Disguised as a Celestial Dragon, Arlo sat in the auction hall with the kind of arrogance that made everyone instinctively lower their heads.
In front of him, one of the sex slaves was occupied sucking his cock, but in that case, he was at least in a private room, watching the auction.
At his side were three beautiful, long-legged girls: his props for the day. He wasn't really interested, even though they were quite attractive. But he needed to keep the image of a spoiled, lustful noble.
He was not in the same slave auction run by Don Flamingo. Unsurprisingly, considering the frequent visits of Celestial Dragons to Sabaody, there were some that tried to get money out of it.
That auction specifically, could only be visited by nobles from other islands. And there was a special sector, where each celestial dragon could choose an exclusive room to watch the event and the products being offered.
That being said, it was the first day of the event, so the real treasures wouldn't be shown until tomorrow. Today's offerings were dull.
All that was offered were: minor slaves, common artifacts, and trinkets meant to squeeze a few extra Berries out of lesser nobles. Arlo sat lazily in the front row, pretending to be entertained, though he barely even looked at the stage.
The auctioneer's voice echoed through the room, shouting inflated prices for worthless items. Arlo didn't bid once. His new slave shifted uncomfortably beside him, but he didn't say a word to her, not even a glance.
All he cared about was maintaining appearances. The whispers around him were already spreading that a new Celestial Dragon had arrived, eccentric and unpredictable. Perfect.
When the final item of the day was sold, Arlo stood up, stretched, and muttered quietly beneath his breath, "A waste of time… but tomorrow's the real show."
And it was while Arlo was ready to leave the place that the host made an announcement that caught his attention:
"Tomorrow's session will feature several Devil Fruits up for auction!"
The crowd erupted into murmurs and excitement. Arlo raised an eyebrow. It probably wouldn't be anything extraordinary, weak, or already-known fruits, most likely, but it was still worth checking out. He decided to stay another day, if only to see what would appear.
That was when the familiar blue light of the System flashed before his eyes.
[The System would like to recommend a skill for the user.]
A translucent screen appeared in front of him, hovering in the air. The message stayed for a few seconds before changing into a detailed explanation:
[The user currently has 90 System Points remaining.]
By the way, besides the Hypnotic Scroll and the key, he had also spent a few points to strengthen himself earlier, just in case.
He had even tried using his power to check Kizaru's stats, but the admiral's information had been completely inaccessible. Still, he'd managed to gauge most of the pirate captains present, and he was already stronger than plenty of them.
Some, however, had power levels around 400, and Arlo didn't like leaving such a gap unattended.
He would begin serious training soon.
The screen flickered again, displaying two skill options:
[For 70 System Points, the user can purchase one of the following skills:
However, with the user's current amount of points, only one skill can be purchased.]
"I didn't know I had access to something like that…" Arlo muttered under his breath, leaning back in his seat. Both skills were absurdly useful in different ways. If only he had enough points to buy them both.
He glanced at the large bag of money resting beside him, a heavy fortune in gold and Berries. He had so much of it that he could live like a king for years and still not spend it all.
Given that, overspending on an item or two didn't really matter. Evaluating a person's true potential, on the other hand, was far more valuable and far rarer.
"I'll take the Potential Appraisal," he decided.
The screen flashed in acknowledgment.
[Skill acquired: Potential Appraisal.]
Arlo exhaled softly and looked down at the bag of gold again.
"If only I could turn all this into System Points…" he muttered with a faint, tired look. "Berries aren't even that useful."
໐໐໐
Meanwhile, as the water from the shower poured over her, Nami wondered how much longer she would need to endure it all.
She was almost there, but she still needed to rob more pirates before finally saving her village.
"I just hope after stealing that damned clown's money, I have enough to free my island," Nami whispered, thinking of Buggy. Her life was a mess, and she really felt like she was at a breaking point.
With a deep sigh, she let the water pour all over her body.
The spray plastered her short, orange hair to her scalp and ran in rivulets down her skin. At eighteen, her body was a cruel masterpiece of stolen youth.
The water sluiced over the pronounced swell of her breasts, their full weight and generous curves that were still just beginning to grow. It traced the path down the sleek, toned plane of her stomach, a testament to the acrobatics and climbing her thievery demanded.
Her hips flared dramatically from a narrow waist, creating a silhouette that was almost impossibly sexy.
Her hand full of soap hovered around her own body, getting to the rounded curves of her perfect ass. She was all softness and sharp edges, a body built for pleasuring men.
Stepping out of the shower, she didn't bother with a towel, letting the cool air raise goosebumps on her damp skin.
She moved to the mirror, wiping away the condensation to reveal the reflection she used as a tool. Her eyes, however, held a deep, weary emptiness that contradicted the vibrant, sensual body they were set in.
With another sigh, this one of resignation, she began to dress, pulling on her tight, white shorts that hugged her hips and the low-cut top that showcased her cleavage.
It was impossible not to wonder how much it would cost to own such a woman. She really was desperate, but even in this situation, she hadn't even considered letting another man actually touch her.
At most, she would use her seduction to trick men and steal everything from them.
໐໐໐
"I want the three of you to sail to the East Blue," Arlo secretly ordered the three long-legged girls he had bought at the auction.
He had already asked one of his slaves to get a ship ready.
The girls found the request weird, but they would be accompanied by Tina, who was loyal to Arlo and would make sure they followed his orders.
Besides, it was much better than what they were expecting.
With that, Arlo's main plan was in motion. Now he would see if he could buy something useful at the auction, and then escape.
He was running out of time because soon they would find out about Antonieta, but he was ready for it.
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