"...Moa Moa no Mi!! The legendary Devil Fruit once wielded by the great pirate Byrnndi World!!"
"With the power of the Moa Moa no Mi in your hands... you could become the next 'World Destroyer'—a name that even the World Government would tremble at!"
The auctioneer, unfazed and ever-professional, delivered his words with calculated enthusiasm. In just a few sentences, he set the entire hall ablaze with excitement. Eyes across the room gleamed red with frenzy.
"Let the bidding begin!"
"The starting price for the Moa Moa no Mi is... 500 million Belly!!"
The moment the words fell, the venue exploded in an uproar!
Byrnndi World's bounty had been 300 million Belly, so no one was surprised by the fruit's high starting bid.
"The Big Mom Pirates bid 600 million Belly!!"
Charlotte Perospero made the first move, raising the bid by a full 100 million and shouting out the price with force, clearly trying to intimidate the competition.
But before he could even finish, a cold voice came from Box 1A.
"Beasts Pirates, 700 million Belly."
"That bastard!"
Perospero cursed through gritted teeth, shooting a fierce glare at the box where King was seated. He clenched his candy cane tightly and gave Charlotte Daifuku a meaningful glance.
800 million Belly was the absolute limit of the Big Mom Pirates' budget. If that wasn't enough to win the fruit, they'd be forced to use other means.
"800 million Belly!! The Big Mom Pirates truly live up to their name as one of the most powerful forces in the New World!"
The auctioneer's face flushed with excitement.
He could already imagine the massive commission waiting for him once this auction concluded!
In Box 1A, King remained silent for a moment.
800 million Belly was also the maximum the Beasts Pirates could afford. Having only recently entered Wano Country, their military factories were still under reconstruction. Funds were desperately tight.
Being able to scrape together this amount just to participate in the auction had been an immense challenge.
Then, a calm voice rang out once more from Box 3A, echoing through the hall.
"1 billion Belly."
The room fell into stunned silence.
All eyes turned to Box 3A in disbelief. No one could believe what they'd just heard.
That guy... After throwing around over a billion Belly earlier, he still had another billion in liquid cash?!
And judging from how casually he said it, this probably wasn't even his upper limit.
More importantly—
Everyone knew full well that both the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates were here for the Moa Moa no Mi.
Yet that man in Box 3A dared to bid against them both?
He was clearly treating them like they were nothing!
Was he really not afraid to die?
That bid was nothing short of a direct challenge to two of the most dangerous pirate crews in the world!
"1 billion Belly!! This mysterious and distinguished guest has just bid 1 billion Belly!! Even on our island of wealth, this is a historic first for any auction!"
The auctioneer fanned the flames with practiced ease.
"He alone has outbid two of the most formidable pirate crews! What a shocking turn of events!"
"So... will the Big Mom Pirates and Beasts Pirates raise their bids past 1 billion Belly?"
"Or will even they, powerful as they are, be forced to bow before the might of wealth?"
"Let us wait and see—"
Boom!!
Twin explosions suddenly tore through the air as the floor-to-ceiling glass of Boxes 1A and 2A shattered in unison.
Three figures, radiating murderous intent, burst forth and charged straight toward Box 3A.
They finally made their move!
The guests stiffened, each one shifting silently and drawing their weapons, ready to act the moment opportunity struck.
"You're courting death!!"
Charlotte Daifuku, being closest, charged in front, his lifeless eyes gleaming with a fierce and ruthless light.
His palm slid across the golden belt at his waist, and in the blink of an eye, thick blue smoke erupted from it, quickly forming into a massive blue djinn.
The power of the Hoya Hoya no Mi!
It could summon a powerful djinn to fight, a being of overwhelming strength!
"You arrogant fool. Just because you've got some cash, you think you can do whatever you want?"
Daifuku took a step forward as the towering djinn above raised its massive naginata high, then brought it crashing down toward the 3A box!
Maji Giren!!
Slash!!
The violent strike instantly tore the luxury box to shreds. Walls and glass shattered, debris and smoke filling the air.
Several large silhouettes flickered within the dust cloud, their forms still indistinct.
Daifuku let out a wicked laugh, commanding the djinn to unleash another slash toward the three figures.
"This is the New World! Only those with real strength can—"
"Daifuku, fall back—now!!"
Charlotte Perospero's shout came from behind, his face twisting with sudden alarm as he interrupted Daifuku mid-sentence.
"Huh?" Daifuku froze in confusion.
Before he could react, a brilliant golden light burst before his eyes, instantly blinding him. His vision vanished, and a sharp, burning pain stabbed into his eyes, forcing tears to spill.
He instinctively shut them tight.
"Have you... ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
A smooth, almost playful voice suddenly rang out beside him.
In that instant, a wave of icy dread surged down Daifuku's spine like he'd plunged into an arctic abyss.
The next moment—
A white leather shoe, cloaked in golden light and moving at an unimaginable speed, carved a blazing trail as it shot forth from the swirling dust.
Light-Speed Kick!
Boom!!
Before the eyes of countless stunned guests, frozen in disbelief—
That glowing foot pierced clean through the enormous djinn, then slammed directly into Daifuku's face with devastating force.
He was launched backward at a speed far faster than he had rushed in, crashing down from midair and slamming into the ground with such force that the earth shook.
The impact echoed like a meteor crashing down, sending shockwaves through the floor. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground, and chunks of rubble burst into the air.
Everyone instinctively hit the floor, arms raised to shield themselves from the blast, eyes wide with shock.
A cold bead of sweat rolled down Perospero's forehead.
Behind his mask, King's pupils shrank into needle-thin slits.
The wind swept the dust away.
From the ruined box, three towering figures slowly emerged, each one radiating an overwhelming presence.
Their long, white cloaks flared wildly in the wind behind them, exuding a suffocating pressure.
"The Mar..."
"It's the Marines!!!"
After a brief, stunned silence in the auction hall, someone finally screamed in horror.