Auction House

The next morning.

News Cooes carried newspapers over every inhabited island.

"Celestial Dragon Saint Homing of the Donquixote Family and his family have renounced their status and become commoners... The World Government hereby announces that whether this man lives or dies from now on has nothing to do with the Government..."

"Charlotte Linlin and Kaido joined forces in the New World, conquering several islands and leaving devastation in their wake. People fled in droves. This newspaper will continue to follow the situation..."

"Edward Newgate took in four more sons. A banquet was held aboard his ship throughout the night, and the guests did not gradually depart until dawn..."

"South Blue Admiral Jin An left the Sorbet Kingdom alone and continued his pirate purge."

"Hero Karp returned to his hometown in the East Blue. Pirates along the way trembled at the news..."

Inside the lavish hall, the crowd surged as noisy chatter filled the air.

Under the dim lights of the auction house, people wore extravagant clothes and every sort of jewelry, flaunting their wealth.

"Thank you all for waiting." A man in a black formal suit delivered the opening remarks with great enthusiasm. "The monthly human auction at Grove 1 is about to begin."

"And naturally, the one bringing us this wonderful event is Mr. Disco, the 'Walking Auction House'!"

Amid the auction house's brilliant lights, a man dressed in flamboyant clothes strutted forward with exaggerated steps and slowly reached the center of the auction platform.

His expression was as exaggerated as a theatrical masterpiece, every line of his face vividly portraying emotion at its most extreme.

"We have prepared quite a few high-quality slaves for everyone this time as well." Modis waved the hammer in his hand. "You are truly fortunate. This auction even includes some extremely sought-after goods. I sincerely hope every one of you can buy a slave you are satisfied with."

Directly behind the auction platform, slaves were imprisoned in separate cages in groups of three or five, their faces deeply branded with despair.

Their eyes were hollow and powerless. The chains and shackles on their bodies seemed like eternal restraints, and they could not hide the fear and helplessness in their hearts.

"Why did he bring us to a place like this?" Disguised, Donquixote Doflamingo felt uncomfortable all over and twisted his body, trying to take off his filthy clothes.

"Stop struggling. You can't get out of this place..." Dragon glanced at the child beside him and looked at the iron chains around himself.

For him, this was a novel experience. He had always been respected, and he was usually the one putting chains on prisoners. Yet now, it was his turn...

He shifted into a more comfortable position against the wall. "We'll find out where he is soon enough. For now, just wait. This is something we could never have encountered before."

This was the darkness of the world. Everyone present had helped create this human tragedy.

That was right. Dragon and Donquixote Doflamingo had been sold by Jin An, all the way to the Sabaody Archipelago.

After speaking, Dragon closed his eyes and quietly listened to the crying coming from the neighboring cages.

At the center of the auction house, nobles sat in comfortable seats, elegantly raising their glasses and lightly sipping fine wine as they chatted and awaited the arrival of the merchandise.

"What do you plan to buy this time?"

"The human slave I bought last time was done for in less than ten days. So if possible, I'd like to buy a young, strong Fish-Man today."

"I want to buy two or three young, beautiful women for something pleasing to look at. I wonder what kind of women will appear. I can't wait."

"Ha ha ha ha."

To them, this was not merely an auction, but an exquisite social gathering. They enjoyed the thrill and delight brought by bidding.

Watching the atmosphere around him grow increasingly heated, Modis threw back his head and laughed. He was the chief auctioneer, and years of hosting experience had taught him exactly how much wealth his talent could bring.

He swept his gaze away from the crowd, laughed loudly, and clapped his hands. Smiling broadly, he said, "Everyone, I know why you have come, so this auction will bring out the very best from the start."

As he spoke, Modis waved a hand, and the lights onstage immediately dimmed.

Soon, under the spotlight, two guards led a collared man onto the stage.

Modis picked up a loudspeaker and began introducing the merchandise. "Item Number One comes from the North Blue. He can cook and do housework, is exceptionally handsome, beloved by all who see him, and can fulfill all your needs."

"A strong and vigorous twenty-two-year-old man."

"Bidding starts at 300,000 Beli."

"Now, please raise your paddles and bid."

With a bright smile onstage, Modis opened with a lion's mouth, setting a relatively high price for the man.

"What beasts..." Jin An sat in the VIP section, watching this farce with a cold smile at the corner of his mouth.

They said that without buyers, there would be no killing. But in Jin An's eyes, slaves being killed outright was already a relatively good ending. What he feared was that after being bought, they would suffer a fate worse than death.

As they looked at the male slave onstage, the audience's expressions clearly did not change much. They were obviously uninterested in him.

Under everyone's gaze, the man shifted uneasily, his heart filled with despair. Once the deal went through, his life and death would be entirely in someone else's hands.

"Since nobody wants him, he'll be mine." The person holding Paddle Number 87 raised it over his head. "300,000 Beli."

After calling out his price, the noble looked around, preparing to see who might compete with him.

Modis's eyes flickered. Inwardly, he looked down on the bidder and gave him a contemptuous smile, though his face retained its perfect expression.

He shouted, "Guest Number 87 has bid 300,000 Beli. Does anyone wish to continue?"

After a brief silence below the stage, several more people began raising the price.

Listening to the ever-rising bids, the first bidder felt both astonished and irritated. In the end, when the price reached 520,000 Beli, he no longer had any desire to compete.

For the first item, most people held back and chose to keep watching. They all understood that the further along the auction went, the higher the quality of the merchandise would be.

Those with less Beli seized this opportunity as well, raising bids on the earlier items in hopes of spending the least money possible for relatively good slaves.

After all, by attending such a large auction, they might even get to know people of higher status.

"..."

After the auction had continued for thirty minutes, fourteen slaves had already been sold, and the upcoming merchandise would all be heavy hitters.

"Get ready. Bring out Item Number 16. As soon as Item Number 15 is sold, put it onstage immediately."

"Brat, get up already! Perform well next, and try to sell for a good price!" A guard grabbed Donquixote Doflamingo by his clothes and viciously threw him out of the cage.

"And you. You have legs, so get out there yourself. Move any slower and be careful I don't beat you to death."

Dragon suppressed the urge to kill and got up on his own, walking toward the auction platform.