Carina's Mission
"Oh no, I got carried away." Carina instantly snapped back to reality. She had witnessed the Nightmare Lord and the Gild Tesoro's secret meeting yesterday, and there might be some unclear relationship between them. Was it inappropriate for her to use the Gild Tesoro's treasure vault as an example?
So Carina quickly tried to salvage the situation, stating, "No, no, what I mean is... I'd even dare to sneak into the treasure vaults of the Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land and ransack them!"
Carina was quite satisfied with her reaction. After all, for big shots like them, it was never wrong to take a jab at the Celestial Dragons from time to time. If it was politically correct for the World Government and the Navy to blame everything on the Revolutionary Army, then the Celestial Dragons were the undisputed scapegoats among pirates and the Dark World.
"Hehe, don't worry, what I asked you to steal is indeed the Gild Tesoro's stuff," Roy said, looking at her with a half-smile.
"Huh?" Carina was dumbfounded again. After confirming in her mind that the person she had a secret meeting with the Gild Tesoro yesterday was indeed the big shot in front of her, she could only sigh silently, "No wonder he's a big shot and I'm just a newbie. I really can't learn this kind of 'stab in the back' tactic. RBQ, RBQ."
"Ahem, although the Gild Tesoro is my nominal boss now, he's incredibly cruel and tyrannical. We underlings are secretly rebelling against his rule. So, Lord Roy, you don't need to worry about me resisting. Just give the order, and I'll definitely steal what you want." Carina said righteously, while secretly thinking, "Anyway, after I finish this job, I'll take this ring and fly away. Even if the Gild Tesoro wants to cause me trouble, he'll have to get past Nightmare first. Hmm, I'm really clever."
"I want what you stole, even if it's the grand finale of this auction— the Dark-Dark Fruit!" Roy said calmly.
Carina froze instantly, as if turned into a statue, the incredulous expression on her face making her seem "lifelike".
"Things belonging to big shots are really hard to get." Carina lamented inwardly for the first time, realizing how burning hot the ring she cherished was.
Carina stammered, her face contorted with grief, "Lord Roy, it's not that I'm unwilling, but this is simply an impossible task! The Gild Tesoro placed that treasure chest on the auction stage, under the watchful eyes of everyone. How could I possibly exchange it for that treasure chest?"
"Because the Gild Tesoro put the treasure chest in the open, no one would believe that anyone would be so audacious as to switch the treasure chest under their noses. As time has passed, their enthusiasm for the Dark-Dark Fruit has also subsided, and it will only erupt all at once in the final auction stage."
"They're all focused on the auctions right now, with all the dazzling treasures on display. Unless someone's mind is constantly on the Dark-Dark Fruit, most people won't notice your little tricks."
"Furthermore, I will try my best to conceal your presence. Apart from a limited number of people Observation Haki is strong enough, no one will notice anything amiss."
"Finally, when you're about to make your move, I'll coordinate with your actions to draw the attention of all the powerful figures to you."
Despite Roy's explanation, Carina still felt it was somewhat unreliable and tentatively asked, "Can I choose to give up?"
Roy's gaze was deep and unfathomable, like a black hole that encompasses everything. "What do you think? My things aren't so easy to take."
"Well... alright then." Carina looked dejected, as if she had resigned herself to her fate, and agreed.
"Phew, with Nightmare Master as my backer, everything will be fine!" Carina rallied herself, forcefully hypnotizing herself, and then walked out with a tragic expression reminiscent of "The wind howls, the Yi River is cold, the hero departs, never to return."
Roy, bored, used his Observation Haki to sense the situation outside the private room, a slight smile playing on his lips. "They really think this is an auction? It's too peaceful, so let me add some fuel to the fire."
At this moment, in the private room where the Red Hair was.
Compared to the bustling auction scene in the main hall, everyone in the private room remained quite calm.
Perhaps it was due to the captain's longing for the sea, or perhaps it stemmed from the deep secrets he had learned, Roger Pirates had always kept their distance from Devil Fruit.
If Roger and his crew didn't eat Devil Fruit because their strength was already sufficient and they didn't need them to enhance their Devil Fruit, then Buggy's devastating reaction after accidentally eating Devil Fruit, and Luffy 'Red Hair shocked and furious reaction when Devil Fruit, clearly demonstrate that the Roger Pirates' attitude towards Devil Fruit was largely one of resistance.
The Red Hair Pirates, who inherited the will of the Roger Pirates, were no different. Almost no one on the ship was interested in Devil Fruit, not even the Dark-Dark Fruit, which was known as the most dangerous Devil Fruit in history.
Rather than saying they came for the Dark-Dark Fruit, it would be more accurate to say they changed Roy plans and came after discovering Roy's movements.
Lucky Roux, biting into a chicken leg, his mouth full of greasy fat, said, "Boss, Gaban has arrived. When do we make our move?"
Red Hair Shanks said solemnly, "Let's wait until after this auction. That monster is powerful, his abilities are unpredictable, and he has many trump cards. Even if I join forces with Senior Gaban, I'm not very confident that I can truly kill him and avenge Oden. If we start a war rashly, countless people in this Golden City will die in the aftermath of our battle. It's better to wait until most people have left before we make a move."
"The Big Mom Pirate Crew have joined forces with Nightmare. To deal with Nightmare, we must consider the threat posed by the Big Mom Pirate Crew. Moreover, Katakuri, like Enel, is one of the strongest fighters on this sea. With our strength, stopping them will not be an easy task," Yasopp said in a heavy tone.
Ben Beckman, puffing on a cigarette, said, "Don't worry, Nightmare has too many enemies. There are countless people on this ocean who want him dead. When the time comes, others will help us deal with those monsters."
The auction was still in full swing, and many people had already shouted until their throats were hoarse and their lips were dry, but this did not diminish their anticipation and longing for the auction.
The 69th beauty skill... The beautiful auctioneer went down, and an even more charming and beautiful auctioneer came up, carrying a treasure chest containing Devil Fruit.
After such a long auction, everyone has figured out the auction's routine.
Seemingly to showcase the Golden City's abundant resources of beautiful women, a new auctioneer is used for each auction. Moreover, if the auction involves Devil Fruit, the treasure chests they hold are identical to those placed on the auction table, highlighting the Golden City's immense wealth.