Finally...
After finishing a few drinks, Ryuuto left Shakky's Rip-Off Bar with Nami.
The two of them walked out under Shakky's meaningful gaze. Shakky's sigh followed them. "Such is the fate of the king of Amazon Lily!"
As she spoke, Shakky turned her gaze to Rayleigh.
Rayleigh, for his part, angrily took out a Den Den Mushi.
The Den Den Mushi was a perfect replica of Hancock, with long black hair, golden earrings, and a haughty, upturned head.
Purupurupuru...
"Hancock, I ran into Ryuuto today!" Rayleigh's furious voice traveled through the Den Den Mushi all the way to Amazon Lily. Since Ryuuto and Nami hadn't gone far, the sound was carried to them on a gentle breeze.
Ryuuto just smiled and continued walking.
Nami glanced at him before linking her arm with his and following.
Evening arrived, casting the slanted rays of the setting sun across the auction house.
Silhouettes were scattered near the entrance of a room.
"Buggy, tell me, where are they?" Ryuuto asked, standing in the empty room.
This was where Blackbeard and Lucci had been imprisoned.
Nearby, Foxy, Cabaji, and the others stood frozen like statues, not daring to breathe.
"Captain Ryuuto, please let me explain!" Buggy pleaded, standing behind Ryuuto with a terrified expression. He had no idea where Blackbeard had gone either.
"Then explain," Ryuuto said, turning to look at Buggy, curious to see what excuse the red-nosed man under the hat could possibly come up with.
"I think it's highly likely they were rescued!" Buggy declared with an air of certainty.
"You think?" Ryuuto was speechless. Chained in Seastone, there was no way Blackbeard and Lucci could have escaped on their own.
The only explanation was that Van Augur had rescued Blackbeard. Only the power of the Warp-Warp Fruit could have accomplished it.
"This is going to take some getting used to." Ryuuto rubbed his chin. Without Blackbeard, he had lost one of his methods for acquiring Devil Fruits. His efficiency would plummet.
"Captain, it's all Buggy's fault. It was his turn on guard duty, but he abandoned his post," Foxy whispered, appearing beside Ryuuto in a flash.
Crack... Foxy's words were like a sharp blade stabbing into Buggy, and his heart went cold.
Buggy watched Ryuuto cautiously, terrified that his life would be forfeit in the next second.
"Buggy, your debt to me just doubled. It's 400 million Berries now," Ryuuto snarled, grabbing Buggy by the collar as lightning crackled in his hands.
He then threw him to the ground with a thud.
The atmosphere instantly became oppressive.
No one dared to speak.
"Listen up. Foxy, in five days, I'm holding an auction right here. I'm putting you in charge of preparing the venue. I want to see a brand-new place by then," Ryuuto announced, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before landing on Foxy.
"Yes, Captain! I'll get it done!"
"As for you, Buggy, you're going to spread the word. I want as many people to come as possible. Can you do that?" Ryuuto's intense gaze was fixed on Buggy on the floor as he spoke in a low voice.
Buggy was running out of chances.
"Yes, yes, I can do it!" Buggy stammered from the floor, nodding so frantically that his hat fell off.
"I'm leaving it to you all."
"In five days, I expect you to impress me."
Ryuuto gave Buggy, Foxy, and the others one last look before turning and walking out.
Nami watched his retreating figure, her eyes sparkling.
"I have to admit, the Captain looks pretty handsome when he's being all authoritative," she thought to herself. Mimicking his earlier gesture, she swept her gaze over the room before following him out.
"Phew... that was terrifying," Porche said, letting out a heavy breath.
Foxy shot a glance at Buggy on the floor, then lifted his chin haughtily and led his crew to the main auction hall to begin their preparations.
"Captain Buggy!" Cabaji finally dared to help him up.
"Thank goodness Captain Ryuuto isn't going to pursue it any further," Mohji said, patting his chest in relief.
As for the 400 million Berries they now owed, none of them gave it much thought.
After all, if they couldn't pay 200 million, they couldn't pay 400 million either. It made no difference.
"What an imposing man. Even a beauty such as myself could barely withstand his presence," Alvida said narcissistically, gazing in the direction Ryuuto had disappeared.
"Meoww~" Richie the lion, now relaxed, began licking himself between his legs.
"Damn it!" Buggy slammed his fist on the ground, then shouted, "Let's go! We need to get moving!"
Buggy was someone who could bounce back from anything. With no regard for his own pride, he wiped his face and stormed out.
Of course, it was also possible he was just concerned for his own safety.
"Nami, how many Lucky Coins have you saved up?" Ryuuto asked, as if the thought had just occurred to him.
"I'm stuck at nine," Nami said, sounding a little dejected.
She had been steadily draining Buggy's luck value for days. At first, it had been a great success, generating a new Lucky Coin every few days. But after reaching nine, no matter how much luck she accumulated, she couldn't generate a tenth.
"Nine is a number of culmination. The Lucky Coins must have reached their limit," Ryuuto offered as his guess.
"Mhm, I think so too," Nami agreed. She had come to the same conclusion herself.
"Still, nine Lucky Coins should be more than enough."
While Ryuuto and Nami were chatting, Buggy and his crew had already fanned out across the various mangrove groves.
"Treasures from a Warlord!"
"The Legendary Treasure of Captain John!"
Buggy and his men were displaying huge banners in their respective areas.
While doing so, the Buggy Pirates hadn't forgotten their old trade. They first drew in large crowds with their signature circus performances.
Cabaji performed his sword-balancing acrobatics...
Richie the lion jumped through flaming hoops...
Meanwhile, Buggy used his Chop-Chop Fruit powers to fly through the air with a megaphone Den Den Mushi, bombarding the public with information. He took the opportunity to announce the auction.
Buggy always had a flair for the dramatic, so he made sure to drop names like "Warlord" and "Captain John" to create a powerful impact.
Of course, Buggy wasn't entirely lying.
There was a Warlord involved—Crocodile, who had been defeated by Ryuuto. And as for Captain John, Buggy had been searching for his lost treasure for years.
Through these methods, Buggy successfully attracted a large number of common folk and wealthy patrons.
On another front, Alvida led a group to spread the word through the taverns, dropping the bombshell news that a Devil Fruit would be up for auction, a revelation that sent shockwaves through the entire underworld.
Not only that, but Alvida also paid information brokers to leak the news.
In no time at all...
Word of Ryuuto's auction spread like wildfire throughout the lawless areas of Mangrove Groves 1 through 29 on the Sabaody Archipelago.