Inside the hotel room, Lucien calmly looked at the light screen floating in front of him.
At the moment, he was synthesizing a lucky value bonus for a Dice roll.
Drake, Urouge, Bege, and Apoo were all considered minor antagonists in the grand scheme of things, so each of them only provided one Dice roll. Combined with the seven Dice rolls obtained from the Zero World, Lucien now had a total of eleven.
That was enough to synthesize a single lucky value bonus Dice roll opportunity.
The Dice spun rapidly, bouncing in midair as a miniature model airplane flew past. A familiar blinding light flashed, then faded.
"Iron Mass."
"Description: Iron Mass is one of the Six Styles defensive techniques. By channeling strength into a well-trained body, the user gains iron-like hardness."
Lucien narrowed his amethyst-colored eyes slightly, clearly pleased with the result.
If he successfully mastered Iron Mass and combined it with Hardening and Armament Haki, his defensive capabilities would rise to an absurd level.
When paired with his terrifying cellular regeneration, Lucien was steadily becoming a walking fortress.
Among the Six Styles, he had already obtained Soru, Geppo, Finger Pistol, Rankyaku, and Iron Mass.
Only Paper Arts was left.
"Master."
The door opened softly as Stussy stepped inside, holding an auction ticket along with a thick stack of documents.
Lucien sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and looked at her calmly.
"Master, the largest auction house on Sabaody Archipelago will be holding its annual auction the day after tomorrow. This is the admission ticket."
"Doflamingo's territory?" Lucien asked casually.
In the original course of events, this auction house was where Monkey D. Luffy would strike a Celestial Dragon, triggering the arrival of Admiral Kizaru and the suppression of the Supernovas.
"Yes," Stussy replied, nodding. "These are the items scheduled for auction."
She placed the documents into Lucien's hands.
Lucien flipped through them briefly. The items listed were varied, and many were undeniably valuable.
"Continue monitoring the other Supernovas," Lucien said.
"Yes."
---
The next afternoon, the weather was unusually pleasant.
The number of people on Sabaody Archipelago had surged dramatically. Outside of a few regulated areas, violence and looting could be seen almost anywhere.
Even so, the island's bustling atmosphere was impossible to suppress.
In hotels, taverns, and underground venues, almost anyone you met could be a pirate or criminal with a bounty ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of Berries.
"Did you hear? The Hawkins Pirates landed in Area 3 and even clashed with the Bonney Pirates."
"The Hawkins Pirates, the Bonney Pirates, and I heard the Kid Pirates were spotted too. Are more members of the Worst Generation gathering here?"
"Arriving at the same time as the others, do you think they'll die early like Red Flag X Drake, the Mad Monk Urouge, Scratchmen Apoo, and Capone Bege?"
"Hard to say."
"This auction happens once a year. I heard it even attracted the World Nobles."
"Celestial Dragons?"
"Are they auctioning a mermaid again?"
"No idea, but the tickets are ridiculously expensive."
"I also heard that Eustass Kid, the Supernova ranked first by bounty, has landed on the island."
The atmosphere inside the tavern grew tense.
"You mean the man with a bounty of 315 million Berries, the one who kills without hesitation?"
"That's him. Someone saw his ship at the shipyard in Area 50."
"His subordinate, Killer the Massacre Soldier, is also a Supernova."
"These pirates are said to have the potential to surpass the Four Emperors. If they're all gathering here, the Marines won't sit still."
"Of course not. Every one of them wants to climb to the top over the corpses of the Emperors."
"Still, most people are here for the auction. Even the Celestial Dragons are involved."
The mention of those words made many faces turn pale.
---
Mangrove Area 50.
This was one of the shipyard zones where pirate crews coated their ships before descending to Fish-Man Island and crossing the Red Line.
At this moment, however, the air was thick with the stench of blood.
Corpses littered the ground.
Shipwrights and pirates alike stood frozen, their faces pale, staring at the man standing at the center of the carnage.
He wore a dark red coat, with a dagger and pistol strapped to his chest. His spiky red hair and goggles made him unmistakable.
"Don't stare," someone whispered nervously, pulling their companion back. "That guy is a monster."
"Hahaha."
Eustass Kid laughed arrogantly, looking down at everyone with contempt.
The entire conflict had started because Kid wanted to cut in line. He had no patience for rules and wanted his ship coated immediately.
He slaughtered the opposing pirate crew without hesitation.
However, he did not harm a single coating craftsman. Instead, he paid them generously. After all, if they sabotaged his ship, he would be the one suffering later.
After resolving the issue through sheer violence, Kid left with his subordinates.
"Captain," one of them said. "I heard the biggest auction house on Sabaody is holding its annual auction tomorrow."
"Which area?" Kid asked.
"Area 1 Mangrove."
"Also, before we arrived, Red Flag X Drake, the Mad Monk Urouge, Scratchmen Apoo, Capone Bege, and the Surgeon of Death were all reportedly killed."
"Huh?"
Kid stopped walking, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
"Who did it?"
"No one knows."
"Good," Kid sneered. "Even if they didn't die now, I would have killed them myself eventually. Only I will become Pirate King."
Among the Worst Generation, aside from Monkey D. Luffy, Kid believed the rest were insignificant.
Just then, his smile froze.
Two figures stood directly in his path.
"Surgeon of Death, Trafalgar Law."
Kid's eyes narrowed as he looked at the man in the spotted hat. His subordinate had just said Law was dead.
Beside Law stood a scar-faced, muscular man, a cigarette dangling from his lips as smoke curled into the air.
It was Lucien, wearing a different face.
Time was tight. After killing this one, he still had two more targets.
Crack.
Golden lightning surged around Lucien's body. In the next instant, he vanished.
He had no interest in conversation.
"ROOM."
At the same time, Law made his move. A spatial sphere expanded outward as his ability activated.
"Law, what are you planning?"
Kid's expression darkened, sensing immediate danger.
Before he could finish speaking, golden lightning condensed in front of him. A black-red crystalline foot descended, shattering the air itself. The pressure alone sent chills down Kid's spine.
He barely managed to raise his arms.
The impact was catastrophic.
A sharp crack rang out as Kid's arms snapped and slammed into his chest. His ribcage caved in as blood burst from his mouth and nose.
His body flew backward like a missile, smashing through multiple mangrove trees.
Before he could even hit the ground, golden lightning flashed again.
Kid watched in horror as the dark foot descended once more.
Boom.
The ground shattered within a fifty-meter radius as a violent shockwave erupted.
Kid was bent unnaturally, blood covering his face, his eyes bulging as he looked up at Lucien crouching before him.
Three black thorns pierced through his body, lifting him into the air.
"Life," Lucien said calmly.
A soul rune appeared.
Behind him, a terrifying specter slowly rose.
---