A new day dawned. The rising sun struck the floating soap bubbles of the Sabaody Archipelago, refracting a dazzling array of colors and bathing the entire island chain in a vibrant, rainbow light.
The first to arrive was Hachi at his takoyaki stand. Having made a huge profit last time, Hachi was proactive, bringing a massive supply of ingredients. A glance at Kid and Killer, who were still hung up as a deterrent, assured him that no one would cause trouble at this auction.
Not only that, but many vendors from the surrounding mangrove areas had also come to set up their stalls.
Before long, the area was teeming with people, their voices rising and falling in a bustling chorus. It was a lively scene.
Vivi and Bonney were flitting from one food stall to the next, sampling everything. The girls' cheerful energy was on full display.
As the sun climbed higher, more and more people arrived—gangsters, wealthy merchants, and pirates of all kinds.
Amidst the endless stream of people, Ryuuto spotted a few familiar faces: the captain of the Heart Pirates, Trafalgar Law, as well as Umit and Glad.
Ryuuto only gave the former a passing glance, but he had to go and greet the latter. After all, Umit was a strategic partner.
"Umit, we meet again!" Ryuuto said, taking the initiative.
"Gurururururu... I heard you have a Kilo-Kilo Fruit here. I'm very interested, so I thought I'd come and bid on it!" Umit didn't bother hiding his intentions.
In his eyes, this Devil Fruit was a god-tier ability for sea transport. While the fruit initially only allowed its user to change their weight between one and ten thousand kilograms, its awakened form could alter the weight of surrounding objects. With that, his cargo ships could fly through the sky.
'I absolutely cannot miss this!' Umit thought to himself.
Beside him, Glad sized up Ryuuto, his eyes burning with an eagerness for battle.
Ryuuto pretended not to notice Glad's stare and continued his conversation with Umit.
After chatting for a while, Umit led Glad into the auction house.
"What a tall man!" The wives of gangsters and wealthy female merchants watched Glad's retreating figure with fascination, his sheer size an undeniable allure.
They knew, however... that this auction was only for armaments, weapons, and Devil Fruits.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Glad's footsteps sent powerful vibrations through the ground...
Suddenly, three figures approached from the distance, each wearing a bubble helmet and dressed in white. Several guards followed behind them.
The entire area of Grove 18 fell into a dead silence.
Then, a voice emerged from the man seated high atop his mount—a man with a runny nose and a hideous face. "Hmph! Move faster!"
With that, the whip in his hand cracked down viciously on the massive figure beneath him.
This was none other than the Celestial Dragon, Saint Charlos.
The man he rode was Jean Bart. With a wild mane of hair, an imposing height of five meters, and a body packed with explosive muscle, he was clad in black. A slave collar was fastened around his neck.
Jean Bart had once been a captain himself. After all his crewmates died in battle, he drifted from place to place until he was captured by slavers and sold to Saint Charlos.
Beside him were his father and sister, Saint Rosward and Saint Shalria. The faces visible inside their bubble helmets held expressions of pure disdain for their surroundings.
"Honestly, why is this stupid auction so far away!" Shalria whined.
"As Celestial Dragons, we must occasionally come out to inspect our territories!" Saint Rosward said with a smile, clearly enjoying himself as he tried to placate his impatient daughter.
As the three of them proceeded toward the auction house, the surrounding gangsters and pirates were seized by terror. They instinctively dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground, bodies trembling. None dared to look up.
Even Hachi quickly pulled Camie and Pappag to the ground, whispering, "Please just pass by quickly... please just pass by quickly..."
"The... The Celestial Dragons!" a gangster's bodyguard cried out in absolute horror.
"Get down! Kneel if you don't want to die!" one pirate hissed, frantically pulling his crewmate down.
"Idiot! Don't look up! It's over for us if they notice you!" The captain next to them pressed their heads down, his voice a harsh whisper.
For a moment, the air was filled with panicked murmurs of "Kneel!", "Don't look up!", and "It's the Celestial Dragons!", punctuated by the sounds of bodies hitting the ground in a frantic rush. The atmosphere grew so thick it felt solid.
In the midst of it all, only Ryuuto's group, Law's crew, and Umit's pair remained standing. And, of course, Buggy and his men, who were shaking uncontrollably but forcing themselves to stay upright.
"It's... It's the Celestial Dragons!!" Buggy managed to force out through chattering teeth.
He knew full well that on the Sabaody Archipelago, Celestial Dragons could kill commoners with impunity and were protected by powerful bodyguards, like Jean Bart right now. More importantly, any act of defiance, any injury inflicted upon them, would summon a Marine Admiral.
"Bonney, why is everyone kneeling? Are those guys with the glass bowls on their heads... the reason they're all so scared?" Vivi asked, confused.
Bonney glared at the three Celestial Dragons, her voice filled with fury. "Hmph. What a disgusting sight. Riding on someone's back and chaining them up like an animal."
Umit glanced at Glad beside him and chuckled. "The Celestial Dragons certainly know how to make an entrance! If only we were out at sea..."
A dark light flickered in his eyes. Glad understood immediately, a malicious grin spreading across his face.
Law's eyes, hidden beneath the brim of his hat, were fixed on the three. "So those are... the 'World Nobles'... the Celestial Dragons..." he murmured.
Bepo tugged at his captain's coat, desperate to leave this volatile place.
But Law didn't move. Instead, his gaze shifted to Ryuuto's group.
Ryuuto himself was sitting calmly in his chair. Beside him, Crocus wore a faint smile.
"I've been waiting for you," Ryuuto said softly. He tilted his head from side to side and cracked his knuckles, the sharp sounds echoing as he limbered up.
At that moment, Saint Charlos, still mounted on Jean Bart, raised a pistol.
He finally spotted a pirate he didn't like the look of.
"Hey, why are you blocking the road! You're an eyesore! Drag him away..." Charlos ordered a nearby guard in his uniquely arrogant and foolish tone.
"Yes, Saint Charlos!" the guard replied, moving to obey without a second thought.
But before the guard could reach the pirate, who was now trembling uncontrollably from fear.
...