After staying up late the previous night, Eli Winters and his group slept in. By the time they had breakfast, it was already eleven in the morning.
"Big Brother, when I woke up this morning, I noticed there were a lot of people hiding around our ship. Should we deal with them?" Big Pan asked, chewing on some water-raised meat from the Seven Water Capital.
"No need. They won't be going anywhere. They're not our target today," Eli said casually. These people's lives were entirely at his discretion; there was no need to pay them much attention.
Thinking about today's objective, Eli suddenly realized they might have forgotten something.
"Did we miss the start of the auction?" he asked.
"Looks like it. Uncle Rayleigh said it started at ten, and it's almost eleven now," Philina replied thoughtfully.
"Ah, whatever. We're not really here to participate anyway," Eli said with a shrug. He didn't dwell on it and called for the group to disembark. This time, they wouldn't use teleportation—they would ride the ship's unique transport vehicles, the Bubble Cars, to the auction house.
Meanwhile, Quill was already at the Human Auction House, preparing for the arrival of the three high-ranking officials. He had originally planned to convince them to postpone their inspection, citing Eli's presence on Sabaody Archipelago as the reason, and push the visit a month ahead.
Unsurprisingly, they refused and scolded him harshly, their words dripping with arrogance, showing they had no regard for Eli Winters at all.
Quill felt bitter. He couldn't guarantee anything about others, but he knew one thing: Eli was not someone who hesitated to kill.
"What are Eli and the others doing right now?" Quill asked his loyal subordinate.
"A-One just reported that they've only just woken up, but he said the three captains' men might have been exposed. He's not sure why Eli hasn't acted yet," the subordinate replied.
"Could it be that his target really is only the gangs?" Quill frowned. Eli and his team hadn't made any other moves, which was somewhat relieving. As long as nothing happened to the three officials, the rest could be managed. As for the gangsters—dead or alive, there would always be ways to deal with them later. After all, not all of them had been killed yet, and District Three housed many nobles and civilians. Quill didn't believe Eli would indiscriminately kill everyone.
Before he could relax further, a buzzing came from the subordinate's pocket.
"Brrr, brrr."
"What is it, A-One?" the subordinate asked.
"They're heading toward the auction house in the Bubble Car," A-One replied quickly, cutting straight to the point.
The subordinate's eyes widened, about to report to Quill, but he saw Quill's face darken. "Have the men surround the auction house with weapons. Notify the Sabaody Archipelago Navy immediately. They must arrive as fast as possible."
"I'm on it," the subordinate said, rushing off with urgency. Clearly, he understood how critical the situation had become.
Quill took a deep breath to calm himself, straightened his slightly disheveled clothing, and walked briskly toward a luxurious private box in the auction house.
Inside, the atmosphere was electric. The event was at its peak, and everyone's attention was on the item currently being auctioned—a female fox humanoid from the Fur Clan.
As soon as she appeared, the auction house erupted like it had been set aflame. Thunderous applause and cheers filled the room. The reason was simple: she was breathtakingly enchanting. Every movement, every smile seemed to deliberately tease the deepest desires of the men in the audience. Even the women were captivated, unable to resist her allure.
At that moment, Quill opened the door to the box where the three officials were seated. They were in a heated argument over the fox woman, clearly vying to claim her for themselves.
Quill hesitated, swallowing hard. Normally, he would avoid disturbing such influential figures, but the situation demanded it. He had to convey critical information immediately.
"Your Excellencies, I have received word that Eli Winters is approaching. I fear he may pose a threat to you. I humbly suggest that you leave first. As for these beautiful women, I will see they are safely delivered to your ship for your enjoyment," Quill said, his tone obsequious.
The officials were displeased. One snapped, "Quill, are you saying we should yield to that Eli Winters?"
Another added angrily, "Exactly, Quill. Does he think he can even touch me? We are descendants of the Celestial Creators."
"Your Excellencies, with your lofty status, there is no need to clash with someone of his kind. Eli Winters is lawless and powerful. I fear he might act recklessly and harm you," Quill pleaded earnestly.
"You're not a match for him either, are you?" one asked.
"I can handle myself in a fight, but Eli Winters has killed Navy Admirals. I am no match," Quill admitted with a bitter smile.
"Don't worry. This time we have the Golden Den-Den Mushi. If Eli Winters doesn't show respect, we'll just send him to his death," one official said arrogantly.
"Demon Slaughter Command plus three Navy Admirals—there's no way he can survive," another said coldly.
"But…" Quill began to argue, but the officials had grown impatient.
"Enough. You may leave. Do not disturb our interests," one said sharply.
Quill had no choice but to step aside.
Once he left, one of the officials immediately activated the Golden Den-Den Mushi. Though their words sounded boastful, they were not ordinary Celestial Dragons—they would not gamble with their lives.
With Eli Winters in the world, the significance of the Golden Den-Den Mushi increased. Previously, it could summon one Admiral. Now, it could summon three Admirals—two from the World Government and one from the Navy.
How these three Admiral-level warriors would react to Eli Winters remained uncertain.
Meanwhile, Eli and his group were playing around in the Bubble Car. Where did it come from? They had bought it—money was no object for Eli.
They were in no hurry to confront the three so-called powerful figures. After all, they were already within his perception. He could strike whenever he pleased.