The bidder was none other than Caesar Clown, with his subordinate, Brad, standing beside him.
Upon receiving Caesar's instruction, Brad immediately raised his hand.
Almost at the same time that Brad spoke, another voice echoed nearby.
The bid was also two million Berries.
Seeing that someone else was willing to compete for a piece of ore, the audience grew curious and turned their attention to the bidders.
The auctioneer on stage was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure, putting on a professional smile.
"Since the two bids are the same, please bid again."
Caesar turned to examine the other bidder and noticed that they were also cloaked, concealing their identity.
Using his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), Caesar sensed that the individual lacked any significant strength.
"Probably just a merchant or a noble," he thought. "Or maybe a shill planted by the auction house to drive up the price."
He dismissed the thought.
At that moment, the cloaked figure glanced back at him.
"Two and a half million!"
Before either Caesar or the cloaked figure could respond, a third party suddenly joined the bidding, raising the price by an additional 500,000 Berries.
Caesar glanced at Brad.
Brad immediately lifted his paddle. "2.6 million!"
"2.8 million!"
"Three million!"
"3.2 million!"
"Three and a half million!"
With the third bidder's intervention, more people rushed to place bids.
No matter how high Brad raised the bid, there was always someone willing to add a few hundred thousand more.
"Damn! Boss, these guys seem to be targeting us..." Brad muttered.
"The auction works like this," Caesar replied, his voice calm but his eyes sharp. "Anyone who meets the conditions can bid. The highest offer wins."
"Ignore them. Just keep bidding."
Caesar was determined to obtain the piece of Star Pattern Steel Ore.
Whoever dared to outbid him would pay the price.
If he couldn't secure it through bidding, he would simply take it by force afterward—saving himself the cost entirely.
As the bidding war continued, the price of the Star Pattern Steel Ore climbed higher, and fewer competitors remained.
In the end, only one rival bidder remained against Brad.
"3.8 million!" Brad gritted his teeth and called out the latest bid.
This time, the other bidder hesitated.
"3.8 million! First call!"
"3.8 million! Second call!"
"3.8 million! Third call! Sold!"
Boom!
The auctioneer's hammer struck the podium, and the crowd erupted into murmurs.
"A chunk of metal went for 3.8 million Berries? That's insane!"
"Crazy!"
"These guys must be first-time auction-goers… absolute fools."
"Spending 3.8 million on some broken ore? They could've bought a whole harem of slave girls with that!"
"Heh, they'll regret this when they see the next item up for bid..."
Brad shifted uncomfortably under the mocking stares and whispers. He turned to Caesar with uncertainty.
"Boss... did I overpay?"
"It's not expensive," Caesar said, patting his shoulder. "They just don't understand what they're looking at."
For 3.8 million Berries, he had just acquired one of the world's finest materials for forging supreme-grade swords.
It was a steal.
As the auction moved on, the ridicule died down, replaced by anticipation for the next item.
Caesar remained seated.
He had received intelligence that a Devil Fruit would be auctioned later that night.
Even though he didn't have an official Devil Fruit Encyclopedia to identify its abilities, he was willing to take the gamble.
If he managed to acquire a powerful Devil Fruit, he could use it to strengthen his future crew.
As the auction progressed, the starting prices of the items steadily increased.
But it was obvious that most attendees were here for the Devil Fruit.
Some of the lesser items struggled to attract bidders, and a few were even passed over entirely.
Finally, the auction reached its forty-fifth round.
"Ladies and gentlemen, up next, one of tonight's highlight items!"
"A fruit that bestows unimaginable powers upon consumption—a Devil Fruit!"
"However, we do not know what abilities it grants. Those who wish to acquire it must rely on their luck."
As the auctioneer finished speaking, the entire room fell silent, every gaze fixed on the stage.
Moments later, a staff member stepped forward, carrying a beautifully crafted box.
Even though the fruit's abilities remained unknown, its starting price was set at a staggering 50 million Berries.
The minimum bid increment was 500,000 Berries, yet this did little to curb the audience's enthusiasm.
Wealthy merchants, nobles, and pirates—many of whom had remained quiet throughout the earlier rounds—began placing aggressive bids.
Within just three minutes, the price skyrocketed from 50 million to 135 million Berries.
This was comparable to the 100 million Berry bounty Luffy had nearly 40 years ago when the Great Pirate Era began.
Yet the bidders showed no signs of slowing down.
"Caesar, should we bid now?"
Gliner, another of Caesar's subordinates, was growing anxious. His eyes darted between the competitors.
He feared they would wait too long and let someone else snatch the fruit.
"Not yet," Caesar said, arms crossed, exuding confidence. "Let them fight it out first."
With dozens of people still bidding, and barely three seconds between each bid, it was far from over.
His prediction was correct.
Five minutes later, the price had risen to 257.5 million Berries.
By now, only two bidders remained, each growing visibly cautious.
This was their psychological limit.
"Brad, it's our turn."
Caesar smirked.
[86] The Merman Who Bought Every Devil Fruit and Was Auctioned Off
"Place a bid, Brad."
At his command, Brad raised the paddle.
"258 million!"
The room, which had settled into hushed tension, instantly erupted at this sudden new bid.
The two remaining noble bidders immediately turned to glare at them.
Upon seeing Caesar and his men dressed in simple attire, their expressions darkened.
"Who the hell dares to compete with us?"
"260 million!" One of the nobles swiftly raised his paddle, increasing the bid by two million.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"That's no small sum!"
The second noble hesitated.
"Is it worth it to bid this much for an unidentified Devil Fruit?"
After a brief pause, he made his decision.
"270 million!"
He raised his bid by ten million, drawing even more murmurs from the crowd.
"Where the hell are these guys from? That's serious money!"
"270 million for a fruit with unknown powers? What if it's useless?"
If they ended up with a worthless Devil Fruit, this would be a devastating loss.
And yet, the battle for the fruit was far from over.
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