The Sabaody Archipelago welcomed the arrival of the Red Eye warship with giant soap bubbles floating up into the sky.
The Navy base, centered in Grove 66, was a magnificent structure with multiple layers of security. However, beneath the spotless white uniforms of the soldiers who greeted him, Quentin Seven could smell a foul odor that was all too familiar. The stench of rats gnawing away at the people's money.
As soon as he disembarked, Seven wasted no time on ceremonial greetings. He immediately strode into the base's archives, ignoring the protests of the local base commander, who was breaking out in a cold sweat. With his Sharingan slowly spinning in his eyes, Seven scanned the stacks of financial ledgers and patrol logs in a matter of minutes.
Illegal funds. Hush money from the human auction house. The turning of a blind eye to pirate activities in Groves 1 through 29. It was all recorded, though disguised in other language.
Seven slammed the ledger shut with a thud that echoed through the room. The base commander swallowed hard, his knees trembling slightly under the cold stare of the Rear Admiral before him.
"Dismiss every officer whose signature is in this book," Seven said flatly, handing the book to one of his soldiers. "If they resist, throw them in jail."
While Seven carried out an internal purge at the Naval Base, a far more chaotic upheaval was unfolding on the other side of the archipelago.
Groves 1 through 29, known as the Lawless Zone, were places where the World Government turned a blind eye. A haven for criminals, bounty hunters, and slave traders.
But today, that haven had turned into a hell.
Sakazuki walked down the streets of Grove 13 with heavy steps. With every step, the pavement melted slightly. Behind him, Borsalino followed with his hands in his pockets, his round glasses reflecting the light from the crumbling buildings.
A group of pirates worth 70 million Berry, dragging several civilians to be sold, froze upon seeing two Navy officers blocking their path.
"The Navy? In the Free Zone?!" the pirate captain laughed derisively. "You're in the wrong place, buddy!"
Sakazuki didn't answer. His jaw tightened. A thin plume of smoke began to rise from his shoulder. His right fist instantly transformed into glowing red magma, dripping hot liquid onto the ground.
"DAIHUNKA!"
A giant magma fist shot forward, striking the crowd of pirates before they could draw their weapons. A blast of heat swept across the street. Screams of pain echoed as the pirates were flung away with severe burns.
Sakazuki walked toward the pirate captain, who lay smoking on the ground. The intent to kill in Sakazuki's eyes was unmistakable. He raised his leg—now transformed into magma—to stomp on the captain's head.
"Hold on, Sakazuki."
A glowing yellow foot blocked Sakazuki's magma-covered leg from the side. Borsalino looked at his partner with a lazy smile.
"You're getting too emotional. If you burn them all to ashes, Big Brother will be in trouble because there'll be nothing left to trade later," Borsalino scolded casually. "Remember the order. Capture them alive."
Sakazuki snorted loudly. He lowered his foot, letting the magma cool back into skin. "These scum don't deserve to live. But… my brother's words are orders."
A few hours later, an odd sight unfolded in the courtyard of Grove 66 Naval Base.
Hundreds of pirates with average bounties of 50 to 100 million Berry were piled up like sacks of potatoes. Almost all of them were unconscious, their clothes charred, and their bodies covered in burn scars. On the other side of the yard, hundreds of civilians rescued from slave traders were being treated by a medical team.
Seven walked out of the base's main building. He looked at the smoking pile of pirates, then glanced at Sakazuki, who was wiping bloodstains from his sleeve, and Borsalino, who was yawning.
"Good work," Seven said briefly. He turned to his soldiers. "Secure the base. The rest of you, bring the Sea Stone handcuffs. Chain up all these pirates and follow me."
"Are we handing them over to the central prison, Red-Eyed Rear Admiral?" asked a lieutenant.
"No," Seven gave a faint smirk. "We're going to do some business."
The Human Auction House in Grove 1 was a magnificent half-dome-shaped building. Currently, the auction schedule was empty, so there were no visitors or customers in the main hall.
The building's main door was suddenly kicked in, shattering into pieces.
In the doorway stood Quentin Seven, his Cloak of Justice fluttering in the breeze. Behind him, dozens of Navy soldiers dragged hundreds of chained pirates in a line, still battered and covered in soot.
The burly auction guards tried to block his path, but a single piercing glance from Sakazuki was enough to send them scrambling back in fear, dropping their weapons.
Seven ignored the main stage and walked straight down the dark corridor toward the dungeon, where the slaves were kept.
There, the auction house owner—a fat man dressed in fine clothes—was inspecting the prison cells. He turned and backed up, trembling, until he bumped into the iron bars. He knew who the black-eyed young man standing before him was. The entire sea was talking about Red Eye.
"W-what do you mean by this, Junior Admiral?!" the portly man tried to intimidate, though his voice trembled violently at the sight of the pile of pirates being dragged in. "This place is under the unofficial protection of the Mary Geoise nobility! The Navy has no right to enter our territory!"
Seven didn't answer. He gave a small signal.
Without further ado, Sakazuki stepped forward and slammed his knee into the fat man's stomach. A cracking sound echoed. The auction house owner collapsed to the floor, coughing violently, clutching his stomach and whimpering in pain. The "friendly conversation" began.
A few moments later. Seven crouched before the writhing man. His black eyes slowly turned blood-red.
"I didn't come to disrupt your business," Seven said in a very elegant and polite tone. "I came to supply some new merchandise."
The auction owner blinked in confusion. "N-new goods?"
"Exactly," Seven gestured toward the line of pirates writhing in pain on the floor. "Fierce pirates from the waters of the Grand Line. Far stronger and tougher than ordinary civilians. I'll give you all of this—you take 60%, we take 40%."
The fat man's expression shifted; his business instincts sensed a profit, but he remained suspicious. "60/40? Then what do you want in return?"
"Simple," Seven's smile widened. "Free all the civilians, Giants, Fish-Men, Mink, and other minority races currently in the cells. Replace them with these pirates."
The fat man's eyes widened instantly. "Y-you're crazy! Those exotic races are special orders! If I release them, the noble customers will kill me!"
"Is that so," Seven sighed softly, as if deeply disappointed. "What a pity. I really wanted to settle this amicably."
Seven's Mangekyou Sharingan eyes spun.
"Tsukuyomi."
The fat man suddenly froze. His eyes turned white. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.
For Sakazuki and Borsalino standing in the prison corridor, only a single second passed. But for the auctioneer, he had just been flung into another place, finding himself locked inside a narrow, dark, and filthy prison cell.
His body was cornered helplessly in the cell's corner. Suddenly, from the darkness behind the iron bars, two massive, muscular men with scar-covered faces emerged.
The first man had a dragon tattoo on his chest, while the second wore a spiked leather mask. The two giants grinned lewdly, eyeing the auctioneer as if he were a fresh piece of meat, then slowly closed in, trapping the fat man from the front and back.
What happened during those "seventy-two hours" inside that illusory cell cannot be described in human words.
In the real world, a second later, the fat man fell to his knees.
"NOOOO! MERCY! DON'T COME IN FROM THERE! PLEASE!"
The man screamed hysterically, tears and snot streaming down his face. His hands clutched his own pants in panic. He prostrated himself at Seven's feet, his body trembling violently like a leaf in a storm.
"I-I AGREE! I AGREE!" he cried between sobs, his voice hoarse. "FREE ALL THE SLAVES! LET THEM ALL OUT! TAKE THE KEYS! DON'T SEND ME BACK TO THOSE TWO MEN!"
Sakazuki turned his face away slightly, making no effort to hide his disgust for the fat man. Borsalino stifled a laugh by covering his mouth, his shoulders trembling slightly.
Seven bowed his head, looking at the auctioneer who was still crying while clinging to his legs. He patted the fat man's shoulder gently.
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you."
A few minutes later, dozens of people of various races walked out of the cells, breathing in the fresh air with tears in their eyes. In their place, the pirates, still half-conscious, were thrown into the same cell, their wrists locked in Sea Stone shackles.
Seven walked out of the auction house's prison corridor, leaving the fat man curled up on the floor, still babbling in fear.
"Brother," Sakazuki called out as they walked back toward the base. "What if the Sky Dragons come to the auction tomorrow?"
"Let them," Seven replied casually, the wind fluttering his coat. "At least, when they arrive, they'll only find a hardened criminal as their new pet. I wonder how long a spoiled noble can last with a pet ready to bite his neck at any moment."