"You're really ugly. My wife looks better than this—I wouldn't take you even for free."
The moment the dark-skinned slaves appeared, the crowd immediately rejected them.
The host wiped his sweat nervously. He had already planned to start at a high price, but seeing the reaction, he quickly adjusted.
"Alright, how about this? All ten of them—bundled together—for just 880,000 Baileys!"
In an era where bounties easily reached tens of millions, this was practically a clearance sale.
Yet, the audience remained silent.
After a long pause, a large-built man finally raised his paddle.
"880,000. I'll take them."
"I've got a few plantations at home. These guys can grow watermelons and pick cotton."
The host jumped on the opportunity.
"880,000 once! 880,000 twice! Sold!"
He let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thank god someone took them.
Meanwhile, the auction director made a mental note: Anyone who dares to bring in slaves like these again will be dealt with immediately. This kind of merchandise ruins the auction's reputation.
With that, the ten slaves were dragged offstage.
Next up—Rayleigh.
As he stepped onto the stage, he scanned the audience, a vein popping on his forehead.
"Where the hell are those two?!"
If I actually get sold today, this is going to be embarrassing.
Just as Rayleigh was debating whether to make a move, he spotted Lynch and Whitebeard sitting comfortably in the audience.
What are these two doing?
If they weren't planning to destroy the auction house, why were they just sitting there?
Rayleigh felt exhausted. He had only come to make some extra cash—why did it have to be this complicated?
Still, with those two here, he was confident he wouldn't have to expose himself.
There's no way they'll ignore an old guy like me.
With that thought, he relaxed a little.
The host's voice boomed across the hall.
"Our next item is this distinguished gentleman!"
He gestured dramatically toward Rayleigh.
"As you can see, while he may be older, he carries a certain unique charm. Imagine how handsome he must have been in his youth!"
With a theatrical pause, the host continued.
"The starting price is just 500,000 Baileys! Let the bidding begin!"
As soon as he finished, he frantically signaled to the wealthy women in the audience, hoping to stir some interest.
All Rayleigh had to do was say, "Take me."
"500,000 Baileys!" A woman weighing at least 500 pounds raised her sign, her fingers adorned with gold rings and holding a pig's foot.
"600,000 Baileys!" Another bidder, a wealthy woman in her seventies, immediately raised the stakes.
"610,000!" Before the voice even finished, another one followed.
This time, the bidder was a greasy middle-aged man who smirked and blew a kiss at Rayleigh.
"Ugh—" Rayleigh barely resisted the urge to jump down and slap him senseless.
650,000… 680,000… 800,000… 950,000!
Neither the host nor the auction master had expected this.
This old guy is actually popular?!
The auction master's face turned red with excitement.
He had bought Rayleigh for just 50,000 Baileys, and now the bidding had soared to 960,000—a nearly twentyfold profit!
When the price hit 980,000, the pace slowed.
Most of the bidders had backed out, leaving only two competitors: the 500-pound rich woman and the greasy man, both determined to claim Rayleigh.
"What the hell?! You damn pervert, trying to steal a man from me!" the rich woman roared.
Among all her many male companions, none had Rayleigh's charm and presence.
"I don't care what it takes, I'm buying him today!"
"Oh, how rude~" the greasy man pouted, raising his delicate fingers.
"The rules are simple, darling. Highest bidder wins~"
He then winked at Rayleigh.
"Handsome uncle, just wait for me~"
Rayleigh clenched his fists.
Hard.
If he actually got bought by either of these lunatics, Dark King Rayleigh's dignity would be in ruins.
Those old fools like Scooper Gaban would laugh at him for at least—
No… twenty years!
"Lynch, what are you waiting for?!" Rayleigh glanced desperately at Lynch.
If he had known things would turn out like this, he would have run away backstage.
But if he ran now, he'd be branded a wanted criminal again.
Lynch and Whitebeard weren't acting yet.
They were waiting.
Waiting for Celestial Dragons.
Outside, the posters advertised a mermaid auction, making it highly likely that the Celestial Dragons would attend.
Lynch and Whitebeard had already planned their roles—Whitebeard would cause the chaos, while Lynch handled negotiations with the World Government. They'd split whatever they gained 50/50.
After all, even the Four Emperors and West Blue combined couldn't compare to the sheer wealth of a government that had ruled for 800 years.
This was just taking from the rich—a noble cause, really.
"Two million Baileys."
Lynch tipped his hat forward and casually raised his bid sign.
Silence.
Everyone stared at him like he'd lost his mind.
An old man, no matter how charismatic, was not worth two million.
With that kind of money, they could spend time with young supermodels straight out of fashion magazines.
Even the 500-pound rich woman and the greasy man backed down.
"What an idiot. He's all yours."
Rayleigh was bought—and nearly cried from relief.
"This kid still has some conscience," he thought. At least Lynch didn't let his old bones suffer humiliation.
Soon after, the auction staff brought Rayleigh over and stretched out their hands for payment.
Lynch glanced at them coldly. "What's the rush? I'm not done shopping."
His tone made the staff shiver. "We'll settle it when everything's over."
"Y-Yes, of course!" The staff quickly backed away.
Refusing such a small request? What a deadbeat. They thought about calling in the auction house's enforcers—but decided against it.
Out of sight, Rayleigh casually crushed the slave collar and sat down next to Lynch.
Whitebeard chuckled. " Rayleigh, what are you doing here? Did you sell yourself?"
"Don't even bring it up!" Rayleigh sighed, looking utterly defeated.
The auction continued. The Devil Fruit user was sold for a decent price—12 million Baileys.
Then came the main event.
The mermaid, Camie.
The room buzzed with excitement. The climax of the auction had arrived.
"Sir Celestial Dragons, we've prepared a mermaid for this auction. Please, come in!"
Logically speaking, no one was allowed to enter once an auction had begun..
However, now, there is a CP member, leading a family of three Celestial Dragons wearing glass masks and fat clothes to enter the venue.
"Well done. Not bad for a lower class."
Saint Boswald led his wife and son into the auction house and snorted loudly, "A group of low-class people, despicable creatures."
When other people saw that it was Celestial Dragons, they lowered their heads and did not dare to look any further.
"Daddy, daddy~mermaid~I want a mermaid~"
The son of Celestial Dragons, who seemed to be in his twenties, seemed to have some intellectual problems. He grabbed Boswald clothes and acted coquettishly, like a child begging for a toy.
In order to keep their bloodline pure, many Celestial Dragons doing incest.
This also leads to a lot of mental retardation in Celestial Dragons.
The Celestial Dragons keep them, they just need them to increase the population of the Celestial Dragons.
So even though they look mentally retarded, they have been masters at playing with women since they were young.
They are all lustful creatures.
.
.
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