Chapter 70 - Pop-Pop Fruit, Obtained!

Before the auction officially commenced, there was a customary opening performance—a visually captivating dance spectacle.

Describing the dancers' movements adequately proves challenging; it's as if their grace transcends mere words and requires a tome to capture fully.

Following a dance that subtly stirred certain sensations, the principal auctioneer of the Donquixote Auction House, a lady with resplendent golden locks, a mature form, and porcelain-like skin, took to the auction platform. She routinely grasped a small wooden hammer and tapped it thrice, signaling the commencement of the auction.

However, compared to the electrifying and glamorous opening dance, the initial auction items appeared rather mundane.

While they fetched respectable prices, they evidently fell short of the anticipated grandeur.

The sixth item up for auction was a lead-gray pocket watch.

The highlight of this timepiece was the intricate Gothic castle intricately carved in hollow relief on its outer casing. Sparkling silver diamond shards adorned the castle, mimicking windows. In the upper left corner of the hollow space, a sizable sapphire with a gentle blue luminescence graced it, resembling a moon amidst the night sky.

Out of personal preference, Adrian bid 830,000 Beli to secure the item, yet the auction proceedings remained tepid.

But as time passed, the nobles and merchants began to relax, puffing on their fine tobacco while wisps of smoke danced around the stage, adding to the enchantment of the lights.

When the 23rd item, a magnificent and large turquoise gemstone ring, was claimed by an unknown noblewoman, a hush fell over the auction venue.

Stepping forward, the elegant female auctioneer made way for a middle-aged man with a fringed hat, two face tattoos, and dressed in a red cape, beige vertically striped shirt, and red leather pants.

From the man's serious demeanor and cautious movements, it was clear the wooden box he carried held great importance.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am Diamante, an officer of the Donquixote family."

Placing the wooden box on the auction platform, Diamante introduced himself before revealing the true treasure within.

"This is the ultimate treasure of this auction, and I know many of you are eager for it."

Diamante lowered his head to look at the Devil Fruit inside the wooden box, a hint of greed flashing in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

Had he not already consumed the Ripple-Ripple Fruit, Diamante would have pursued this powerful Pop-Pop Fruit from Doflamingo.

Unfortunately, as the age-old rule dictated, one could only consume a single Devil Fruit in their lifetime—a truth upheld for eight centuries!

"According to the Devil Fruit encyclopedia, this one's called the Pop-Pop Fruit, falls under the Paramecia type. Alright folks, let's hear those bids."

The first person to participate in the auction was not Adrian or Tommy, but an unknown middle-aged businessman.

"Nineteen million berries!"

The amount was notable, but his voice lacked confidence, hinting at insecurity.

But the truth is, that's how it usually works.

Typically, a Devil Fruit would fetch around a hundred million berries.

Only those with undisclosed details or rather useless abilities might go for a few million or less.

But it was clear that the Pop-Pop Fruit, whose name and ability had already been confirmed, was clearly not in this category.

In this high-stakes auction in the North Blue, the Bomb-Bomb Fruit's final price wouldn't dip below a hundred million berries, not by a long shot!

Sure enough, the next bids from the audience quickly surpassed the 19 million berry mark.

"30 million berries..."

"43 million berries..."

"62 million berries..."

As the auction price reached 60 million berries, the pace of bidding noticeably slowed.

At this point, some prominent and confident figures finally decided to act.

"75 million berries!" A faint voice emerged from a secluded room on the second floor. Though not loud, it carried a strong air of authority.

"86 million berries!" Following swiftly, another voice, equally assertive, increased the bid by over 10 million.

"87 million berries..." A bid from the ground floor, adding merely a million berries—the smallest increment possible—clearly signaling their limit.

"99 million berries!" Another bidder called out.

At this moment, Adrian patted Tommy on the shoulder and said, "You can start bidding now, starting at 120 million berries."

In addition to the substantial profits amassed from trading arms with fellow players during this period, Tommy also withdrew a significant portion of funds from the Sheryl Company and the Razor Gang.

Tommy undertook this action to engage in business transactions with the Donquixote family from the North Blue

But spending the funds to boost his own strength was a no-brainer for Tommy. Plus, Sir White Ghost gave the thumbs up for joining the auction.

After Tommy made his bid, the owner of the central box on the second floor finally announced his price.

"One hundred and forty million Berries!"

Without hesitation, Tommy upped it by ten million. It became a two-way contest between him and the owner.

The back-and-forth continued until Tommy boldly declared "Two hundred and thirty million Berries!" That finally halted the owner's bids.

Tommy wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, his face flushed, and his whole body trembling with excitement. When had he ever had such a dreamlike experience of impulsively spending hundreds of millions of Berries at once?

When Diamante's auction hammer fell, it marked the end of the event.

After the remaining guests orderly exited, the 'Spade' of the Donquixote family personally brought over the wooden box containing the Pop-Pop Fruit, while Tommy handed the suitcase containing a huge amount of Berries to Diamante.

Payment in one hand, goods in the other, settling accounts.

Diamante stood in place, observed for a moment, and handed the box to Adrian.

Observing the scene, Diamante passed the box to Adrian, who nonchalantly instructed Tommy to devour the fruit entirely. "Make sure not a bit remains."

A flicker of surprise crossed Diamante's face. Despite being a Devil Fruit user, he couldn't shake off the awful taste of the Ripple-Ripple Fruit from that day.

Tommy nodded, drew in a deep breath, and unlatched the wooden box, and took a bite of the Pop-Pop Fruit.

His expression visibly turned pale, but he soldiered through the queasiness and consumed the rest of the fruit.

Adrian asked, "Do you feel the change within yourself?"

"Yes, I feel a newfound power rising," Tommy affirmed, extending his hand to grasp the teacup resting on the table, activating his ability.

Boom!

An ear-splitting explosion ensued, accompanied by flames and billowing smoke, shattering the porcelain teacup instantly.

"It seems to be genuine indeed," Adrian nodded in satisfaction.

Then, he looked at Diamante, the 'Spade' of the Donquixote family, with a sly smile.

"Now that my personal matters are taken care of, let's talk about business."

"I'm keen on meeting the individual who plummeted from the Holy Land to the mortal realm, only to be condemned to hell by a group of villains. Mr. Diamante, would you be inclined to assist me in arranging a meeting?"