Nightmare's Scheme?
"Phew, thankfully Red Hair managed to distract Nightmare a lot, otherwise it would have been dangerous if he had noticed me. Now, as long as I can appease those old men and get through today safely, I can get away from that monster for good." Bazel's hands and feet were ice-cold, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped out from under his mask.
Others might not understand, but he knew perfectly well that in the past two years, that monster had undergone an unknown transformation, and its strength had exceeded all expectations. If he were to judge it by the standards of two years ago, he probably wouldn't even know how he died.
Bang!
"Where is that Red Hair bastard? How dare he sneak up on me!" Jack roared furiously as he crawled out from under the rubble.
The people in the hall turned their backs expressionlessly, then burst into silent laughter with twisted faces. After venting their anger, they turned back as if nothing had happened, watching to see how things would develop.
Seeing Jack still making a fool of himself, Ulysses was quite annoyed. Did this guy have no self-awareness at all? But he also knew that now was not the time to continue provoking this bastard, so he decisively changed the subject, saying, "The Big Mom Pirate Crew and the Phantom Sword Pirates have completely united. It seems that the storm in the New World will soon spread to the surrounding areas."
"What do you mean?" Jack's nutrition is all in his muscles, so it's no wonder he has a small brain.
"The New World is vast, but even its vastness has its limits. The four Great Sea Emperors are already the limit; they cannot accommodate the birth of a fifth new Great Sea Emperors," Ulysses said in a heavy tone. "The Nightmare of two years ago, though powerful, could not defeat any of the Four Emperors' pirate crews. A hasty war would only result in mutual destruction. I think that might be the reason for his two years of silence. But now it's different. If he truly unites with the Big Mom Pirate Crew, he will have the strength to step over another Four Emperors' pirate crew to rise to the top."
"I even suspect that his sudden appearance in the Golden City is a signal, and this auction is his stage to showcase his strength and flex his muscles, further expanding his influence. Once he has fully absorbed the new power, it might be the time to launch a surprise attack. If we are not prepared, even our Beasts Pirates may face annihilation. Although Nightmare may not necessarily target us, but... you bastard, are you even listening to me?!"
Seeing Jack's eyes closed and faint snoring coming from his nose, Ulysses roared in fury.
"Ah... are you done talking?" Jack opened his drowsy eyes and walked towards the private VIP room, half asleep and half awake.
I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shone on the gutter!
At this moment, Ulysses felt utterly exhausted. Being the Beasts Pirates was no job for a human.
Meanwhile, Marco of the Whitebeard Pirates shared the same concerns. After all, it was hard for Marco to believe that Nightmare, such an ambitious individual, hadn't made a sudden comeback after two years of silence, without any ulterior motives.
Moreover, the alliance between Nightmare and Big Mom did put pressure on him. As Ulysses said, he also believed that everything Roy had done before was preparation for launching an attack on the throne of the Four Emperors.
If it were someone else, Marco might not have this worry. After all, his Old Man had held the title of the World's Strongest for twenty years. Even if someone wanted to challenge for the position of one of the Four Emperors, they would definitely choose to pick on the weak. But Roy is different. He is an extremely arrogant person. Stepping on the title of the World's Strongest to reach the position of one of the Four Emperors is an irresistible temptation for such a person.
"Brother Marco, the auction is about to start. Shouldn't we go in and wait?" Teach said with a simple smile.
"Haha, Brother Teach, are you in such a hurry because there's a fruit you like at this auction?" Jozu patted Teach's shoulder enthusiastically, his large, fan-like hand almost giving him internal injuries.
Teach smiled on the outside, but cursed inwardly, "Yeah, this sea isn't as calm as it used to be. Only with great strength can we protect our home. We can't keep relying on Old Man to shelter us from the wind and rain forever."
Marco gave Teach an approving look. Teach had been with his Old Man for decades, and he knew him inside and out. Moreover, Teach had good relationships with almost everyone on the ship. Under these circumstances, he would definitely not be stingy with a Devil Fruit, even if it was the highlight of this auction— the Dark-Dark Fruit. If Teach really needed it, he would find a way to get it for him.
"It's good that you have this idea, Teach. We will definitely support you in getting the fruit you want," Marco said with a smile.
"Big Brother Teach, it's wonderful that you think this way. You should have done it a long time ago."
"Yes, Big Brother Teach, you're just too modest. You gave away the Devil Fruit should have been yours. We couldn't stand it anymore."
"That's right, I think after this, our Whitebeard Pirates might be able to have another number!"
It must be said that Teach's decades of management have been effective. Almost no one objected, and many even suggested that they should prioritize providing Teach with their personal savings and the main funds used for this auction.
"Waaah, everyone... everyone has been so kind to me," Teach said, "Tears of gratitude."
This was also part of his plan. He was unwilling to reveal his strength unless absolutely necessary. After all, he and Red Hair had a history of grudges. Although he wasn't sure if Red Hair would remember him, he was unwilling to take the risk.
Moreover, he couldn't quite figure out Nightmare's thoughts. Although he was strong, it was almost an impossible task to seize the Dark-Dark Fruit by force under the noses of Red Hair and Nightmare.
Moreover, Whitebeard had held the title of the World's Strongest for twenty years. If they obtained the Dark-Dark Fruit through legitimate means, others would likely give the Whitebeard Pirates some face.
Within this venue, only the Four Emperors' pirate crews, the Shichibukai, the Celestial Dragons, and the Marine Admiral are qualified to enter the VIP private boxes. As for other big pirates with bounties of two or three hundred million, or bounty hunters who have captured countless pirates, they are still a bit lacking in qualifications.
They might be famous figures or powerful clansmen in other places, but in this grand Century Auction gather, they can only be humble newbies, sitting obediently in the hall waiting for the auction to begin.
They didn't complain about it, after all, the Pirate World is where the strong are respected, and if you can't even see through the essence of this world, you're not qualified to be at this auction.