Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Dining and Dashing! Sneaking into the Auction House
"Eating is living! Food makes life worth it!" While Natsu wasn't all that interested in the auction, Kumo looked up at him eagerly, eyes sparkling with excitement from overheard chatter about how lively it was.
Kumo really loved a good crowd.
"Food first! We'll see about the rest afterward," Natsu said, nonchalantly biting into the food before him, hands moving with lightning speed as he made his way through the dishes. Plates rapidly emptied in his wake.
Nothing matters more than a good meal—unless it's switching locations to keep eating.
"Hey, boss, save some for me!" Kumo yelped, seeing the food on the table disappearing faster than he could join in, but soon joined the eating frenzy.
Meanwhile, Karina was out shopping with Hiro. Hiro was far easier to talk to compared to Gin`s poker face or Enel's high-and-mighty coldness. Even though Hiro was a little strange sometimes, he could hold a proper conversation.
At first, things were going smoothly—shopping, bargain-hunting, and sweeping through the street. Karina was happily picking out clothes while Hiro scanned the shops for interesting materials and books. But, as they passed an alley, Karina spotted a World Government notice. Her face turned pale, and a look of terror crossed her face. She trembled as she hurried back to the Smile ship, shut herself in her room, and lay there silently, with tears unknowingly tracing down her face.
"What's going on? I didn't even get all my materials," Hiro sighed as he followed her back to the ship. Noticing Karina's closed door, he scratched his head, confused.
"Sigh, women really are a mystery. I'll just head back to the lab to work on my little darlings," he said, chuckling as he walked toward his workshop with a grin.
Back at the restaurant, Natsu and Kumo exchanged a glance once they were done eating. Natsu casually tapped his teeth with his fingers and then calmly headed for the door.
"Hey, young man! You haven't paid yet!" the owner called from behind.
"Thanks for the meal!" Natsu and Komu called out in unison, then bolted out the door. Their figures disappeared down the street in seconds.
"Damn it! Those brats dined and dashed! Get back here!" The owner's furious voice echoed through the street as he brandished a kitchen knife, yelling curses while people on the street turned to watch. From that day forward, a new rule was enforced at the restaurant: pay before you eat, or you get nothing.
Who knows? Maybe Ace will pass through here someday and realize that running off with free meals isn't as simple as it seems.
Unaware of any consequences, Natsu and Kumo made their way into the auction house. They found seats toward the back as the auction began.
Since this was just a small island, the items up for bid weren't particularly valuable. But the crowd still buzzed with excitement, people shouting bids left and right. Natsu watched with a calm expression, but Kumo was practically bouncing in his seat, waving his fists as if he were the one making the bids.
Time passed, and they finally reached the final round of bidding—the grand finale.
A Devil Fruit was brought out: the Ostrich-Ostrich Fruit, a Zoan-type.
While Natsu wasn't particularly interested, for most people, this was a treasure of unparalleled value—a potential path to power. After all, it was a Devil Fruit!
"Ostrich-Ostrich Fruit? I was hoping for a Logia or maybe even a Mythical Zoan," Kumo muttered, clearly unimpressed.
"The bidding starts at 90 million Beli, with minimum raises of 1 million Beli! Let's begin!" the auctioneer announced.
"91 million Beli!"
"93 million Beli!"
...
"120 million Beli!"
"Any further bids? 120 million Beli going once, 120 million Beli going twice, 120 million Beli... sold!"
"Congratulations, sir, on obtaining the Devil Fruit! Surely, a future powerhouse awaits in the New World!"
"Absolutely! I, Fin Kun, will shake the four seas! Hahaha!" The winner, a hefty, oily-looking man, beamed with excitement, oblivious to the envy and jealousy of those around him.
"Next, we present the final item for today: a young Fish-Man from the deep sea, muscular and skilled in Fish-Man Karate—a perfect bodyguard."
"And with our special auction collar, you can have complete control over his life and death. A truly valuable asset!"
Starting bids began at 80 million Beli. The male Fish-Man stood on the stage with a vacant gaze, eyes scanning the room, heart sinking at the sight of eager bidders. He had lost all hope but somehow was still clinging to life.
"Too bad it's a male Fish-Man," someone muttered in disappointment.
"Yeah, wouldn't it be great if it was a mermaid? They say mermaids are stunningly beautiful—perfect for someone looking for a bit of joy."
"Yeah, exactly!" another man agreed eagerly.
"Don't get carried away. If a mermaid showed up here, the auction house would notify the Celestial Dragons right away. You'd be out of luck," a noble scoffed, unimpressed by their fantasies.
"Tch, way to kill the mood."
While the men looked dejected, some noblewomen had a gleam in their eyes, watching the Fish-Man on stage intently.
Standing tall at around three meters, the Fish-Man was an impressive sight, with a sturdy build and a strong, handsome face.
"85 million Beli!"
"87 million Beli!"
...
"92 million Beli!"
"95 million Beli!"
"100 million Beli!" came a scratchy voice. In the VIP section, a plump woman wearing lavish jewelry sat, munching on a chicken leg with a greedy gaze fixed on the Fish-Man as if he were a rare treasure.
"Figures it'd be her," one noble grumbled.
This was Meimei, princess of the Kingdom of Kaitemus, a wealthy World Government member. Money was no object to her.
"Forget it. When she wants something, nobody else can have it unless they're a Celestial Dragon."
Seeing Meimei's bid, the other nobles gave up, understanding they couldn't compete with her wealth.
"That concludes today's auction, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you all for coming…"
Just then—BOOM!
An explosion rocked the building, blowing open a massive hole in the ceiling. A figure plummeted from above, landing directly on the auction stage.