[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For $5][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[Thank You For Your Support!]
====
"Silvers Rayleigh, I've wanted to meet you for a long time."
Hearing Zyhark's words, Rayleigh's eyes, hidden behind his glasses, filled with surprise and shock.
"Hahaha, you're just like Shanks said, a very interesting fellow."
Rayleigh laughed heartily, then turned his head and looked at Zyhark, saying in a deep voice, "Zyhark, captain of the Endless Dream."
Just over two months ago, the Red-Haired Pirates, who were heading to the New World to vie for the Yonko's throne, had visited Sabaody Archipelago.
Through Shanks' introduction, Rayleigh learned about Zyhark, the newcomer who had risen strongly in the East Blue.
This time, it was Zyhark's turn to be surprised: "Shanks mentioned me to you?"
"Yes, he said you exude a mysterious aura, someone even he has to take seriously."
Since the conversation had started so openly, Rayleigh didn't beat around the bush. He nodded and praised, "Now that I see you in person, this calm and confident demeanor at your age is indeed rare!"
"Mr. Rayleigh, you truly live up to your legend as a super pirate. Just being near you, I can feel an immensely powerful aura," Zyhark responded with a smile.
After this exchange of mutual admiration, Rayleigh's face turned serious as he looked at the slave collar on Zyhark's neck and asked, "How did a young man like you end up getting captured?"
"Well..."
Zyhark scratched his head and smiled, "My idiot partner went to Shakky's bar to drink, couldn't pay the bill, and as the captain, I got sold to this auction house by Miss Shakky to cover the debt."
Hearing this, Rayleigh was initially stunned but then laughed heartily: "In that case, your situation is quite similar to mine."
"What can I do? I have a partner who loves to drink," Zyhark sighed heavily.
Through his Haki, Rayleigh could sense the authenticity of that sigh.
Though he didn't believe that this kid running a sea restaurant couldn't afford a simple drink bill! "Tell me the real reason you got yourself sold here."
Rayleigh's lips curled into a legendary pirate's smile as he teased, "You can't be like this retired old man just looking to pass the time, right?"
"As I said before, I wanted to meet the legendary pirate. Uncle Crocus at the Twin Capes told me a lot about you."
Zyhark adjusted his sitting position; the slave collar around his neck was a bit uncomfortable.
Although he hadn't mastered advanced Armament Haki with internal destruction properties yet, he could achieve the same effect using the penetrating power of lightning or by transforming his body into an element.
Even without using the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, the explosion from the collar couldn't fatally harm him due to his formidable defense! "I didn't expect you to know Crocus. We haven't seen each other since Roger disbanded the crew."
Rayleigh's face, aged yet exuding a powerful presence, showed a hint of reminiscence.
His tone also relaxed noticeably.
In this context, Crocus's name had indeed played a role.
At least now, if Zyhark wanted Rayleigh to teach him about Haki and swordsmanship, the latter would likely agree.
Of course, whether the progress would be as effective as Kaido's method was something Zyhark would need to experience for himself.
But for now, he had more pressing matters.
"However, that shouldn't be the main reason you got yourself sold here, right?" Rayleigh asked seriously, regaining his composure.
If it was just to meet him or relay a message from Crocus, Zyhark could have waited at Shakky's bar. There was no need for such an elaborate plan.
Moreover, the dark, damp cell was clearly not the best place for a conversation.
"You're right. It's hard to hide anything from you."
Zyhark took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with serious intent. "Mr. Rayleigh, if those guards weren't lying, the Celestial Dragons should be appearing at this slave auction, right?"
Attacking the Celestial Dragons was an extremely serious matter, with dire consequences if not handled carefully.
Therefore, Zyhark needed to plan his escape route and simulate possible unexpected scenarios in advance.
Although Garp and Smoker, currently in Sabaody, could be considered friends, Zyhark felt it necessary to have a backup plan to deal with potential Marine admirals.
Thus, he found it crucial to first inform Rayleigh of his intentions.
If he could gain the support of the Pirate King's vice-captain, their operation against the Celestial Dragons would be significantly secured! "You... you can't be thinking of..."
Even someone as experienced as Rayleigh was shocked when he guessed Zyhark's intentions from his determined eyes.
Under Rayleigh's intense gaze, Zyhark slowly stood up, walked to the iron gate of the cell, and looked around at the despairing slaves waiting to be auctioned, their faces full of dejection.
"Although I'm a law-abiding sea merchant, sometimes I get an uncontrollable urge to stir things up and cause a big commotion!"
...
While Zyhark was talking to Rayleigh, on the streets of No. 1 Grove.
Countless passersby knelt reverently on either side of the road, their faces pressed to the ground, filled with fear and anxiety.
At the end of the street, surrounded by several black-clad bodyguards, a middle-aged man with a specially designed square headgear, dressed in Celestial Dragon attire, arrogantly crossed his legs while sitting on the back of a tall, muscular slave.
This man was none other than Charlos, one of the Celestial Dragons at the pinnacle of the world's aristocracy! Having just visited the Goa Kingdom in the East Blue and received numerous benefits from the royal family there, he came to Sabaody Archipelago upon hearing from the underground auction house owner that this auction had rare items.
Riding on the back of a giant slave, Charlos looked down arrogantly at the "commoners" kneeling on both sides of the street, expressing their subservience.
Suddenly, a young man with curly blonde hair on the roadside caught his attention.
Without warning, Charlos slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden pistol.
Bang!
The clear gunshot startled the passersby. Even though the young man who was shot let out a heartrending scream, the surrounding people kept their heads bowed, only daring to glance at the unfortunate soul lying in a pool of blood with the corners of their eyes.
"So unsightly, having the same hairstyle as that brat from the East Blue who dared to row in front of me."
Charlos expressionlessly blew away the smoke from the gun's muzzle, then drew out a spiked whip and struck the giant slave, urging him to continue towards the auction house.
Treating the young man's life like roadside trash, he didn't even spare him another glance!
Because of this small incident, by the time Charlos arrived at the auction, the dimly lit venue was already filled with royals, nobles, and wealthy merchants there to buy slaves.
Amidst fearful and intense stares and whispers, the Celestial Dragon Charlos took his exclusive seat at the center of the auction.
"Hey, that guy giving off such a disgusting aura must be the Celestial Dragon Zyhark mentioned, right?"
In a corner of the auction hall, Aqua, King, and Meowth were present.
Aqua was holding an auction paddle.
When Shakky sold Zyhark to the auction house, he briefly explained the Celestial Dragons to his crew.
As for the specifics of their plan, King and Meowth were fine with it, but if Aqua knew the details, the plan would likely fail from the start.
Zyhark intended to make a big scene against the Celestial Dragons.
When it came to causing chaos, Aqua excelled without needing detailed instructions, so having her participate in this morally reprehensible slave auction was a way to "make the best use of resources."
Zyhark just needed to act when things got chaotic and capture the Celestial Dragon!
"Nobles above all power, just hearing about them makes me uncomfortable, meow."
Meowth squinted at Charlos in the center.
Though it admitted to being a villain, hearing about the atrocities of the Celestial Dragons still made it feel indignant.
"Compared to these guys, the useless higher-ups of the Hero Association seem less detestable," King added.
On his left sat Meowth, and on his right and front, there were empty seats.
—Seeing his fierce face, others kept a respectful distance.
"Alright! Ladies and gentlemen, I now announce the start of the auction. Let's welcome our first item!"
On stage, after a speech to warm up the atmosphere, the auctioneer introduced the first "item."
It was a Longarm Tribe man, tall and muscular.
"The starting bid for this item is 2,000,000 Berries, with a minimum increment of 100,000 Berries~"
The auctioneer spread his arms to showcase the "item."
Several nobles interested in the Longarm Tribe began to bid.
Though many were interested, the competition was not overly intense.
Eventually, the dejected-looking Longarm Tribe man was sold to a corpulent noblewoman for 4,500,000 Berries.
The next two slaves were auctioned off routinely without any special occurrences.
Aqua and her companions watched the transactions indifferently.
They were accustomed to the world's dark side, especially Aqua, who had seen various human tragedies, and felt little about such inhumane auctions.
Until the fifth "item" was brought out, Aqua, who was almost bored to sleep, suddenly straightened up, instantly becoming energetic.
Because the person on the display platform was Zyhark!
Seeing Zyhark with a slave collar around his neck, Aqua and Meowth exchanged glances, both of them showing a mischievous grin.
Understanding each other's intentions through their exchanged glances, the goddess and the cat emitted a sinister giggle:
"Hehehehehe~"
"Meow meow meow meow meow~"
Meanwhile, the auctioneer on stage was introducing Zyhark's identity: "After thorough investigation by our staff, it has been confirmed that this individual is indeed the East Blue hero Zyhark."
"The starting bid for this item is 20 million Berries, with a minimum increment of..."
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by a high-raised paddle in the corner.
"200 million, this guy belongs to this goddess!"
"Exactly, meow~"
(End of Chapter)