Shortly after Sean and his group departed, Rosward arrived on the scene, accompanied by Shalria and a large contingent of guards.
When he learned that the Five Elders had issued an order to drop the matter entirely, Rosward could hardly believe his ears. He immediately placed a call to the Five Elders.
The result, however, was exactly what one would expect: he was thoroughly berated.
Others feared the Celestial Dragons, but the Five Elders had no such fear. After all, the five of them were Celestial Dragons themselves, hailing from the five most powerful families among the nineteen of the Holy Land.
In this entire world, there was only one person they truly feared.
That was the master of the Empty Throne, Imu!
Despite the dressing-down he received from the Five Elders, Rosward had no intention of letting the matter go.
"Charlos, that game you all were playing—the sons of Saint Marcus and Saint Kamael were participants as well, correct?"
"Yes, Father! They're the ones who started the game in the first place!"
"Then we're in business. We'll do this... and then that..."
Rosward continued to mutter his plan. While Charlos didn't quite follow the logic, it didn't matter. His father didn't expect his dim-witted son to execute the strategy; he only needed the boy to give a little push at the final step.
"Father, I want those two women from today!"
"Fine, fine. Just do as I say, and those two women will naturally be yours!"
"Great! I'll do exactly as you say, Father!"
Sniffling loudly, Charlos nodded with sudden determination. He immediately began reminiscing about the woman he had seen earlier—the one with an irresistible aura and a body that was absolutely explosive.
Inevitably, the snot he had just sniffed back slid down again, dangling several centimeters from his nose.
'''
The next day, Sean and his companions returned to Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
"Yo, Sean! Rayleigh has been waiting for you for ages," Shakky said, pointing toward a corner of the bar as Sean stepped through the door.
"Right. Also, I'll have a glass of orange juice, please. Thanks!"
"No problem. But how are you paying today?"
"Same as always—I still won't arrest you today."
"Honestly, Sean, can't you come up with a new routine?"
"No. If it works, there's no need to change it."
With that, Sean walked toward Rayleigh, while Lucci and the others took a seat at a separate table.
"So, Rayleigh, did you enjoy yesterday's show?"
"You noticed me, after all," Rayleigh replied with a wry smile as he set down his newspaper.
Yesterday, they had been hundreds of meters apart, and Rayleigh had suppressed his presence. Unless one's Observation Haki was exceptionally refined, it should have been impossible to detect him from that distance.
However, recalling what Shanks had mentioned—that Sean's Conqueror's Haki was potentially even stronger than his own—Rayleigh suspected that Sean's other types of Haki was likely on a similar level. He had suspected Sean had spotted him yesterday, and now that Sean had confirmed it, he was certain.
What Rayleigh didn't know, however, was that regarding the three types of Haki...
Sean actually didn't know how to use any of them!
"Alright. Before I make a decision, I want to ask one thing," Sean said.
"Go ahead."
"Once I go with you, will I be able to see Ace? After all, he is 'that man's' son..."
"Yes, no problem at all!"
"That's a very quick 'yes.' Aren't you afraid that once I meet Ace, I'll fill his head with... alternative ideas?"
Rayleigh paused, then considered Sean's words. "If Ace is so easily swayed, then I can only say... he's reached his ceiling in life. He would never achieve anything great."
"Hmm, I suppose that's true."
Rayleigh blinked, realizing that Sean's logic was sound. A person with wavering convictions has no future. He had asked a redundant question.
"Anything else?"
"Yes. I just remembered a very serious problem."
"What?"
"Can I drink alcohol over where you're going?"
"Drinking is prohibited within the Branch. However, you are an advisor, not a formal member of the Branch personnel, so you'll be allowed to drink. But only within your assigned residence, not in public areas."
"Then we're good. When do we leave?"
"No rush. I want to attend the auction in two days."
Shakky, who had just walked over with a glass of orange juice, suddenly paused. "Sean, you aren't actually thinking of buying that Devil Fruit, are you?"
"I am," Sean replied, making no effort to hide his intentions.
"But Sean, I've received intel that the auction for this Devil Fruit..."
"I know. It's a game created by the Celestial Dragons for their own amusement. Whoever wins the fruit is immediately seized and turned into a slave, right?"
"Then why would you—"
"Do you really think I'm afraid of the Celestial Dragons?" Sean interrupted with a counter-question.
Only then did Rayleigh and Shakky recall the events of the previous day. This guy truly didn't give a damn about the Celestial Dragons.
"Fair enough. Since you have a plan, I won't say more," Shakky nodded.
"By the way, Shakky, why don't you come work for me for a few months as a contractor?" Sean asked with a smile. "I'd feel bad splitting up you two old lovebirds. How about 100 million Belly a month?"
"Sean, first, let me correct you: he and I are not married!"
"Oh, so you're just unconventional. I dig it."
"It's not... forget it, think whatever you want. But all I can do is mix drinks. Are you really willing to pay 100 million Belly a month for that?"
"Stop playing modest. You're the queen of the information underworld. I'm serious—come and help me build my intelligence department. What do you say?"
"I'll think about it."
"Fine. There's no rush. Just give me your answer in two days."
Sean nodded and dropped the subject. Shakky's importance wasn't actually higher than Rayleigh's. While Lucci and the others might be slightly weaker in intelligence gathering, they weren't far behind.
As for the money... holding gold worth trillions of Belly, Sean viewed the salaries he paid as a mere drop in the bucket. It was irrelevant.
"Sean, I have a piece of information right now. Do you want to know it?"
"What kind of info?"
"Well, since you're so wealthy, I assume you wouldn't mind paying for it?"
"Just tell me the price."
"100 million Belly. It concerns you, and it involves the Celestial Dragons."
"Now that's interesting. I'll buy it. Speak."
Something involving both himself and the Celestial Dragons? Sean's interest was officially piqued.
A hundred million Belly?
You call that money?
Perhaps it was a fortune to others. But to Sean... it was little more than a scrap of waste paper. Completely worthless.
"Last night, Rosward assigned a task to his guards," Shakky explained. "He ordered them to spread word of the auctioned Devil Fruit across the entire Sabaody Archipelago today, ensuring that absolutely everyone knows about it."
"The goal is to make sure the news reaches your ears, luring you to the auction in two days so that you'll be allowed to leave."
"Furthermore, this auction is being organized by five Celestial Dragons, two of whom are direct descendants of the five great families."
"At the same time, Rosward has sent people to contact the wealthy individuals attending the auction, warning them that they are not to bid for that specific Devil Fruit."
"If I had to guess his plan, he intends to lure you there first, deliberately let you purchase the fruit, and then manipulate the Celestial Dragons from those two families to move against you."
Sean nodded.
Shakky's intelligence network was truly formidable. She even knew the private conversations of the Celestial Dragons.
'I suspect there are informants of yours mixed in among those guards, aren't there?'
"Excellent intel. When you have the time, come to the 16th Branch and collect your payment!"
"Now, Sean, that's a bit unfair..." Shakky sighed softly.
"How is it unfair? I have an auction to attend in two days. I can't just spend all my Belly now—what would I use to buy the fruit?"
Shakky sighed again. She could tell that if she didn't personally go to the 16th Branch, Sean would absolutely never hand over that hundred million Belly.
'Forget it. That old man needs someone to keep an eye on him anyway...'
"Fine. I'll go with Rayleigh. Does that work?"
"Of course! I'll give you the Belly the moment you arrive!" Sean promised with a smile.
If possible, Sean actually wanted to buy Shakky's entire intelligence network outright.
Belly... that wasn't the issue. Even a hundred billion would be worth it.
Information capabilities were one thing, but a vast, perfected intelligence network was something that couldn't be built in three or five years, no matter how strong one's abilities were.
'Well, I'll stop thinking about that for now. As long as she comes to the 16th Branch, I'll find a way eventually.'
'At worst, I could just have Lucci use his charms to cuckold Rayleigh?'
As for himself... Sean decided that the age gap was simply beyond the limit of what he could endure.
'''
After leaving Shakky's Rip-off Bar, Sean noticed that exactly as she had said, everyone in the Sabaody Archipelago was talking about the auction in two days. The talk centered almost entirely on the Devil Fruit.
"Interesting. Rosward wants to scheme against me... I wonder who will end up being the one schemed against in the end?"
"Using the direct bloodlines of two great families..."
"He certainly has a vivid imagination. Does he really think the members of the five great Celestial Dragon families are that easy to manipulate?"
"I hope that instead of hurting me, he doesn't end up getting his own family's skin flayed alive because of this!"