"It's not worth provoking Kaido over a slave auction house."
That was why Rayleigh had visited the auction multiple times but never taken action. If Kaido came after him, his peaceful retirement would be over.
"Doesn't matter," Lynch said casually. He had always known Doflamingo was behind the auction. "Kaido or not, this auction ends today. I've decided."
Seeing Lynch's determination, Rayleigh stopped trying to persuade him. "Alright, just be careful."
"Bang!"
Lynch downed his beer in one gulp, set the glass on the table, and waved. "I'm off. See you all around."
"Wait! I'm coming too."
Whitebeard suddenly stood up, ready to go with him.
Lynch was surprised but laughed. "Hahaha, I'd love to have you along."
"Hey, hey, hey! Have you lost your mind?" Rayleigh stood up as well.
"Marco specifically asked me to keep you here. If you attract the World Government's attention, you won't be able to stay in Sabaody. Do you still want that treatment or not?"
"He's dead!" Whitebeard declared. "Fish-Man Island is under my protection. If the Sabaody auction dares to sell mermaids, they clearly don't take me seriously!"
He glanced at Lynch. "If Lynch won't stand for it, how can I just sit back?"
Jinbei had gone to fight Ace for him, so Whitebeard figured it was time to return the favor. The biggest mermaid auction house was about to be wiped out—Fish-Man Island would be safer because of it.
Rayleigh sighed. He knew he couldn't stop them. He simply watched as Lynch and Whitebeard left side by side.
"I just hope this doesn't attract the World Government… There goes my retirement."
"Forget it." Rayleigh suddenly stood up.
"What are you doing?" Shakky asked.
Rayleigh took a big swig of his drink. "The auction is going to be gone. That means no more side income. Might as well sell myself one last time while I still have the chance."
Then, without hesitation, he used Moonwalk and rushed toward the auction house, hoping to get there before Lynch arrived.
Shakky: "..."
She couldn't quite understand Rayleigh's weird hobby, but she supported it nonetheless.
Meanwhile, the owner of the auction house was about to have the worst day of his life—unlucky enough to run into these three.
True to his word, Rayleigh took a shortcut and arrived at the Sabaody auction house ahead of Lynch and Whitebeard.
At that moment, Lynch and Whitebeard were still studying the map, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the auction. The Sabaody Archipelago wasn't just one island but a cluster of islands connected together, making navigation tricky.
Inside the auction house—
"What? You want to sell yourself?" The newly appointed slave manager stared at Rayleigh in shock.
"Old man, are you feeling alright?"
"There's something wrong with your brain," Rayleigh shot back, annoyed.
"What, I can't sell myself?"
"No, no, you can..." The manager hesitated before frowning.
"But old man, you're neither young nor from a rare race. You won't fetch much."
His face was full of disdain.
Even the legendary Dark King Rayleigh wasn't immune to being looked down on.
"Fifty thousand, just fifty thousand Beli." Rayleigh held up five fingers, flexing his arm muscles for emphasis.
"Fifty thousand... well, that's cheap enough!" The manager figured he could turn a profit—some rich women might appreciate a rugged old man. "Alright, who should I send the money to?"
"Just give it to me." Rayleigh casually took the stack of 50,000 Beli, then, without waiting for instructions, strolled over to the prison area and locked himself inside.
His smooth, practiced movements left the supervisor in disbelief.
"Wait... has this old man done this before?"
The level of proficiency was suspiciously high.
"What an idiot." The supervisor shook his head. "What's the point of taking the money? The moment someone buys you, you and that cash both belong to them."
For reference, at current prices, one marshmallow cost 50 Beli.
By that logic, the legendary Dark King Rayleigh was worth exactly 1,000 marshmallows.
Meanwhile, inside the prison—
"Hey everyone, enjoy your lunch." Rayleigh plopped down on the ground, casually greeting the other slaves in prison.
Thinking about how Lynch would arrive soon and pocket 50,000 Beli for free, Rayleigh couldn't help but feel satisfied.
Normally, he would have to break out on his own after being sold. But this time, he planned to wait for the auction house to be destroyed and stroll out with his head held high.
Inside the prison, ten burly men with dark skin sat in a row, chained together by a long shackle. Their teeth were the only bright spots on them, and they reeked of sweat and filth. They were probably being sold as a bundle.
Apart from them, there was a Devil Fruit user, a mermaid, and a member of the Longarm Tribe.
"Huh? A mermaid?"
Rayleigh raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Mermaids didn't appear at the Sabaody auctions every month. If the auction house was lucky, they'd get one every two or three months. If not, it could take half a year or more.
Whenever a mermaid was on sale, the place was packed, with even Celestial Dragons showing up to bid.
Rayleigh sighed and leaned back. "Brother Lynch, what's taking you so long? I'm too old to be getting auctioned off~"
The presence of a mermaid meant the auction was starting soon. To prevent any mishaps, auction houses typically sold mermaids the moment they arrived.
Most of the buyers were here for the mermaid—everything else was just filler.
"It must have been a few days since the last auction. Otherwise, there'd be way more people in here."
Rayleigh muttered, glancing around at the relatively empty cell.
As Rayleigh observed the prison, the other slaves remained motionless, their eyes dull and lifeless. They didn't even glance at him.
Once the slave collar was locked around their necks, their fate was sealed—enslaved for life, with no hope of escape.
Only one prisoner seemed different.
Inside a fish tank, a mermaid curiously peeked at Rayleigh. Unlike the others, her eyes still held some light.
"Uncle, you seem different from the others." Camie leaned over the edge of the tank, splashing water as she spoke.
Rayleigh chuckled. "Aren't you different too?"
Camie puffed out her chest proudly. "That's not the same~! I've been eaten by sea beasts 17 times and caught by bad guys 26 times, but kind people always rescue me. I'm used to it."
Rayleigh blinked. "Seriously? Hahaha, you're an interesting little girl."
He wasn't sure if Camie was incredibly lucky or unbelievably unlucky.
If she was lucky, why did she keep getting caught?
If she was unlucky, how had she survived this long?
Just then, the auction began.
The first ones dragged onto the stage were the ten dark-skinned men, shackled together like animals.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today's slave auction!" The host, holding a microphone, stood on stage with an eager smile.
"Please look at these ten strong men. Apart from being a little darker, they don't have any shortcomings!"
"Buy them today, and you'll get both bodyguards and free labor! Their upkeep? Just three slices of watermelon a day!"
After the introduction, there was a burst of boos from the audience.
"It's so ugly. Why are there such dark people? No, no, no, no, I'm afraid I'll have nightmares after watching it at night."
"Disgusting! Where did these things even come from?"
.
.
TO BE CONTINUED
___________________
I've added an advanced chapter on P@treon, where you can read 100+ chapters ahead of everyone.
Link : patreon.com/MoonEater18