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

"Such a greeting, I don't like it, Joker," Natsu said with a serious expression but a light tone, slowly walking up to Doflamingo and casually sitting down beside him.

"Hehehehe! As expected, you're the one who stole the golden treasure from the sky and drove off an admiral! Hey, Natsu, how about we team up?"

Doflamingo paused for a moment, then turned his body to face Natsu, directly extending the invitation.

In his eyes, there were no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. Even Kaido was merely a partner in his ambitions. As one of the top rebellious figures in the pirate world, Doflamingo had never truly bowed to anyone. After all, he awakened his Conqueror's Haki, which was the mark of a true king.

He was a ruthless man driven by his own ambitions, a warlord to be called an overlord.

He believed that only those who stood at the top could define what was good or evil, and only the victors could define justice. So, he firmly believed that "justice will win," because only the victorious could define what justice truly was.

"No interest. We're not on the same path, so we won't work together!" Natsu replied coldly, rejecting him.

"Hehehe! Just like the rumors say! But do you know what happens when you refuse me?" Doflamingo smirked, flexing his fingers as a transparent wire shot out at lightning speed, aiming directly for Natsu's neck.

"Szzzzt! Boom~"

At the same time Doflamingo demonstrated his power, Gin's figure flickered into the space between them. His fiery arm blocked the wire with ease. The blazing flames quickly spread, and the terrifying heat seemed to obliterate everything. The cold, indifferent gaze of Gin made Doflamingo feel a shiver down his spine, as if he was staring into the abyss of hell itself.

Snap!

The wire, which was powerful enough to cut through steel, was severed by Gin's flames, its crisp break sending a chill through everyone present.

Despite not knowing Natsu and Gin well, everyone was familiar with Doflamingo. He was a scheming, ambitious man who thrived on chaos.

"Hahaha! Both of you are famous figures in the world! Let's not fight over small things—there will be many more chances to collaborate in the future," the King of Loan Sharks, Feld, spoke up, attempting to mediate.

"Hehehehe! Hehehehe!" Doflamingo stopped his actions, not pressing further. He eyed Gin carefully, as if trying to uncover something.

The onlookers' expressions also shifted, their eyes now on Gin. If someone could easily block Doflamingo's attack, that person's strength was undeniable. It seemed like the Smile Pirates had another formidable fighter, likely another Devil Fruit user, besides Enel.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will now begin the 152nd auction on Gaburu Island. The first item for auction is a slave from the West Blue, once a pirate with a bounty of five million!" the auctioneer announced.

Through competitive bidding, the slave was eventually sold for seven million Berries.

...

The auction continued in an orderly fashion, with Natsu showing no interest in the first half of the items. However, Hiro purchased two slaves with 1/16th giant bloodline during the session.

"Next up, the highlight of this auction: the Great Blade of the Twenty-One Great Swords, the famed sword 'Blade Feather'! Starting bid: thirty million Berries!"

"Twenty-One Great Swords?! No way! I never thought I'd see one of these legendary blades in my lifetime!"

"A Great Blade… As a swordsman, I've dreamed of owning one. Too bad it's so expensive!"

"Thirty million Berries? Captain, since you want it so badly, how about we sell you and buy this blade instead?" one of the pirate crew members whispered behind.

Boom! "No manners! Get lost!" The young crew member immediately regretted his words as Natsu scolded him.

"A famous sword, huh? It's a good item, but I already have one. Besides, I'm not a swordsman, so it's useless to me." Natsu was tempted but ultimately didn't bid. After all, the Smile Pirates didn't have a true swordsman.

As for Hiro? He only wielded a large sword because of his Devil Fruit abilities. If his Haki were stronger, he might prefer using his fists to crush opponents instead.

Eventually, the famous sword was purchased by the manager of the Dark World's Assassins Division, "Grim Reaper" Piekro. The crowd couldn't help but notice the huge scythe on his back, causing some confusion.

"Next, we have something for everyone to be excited about—a Devil Fruit from the sea! Eating this fruit grants you monstrous strength. Starting bid: one hundred million Berries!"

"One hundred ten million Berries!"

"One hundred twenty million Berries!"

...

"Two hundred million!"

When the Devil Fruit was presented, the bidding heated up. It was clear that many people had already known about this item and prepared enough Berries for the auction. After all, a powerful Devil Fruit could instantly create a strong pirate.

"Three hundred million Berries!"

Finally, the Devil Fruit was claimed by a pirate with red hair. However, the crowd kept their eyes on him, unsure if the fruit would be safely taken away. After all, the temptation was far too great.

"Now, let's move on to the final item!" The auctioneer's voice was deliberately mysterious as he carefully unveiled the last item.

"A Permanent Pointer! According to the seller, this pointer leads to a legendary place!"

"A Permanent Pointer? Is this real? Why would something like this be for sale?"

"A legendary place? Could it be… there?!"

Everyone's minds instinctively went to the infamous man who was executed in their homeland—Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, the man who triggered the Great Pirate Era before his death.

"Captain!" Gin whispered to Natsu.

"Don't worry," Natsu calmly waved his hand, signaling for Gin to relax. He remembered that a Permanent Pointer to the final island, Raftel, had once been in the hands of Barrett, the Devil's Heir. But his foolish younger brother had broken it.

"A legendary place? It might just be a marketing gimmick. But just in case…" Natsu muttered to himself.

"Five hundred million Berries!"

Breaking the tense silence, Natsu was the first to bid.

"Hehehehe! Five hundred million? Captain Natsu, you really are wealthy!" Doflamingo laughed in his signature eerie tone, and all eyes turned to Natsu.

"Six hundred million Berries!"

The bidding became heated as two of the Seven Warlords of the Sea began fighting for the pointer. The onlookers quickly gave up on competing—after all, no one could be sure if this pointer really led to Raftel. Besides, who knew if they would even survive getting to the island before finding the great treasure?

"Ten billion Berries!" Without further hesitation, Natsu made his move.

To be continued...

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