Arthur clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to vomit as he turned his head away.
Another second of looking, and he might actually lose it.
The moment the Celestial Dragons entered the auction hall, the entire atmosphere shifted.
The air grew heavy.
No one dared to breathe too loud.
Every noble and tycoon present sat stiff as statues, terrified of offending the so-called "descendants of the gods."
It wasn't until the auction finally began — with the auctioneer nervously announcing the first lot — that the tension eased slightly.
The early items were nothing special: beautiful women, handsome men, a few captured pirates and rare swords.
Predictably, the so-called elite of Sabaody Archipelago were most enthusiastic over the human slaves.
They shouted and bid feverishly, as though buying people was a sport.
The sight made Arthur's stomach turn.
Money and power… and this is what they do with it?
One day, he thought coldly, I'll make sure these bastards learn what it feels like to be trampled.
Then came the final item — the star attraction.
Waldo, the World Destroyer himself, was dragged out in chains.
The entire hall erupted in shock.
Gasps, whispers, and disbelieving exclamations rippled through the audience.
"That's… that's really Waldo!"
"A five-hundred-million bounty pirate?!"
"They actually caught him alive?"
Even before the auctioneer could open his mouth, the bidding exploded.
One voice after another —
prices climbing like wildfire.
One billion!
1.5!
Two billion!
Still rising, until the shouting began to die off near twelve billion Berries.
"Do I hear any higher bids?" the auctioneer cried, nearly trembling with excitement.
"This is Waldo! The legendary destroyer of the seas! Surely someone wishes to claim such a prize!"
Of course, no one wanted to push their luck — not with the Celestial Dragons sitting just a few seats away.
"Going once!"
"Going twice!"
"Going thr—"
"Twenty billion."
The room froze.
The voice was arrogant, lazy, and cold.
Everyone turned at once —
the bid came from the Celestial Dragon who'd been silent all this time.
A single phrase, and the hall went dead quiet.
The auctioneer's face flushed crimson with excitement.
Twenty billion.
This was history.
Up in the corner, Arthur and Redfield exchanged a glance — and smiled.
Perfect.
It had worked exactly as planned.
They had no intention of kidnapping a Celestial Dragon — that would've been suicide.
Summerki had already told them: these "gods" never carried money on them.
Kidnap one, and the Marines would descend with full force.
There'd be no ransom, no payout — just annihilation.
So they changed the plan.
If they couldn't extort the Celestial Dragons…
they'd rob them instead.
And with a twenty-billion purchase,
this score would be enough to keep them funded for a long, long time.
Once the Celestial Dragon bid, not a soul dared compete.
The auctioneer slammed his gavel down.
"Sold! To His Excellency the Celestial Dragon, for twenty billion Berries!"
The crowd burst into nervous applause.
Arthur scoffed.
"Heh.
Not so tough now, huh?
Where's all that arrogance you had when you were bidding against each other?"
The so-called nobles averted their eyes, pretending not to hear.
Soon the auction ended.
The guests scattered quickly, muttering curses about wasted time.
No one wanted to linger around the Celestial Dragons longer than necessary.
When the hall finally emptied, only two groups remained:
The Celestial Dragons, preening on the stage,
and the two men hidden in the shadows — Arthur and Redfield.
Mantis stalks the cicada… while the oriole waits behind.
The arrogant "gods" never imagined that tonight, they would be the prey.
Onstage, the younger Celestial Dragon was laughing,
his polished boots grinding into Waldo's back.
"Hahaha!
You filthy pirate—
How does it feel now?
Daring to defy the World Government, to defy us, the Celestial Dragons?"
Waldo stayed silent.
The humiliation burned like acid,
but he held his tongue — waiting.
Just wait till the captain arrives…
Then we'll see who's laughing.
Down below, Arthur's fists clenched so hard his knuckles cracked.
Redfield's expression darkened beside him.
But the money hadn't arrived yet.
They had to wait.
They would endure — just a few moments longer.
The guard squad arrived soon after, carrying large briefcases sealed with the mark of the World Nobles.
"Lord Saint! The payment has—"
He never finished.
Two sharp bursts split the air.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A streak of lightning and a flash of crimson crossed paths.
One shot toward the stage—
the other toward the guard line.
"Waldo! Sorry to keep you waiting!" Arthur's voice roared through the hall.
"Hah! Knew you'd come, boss!" Waldo shouted back, grinning even in chains.
The scene erupted into chaos.
The guards barely had time to blink before Redfield's sword light carved through them like paper.
Meanwhile, Arthur appeared beside Waldo in a flash of lightning.
Clang!
The seastone shackles snapped and clattered to the floor.
The Celestial Dragons froze, pale as ghosts.
When one of them turned his head, his eyes met Arthur's.
Those eyes—
cold, bloodshot, filled with killing intent—
were not human.
The older Celestial Dragon, trembling, grabbed a Den Den Mushi and screamed into it.
"This is the Celestial Dragons at Sabaody Auction House!
We're under attack by pirates!
Send an Admiral—now!"
On the other end, the Marine operator straightened instantly.
No one dared delay a call from the "gods."
Within seconds, the report was already racing up the chain of command.
Redfield finished clearing the guards and called out,
"Captain! We've got the money! Time to move!"
But Arthur didn't move.
He stood motionless,
his gaze fixed on the young Celestial Dragon who had been kicking Waldo.
Redfield's expression tightened.
He recognized that look—
a storm about to break.
Waldo did too.
He grabbed Arthur's arm quickly.
"Boss, forget it! I'm fine! You can't—don't touch the Celestial Dragons!"
For a moment, Arthur hesitated.
Then the young Celestial Dragon sneered.
"Hahaha! That's right.
Go on, pirate—strike me if you dare.
You think you're anything but an insect?
A filthy bug beneath a god's boot?"
The other Celestial Dragon, having finished his call, snorted and raised his chin arrogantly.
"Such arrogance… even when doomed.
You really don't understand your place, do you?
Between you and me—who's the insect here?"
Arthur's eyes flickered—
and a cold smile tugged at his lips.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.
"Who's the insect?" he said softly.
"Let's find out."
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