Night.
A Den Den Mushi that hadn't been used in a long time suddenly rang.
"Doffy, the Navy is mobilizing towards Sabaody."
"Where are they landing?"
"The Lawless Zone No. 17."
"Their target?"
"The pirates involved in the Sabaody incident."
"Fufufufu... Excellent. This will be the perfect opportunity to showcase our products to the world."
...
The next morning.
A massive crowd of tourists flocked toward the Rare Treasures Auction House.
Most of them were royals and nobles from various allied nations.
Before noon even arrived, the auction house was already buzzing with excitement. Small-time nobles were ecstatic—not just about the upcoming auction but also because of the distinguished guests set to appear.
"I heard a Celestial Dragon is coming!"
"Father, I've never seen a Celestial Dragon before!"
"Hahaha! One once graced our country with their presence. I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse from afar. Their divine aura was simply overwhelming!"
"A fellow from the Holy Land!"
Nobles whispered among themselves, their palms sweating with anticipation.
The news of the Celestial Dragon's arrival had been deliberately leaked by Doflamingo.
As the pinnacle of nobility, Celestial Dragons were idolized by countless lesser nobles, who flocked to witness them firsthand. A sparse turnout at the auction would be detrimental to his golden extraction plan, after all.
"The Celestial Dragon has arrived!"
At the entrance, a figure clad in a bubble-shaped helmet made their grand entrance.
Greeted with utmost reverence by Baron, the professional manager handpicked by Tesoro, and the eager gazes of the attendees, the Celestial Dragon took their seat—front and center—in the auction house.
The auction officially began.
Baron stepped onto the stage, holding a video Den Den Mushi that projected an image above.
On the screen, a floating cloud, as soft as cotton candy, drifted through the air, while a winged Skypiean joyfully tumbled onto it with a laugh.
The crowd erupted into an uproar.
"Wow! A cloud you can lie on! Is this real?"
"So Skypieans really do exist!"
"Then what about the golden city that liar Noland talked about?"
"Father, I want this! Buy it for me!"
"I want one too!"
The auction house was instantly set ablaze with excitement. Baron, silently giving his boss Tesoro an internal thumbs-up, raised his voice with enthusiasm.
"To kick off today's Rare Treasures Auction, our first item is a set of ten Cloud Shells from Skypiea! They allow you to float freely on clouds.
"A word of caution: clouds from the Blue Sea cannot sustain themselves indefinitely, so be mindful of your altitude. However, our auction house will provide one free recharge service! Additional recharges are available for 10 ounces each.
"The starting bid for ten Cloud Shells—100 ounces!"
For context, a single Devil Fruit was worth 100 million Belly.
An experience like floating on air, even if temporary, at just 100 ounces—22 million Belly—was an absolute bargain.
The bidding frenzy began instantly.
"150 ounces!"
"200 ounces!"
"250 ounces!"
In the front row, a rotund man with tiny, beady green eyes— Saint Donquixote Mingdalos—could hardly contain his excitement. He stood up, pulled out a pistol, and fired a shot into the ceiling.
"Bang!"
"I bid 1,000 ounces! If anyone dares challenge me, they can join me in the Holy Land as a slave!"
Saint Mingdalos wasn't entirely foolish, he knew exactly how to wield his power.
The auction house fell into dead silence. All eyes turned toward the bidder. His white robes and arrogant demeanor left no room for doubt.
A Celestial Dragon.
"Saint Mingdalos has bid 1,000 ounces of gold!"
Baron, eager to drive up the auction house's revenue—directly tied to his freedom—stoked the flames.
"Any higher bids?"
Silence.
Everyone knew that only another Celestial Dragon could challenge a Celestial Dragon.
And today, there was only one in attendance.
"Sold!" The Cloud Shells were delivered to the Celestial Dragon's seat.
"Next up, a rare Perfect-Grade Water Shell from Skypiea! It can store and release vast amounts of water—ideal for sea voyages and an invaluable tool against Devil Fruit users!
"The starting bid for ten Water Shells—10 ounces!"
Meanwhile, above the auction house, Doflamingo watched the proceedings with a hint of regret.
If only more bidders had competed, he could have driven the Cloud Shells' price far beyond their actual worth, siphoning even more gold from the nobles.
Turning his gaze upward, he locked eyes with a young and robust Sengoku, standing atop the auction house, his muscular frame exuding an oppressive presence.
A smirk played on Doflamingo's lips.
"Fufufufu... Sengoku, I am a Celestial Dragon, after all. Shouldn't your loyalty lie with me?"
"Save your tricks, Doflamingo," Sengoku crossed his arms, his expression as cold as ice. "The chaos you stir will be wiped clean by the Navy."
"Is that so? Then you'd better work hard. This spectacle is just getting started."
...
Elsewhere.
Warrior market
The gathering of sea warriors was just as lively as the auction house.
Under the watchful guard of Pica, Tesoro—dressed in an ostentatious pink suit—stepped forward with enthusiasm.
"Welcome, brave warriors of the sea, to the Donquixote Family's first-ever Secret Treasure Tournament!
"The champion will receive two prizes:
"First, ten secret elixirs worth 50 ounces of gold.
"Second, a rare beast—gifted by the Donquixote Family!"
"A rare beast?"
"That wasn't mentioned in the newspapers."
Before the pirates could make sense of it, the dark iron gates creaked open, and two massive cages were dragged onto the stage.
As the sunlight hit them, the pirates in the stands finally got a clear look at the creatures inside.
One had the head, wings, and talons of an eagle but the body of a horse—standing at an imposing seven meters.
The other had the body of a serpent, but with an eagle's wings and head. Its broad wingspan had to be folded within the cage.
The crowd erupted into murmurs.
"Is this an animal that ate a Zoan-type Devil Fruit?"
"A bird that ate the Horse-Horse Fruit? But have you ever seen a bird that big?"
"Or maybe a snake that ate the Eagle-Eagle Fruit?"
Tesoro grinned. "Not at all, my brave warriors. If they were merely ordinary Zoan users, how could they be called rare beasts?
"They are miracles of creation, immune to seawater—making them the perfect companions for Zoan warriors at sea! Imagine having a guardian beast to keep you from drowning when you're exhausted.
"What does that mean?
"It means a second life!"
The pirates' excitement reached a fever pitch, as Tesoro shouted.
"All participants will receive a secret elixir! If you wish to enter, step onto the stage now! If not, head to the back and buy one!"
And just like that, the chaos began.
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg