Chapter 14: The Hasty Auction
A few days later.
Aside from his daily training, Sakazuki had grown unusually quiet. After using up the remainder of his money on a few gifts, he stopped going out entirely and spent all his time poring over two books. He read them cover to cover, then started over again, as if searching for answers buried within the pages.
Ross didn't disturb him. When he received confirmation that the auction he had been anticipating was finally about to begin, he quietly slipped out of the inn, carrying a suitcase packed full of Berries.
In this era—before the legendary God Valley incident—the value of Berries was more than three to four times higher than it would be in the Age of Pirates. A single unidentified Devil Fruit going for 100 million Berries wasn't an exaggeration; in the future, such an auction might even rake in 400 or 500 million!
Unlike the anime, where Devil Fruits seemed to be everywhere, the real pirate world treated them like endangered treasures—extremely rare and sought-after. Most of the auctioned fruits were Zoan-types. A 100 million starting bid? That was just for the Paramecia-class.
Fortunately, the fruit Ross had his eye on hadn't been hyped up. It was only listed as "an unknown Devil Fruit." Still, the Grand Line had no shortage of sharp-eyed buyers. Even with 1 billion Berries in hand, Ross wasn't entirely confident he could win the bid.
The Ghost-Ghost Fruit—a Paramecia with immense potential.
"Ha! This Devil Fruit is as good as ours! It's going to belong to the Mole Pirates! Right, boys?!"
"Huzzah! Long live Captain Mole! That fruit is as good as ours!"
"Kyahahaha! You dare talk big, Mole Kodero? You've only got a 20 million bounty! That fruit's already been claimed by us, the Rat Pirates. If you know what's good for you, grab a bottle of rum and crawl back to sea!"
"Kyuhihihi! Captain Rat's got the spirit! Let's show these moles who's boss!"
Every Devil Fruit auction drew its fair share of pirates, and today was no exception. On the way to the auction house, Ross spotted pirate ships lining the coast. Bounty after bounty—tens of millions each—had gathered. Most of them were this year's "Supernovas."
This had become a tradition among pirates. Every year, a new generation of Supernovas would gather at Sabaody and push into the New World—only to meet death or conscription. Unlike the future, a bounty above 30 million was enough to earn the "Supernova" title in this era.
"Celestial Dragons are here! The Celestial Dragons are here!"
"What?! Even they showed up?! There's no way we're getting that fruit now!"
"Damn it! Who cares about those guys?! I'm the son of a great pirate from the New World! Even Celestial Dragons can bleed! What's there to fear?!"
BOOM—KRAK!!!
Before the arrogant pirate brat could bask in his underlings' cheers, a deafening explosion shook the ground. A tall figure—over three meters in height—appeared where the pirate had been standing, his face obscured by a bizarre mask.
"How dare you insult the noble one. Die."
The words were cold and calm. In the blink of an eye, he vanished and reappeared beside the Celestial Dragon, mounted atop a grotesque steed.
Ever since the Rocks Pirates' massacre of a Celestial Dragon, their security had tightened. Every one of them now traveled with a full escort. Two CP0 agents proficient in martial arts were standard.
And on an island like Sabaody, two elite CP0 agents meant just one thing: unmatched power.
The assembled pirates—all rookies from the Four Blues—froze. Their eyes turned toward the massive crater that had formed in the aftermath.
"That guy was Iron Fist Pepesith! He had a 47 million bounty! He went down in one hit?!"
"That's a Celestial Dragon? Just the pressure from those men beside him… they're monsters!"
"No, wait! Pepesith isn't down yet! He's… he's getting back up!"
A stunned pirate pointed at the crater. From the shattered earth, the mangled figure of Pepesith slowly rose. Blood dripped from his mouth; his skin was torn and lacerated all over, painting him a grotesque red. His internal organs had taken a brutal hit.
"Damn it! Don't underestimate me, bastard! Just because you're a Celestial—ARRGH!!"
CRACK!
Before he could finish his rant, a single bullet pierced his skull. He collapsed backwards, face twisted in rage, falling into an eternal slumber within the crater.
A sniper.
The word echoed in everyone's minds. Unease swept through the crowd like wildfire. Even the pirates with high bounties began backing away, quietly withdrawing their crews from the scene.
Some ran, others slipped into the auction house.
The unlucky ones—pirate grunts who could barely walk—weren't so fortunate. As a blood-slicked mat rolled down the road, CP agents began moving.
Bodies flew through the air like confetti.
Only the locals kneeling along the road were spared.
In minutes, the scene was as neat and tidy as a showroom.
When it came to spectacle, the Celestial Dragons were among the most "professional" on the seas.
Watching from the clouds, Ross grinned. Then, as he noticed something, he turned and descended silently toward the auction house, keeping to the shadows.
Just moments earlier, the sniper who had executed Pepesith had aimed his rifle at Ross. But from the emotional pulse Ross picked up with Observation Haki, he sensed deep fear and unease from the man.
In the original manga, CP agents were often comic relief—but that was only in comparison to top-tier fighters. In reality, the strongest mid-tier factions on the sea were the Navy and CP. The scattered pirate crews of the New World didn't come close.
Entry to the auction house was free—if you could find a place to stand. The private viewing booths, however, cost money.
Ross remained low-key, choosing a quiet corner where he could blend in and wait for the auction to begin.
Before long, the Celestial Dragon settled into their booth, followed by a procession of nobles. The auction kicked off amid the excited howls of pirates.
Auctions had a rhythm. Typically, the first few items were minor—just to warm up the crowd.
But this time, the first item immediately caught Ross's eye.
"Presenting our first item of the day: one of the famed Demon Blade Series, the Third Generation Ashura Blade!"
The First Generation Ashura was one of the twelve Supreme Grade Blades, a legendary sword that stood shoulder to shoulder with Kitetsu.
Ross had once visited the Flower Country on his journey through the Four Blues. It was second only to Wano in terms of forging mastery—and it had given him deep knowledge of legendary blades.
He was a transmigrator, after all. His journey wasn't just sightseeing. He'd been collecting as many important relics from the original story as he could. Like Skypiea—he had visited and claimed everything he needed from there.
"A demon blade, huh… Might be fun to bring back."