Soon, the Going Merry arrived at the port of Drum Island that was open to the outside world.
The falling snow fluttered, adding a bit of cold and solemnity to the snow-covered port.
However, it was unexpectedly prosperous here, but only in terms of pirates.
Hiroto had just arrived and noticed the flags of several pirate groups and pirate ships moored in the harbor. It looked like they were here for the auction.
"Let's get off the ship."
Hiroto changed into suitable seasonal clothes.
A black hooded furry coat, scarf, and everything else were all included, and the others were dressed similarly, wrapped up tightly.
Although they could rely on their physical bodies to withstand the severe cold that far exceeded the East Blue winter, obviously, given a choice, no one was willing to suffer this.
In the original story, even with Zoro's physique, he suffered frostbite when practicing in the snow, which shows how severe the cold here is.
However, it is worth mentioning that the people here were also prepared.
As soon as Hiroto and the others got off the ship, a large number of soldiers emerged around the port, and more than a dozen cannons were aimed here.
Dalton, the captain of the guards, led a group of soldiers to approach.
"Outsiders, King Wapol has given an order. No one is allowed to cause trouble during the auction, and you pirates are not allowed to wander around."
"The only place you can go is the tavern designated by the Drum Kingdom."
Dalton stated his intention simply and clearly, while looking at these outside pirates with extreme vigilance.
Although there was no flag, they certainly looked like pirates.
How could ordinary people continue to come in after seeing the pirate ships in the port?
And this was not the first wave of pirates. The previous Bear Pirates, Blood Knife Pirates—were all pirate groups that rampaged on the Grand Line.
Now, however, they were gathered on Drum Island because of the auction.
Dalton was initially against those treasure hunters holding an auction on Drum Island. However, the other party was willing to give one-tenth of the profit to Wapol in exchange for the protection of an affiliated nation and even the deterrence of the Marines.
And Wapol, as always, didn't care at all whether his people would be harmed by the pirates who came to the island. He agreed to this condition and allocated a large amount of manpower to ensure that the auction could proceed smoothly.
After much persuasion, he finally got the Outsider Tavern, so that these vicious pirates would not wander around the island.
"Lead the way."
Hiroto thought about it and agreed straightforwardly.
His goal in coming here was the three Devil Fruits. He would buy them if he could.
As for the money...
After several battles and selling off his gains, Hiroto had about 900 million berries on hand.
This was even without him stripping everything bare.
Of course, if the situation slightly exceeded his expectations, that would be another matter.
I want the goods, but I don't want to give the money.
...
Inside the Outsider Tavern, which occupied a fairly large area, the atmosphere was solemn.
Someone sneered, "A tavern? This place is like a colosseum."
The so-called Outsider Tavern was actually a village, and the tavern was the largest hall in the village.
And living in the surrounding houses were not villagers, but fully armed soldiers. At this moment, there were at least three or four hundred flintlock muskets aimed here.
At the slightest movement, these guards would pull the trigger.
And inside the tavern, a quick scan revealed that it was full of pirates. At least five pirate groups were gathered here, filling the hall to the brim.
Meanwhile, Nico Robin, dressed in winter clothes, sat in a corner, thoughtfully observing the other pirates inside the tavern.
Mr. 1 was paired with Miss Doublefinger, standing in front of her, while the duo Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek were also nearby.
They formed one distinct group.
In addition, there were several recently famous pirate crews, such as the Blood Knife Pirates, the War Hammer Pirates, and others.
They each occupied different areas.
Furthermore, Pell of the Alabasta Kingdom was absent. According to her information, he should have already arrived at Drum Island.
Perhaps he bypassed the Outsider Tavern by using channels available to affiliated countries?
And...
Robin's eyes shifted, landing on the group diagonally across from her.
In the corner were two women and one man, not particularly conspicuous among the group of fierce pirates.
But Robin, skilled in intelligence gathering, recognized the origins of the three.
Subordinates of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Heavenly Yaksha Doflamingo.
She hadn't expected a Warlord from the distant New World to be attracted by an auction in this small place.
Robin felt a sense of gravity, recognizing Baby 5 and the man named Buffalo among them. There were many documented exploits for these two, suggesting a bounty level of at least 100 million berries.
Especially Baby 5, who can transform into various high-power weapons, possessing considerable destructive capability.
As for the other woman, Robin rarely had any intelligence on her, but since she was mingling with Doflamingo's subordinates, she was clearly one of them.
"Sunday, are they troublesome?" Mr. 1 noticed Robin's gaze and asked in a low voice.
"They are subordinates of Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
"The woman dressed as a maid in the corner has a history of destroying a town and can transform into various weapons. Swords, guns, bombs, cannons, and even missiles—her power is considerable."
"The man beside her, named Buffalo, has a history of single-handedly destroying a pirate crew with a bounty of nearly 100 million berries."
Robin kept her voice low, which wasn't conspicuous in a tavern where everyone was speaking quietly.
"Is that so..."
A hint of apprehension flashed in Mr. 1's eyes, but it wasn't strong.
His boss was also a Warlord.
It was precisely because of Crocodile's personal recruitment that Daz Bones had joined Baroque Works.