The host gave an awkward laugh, then continued his enthusiastic deception, mainly Charlos's goofy face made people unconsciously want to lie to him.
Anyway, as long as he survives today, that dim-witted Celestial Dragons probably won't remember his face anymore, and he won't remember to bother him when he doesn't find the treasure. Tomorrow he'll shave his beard and put on a top hat.
The fourth item is similar to the second; you can tell from its manner of presentation that it was a slave, except this time it's an old man being auctioned.
Of course, this was the opinion of most people present. A few people recognized the face, because the slave who appeared this time did not lower his head. He had a faint smile on his lips as he scanned the entire room, and his deep eyes were conveyed to every corner of the venue through his glasses!
Those who knew him remained silent, while those who didn't were buzzing with discussion: why was an old man being auctioned off at such an important auction?
The slave's behavior on the display stand was too suspicious, because this person was Silvers Rayleigh, the former vice-captain of the Pirate King Roger. Many people know the name of Dark King Rayleigh, but very few know what he looks like.
Because with Captain Roger's surrender and the disbandment of the pirate crew, their bounties were withdrawn. Besides, usually only the Navy and pirates pay attention to pirate affairs; everyone else just watches it as entertainment and forgets about it.
Dark King Rayleigh, has been out of the public eye for over twenty years. Many people have long forgotten him, and the fleeting impressions they had of him back then have vanished without a trace. This is one of the reasons why Rayleigh was able to sell himself off multiple times without anyone noticing.
The second reason is similar to the current one: Sweet Commander Katakuri, Blackbeard, All-Stars Queen, as well as Vic and Dragon, all recognized Rayleigh. They were all people who had frequently dealt with major powers in the past, and they still recognized each other even after twenty years.
However, none of them would expose Rayleigh's identity; they wouldn't offer to buy Rayleigh, nor would they stop others from doing so, thus forming a tacit understanding.
They didn't know Rayleigh's purpose in auctioning himself off, and they didn't believe that a small auction house and an explosive collar could restrain Dark King Rayleigh. Therefore, they believed that the Pirate King's right hand must have some ulterior motive for appearing here.
If their exposure thwarted Rayleigh's scheme, they would inevitably face Rayleigh retaliation. They were all powerful and well-established individuals, while Rayleigh, being a lone wolf, could easily take revenge on them. Therefore, even though they knew each other at the auction house, Rayleigh's fear of them allowed him to succeed time and again!
Vic naturally knew why Rayleigh was among the auction items; it wasn't as noble or scheming as others might think.
It's nothing more than him losing all his money at some casino or spending it all with some young lady, which led him to sell himself and now he's trying to rob his buyer. Of course, Vic won't get involved. A smile appeared on his face under his hood; he was going to watch the show.
The host gave a brief introduction of Rayleigh and then began the auction, only mentioning that he was a robust old human man who might have other uses. Then, somewhat impatiently, the host announced that the bidding had begun.
How much value can an ordinary old human be? The audience is really small, which made the host feel that it was wasting time, so he wanted to end this round of auction quickly, even setting the starting price at 100,000 Beli.
This price is an insult to Dark King Rayleigh. If you could buy Dark King Rayleigh to serve your faction with money, people who know him would fight tooth and nail to the death. He's the right hand of the Pirate King!
Even though he's older and his fighting strength has declined, he's still undoubtedly the number one person after the leader of their faction, and in some smaller factions, he might even be the number one. Blackbeard, Katakuri, and Queen don't think they can beat Rayleigh in his current state.
Even four years later, Blackbeard, with his dual Devil Fruit powers, was unwilling to fight Rayleigh to the point of mutual destruction. And the current Blackbeard simply wouldn't make a move. Back when the Roger Pirates fought the Whitebeard Pirates, Rayleigh's imposing presence deeply intimidated the young Blackbeard, and he wouldn't fight Rayleigh without absolute certainty.
Moreover, even if Rayleigh isn't used as a warrior, he's still extremely valuable; he's a treasure in himself. Of course, Katakuri others all know that you can't buy Pluton' loyalty with money, so none of the people who know Rayleigh made an offer.
They didn't bid, but others did. After all, the starting price was very low, making it a worthwhile deal to buy just one person. However, it was mostly gentlemen of minor noble families bidding, along with some older noblewomen. As for what they intended to do with the person they bought, only they themselves knew.
Other nobles who are also interested in buying are still observing, perhaps feeling that the current price is too low and that making a bid would not be in keeping with their status, so they have not yet placed an offer.
When Rayleigh's auction price reached 5 million Beli, the number of bidders had decreased significantly. Even the young noblemen had given up. Only the plump noblewomen who thought Rayleigh had an outstanding demeanor were still bidding, which made Vic chuckle!
It's true that everyone has their own taste. Even a seventy-year-old man like Rayleigh can attract women, and that's without knowing Rayleigh identity. Even knowing his identity, wouldn't someone like Shakky still be infatuated with Rayleigh? So Rayleigh is still quite popular; there's a market for handsome older men.
The host hadn't expected an old man to be so sought after, and regretted setting the starting bid too low, as a lot of time had already been wasted.
The auction continued, but he became interested as the price went up. He had already paid for the old man's slave, so the slave was now the auction house's own merchandise, and all the money from the sale would go to them. Therefore, any excess was profit, and it was already a bargain.
The host also got into the mood to promote this handsome old man slave, spouting a whole bunch of nice things and lies, with the main focus being praising Rayleigh.
Even seeing that the bidders were all older, wealthy women, he began to shamelessly praise Rayleigh with vulgar terms such as "old but still vigorous," "enduring and vigorous," "big but not short," "unfailingly powerful," "able to move up and down," "left and right," and "full of energy," making the bidding ladies blush. However, they did not hesitate to place their bids.
It's not unusual for people in this world to have any talent, so they all believed it. However, the host didn't notice that the person standing next to him had turned pale as a pancake, and his previous refined demeanor had vanished without a trace. He was just staring at the host's profile indifferently!
The host, still caught up in the excitement, didn't notice anything unusual around him. However, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't know why, only that he had gotten so excited that he had even moved himself.
Since he was imagining things as he spoke, it's normal for him to shudder at the thought of such a scene. After all, what normal man wouldn't shudder at the thought?
The host was still enthusiastically urging the ladies in the audience to part, his words flowing like a torrent. He was quite the smooth talker, and many of the older women were swayed by his vivid descriptions. Even the female Celestial Dragons was hesitant about whether to make a bid.
What excuse will she use to appease her father and brother after making an offer? Should she reveal her true thoughts? That would be too shameful; she would never be able to hold her head up among the Celestial Dragons ' sisters again!
Even the Celestial Dragons, who are known for their extravagant lifestyles, probably wouldn't accept dating a sophisticated old man in his seventies. What reason could they possibly have to buy this handsome and capable grandfather?