Chapter 52: Ruthless

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"My dear, the Marine sure speaks roughly. They're nothing compared to you." 

The seductive woman clung to the man's arm, pouting sweetly. 

Harris, holding her close, let his hand roam over her body without any concern, leering as he replied, 

"Of course. The Marine is just a bunch of brutes. Only Fleet Admiral Sengoku is somewhat decent."

Harris made no effort to lower his voice, so Byakuya and Smoker heard every word. Smoker's anger flared instantly. 

He'd been looked down upon the entire way here, then stopped by the guards at the auction house, and now these two were insulting the Marine right to his face, even belittling Fleet Admiral Sengoku. 

Unable to restrain himself, Smoker's arms turned into smoke as he prepared to grab Harris.

But before he could act, two ghostly figures appeared in front of Harris. 

One spoke in a raspy voice, "We're all colleagues here. No need to use Devil Fruit abilities over a slip of the tongue, right?" 

Smoker, who had been in the Marine for nearly a decade, recognized the newcomers' white suits and silver masks and their use of the Marine's Six Powers technique, deducing their identity. 

These were agents of the World Government's secret intelligence agency, which meant Harris's identity was significant. Byakuya said coldly, 

"A slip of the tongue doesn't mean there shouldn't be consequences."

"And you are?"

"Rear Admiral Byakuya of Marine Headquarters."

"Byakuya?" The agent seemed to recall something. As members of a Cipher Pol, they had to remember extensive dossiers on numerous figures, both enemies and allies. 

Six months ago, they had reviewed Byakuya's file: a favorite student of Zephyr, who had once taken on six hundred trainees single-handedly. 

His strength was estimated to be between that of a vice admiral and a rear admiral. 

The latest update noted his appointment as a Rear Admiral, overseeing Sabaody Archipelago's islands 1-29, with an estimated minimum strength of a rear admiral.

Realizing they were dealing with a formidable opponent, the agent's expression turned anxious beneath his mask. 

He quickly explained, "This is Harris, the son of Finance Minister Vils. We're all on the same side under the World Government."

Byakuya's voice cut in icily, "An arm, and I'll pretend I didn't hear anything."

"Harris, apologize to Byakuya," the agent urged.

Harris exploded in anger, pointing at Byakuya, "Marlow, you want me to apologize to a mere Rear Admiral?"

"An arm and a leg," Byakuya responded, his tone even colder.

Marlow, now truly panicked, shouted, "Apologize!" He couldn't risk Byakuya making a move. If Byakuya did, they might not leave here alive. 

Harris, stunned by Marlow's urgency, had never seen him so desperate. Though a dissolute son, Harris wasn't a fool. 

Seeing Marlow's adamant attitude, forcing him to apologize, he realized that the Rear Admiral before him was not someone he could afford to offend. 

Swallowing his pride, he bent over and apologized, "I'm sorry, Rear Admiral Byakuya. I misspoke earlier."

Before Harris could straighten up, there was a flash of a blade. 

Suddenly, his right arm went numb, followed by a surge of intense pain crashing into his brain like a tidal wave. 

The speed of the strike was so swift that Marlow and his companion couldn't react in time. 

Blood spurted from Harris's severed arm, splattering all over his female companion's face. 

The woman, never having witnessed such a scene, screamed and promptly fainted. Harris, clutching his stump, writhed on the ground, screaming, "My arm! My arm!"

Marlow, stunned that Byakuya had still acted despite Harris's apology, couldn't hold back his anger. "Rear Admiral Byakuya, Young Master Harris already apologized."

Byakuya nonchalantly cleaned his ear with his pinky finger. 

"I already said that he need to pay. Now, your tone also annoys me. You can try speaking again. See if my next strike lands on you or Harris."

Hearing this, Marlow fell silent immediately. Without another word, he and his companion picked up Harris's severed arm, supported the wailing Harris, and left. 

As for the unconscious woman on the ground, they acted as if they hadn't seen her. This was the lawless land of the Sabaody Archipelago. 

No one here was a saint. Without Harris's protection, the woman's fate was all but sealed.

Byakuya turned to the two guards at the auction house entrance. "Are you still not letting us in?" 

The guards, having witnessed Byakuya's ruthless display, dared not refuse. 

Yet, simply letting Byakuya and Smoker in without an invitation could bring trouble upon them later.

As the guards hesitated, a short, slightly plump man dressed in luxurious attire emerged from the auction house. 

The guards, recognizing him, sighed in relief and quickly approached. "Master Boyle, these two Marine officers want to enter, but they don't have an invitation."

Boyle ignored the guards and walked straight to Byakuya, bowing respectfully. "Rear Admiral Byakuya, Captain Smoker, my apologies for the inconvenience."

"We were supposed to send you both an invitation, but due to our busy schedule, it slipped our minds. Please forgive us," Boyle said, bowing with respect.

"Really? Just an oversight? My subordinates informed me that you're auctioning off slaves without notifying the Marine. 

Was that also an oversight?" Byakuya replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Boyle's attitude was respectful, but unfortunately for him, it had no effect on Byakuya, who was determined to cause trouble today. 

Boyle, sensing Byakuya's hostile intent, kept his smile and whispered, "Rear Admiral Byakuya, I've heard that Saint Estercock will be attending this auction."

Saint Estercock? A Celestial Dragon? Byakuya hadn't expected to encounter one so soon. 

He had once considered killing a Celestial Dragon to make a name for himself and gain significant influence. 

However, his current role in the Marine was still useful to him. Otherwise, he might have tested his sword on a Celestial Dragon already.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes. "Are you threatening me with the Celestial Dragons?"

"Not at all," Boyle hurriedly replied, "It's just that Saint Estercock specifically requested to attend this auction." 

"If it were suddenly canceled for any reason, Saint Estercock would be very displeased. If that were to happen, we would all be in trouble."

Boyle's face was a picture of feigned fear and submission.

<End Chapter>

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