Chapter 74: Alabasta: The So-Called Underground Auction

Good things are meant to be shared.

So, Takumi bought a bottle of snake wine and gave it to Shanks.

Shanks, not one to decline a gift, accepted it with a grin. In return, he handed Takumi one of the two tickets he had just acquired for the auction.

"I've also found out where the auction is being held. It doesn't start until tonight, so we can stroll around town until then," Shanks suggested with his usual carefree smile.

But Takumi wasn't in the mood for any more wandering. "You go ahead," he replied.

"Eh? And where are you going?" Shanks asked.

"For a nap," Takumi said, his tone flat.

Shanks burst into laughter. "Hahaha, I never would've guessed you'd be the kind of guy to take afternoon naps!"

Takumi, unfazed, simply replied, "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all! But don't sleep too long—it's not good for you," Shanks teased.

"I know…"

"Well then, go ahead. I'll come find you later," Shanks said with a wave.

"Fine." Takumi was more than happy to see Shanks leave. With that, he picked a direction and walked off.

Shanks, meanwhile, grinned to himself as he made his way to a secluded spot behind a brick building. Leaning against the wall, he pulled a Den Den Mushi from his pocket and dialed a number.

It didn't take long for the call to connect.

"Is that you, Captain?" came Benn Beckman's voice from the other end.

Grinning, Shanks replied, "Beckman, I'm in Yuba right now. Guess who I just saw."

There was a brief pause before Beckman asked, "Navy or pirate?"

"Navy."

"The Navy? What are they doing in Yuba?" Beckman sounded surprised.

"Who knows? Might have something to do with the Devil Fruit," Shanks mused, stroking his chin.

"A Devil Fruit? Are they selling one in Yuba?" Beckman asked, now clearly intrigued.

"Yep, there's an auction."

Beckman thought for a moment, then asked, "Which Navy officer is it?"

"Sakazuki."

"What!" Beckman's tone turned serious. "Akainu… that guy's a real piece of work. Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?"

"I'll be fine. Takumi's here too. You know, this kid is really something…" Shanks said, and with that, he launched into a long-winded account.

On the other end of the line, Beckman listened, growing more exasperated by the minute. He wanted to hang up but was worried Shanks might actually have something important to say. So, he endured the rambling until Shanks finally decided to end the call.

Back on the Red-Haired Pirates' ship, Lucky Roo walked in, gnawing on a piece of meat. Seeing Beckman rubbing his temples, he asked, "What's up, Beckman? Was that a call from the Captain?"

Beckman nodded.

"Did the Captain find that kid, Takumi?" Lucky Roo asked with a grin.

"Yep," Beckman replied, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag. "They're in a place called Yuba. And Akainu's there too."

"Akainu? The Navy?" Lucky Roo paused mid-bite. "Think the Captain can handle it?"

"No doubt he can get out in one piece. I just hope he doesn't go looking for trouble…"

After parting ways with Shanks, Takumi found a shady spot under a large tree. He set up his folding chair, lay back, and drifted off for a nap.

He hadn't been asleep for long when, not far away, a group of plainclothes Navy soldiers began gathering.

Leading them was a burly man clad in a dark red suit, a rose pinned to his lapel, black leather gloves on his hands, and a Navy cap atop his head. His imposing figure was further accentuated by the Marine Admiral's coat draped over his shoulders.

This was Sakazuki, known as Akainu, a man whose name was feared as one of the Navy's three Admirals and the wielder of the Magma-Magma Fruit.

Unlike the laid-back demeanor of his fellow Admiral, Aokiji, Akainu was the embodiment of absolute justice—unyielding, ruthless, and determined to eliminate every trace of evil. To Akainu, all pirates were scum. He was also the type to complete his mission at any cost, even if it meant sacrificing his own men or innocent civilians.

In short, Akainu was a particularly troublesome man.

Once he set his sights on someone, he wouldn't stop until they were crushed.

When Takumi opened his eyes and spotted Akainu talking to a group of plainclothes Navy officers, he simply turned over and went back to sleep.

He didn't know if Akainu was in Yuba for the Devil Fruit, but whatever the reason, as long as he didn't bother him, Takumi couldn't care less.

Time ticked by.

As the hour approached, Shanks, using his Observation Haki, located Takumi, who had woken up and was now enjoying some sake at a small tavern.

"You really do drink sake like it's water," Shanks remarked with a grin, helping himself to a small flask of rice wine from Takumi's table and downing it in one go. "Ah, that's the stuff! Sake is best enjoyed in big gulps! Hahaha…"

Takumi gave Shanks a sidelong glance, noticing that the bottle of snake wine he had given him earlier was still sticking out of Shanks' pocket, untouched.

Wasn't this guy supposed to drink any alcohol he got his hands on? Why hadn't he touched that bottle yet?

Noticing Takumi's gaze, Shanks chuckled. "I'm saving this to share with Beckman and the others when I get back. Hahaha."

Takumi remained silent, thinking to himself that if Shanks actually did share that wine, he was probably going to get punched.

Oblivious to Takumi's thoughts, Shanks slapped the table and said, "Alright, it's time! Let's get going! Hahaha…"

Takumi downed the last of his drink, settled the bill, and left the tavern with Shanks, heading straight for the auction, which was being held in what appeared to be a run-down little inn.

The inn was a shabby, two-story building that looked like it hadn't been renovated in decades.

Inside, the only person visible was an old man behind the front desk, dressed in simple clothes. But both Takumi and Shanks could sense several people hidden behind a faded red wooden door just beyond the desk.

"Looking for a room?" the old man asked, his voice shaky.

With a smirk, Shanks placed the tickets he had forcibly purchased from the two unfortunate men earlier that day onto the inn's battered counter.

Takumi placed his own ticket, given to him by Shanks, beside it.

The old man glanced at the tickets before turning and opening the chipped red door. "This way, please," he said, gesturing for them to enter.

"Well, this is pretty secretive," Shanks commented with a grin as he led the way.

Takumi followed behind him, and the two of them were soon led by the old man into a small room, no more than twenty square meters in size, with a table bolted to the floor in the center.

The old man kicked a mechanism at the base of the table, causing it to rotate aside, revealing a two-meter-wide trapdoor leading underground.

Takumi couldn't help but think to himself, An underground auction… of course, it's literally underground…

"Wow! A hidden door! This is awesome!" Shanks was much more excited than Takumi, marveling at the mechanism.

"The auction is about to start. Please, go ahead," the old man said, gesturing for them to descend.

Shanks and Takumi made their way down the stairs, and after a hundred meters or so, they found themselves in a vast, man-made chamber, easily over five hundred square meters.

The space was lit by numerous torches set in wall brackets.

Directly in front of the entrance was a massive stage that took up nearly a third of the chamber. In front of the stage were rows of plush single-seat sofas arranged in ten rows.

The audience was already half-seated, so Takumi and Shanks found two empty seats near the back and sat down.

******

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