novelhk Chapter 227 Auction, A Den of Dragons and Tigers
Chapter 227 Auction, A Den of Dragons and Tigers
Chapter 227 Auction, A Den of Dragons and Tigers
The three-day voyage from the Water City brought no relief whatsoever.
The chartered merchant ship, the Seagull, was unremarkable in appearance and sailed on a seemingly calm sea, but everyone on board could feel the turbulent undercurrents beneath the surface.
Luffy continued to shout at the horizon without a care in the world, looking forward to his new ship and adventures, but Zoro and Sanji remained vigilant.
Zoro spent a long time wiping his sword on the deck, sensing the potential danger in the wind.
Sanji, while preparing food in the kitchen, would occasionally glance out of the ship's side, his eyes sharp.
Nami almost always carries a weather stick and a notebook for recording her treasures, calculating her funds and anticipating potential accidents.
Chopper is in charge of taking care of everyone's health, and at the same time, he secretly develops some powerful emergency medicines.
Brooke often sat alone at the bow of the boat, playing his violin.
Behind him, the Grand Assassin, as silent as a mountain, remained absolutely still, with only the eerie blue flames flickering in his deep eye sockets proving that he was not merely decoration.
In contrast, Tescatlipoca, who insisted on coming along, was the most active person on the ship.
He would sometimes banter with Luffy, using exaggerated language to describe the interesting characters they might encounter.
He would occasionally sidle up to Nami and offer seemingly reasonable but ultimately uncertain advice about the financial situation.
"Rubber Boy," he once told Luffy, his smile beneath the mask unfathomable.
"Do you know what the most crucial element of a great play is?"
"Is it meat?" Luffy tilted his head.
"It was an accident, an accident beyond the established facts. This is the highest level of trial!"
Tescat Lipoca opened its arms as if to embrace the entire ocean.
"A meticulously planned script is certainly good, but only unpredictable chance can ignite the most dazzling sparks! And here—"
He pointed to the faint outline of an island appearing in the distance. "It's about to become a grand testing ground."
That nameless island, just as the intelligence indicated, was so desolate that it seemed to have been forgotten by the world.
Bare rocks dominate the landscape, with sparse vegetation and only a few drought-resistant shrubs shivering in the sea breeze.
The waters around the island appeared calm, but Nami, with her excellent navigator's intuition, pointed out several hidden reefs and unusual currents, which were clearly man-made natural barriers.
Their ship followed a similarly ordinary-looking cargo ship into a narrow harbor surrounded by towering rock walls.
The harbor was unusually crowded, with all sorts of ships moored there.
From privateers adorned with magnificent family crests to seemingly dilapidated yet remarkably well-preserved ghost ships, and then to speedboats that are unmarked and as shadowy as shadows.
An unspoken silence and wariness filled the air as the crew members sized each other up, their eyes filled with assessment and vigilance.
"This is truly... a chaotic mess," Sanji muttered, extinguishing his cigarette.
"I feel like there are a lot of good testing grounds." Zoro licked his lips, a hint of fighting spirit flashing within him.
Nami took a deep breath: "Remember our disguised identities: the Katim Merchant Guild, fruit merchants from the West Blue. Talk less, observe more, and follow my instructions."
The entrance to the auction was extremely hidden; it was a rock crevice that required one to squeeze through sideways, winding downwards inside and dimly lit.
Four guards stood at the entrance. They were not ordinary strong men; their eyes were empty, and they exuded an inhuman aura, clearly indicating that they had undergone rigorous training or even modification.
The inspection process was lengthy and meticulous, including proof of funding for the weapons.
Seeing this, King Hassan immediately blended into the shadows, as his appearance was too conspicuous. Nami's prepared fake identity and proof of funds passed smoothly, but when the instrument scanned Luffy and the others, it emitted a faint buzzing sound.
The guard's gaze immediately sharpened.
"These are bodyguards hired by our chamber of commerce," Nami immediately stepped forward, a professional smile plastered on her face, while secretly slipping a small bag of Berries into her hand.
"You know, the world is not peaceful, so you always need some means of self-defense."
The guard leader weighed the money bag in his hand, then glanced at the instrument, which didn't show a particularly strong reaction.
Tescalipoka shook his head; the instrument couldn't fully recognize this level of energy, and finally waved for them to pass.
After passing through the narrow passage, the view suddenly opened up.
This is an unimaginably huge underground cavern with a high-hanging dome and stalactites that emit a soft white light, like natural chandeliers.
In the center of the cave is an elaborately constructed display platform, surrounded by tiered seating, which is now filled with all sorts of people.
The air was filled with the rich aroma of fine cigars, the elegance of expensive perfumes, and a viscous scent that mingled with desire and danger.
Nami quickly scanned the entire area and lowered her voice: "Those guys in white suits and masks to the left front, their movements are stiff, but their eyes are like eagles. They're probably from CP0."
"The group of people to the right rear have a strong smell of gunpowder and blood on them. They are the Bloodsail Pirates, and their bounty is not low."
"Those few people in the corner wearing gray cloaks have a strange aura, like—people from some kind of cult."
"And over there, a few people dressed as peacocks, they must be agents of the Celestial Dragons. Judging from their expressions, it's as if the whole world is their shelf."
Sanji added, "I also noticed a few colleagues; their auras were quite strong. They were probably assassins or lone wolves from other underground forces."
Zoro scoffed, "There are plenty of small fry, but there are definitely a few big fish."
Luffy seemed unconcerned about all of this; his gaze was fixed on the Adam Tree, and he muttered, "Where's the wood? Why haven't we started yet?"
Brooke sat quietly in his assigned spot, his cane and sword beside him.
His Yellow Spring Fruit made him exceptionally sensitive to the life force, allowing him to sense that at least dozens of bloodthirsty desperados were mixed in with the crowd, sending chills down his spine.
Chopper clung tightly to Nami and whispered, "So many people—it feels scary."
Tescatlipoca, on the other hand, seemed to be at home, observing everyone with great interest, sometimes nodding, sometimes shaking his head.
"Hmm, this agent is arrogant but lacks depth, that pirate leader is all murderous intent but lacks substance, oh? Those few members of the cult are quite interesting, their fanaticism—it always brings unexpected surprises to business."
The auction started on time.
The auctioneer was a well-dressed, middle-aged man with a magnetic voice, but his eyes were as cold as diamonds, devoid of any emotion.
As Nami had predicted, the items auctioned earlier were indeed rare but not essential.
A Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit in Black Panther form caused a minor climax, and was eventually bought by an underground arms dealer for 800 million Berries.
A legendary sword that supposedly slew a sea king also fetched a good price at auction.
While taking notes, Nami quickly calculated in her mind, assessing the financial strength of her main competitor.
She noticed that the CP0 members showed no interest in Devil Fruits or famous swords, seemingly just resting with their eyes closed, but their presence remained fixed on the Straw Hat crew.
The Celestial Dragons' agent casually bid on several flashy but impractical pieces of jewelry, showcasing their owners' wealth and power.
Finally, the auctioneer raised his voice, his tone brimming with fervent passion: "Ladies and gentlemen! Now, one of the highlights of this auction is about to begin!"
"The legendary artifact coveted by countless shipbuilders, the ultimate material possessing immortal resilience and capable of taming the most turbulent oceans—the Adam Tree!"
A spotlight suddenly shone on the stage, and three incredibly thick logs, their surfaces seemingly shimmering with a faint fluorescent glow, were pushed up.
Their very presence seemed to exude an ancient and majestic aura, instantly silencing even the noisy background noise of the venue.
"Starting bid: 500 million Berries! Each bid must be at least 10 million!"
Instantly, the bidding erupted like a tsunami!
"Five hundred and fifty million!"
"Six hundred million!"
"Seven hundred million!"
"Eight hundred and fifty million!"
The price soared at an astonishing rate, quickly surpassing the billion mark.
Besides the few wealthy underground forces, two other people who appeared to be representatives of a large shipyard were also participating in the bidding.
Nami took a deep breath, and when the price reached 1.03 billion, she raised her paddle for the first time and shouted crisply:
"1.1 billion!"
Her offer attracted a lot of attention, after all, the Katim Merchant Guild had never made a move before.
"1.2 billion!" The Celestial Dragon's agent lazily held up his sign, as if he were buying a toy.
"1.3 billion!" The captain of the Bloodsail Pirates, a burly man with a scar on his face, roared in a deep voice, his eyes sweeping fiercely around.
"1.5 billion!" Nami raised her sign again, her palms already sweating.
This was the limit of their funds, and also the price she judged, based on the previous bidding pace, to be the one that would determine the final outcome.
Sure enough, the price of 1.5 billion silenced the room for a moment.
The Bloodsail Captain spat and gave up, cursing under his breath.
The Celestial Dragon's agent frowned, seemingly feeling that the price was a bit beyond the scope of a toy, and hesitated for a moment.
Just as Nami felt a little more at ease, the auctioneer prepared to begin the countdown.
"Two billion."
A flippant and cheerful voice rang out, coming from Tescatlipoca.
He left his seat at some point and leaned against a stone pillar not far from the display stand, a smile on his face that suggested he was enjoying the spectacle.
The entire audience erupted in uproar!
Two billion! This far exceeds the actual value of this batch of timber!
Nami looked at him in astonishment, Luffy's eyes widened, and Zoro and Sanji's gazes sharpened instantly.
What exactly is this guy trying to do?
The Celestial Dragons' agent snorted coldly and gave up completely.
The auctioneer's voice trembled with excitement: "Two billion! This gentleman has bid two billion! Is there any higher bid?"
"2.5 billion."
A monotone voice, like the hiss of a viper, came from the darkest corner of the venue.
He was a member of CP0. He slowly raised his head, his mask-like face expressionless, but his eyes pierced Tescatlipoca and the Straw Hat crew behind him like ice spikes.
The intervention of CP0 instantly made the situation delicate and dangerous.
Nami's heart sank to the bottom.
Two and a half billion? There's absolutely no way they could come up with that amount of money.
She shook her head at Luffy in despair.
Luffy's eyes changed completely. The power of the Gum-Gum Fruit surged within him. He lowered his voice: "Nami, we don't have enough money, then—"
"Wait, Luffy!" Sanji grabbed his shoulder.
"CP0's motives are not pure. They may not really want the wood; it's more like they're deliberately driving up the price to force us to make a move."
"Or—test our bottom line and reaction." He looked in the direction of CP0, whose cold eyes held no expression.
Instead of being annoyed by CP0's price increase, Tescolipoca was even more delighted.
He even nodded slightly in the direction of CP0, as if thanking them for adding a new conflict to the trial.
He didn't raise the price, but instead turned his gaze to Luffy, his eyes seeming to say something.
"Look, the real surprise is here. How are you going to handle it? Will you follow the rules and quietly exit, or will you break the rules and put on an even more spectacular show?"
Just as the auctioneer was excitedly preparing to bring down the gavel after CP0's record-breaking price of 2.5 billion, BOOM—!!!
A deafening roar didn't come from inside the meeting room, but from the passageway they had entered through!
The special metal gate, infused with sea stone, was shattered completely by an incomparably brute force, as if it were made of paper!
Gravel mixed with dust poured into the venue like a waterfall!
"Hahaha!!! Adam Tree?! Such a treasure, letting you trash fight over it here is a complete waste! It's destined for the Admiral!!!"
Amidst arrogant, maniacal laughter, a group of menacing figures strode in through the ruins.
The person in the lead was none other than the champion, Gizzas Burgess!
He was shirtless, displaying exaggerated muscles, with a wild smile on his face.
Beside him stood Lafitte, who looked like a gentleman, leaning on a cane, but with a sinister look in his eyes.
Behind them stood the indifferent Van Oka, the enormous and ferocious Avalo Pizarro, and the massive warship San Juan Wolf, which, even when shrunk, was still like a small mountain!
However, the most eye-catching figure was the one following at the very end.
He had a head of messy purple hair, a wild and greedy temperament, and an ornate flintlock pistol hanging at his waist.
It was the spirit summoned by Blackbeard in the Devil's Triangle, Captain John, who is said to possess a great treasure!
His eyes gleamed with a naked desire for treasure, his gaze fixed directly on the precious tree Adam on the stage, as if it were already his.
"It's the Blackbeard Pirates!!"
"How did they find this place?!"
Panic instantly gripped the venue!
Burgess didn't care about any rules at all. Laughing wildly, he strode towards the display stand and punched the reinforced glass cover protecting the wood!
"Iron block!" A CPO member appeared instantly in front of the stage, trying to stop them.
"Bang!" Burgess's superhuman strength sent the CPO member flying, crashing into a section of seats!
"Finger Gun - Spot!" Another CPO member pointed his finger at Bages like a storm.
"Hmph! What a boring trick!" Pizarro chuckled, pressing one hand to the ground.
"Earth Swamp!" The ground beneath the CPO members' feet instantly softened and spun, swallowing half of them like quicksand!
Van Oka raised his gun and fired. The bullets were not aimed at any one person, but rather precisely shattered several main light sources in the venue, while also hitting several guards and potential threats who were trying to organize a resistance. Gunshots and screams rang out one after another!
San Juan Wolf let out a deafening roar, its body expanding wildly at a visible speed, its head instantly touching the cave ceiling, and huge rocks crashing down!
"Oh no! He's going to collapse this place!" someone shouted in terror.
The entire underground auction was in complete chaos!
Panicked buyers screamed and scattered in all directions, searching for an exit, only to find that the way they came was blocked.
The guards tried to maintain order, but were instantly overwhelmed by the Blackbeard Pirates' fierce attack and falling rocks.
Various forces were also forced into the melee, with some wanting to take advantage of the chaos and others wanting to protect themselves.
The situation was completely out of control.