Inside the auction hall, the noisy uproar from Barbarossa's group was especially grating.
The surrounding merchants, nobles, and even kings from small nations all frowned in displeasure almost simultaneously.
But once they recognized the man being surrounded as a wanted criminal with a bounty of 170 million Beli, every trace of dissatisfaction transformed into silent endurance.
They could only avert their gazes, force themselves to stay seated, and wait for the auction to begin.
At that moment, the lights throughout the hall suddenly dimmed.
Clap! Clap!
Several spotlights instantly illuminated the central stage of the auction house.
"Testing—testing—!"
A host dressed in a flamboyant suit leaped onto the platform and tested the amplification Den Den Mushi before shouting in an exaggerated tone:
"Thank you all for waiting! Today's auction is officially beginning! As always, this will be another exciting small-scale auction, and today's master of ceremonies will be me—Golden Trumpet Charlie!"
Sparse applause rose from the audience, but Charlie paid it no mind and continued skillfully stirring up the atmosphere.
"Thank you! Thank you, everyone! Though this is only a small auction, we've still prepared many high-quality items for all of you today! I sincerely hope each of you will leave with the treasure you desire most!"
"Without further delay—let the bidding begin immediately!"
"Item Number One!"
With a dramatic sweep of his arm, the spotlight shifted to the side, illuminating the first iron cage being wheeled onto the stage.
Inside sat a middle-aged man with a lifeless expression.
"An adventurer from the North Blue's Lvneel Kingdom—Lawrence! That's right, the homeland of the legendary liar Noland!"
"Although Lawrence's bounty as a pirate isn't particularly high, he is an extremely rare intellectual-type pirate upon the vast seas—an expert in antique appraisal!"
"He can wield a sword in battle, or put on glasses and evaluate treasures for you! A versatile all-purpose talent in the prime of his life!"
"Human male, twenty-eight years old, 194 centimeters tall, weighing 140 kilograms! Let him warm up our auction today!"
"Starting bid—300,000 Beli! Please raise your cards!"
"Good! 320,000!"
"Over here! 360,000!"
Bidding cries rose one after another.
Riberra Sami leaned back in his guest seat, coldly observing the flushed, excited faces below.
The crew members behind him mostly remained silent as well, watching this frigid trade in human lives.
The auction continued.
Slaves, strange creatures…
One commodity after another was pushed onto the stage, only to be quickly sold off.
After a burly laborer advertised as "capable of fighting ten men alone" was purchased for a hefty sum by a richly adorned noblewoman, Kahaylo leaned slightly toward Riberra Sami and asked in a low voice:
"Boss, you said there might be Grade Skillful swords today, but so far it's been nothing but slaves."
Without taking his eyes off the stage, Riberra Sami quietly explained:
"These auctions are like this. Eight or nine out of every ten items are slaves. Everything else is left to luck."
"We came here gambling on luck in the first place. Be patient."
"Alright."
Kahaylo nodded and turned his attention back toward the stage.
Host Charlie raised his voice dramatically while signaling for the staff to wheel up another platform draped in velvet cloth.
"Excellent! Next up—Auction Item Number Eleven!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, please pay attention! Our next item is not a living being, but a genuine work of art!"
The cloth was pulled away, revealing a sculpture glowing beneath the lights with a soft pearly white luster.
"As everyone knows, there exists a beautiful nation in the North Blue known as Flevance."
"That country produces an extraordinarily rare and precious mineral resource—"
Charlie deliberately dragged out his words before loudly announcing:
"That's right—Amber Lead!"
"Behold this incomparable white radiance! Behold this elegant and flowing craftsmanship!"
"This is Maiden by the Spring, the heartfelt masterpiece of the late master sculptor Griffin!"
"This work perfectly showcases the warmth and nobility of Amber Lead as a material!"
"It is the perfect fusion of Amber Lead's beauty and the soul of art itself!"
"To own this piece is not merely to possess artwork, but to possess a pure blessing from the White Town itself!"
"The starting bid for this masterpiece is—3 million Beli!"
Amber Lead…
Sami's eyes darkened slightly as he sank into thought.
The tragedy of that nation had not yet erupted.
The World Government…
They truly maintained the lie until the very end.
"4 million Beli!"
Just as Riberra Sami was deep in thought, one of the crewmen beside him suddenly raised his bidding card excitedly.
"Excellent! This gentleman bids 4 million Beli!"
The host immediately pointed toward them.
"?!"
Riberra Sami abruptly snapped back to reality and stared at the crewman in astonishment.
"What are you doing? Planning to become an art collector now?"
"No, Captain…"
The crewman scratched his head awkwardly and explained in a low voice:
"It's just… we rarely get the chance to attend an auction house, right?"
"I figured I should participate at least once and experience it properly."
"I don't want to buy slaves, and I can't afford Devil Fruits or famous blades…"
"But this seemed like something maybe within my price range…"
"..."
Fortunately, 4 million Beli wasn't considered particularly high for the Amber Lead sculpture.
Very soon, other buyers surpassed the bid with even higher offers.
The crewman looked ready to raise his card again, but Riberra Sami immediately grabbed his wrist and stopped him.
"Captain?"
"Don't bid anymore."
Sami's voice was very low.
"Trust me. This is for your own good."
Though confused, the crewman trusted Riberra Sami enough to obediently lower his card.
In the end, the Amber Lead sculpture sold for 5.7 million Beli.
Ultimately, today's auction did not produce any exciting famous blades or Devil Fruits.
When Host Charlie finally announced the conclusion of the auction, Explosive Bear Barbarossa in the front row immediately stood up and spat loudly onto the floor without the slightest restraint.
"Bah! What a pile of garbage!"
"Nothing but boring junk! Completely wasted my damn day!"
Still cursing under his breath, he shoved people aside roughly and strode directly toward the exit with his subordinates.
On stage, Charlie maintained his professional smile and shouted toward the departing crowd:
"Thank you all for attending!"
"We hope to see you again tomorrow at the same time for another small auction!"
"And also—please spread the word!"
"In five days, this season's one and only Grand Auction will be held in spectacular fashion!"
"At that time, truly rare treasures will appear!"
"So everyone, absolutely do not miss it!"
The crowd began noisily dispersing.
Riberra Sami slowly rose to his feet as well.
Leading his subordinates toward the exit, he thought quietly to himself:
Today's items were all standard slaves and ordinary merchandise…
The absence of famous blades and Devil Fruits was only natural.
It seemed the truly valuable goods were all being reserved for the Grand Auction five days from now.
He lifted his gaze toward the colorful bubble-filled sky of Sabaody.
Without question, that upcoming Grand Auction would contain things they genuinely wanted.
Thinking this, Riberra Sami spoke in a deep voice to the others:
"Looks like that's all for today."
"Let's head back to the ship first."
"We'll need to carefully plan for the Grand Auction in five days."
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