Chapter 23 – Chaos at the Auction House
"Food, Food, Foods are the best!" Tuan Sing the Song with childish joy. He wasn't particularly interested in the auction itself, but the noisy crowd made it clear—something exciting was going on. And Tuan loved excitement.
"Food first. Fun later," Ash said with a casual smile, grabbing the food in front of him and devouring it at lightning speed. His hands moved so fast they blurred, emptying the plates in seconds.
Nothing beat eating. And if anything did, it was eating somewhere else.
"Hey, Boss! Leave some for me!" Tuan cried, eyes wide as the table rapidly cleared. He jumped in and joined the feast, a small food war erupting between the two.
Meanwhile, Poker and Carina had gone out to explore. Between Gin's zombie-like silence and Enel's cold arrogance, Poker was the least annoying option. Odd, sure, but at least he responded when spoken to.
Carina had a blast at first—sweeping up clothes, bargaining loudly at stalls—while Poker quietly searched for books and alchemy materials. But when Carina stumbled upon a government-issued notice pinned to a quiet alley wall, her face went pale. She trembled, clutched the flyer, and ran straight back to the ship, locking herself in her room.
Tears silently fell from the corners of her eyes.
"Uh... did I forget something on the list?" Poker blinked, confused, scratching his head as he stood outside her door. "...Women are complicated. Whatever—time to get back to my lab and test my little cutie, hehe..."
Back in town, Ash and Tuan, now full and satisfied, left the restaurant.
"Oi! You haven't paid yet!" the shopkeeper shouted from behind.
"Thanks for the meal!" Ash and Tuan yelled in unison before bolting down the street.
"You damn freeloaders! Get back here!" the enraged chef roared, brandishing a cleaver. From that day on, the restaurant installed a new rule: "Pay before we cook."
Who knew? Maybe even Ace would pass by someday and learn the lesson: Free meals always come with a price.
The two eventually arrived at the Auction venue and took seats near the back. The place buzzed with energy.
As the auction began, Ash observed quietly while Tuan vibrated with excitement, waving his fists like he was actually bidding.
The auctioneer unveiled a series of items—mostly ordinary trinkets and rare oddities. But toward the end, the grand items finally appeared.
The main draw?
An Animal-type Devil Fruit: Ostrich Model.
Ash wasn't particularly impressed, but for the crowd, it was like a golden treasure—Devil Fruits were rare and powerful after all.
"Ostrich? Lame... I was hoping for a Logia or maybe a Mythical Zoan," Tuan muttered, unimpressed.
"Starting bid: 90 million berries! Increments of no less than 1 million!"
"91 million!"
"93 million!"
"100 million!"
"120 million!"
"120 million once… 120 million twice… SOLD!"
A round, greasy-faced man stood up victoriously.
"Ha! With this fruit, I—The Great Kun—will rise to power! The New World better watch out!" he shouted.
He didn't notice the glint of jealousy and quiet malice around him. In a world like this, flaunting wealth was asking for trouble.
The final item was then wheeled out.
A young fishman, strong and stoic, stood shackled on the platform.
"He's skilled in Fishman Karate and makes a perfect bodyguard," the auctioneer declared. "And with our specialized slave collar, his life is yours to command. Starting bid: 80 million berries!"
The fishman's dull eyes scanned the crowd, full of fear and despair. Hope was long gone, but his body hadn't given up.
"A shame it's a male fishman," someone sneered.
"Yeah, if it were a female... oof, what a prize that would be! Hehehe…"
"Hah! Like the Celestial Dragons would let that go unnoticed," a noble scoffed. "This auction house belongs to him, remember?"
A murmur of agreement swept through the crowd.
"85 million berries!"
"90 million berries!"
"95 million!"
"100 million!"
The final bid came from a fat woman in a VIP box, gnawing on a greasy chicken leg. Her sandpaper voice grated on every ear.
"She's from the World Government," someone whispered. "Princess Meimei of the Katemoss Kingdom. No one can outbid her."
As expected, the bidding halted.
"And with that, the final item goes to Princess Meimei. This concludes today's—"
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion tore through the ceiling.
Debris rained down. A single figure plummeted from above—and slammed directly into the auction platform.
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To be continued…