"Guests in VIP box 3A have bid 200 million Belly! Is there anyone willing to go higher than 200 million Belly!?"
The auctioneer shouted excitedly into the microphone, waving his hands.
"One of only 50 Meito swords in the entire world! For just 200 million Belly, you could own a powerful weapon—a comrade and partner that grows alongside a swordsman!"
"Any other bids?"
His voice was persuasive and professional.
But faced with such a staggering price, the crowd that had been fired up moments ago quickly fell silent.
Even in the New World, 200 million Belly was a fortune.
The ronin named Kenshin frowned, then reluctantly sat back down.
The price had already far exceeded his budget.
Barbarian snorted coldly and said nothing more.
...
At the same time, in the 2A luxury box...
"Perospero-nii-san, should we place a bid?"
Charlotte Daifuku stared eagerly at the sword "Kariumi" as he spoke.
Charlotte Perospero shook his head and let out a cold laugh.
"Our funds are tight this time. The expansion of Totto Land requires a huge budget. Forget it—let's focus on the Moa Moa no Mi instead."
He paused, then extended his scarlet tongue to lick the corner of his mouth, eyes narrowing coldly as he glanced toward the 3A box.
The glass wall blocked his view, making it impossible to identify who was inside.
"We still don't know who that sword will end up with..."
Charlotte Daifuku immediately caught on and let out a sinister chuckle.
...
In the 1A luxury box...
King stood calmly in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling glass.
Behind his mask, his expression remained unreadable.
Just then, the auctioneer began the countdown.
"200 million Belly, going once!"
"200 million Belly, going twice!"
"200 million Belly, going three times... sold!"
He smiled and bowed slightly in the direction of the 3A box.
"Congratulations to the guest who successfully won this peerless Meito."
Several security guards in black suits quickly took "Kariumi," carefully packed it, and delivered it to the box where Daren was seated.
...
"Now then... let's move on to the second item of tonight's auction!"
The auctioneer smiled, raised his hand, and smoothly transitioned to the next item.
Soon, another staff member brought out a small wooden box.
The box was opened.
Under the spotlight, a strange dark brown fruit was revealed to the crowd.
"That's... a Devil Fruit!"
"What kind is it? Doesn't look like the Moa Moa no Mi!"
"That pattern... if I'm not mistaken, it's Zoan-type!"
"..."
Whispers rippled through the audience.
With a dramatic gesture, the auctioneer began his introduction.
"As you can see, this is a Zoan-type Devil Fruit."
"Zoan—Kuma Kuma no Mi, Model: Brown Bear! Whoever eats this Devil Fruit will gain the tremendous strength and build of a brown bear!"
"As everyone knows, brown bears are among the most powerful carnivores on land. With proper training, the user of this Devil Fruit could absolutely dominate the battlefield—and even match the strength of a full-grown Giant warrior!"
"Now then, let's begin... the starting bid for the Kuma Kuma no Mi is 100 million Belly!!"
As soon as he finished, many guests immediately showed interest.
After all, they were well aware that the Moa Moa no Mi was far out of reach for most of them.
Plenty of them had set their sights on other items from the start.
The Kuma Kuma no Mi might not offer flashy abilities, but its clear potential to boost strength in a short time made it extremely appealing—especially to pirates struggling to survive in the New World.
"Hahahaha!! This Devil Fruit is tailor-made for me!"
A loud, overbearing voice suddenly rang out.
The bald man who had just sat down—Barbarian—stood up again, laughing heartily.
"I'll bid 100 million Belly!"
His eyes gleamed with absolute confidence. He cast a sly glance at the 3A box and sneered,
"You idiot, bet you regret it now. Spent 200 million Belly on that lousy sword... Let's see how you fight me for this Devil Fruit."
But the moment he finished, that same indifferent voice came from the 3A box.
"200 million Belly."
Barbarian: …
Surrounded by mocking stares, his fleshy face flushed bright red.
Damn it! Who the hell is this bastard?
How does he have so much money!?
...
1A box.
"King-sama, should we place a bid?"
A member of the Beasts Pirates knelt on one knee, speaking with utmost respect to the tall, black-clad figure before him.
"This Devil Fruit would be perfect for our crew."
King glanced calmly toward the 3A box, then suddenly shook his head.
"No need."
The pirate froze, then seemed to understand something and bowed his head deeply.
...
"Daren, are you out of your mind!? That's just a regular Zoan!"
Sengoku clutched his chest in agony.
Watching Daren casually hand a check—bearing a long string of zeroes—to the attendant was more painful than death.
Daren smiled.
"It's fine. Just 200 million Belly. Totally worth it."
Sengoku: …
By now, the next round of the auction had already begun on the stage below.
"Let's once again congratulate the VIP in box 3A for securing that powerful Devil Fruit! Now, for the next item—a very unique one."
As the staff carried a glass case covered in black cloth onto the stage, the auctioneer's tone turned mysterious.
"This item is not a powerful weapon, nor is it a rare Devil Fruit. It's not a treasure map, and it has nothing to do with riches. To some, it might not even be worth a scrap of paper—but to connoisseurs, it's priceless."
"I can assure you, even for us on the 'Island of Coins,' acquiring this item was an incredibly difficult task!"
The crowd's curiosity was instantly piqued. Faces around the room filled with intrigue.
Satisfied with the reaction, the auctioneer grinned.
"Well then… let's take a look…"
"This item's starting bid is also 100 million Belly…"
With a sharp motion, he yanked the cloth off.
In that instant, everyone in the room froze.
Sengoku looked confused.
Borsalino scratched his head.
Daren was visibly stunned.
Beneath the black cloth sat a glass display case.
Inside, suspended neatly, was a slightly worn, form-fitting peach-colored dress. From its provocative design, it was clear the owner had a highly seductive figure.
The auctioneer declared in an impassioned voice,
"This is a dress once worn by the great pirate Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom!"
With a grand gesture, he added,
"—And it hasn't even been washed!"
The entire room fell into a stunned, deathly silence.
Suddenly—
Bang!!
The doors to the 2A box burst open.
Charlotte Perospero and Charlotte Daifuku stormed out, radiating murderous intent.
Their expressions were dark, their presence oppressive. In a cold voice, they said,
"The Charlotte family bids 200 million Belly!!"
"Anyone who dares to bid... becomes an enemy of the Charlotte family!"