"The first item up for auction today," Kela announced grandly, "is a well-known coating craftsman from Sabaody Archipelago! A strong, able-bodied man—capable of ship-coating, heavy labor, and even brewing fine liquor! The starting price: five hundred thousand Berries!"
Rosinante's eyes flickered with amusement as he looked at the man standing on stage—a rugged, weathered figure in shackles, yet with an undeniable dignity that no chain could erase.
"Your Majesty, do you know him?" Lane, standing behind Rosinante, asked curiously, hearing his quiet chuckle.
"You don't recognize him?" Rosinante replied softly. "I suppose I can't blame you. He's changed a lot over the years. Who would have thought that anyone could ever associate him with a drunkard and gambler?"
"Five hundred thousand Berries!" someone called.
"Five hundred and thirty thousand!"
"Six hundred thousand!"
"Seven hundred thousand!"
The bids climbed steadily.
After all, a good coating craftsman was worth his weight in gold on Sabaody. Some of those bids were clearly planted by the auction house to stir excitement, and before long the price reached one million Berries.
Then Rosinante raised a single finger. "Ten million Berries."
The entire hall fell silent.
Heads turned. Every eye in the room was now fixed on him. Even the man on the stage lifted his head, his sharp eyes meeting Rosinante's.
"Oh my! Ten million Berries!" Kela cried out, voice trembling with excitement. "We have a bid of ten million from this distinguished guest! Is there anyone willing to go higher?"
Gasps filled the room. Ten million—for a single ordinary man! Kela could hardly contain his glee; his hands trembled slightly on the auction hammer. This was profit beyond his wildest dreams.
Ten million Berries wasn't pocket change—it was a fortune. Enough to buy a small ship, a mansion, even an island.
And yet the man bidding sat casually beside a Celestial Dragon.
The crowd's shock melted into understanding. Ah, of course. Someone sitting with a Celestial Dragon didn't need a reason for extravagance. If he'd said one hundred million, they still wouldn't have blinked.
Several of the auction's planted bidders glanced toward Kela, silently asking if they should continue. If this had been a normal customer, they would've dared not. But someone sitting beside a Celestial Dragon? That was different. Ten million might mean nothing to them.
Kela, however, subtly shook his head. "No more."
A man crazy enough to sit beside a Celestial Dragon and drop ten million without hesitation was not someone to provoke.
"Ten million Berries! No further bids? Then—sold!" Kela's hammer fell with a crack! "Congratulations to our distinguished guest for winning this fine craftsman!"
Rosinante leaned back, smiling faintly. "Ryan, take the money, get him out of those chains. If he's willing, invite him to come watch a little show. Be respectful. If he prefers to leave, let him."
"Yes, sir!" Ryan replied immediately and hurried off to handle the purchase.
Zashika turned toward Rosinante, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "You know that man?"
Rosinante nodded. "An old veteran—a legend among pirates, really. I've got business to handle here today, and to avoid… unexpected complications, I decided to buy him first."
"That old guy's strong?" Enel asked lazily, sipping his drink as if uninterested.
Rosinante chuckled. "Strong? That word doesn't even begin to describe him. If I had to say… terrifying would be closer. Silvers Rayleigh, the Dark King. When he's angry, even the sea trembles."
The name alone froze the air.
Rayleigh today wasn't the tired, aged man who would one day pant and struggle against Kizaru's light-speed attacks. He was older, yes—but his spirit remained that of the man who once sailed with the Pirate King himself.
Even the mightiest warriors—spending decades lost in drink and casinos—would find their power dulled, their fangs blunted. But Rayleigh's legend had never faded.
When Rosinante uttered the name Dark King Silvers Rayleigh, everyone around him—except Enel and Shaxia—gawked in stunned disbelief.
"That… that was the Dark King Rayleigh?!" Kisu and the others stammered, their jaws slack.
Zashika's monocle almost slipped off. "Wait—you mean that Dark King Rayleigh? The right hand of the Pirate King himself?!"
Rosinante chuckled. "You know of him too?"
Zashika gave a dry laugh. "Who in the world doesn't know him? There probably isn't a soul alive who hasn't heard that name!"
Enel scratched his head. "Well, I actually don't. Is he famous or something?"
The others stared at him in shock.
Zashika's eyes bulged. "You don't know Rayleigh?! Even I, a Celestial Dragon, have heard of him countless times! How in the world—?"
Rosinante waved it off with a grin. "You can't blame Enel. He's from Skypiea—an island above the clouds. Forget the Dark King; he might not even know who the Pirate King is."
"I actually do," Enel said casually. "The Bloodsworn Guards mentioned him before. Some weird guy, right?"
Zashika leaned forward, eyes bright. "Weird? That 'weird guy' was Gol D. Roger himself! And that old man you just bought—Silvers Rayleigh—was his right hand. Half of Roger's legend belongs to him. Without Rayleigh, Roger might never have become the Pirate King!"
Even Zashika, spoiled noble that he was, spoke with a rare tone of awe.
Raiden and the others were still speechless. "Unbelievable… that shabby old drunk was the Dark King Rayleigh?"
Rosinante's expression softened. "No wonder you didn't recognize him. He's changed a lot. When Roger died, something inside him probably died too. Living without purpose—for a man like him—might be worse than death itself."
Then he laughed quietly, shaking his head. "Hahaha… ten million Berries for the Dark King Rayleigh. I can't wait to see how many people across the seas will laugh themselves sick when they hear about it."
Before the laughter faded, a calm, amused voice spoke beside him.
"I don't know how many people will laugh," it said, "but since you've ruined my little business venture, how do you plan to make it up to me?"
Everyone froze.
Sitting casually in the empty seat next to Rosinante was the same man who had just been on the auction stage—his chains gone, the gleam of freedom in his eyes, a smirk on his lips.
The Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh, had arrived.
And the atmosphere around him was as calm—and as dangerous—as a sleeping storm.