One hundred forty million Beli.
The calmly spoken price plunged the entire auction hall into brief dead silence before an explosion of disbelief erupted.
"One hundred forty million?! Has he gone insane?!"
"With enough luck, you could buy two ordinary Paramecia fruits for that!"
"Raising the bid by twenty million at a time at this point? Who the hell is this guy?"
"What if that water-control claim is fake?!"
"Shh… mind your own business. Someone who can casually shout a number like that isn't someone we can afford to provoke."
On stage, the veteran auctioneer quickly recovered from his initial shock.
His face flushed red with excitement.
Even throughout his long career, this price was virtually unprecedented!
To sell a Paramecia Devil Fruit at such a sky-high figure made him so excited that his voice nearly cracked.
"O-One hundred forty million Beli! This gentleman bids one hundred forty million Beli! What incredible boldness! What extraordinary vision! The treasure of the seas, the beginning of a legend, lies right before your eyes! Does anyone still wish to bid?! Is there any hero here willing to fight for this power capable of changing destiny?!"
He shouted himself hoarse trying to reignite the crowd, his burning gaze sweeping across every face in the venue.
Yet the only response was the audience's suppressed breathing and countless heated stares.
This price had utterly crushed the dreams—and wallets—of almost everyone present.
"Then… one hundred forty million, going once!"
The auctioneer deliberately dragged out the words.
No one responded.
"One hundred forty million, going twice!"
As someone qualified to host a grand auction of this caliber, he understood how to read a room perfectly.
He knew this number had already far exceeded the psychological and financial limits of nearly everyone present.
"…Sold!"
He skipped the third call entirely and slammed the hammer down directly.
"Let us give our warmest applause to this gentleman!"
The Devil Fruit that had driven the entire venue into madness now belonged to the mysterious buyer seated in the rear rows!
The instant the hammer fell, countless gazes shot toward Sami's section.
Spade narrowed his eyes slightly.
The wealth possessed by this unfamiliar buyer had exceeded expectations.
But what he felt more than anything was satisfaction.
A carefully packaged Paramecia fruit had sold for a far higher price than anticipated.
Without question, this was an enormous success in his business career.
At the same time, Gillian looked over and frowned slightly.
Something about that suited figure wearing the hat felt strangely familiar.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't immediately place where he had seen him before.
Elsewhere, Blast Bear Barborosa grinned broadly, revealing an extremely excited and bloodthirsty smile.
His gaze stabbed toward Riberra Sami like a physical blade, completely unrestrained in its killing intent.
"Good… very good…"
He licked his lips and muttered softly,
"I've reserved your treasure."
Riberra Sami naturally sensed the malicious stare.
Slowly, he turned his head and calmly met Barborosa's gaze.
He even leisurely lifted the brim of his hat.
There was no fear in his eyes.
No provocation.
Not even the slightest ripple of emotion.
His gaze was so utterly indifferent that it felt as though he were merely looking at a roadside stone or tree.
That complete disregard instantly ignited a nameless fury within Barborosa, veins throbbing at his temples.
"Hmph!!!"
The excitement generated by the sky-high Devil Fruit sale injected the auction hall with something akin to a powerful stimulant.
The next several items, even those the Celestial Dragons had no interest in, experienced noticeably fiercer competition and far higher prices than usual.
Watching the numbers continue climbing, the joy in Spade's heart deepened.
He truly hadn't expected an ordinary Paramecia fruit to fetch such an absurd price while simultaneously igniting the atmosphere of the entire venue.
This had far surpassed his expectations.
Based on past experience, even a heavily marketed fruit like this would normally cap out around one hundred million Beli.
That's right.
There was no mistake.
This was merely an ordinary Paramecia Devil Fruit.
For the Spade organization, which operated beneath the backing of the Celestial Dragons and possessed an enormous intelligence network, the vast majority of Devil Fruits were no secret at all.
By their usual classification system, ordinary Zoans and most Paramecia fruits were considered low-tier.
Meanwhile, Mythical Zoans, Logias, and uniquely valuable fruits like the Op-Op Fruit or Clear-Clear Fruit—those with specialized utility and clear demand—would be openly identified and sold at premium prices.
Naturally, they already knew the true name and ability of today's fruit.
But in order to maximize profits, they had deliberately obscured the information, then supplemented it with suggestive marketing tactics like the "water-control" theory to artificially inflate its value.
Without question, this had been an extraordinarily successful packaging strategy.
What surprised people even more was that Sami, who had just spent a fortune to acquire the fruit, did not immediately leave to complete the transaction as many had expected.
Instead, he remained seated leisurely, seemingly still interested in the rest of the auction.
Soon, another Grade Skillful Blade was brought onto the stage.
After an intense round of bidding, Marcus excitedly secured it for thirty-four million Beli.
"Done!"
Marcus turned around smugly, only to meet Kaihlo's completely expressionless face.
"Hey, I helped you buy the sword. Why do you look like that?"
"Thirty-four million…" Kaihlo lowered his voice, sounding genuinely pained. "Too expensive. Based on our original budget, we barely had enough left for two swords. Now there's only a little over ten million remaining."
"Ah, come on, opportunities like this don't come twice!" Marcus laughed while slinging an arm around Kaihlo's shoulders.
"What's the point of hoarding money? It's not like it reproduces. Besides, how short are you? I'll lend it to you!"
Kaihlo nearly choked on Marcus's utterly carefree attitude.
For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
"Look at the captain," Marcus said, jerking his chin toward Sami.
"He threw out one hundred forty million without even blinking! What does that tell you? It means we need to think bigger! As long as something genuinely strengthens us, there's no need to obsess over the price!"
He patted Kaihlo's chest.
"What's a little money? Don't worry about the budget. I've still got tens of millions left. I'll lend it to you. It'll definitely be enough!"
Kaihlo looked at Marcus's bold, carefree expression, then glanced at the aggressive bidders still eyeing the stage from the front rows.
In the end, he simply sighed and shook his head helplessly.
Marcus's awakening of both Armament and Observation Haki had already proven he was one of the smarter men aboard the ship.
But he absolutely wasn't the calculating type.
At his core, Marcus embodied the quintessential pirate spirit.
For things he desired—or opponents he deemed worthy of friendship—he could casually toss out bags of gold without furrowing his brow even once.
That instinctive boldness and freedom stood in sharp contrast to Kaihlo's personality.
As a fallen noble, Kaihlo possessed a deep sense of crisis regarding resources and carefully planned every expenditure.
Though the two differed greatly in outlook, Kaihlo had to admit Marcus wasn't entirely wrong.
On these dangerous seas, every bit of additional strength increased their chances of surviving the New World.
"…Fine."
Kaihlo finally nodded in reluctant compromise.
"If another Grade Skillful Blade appears, I'll count the money as borrowed from you."
"Sure, sure, whatever you say!"
Marcus waved dismissively, already focused once more on the newest item being presented on stage.
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