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Near noon, Rayleigh returned from outside. He mainly went out to assess the situation; otherwise, he wouldn't have left when there was wine and food in the bar!
As he walked in, he saw Jason sitting at the bar, sipping juice.
"Hey, Brother Jason, you've only been to Fish-Man Island for a day, and you're back already?"
"Yeah, that's right! Why stick around after finishing my errands? If I want to travel, I'll just take a trip next time. Besides, there aren't any young ladies on Fish-Man Island for me to embrace. My priority is getting home to my wife as soon as possible!"
"Hahaha, Brother Jason, you certainly know how to live freely. Shakky, pour me a glass of wine, please. I'm thirsty after being out for so long!"
Rayleigh sat next to Jason, and Shakky quickly handed him a glass of wine, which Rayleigh downed in one gulp. He then glanced at Jason's juice and made another remark.
"I'm telling you, Brother Jason, wine is what men should drink, not juice—that's for kids!"
Rayleigh treated Jason differently than he would Luffy and others in the future. To him, Luffy and his crew were a lovely group of juniors, with Luffy being his respectful apprentice.
But Jason's strength earned Rayleigh's recognition. As equals, they didn't maintain the same hierarchical respect but rather shared a friendship.
"Tch~ Who says men must drink alcohol? That stuff tastes terrible!"
Jason wasn't a fan of wine at all. In his past life as a wealthy second-generation heir, his family had plenty of good wine, and his classmates often organized gatherings, but he never drank.
The reason was his allergy to alcohol; a sip would make him dizzy, cause chest tightness, shortness of breath, and result in red rashes. As a child, sneaking a drink once scared his parents terribly.
Even across lifetimes, Jason remembered that discomfort. While his current body might not be allergic, he still disliked the taste of alcohol, which couldn't compare to juice!
Thus, Jason, experienced through two lives, remained a loyal juice enthusiast!
"Ah, don't be upset. If you don't want to drink, neither will I!"
Rayleigh responded dismissively and continued.
"By the way, I ventured out today, and everything's clear! Let's ask Croriosa to pick up Hancock and the others tomorrow or the day after. Any objections, Brother Jason, as their guardian?"
"No, but don't call me the guardian. I just gave them a ride on the way. I have 'flowers' at home waiting."
"And you, Hancock?"
"No! But if possible, I'd like to leave early because I always feel uneasy here."
When Rayleigh asked her, Hancock, the eldest sister among the three, expressed her feelings immediately.
At this time, Hancock was still quite polite, which was completely different from how she would be in the future. After becoming the ruler of Amazon Lily, she grew more arrogant and infatuated with love...
Of course, this excluded Jason, who didn't understand why he offended her. He was her savior, yet only Marigold and Sandersonia showed him respect among the three sisters.
"Understandable. We'll set off tomorrow! Let Brother Jason give you a ride!"
"Thank you, Mr. Rayleigh!"
"Hey! Didn't I escort you? Why just thank him and not me?"
Jason was displeased. He did all the work, yet the thanks went to Rayleigh?
"Yes, yes, Mr. Jason, you're the one we should thank most! Our sister was too excited and overlooked it!"
Marigold and Sandersonia quickly explained to Jason.
Even Hancock thanked him. Though she found him irritating, she recognized his great kindness toward them.
Jason beamed with joy, his eyes curving with laughter.
"Alright then, is the boat ready? If not, I have one! I'll come by tomorrow morning to take you back. I'm heading to the auction house first!"
With that, Jason, not caring about anyone's reaction, grabbed four Devil Fruits and left. His plan was to sell two Devil Fruits and take two back with him.
After years of acquaintance, Jason and Bellemere were on familiar terms. Jason planned to take Robin from Cocoyashi Village this time. Just in case Arlong forgot his instructions, he'd provide an extra layer of protection.
The auction house was on Island No. 1. Traveling there from Island No. 13 didn't take long in a bubble car.
"Welcome to our auction house, sir. Please come in."
The auction house was open, with just two doormen welcoming guests inside. It was easy to enter.
Jason looked around for somewhere to submit items for auction but couldn't find any. He approached a doorman for help.
"Excuse me!"
"Hello, sir. How may I assist you?"
"I have something to auction. Whom should I contact?"
"Our entrance has two passageways. The one on the left leads directly to the back. If you need to sell items, there are dedicated staff there who can assist you."
"Oh, I see! Thank you!"
"You're welcome, sir, happy to help!"
After thanking the doorman, Jason went straight through the left passage. After navigating a couple of turns, he arrived at a hall where more than a dozen people were gathered, apparently all there to auction items.
"Welcome, sir. What would you like to auction?"
As soon as he entered the hall, two waiters approached to greet him.
"Here you go!"
Jason opened the cloth bag he brought with him. With his strength, he wasn't worried about anyone coveting his items.
"Devil Fruit!?"
Upon seeing the contents, the waiter's eyes widened in shock, and he couldn't help but exclaim. Instantly, everyone in the hall directed their attention towards them, many with greedy and malicious gazes.
Because Jason appeared so young and had Devil Fruits at such an age, some viewed him as an easy target.
However, others were more astute—realizing that someone so young, holding such valuable items, must have a powerful background.
"Snort!"
Jason snorted coldly, looking at a few people with a hint of intimidation. Those who showed greedy expressions immediately broke out in cold sweat, even causing the waiters to tremble slightly.
"Apologies, sir, these items are too precious for me to decide on. Please wait a moment!"
The waiter quickly suppressed his fear and hurried away. Shortly after, a well-dressed man approached Jason, walking briskly.
"Hello, sir. I am the manager of this auction house. Are you looking to auction these Devil Fruits?"
"Yes."
"Please, follow me!"
Jason followed the manager into a separate room. Once inside, a waiter served tea and then left them alone.
"Sir, please place the Devil Fruits you wish to auction on the table so we can appraise them."
"Alright."
Jason placed the four Devil Fruits on the table. Even though it was known they were Devil Fruits, seeing four at once visibly shocked the manager.
He quickly retrieved a magnifying glass and a thick book resembling a Devil Fruit encyclopedia, spending over ten minutes examining them carefully before stopping.
"What do you find?"
"Sir, among the four, there are two Paramecia and two Zoan types."
"Oh? None from the Logia category?"
"Correct."
"And which are they?"
"The Paramecia ones are the Air Fruit and the Rock Fruit. The Zoan ones are the Cat Fruit and the Dog Fruit, though the exact configurations aren't specified—you have to eat one to know!"
"I see. What's known about the Air Fruit?"
"According to the Devil Fruit encyclopedia, consuming the Air Fruit allows control over the surrounding air, enabling compression to form air cannons! Detailed effects aren't extensively recorded."
"Alright, got it!"
"So, sir, do you want to auction all four fruits?"
"No, keep the Air Fruit and the Cat Fruit, and sell the other two."
"Very well, sir. Your two fruits will make superb finale items! We offer two plans for your consideration:
First, you can send them for auction. We will publicize the auction and take a 10% commission of the auction price as a handling fee! This offers higher returns, and each Devil Fruit should fetch over 100 million Beli, though it requires some time.
Second, we can purchase these two Devil Fruits directly, meaning whatever price they achieve later at auction won't concern you! The only advantage of this method is that you get your money instantly.
Which option would you prefer?"
Jason pondered for a moment.
"When does the auction start?"
"For high-value treasures like these, we recommend our monthly grand auction. However, if you're in a hurry, we hold smaller weekly auctions. Today's session begins at two o'clock."
"What price will you pay if I sell them directly to you? And will there be slaves at the afternoon auction?"
Hearing this, the manager smiled knowingly.
"Our main auction items here include slaves. I didn't expect you, sir, to be interested as well. This round includes a notable pirate beauty!
Regarding our direct purchase, I can offer 100 million Beli for each Devil Fruit!"
After weighing his options, Jason decided to sell to the auction house. With news from the Holy Land and the potential for slaves in the afternoon, coupled with the risk if he were recognized for reselling stolen items, it was prudent to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Thus, for safety, he chose to sell directly and still planned to attend the afternoon auction, in case anything good appeared.
The manager left briefly after Jason's decision and returned with a large bag filled with stacks of Beli notes in the highest denominations, weighing over dozens of kilograms—a trivial amount for Jason.
With the transaction completed, the manager left with the two Devil Fruits.
Having completed the deal, Jason's attention turned to the upcoming auction. He attended the auction promptly at two in the afternoon.
As he settled into a corner of the auction house, Jason noticed the presence of several Celestial Dragons, confirming his suspicion that they were out replenishing their supply of slaves. He felt relieved that he hadn't put the Devil Fruits on the auction block, as it might have attracted unwanted attention.
The auction began with the usual fanfare, introduced by the person in charge. The auctioneer, Disco, took the stage and commenced the bidding process.
Initially, Jason watched with interest, but his excitement waned as the items on auction were entirely slaves, with little else of interest.
Not needing slaves himself, Jason felt no inclination to spend his money freeing them, though he might assist if he encountered someone else doing so. Without any personal motivation to rescue slaves, Jason decided to leave the auction house early.
The next morning, he made his way to Island 13. There, Rayleigh, Hancock, and others awaited him.
Upon reaching the location where Jason had moored their boat, he noticed their faces turn a shade darker.
"Brother Jason, is this the boat you're speaking of? It looks extremely small!"
"Yeah, sure! This is a boat, isn't it? It's large enough to carry a couple of bags plus the necessary provisions for the journey. It can accommodate four people comfortably, and a fifth if needed!"
Jason was indeed correct. At this point in time, Marigold and Sandersonia hadn't transformed into their future intimidating forms. They remained petite, pretty girls. The ship had more than enough room for their needs and belongings!
The perceived inadequacy arose because Rayleigh and the others were accustomed to traveling on larger ships. Even Hancock and her sisters previously sailed on big vessels before being abducted.
"Are you sure this small boat can safely travel through the Calm Belt? Of course, it wouldn't matter if it were just you, but Hancock and the others possess Devil Fruit powers, and encountering a storm could be dangerous," Shakky expressed with a hint of concern, though Rayleigh seemed unconcerned.
"Don't worry; the boat I used to get here was no bigger than this! There won't be any problem!"
"I... My body... my body..."
Hancock hesitated, but eventually, her reluctance subsided.
"Don't fret, Hancock. It's just a day or two's journey. You can endure it!"
"Yes, sister! We're fortunate to have the chance to go home. A bit of discomfort is worth tolerating!"
Marigold and Sandersonia reassured Hancock softly, and she was finally persuaded to board the vessel.
Shakky handed them a special log pose and waved them off.
"See you next time, Brother Jason!"
"Goodbye, Uncle Rayleigh, Miss Shakky!"
Jason waved back, while the three sisters expressed their gratitude to Rayleigh and the others with tears of thanks.
Jason then rowed the boat from the Sabaody Archipelago, setting course for Amazon Lily, guided by the log pose.
After rowing for some time, Jason felt hunger setting in. He took a break to eat, during which a sudden thought occurred to him:
Why was he rowing by himself when he had three capable individuals on board? They weren't helpless like infants!
"So, remember which direction home is, and then take turns rowing!"
"Okay!"
The three sisters agreed so readily that Jason was momentarily taken aback. He understood Marigold and Sandersonia's compliance, but Hancock's easy agreement was unexpected.
"I just think that if I want to return home, I should lend a hand! I can't just let you row all the time! But don't get any ideas! Humph!"
Hancock bristled, irritated by the look of surprise on Jason's face. Surely, even as her savior, this guy was irritating! Who did he think he was?
Even though Hancock found Jason irritating, she recognized him as their savior. Despite her arrogant nature, she had asked her sisters to help with the rowing.
Jason didn't dwell on Hancock's words. Instead, he enjoyed the benefit of being a benefactor, lying down contentedly as the boat sailed smoothly toward their destination.
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