Auction

Before long, under Bedeck's guidance, Nicholas exchanged his treasures for Berry. Then, the group swaggered into a bar filled with pirates. Upon entering, Nicholas noticed that most of the pirates didn't react much to his presence, and some even seemed eager. As the saying goes, before drinking, I am of this world; after drinking, the world is mine. Most of these pirates seemed to be newcomers, wild ones at that, without any preparation to venture into the New World.

"Give us each a glass of your bar's specialty drink, and another glass of milk," Nicholas ordered. He didn't have high expectations for the other drinks in the bar. Whenever he visited a bar, it was mostly for the specialty, just in case he struck gold. As expected, the bartender soon served several glasses of purple-red liquid, which Nicholas could tell was very strong just by smelling it. "The drinks are on the house, courtesy of our boss," the bartender said. Nicholas turned to see a burly man raising his glass towards him in a friendly gesture. Acknowledging the gesture, Nicholas raised his glass in return, realizing that the owner must have recognized him. He hoped this would deter anyone from causing trouble outside the bar.

However, the boss wouldn't treat ordinary patrons this way; after all, anyone bold enough to run a bar in such a place must have some backing. Nicholas took a sip and found the drink strong but satisfactory. Then, he began to enjoy the bar's signature drink, while the chatter of the pirates filled the background. "I heard the Lehman brothers' auction got a lot of good weapons this time, including two excellent swords, which are quite rare to come by." "Really? They must be worth a lot of money." "Ha ha ha, worth a lot indeed, depending on who bids. If it's the swordsmen, the prices will definitely exceed expectations because a good sword is equivalent to life for a swordsman. Moreover, I heard there's a Devil Fruit and a 500-year-old wine salvaged from a shipwreck." The pirates around murmured in surprise.

"Don't joke, who would spend so much money on wine?" "Yeah, even if it's a 500-year-old wine, it shouldn't be worth that much." The pirate who shared the news smirked at their reactions. "Hmph, you poor guys wouldn't understand the nobles. What's a fortune for us is pocket change for them. I've heard that some Celestial Dragons even wash their feet with pear wine just because of its fragrance. The auction starts in the afternoon, but we don't stand a chance to attend; just the entry fee is one hundred million Berry." He sighed with regret, realizing the entry fee could fetch him a hefty bounty from the Marines.

Suddenly, he felt someone tap his shoulder from behind. He was about to snap but recognized Vista's figure and his axe and shield, so he kept quiet. "What do you want, sir?" he asked. Nicholas, recognizing the pirate's earlier words about the auction, approached him for information. He was particularly interested in the Devil Fruit and wanted to explore it further, as he had recently acquired a Devil Fruit encyclopedia. After getting the details, Nicholas thanked him and proceeded to leave, with Stussy and the others following. Nicholas directed Vista, Stussy, and the others back to the ship and went to the predetermined location alone. He intended to check out the auction.

At the entrance of the Lehman Brothers' auction, Nicholas kicked the door guard away. The guard had told him that entry required a fee of one hundred million Berry, and since the auction was about to start, he couldn't enter. Ignoring the guard's warning, Nicholas kicked him away and entered the auction hall boldly. Upon seeing him, the staff of the Lehman Brothers' auction noticed him and sent a beautiful hostess to guide Nicholas to the VIP seats. Surprisingly, Nicholas found an old man from the Celestial Dragon trio sitting in the VIP area. Later, the auction began with dazzling lights, lively music, and female dancers. The charismatic host, Gig, introduced himself and announced the start of the auction. The first item up for auction was a set of shells from the Sky Island, causing a stir among the audience.

As Nicholas watched the auction unfold, he couldn't help but wonder about the climax and finale items, especially after seeing the Sky Island shells.