Chapter 5

"Now that the dogs have their collars, it's time to find them masters. We'll hold a small auction for these unique slaves, sure to fetch a high price," the old man announced, his words sending a chill down my spine.

Doffy's Conqueror's Haki began to manifest unconsciously, a testament to his growing resolve. But before he could assert his dominance, the old man's agent struck him down once more, quashing any resistance.

"Ohohoho, this is quite a surprise. It seems like they're not your ordinary breed of dogs. Let's make this event even grander," the man whispered a few words to his aide, his eyes gleaming with malice as his aide hurried to carry out the orders.

Within minutes, the once tranquil garden had transformed into a bustling auction venue, tables hastily arranged to accommodate the eager attendees. Word of the impromptu auction spread like wildfire, and the Donquixote family saw it as an opportunity to assert their dwindling status, tarnished by our father's betrayal. I couldn't fathom the twisted logic behind publicly shaming us, but I clung to the hope that my plan would offer us a chance to escape this dire situation.

Doffy and I were made to kneel on the makeshift podium at the center of the garden, feeling exposed and vulnerable. The old man watched with amusement as his aide assumed the role of auctioneer, while our uncle desperately sought forgiveness for our predicament.

"This will be a simple auction, but both products are of supreme quality and may never again grace the market," the aide explained, pushing me to the forefront. Relief washed over me as I realized it wasn't Doffy facing the humiliation of being auctioned off. I had to buy time, even if it meant sacrificing myself to spare my brother from this indignity.

"The starting bid will be a Billion Belly, with each Paramecia and regular Zoan fruit priced at 200 million. Zoan types—ancient, mythical, and Logia—each at 500 million, 1 billion, and 1 billion, respectively. Random fruits will be priced at 100 million each," the aide elaborated, shocking me with the commodification of Devil Fruits, once considered rare treasures in the world of One Piece.

"Let the auction begin!" the old man's aide announced, but a dissenting voice quickly interrupted.

"Wait! We need to test the goods first. What if the slaves are non-compliant after purchase? That would be a loss," the voice reasoned, belonging to a member of the Donquixote family.

"Very well. You may test the product before proceeding with the auction," the aide conceded, and the man who raised the concern stepped forward, eyeing me with disdain.

"You, brat, quickly kneel down and bark like a dog befitting your station," the man arrogantly ordered me. However, I simply looked at him blankly, as if he were a fool. The more time passed, the more insulted he felt. Even the aide grew angry, and a whip sliced through the air, striking my back and tearing through my clothes, drawing blood as the lash ripped into my skin. Doffy, subdued by my side, gritted his teeth so hard that they bled. He knew it was all his fault. If not for him, I wouldn't have ended up in such a situation. He wanted to exact vengeance on every single one of them. He understood why I was acting defiantly; I was buying time so he wouldn't have to endure such humiliation.

"Kneel, you vermin," the man barked, and another lash connected with my back as I stood defiantly. More strikes followed, with the entire venue falling silent. My entire back was now covered with fresh, bleeding wounds, but I stood as if nothing had happened. Tears welled in my eyes from the pain, but my face held a defiant smile, refusing to bend to their whims. I would have long buckled if it weren't for my will holding me up.

The old man from the Donquixote family felt increasingly insulted as whispers and mockery spread among the crowd.

His eyes glinted dangerously with anger as he eyed his aide, who began whipping me more harshly than before, heedless of where the blows landed. My clothes were soon torn apart, leaving me naked and bleeding in front of the jeering audience. Yet, despite the humiliation, I clung to my defiance, refusing to bow to these vermin.

"Enough with this farce," the old man barked, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Do you think you're unbreakable, boy? You have no idea."

With a gesture, he commanded his guards to dismember Doffy. Shock rippled through the crowd, even among the celestial dragons present, but there were those who relished the spectacle.

Panic seized me as a guard drew his sword, poised to strike my brother. My knees buckled, betraying my resolve.

"Don't, little brother," Doffy urged, his voice strained with emotion. "Don't give in. It's just an arm."

But as the guard raised his blade, I knew I had no choice. I dropped to all fours, submitting to their demands to spare my brother.

"Now there's a good dog," the man sneered, his satisfaction evident. "Where did all that defiance go?"

Kicks rained down on me as I continued to act the part, my body battered and broken but my spirit unbroken.

"Now, let's see if you're compliant," the man taunted, extending his boot. Reluctantly, I obeyed, licking the filth from his shoe, all the while seething with rage and humiliation, wanting nothing more than to rip the man's throat, but the guard standing behind Doffy with a raised blade made me carry through.

The old man chuckled triumphantly, pleased with his "product." "I bid a billion," he announced, his voice ringing through the garden. The bidding resumed, the price escalating with each offer.

Finally, the bidding reached its peak, and another old man declared, "10 billion, a mythical Zoan, and a Logia!"

The auctioneer nodded, as there were no more bids. "Sold! This unique slave will belong to the Jaygarcia family from today on. Congratulations on your purchase. Please step forward to brand your slave personally."

With a sense of finality, I watched as the highest bidder approached, ready to leave his mark on his new property.

A guard approached, carrying a metal rod glowing with searing heat. The branding iron bore the infamous slave mark of the Celestial Dragons, known as "The Hoof of the Soaring Dragon." Two burly guards pinned me down while another carefully transferred the branding iron to the hands of the winning bidder, who couldn't contain his jubilation. With a gleeful grin, he pressed the scorching seal against my back, the heat searing through flesh and blood to etch the mark onto my very bones.

"Aaaaaaargh". The pain was excruciating, tearing a scream from my throat as the hot metal seared into my skin.

Just as the onlookers prepared to resume their revelry, a group of soldiers burst into the scene, their urgency palpable. Words were exchanged, and the man of highest status among the Celestial Dragons visibly began to sweat under the pressure of their conversation.

Panic rippled through the ranks of the Celestial Dragons as the news spread like wildfire. In that moment, I realized that my plan had succeeded—the reaction of the elite was a testament to the impact of our unexpected intervention.

I couldn't help but laugh defiantly like a madman one last time before I passed out. The same evening that I fell unconscious after the auction, a caravel hastily departed from the red port under the watchful eyes of a few CP agents.

Meanwhile, at the heart of the holy land, the five elders—the highest governing authority of the World Government—gathered for a meeting.

"Was it wise to let them go like that? They could pose a problem in the future. It's not too late to send a few ships to hunt them down," remarked a bald elder, his tone suggesting a desire to eliminate the potential threat.

"No, we cannot take such drastic action. We do not know with whom else the children have shared their information. They may be young, but they have shown meticulous planning. It would be prudent to monitor them closely for now," countered another elder, who wielded a sword, acknowledging the cunning of the youngsters.

"I am more concerned about how they accessed such sensitive information. We should monitor the Donquixote family more closely. Even their current family head should not have access to such secrets," suggested another elder, voicing a deeper worry about security breaches.

"Those children will remember this incident. They are promising seedlings, a rarity even among our own descendants. If only Homing hadn't acted so recklessly," the swordsman elder mused, acknowledging the potential of the young escapees.

"What if they do remember? At most, they will be a minor inconvenience. Let us move on and discuss the matter of the vacant Admiral position. We have promising recruits from last year, showing immense potential. We should nurture them and, if necessary, provide them with suitable Logia Devil fruits from our collection," diverted the final elder, shifting the focus to the development of the Marines.

When I finally regained consciousness, I found myself in a small cabin, with Doffy sitting patiently by my side, his eyes still stained with tears but a glimmer of relief shining within them as I opened my eyes.

He didn't say much, and I could sense the weight of guilt he carried for my suffering and humiliation. I didn't want to reopen his wounds, so I kept my words soft. "How long? How long was I out?" I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Three days. We left Mary Geoise on the same day," Doffy replied, his voice carrying a mixture of exhaustion and determination. "Your plan worked flawlessly. I was called to meet the elders, but they realized we had backup plans in case of capture. They had no choice but to let us go. But I'm certain they're wary of us, especially you. I've already arranged for us to move to the Island of Downs as an added precaution."

As I sat up, I noticed that most of my wounds had healed, leaving me bandaged like a mummy. Yet, the mark on my back still stung, whether from physical pain or the memories it invoked. I couldn't tell.

"It's alright, Doffy. We knew something like this could happen. We should be grateful we made it out in one piece. And it's not like we're not going to make them pay someday," I reassured him, hoping to alleviate his guilt.

At the mention of payback, Doffy's head lifted, his eyes filled with resolve and a burning hatred. In that moment, I realized that the Doffy before me was no longer the same as the one from the canon. This Doffy held a fierce determination to dominate the world and exact vengeance upon all who defied us. And I was proud to stand by his side, following a brother with such unwavering resolve.

"I promise you, little brother. Someday, I will make them pay. Every last one of them will regret crossing us. They will rue the day they dared to defy us," Doffy declared, his fists clenched with a determination never to experience such humiliation again.

The next day, despite Doffy's insistence that I rest, I found myself moving about the caravel. My body's vitality and resilience were unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Initially, I attributed it to the peculiar traits of this world, but after Diamante's assessment of my wounds, I realized I was different—I was built differently. While an ordinary person with an above-average physique and vitality would have needed over a month to fully recover from such injuries, I managed to do so in under four days.

Doffy chose to keep most of the events that unfolded at Mary Geoise from Diamante and Vergo. He only shared superficial details, but even with the limited information, Diamante must have sensed that something significant had occurred. With the visible wounds on my body and the branded slave mark etched into my back, his deductions weren't far from the truth. Moreover, Diamante was aware of our backup plan for escape, which added another layer of understanding to the situation.