Human trafficking and slave auctions are a typical affair in the Sabaody Archipelago auction house.
No matter how desperate the ones being sold might be, their fates are almost always sealed.
Without a miracle, those sold off are doomed to suffer.
Takumi and Rayleigh watched in silence as a despairing girl, shackled and bound, was dragged off the stage.
Rayleigh took a swig from his flask and asked, "Feeling anything?"
Takumi shook his head and replied, "Nothing."
"Cold-hearted, aren't you?" Rayleigh chuckled, but there was no malice in his words.
This world was survival of the fittest, plain and simple.
Being overly sympathetic would only get you tangled up in someone else's mess.
Especially for someone like Takumi, who hated unnecessary complications.
Takumi's thoughts were straightforward: if he had to save everyone in trouble, he'd be overwhelmed. Why would he save someone just because he saw them in danger? It wasn't his responsibility.
The auction continued.
After they'd sold off fourteen items, the main event began.
"And now, for our fifteenth item! A true treasure of the seas—a rare and coveted Devil Fruit!" Disco announced, his voice dripping with excitement.
A staff member brought a small box onto the stage and opened it, revealing a blue-purple fruit covered in spiraling patterns.
Disco wasted no time in describing the Devil Fruit's nature, its abilities, and its rarity, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
"This particular fruit is a Paramecia-type known as the Bounce-Bounce Fruit, with a starting bid of 100 million Berries! Let the bidding begin!"
The moment the base price was announced, half the bidders, who had considered taking a shot at the fruit, were instantly discouraged.
Disco, sensing the lack of enthusiasm, added, "The Bounce-Bounce Fruit allows the user to reflect any attack. Even if you don't want to use it yourself, it's a valuable collectible! Devil Fruits are highly sought after and appreciate in value. The price will only go up in the future, so buying now is a great investment. Not to mention, giving it as a gift would be a fantastic show of wealth and power."
A woman in a headscarf hesitated, then raised her paddle.
Before Disco could even call out the number, others jumped in with higher offers.
"110 million!"
"130 million!"
"135.5 million!"
…
The auction hall buzzed with the rapid-fire bids.
Rayleigh chuckled and asked, "Shall we join the fun? It's not like we'll be the ones paying in the end."
Takumi shrugged, clearly not bothered by the idea.
When one bidder called out 200 million, Rayleigh raised his paddle with a smile and said, "500 million Berries."
His bid of 500 million turned heads instantly.
Takumi lowered his hat further, trying to keep a low profile.
Leaning against a wall at the back, someone watched the pair and scratched their chin. "Wait… isn't that Takumi? And the guy sitting with him… why does he look familiar?"
Disco's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Alright! Bidder number 39 offers 500 million Berries! Any higher bids?"
The room fell silent.
Just as Disco was about to drop the hammer and finalize the sale, a lazy voice from the back interrupted, "600 million Berries."
Disco could barely contain his glee. "Fantastic! The gentleman at the back bids 600 million Berries! Does anyone want to go higher?"
The man standing by the entrance was none other than Admiral Kizaru, sent by Fleet Admiral Sengoku to secure the Bounce-Bounce Fruit.
Takumi and Rayleigh had already sensed his presence when he arrived.
"Oh, things are getting interesting now," Rayleigh remarked with a calm smile.
Takumi shot him a look. What happened to keeping a low profile?
With a slight smirk, Rayleigh raised his paddle again. "700 million Berries."
Kizaru didn't hesitate. "800 million."
Takumi wasn't particularly worried about Rayleigh's antics, but he wondered what would happen if Kizaru stopped bidding. How would Rayleigh deal with the massive bill?
From what Takumi knew, Rayleigh wasn't the type to spend vast sums on a Devil Fruit.
The back-and-forth bidding between Rayleigh and Kizaru sparked whispers throughout the hall.
"What's up with those two?"
"They're increasing the price by hundreds of millions like it's nothing!"
"Is this fruit really worth that much? Man, if I had the cash, I'd love to join in."
"Get real. Even if you sold everything, you couldn't come close to affording it."
The murmurs caught the attention of the two Celestial Dragons sitting near the front.
The female Celestial Dragon sneered and asked, "Father, this Devil Fruit is really popular. I want it."
Sitting beside her, the male Celestial Dragon, wearing dark sunglasses, scoffed. "It's just a Devil Fruit. It's ugly and tastes awful. We have no use for such things."
"Hmph! I don't care, I want it!" the female Celestial Dragon declared, raising her paddle. "1 billion Berries! I bid 1 billion!"
"Ugh, wasting money again," the male Celestial Dragon muttered, shaking his head.
Onstage, Disco paused, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. "One billion! Any further bids?"
Usually, once a Celestial Dragon made a bid, few dared to raise the stakes, knowing the consequences of offending one.
Kizaru glanced at the female Celestial Dragon who had just bid 1 billion and sighed, "Oh my, this complicates things."
Rayleigh simply smiled and stopped bidding.
Takumi, on the other hand, was exasperated.
Of all the unlikely scenarios, this one actually happened!
"Still want that fruit, kid?" Rayleigh asked with a grin.
Takumi's expression didn't change. "Yes."
"Well, now that it's in the hands of the Celestial Dragons, it won't be easy to steal. And with Kizaru here, do you really think the two of us can pull off robbing a Celestial Dragon without him noticing?"
"We can," Takumi replied with a sly smile. "You promised you'd help me with one task, no matter how difficult. So, I'll leave the robbery to you."
Rayleigh blinked in surprise. "And you?"
Takumi grinned wider. "I'll be at Shakky's bar, waiting for the good news."
Rayleigh: "..."