After the arrival of the three Celestial Dragons, the atmosphere and pace of the auction subtly changed.
Just as Spade had carefully arranged, the subsequent items presented on stage were far more tailored to the peculiar tastes of the World Nobles.
Ordinary human slaves rapidly disappeared from the lineup, replaced instead by various rare non-human races.
Longarm Tribe pirates, Serpent-Neck Tribe nobles…
These commodities, which would already count as premium goods at normal auctions, now seemed little more than warm-up entertainment in this venue.
The Celestial Dragons were clearly quite satisfied.
For anything that truly caught their interest, they never deigned to participate in tedious back-and-forth bidding wars.
The moment the auctioneer announced the starting price—say, ten million Beli for a Longarm pirate—Saint Orlafus or one of his companions would lazily raise a hand and casually offer twenty or even thirty million Beli, instantly crushing all potential competition.
When the slave possessed some special talent, the markup became even more outrageous, often reaching four or five times the base price.
This utterly unreasonable style of overwhelming bids not only displayed the supreme wealth of the World Nobles, but also declared to everyone present that anything they desired already belonged to them.
The pirates and wealthy merchants in the venue, after their initial shock, wisely chose silence.
Competing against Celestial Dragons?
That wasn't merely a futile contest of wealth—it could invite unimaginable disaster.
Standing respectfully nearby, Spade concealed a glimmer of satisfaction deep within his eyes.
This was precisely the effect he wanted.
By continuously providing treasures that catered to these World Nobles' twisted tastes and creating an auction environment where they could enjoy absolute dominance, he could firmly maintain this dangerous yet invaluable favor.
The reason Gillian had been safely extracted after that failed operation was thanks to the goodwill accumulated through this long-term service.
Thus, the auction continued efficiently as one rare slave after another was claimed by the Celestial Dragons.
However, when the thirty-sixth item was solemnly brought onto the stage, the atmosphere in the venue was finally stirred into unrest.
"That shape… could it be?!"
"A Devil Fruit! It's a Devil Fruit!"
"No way! There's actually one at this auction?!"
Low gasps swept across the hall like a tide.
Countless eyes instantly burned with desire as whispers overwhelmed the venue's previous order.
Under the spotlight, resting atop a servant's velvet tray, sat a strangely shaped fruit.
The fruit was entirely azure in color and resembled a pear.
Its surface was covered in bizarre spiral patterns, and most unusual of all, a naturally occurring wave-like line divided the fruit into upper and lower halves.
"Honored guests, next we present item number thirty-six!"
The auctioneer knew perfectly well that the true hard currency capable of igniting the entire hall had finally appeared.
"That's right—it is the treasure countless powerhouses dream of obtaining, the great secret treasure of the seas capable of granting extraordinary abilities… a Devil Fruit!"
"Those markings look so strange… I wonder what ability it has?"
"I'd kill for a Devil Fruit! If it's a Logia, whoever gets it is set for life!"
"Idiot, even if it is a Logia, selling your organs wouldn't get you enough money to bid!"
The auctioneer understood pacing masterfully.
He paused for a moment, allowing the gasps and greedy stares to ferment to their peak before continuing in an even more provocative tone.
"Although this auction has not identified the fruit's exact name or ability, authoritative experts have confirmed that it is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit!"
"Observe its patterns—like waves from the deep sea itself. Its power is very likely related to water, transformation, or fluid manipulation!"
"As everyone knows, Devil Fruit users are people abandoned by the sea itself! Seawater is the natural enemy of all Devil Fruit users!"
"So if this fruit truly possesses water-related powers… then wouldn't that make it the nemesis of all Devil Fruits?!"
After voicing this speculation, the auctioneer deliberately paused again.
At that moment, several planted voices hidden among the crowd spoke up at just the right time.
"Related to water? Then wouldn't that mean…"
"That's right! The auctioneer's absolutely correct! If this fruit can manipulate water, then it's the ultimate counter to Devil Fruit users!"
This carefully orchestrated and highly inflammatory line of thought spread like wildfire through the hearts of every ambitious person present, causing many eyes to shine with naked greed.
The instant the fruit appeared, even the Celestial Dragons—who had already begun showing signs of boredom toward the slave auctions—became slightly more attentive.
"Oh? A Devil Fruit?"
Saint Visarial raised an eyebrow.
"What a pity," Lady Straya Palace said while idly playing with one of her jeweled accessories, her tone lightly teasing.
"That slowpoke Filartas still hasn't arrived. Hasn't he recently become obsessed with collecting these strange little fruits? This one does look rather unique. Should we buy it for him?"
Saint Orlafus snorted dismissively.
"That's what he gets for always riding those sluggish mounts everywhere."
"If he missed it, let it serve as a lesson."
He clearly had no intention of bidding on behalf of his absent fellow noble and showed little interest in the fruit himself.
Their conversation wasn't loud.
But in the eyes of the other bidders, their reactions were equivalent to the firing of a starting pistol.
The Celestial Dragons apparently had no intention of competing for it!
Behind the VIP section, countless gazes instantly became scorching hot.
Pirates, schemers, even certain low-profile nobles—their breathing unconsciously grew heavier.
A Devil Fruit!
It meant power.
It meant abilities.
It meant the possibility of surviving—and perhaps even rising—in the New World.
Unlike the collectibles destined to belong solely to the Celestial Dragons, this was something the vast majority of people in the venue could actually fight over.
At that very moment, Riberra Sami and his officers, scattered throughout different corners of the hall, all sharpened their focus to the extreme.
The auctioneer knew the moment had come.
With all the force he could muster, he shouted loudly enough to shake the hall.
"Faced with such a Devil Fruit, I'm sure everyone here is excited! This is a chance to change your fate—a possibility to create your own legend!"
"For heroes aspiring to conquer the New World, its strategic value is immeasurable!"
"And now, this one-of-a-kind opportunity lies before you all!"
"Paramecia Devil Fruit—starting bid: fifty million Beli!"
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