Chapter 77

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Chapter 77: The Auction Begins! Tesoro is a Big Shot!

"After all, it's an extremely rare Logia," Zoro said, touching his chin thoughtfully.

"But what can we do now? We can't just grab it," Nami whispered, leaning in with a furrowed brow.

"No, absolutely not! It's too far from what we expected," Sanji declared firmly, a cloud of smoke escaping from his mouth.

They had anticipated a scenario similar to the one from two years ago—no formidable opponents present, a display of Luffy's Conqueror's Haki to stun the audience, followed by simply taking the fruit and making a quick getaway. However, the current situation involved the presence of three Shichibukai. Even removing Buggy the Clown and the absent Don Quixote from the equation, they knew the remaining Shichibukai wouldn't let them leave without a fight. Moreover, with the Marines watching outside and two Admiral alternates in attendance, causing any disturbance would make escape nearly impossible, especially with the risk of dragging an Admiral into the fray.

"It seems we may have to use that old method," Sanji said as he and Robin exchanged knowing glances. Nami rolled her eyes in agreement.

"What method? Stop beating around the bush!" the trio of Usopp and two others pressed in a hushed tone.

"We'll approach the person who wins the fruit after the auction ends," explained Sanji. "But we must ensure the Marines don't win it, otherwise..."

He left the sentence hanging, but everyone understood the implications: an encounter with the Marines could lead to imprisonment before they ever set sail again.

As the venue lights dimmed, the auction stand was brightly illuminated to ensure clear visibility for all. "It's about to start," Robin said, lifting her gaze to the light-soiled stage.

An elderly man in a well-tailored suit approached the podium, bowing slightly to the gathered crowd. His squinted eyes scanned the audience, lingering with respect for a few extra seconds on the prominent figures. He then addressed everyone with a clear, audible voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Don Quijote's exclusive auction! The Donquixote Family extends its sincerest..."

A multitude of words followed, which are omitted here.

"... I believe you are all here for this special Devil Fruit," he continued.

With a clap of his hands, a person emerged from behind the red curtain, carefully holding a glass box swathed in red cloth. The box was placed on a raised wooden platform, ready for display.

With fervor, the old man announced, "Former captain of the second division of the Whitebeard Pirates! Son of Roger, the Pirate King! Fire Fist Portgas D. Ace's Devil Fruit ability - The Logia, Mera-mera Fruit!"

He held the microphone with one hand and whisked away the red cloth with the other, tossing it aside. The glass box glittered under the dazzling lights, the Mera-mera Fruit inside drawing the eyes of all present with its striking appearance—the vivid orange-red flame pattern was unmistakably that of the Mera-mera Fruit.

A collective gasp of astonishment rose from the audience. This was a premier Logia-type fruit, promising immense power to whoever possessed it. In the New World, owning such a fruit could be the difference between being consumed or being the consumer.

"And now... the auction begins!" declared the auctioneer.

"Starting price, 100 million Berries! Each bid must increase by no less than 10 million!"

"Let the bidders assess its value in their hearts."

After speaking, the old man stood in front of the stage, already holding the auction hammer in his right hand.

"Two hundred million!" The bidding had just begun when one person confidently doubled the starting offer, denying others the chance to bid 100 million.

Many people turned to see who had such deep pockets.

Ah, it was Gilde Tesoro, the richest man in the world. That explained it.

"Three hundred million," an elegant female voice said with poise.

Curious gazes shifted again. People internalized their grievances about the extravagant bids jumping by 100 million, ignoring the usual increments of 10 million set by others.

They saw a woman dressed in high fashion, with a stunning and impeccable figure. However, many quickly averted their gaze, not daring to look again.

She was none other than the Queen of the Pleasure District, one of the six kings of the underworld!

Her presence and that of Tesoro inspired the other tycoons. They stopped waiting for prompts and escalated the Mera-mera Fruit's price rapidly.

"Three hundred and fifty million!"

"Four hundred million!"

"Four hundred and fifty million!"

"Six hundred million!"

Again, Tesoro bid, never adding less than 100 million.

...

"Seven hundred million."

"Seven hundred and fifty million!"

"Seven hundred and sixty million!"

"Seven hundred and seventy million!"

"Nine hundred million!"

"What's the rush, richest man? Pace yourself! Your actions make it look like you're a shill here!"

Everyone knew, though, considering Tesoro's control of 20% of the world's wealth, even tens of billions wouldn't cause him distress.

Despite their frustration, they continued to bid, hoping Tesoro would lose interest.

"Nine hundred and ten million!"

"Nine hundred and thirty million!"

"Nine hundred and fifty million!"

"1.2 billion!"

Tesoro sat comfortably in his front row seat, legs and fingers crossed.

He called out a price nonchalantly, prompting some to bow out of the bidding war.

His indifferent glance met the crowd's eyes. He seemed either unaware or too dismissive to react, simply lounging in his chair, anticipating their next move.

It was as if he was daring them to outbid him.

Little did they know, he was inwardly mocking them, amused by their naivety.

These fools didn't realize that Doflamingo wouldn't auction such a valuable item without reason.

They were unaware of the real player in this game – Kaido.

If he could gain Kaido's protection!

Tesoro's eyes gleamed as he mulled over the chance to meet Kaido after securing the auction.

His lips curled in excitement. Over the past months, he recognized that his wealth was vulnerable, something the World Government could strip away at any moment.

His own life was at risk.

Only with a sturdy ally could he preserve both his life and wealth.

Thankfully, Doflamingo had sought him out for a deal.

If he could ensure the Mera-mera Fruit ended up in his hands and later return it to Doflamingo, he'd be in Kaido's good graces.

Determined, Tesoro resolved that he had to win the fruit at any cost.

While lost in thought, the fruit's price soared from 1.2 billion to 1.5 billion.

A mere 110 million added by others signified that many wealthy bidders remained, and they wasted no time.

A smirk formed on Tesoro's face; when it came to wealth, he was unmatched.

He bellowed, "Two billion!"