far better than anywhere else."
As the auction continued, a pirate captain who'd bitten off his own tongue to kill himself was dragged away.
And then, at last, the main event arrived.
The mermaid.
"Yes! We've got two hundred million beli. We have to strike first!" Nami clenched her fists, making a silent vow.
But then…
"Five hundred million beli!!!"
One lazy line, and the entire hall froze.
Charlos picked his nose and tossed out a sky-high number like it was spare change. The Straw Hats went completely blank.
The bidding deadlocked.
Until Luffy barged in.
After seeing the Celestial Dragons' arrogance with his own eyes, he made his choice.
He punched Charlos in the face.
Everyone went rigid.
"Wha… what?!"
"He hit a Celestial Dragon?!"
"Even if Sabaody has that man's rules, this will definitely bring an Admiral!!!"
Panic spread like wildfire.
Someone even screamed, "A Buster Call is coming!!!"
In the seats, Trafalgar Law sat with his legs crossed. Hearing that, he gave a disdainful chuckle.
"Idiot move, Straw Hat…"
"An Admiral might come, sure. But a Buster Call? Forget it. That kind of island-erasing fleet would never be sent to Sabaody."
On a rooftop, Kuma watched the scene unfold in silence.
Everyone was stunned.
The legendary punching bag, Charlos, was already beaten so badly his consciousness was slipping.
And Luffy simply clenched his fist calmly.
"Sorry, everyone. I heard if you hit this guy, it brings an Admiral."
The crowd exploded into chaos. People fled in every direction. The Straw Hat Pirates clashed with the Celestial Dragons' guards.
Charlos' sister, Shalria, was completely enraged. She yanked a CP agent by the collar.
"Get me a Den Den Mushi! Call an Admiral and the battleships! These filthy commoners!!!"
…
"Bero bero bero…"
Marine Headquarters received the call and responded with impressive speed, treating it as a top priority, then anxiously…
Well…
They called Ozz.
Click.
"Moshi moshi. What is it?"
"I was just about to eat… Fleet Admiral Sengoku."
Walking down the street, Ozz accepted the Den Den Mushi from a subordinate and asked bluntly. Behind him, guards dragged three bodies like dead dogs.
On the other end, Sengoku pinched the bridge of his nose, looking miserable.
If he could help it, he truly didn't want to deal with someone like Ozz.
"Saint Ozz… it's about the Celestial Dragons. They were attacked on Sabaody."
After hearing the full story, Ozz finally understood.
This was them dumping the problem on him.
Or rather, asking their "unofficial Holy Knights member" to handle it.
"The Marines are really busy lately, huh? Not even one Admiral free?" Ozz spoke into the Den Den Mushi with a teasing tone.
Sengoku's face twitched. "No… it's also because Sabaody is your territory."
Sengoku hated bringing that up.
After all, the man they were about to execute was the biological son of Ozz's former captain.
The good news was that Ozz hadn't expressed a stance.
The bad news was also that Ozz hadn't expressed a stance.
"Fine. I get it." Ozz waved it off. "Since it happened on Sabaody, I'll handle it. That's all."
"That's good. The Marines stationed on Sabaody already…"
Ozz didn't have the patience to chat. Before Sengoku could finish, he hung up.
Fleet Admiral or not, if you interrupt his lunch, you still don't get face.
With Observation Haki, Ozz had already seen the commotion at Auction House No. 1, Little Ming's auction house.
"But you still eat one bite at a time." Ozz yawned, unhurried. "The Marines left on the island are enough to keep them busy for a while. I can go later."
"Besides, bosses always have a few minions to clear first."
His gaze shifted.
"And since you're all Supernovas, you agree with me, right?"
The scene changed.
Three Supernovas, locked in Seastone cuffs, were just barely waking from unconsciousness. Their faces were filled with despair and lingering terror.
Because they understood now.
This man's goal was to wipe out every Supernova on the island.
"You bastard…" Kid snarled.
One of his arms had been cut off. Guards had wrapped it roughly. With his freakish vitality, he wasn't even worried about infection or blood loss. As long as you gave him bandages, he'd cling to life.
"Oh, this is about the spot." Ozz's eyes brightened. "Found you, Bonney. You really are here."
Ozz obviously knew Kuma was on the island too. But for some reason, Kuma hadn't gone to see Bonney.
Bonney sat at a table stuffing her face, zero ladylike behavior.
Not far away, a group of pirates stepped into the same place. At the front was a blond, cold-faced man holding tarot-like cards.
The luck on them kept shifting. Every draw was different. It left him deeply confused.
Lost in his divination, he didn't even notice the sudden silence around him.
Until a shadow swallowed him whole.
A single bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead. His eyes widened.
The murderous pressure behind him was so terrifying he didn't dare turn his head.
Then a low voice with a smile spoke close to his ear, as if this were the most entertaining thing in the world.
"Go on, Hawkins."
"Do a reading."
"Tell me…"
"What's your death rate today?"
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