One day later.
It was the day of the monthly Human Auction, and the flow of people heading toward Grove 1 had visibly increased.
The streets were particularly lively, filled with nobles dressed in luxurious attire, many of them favoring high-top hats.
Coming from various groves, they had gathered here for one purpose—to bid on the merchandise at the Human Auctioning House.
The sheer number of nobles drawn to this event was a testament to the auction house's prestige on the Sabaody Archipelago.
"I wonder what the highlight of this auction will be."
"Hopefully, a young and beautiful mermaid, heh heh..."
"If it really is a female mermaid, I won't let you have her."
"Haha, the highest bidder wins!"
On the way to the Human Auctioning House, conversations like these could be heard everywhere.
The crowd gradually converged toward the auction venue.
Less than half an hour remained before the auction began.
Meanwhile, in the holding area at the back of the Human Auction House…
Clang… Clang…
Chains dragged across the floor, producing a sharp sound.
A male pirate, dressed in a captain's coat, trudged forward with a slave collar fastened around his neck, his face void of spirit.
His steps were heavy.
As if the shackles on his ankles were two massive iron balls, weighing thousands of pounds.
Trailing behind him were two fully armed auction house guards.
"Stop dragging your feet! Move faster!"
One of the guards, irritated by the pirate's sluggish pace, barked a command, his tone filled with disdain.
But the pirate ignored him, continuing his slow, heavy march toward the cold iron bars ahead.
"Damn it, I told you to hurry up!"
Growing impatient, the guard lifted his foot and delivered a fierce kick to the pirate's lower back.
Thud!
With a dull impact, the pirate was sent flying a meter or two forward before rolling another five or six meters on the ground.
When he finally stopped, he was less than ten meters away from the iron-barred cage.
The guards weren't done yet. One of them walked up and delivered another powerful kick, sending the pirate rolling the remaining distance until he crashed into the cage bars with a loud clang.
The impact caught the attention of the slaves inside the cage.
One by one, gazes passed through the towering iron bars and fell upon the pirate sprawled at the entrance.
Then, just as quickly, those gazes withdrew.
"Showing defiance in a place like this is a death sentence."
A waiting slave, seated on a wooden crate, glanced coldly at the pirate, who still seemed unable to accept his reality.
No matter how strong one's spirit was, once branded as a slave…
The slave withdrew his gaze in silence.
Inside the cage, the air was deathly still, the silence suffocating.
"Get in there."
The guards opened the cage and threw the pirate inside, slamming the door shut with force.
"Tch, and to think this weakling had a 40 million bounty?"
"On this island, 40 million is nothing."
"True enough, haha…"
"That was the last one, right?"
"Yeah, we made it just in time. If we were ten minutes later, the auction would've started."
As their conversation faded into the distance, the pirate stirred slightly.
His eyes burned with anger—but the flames were quickly doused by despair.
He had been so close to reaching Fish-Man Island… just one step away…
That crushing despair and helplessness slowly drained the light from his eyes.
The iron bars of this cage imprisoned more than just freedom.
After locking away the final "product," the two guards exchanged a few words with the staff before returning to the auction house's rear entrance, standing like sentinels.
From a vantage point on a distant hill, Maude and Lafitte stood side by side, gazing calmly at the two burly guards stationed at the back entrance of the auction house.
"Hoho, the one just thrown in was 'Wrestler' Billy, a pirate with a 40 million bounty. He's the last of the captain-tier merchandise."
"So that means… everything's in place?"
"Yes."
"Then let's begin."
Maude tossed aside the auction catalog, his sharp gaze cutting across the hundred-meter distance, locking onto the two guards at the entrance.
Lafitte's lips curled into a grin, his eyes glinting with a dangerous light.
Less than ten minutes remained until the auction began.
Inside the venue, the seats were packed to capacity, the air buzzing with chaotic noise.
Behind the curtain near the auction stage, a man with pinkish-purple hair and star-shaped sunglasses stood in delight, savoring the endless clamor from the crowd.
This man was Disco, the manager and auctioneer of the Human Auctioning House.
"Ahh, today is going to be another splendid day!"
To him, the noise in the hall was like music, an intoxicating melody.
"Master Disco, everything is ready."
A staff member holding a microphone approached him.
Disco toned down his grin slightly, nodded, and took the microphone before heading toward the stage.
"The only pity is that we didn't manage to get that rare skeleton man… but today's featured item more than makes up for it!"
Still smiling, Disco strode onto the stage.
A while back, he had sent slave hunters after Brook, intending to feature him as a star attraction for the monthly auction.
But that plan had failed. And then, a string of other incidents had followed…
Disco shook his head slightly.
The auction was about to begin—there was no need to dwell on trivial setbacks.
Tap. Tap.
Reaching the center of the stage, he faced the eager audience, who had all turned their expectant gazes on him.
As Disco appeared, the noisy hall gradually quieted.
The guests watched him intently, anticipating the slaves that would soon be presented for bidding.
"Welcome, esteemed guests! As always, we have prepared top-quality slaves for you in this auction. And, of course, we have an extraordinary highlight item tonight! I sincerely hope each of you finds a slave that suits your fancy!"
Disco knew the crowd had no patience for unnecessary pleasantries, so after the brief introduction, he moved straight to business.
"Now then, let's begin with the first—"
BOOM—
A sudden, thunderous explosion shook the entire venue, causing the ceiling to tremble and dust to rain down.
The force of the blast was terrifying, shocking many of the guests in their seats.
On stage, the smile on Disco's face froze instantly.
"Huh? Which damned fool dares to cause trouble at a time like this?!"
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