The moment the auctioneer announced the starting bid of sixty million Beli, bidding erupted from every direction.
"Sixty-one million!"
"Sixty-three million!"
The bids surged like crashing waves, numbers climbing upward in increments of millions.
However, this rapid escalation lasted less than ten seconds.
"Ninety million Beli."
A deep, thunderous voice rolled across the hall, crushing all other noise beneath it.
The bidder was none other than Blast Bear Barborosa himself, who had risen to his feet.
His massive body, over three meters tall, resembled a towering wall.
He slightly raised his chin and swept his gaze across the venue, his fierce eyes radiating naked intimidation.
He was clearly attempting to imitate the overwhelming style the Celestial Dragons had displayed earlier—using an absurdly high bid, paired with his notorious reputation, to annihilate every competitor's will in a single stroke.
Ninety million Beli.
Normally, for an unidentified Devil Fruit, this was already close to the upper limit of acceptable value.
It was enough to make most ambitious men reconsider both their wallets and their courage.
The hall indeed fell silent for a brief instant.
Many bidders showed hesitation and retreat on their faces.
But the auctioneer's earlier inflammatory speech about controlling water and becoming the bane of Devil Fruit users had already planted seeds of greed deep within countless hearts.
The desire for power could sometimes overpower fear.
That brief silence was quickly shattered by a new bid.
"Ninety-one million Beli."
The voice came from behind and to Barborosa's side.
It belonged to a gloomy-faced pirate dressed in leather sailing gear, a scar cutting across his temple.
Facing Barborosa's murderous glare, the man not only failed to retreat—he slowly raised his hand and, in full view of the entire hall, lifted a middle finger toward him.
"Bloodblade Fisher…"
Barborosa squeezed the name through clenched teeth, veins instantly bulging across his forehead.
"So your Split Sail Pirates want a piece of this too?!"
"The highest bidder wins, Blast Bear."
The pirate captain known as Fisher merely curled his lips in a sneer, his voice dripping with undisguised provocation.
"Or are you only good at scaring people?"
"You bastard—!!"
Barborosa let out a low roar, muscles swelling as he stepped forward, clearly ready to charge.
The officers beside him nearly lost their souls in fright.
Two of them desperately clung to his arms, while another practically hung from his waist.
"Boss! Calm down! Please calm down!"
"You can't fight here! The Celestial Dragons… the Celestial Dragons are still present! Think about the consequences!"
"Boss! Hold it in! This isn't the time!"
Barborosa's chest rose and fell violently.
His fists clenched so hard they crackled.
He stared at the mocking Fisher with bloodshot eyes before finally forcing out a guttural growl and slamming himself back into his seat.
"…Good."
He glared at Fisher, speaking word by word.
"I'll remember you."
Taking a deep breath as if forcibly suppressing his killing intent, he ground out another number through gritted teeth.
"Ninety-five million."
Only then did the officers beside him dare release half the breath they'd been holding, hurriedly wiping away the cold sweat that had erupted across their foreheads.
Yet Barborosa's setback acted like an unexpected signal.
The wealthy merchants, nobles, and pirates who had initially been cowed by his fearsome reputation suddenly realized something—
Even Barborosa didn't dare act recklessly here.
The suppressed desire to compete instantly burst forth like floodwaters after a dam collapse.
If even Barborosa had to restrain himself, then what was there to fear?
The highest bidder wins!
"Ninety-six million!"
"Ninety-eight million!"
"One hundred million!"
Bids exploded nonstop.
The price skyrocketed upward at a terrifying pace and quickly shattered the hundred-million threshold.
The caution that had filled the venue moments ago completely vanished, replaced by naked competition of wealth and burning ambition.
Barborosa's expression darkened more and more.
The suffocating pressure radiating from him rendered the officers around him utterly silent.
After gritting his teeth and shouting out the astronomical sum of one hundred and seven million Beli, he finally stopped speaking altogether.
Instead, he merely stared at every person still raising their bidding plaques, as though carving each face into his memory.
"Captain, don't rush," one of his officers whispered into his ear soothingly.
"Let them fight each other to the death first."
"Once they leave this auction hall… whoever's holding the fruit won't matter anymore."
Barborosa exhaled a scorching breath through his nose, tacitly accepting the idea.
He gave up bidding, but his gaze began roaming over every remaining competitor.
Meanwhile, seated in the rear of the hall, Riberra Sami observed everything silently beneath the brim of his hat.
Henry wanted a Paramecia Devil Fruit…
Should I get this for him?
But Henry's entire savings from his days captaining the Cormorant Pirates, combined with two years' worth of earnings as an officer of the Jellyfish Pirates, totaled only a little over seventy million Beli.
Under ordinary circumstances, that might barely have been enough for a normal Devil Fruit.
But amid this bidding frenzy, it wasn't even enough for an entry ticket.
At this rate, the final price was probably heading straight toward one hundred fifty million.
Was paying such an outrageous premium for an unidentified Paramecia really worth it?
Riberra Sami rapidly weighed the matter in his mind.
A Devil Fruit was different from a named blade.
It granted a truly unique supernatural ability.
Since setting sail, opportunities to obtain Devil Fruits had been incredibly rare—almost impossible to encounter.
This chance genuinely shouldn't be missed lightly.
Forget it.
I'll make up the difference with my own savings.
As for the auction house's exaggerated claims about controlling water and becoming the nemesis of all ability users, Riberra Sami inwardly scoffed.
It was an iron law that Devil Fruit users were hated by the sea itself.
Directly controlling or utilizing water to suppress other ability users?
Logically, it made no sense.
Most likely, it was simply marketing hype designed to inflate the price.
But hype was hype.
The fruit's intrinsic value was real.
To Sami, the fact that it was a Paramecia Devil Fruit alone was already enough.
An inflated price?
Money came easily to Sami.
As long as it strengthened his companions, he didn't care how much extra it cost.
While he considered all this, the price had already soared to one hundred twenty million Beli.
The number of bidders was decreasing, but every new bid still triggered low gasps throughout the venue.
Many spectators now wore expressions of utter shock, as though witnessing gods battling gods.
In the VIP section, the three World Nobles quietly watched the frenzy below.
Lady Straya Palace lightly covered her mouth with her luxurious folding fan and laughed softly, her tone filled with lofty mockery.
"Just look at the eyes of these lowly creatures… over a mere fruit whose name they don't even know, they're scrambling like starving beasts. How utterly ugly."
Saint Orlafus folded his arms and added indifferently,
"If it really can control water, then I suppose it's a mildly amusing toy."
"But an ability user is still just an ability user."
As he spoke, he slowly shook his head, his expression filled with contempt toward Devil Fruit users.
Saint Visarial chuckled.
"Who would've thought something like this could make them empty their entire fortunes?"
"If I'd known, I could've taken a few random fruits from the treasury and auctioned them myself just to enjoy the spectacle."
"But this is entertaining too. Hahaha."
Their airy conversation formed a stark contrast against the bidders below, who were flushed red with excitement and gambling their entire fortunes on this legendary treasure of the seas.
Then, at the exact moment the tension in the hall reached its peak—
A voice rang out from the rear of the venue.
"One hundred forty million Beli."
The entire auction house instantly fell silent—
Then exploded into uproar.
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