The Employment Bureau—more commonly known as the Human Auction House—was one of those places few people dared to mess with. Its unique role and standing on the island meant it was not easily touched.
Of course, dealing every day with pirates, slavers, and all sorts of lawless scum, the Auction House had its own defensive force. Any small-time group that tried to stir up trouble would be crushed immediately.
And behind it stood backers from the underworld—perhaps the very kings who appeared at Big Mom's tea party, or perhaps others of equal weight.
So if someone actually dared to lay hands on the Auction House, it meant only two things: either the culprit was an ignorant fool, or someone looking to muscle into the underworld trade.
As for who it was—coincidentally, rumors said a strange ship had been spotted nearby. A ship shaped like a flamingo.
Putting the clues together, Zhang Da Ye understood at once. Donquixote Doflamingo had come to the Grand Line to cause trouble. He was already on the Sabaody Archipelago, and the Human Auction House might be changing hands soon.
But there was one thing he couldn't figure out.
The Donquixote Pirates had always operated in the North Blue, occasionally chased into chaos by Vice Admiral Tsuru.
With their strength, if they crossed the Calm Belt, they could have entered directly into the New World—the second half of the Grand Line. Doflamingo certainly had that ability.
And since he had no ambition to become Pirate King, he didn't need to climb Reverse Mountain and make the full circuit. So why come all the way to Sabaody? The profits from an auction house alone surely weren't enough to lure a man of his ambitions.
Unable to solve the puzzle, Zhang Da Ye decided the safest move was simple: if he saw them, he'd run the other way.
Doflamingo's ultimate goal was to destroy the world itself. From the perspective of an ordinary man, he was nothing short of a lunatic. With someone like that—powerful, cunning, driven by a grand vision—it was best not to get entangled, at least not until the day came he could be crushed with ease.
The tavern patrons, of course, didn't think so deeply. No matter how big the incident, to them it was just another story to brag about. News of a great pirate? They could only worry aloud, curse the Navy as useless, and then go back to eating and drinking as usual.
Occasionally, off-duty government officials stopped by the tavern. Hearing such chatter, they hardly batted an eye. They were used to it. If it was someone they knew, they might even join in on the cursing.
When lunch hours ended, Zhang Da Ye suddenly remembered something important.
This had been Rui Mengmeng's first real battle, and she had seen blood. He still hadn't checked on her, hadn't given any kind of psychological guidance. Not that he actually knew how, but he figured he should at least show some concern.
So Rui Mengmeng sat obediently on a round stool, back straight, knees together, hands neatly on her lap, holding a teacup.
Across from her was a long table with three chairs. Tom, Zhang Da Ye, and Artoria sat in a row. Their left hands rested flat on the tabletop, their right hands propping up their chins, staring at Rui Mengmeng. Each had a cup of tea in front of them.
After five seconds, the three switched poses simultaneously—left hand to the chin, right hand tapping lightly on the table.
Oh, and because the chairs were too low and the table too tall, Tom had stacked four cookbooks beneath him, along with a marine life guide and a small encyclopedia of common land animals. Only then could he rest his arms properly on the table.
Rui Mengmeng felt unbearably nervous under their gazes. Trying to break the tension, she asked timidly, "Um… is this what it means to be 'invited for tea'?"
"Ha, kind of. Maybe we're just missing a desk lamp."
It was an old joke, but Zhang Da Ye caught the meaning right away. Still, the atmosphere really did feel off.
"Alright, let's get to the point. Mengmeng, during this morning's fight, your state didn't seem quite right." Zhang Da Ye did the talking; Tom and Artoria mostly played the role of silent judges.
"My state? Was something wrong with me?" Rui Mengmeng thought back to the battle, her cheeks flushing. She recalled herself yelling "so scary," "so terrifying," "oh my god," "don't come near me!" all the way through. Had she embarrassed herself? Would the boss think less of her?
But that wasn't the real issue.
Though she looked like a frightened rabbit at the start, the moment she struck, she was vicious and decisive. Mouth shouting "I'm terrified!" while her blade went straight for the vital point. A startled expression barely flashed across her face before she was already behind the enemy, driving a blade into their back.
Borsalino's "so scary" was an act. Rui Mengmeng's was genuine fear. She was the type who spoke the words of a coward but fought with the ferocity of a predator.
And when she finished off the injured foes Tom had struck down, there was no hesitation at all. With a smear of blood across her cheek, her expression even carried a hint of madness. Yes, that was the word—madness.
That was why Zhang Da Ye had staged this little inquisition, worried she might have some psychological trauma.
"So afterwards, did you feel anything uncomfortable? Like, cutting down people like that—were you afraid of what you saw in yourself?"
Rui Mengmeng thought it over. "Not really? Boss, didn't you say they were bad people? If I didn't cut them down, they'd cut me. That's self-defense, isn't it? I heard self-defense isn't against the law."
"Uh… yeah, it's not against the law. In fact, you did great."
After a while, Zhang Da Ye realized Rui Mengmeng's mindset was remarkably solid. Compared to her, he was the one overthinking things.
"Brrrrrr…"
The Den Den Mushi's sudden ringing startled Tom awake. Half-dozing through the rambling talk, he fell off his chair in fright.
The stack of books collapsed with a crash, burying him completely.
Tom's dazed head poked out from the pile, a book flopped open on top.
Wait—were there that many books stacked before?
Setting the thought aside, Zhang Da Ye picked up the receiver. "Hello, this is Da Ye's Tavern."
The caller's Den Den Mushi sprouted a thick mustache as the voice came through. "Da Ye, my boy, it's Gulagas. I'll be delivering nearby this afternoon. Do you need a restock? I can bring it over."
Zhang Da Ye calculated his supplies. "Sure, send the usual amount."
"No problem," Gulagas said cheerfully. A detour like that saved him plenty of work.
"Oh, and do you have any good wine suitable as a gift? Bring me two bottles, price doesn't matter."
He remembered it was about time to pay Goodman a visit. Though they lived nearby, he hadn't gone back in over a month since moving. Goodman had helped him a lot—debts of kindness shouldn't be forgotten.
"Haha, leave it to me!" Gulagas laughed before hanging up.