As soon as he finished speaking, a number appeared on the large screen.
85!
The instant this number was revealed, the entire hall was filled with the sound of people gasping in shock.
Eyes widened, everyone was utterly stunned.
85 Devil Fruits—and that was only the third highest bid!
"Damn it!" Sengoku's face twitched. "Are they insane? To bid such a high price when no one can even read the ancient script..."
In this third round, the Marines had bid 72 fruits. That number already exceeded what they had brought with them by a large margin, but he had no choice—he had to bid, and deal with the delivery later.
Yet, a bid of 72 didn't even make a ripple.
"Fufufufu... Next, the second highest bid!"
Doflamingo cackled strangely, while his own mind was still reeling in shock.
The moment he spoke, another number flashed onto the screen.
88!
After seeing 85 earlier, the reaction this time was somewhat calmer, yet still deeply unsettling.
Now, every eye was fixed on the big screen, waiting for the final highest bid.
However, some of the smarter ones weren't looking at the numbers—they were watching the expressions of the bidders.
Since the second highest bid was already revealed, whoever had placed the highest bid must already know they had won.
The moment they realized they held the blueprints, their expression was bound to give something away.
"Who is it?"
Countless glances swept across the faces of everyone present.
Very quickly, each major faction had their own suspects.
"It's them!"
At that exact moment, the third number appeared on the screen.
90!!
...
90!
The highest bid was set—90 Devil Fruits.
The forty thousand people seated on the first level all looked stunned.
"This is madness! Ninety fruits... enough to build a terrifying army of ability users... and they spent it just to bid for a set of blueprints!"
"An army of ability users? That's foolish. Even a hundred ability users can't match the power of a Four Emperor. But an Ancient Weapon? That's power enough to overthrow the entire world!"
"Exactly. If we hadn't only had two months to prepare... if the preparation time had been a whole year, or longer... the final price would definitely have gone past a hundred, maybe even two hundred or more!" someone sighed.
Paying 90 Devil Fruits for the blueprints of Pluton was completely worth it.
Phantom had given them too little time. Otherwise, the price would have been even more terrifying.
Although there was no official count, there were at least several thousand ability users in the world. Exchanging ninety Devil Fruits for the Pluton blueprints was absolutely worth it.
At this moment, Vladimir finally stood up from his throne. He glanced over every bidder, then announced in a clear, loud voice.
"The final transaction price is set: 90 Devil Fruits for the design blueprints of the Ancient Weapon Pluton. Congratulations to the bidder among you—you now hold the ticket to reshaping the world."
A playful glint appeared in Vladimir's eyes.
"You might be worried that you won't be able to leave the Sabaody Archipelago alive. But don't worry—at least within Area 1, you are completely safe. Any faction that attacks you will be considered to have openly provoked us. If conflict arises, we will strike down the offenders with overwhelming force."
Damn Phantom! They really are up to no good! Somewhere in the back rows of the third level, a man wearing a cap cursed inwardly.
Vladimir's words seemed to be protecting him, but in reality, they were telling everyone else:
Inside Area 1 is Phantom's territory—no fighting allowed. But outside Area 1? You are free to fight over it however you please.
Even though he knew Emperor Vladimir was toying with him, he dared not stand up and show his dissatisfaction.
If he revealed himself, he wouldn't even need Phantom to make a move—those factions already watching him like hawks would tear him apart instantly.
Just endure it.
The man gritted his teeth secretly, keeping his face perfectly calm. Just like everyone else, he looked around, seemingly searching for the person who had won the bid.
Just then, Sengoku stepped forward, walked up to the glass partition, and looked straight at Vladimir.
"Emperor Vladimir—how do you intend to deliver the blueprints?"
He wanted to see exactly how Phantom planned to hand over the item under the watch of tens of thousands of pairs of eyes.
Even if they asked everyone to leave first and delivered it privately later, they could still deduce who the buyer was by tracking movements and people.
In a way, the moment the blueprints were handed over, the real struggle would only just begin.
Bidding 90 fruits was merely the process to force Phantom to release the blueprints. After all, as long as the blueprints were in Phantom's hands, there was no other good way to get them.
Hearing this, Vladimir simply smiled, and sat back down.
"Aizen."
"Yes."
Vice Captain Aizen stood up. He was no longer wearing the old Shinigami attire, but was dressed entirely in white—the robes of Las Noches—making his tall, slender figure look incredibly imposing.
He moved in an instant, appearing the next second on the central red platform.
"Doflamingo, step down," Aizen commanded.
"Understood."
Doflamingo quickly left the stage, while feeling deeply curious. Even he didn't know how Phantom intended to deliver the blueprints without anyone noticing.
As soon as he left, Aizen walked over to the rosewood stand and picked up the stack of blueprints.
"These Pluton blueprints you are fighting over... in our eyes, they are hardly worth mentioning at all."
____________________
For more advance chapters visit my patreon
patreon.com/kane45
Tier: 10$ Casual Reader - +20 Advance Chapter
20$ Intermediate Reader - +40 Advance Chapter
40$ Expert Reader - +80 Advance Chapter
Update: "Monday to Friday - Update 3 Chapters a Day"
"Saturday and Sunday - Off"