As Wood was being dragged away by Gion, the other slave traders hiding nearby breathed a sigh of relief.
Just moments ago, when they heard Wood planning to come after them, his sharp gaze had made them hold their breath in fear.
Although they didn't know exactly who Wood and Gion were, it was clear that they were formidable individuals.
When Wood's eyes locked onto them earlier, they didn't even dare to turn and run. Years of experience in surviving harsh situations told them that running at that moment would only get them killed faster!
"Who are those two kids? Why haven't we heard any rumors about such powerful figures arriving on Sabaody Archipelago?"
"Who knows where those monsters came from, but they can't be pirates. If they were, with that kind of power, they'd at least be labeled as Supernovas. There's no way they could have landed on Sabaody without causing a stir. Besides, they don't look like Navy officers either. From the way the guy acted, he seems more like a bounty hunter."
As Wood and Gion disappeared into the distance, the other slave traders started discussing among themselves. As the local powers on the island, they had access to certain information channels.
However, they were certain that these two young people were newcomers to the island and weren't any famous wanted pirates.
"Who cares who they are? What matters is that they're people we can't afford to mess with. You guys should note down their appearance and make sure everyone on the island knows not to provoke those two troublemakers."
The leader of the slave traders scolded his subordinates for their foolishness. The fact that Wood and Gion had taken down a pirate worth 33 million Berries without even drawing their swords showed that these two were way out of their league.
"What about the guy worth 33 million Berries on the ground? Should we just leave him there?" one of the henchmen asked, looking at the unconscious pirates strewn around.
"You idiot! There's money lying on the ground, and you don't even think to pick it up? Didn't you hear what those big shots said? They clearly don't care about a measly 33 million Berries—they're after bigger prey."
"I'll have the men tie these guys up and take them to the Navy branch on the island to claim the bounty," the henchman suggested, thinking his initiative would be praised.
But instead, his boss kicked him and berated him harshly.
"Are you stupid? We're in the slave trade! We're not exactly the Navy's best friends, and dealing with them means accepting whatever lowball bounty they offer. Do you even know what maximizing profit means? Sure, handing over these pirates to the Navy might get us 33 million Berries, but that's nothing compared to what we could make selling them as slaves."
"If we sell the pirate captain worth 33 million Berries at the slave auction, he could easily fetch 50 million Berries. Even the ordinary pirates who wouldn't bring much from the Navy can sell for tens of thousands of Berries each as slaves."
"Boss, you're a genius!" the henchman exclaimed.
"Of course! That's why I'm the boss and you're the grunt. Only those who can think smart can be in charge."
Quickly, the 50-plus people who had tried to ambush Gion and Wood were tied up by the slave traders.
Ironically, these pirates had come to capture slaves, but in the end, they themselves were the ones being turned into slaves.
As pirates being handed over to the Navy, their fate might still have been somewhat bearable. If their crimes weren't too severe, they might have had a chance to see the light of day again after ten or so years in Impel Down.
But as slaves, their lives were as good as over.
In this world, the treatment of slaves is far worse than that of prisoners.
Prisoners at least have some human rights, but most slaves live lives worse than animals.
Most slaves bought by the wealthy, especially the Celestial Dragons, rarely survive more than a year. Even those who do survive often go mad from the torture and abuse they endure.
Of course, the pirates who attacked Wood and Gion deserve no sympathy because this is exactly what they had planned to do to the two of them.
If Wood and Gion hadn't been strong enough, they would have been the ones being sold at the slave auction.
In the Red Tree Area 1 of Sabaody Archipelago, where Donquixote Doflamingo has yet to rise to power, there are still many slave auctions and slave markets.
After arriving at the largest slave auction, Wood and Gion presented their credentials and were shown the "merchandise."
There were ten large iron cages, each containing several people, both men and women, and even children.
The men were mostly from special races like Fish-Men, Giants, and Longarm Tribe, while the women were mostly beautiful and curvaceous humans.
"Sirs, these are just some cheap goods. Even if a few die during transport, the Celestial Dragons won't notice. But this particular item is something you need to be careful with. It's very valuable, and the Celestial Dragons are highly concerned about it. That's why we didn't dare to transport it ourselves," the auction manager explained to Wood and Gion.
The manager didn't know exactly who Wood and Gion were, but that didn't stop him from fawning over them as he introduced the goods.
Although Wood and Gion hadn't revealed their Navy identities, they had shown the necessary documentation, and the auction manager knew better than to offend anyone connected to the Celestial Dragons.
The two were led to a large spherical tank, and when the manager pulled back the covering curtain, Wood and Gion finally understood why the auction house was so worried about the slaves.
Inside the spherical tank was a mermaid—a young female mermaid!
It's well-known that both Fish-Men and Mermaids are half-human, half-fish species. Unlike the rough and unattractive Fish-Men, Mermaids are the most sought-after slaves at any auction.
Unlike Fish-Men, who possess some combat ability, most Mermaids have little to no fighting skills, which is why they rarely leave their home at Fish-Man Island, located 10,000 meters below the surface.
Even if ships could be coated to reach Fish-Man Island, capturing one of the world's fastest swimmers, the Mermaids, is no easy task.
And let's not forget, this isn't like the time when Camie was captured. Whitebeard is still alive, and Fish-Man Island is under the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates!