Meanwhile, at Grove 3 of the Sabaody Archipelago—inside the Human Auction House.
The entire auction hall had descended into chaos.
Originally, every attendee of this auction was either wealthy or powerful—especially with a Celestial Dragon present.
To the elite, sharing a room with a World Noble during a slave auction was a badge of honor, even if they didn't win a single bid.
But no one could have imagined that what was supposed to be a prestigious event would erupt into a riot—with a Celestial Dragon attacked right before their eyes.
"Oh my god, run! It's the Worst Generation—Straw Hat Luffy, Captain Kid, and the Surgeon of Death, Trafalgar Law! They attacked a Celestial Dragon!"
"Quick! Spread the word! Call the Marines! They need to wipe these lunatics out!"
Panic exploded.
Hundreds of guests stampeded toward the exits.
Some glanced back at the fallen Celestial Dragon, tempted to play hero and earn favor.
But when it came down to it, their own lives mattered more.
"Move aside! All of you, clear the way!"
"Criminals inside, you're surrounded! I am Rear Admiral Lyon of the Marines. Surrender immediately or we'll storm the building!"
Hundreds—perhaps over a thousand—Marines had swarmed in from all directions, sealing off the plaza in front of the auction house.
Leading them was a middle-aged officer in a felt cap.
Due to the Navy's recent declaration of war against two Yonko, elite forces had been redeployed—not just to Marineford, but also to Sabaody.
That's why they could respond so quickly to the Celestial Dragon's distress call.
Gun barrels locked onto the auction house's only exit.
Nearby, several other Supernovas watched the chaos unfold with interest:
Capone "Gang" Bege of the Fire Tank Pirates Urouge of the Mad Monk Pirates Jewelry Bonney of the Bonney Pirates Basil Hawkins of the Hawkins Pirates X Drake, the Red Flag
They had all encountered Celestial Dragons before—and always avoided them like the plague.
They'd planned to lay low on Sabaody, but someone had clearly lost their mind.
Now, curiosity had them glued to the scene.
"Captain… I've got a bad feeling. Maybe we shouldn't be here."
Inside the auction house, Trafalgar Law's face was stiff, his cheek twitching.
Five days ago, after striking a deal with Luo Yu, he'd fled toward Sabaody.
He'd only come to the auction to scout for potential crew members.
He never expected to get caught in the crossfire.
"Captain, let's go. My heart's pounding like crazy."
Shachi urged from behind.
The rest of the crew nodded in agreement.
After what they'd been through five days ago, they had no desire to be lumped in with these reckless Supernovas.
"Heh, Trafalgar Law,"
Kid sneered.
"I told you—you so-called Supernovas aren't worthy to stand beside me."
"If you're scared, then run. I'll handle the Celestial Dragon. Don't forget—I'm the number one Supernova."
His voice echoed across the square, drawing stares from both Marines and pirates.
Most people's first instinct was to distance themselves from the incident.
Kid's defiance was unexpected—and drew attention to Law and Luffy.
Everyone wanted to see how the other two Supernovas would respond.
"Luffy, let's go,"
Nami pleaded, pale-faced.
"There aren't too many Marines yet. We can still escape."
Usopp and Chopper, the usual cowards, nodded frantically.
But Luffy had already rolled up his sleeves.
"No. We're not the same crew we were back in Water 7."
"This time, I want to see how strong I've become."
"These Marines? I'll crush them. I'll show the world I'm the strongest Supernova!"
"He's right,"
Zoro stepped forward, gripping his swords.
"We can't let them look down on us."
Memories of Enies Lobby still burned in his mind. His grip tightened.
Sanji, cigarette in mouth, dropped his usual smirk and joined them.
They were ready to reclaim their pride.
Seeing the three determined, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper panicked, casting desperate glances at Robin and the others.
But before anyone could speak, a bloodied Saint Charlos crawled out of the auction house, screaming:
"You damned Marines! Why haven't you acted yet?"
"Are you just going to stand there and let us Celestial Dragons be slaughtered?"
"Don't forget—I'm a World Noble! The most exalted being on this planet! No one touches us and lives!"
"I order you—kill them now! If they're still breathing in ten minutes, I'll have you all executed!"
The entire plaza froze.
Everyone knew Celestial Dragons were arrogant.
But this… this was madness—even threatening his own men.
Rear Admiral Lyon's face turned ashen.
He hadn't expected things to spiral like this.
"Lord Charlos, please understand—these are Supernovas. You're still in danger. We can't act recklessly."
"But rest assured, we've already requested Admiral support. I've just received confirmation—the one responding is the new Glutton Admiral, Luo Yu. He's nearby and will arrive in minutes."
"A new Admiral?"
Charlos froze.
The fury vanished from his face.
He stammered:
"W-what did you just say? Say that again… which Admiral is coming?"