The Auction

Chapter 102: The Auction

"Haha, well, on that issue, I don't have a preference, or rather, not for now," Rodney smiled faintly and continued, "Besides, why would my affections be for Reiju or Robin? Of course, I wouldn't have any interest in a little girl like Perona; she doesn't match my aesthetic."

"Oh? What kind of girl does Little Joestar like?" Shakky asked.

"I don't know."

Rodney's smile was impeccable, without a hint of a flaw. Shakky chuckled, realizing that she wouldn't get any more information, and changed the subject, "You're looking to make a substantial sum of money. How do you plan to spend it?"

"Who knows? Investing is an option, and Leicester needs Devil Fruits."

In reality, true physical martial artists on the high seas were relatively rare. Among the strong, Devil Fruit users dominated. Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom—all of the current Yonko were Devil Fruit users, except for Red-Haired Shanks. Although these individuals possessed formidable physical abilities, they primarily relied on their Devil Fruit powers.

Shanks might be the only person who doesn't have a Devil Fruit user crewmate...

Mastery of Haki could also place someone at the pinnacle of the world's strength. For example, Rayleigh and Gol D. Roger...

There were varying degrees of strength between Devil Fruit's abilities and Haki's mastery.

If Devil Fruit users dedicated themselves to mastering Haki, it would slow down the development of their Devil Fruit abilities, and vice versa. A person's energy was limited; they couldn't simultaneously train both abilities. Except for Rodney...

After he had a wide range of Ninja Arts at his disposal, he used physical martial arts less frequently. Although Shadow Clones were available, Rodney still preferred to use Ninja Arts when fighting enemies.

Physical martial arts were his backup, to be used only when Ninja Arts proved ineffective.

This was simply a matter of habit. Habit could unconsciously guide a person in their familiar direction. Many people were like this. If they were accustomed to using Devil Fruits, they might neglect their Haki training.

 Conversely, if they prioritized Haki usage, they might forget about their Devil Fruit abilities. During battles, they might engage with their opponents using Haki and even forget they had Devil Fruit powers.

This explanation was a bit exaggerated, but it conveyed the idea.

"By the way, I heard that there's going to be a Devil Fruit auction at Auction House No. 1 today. Would you like to check it out?" Shakky offered some information.

"Oh, really? I'll go take a look then."

Leaving a clone behind to report to himself, Rodney changed his appearance and attire before heading to Auction House No. 1. This way, he could act without any constraints, just in case something happened. He had the freedom to do as he pleased without revealing his true identity.

Rodney placed a stack of Bellies on the table, and the auction personnel allowed him inside. The auction was currently underway, featuring a woman wearing a collar around her neck.

All the auction items here had collar-like necklaces. If someone strayed from the designated area, the collar would explode, taking the person's life. This system was specifically designed to prevent slaves from escaping or attacking their owners. However, experienced individuals like Rayleigh could easily disarm the explosive collars.

The woman was quite beautiful but appeared numb to her surroundings. She had grown accustomed to this situation, showing no expectations or hopes. Being sold like an object was her daily life, and she had no idea what might happen to her next.

This was the fate of these slaves. Rodney could intervene for a while, but he couldn't change their entire lives. So, he chose to turn a blind eye to the situation.

Rodney mentally noted the people conducting the auction. He would deal with them later. After all, they weren't good people, whether they were auctioning off pirates or ordinary citizens. 

The auctioning of pirates he could ignore, but when it came to ordinary people, Rodney intended to chase down those involved in this underground trade. Sometimes, even individuals under the World Government's jurisdiction found themselves in this situation, so Rodney planned to make a move.

He could make some extra money too.

However, he hadn't yet decided how to deal with this group of people afterward. Well, he'd figure it out when the time came.

The woman was auctioned off for six million Bellies, and Rodney took note of the person who bought her. He seemed like a prosperous and plump individual. Next was someone from the Longarm Tribe, characterized by their two elbow joints. 

They were different from regular humans, and this uniqueness intrigued the nobles. Many of these collectors had strange and unusual fetishes; some enjoyed collecting gems, paintings, or even these types of humanoid races.

The auction continued. Aside from slaves, there were some treasures, maps, and other items on display. Rodney's eyes widened as he realized how shallow the surface appearances of these nobles were. Behind closed doors, they harbored the most perverse desires, turning his stomach.

Even the Celestial Dragons of the World Nobles seemed less despicable compared to this bunch.

"All right, now for our grand finale item—a Zoan-type Devil Fruit!"

Here it was, exactly what Rodney had been waiting for. Many attendees perked up, as they had come specifically for this Devil Fruit.

Animal-type Devil Fruits allowed the consumer to transform into an animal, enhancing their physical attributes.

The most precious was Mythical Zoan types, an exceptionally rare category that included Marco the Phoenix's Phoenix Fruit, Sengoku's Human-Human Fruit: Model Daibutsu (Buddha), Catherine Devonne's Inu Inu Fruit: Model Kyuubi no Kitsune (Nine-Tailed Fox), Kurozumi Orochi's Hebi Hebi Fruit: Model Yamata no Orochi (Eight-Headed Serpent), Kaido's Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu and others. Mythical Zoans were species that existed in ancient times, typically resembling legendary creatures or deities.

As for the Regular Zoans, they pertained to modern-day animals. Within this category, the most formidable were carnivorous animal fruits.

Animal-type Devil Fruits primarily boosted physical strength. They were the easiest to awaken among the three Devil Fruit types. Once the awakening was complete, the user gained enhanced self-healing and recovery abilities.

The auctioneer didn't specify which type of Devil Fruit it was, so there might be some uncertainty. Rodney was contemplating whether he should buy it or not.

Leicester wasn't suited for an explosion-based fruit, but if he ate a Zoan-type Devil Fruit, he could turn into a fierce animal. Wouldn't it be satisfying for him to punch enemies with explosive punches?

Yeah, it would be exhilarating!