Chapter 16: The Fruit Secured, The Departure
"Lady Hydram Palace, for such a request you must obtain approval from the Five Elders. We're sorry, but we're incapable of ensuring your safety during a capture operation."
One of the CP0 agents spoke with utmost respect, carefully choosing his words. His tense expression betrayed his fear of provoking the Celestial Dragon into a rash outburst.
And honestly, that fear wasn't unfounded. Rule number one as a CP0 agent: never overestimate a Celestial Dragon's intellect.
But as loyal dogs of the World Government, they couldn't oppose their masters. The best they could do was persuade with soft words and hard facts.
Hydram frowned but said nothing more. She calmly announced her bid:
"Five hundred million Beli."
Anything that required applying to the Five Elders was automatically a hassle—and like most Celestial Dragons, she despised hassle.
So she'd just have to go home and let her second husband (now reduced to a slave) soothe her frustrations. At least he had a sweet tongue.
Meanwhile, Ross had been listening in the entire time, and he felt a twinge of relief—looked like the Devil Fruit was his after all.
The last thing he wanted was to be noticed by a Celestial Dragon. Too much trouble. If she had insisted on making him her next plaything, he'd have had to flee immediately.
Unfortunately, the auction houses and slave trade in Sabaody were essentially built to cater to Celestial Dragons. Why? Because it was easy money—just dangerously so.
"Six hundred million," Ross called out without hesitation.
This time, the Celestial Dragon didn't raise her bid. She likely felt the "toy" wasn't worth that much pocket change.
After a tense silence, the auctioneer finally breathed a sigh of relief and shouted:
"Six hundred million, once! Six hundred million, twice! Six hundred million, sold!"
With the bang of the gavel, the fruit was taken away, and the next item was brought up—a mermaid imprisoned in a water tank, with a starting bid more than double the Devil Fruit's.
Ross had no interest in anything else. There were plenty of beautiful mermaids in the Ryugu Kingdom under the sea. Maybe when he was older and had more time, he could come back for some fun.
For now, he had more pressing duties—like being a responsible husband.
He made his way deeper into the auction house to settle payment and collect his purchases.
The nearby CP agents, who had been on high alert, collectively exhaled in relief. They had narrowly avoided a deadly confrontation.
Serving a Celestial Dragon was a prestigious position—second only to the highest—but they all knew too well what it meant to fight someone stronger than themselves.
There was only one outcome: sacrifice everything for their master.
Still, not all CP agents were fully loyal to the Celestial Dragons—except the crazed CP0.
Having successfully obtained both the Devil Fruit and the third-generation Ashura blade, Ross quickly returned to the inn, grabbed Sakazuki, and left immediately.
He wasn't about to sit around and guess how a Celestial Dragon might think. If they tried to double-cross him, it'd be a huge hassle—he might have to relocate to Skypiea or even the New World. Too much trouble. Not ideal for his long-term plans.
He was aiming for a balanced development in politics, military, and commerce. If he hadn't run into Sakazuki, his original plan had been to sponsor the Navy, funding military expenses in exchange for training his children.
He couldn't personally mentor every one of his children, after all. Admiral Zephyr would be a perfect mentor figure.
With a planned annual donation of 5 billion Beli, surely they'd reserve a few elite training camp slots for him?
This was 5 billion in the year 1480, after all!
"Let's go, Sakazuki. It's time we headed back. We've been away a bit too long."
"Mm."
Closing his book, Sakazuki—now radiating the air of a scholar—nodded and stood. He calmly picked up his luggage.
All the gifts had been packed in a large trunk, with only the gunpowder meant for Mona kept separately in a hand-held case.
After paying the inn bill, Ross took the bags from Sakazuki and departed. Riding a cloud, he held onto Moxxi's Vivre Card and headed toward the North Blue.
———
The trip was uneventful. By the time they reached their three-ship fleet, the sun was setting. On deck, the children were busy with their respective duties.
"Mr. Ross, Madam Gorry and the others are dining in the captain's quarters," reported an armored guard as Ross boarded.
Ross nodded and turned to Sakazuki.
"Want to join them, Sakazuki? We'll surprise everyone else with their gifts tomorrow."
"Alright," Sakazuki agreed with a curt nod.
These past days had transformed him. Once fueled purely by hatred and rage, he now understood more.
Pirates couldn't all be wiped out—not when many of them were runaway slaves, oppressed civilians, or victims of injustice.
Though that didn't excuse their crimes—pirates were still scum deserving of death—it painted a broader picture.
Meeting the Celestial Dragons and seeing the slave trade firsthand had shifted something inside him. Killing pirates alone wouldn't change the world.
It was like "Soldier 68's" accounts in The Last Stop:
"Tick Island was the closest to the Kingdom. After the war, it looked no different than when I left for the front lines.
My officer had told me victory would bring wealth to the Kingdom and generous rewards to soldiers.
I did receive a reward—a second-class merit medal and a measly 100,000 Beli. The price of a few dull blades.
One friend of mine, who earned no merit, got only 2,000 Beli—barely enough for a few meals.
Along the road, I saw ruins and prosperity alike. Victory hadn't changed that.
Maybe losing would've made things worse, but our fight only preserved the status quo."
That kind of description appeared time and again—every island "Soldier 68" visited had its own variation.
And the more he read, the more Sakazuki understood.
These small vignettes were like tiny mirrors of the sea. Only now the sides of war had changed—Navy vs. Pirates instead of Kingdom vs. Kingdom. And the World Government with the Celestial Dragons stood in for the noble elite.
"What're you thinking about, Sakazuki?"
"Master… how can I protect more people?"
Ross smiled gently, rubbing his head.
"I see you've grasped why I had you read those books, Sakazuki. But forgive me—I can't give you that answer. It's something you'll have to discover yourself."
To be honest, Ross truly wished Sakazuki were his real son. That would've made things so much easier than raising his own children.