Uchiha Hikaru paid no heed to Akainu's overwhelming pressure. Though the atmosphere had everyone around them on high alert, a faint smile remained on his face.
"I think you misunderstood." Hikaru spoke calmly. He gently reached out and closed the Devil Fruit case. A trace of reluctance clearly flashed through Hina's eyes, while Momousagi and Akainu remained utterly unmoved. Hikaru could not help praising their composure inwardly.
Hikaru continued, "I'm not hiring the Marines. I only want them to establish a temporary base near Dressrosa. My auction house is a legitimate business, open only to respectable public figures from high society around the world. The Marines' presence would serve two purposes: deterring petty criminals and indirectly protecting those high-society figures. If any pirates really come to cause trouble, there'll be no need for the Marines to act. I'll capture them myself and collect the bounty."
In just a few words, Hikaru made the situation clear. The Marines would not be there to guard his venue, but merely to deter troublemakers while Dressrosa was still weak. At the same time, it would make pirates with ill intentions take a detour instead of coming to stir up trouble. If any overconfident pirates truly came to deliver themselves to him, Hikaru would have no choice but to reluctantly capture them.
Akainu fixed Hikaru with a cold, gloomy stare. "Are you telling the truth?"
"Of course it's true!" Hikaru nodded. "Truer than real gold!"
Akainu nodded. "Given Dressrosa's situation, holding an auction for valuable items could indeed attract pirates' attention and provoke unrest. But from another perspective, you want to help Dressrosa recover faster. That's a good approach. The Marines' duty is to protect civilians, and your plan gives us sufficient reason to station forces in the waters near Dressrosa."
Hikaru smiled. "Rest assured,