Fierce Bidding

They were unaware of the Celestial Dragons' arrival.

One by one, people came to participate in the auction, and soon the entire venue was almost full, and the auction was about to begin.

The stage was partially obscured by two huge red curtains, creating an atmosphere of anticipation.

The dim lighting throughout the venue made it feel like watching a movie, turning it into a dark place.

After a long while, it seemed that everything was ready, and someone was testing the sound, with some faint sounds coming through.

Suddenly, with a "boom," the lights in the venue instantly turned on, bright and colorful. At the same time, the red curtain covering the stage moved rapidly to both sides under the operation of the machine, revealing a man in a blue suit inside. Behind him was a gold-rimmed table specifically for holding the auction items.

Seeing this, Teach nodded. This was what a proper auction should be like. This was the first time he had ever attended an auction like this. The ones he had attended before were all black market auctions, which didn't have so many fancy things and just started the auction right away.

Holding a silver microphone, he looked down at the people preparing for the auction.

The host beamed with a bright smile, opened his arms, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this auction! I'm your old friend, Kyle!" Kyle's enthusiastic voice immediately stirred up the atmosphere in the room.

"Kyle!" some people who knew Kyle shouted his name.

There was even a noblewoman who declared her love on the spot, "Kyle, I love you, come with me, I'll take care of you!" People around glanced at her, but only for a moment before turning away.

He gave Kyle a pitiful look, and his physique was undeniably very "robust".

Kyle wasn't embarrassed. "Of course, there are also some new friends. Without further ado, I hope you all have a pleasant time with me," Kyle said with a smile, looking at the audience.

The word "friend" immediately bridges the gap between the host and the auctioneer, making it impossible to feel any ill will.

It must be said that Kyle, as the auctioneer, was very popular. He was handsome, dressed in a Gentleman manner, and even had a neat little mustache.

"Then, the first item up for auction is a sapphire blue pearl the size of a fist. This is the largest pearl on the scepter of the king of the Kingdom of Oban, which was destroyed 150 years ago in the North Sea."

"Known as the Heart of the Kingdom, it is said to bring good luck. During a rebellion, the king's scepter disappeared, and afterwards, the kingdom gradually weakened and was eventually destroyed."

Kyle's story was captivating, though most people wouldn't believe him. However, that doesn't change the fact that it's a rare and precious pearl, and whether you're collecting or simply admiring it, you won't lose out.

Especially wealthy collectors, nobles, and kings—many people have their eyes on it.

"The starting bid is one million Beli. May I ask..." Kyle chuckled, but before he could finish, someone interrupted him and started bidding.

"Five million!" a wealthy man shouted confidently, but before he could finish speaking, "Six million!" The wealthy man turned around and saw a nobleman making an offer, looking at him with disdain.

It's as if they're saying, "You think you can buy it for such a small amount of money?"

Being nobles naturally brings certain advantages, especially to commoners and the wealthy. Although the wealthy have a prominent social status, in the eyes of these nobles they are just commoners.

This infuriated the wealthy man. He thought, "Fine, you can compete, but why provoke me?"

Before anyone else had even made a bid, the two of them started raising the price relentlessly.

Bidding can lead to conflict and a battle for face. After all, there are so many prominent people present, and word might get out that you lost the bid. Although it's not a big deal, it would be embarrassing if someone kept bringing it up.

This is why auction items often sell for much higher prices than their intrinsic value. It is also why auction houses are constantly being established around the world; some close down due to poor management, while new ones emerge.

The main profit of an auction is to earn a portion of the final auction price of the items. The more items sold and the higher their value, the more money is made.

This is an industry where you might not make a sale for a year, but when you do, you can live off it for three years. At a large auction like this, nearly a hundred items are auctioned at once, and the final auction price can add up to tens of billions of Beli. The auction house takes a cut from the auction and can then profit hundreds of millions of Beli.

Kyle smiled, recognizing their identities and names. Whenever someone made a bid, he would shout out their name and the price they offered. On the surface, this seemed perfectly normal, but it secretly intensified the competition between the two men.

Seeing the two bidding fiercely, others who also wanted the enormous pearl gave up on bidding and watched the spectacle.

In the end, the huge pearl was bought by the wealthy man for a high price of 22 million. The man looked very proud, which made the nobleman very angry. He couldn't hide his anger. If he weren't a nobleman, he would have rushed up and taught the wealthy man a lesson.

Auction houses also have their own rules and regulations against causing trouble. With his powerful backing, he is not afraid of his noble status. If he is kicked out and blacklisted for causing trouble, he will truly become a laughing stock.

Although this enormous pearl is precious, ten million Beli is the most it could fetch. Even with its collectible and historical value, it would only be worth a maximum of five million more.

The high price achieved was partly due to the exciting atmosphere at the auction, which made people more excited and prone to impulsive decisions, and partly due to the excellent hosting skills of the presenter named Kyle.

This is truly a talented individual!

The auction continued, with one precious item after another being brought up. Most of them were rare treasures with great collectible value, including a crown studded with gemstones that sold for a billion dollars. This was a legendary crown from a powerful kingdom three hundred years ago, a heirloom of that kingdom, and only the most beautiful queen was qualified to wear it.

According to historical records, all the women who wore it were renowned for their beauty, and were recognized as the most beautiful women of their time. Only four people have ever worn this crown, and in two hundred years, only four people were qualified to wear it.

The appearance of such a treasure instantly caused a sensation throughout the entire audience. Almost all the kings and nobles were in an uproar, as such a treasure would be of great value even if it were just displayed there.

Even Teach had to admit that this crown was indeed the most beautiful and noble crown he had ever seen.

This is a priceless treasure, lost for three hundred years, now seen the light of day again. Even Teach had read about the legend of this crown in a book he had read in the New World.

The previous auction was a feast for the wealthy, nobles, and royalty, with others only making a few bids. Now, it was the pirates' turn.

The auction items at auctions are usually auctioned in batches, one batch per category.

"This one is the famous Famous Sword Eagle's Song, ranked among the fifty Good Quick Sword. When this sword is swung, it makes a sound like an eagle's cry. If a swordsman has such a sword, he will be even more powerful. The starting bid is one million Beli." Kyle held the Famous Sword Eagle's Song and gently drew it halfway. The sharp blade and the cold light on the body made it look like a fine sword at first glance.

Swords are not very valuable in this world. First of all, there are relatively few swordsmen, and even fewer powerful swordsmen. With the power of Armament Haki, many strong people do not need Famous Sword. With their own Haki covering them, they will be very hard.

A fine Famous Sword of the quality of Good Quick Sword usually costs around one million Beli, while a fine Famous Sword of the quality of a large knife is only worth ten million Beli.

But that's for ordinary people. For a swordsman, a good, handy knife is extremely important, and it can often fetch several times or even ten times the price at auctions.

"Two million Beli!" a swordsman declared immediately after the auction began.

"Four million Beli, I'll take it." Another swordsman stepped forward.

The price of the swift sword soared. Most of the swordsmen who came to the auction were there for this famous Famous Sword. Some wealthy people also wanted to bid on it. This famous Famous Sword has high collection value. After bidding only once, he felt a chill run down his spine as several sharp and malicious gazes fell on him.

He knew that if he won the bid for this famous Famous Sword, he would definitely be targeted by these crazy swordsmen, and he wouldn't even know if he would survive.

Very decisively, he stopped bidding and let the swordsmen continue bidding.

Those eyeing this Good Quick Sword include swordsmen and pirates; quite a few pirates wield swords.

Ultimately, this Good Quick Sword was bought for a high price of thirty-one million by a pirate with a bounty of over one hundred million.

These pirates exuded a fierce aura as they confronted the swordsmen who had their eyes on them. Each of them had a distinct identity: lone rangers, assassins, bounty hunters, and of course, fellow pirates.

Therefore, winning the auction for this famous Famous Sword does not mean that the sword belongs to them; there will be another battle after the auction ends.

The wealthy and noble people around them trembled involuntarily, after all, such an aura, the murderous intent cultivated in the midst of slaughter, was not something they could withstand.

However, some people remained unaffected, including the king, nobles, and people like Teach, who watched their struggle as if thinking, "This is going to be interesting."

However, they tacitly refrained from making a move, after all, the power behind the auction house was still very strong. In the past, there had been some people who caused trouble for no reason, and their bodies eventually floated on the sea.

Kyle, the host, spoke up at the right moment, breaking the deadlock and easing the tension. "Next, there are two more Famous Sword, so there's no need to rush," Kyle said with a smile.

Another Famous Sword was immediately presented.

This immediately diverted their attention, shifting their focus back to the new Famous Sword.

Kyle smiled as he introduced the name and origin of the Famous Sword, but he was very happy. The final auction price of the previous Famous Sword was much higher than he had expected. He originally thought that 25 million would be enough, but he still did not expect the swordsmen's pursuit and madness for Famous Sword.

With this example in mind, the final price of the next two Famous Swords will certainly not be low, and it won't be low at all; it might even be higher.

He also receives a commission from the auctions he hosts; the higher the final price of the auctioned items, the higher his commission.

Under Kyle's direction, the atmosphere of the entire auction reached a climax.

"Next up, a precious medicinal herb, a hundred-year-old Blood Ginseng, with extremely high medicinal value, replenishing vitality, starting bid, ten million!" Kyle shouted excitedly.

The appearance of the Blood Ginseng caught the attention of many. Some nobles, kings, and wealthy people who knew the effects of the Blood Ginseng stared at it with shining eyes, their mouths becoming dry.

An intense craving, because Blood Ginseng can replenish abundant vitality and rich blood and qi, which has the effect of prolonging life.

There was once a nobleman who was near death from old age. According to the doctor, he only had a few days left to live. However, thanks to the effects of Blood Ginseng, he was brought back to life and lived for another year.

There are many such cases; these rare medicinal herbs are truly priceless and unavailable, and are basically all hidden away.

Although it only extends their lives by one or two years, for these people who are unwilling to give up their rights and wealth, life is priceless.

This competition was even fiercer than for the crown. Only a handful of people were truly competing for the legendary crown, but for the Blood Ginseng, most people participated in the competition, especially after word spread and everyone knew about the treasure's effects.

"Teach, isn't there competition for this?" Even Mostima was tempted by the effects of the Blood Ginseng.

"This is useless. Blood Ginseng does have the effect of replenishing vitality and prolonging life, but it only works for ordinary people. For us, it has no effect, unless it is a thousand-year-old Blood Ginseng." Teach looked at the fiercely competitive arena and smiled as he spoke.

"Hmm." Mostima nodded, abandoning the idea.

"Fifty million Beli!" a nobleman shouted.

"Hmph! I'll bid fifty-one million Beli!" A wealthy man ignored him and made his bid directly.

Soon, the price of this Blood Ginseng at auction was approaching 100 million Beli.

Suddenly, with a loud "bang," the auction hall doors were kicked open, and the entire hall fell silent instantly as everyone turned to look behind them.

Their pupils involuntarily contracted.

Celestial Dragons!