Human Auction House

"That thing."

Jacques remembered that Buggy (he), a pirate whose bounty was raised from 15 million to 200 million in one go after blowing up a Warship and escaping this time, possessed the ability to split himself apart.

Damn it, why do I know so much!

He tried to rein in his scattered thoughts and stopped thinking too deeply.

"If I say I didn't see anything, would you believe me?"

"Of course," Buggy smiled gently. "We'll pretend nothing happened, just like usual. I'm a Lieutenant Commander, you're a Sergeant. You play the part, and I'll take you to the top."

"Can I?"

Jacques's voice trembled. He found Buggy's smile unsettling.

Buggy pulled another smile onto his face. It was unclear if it was due to a mismatch between his flesh and bone, but his smile looked like a forced grin.

"Of course not."

"If it were possible, I would have let you go just now."

"However, my dear Sergeant, if you are willing to give me something that can guarantee your life..."

He tapped his finger, looking as if he were thinking very seriously.

"Then it's not impossible to consider."

"But remember, the leverage must be able to guarantee your life. If it can only guarantee a part of your body, then only that part will leave with you."

"As for evaluating the leverage, trust me."

"I have considerable experience working in banks," Buggy said confidently.

This point had been certified by numerous banks in Gotham City.

The vaults those bank tellers had entered were fewer than the ones he had entered.

The afternoon sun was a bit scorching.

The climate of the Sabaody Archipelago was not extreme. Compared to Alabasta, which had a perpetually hot climate, or Drum Island, which was always in winter, it could be considered very pleasant.

But the warehouse where live goods were stored was an exception.

The Marine guarding the door sniffed. He wondered how that Lieutenant Commander could stay inside for so long.

Fortunately, he didn't have to accompany him.

He was glad that after a moment, his whole body stiffened.

He shouted energetically, "Good afternoon, Captain Diouf!"

Captain Diouf, a Major.

He was a trusted subordinate of Rear Admiral Sicily.

His main duty was to crack down on the lawbreakers in Sabaody Archipelago, sectors 1 to 30.

As for the effectiveness of the crackdown...

Anyway, the noble lords were very satisfied.

"Did Major Arrow go in?"

Diouf's eyes were narrow, and his face was small, making him look like a lizard.

"A while ago."

"Oh, looks like I don't need to go in."

Diouf also disliked the smell of the warehouse.

As for why it wasn't tidied up or cleaned...

He didn't need to go in anyway, as long as it was usable.

Why should those extra slaves have such a good environment?

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a casual footsteps.

Buggy walked in front, covering his nose, followed by Sergeant Jacques with a grim expression, dragging half of Arne's body.

Without looking back, they walked past Diouf, who had a smile on his face and enthusiastically extended a hand to greet them.

So annoying!

Three black lines immediately appeared on Diouf's forehead.

"Major Arrow!" he shouted, suppressing his anger.

"?"

Buggy walked a distance, and at Jacques's signal, he remembered that his current identity was Arrow.

Then he turned his head.

Deep in thought.

Who is this lizard-faced guy?

He's got quite a distinct look.

Was he mentioned in that guy's diary?

Probably not.

He clapped his hands lightly. Convinced that there was no social connection between the lizard-faced man and Yarrow, he prepared to keep moving.

After all, one couldn't expect a mental patient to socialize.

Maintaining the existing relationships was only a decision Buggy had made out of necessity to squeeze every bit of value out of this identity.

"Captain Diouf. He's a Major under Rear Admiral Sicily, the base commander of District 66."

Jacques whispered from the side.

He had already resigned himself to his fate.

The leverage Buggy held over him was enough to get him killed ten times over.

It was the only way he could barely guarantee his own life.

As for resisting?

He was a dignified Navy Sergeant; facing an opponent that even a Brigadier General was helpless against, just staying alive was already a success.

"Oh!" Buggy looked like he had just had a sudden realization.

He shook Diouf's outstretched hand warmly. "Captain, huh? Being a Captain is great!"

"When I was a kid, my father always told me how impressive it was to be a Navy Captain, carrying justice on your back!"

"You flatter me, Baron!" Diouf beamed with joy.

"No, no. He later tattooed the word 'Justice' on the back of our family's Runaway Dog, too."

"..."

The smile on Diouf's face stiffened instantly.

"Ah, Captain Diouf, don't misunderstand. I'm not talking about you; we're colleagues, after all."

"Heh heh." Diouf's expression softened, albeit reluctantly.

"I'm just wondering, since you're waiting here specifically for me, is there something you need?"

No one had ever mentioned that this Major talked so much, or that his words were so grating.

Diouf gritted his teeth, inwardly resentful.

He couldn't lash out openly, so he had to swallow his anger and force a smile.

"It's just some business matters I wanted to consult Major Arrow about."

"At least in this regard, we still have plenty of opportunities for cooperation."

A dark gold business card was handed to Buggy.

There was no name on it, only a few gilded characters—Human Auction House.

"So the captain is a lobbyist today."

"To be precise, I am one of the representatives, and I'm also here to evaluate." Diouf tilted his head back, acting as if he had the upper hand.

Not everyone was qualified to cooperate with the Human Auction House, the largest auction house on the archipelago.

"Oh."

Buggy casually tossed the business card to Jacques.

He was quite envious of this business card.

Everyone on the Sabaody Archipelago knew what this auction house represented.

In the lawless zone, small and medium-sized slave-catching crews would fight tooth and nail for this business card.

The Celestial Dragons.

No, even a tiny bit of what those noble lords let slip through their fingers could feed them well.

Even Jacques, a Marine, was somewhat tempted.

Wasn't this the moment he had been waiting for by clinging to power?!

Yes, this was the reaction he expected!

Diouf almost thought Major Arrow was one of those rare, upright Marines who were unmoved by their invitation.

Perhaps he was from a noble background.

He consoled himself, then felt even more displeased.

Jacques's emotions were still turbulent, even after Diouf left, extending an invitation to the auction five days later.

His previous dissatisfaction with yielding vanished in an instant.

Who would turn down money?

Moreover, on this island, slavery and the slave trade were commonplace.

What was even more ironic was that this island was the closest island to Marineford on the Grand Line.

"Captain, no, Major, can we also participate in this business?"

"What do they see in us?"

He asked, trying to maintain some rationality.

"Of course, it's resources," Buggy patted Arne's shoulder.

"Resources! We're really going to strike it rich!"

Jacques's eyes brightened further.

If the Major were still the original Major, if he hadn't been to this warehouse, he wouldn't have had so many thoughts.

But now it was different.

"No."

Buggy wore a familiar smile, his meaning unreadable.

"Don't just care about money; this beautiful island deserves a more tasteful criminal."