As the chief of the Human Auction House, Kela knew better than most just how close the Sabaody Archipelago was to Marine Headquarters. He had, of course, heard of the recent uproar—the man who had shaken Marineford itself: the "Dragon King," Rosinante.
But after his initial shock, a cold sneer crept onto his face.
So what if you're the Dragon King Rosinante? he thought. You're just a rookie still in the first half of the Grand Line. Even some of the great pirates of the New World bow before the underground kings. What makes you think you can stand above them?
Out loud, however, his tone was the picture of humility. "Very well, Your Excellency. I'll deliver your message personally," he said with a deferential bow.
Kela turned to leave, planning to call his superiors—but before he could take a single step, a bolt of lightning slammed into the ground in front of him. The floor cracked open, molten edges glowing faintly from the blast.
He froze, his face draining of all color. The last time lightning had touched him, he had nearly died. Now, the mere sight of it sent his heart pounding in terror.
Enel crossed his arms, smirking. "Make the call here," he said coldly.
Beside him, Shaxia tossed a Den Den Mushi at Kela's feet.
"Y-Yes! Of course!" Kela stammered, fumbling to pick it up. He sat on the floor, trembling as he began to dial. He knew all too well that his life was balanced on a knife's edge—if Rosinante wanted him dead, there was no escape.
"Brru... Brru... Brru..."
A deep voice answered. "Who is this?"
"Boss! It's me, Kela!"
"Kela, ah. How did the auction go today? How much did we make?" came the voice, smooth and confident.
"B-Boss, there's been… a bit of a situation," Kela said nervously, glancing up at Rosinante.
"What kind of situation? Someone causing trouble in my auction house?" the man snapped, irritation cutting through the static.
Before Kela could speak, Rosinante plucked the Den Den Mushi from his hands and said evenly, "You must be one of the so-called kings of the underworld."
"And who might you be?" came the wary reply.
"Me?" Rosinante's lips curled into a faint smile. "You can call me Rosinante—from the Gray Nation."
A pause. Then, the voice on the other end grew lower. "Dragon King Rosinante, huh? So tell me, what offense has my auction house committed against you?"
"Nothing much," Rosinante said lightly. "You just abducted my person right in front of me, then tried to sell her like merchandise. When I asked to buy her freedom, I was told that even the king of heaven himself would have to bid like everyone else. I merely wish to see which great 'lord' dares to be so bold."
"Ahh," the man said after a long silence. "The auction house does have its rules, but… it depends on who it's dealing with. My men were ignorant. Don't take it personally. I'm an old acquaintance of your brother, Donquixote Doflamingo. Consider this a misunderstanding. If it'll ease your temper, you may deal with the auction master however you wish."
Kela's heart turned to ice.
He knew what that meant. His "boss" had just handed him over as a sacrificial lamb.
But Kela refused to die so easily. If I can make him realize what's at stake—if I tell him about the one trillion Berries, he'll have to intervene!
Kela lunged toward Rosinante, reaching for the Den Den Mushi—
But Rosinante moved first.
His foot came down like thunder.
CRACK!
The floor shattered, a deep fissure spidering out beneath Kela as his body was crushed into the ground. The auction hall trembled from the impact.
"You've served your purpose," Rosinante said coldly.
Kela's body twitched once… then stilled forever.
"Mur… murder!?" The guests gasped, panic rippling through the crowd.
Moments ago, they had been laughing and cheering at the spectacle. Now, terror seized them. Screams filled the hall as nobles and merchants tripped over each other to flee.
Rosinante didn't even glance their way.
"Mr. Kela!" one of the guards cried, horrified.
Rosinante raised the Den Den Mushi again, his tone calm and cutting. "Don't worry. Since this is how your auction house does business, I'll play by your rules. I offered one trillion Berries to buy back my companion and was about to hand over the note—but apparently, it was too heavy. Your manager was crushed to death beneath it. If that's a problem, you're welcome to send someone to collect it yourself. After all, it's one trillion Berries."
"…One trillion? Don't joke with me, Rosinante!" the man on the other end snapped, though disbelief trembled in his voice.
Rosinante chuckled faintly. "Oh, it's no joke. My head's here too. If you'd rather, you can take it to the Celestial Dragons—maybe they'll pay a few billion for it. My bounty might be gone, but those pampered fools would still pay handsomely to see me dead."
He tossed the Den Den Mushi to one of the trembling attendants. "Go on. Tell him yourself."
The man caught it with shaking hands. "B-Boss, this is Johnny, Mr. Kela's deputy."
He hesitated, then whispered something into the receiver. His body shuddered as he handed it back to Rosinante.
Rosinante smirked. "Well? Was I lying?"
"Rosinante… are you sure you want to pick this fight?" The voice was quieter now, but there was a dangerous edge beneath it.
The corner of Rosinante's mouth lifted. He could hear it—the greed hidden behind the threat. One trillion Berries was too much for any of the underground lords to ignore.
They weren't pirates who killed for glory. They were businessmen who killed for profit—and this was profit beyond imagining.
Rosinante's voice dropped to a chilling calm. "You put one of my people on the auction block. Tell me—where does that leave my pride? Out here in this world, a man can lose his head… but never his face."
He leaned close to the Den Den Mushi. "I'll be waiting for you in Sabaody."
Then he hung up.
"Move," he said simply.
At that command, Lion and the BloodSworn Guards surged forward.
The auction house's enforcers—trained, disciplined, dangerous men—charged to defend their domain. But against Rosinante's elite, they were lambs before wolves.
And with Enel standing among them, crackling with divine electricity, the outcome was never in doubt.
Screams filled the air, the scent of ozone and blood mingling thickly. Within minutes, the once-glorious auction hall was reduced to ruin and silence—its guards broken, its master dead, and the mark of the Dragon King seared deep into Sabaody's underworld.