Chapter 82: Auction
"Knowing Ace's identity in advance, I wonder what interesting developments this will bring to the war at Marineford."
Rhodes pondered with interest as he slowly walked out of Shakky's bar.
The information he had exchanged was, of course, the fact that Fire Fist Ace was the son of Pirate King Roger, along with the details of that incident.
For example, how Ace's mother, Portgas D. Rouge, evaded the Marines' search and endured pregnancy for twenty months before giving birth to Ace.
With this foundational knowledge, Shakky's keen intelligence network could easily verify the truth.
Then, she was shocked.
Clearly, she hadn't expected Roger to have a living son—one even unknown to the Roger Pirates.
To quickly inform Rayleigh, Shakky readily revealed information about the Supreme Grade blade and sent Rhodes on his way.
Coincidentally, the Supreme Grade blade was located right at his destination—the Kano Country.
It appeared to be part of the Kano Country's royal family collection. It was unclear how Shakky had obtained this information.
With confirmed intelligence about the Supreme Grade blade, Rhodes' desire for the one at the auction diminished.
With a casual attitude, Rhodes met up with Soros, who had been waiting outside. Arriving at the auction entrance, he found it heavily guarded, with a ring of security personnel stationed outside.
"Excuse me, this is a private venue. If you don't have an invitation, please leave," a security guard approached and said curtly.
"We don't have an invitation," Soros said flatly. "Please inform them that Soros is here for a visit."
Seeing his impressive bearing, the security guard hesitated, wondering if he was some important figure.
Just then, a portly, middle-aged man waddled toward them. Seeing Soros, his eyes lit up, and he hurried forward, exclaiming in surprise, "Soros-san, what brings you here? Wasn't it rumored that you were working in the New World?"
"Harden, it's you. I just returned," Soros said, somewhat reservedly. "You're here for the auction too? I'll take advantage of your kindness. Let us in."
"Of course, please do. I hope you'll remember me for future opportunities," Harden said with slight hesitation.
As the renowned World Government merchant, Soros possessed numerous business opportunities; even small scraps would be enough to enrich Harden.
Since they knew each other, the security guards didn't interfere.
The group entered the auction venue, discovering it was quite spacious.
The seats were already mostly occupied, and judging by their attire, each person exuded distinction: either wealthy merchants or powerful individuals with commanding presence.
"Soros-sama, you're here too?"
"Soros-sama."
As soon as Rhodes and his companions entered, many seemed to recognize Soros and stood to greet him.
Those who didn't know him looked puzzled, but others quickly provided introductions.
This was the World Government merchant, managing vast enterprises—a truly influential figure.
Rhodes was amused. He hadn't expected that Soros, who had nearly been killed instantly by a Sea King in the New World, would have such a formidable reputation in the Sabaody Archipelago.
Of course, there were also many who looked down on him.
Take Gates, West Blue's wealthiest merchant. His assets were primarily in West Blue, with limited presence in the Grand Line's first half. He had little to no connection with Soros, whose business was centered in the Sabaody Archipelago.
Watching Soros surrounded by the crowd's adulation and fawning, Gates couldn't help but snort with discontent.
Several merchants he'd been chatting with had also rushed over.
Sabaody was Soros' home turf, after all.
"Never mind. It's none of my business anyway. I'll just buy that Great Grade sword as quickly as possible and return to West Blue. The Grand Line is still too dangerous," Gates thought, taking a deep breath.
The auction finally began.
The first lot was a long-lost piece of jewelry.
Legend claimed it came from an ancient kingdom, strung together from nineteen deep-sea blood pearls. Its beauty, luxury, and allure instantly captured everyone's attention.
The starting bid was thirty million berries, but it quickly swelled to sixty million.
Finally, the string of blood pearls was purchased by Gates, West Blue's wealthiest merchant, for ninety million.
"What a rich man!" Many people thought to themselves.
In the subsequent auction, Gates made frequent bids, displaying his extravagance as West Blue's richest merchant. Even Soros was secretly astonished.
Although the average strength of the Grand Line far exceeds that of the Four Blues, the vastness of the Four Blues is far greater than the Grand Line, and they're more stable, so the economic output they generate is naturally extremely high.
Gates' wealth probably ranked among the top few in this world.
"Hmph, if this guy doesn't leave Sabaody today, he probably won't be able to leave at all," Soros sneered repeatedly.
As the saying goes, wealth shouldn't be displayed openly. If you dare spend lavishly in a chaotic place like the Sabaody Archipelago, you must be prepared to be targeted by predators.
Rhodes nodded slightly. This kind of wealthy businessman was probably pirates' favorite prey.
"The next item is the finale of this auction."
The auctioneer pulled back the black cloth from the display, revealing a sheathed katana.
Even before being unsheathed, a sharp aura emanated from it—clearly no ordinary weapon.
"This sword is called Naminokiri. It's the masterwork of a legendary swordsmith, forged with earthly fire. Thunder struck the very day it was completed. Its quality is exceptional, ranking among the finest even among Great Grade blades."
"Starting price: 30 million berries."
The powerful warriors and wealthy nobles in the audience narrowed their eyes with interest.
Clearly, they were drawn to this sword.
The strong coveted Great Grade blades, while the wealthy and nobles used them for collections or to build connections, expand their networks, and curry favor with the powerful.
Just like Gates.
His business was centered in his homeland, the Kano Country, so maintaining good relations with the Kano royal family was naturally paramount.
Anything that could be solved with money was no problem.
"40 million!"
Soros raised his hand.
Seeing him, some were surprised. Soros wasn't a swordsman himself, nor did he collect famous blades. Could it be that a high-ranking World Government official had taken interest in this sword?
At this thought, no one spoke up.
The World Government had ruled the world for eight hundred years, their power accumulated long ago, and no ordinary person dared challenge it.
Just as the auctioneer hesitated about whether to bring down the hammer, a steady voice called out,
"One hundred million!"
Everyone was startled, and looking toward the voice, it was none other than Gates, West Blue's wealthiest merchant.
"You!"
Soros was furious. He hadn't expected this man to dare show such disrespect.
"One hundred and ten million!" he raised his hand again.
"One hundred and fifty million!" Gates said calmly.
The wealthy and powerful were nearly devastated. How could such a bidding war be so unreasonable? Ten million increases on one side, forty to fifty million jumps on the other.
This was pure determination.
Soros was stunned.
He had already been quite generous with his ten-million increments, but he hadn't expected Gates to be even more extreme.
For a moment, Soros couldn't help feeling helpless. He wasn't a free merchant like Gates. He had the World Government above him. Although he had ample funds available, he didn't dare spend recklessly. If he was investigated, it would be over.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Rhodes, seeking advice from his young master.
Rhodes frowned slightly.
He had previously calculated that with 200 million on hand, he could buy a Great Grade sword. But he didn't expect to encounter someone like Gates who acted without restraint.
"Our limit is 200 million berries, and no more than that."
After all, there was news about the Supreme Grade blade. Although this Naminokiri was quite good, it wasn't a must-have.
"Understood." Soros gritted his teeth and raised his hand again.
"One hundred and sixty million!"
(End of Chapter)
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