Bab 221: Chapter 221: The Pirate Expo
"Hahahaha, Buggy, but our pirate crew is the freest in the world!" Roger laughed heartily. He didn't care for treasure or riches; what he truly cherished was freedom. To do whatever he pleased, to act on his own whims—that was freedom.
Outside the private rooms, a large platform rose above the crowd, and below it, tens of thousands of spectators without private rooms waited for the auction to begin. The lights dimmed, save for a bright spotlight illuminating the stage.
A man in a tuxedo and top hat walked onto the stage—a well-known underground auctioneer, now hired by the Infinite Pirates for the event.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Expo auction. I am your auctioneer, Ginter Post!" he announced. "Let's begin right away. The first items are forty Devil Fruits, which will be auctioned individually."
The crowd gasped as he announced the starting lot. For those unfamiliar with the sight, the sheer quantity of Devil Fruits was shocking. Many were left speechless—forty of these rare treasures on sale at once!
The Devil Fruits on auction were collected not just by the Infinite Pirates but also by various other parties who entrusted them to the pirates for sale. Even though the Infinite Pirates had amassed quite a collection over the years, they weren't about to part with them all at once.
"The first Devil Fruit: a Zoan-type, Bug Bug Fruit, Caterpillar Model, starting at fifty million Beli," Ginter announced. "For those interested, other valuable items can also be used as collateral for bids, with a dedicated appraiser on-site."
The auctioneer's amplified voice carried throughout the venue, allowing everyone to hear clearly.
"Sixty million!"
Bidders could see the projected bids and corresponding bidder numbers on a large screen behind the auctioneer. Each attendee had a device to input bids without needing to shout.
"Sixty-five million!"
"Seventy million!"
"…"
"One hundred forty million!"
The bidding finally stopped at 140 million Beli, marking a strong start. Normally, such a common Zoan Devil Fruit wouldn't fetch that high a price, but with so many wealthy participants, prices were soaring. This was exactly why so many brought their items to auction here, expecting the intense competition to drive up bids.
The fruits sold were mainly basic Zoan and Paramecia types, with no Ancient Zoan varieties. Yet, the average price remained around 100 million Beli, with a top bid of 180 million, a testament to the wealth in the room. The auction's fast pace—allowing only three seconds before closing a bid—was appreciated by the more impatient buyers.
"Incredible! Devil Fruits fetch such high prices!" Buggy exclaimed, eyes wide as the bids climbed to staggering amounts.
Li Yuan himself picked up a few of the more interesting fruits. As the auction continued, items ranging from renowned swords and luxurious jewelry to antiques and even naval ships came and went in quick succession. Each sale easily fetched premium prices.
"Our next item is a unique painting series titled All Villains, featuring every member of the Rocks Pirates. The starting bid is one Beli!"
The auctioneer unveiled a massive painting, ten meters long and five meters wide, depicting Rocks and his crew of fearsome officers in eerie detail. Even captured on canvas, the sinister energy radiated from each figure, sending chills through many in the audience.
"One hundred million Beli!"
"Three hundred million Beli!"
"…"
"One and a half billion Beli!"
A brief silence was broken by a frenzied bidding war, with numbers climbing quickly.
"Gahahaha! I want this painting!" Shiki announced, calling out a bid of two billion Beli, five hundred million higher than the last offer.
Shiki, flush with funds, saw this as a tribute to the legendary Rocks Pirates—a symbol of his ambition to transform his Flying Pirates into the next Rocks Pirates, uniting the world under one flag.
None dared compete with Shiki, and the painting sold for his two billion bid.
The second painting, another in the All Villains series, went to Li Yuan for 2.1 billion Beli, while an unknown bidder claimed the third for 2.2 billion. The three paintings alone sold for a combined 6.3 billion, a staggering sum.
"Next, we begin the main event," Ginter announced. "Here's the list of the final items. The auction will resume in an hour. Please note: no Beli will be accepted for these last items. Our appraisers will determine equivalent values for trade-ins."
The audience stared, slack-jawed, at the screen listing the final items.
"Ancient Zoan Devil Fruits, a Great Grade sword, powerful Paramecia Devil Fruits, a mythical potion reputed to restore life with just a breath, and even the legendary Millennial Dragon bones rumored to brew the Elixir of Immortality!"
The crowd was stunned into silence, with many pirates' thoughts immediately turning to theft. This wealth of valuable items was too tempting.
"Hmph!" A powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki suddenly swept over them, freezing any dangerous ideas in their tracks. Memories returned of where they were—on Infinite Pirates' turf, under the watch of Li Yuan, infamous for cutting down top-tier opponents. No one dared act up with him watching.
"Gahahaha, Millennial Dragon bones for making an immortality elixir? I'll have those!" Shiki declared, leaving his private room and preparing to summon one of his floating islands as collateral.
Many other powerful figures followed suit, rushing to communicate with their backers. The entire world, watching the live broadcast, erupted with excitement.
The allure of the dragon bones sent the elderly and dying into a frenzy, triggering an avalanche of calls to the auction house and Infinite Pirates to negotiate loans and pledges.
Adina, anticipating this, had prepared an inventory of valuables for sale to these bidders. Since many items would eventually return to the Infinite Pirates, the transaction fees alone would be incredibly profitable.
"The Butterfly Effect," Li Yuan mused, eyeing the Millennial Dragon bound nearby. He suspected this was the same lost dragon from the original story. His presence had already altered some of the world's events, causing a deviation from the original timeline.
Despite having several Millennial Dragon bones, Li Yuan couldn't resist securing more, seeing the opportunity to enhance his collection.
"Contact our representatives immediately. We must secure those dragon bones, whatever the cost!" The Gorosei and Celestial Dragons, upon hearing about the auction, mobilized with equal fervor. The Elixir of Immortality was their ultimate desire, and Millennial Dragon bones were the essential ingredient.
"Millennial Dragon bones and an immortality elixir. This auction has unearthed some truly deep secrets," Rayleigh remarked, amused. For Roger's crew, this was all just entertainment; they didn't have the funds to participate.
After a short break, the auction resumed.
"Our first item in the final round: a Great Grade sword, Sea Splitter, with a starting bid of one billion Beli!"
Auctioneer Ginter held up a long blue sword that immediately drew the attention of the attendees.
"Five billion!" Li Yuan quickly raised the bid by five times. Every Great Grade sword was a treasure, especially to swordsmen, and Li Yuan was no exception. Although he already owned several, he would never pass up the chance to add more.
"Six billion!" Shiki called out. As a swordsman himself, he wasn't about to let this one slip by, even though he already wielded Oto and Kogarashi.
"Seven billion," Li Yuan countered, unperturbed.
"Eight billion!" Shiki was determined to acquire it.
Ignoring the strain on his resources, he pressed on, unwilling to relinquish this rare blade, as Great Grade swords were difficult to come by.
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Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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