Walking to the auction, Arlo kept an unbearable arrogant look, and everyone wanted to keep their distance as much as possible.
Hina trailed a step behind, her body a live wire of conflicting signals. The sharp sting of his slap still burned on her backside, a brand of humiliation that only seemed to feed the treacherous heat pooling between her legs.
She focused on the set of his shoulders, the arrogant tilt of his head, channeling her fury into a cold, sharp point of observation. Remember your mission, she chanted silently, a mantra against the throbbing ache within her.
They ascended to a private viewing box that overlooked the bustling auction floor. It was opulent and isolated, shielded by a one-way transparency that allowed them to see everything while remaining unseen.
Arlo sank into the central, throne-like chair as if claiming his birthright, and with a sharp, unyielding tug on her wrist, he forced Hina into the plush seat beside him.
His arm draped over her, his hand coming to rest possessively on the curve of her hip, his fingers digging into the plump flesh of her thigh with a casual dominance that made her jaw clench.
Before the first lot was even announced, one of his slaves, a willowy woman whose stunning features were only made more alluring by the vacant ecstasy in her eyes, glided forward. She sank to her knees between his legs, her body seeming to anticipate his unspoken command.
With practiced efficiency, she unfastened his trousers and freed his cock. Hina's breath hitched, her professional detachment faltering for a single, stunned moment.
She wasn't wrong to be impressed; he was well-endowed, thick and heavy. And for a second, it was hard for Hina to force her gaze away from that manly shaft.
Don't act in such a stupid and filthy way, she thought, biting her lower lip to try escaping from the warmth in her crotch.
She tore her gaze away, forcing it down to the auction floor where the first items were being paraded. She focused on the announcer's voice, the bids flashing on the screens, the demographics of the wealthy buyers below.
All she needed to do was remember every single thing Arlo bought, as well as who he interacted with, so she could report to the Marines.
Normally, they could just ask the auction house for the information, but in the case of Celestial Dragons, the information was absolutely private.
Arlo, meanwhile, paid the initial offerings no mind. He lounged back, a soft groan rumbling in his chest as the slave on her knees attended to him with devoted skill.
His fingers on Hina's thigh absently stroked and kneaded, a constant, distracting reminder of his presence and his control.
But his eyes fell on the buff slave being sold at the auction.
"Pathetic," he murmured, not to Hina, but to the air. "Useful, but dull. I'm not here for laborers." His hand tightened on her. "I'm here for beautiful flowers." His grip slowly approached Hina's pussy, but he didn't touch it.
At the same time, his other hand rested on the slave's head, forcing her down to the point she choked on his massive cock. However, the woman's eyes were quite happy.
That was the effect of the System: the more he had sex with her, the more her body desired him. All the female slaves were slowly becoming completely his own, of their own will.
In the beginning, they were just thinking about how he would help them escape, but now they were secretly wishing he could just remain as a Celestial Dragon forever.
They had good food, were treated much better than before, and could enjoy a lot of pleasure all the time.
"Arlo, however, was not paying any attention to the slave sucking him. It was nice, but not enough to make him cum. He kept a face of being a pervert, but he was secretly paying attention to the parade of items that went by.
And finally, some interesting things were showing up at the auction."
Then, the atmosphere shifted. The lights dimmed slightly, and the auctioneer's grin widened in that fake way people do when they're about to announce something special.
"Next up… two Devil Fruits!"
The first fruit was a Zoan, the kind that granted animal transformation, nothing legendary, but useful: the Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Lynx. It was a common feline model, granting stealth and sharp senses, but offering little in the way of significant combat strength.
The second was another Zoan, a bit stronger, but still not what one would call world-changing: the Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Anaconda. This serpent-type fruit gave the user immense constriction power and endurance but its large size and lack of speed made it weak.
Still, a Devil Fruit was a Devil Fruit.
The bidding was fierce. Arlo, knowing that his attempt at buying such things could draw attention, forced his cock deep into the sex slave's throat.
At the same time, he commented, looking to another sex slave:
"I wonder how you would look as a Lynx woman," he said, his voice dropping to a perverted rasp. "I would like to see what it is like to fuck such a girl."
"It would be an honor," the slave answered, feeling excited with the prospect of getting a Devil Fruit.
Then he stepped into the auction. His voice, calm and measured, sliced through the chaos with a single bid that silenced the competition. The first fruit was his.
The second one, however, went to another Celestial Dragon. It was really a pit he ended up losing, but he got at least one Akuma No Mi.
But then, the next item was brought out.
Chains clanked softly as a small girl was led to the stage. The auctioneer's tone changed to that slimy mockery of sympathy, "A cheap slave, barely worth mentioning, but perhaps someone here enjoys collecting rare little things?"
The crowd chuckled. Arlo didn't.
Buying that skill was really worth it… He thought, a smile creeping on his face.