Capítulo 34: Did I say I was going to pay?
As the Celestial Dragons left, Nicholas also noticed that the pace of the auction quickened, indicating that the quarterly auction at the auction house was somewhat of a failure.
"Now, it's time for one of the highlights of today."
After saying this, Gic waved his hand towards the backstage, and soon, a nine-foot tall beauty came out, holding a long rectangular box in her hands.
This should be one of the highlights of today's auction.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the item we are about to auction next last appeared in the auction house of Sabaody Archipelago thirty years ago."
After speaking, the host excitedly opened the long rectangular box, revealing two swords, one a chillingly beautiful katana and the other a dagger.
"This is the Wind-Flower, Snow- Moon from the 50 Skillful Grade blades."
The host then took out the Wind-Flower, Snow-Moon from the box and unsheathed it, displaying its blade and the chaotic cherry blossom pattern on its spine, giving the feeling of standing under a cherry blossom tree showering blood-red petals.
"The Wind-Flower, Snow-Moon is rare, especially this sister sword version. The value of this sword is well-known to all, and according to the sword registry, its price is marked at over 150 million to 200 million berries. However, the true value of a named sword cannot be solely determined by the registry. For a swordsman with exceptional skill, acquiring a named sword can amplify their strength as much as a regular Devil Fruit can enhance its user's abilities. After all, a sword is a swordsman's second life!
Therefore, out of respect for swordsmen, we have decided to set the auction price for this sword at 20 million berries!"
Swordsman: I'm so damn excited!
After the host finished speaking, bidding voices began to ring out in the audience.
"20.1 million berries."
"20.2 million berries."
...
"20.5 million berries."
Although bidding voices continued to be heard in the audience, the price increase was not substantial.
After all, most of the bidders were poor swordsmen, while others were considering buying it for collection purposes.
"500 million berries"
After Nicholas bid 500 million berries higher, the enthusiasm of several poor swordsmen in the audience seemed to be doused with cold water, or rather, they felt like they were being cuckolded right in front of their faces.
The swordsmen wore looks of discontent, but there was nothing they could do; they simply didn't have the money, and they knew they couldn't defeat him even if they tried.
Other bidders, considering the 500 million price tag, also gave up. After all, it exceeded their bottom line.
At this moment, the host on stage also appeared bewildered. Normally, such a high price and no one continuing to bid should make him happy; after all, to set a starting price of 20 million and reach 500 million was already quite successful.
However, upon hearing Nicholas's bid, Gic felt that something was amiss.
Seeing Gic hesitating to declare the sale, Nicholas began to lose patience, and his aura gradually emanated.
Feeling the substantial killing intent, Gic subconsciously shivered and hurriedly announced:
"500 million berries, sold! Congratulations, Mr. Nicholas, on acquiring the Wind-Flower, Snow-Moon!"
Next came the second-to-last auction item, a Devil Fruit, which was introduced as the Zoan-type Devil Fruit - Insect-Insect Fruit: Maggot Form.
Upon hearing the introduction of the fruit, Nicholas immediately lost interest. Though this Devil Fruit would evolve into a fly form if consumed, he simply couldn't accept something so distasteful.
However, what surprised Nicholas was the last auction item. He expected it to be something extraordinary, considering it was placed after the Wind-Flower, Snow-Moon and the Devil Fruit.
But as he laid eyes on the giant aquarium rising in the center of the auction house, housing two beautiful mermaids, he realized that for certain individuals, the value of mermaids far surpassed that of the previous items, especially as it was a mother and daughter pair. The mere thought was exhilarating.
However, it was evident that this was specifically prepared for the Celestial Dragons; other individuals would find it challenging to qualify for the bid, resulting in the item ultimately going unsold.
As the last item was left unsold, the auction came to an end, and the buyers of the auctioned goods were guided by the backstage staff to complete the transactions at the auction venue's rear.
Arriving at the backstage of the auction venue, Nicholas found himself being led into a VIP room, where the chubby host Gic awaited him with a smile. Behind him were the wine and the two swords he had won.
"Mr. Nicholas, hello, I'm Gic. Please come over here to confirm your winnings. If everything is alright, we'll sell you these two items at 80% of the final selling price."
Gic said in a somewhat pleasing tone.
Nicholas was puzzled. 80%? This seemed different from what Bedeck had described about the Lehmann brothers. After all, when he exchanged jewels for berries, he had been ripped off quite a bit. So what was the meaning of this?
"Oh? 80%? Why is that?"
Gic's face immediately lit up with a smile, and he kindly explained to Nicholas.
"Respected Mr. Nicholas, your notorious reputation on the high seas precedes you. Surely, you are aware that both our auction house and the industries of the underworld's kingpins afford certain privileges to the powerful. Therefore, for someone like you, we naturally offer a discount."
Nicholas listened and couldn't help but feel speechless. So having a bad reputation could actually be considered a hidden benefit?
"Mr. Nicholas, take a look. The two swords and the wine total 601 million berries. We'll round down to 600 million berries, and at 80% off, that's 480 million berries. Mr. Nicholas, how would you like to pay?"
With a forced smile, Gic explained.
For the world of pirates, payment methods varied. The most common was cash payment, but for larger transactions, cash became troublesome. In such cases, one could choose to pay in gold, use the World Government's affiliated banks, or use the banks set up by underground powers.
Obviously, Nicholas had no intention of using any of these payment methods.
With that, in Gic's stiff smile, Nicholas and all his purchases disappeared from the room, leaving only one sentence behind:
"Did I say I was going to pay?"
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