Chapter 14: Raise – Six Hundred Million Berries!
With the auctioneer's passionate buildup,
the night finally reached its climax.
Even the three Celestial Dragons in the VIP seats leaned forward slightly, curiosity flickering across their faces.
Anything that made the auctioneer brag this hard had to be extraordinary.
Saint Charlos, nose bubbling with snot, widened his already huge eyes and practically vibrated in his seat.
He rarely left Mariejois.
Since he was here, he was definitely bringing home some new "toys."
Compared to her brother, Saint Shalria looked bored.
Her mind was still on that Navy slave who'd slipped through her fingers.
Strange—she never obsessed over a single slave like this.
But that man had been perfect. The cream of the insect crop.
Of course, no matter how perfect, he was still just an insect.
She'd already reported the incident to the World Government.
He'd be dragged back in chains soon enough.
Besides the Celestial Dragons,
every "distinguished guest" in the hall was buzzing with anticipation.
Whether they could afford it or not didn't matter—
seeing a legendary item was worth the trip alone.
The scene made Nami, Hatchan, and the rest of the Straw Hats clench their fists until their knuckles went white.
That "ultimate prize slave" the auctioneer kept hyping?
It was obviously Camie.
Soon,
once the atmosphere was perfectly heated,
the auctioneer signaled his men to wheel out a sealed, cloth-draped spherical tank.
Every spotlight in the house snapped onto it.
Whoosh—!
The moment the silhouette of a graceful mermaid appeared beneath the thin cloth,
the entire hall erupted.
"A mermaid! It's actually a mermaid!"
"And look at that figure—top-grade female mermaid!"
"Quit stalling! Unveil her already!"
The crowd roared like starving wolves.
Female mermaids were legends even among slaves—rare didn't begin to describe it.
Whenever one appeared, the final bid always shattered records.
"Mermaid…?"
Charlos wiped his nose, suddenly excited.
He'd always wanted one.
Way more entertaining than regular human beauties!
Swish—!
At the crowd's urging,
the auctioneer dramatically whipped the cloth away.
Camie appeared before everyone—terrified, pale, eyes wide with panic,
an explosive slave collar locked around her delicate neck.
The moment the lights hit her, she froze.
She had no idea what horrors awaited her,
but it couldn't be worse than hell.
Then—she spotted Hatchan, Nami, and the others in the crowd.
Like a drowning woman seeing a lifeline,
she slammed her fists against the glass, screaming Hatchan's name.
No sound escaped the tank.
When she noticed the three Celestial Dragons in the front row,
her heart sank into an abyss.
Celestial Dragons…
No one could save her from them.
In that moment, despair overwhelmed her.
She frantically waved at Hatchan and the others—go, just go!
If she had to burn in hell,
she'd rather do it alone than drag her friends down with her.
Seeing Camie like that,
Nami and Hatchan's faces twisted with worry and fury.
Even Rok frowned deeply.
That explosive collar could detonate any second—one of the Celestial Dragons' favorite toys.
He hadn't expected the auction house to be this cruel.
If memory served,
this particular establishment belonged to Donquixote Doflamingo.
"Ladies and gentlemen! A top-tier female mermaid!
Starting bid—one hundred million berries!"
The auctioneer was brimming with confidence.
Camie was flawless in both face and figure.
One hundred million was practically charity.
And with Celestial Dragons present?
Tonight was going to be profitable.
Sure enough—
before anyone else could even raise a paddle,
Charlos lazily lifted five fat fingers.
"Five hundred million berries."
The hall went dead silent, then exploded again—
but this time in awe, not surprise.
Totally normal for a Celestial Dragon.
"Charlos, stop throwing money around," Rosward sighed beside him.
"You already have piranhas in your tank."
"I wanna see inferior races kill each other inside the tank!
Hehehe, it'll be fun!" Charlos giggled dumbly.
Rosward just shrugged.
Fine. Five hundred million was pocket change.
Their family's monthly allowance this year was still nearly five billion berries anyway.
Once Charlos bid five hundred million,
every other bidder shut up instantly.
They might be rich,
but nobody was suicidal enough to outbid a Celestial Dragon.
Marines were stationed right next door.
Offending a World Noble here meant death.
"Five hundred million going once!
Five hundred million going twice—!"
"Six hundred million berries!"
Just as the auctioneer prepared to bang the gavel,
a clear, firm female voice cut through the hall.
Everyone's heads snapped toward the source.
Nami stood with her head slightly bowed,
one trembling hand raising her bidding paddle high.
Six hundred million.
Every last berry the Straw Hats owned.
But if it meant saving Camie peacefully,
it was worth it.
(Though she did feel a tiny pang of heartache for the fortune Rok had just helped her steal.)
"Who the hell is that woman?! She's bidding against Saint Charlos?!"
"She's courting death!"
"That's one of the Straw Hat's crew, right? Bunch of lunatics!"
Whispers and jeers filled the hall.
Every eye was now locked on Nami,
most of them certain she'd just signed her own death warrant.
Nami's legs shook.
Cold sweat soaked her back.
Her fingers went ice-cold around the paddle.
Then—a warm, steady hand slipped into hers.
"Don't worry, Nami.
We're all here."
Rok's calm voice, low and reassuring.
Nami took a deep breath, grip tightening around his hand.
"…Yeah.
We're definitely bringing Camie home."
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