For people who live their lives on the edge of a blade, the value of the Holy Healing Shell was obvious.
Put simply: it was a second life in your pocket.
And how much is a second life worth?
That answer varies from person to person.
The host had taken a big risk injuring himself on stage, but seeing that the reaction to the Holy Healing Shell was even stronger than to the Holy Light Shell, his nerves finally settled.
"Now that everyone has witnessed the power of the Holy Healing Shell," the host continued, "I won't waste any more time."
"The starting bid for one Holy Healing Shell is… five million berries!"
"Eight million!"
"Ten million!"
The bidding war intensified almost instantly. Prices climbed rapidly, and the first Holy Healing Shell sold for a staggering thirty-five million berries—seven times the starting price. In the VIP room, Monkey D. Dragon's smile widened uncontrollably.
Karl, however, was already thinking ahead.
At this rate, the price will need regulation. Items like this shouldn't flood the seas unchecked.
The supply of these shells depended entirely on him. He needed to keep them valuable—but not impossibly rare.
If only there was someone like Old Huang to teach me the art of market manipulation…
More Holy Healing Shells were auctioned off one after another. The final one sold for nearly 100 million berries, bringing the total sale of nine shells to almost 600 million berries.
One thing was now painfully obvious:
Karl's shells were selling far too cheaply at their base price. He was practically funneling money into the hands of the Revolutionary Army.
But Karl wasn't in the business of losing money.
He would raise prices—just not yet.
Auctions always carried inflated values; these numbers weren't true market prices. Once the hype settled and the shells gained stable recognition, that would be the right moment to adjust.
For now, small profits were fine. Karl wasn't short on cash anyway—his earnings from Gran Tesoro alone were enough to rebuild Amazon Lily several times over.
The host announced:
"I apologize—today's Holy Healing Shells are sold out. But don't lose heart! Stay tuned for future releases of the Holy Light and Holy Healing Shells!"
"And now… we present our final treasure of the night!"
Two attendants stepped forward carrying an ornate box. The host removed the cloth, revealing the final prize.
A red Devil Fruit, shaped like a tomato and covered in yellow ring-shaped patterns.
A Paramecia-type.
Gasps echoed throughout the hall.
"A real Devil Fruit!"
The host raised his voice.
"Yes! This rare fruit was discovered on an uninhabited island. Its name is the Heat-Heat Fruit. Its power allows the user to generate intense heat."
"According to the records, the previous user was a fearsome pirate who could heat his body anywhere from one degree to ten thousand degrees!"
"With this fruit, you could withstand cold, ignore extreme heat—even bathe in magma like a hot spring!"
"So don't hesitate! The opening bid is 100 million berries!"
Karl narrowed his eyes.
Heat-Heat Fruit…
He'd seen a similar power before—belonging to Charlotte Oven of the Charlotte Family. But Oven's version felt weaker. He could heat things he touched, even boiling the sea—but Karl had never heard of Oven surviving in molten magma.
This fruit, though… if the description was true, it far exceeded Oven's potential.
Ten thousand degrees… that's hotter than the surface of the sun.
With temperatures like that, even the Flame-Flame Fruit or Magma-Magma Fruit would struggle to compete.
Karl made his decision.
Even if he didn't eat it, it would make excellent material for future Devil Fruit enhancement.
"Bidder 132 offers 320 million berries! Do I hear higher?"
Silence.
"Going once… going twice…"
"Wait! VIP Room 1 bids 500 million berries! Truly worthy of our VIP!"
A voice rose from the floor:
"I bid 600 million!"
The host's excitement exploded.
"Bidder 15 offers 600 million! Will VIP Room 1 raise again?"
Karl leaned back, lips curling.
Fine. Let them see what real wealth looks like.
The host's voice nearly cracked.
"VIP Room 1 bids 1 billion berries! One billion! That's the price of a top-tier Logia fruit!"
The previous bidder sighed. He'd already spent too much on healing shells—he couldn't compete.
"1 billion berries once… twice… three times!"
BANG!
"SOLD!"
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