I have to say, the Sabaody Archipelago, as a convergence point between the New World and the first half of the Grand Line in the world of pirates, is incredibly bustling. Here, treasures from the Grand Line and all the seas gather, and the wealthy are in abundance.
In no time, several precious items were auctioned off, although the prices weren't too high. For Nicolas, however, the prices for these items could buy hundreds of slaves if converted, even at low quality. This illustrates how powerful the auction houses in Sabaody are.
"Now, let's move on to the climax of our auction. The next item is the most frequently appearing merchandise in our auction - humans and other humanoid races. Everyone should be clear that although these are relatively common commodities, every slave sold at our auction is top-quality, and they have excellent reputations among many clients."
Then, a somewhat plump host signaled to the backstage. Soon, several armored guards escorted a row of chained slaves onto the stage. These slaves were all male, with slave collars around their necks, being dragged onto the stage like dogs.
From Nicolas's perspective in the audience, he could see that these slaves had excellent physical qualities. However, they had no light in their eyes. Even during their procession to the stage, they trembled instinctively when pulled and approached by the guards. Nicolas understood that this was a conditioned reflex from enduring abuse and beatings.
As for why Nicolas understood this so well, it was because he had contacts with many underworld giants privately. He had also killed some nobles and slave owners during his time at sea. However, he quickly realized that it was almost futile.
After all, the prolonged inhuman treatment had caused enormous changes in these people's minds and bodies. Some would even confront Nicolas or choose to commit suicide rather than flee after he killed their masters.
Therefore, Nicolas couldn't sympathize with these people.
"Now, let me introduce you to this batch of goods. This batch of goods comes from a pirate crew in the North Sea. Look at their tall stature and strong muscles; they are brave and wild. They have been tested by the cold climate of the North Sea. Buying them back, they can serve as bodyguards, and if you are dissatisfied, they are excellent objects for release. As long as the injuries are not fatal, any harm can be easily treated with insignificant healing costs and time. They can be said to be quite durable. Even after our long-term training and psychological suggestion, they are absolutely comparable to the most loyal hunting dogs.
So, ladies and gentlemen, what are you waiting for? This batch of wild slaves from the North Sea starts at only ten million Berries, a bargain price!"
The audience below began to bid fervently when they saw these muscular slaves with various colorful paints on their faces and dressed in fur.
"$11,000,000! These slaves are mine!"
"My shop is lacking a special attraction. $12,000,000, and they will bring me profits with their skills."
"These warriors should die in battle. $15,000,000! We are the Blood and Sand Arena; we must win!"
In the midst of the intense competition, a voice of impatience came from beside Nicolas.
"One hundred million Berries."
As this bid rang out, the entire venue fell silent.
One, because the price was directly. Two, because the bidder was a Celestial Dragon. They could offer prices far beyond the expected value of the item, but they could also make you lose a lot.
When the Celestial Dragon's bid was made, everyone else refrained from bidding. Clearly, these slaves were not worth one hundred million Berries. One must remember that this price could easily buy a Devil Fruit, even the cheapest Zoan type, which would grant tremendous power.
No one dared to offend a Celestial Dragon, but Nicolas had fewer concerns. Since he had chosen to sail the seas, the moment he was caught by slave catchers or bounty hunters marked his failure.
This was a harsh reality. Like the people imprisoned in Impel down, except for those miraculously released by Monkey D. Luffy, the number of deaths inside was countless.
In the end, these slaves were bought by the Celestial Dragon for one hundred million Berries. Almost immediately after the transaction was completed, one could feel that all of these slaves had lost all hope. Among slaves, it was well known that once they fell into the hands of Celestial Dragons, there was no chance left.
"This way, including the slaves from before, the next round of the slaughter games should have enough participants."
The Celestial Dragon muttered to himself.
Soon, several batches of slaves were brought up. These slaves were mostly handsome men and beautiful women, with excellent appearances and impressive physical strength. However, here, they were only commodities and would be mere playthings to please their masters in the future.
With the auction of the last pair of sisters, the music on stage resounded once again, and this time, the host, named Gic, even performed a ridiculous dance routine.
"I know you all can't wait any longer. Let's move on to today's main event. You should have already heard that we obtained a batch of five-hundred-year-old wine from the East Blue recently. I won't go into details, but I'll tell you that after the Wine Connoisseur Association's appraisal, all of these wines have reached A+ quality!
Following this, several beautiful women crouched, carrying trays with various bottles of wine. Meanwhile, a servant from the Celestial Dragon's side also brought up a bottle. After all, for the auction house, Celestial Dragons were the biggest spenders.
"So, let the bidding begin, starting at one hundred million Berries."
"Excellent wine, one hundred million Berries."
As soon as the host finished speaking, Nicholas calmly made a bid.
The entire venue, preparing to compete in fervent bidding, fell silent at once.
Even Gic was somewhat speechless. According to their expectations, the price of this batch of wine would not be less than two hundred and fifty million Berries. Yet now, they had only reached the starting price; it seemed like a huge loss.
Moreover, the main purpose of this last item was for the Celestial Dragons. But now, it seemed that it might not go as planned.
"Congratulations, Mr. Nicholas, for winning this batch of wine."
Although his heart was bleeding, what could he do? He could only smile and continue the auction.