One Piece: Rising to Power as a Warlord of the Sea

Two days later, Noriyuki, usually calm and composed, appeared before Natsu, pale and visibly distressed, as though struggling to find the right words.

"What happened,Noriyuki?" Natsu's brow furrowed with concern as he quickly asked.

"I… I just passed by Area One and saw that today's auction… they're selling Fish-Men. I couldn't control myself and sneaked in to look, and… it turns out my nephew is among those being sold," Noriyuki lowered his head, his bloodshot eyes filled with regret, and kept hitting his forehead, overwhelmed by remorse. If only he'd been stronger, he might have been able to save his nephew.

"Captain Natsu, I beg you, please help me save my nephew!" Noriyuki pleaded, beginning to kneel, but Natsu caught him before he could.

"You're my crewmate now, and among friends, there's no need for this. Since it's an auction, we'll just go and bid," Natsu decided swiftly, without a second thought.

He figured he would just keep raising the bid — he didn't intend to actually pay anyway. He wasn't worried about angering the auction's backers; he recalled that the auction house on Sabaody Archipelago was likely one of Doflamingo's operations.

"Thank you, Captain!" For a moment, Noriyuki, the usually stoic, mature Fish-Man, couldn't help but break down in tears.

"Don't worry, old Nor! We'll definitely get your nephew out of there," Kumo reassured him, giving his shoulder a comforting pat with his pudgy little paw.

"Yeah!" Noriyuki nodded firmly.

"Still, Noriyuki, you sure are unlucky. I mean, getting captured and sold — twice?"Kumo inadvertently added a second jab right after comforting him.

Noriyuki: "..."

In the Area One auction house, the crew of the Smile Pirates arrived in full force, finding their seats early and waiting quietly for the auction to begin.

As time passed, nobles from various kingdoms began filing into the auction hall, joined by several pirates who swaggered in, settling into seats like seasoned patrons, clearly familiar with the place.

Once everyone was seated, the entrance filled with a squad of armored soldiers who quickly cordoned off the aisles. Instantly, silence fell over the auction house. Other than the occasional sound of nervous swallowing, no one dared move, all tense and rigid.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

Footsteps echoed as a Celestial Dragon, with a bubble helmet and leading a Celestial "dog," entered the hall, followed by another middle-aged Celestial Dragon. They strolled to the VIP section reserved specifically for them.

With just a glance from the two Celestial Dragons, everyone around instinctively lowered their heads in fear, holding their breath, too terrified to utter a word.

Thanks to Natsu's warning, Enel merely sneered but kept his silence, avoiding any unnecessary trouble.

Seeing the distinguished guests seated, especially the Celestial Dragons, the auctioneer, Disco, flashed a sly grin as he took the podium, tapping the auction gavel lightly to announce the beginning of the auction.

"Now, let's unveil the first item for auction! This blade, crafted by a renowned swordsmith, is extraordinarily sharp and cuts through anything with ease. The starting bid is 100,000 Berries!"

"120,000 Berries! I'll take it. It'll make a fine addition to my collection!"

"150,000 Berries!"

"160,000 Berries!"

"Hmph! 200,000 Berries! It's mine!" A pudgy noble from the Kingdom of Piteka declared proudly, nose high in the air.

"Any more bids? Going once, going twice! 200,000 Berries… Sold to the Kingdom of Piteka!" Disco called out, announcing the sale of the first item with a flourish.

"Next, let's introduce the second item..."

An hour later, the auction neared its end. This time, Disco built suspense, taking his time and moving to the center of the stage without revealing the item right away. Instead, he pressed a red button, and a massive steel helmet glinted as it rose from below.

"Whoa, that's huge!"

"A helmet? What's the deal?"

"I have no idea! Are they actually auctioning off a helmet?"

"Hey, Disco, stop teasing us! Just tell us what the item is already!"

The buzz of anticipation filled the room. Disco grinned, pleased with the excitement building in the crowd, even using a few of his "planted" audience members to stir up the atmosphere.

"Well, since everyone's so eager, let's reveal the second-to-last item!"

Clink! Clank!

The sound of heavy chains dragging along the floor echoed through the auction house, drawing all eyes toward a massive figure emerging into view.

"A Giant?!"

"No way! A real Giant?!"

"Man, if I could buy a Giant slave, they'd be unstoppable in battle!"

"Forget it, haven't you seen who's in front?" The speaker's voice trailed off as everyone glanced toward the Celestial Dragons. With them present, there was no chance anyone else could bid on the good stuff. For everyone else, this auction was just for show.

"Exactly."

Disco extended his hand toward the stage, a wide grin on his face.

"A Giant, former captain of the Colossal Pirates, with a bounty of 120 million Berries! The bidding starts at 100 million Berries!"

Before anyone else could react, one of the Celestial Dragons immediately raised his bid to 200 million Berries. For them, this was merely a number; as the descendants of the kings who founded the World Government 800 years ago, they considered themselves divine beings and had access to unlimited resources.

Gasp!

The crowd collectively drew in a sharp breath, watching the Celestial Dragons in stunned silence, realizing they couldn't compete.

"If there are no further bids, this Giant slave goes to Saint Charloss," Disco declared triumphantly, thrilled at the ease of earning a massive payout from the Celestial Dragons.

"Finally, we come to the highlight of today's auction — an extraordinary item: a young Fish-Man slave from the depths of Fish-Man Island!"

Quickly, a small figure was led onto the stage, shackled in chains. His skin was a pale shade, his bare feet on display, and his dull gray eyes looked lifeless as he shuffled forward, shrinking back at the boisterous noise from the audience.

"Oh my gosh, what a cute little Fish-Man!"

"I'd love to take him home as a rare pet!"

"Get real; can't you see the Celestial Dragons here? Stop dreaming."

"Hmph, Disco really outdid himself this time. Bringing the Celestial Dragons in ruins the auction for the rest of us."

"A Fish-Man? Didn't Lady Charlulia mention wanting a pet Fish-Man recently? This would be the perfect birthday gift for her."

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