Nothing we can do?

The whole auction hall went quiet for a moment when the Celestial Dragon announced his bid, and it wasn't long until people started talking.

"...Man, we didn't stand a chance...!" that was the first thing many people sadly said after hearing the amount of money. If someone had that much money, they wouldn't even dare to try to win this from a Celestial Dragon as not even the Human Auction House could protect them from any harm that might seek them.

"...What was that!?... All of a sudden!" Franky said in astonishment. "We don't have nearly enough...!?" Nami got a dark look on her face, hearing this amount of money.

"Charlos, you're wasting money again...and you're keeping piranhas in your aquarium, aren't you?" the older Celestial Dragon from before said to the arrogant Celestial Dragon by the name of Charlos after he sat down next to the other Celestial Dragons.

"It'll be fun to watch them chase her. Mermaids are the fastest creatures in the water. Right, father!?" he replied with an ecstatic expression on his face.

The mermaid screamed on top of her lungs in the bowl. "Help me, Hacchin! Get me out of here!" seeing that her voice couldn't reach anyone outside. 'They can't hear me outside.'

The auctioneer seemed to have gotten back to his professionalism as he tried to get the auction going again. "..Th..the whole audience is speechless! But does anyone want to bid over 500 million!? If there isn't, then this will be an early end for this item!."

The straw inside the auction house was panicking as Chopper began getting impatient. "Isn't there anything we can do? Isn't there any other way? Sanji!?!?" but Sanji couldn't reply to Chopper's cry for advice. "This can't be happening!... Our friend is being taken away because that guy has more money!" Chopper continued.

"This is bad!... I never imagined that this would happen! We were counting on money solving this problem, but the situation is much worse now." Sanji finally said with a dark and gloomy expression on his face.

"...Nyuu~! If it comes down to it, I'll take her by force and escape to the ocean!" the octopus said with fear and anxiousness.

"Don't be stupid! What about the collar? Camie will explode!" the seastar replied to the octopus getting him back to reality.

"Then... we'll find the key somehow...!!" just as he finished, the auctioneer announced the end of the auction. "Time's up! Today's big prize, Camie the mermaid, will go to the World Noble, Saint Charlos, for the price of 500 million."

"All right!" Saint Charlos happily said, but it didn't seem like it would last for long as just a moment later, you could hear a loud shout coming from somewhere before a loud crashed hit the doors to the Auction House with a big boom.

With the loud boom, everyone turned towards the source of the loud noise, and the people that just had arrived was Luffy, Zoro, and a few other randoms.

Thanks to everyone turning around, even the rest of the Straw Hats, Nami, and the others spotted Alexander standing just right behind them.

"Luffy? Zoro? Alex!!??" But the attention on him soon disappeared as Luffy, finally realizing that he had finally arrived, looked around and saw the mermaid Camie inside the big bowl on stage. "Ah, Camie!" Luffy began running towards the stage, shouting. "Camie, we were looking for you! Thank goodness!"

The octopus seeing Luffy on his way towards the stage hurriedly tried to make him stop. "Wait! Wait, Strawhat! What're you doing?" Luffy didn't understand why the octopus is trying to prevent him from saving the mermaid Camie. "What do you mean? Camie is right there!"

"Yes, but she's still got the exploding collar on! We can't just take her! and a World Noble is involved..." but Luffy just replied seriously. "Like I care!" while he got out of the octopuses grasp.

All this attention caused the people inside the auction hall to notice the octopus, and they all began screaming and showing faces full of disgust while some full of fear. "It's a Fishman! How disgusting!" "What!? A Fishman!?" which caused the octopus to stop stopping Luffy.

Luffy continues to run towards the stage with everything he had. "I'll save you, Camie!" the auctioneer noticing the fast approaching Luffy and quickly told his men to stop Luffy. "Stop that man in the straw hat!"

Luffy just began to shout. "You bastards, Camie's not something you can sell!" but that didn't get the people's attention at all as they were fully staring at the octopus Hacchin.

"Why is a Fishman on land1?"

"Disgusting! Look at the color of his skin! Look at his arms...!"

"I'm scared! I'm so scared! Don't come any closer!"

"Go back to the sea, you monster!"

All the people inside started screaming and shouting at the octopus Hacchin, while some people even started to throw everything they could get their hands-on on the octopus Hacchin.

Sanji and the others couldn't grasp as to why the people started acting this way. "What the hell is going on...?" Sanji said in shock, looking at the scene before him.

The seastar quickly got to the octopus Hacchin. "Hachi! You've got to get out of here right now! You're in danger now!" but the octopus Hacchin didn't listen and just replied. "I'm fine, get Camie!"

Chopper and Nami were also in shock. "It's just like Robin said... on these islands, Fishmen, and Mermaids... are discriminated against...!" Nami said, realizing that. "What!? Both Camie and Hachi!?"

Just a moment later, a loud bang was heard that rang throughout the whole Auction Hall with gasps in shock and terror. "Kyaaaaaaah!"