Watching Shiki's outstretched hand, Tesoro's eyelids twitched violently.
He cursed inwardly, but his face still wore a brilliant smile.
"Hehehe, esteemed guest, please don't rush. My credibility is well-known to all. 150 billion Berries is no small amount. Even on this Golden Ship, it will take time to gather. How about this? A grand auction is about to begin. The two of you can come with me to take a look. Perhaps some of the items up for auction will pique your interest."
Tesoro smiled on the surface, but inside, he was seething.
'When had I ever spoken to someone in such a fawning, negotiating tone?'
Though Tesoro had lowered his stance, Shiki paid no heed, still keeping a stern face and not retracting his outstretched hand.
"No way. How can I join the auction with no money in my pocket? Sit there and catch a cold breeze? Just say it straight—are you giving it or not? If not..."
As Shiki spoke, his eyes darted around, glancing at the gilded walls nearby.
"I'll take it myself."
Tesoro wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, inwardly cursing Bullet.
Where had that stubborn guy run off to at such a critical moment?
Why wasn't he here to take down this arrogant bastard?
He forced a dry laugh and said, "My apologies for the oversight. How about this? Whatever the two of you wish to bid on at the auction, you can place your bids. The cost of the items you win will be deducted from the Berries you've earned."
Shiki snorted coldly and was about to say more when Caesar raised a hand to stop him.
"Fine, I don't want to stay here and be gawked at like a monkey either. Let's go take a look over there."
Only then did Shiki withdraw his hand, retracting his icy gaze from Tesoro.
Tesoro finally felt a wave of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and he couldn't help but let out a sigh.
But the more he felt this way, the more wary Tesoro became of Shiki's power.
This man hadn't even made a move, yet his mere presence and aura were enough to make someone of Tesoro's caliber feel chilled to the bone and his scalp tingle when locked under that gaze.
It showed just how terrifying this person was.
Caesar turned back to Carina, who was still standing frozen in place, and laughed.
"Little miss, consider the 30 million Berries inside as your hard-earned fee. Borororo!"
Carina's body trembled, her full chest rising and falling as turbulent emotions surged within her.
Watching Caesar's towering, mountain-like figure turn and walk away into the distance, she parted her lips slightly but failed to utter a single sound.
As they walked on, Tesoro couldn't hold back any longer and asked with a dry chuckle.
"Might I ask who are you?"
Shiki followed behind him, his two short, pale, baby-like legs taking wobbly steps as he walked.
It looked utterly ridiculous.
Yet no one present dared show even a hint of such an expression.
Including Tesoro.
Shiki proudly lifted his chin: "I am the Golden Lion Shiki!"
Tesoro stumbled, nearly falling flat on his face.
...
'Bullet! Damn you!'
'Didn't you say you only invited Caesar?'
'How did Golden Lion Shiki end up here too?'
'How are we supposed to handle this now?'
'Even if I could lure a Marine Admiral here, it would be useless!'
'And if these two really start fighting on the Golden Ship, with their terrifying power, will my Golden Ship even see tomorrow's sun?'
"Ahem... So you're the famous Flying Admiral. I've long heard of your reputation. Please, both of you, look—the auction house is right ahead."
Tesoro put on an exaggerated smile, pointing toward the massive arched structure ahead.
Caesar and Shiki looked up and saw a gigantic egg-shaped building over a hundred meters tall, gleaming brilliantly as if cast from pure gold.
Like all other structures on the Golden Ship, it was entirely plated with refined gold, exuding extreme luxury.
"Damn, coming to a place like this to have fun, if you don't have a few hundred million Berries in your pocket, you'd be so ashamed you'd want to crawl into a crack."
Shiki couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
"Hahaha, I'm not boasting, but my auction house is absolutely the most luxurious in the world, bar none."
Hearing Shiki's words, a smug expression appeared on Tesoro's face.
He continued, "I poured endless effort into this auction house. I hired a national treasure-level artistic design master from Mary Geoise to design it meticulously, and invested a full thousand tons of gold in its construction! Apart from some load-bearing sections made of steel, the rest is all solid gold. For example, those two coiling dragon pillars each used a hundred tons of gold!"
Gulp.
Shiki and Caesar exchanged a glance, their eyes gleaming with a golden shine.
They shared a knowing smile, and then...
Caesar laughed heartily: "Tesoro, your auction house truly deserves to be called the world's most luxurious and magnificent. I've really broadened my horizons today, borororo!"
"You flatter me, Captain Caesar. Hahaha, please come in quickly. This is the private box reserved for the most distinguished guests."
Tesoro wore a radiant smile as he promptly ushered Caesar and Shiki into an extremely lavish private box.
The interior of the auction house was structured like a giant fan.
At the front was a high platform, and directly opposite it were densely arranged seats.
The auction seating was divided into two levels.
The first level was for ordinary guests—typically wealthy individuals, common nobles, or pirates and bounty hunters of average reputation.
The second level consisted entirely of private boxes.
Usually, only those with unusual backgrounds or status were qualified to sit there.
The higher the status, the closer to the center.
For example, subordinates of the Emperors of the Sea, royal families of various kingdoms, high-ranking Marine officers, and even the World Nobles—the Celestial Dragons!
Tesoro went to great lengths to curry favor with Caesar and Shiki.
He directly placed them in the centralmost private box.
The moment Caesar and Shiki stepped inside, their eyes widened in astonishment.
Shiki wasn't faring much better, looking every bit the country bumpkin.
Because the interior was simply too luxurious.
The floor was paved with snow-white fur from some unknown animal, making footsteps feel light and airy, as if walking on clouds.
The walls were studded with countless fist-sized luminous pearls, gemstones, pearls, and agates, twinkling like stars.
The most outrageous part was the enormous swimming pool by the window, its steaming water adorned with colorful petals floating on the surface, emitting an intoxicating fragrance.
On either side of the pool stood ten exquisitely beautiful young women, each with a stunning figure and clad only in bikinis.
Tesoro, with a discreet glance, noticed the dazed expressions on Shiki and Caesar's faces and curled his lips disdainfully.
With a cheerful laugh, he closed the door behind him, leaving behind a remark.
"Enjoy yourselves, gentlemen. Oh, and these twenty beauties are from different races, each with their own unique charm. Whatever requests you make, they will obey without hesitation! And every one of them is untouched."