The next day, inside the King of Gold Hotel.
It was a special day aboard Ark Maxim. The long-awaited auction was finally about to begin.
The venue was the hotel's thirteenth floor, which had been built for auctions.
At the front stood a huge stage where the host could display and auction the lots.
Before the stage lay an open floor dotted with round tables. Each was surrounded by a semicircular sofa facing the stage.
Behind them stood rows of seats. The layout resembled the Auction House on Sabaody, except for the VIP section up front and the much larger venue.
The auction was scheduled to begin at nine. It was already eight fifty, and both the VIP and regular sections were nearly full.
Gild Tesoro had not stopped smiling since he saw the turnout. Far more people had come than he had expected.
"Is everyone here?"
Gild Tesoro straightened his clothes. He was hosting the auction today, so his appearance mattered to him.
"Most of them, sir. Two VIPs haven't arrived yet: the Thunder Swordsman, Werther, and Yasha, Donquixote Doflamingo."
Tesoro was puzzled. He had seen them both at the casino yesterday. Were they really going to skip the auction?
His heart sank at the thought. Those were two big spenders he could not afford to lose.
Werther had extorted a hundred billion Beli from him not long ago, and Tesoro had hoped to recoup some of it through this auction.
As for Doffy, a man who sold weapons in the New World could hardly be poor.
Werther had not stayed away because he did not want to come. He had simply overslept.
In his bedroom at the King of Gold Hotel, he was still fast asleep, a naked beauty lying beside him.
More precisely, Werther had bought the