Chapter 287: Luffy’s Observation Haki
Translator: PapaSmurf0700
Disco expertly worked the crowd, whipping the nobles into a frenzy before he even delved into the particulars of the two women on stage. The room buzzed with anticipation, the rich and powerful ready to open their wallets.
The thought of someone from their own nation appearing on the auction block might have concerned others, but not this crowd. They were well aware that the auction house operated under the protection of not only the World Government but also the shadowy figures of the underworld. The idea of abducting members of a royal family seemed not far-fetched to them. As for commoners? Well, they were just part of the day's commerce—if they recognized someone, maybe they'd bid to bring them home.
The room's energy surged with excitement.
Among the elite Celestial Dragons, Saint Rosward mumbled under his breath, "The Nefertari family... the fools who wouldn't relocate to Mary Geoise."
Beside him, Saint Charlos's eyes sparkled with greed as he stared at the stage. "Father, I want that woman," he declared, his voice dripping with entitlement.
"Charlos, take what you desire. We, as Celestial Dragons, can have anything," Rosward declared with an air of invincibility. In his view, resistance was futile unless one was a Celestial Dragon themselves.
Amidst the rising clamor of the eager audience and their leering looks, Lisa felt utterly defeated, her tears streaming down her face unchecked. Just two months earlier, she had been leading a contented life in Alabasta. Under Queen Vivi's governance, their kingdom flourished with abundant water, a robust economy, and a fortified military. Everything had seemed perfect.
That fateful day, she had set out to sea to honor her late mother by seeking a sea cat, Alabasta's guardian beast. But fate had cruelly twisted her plans, casting her into the hands of storm and then into the clutches of her captors.
Collapsed on the auction stage, Lisa's thoughts turned inward in despair. "Mother... Father..." she whispered inwardly, clinging to a fading thread of hope. "If there's any god listening, please save me. Anyone, please hear my plea..."
"I HEARD YOU!!!"
The sudden, booming interruption silenced the room instantly. All eyes turned to locate the source of the thunderous declaration, as Disco paused, momentarily stunned, before the bidding could begin.
From the crowd, a young man in a straw hat stood up, his stance defiant, eyes locked on the auction stage where Lisa stood.
"Luffy." Nami's voice was laden with dread as she saw him rise to his feet.
"You weren't supposed to..." she started, but Luffy cut her off.
"Nami!" He turned to her, his voice resolute. "If Ace were here, he'd tell me to do this!"
"How could I just sit here?" Luffy continued, his voice rising. "Someone out there is crying for help."
With that, he adjusted his hat firmly down on his head and leapt from his seat. All eyes followed him as he made his way determinedly from the back of the hall toward the stage.
Despite knowing Luffy's impulsive nature, Nami felt a pang of confusion and concern. How had she missed hearing Lisa's desperate plea herself?
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When Nami urged Luffy to restrain himself for Ace's sake, something within him shifted profoundly. It was as though his Observation Haki, already a formidable force, had plunged into new depths. To understand Luffy's sudden enhancement, one might liken it to diving deep into the ocean. The further one descends, the more acute their senses become, until they reach the very seabed of awareness.
At that critical moment, Luffy's haki expanded, enveloping the entire auction hall in a wave of heightened perception. He became acutely aware of everyone around him—their positions, their movements, even their whispered conversations.
Among these fleeting impressions, one voice stood out starkly to him. It belonged to one of the pirates who, in a desperate bid for freedom, had bitten off his own tongue just before being presented on stage. Though the pirate's life force was ebbing swiftly, Luffy heard his fading whisper as clearly as if he were right next to him:
"I... don't want to die."
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"Hey, who is this guy?!" The confusion among the auction house staff was palpable. They scrambled to understand how such an unsettling figure had infiltrated their ranks, creating immediate tension.
"How did he get in here?" One of the staff whispered urgently. "I saw him walking behind one of the nobles. I assumed he was just another servant."
In their defense, their oversight wasn't entirely unreasonable. This was Grove 1, Sabaody Archipelago—a place directly under the watchful eyes of Marine Headquarters and heavily backed by both the World Government and the powers of the Underworld. Here, causing trouble was synonymous with signing one's own death warrant.
Suddenly, recognition dawned on one of the staff members. "Wait—I remember now! That's the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates! Straw Hat Luffy!"
Disco, already on edge from the day's disruptions, exploded with fury from the auction stage. "I don't care who he thinks he is—get him!!!" His voice echoed through the hall, a clear signal to the guards.
At Disco's command, the security guards positioned around the stage surged toward Luffy, determined to subdue him. But their efforts were met with a stunning reality.
As each guard came within a mere three steps of Straw Hat Luffy, they collapsed to the ground, unconscious. BANG. BANG. BANG. One by one, they fell, as if struck down by an invisible force, leaving the auction house in shock and Disco speechless at the unfolding chaos.
As Luffy walked through the auction house, the rhythmic thuds of bodies hitting the floor created an eerie soundtrack to his movement. The scene was chaotic.
"What the hell is happening?!" Disco couldn't hide his shock as he watched the young pirate advance. Memories of another individual with a similar overpowering presence flashed through his mind. It couldn't be—such power in this young man?
In a desperate attempt to regain control, Disco pulled out his pistol, aiming it shakily at Luffy. But before he could fire, Luffy's gaze met his. The intensity in Luffy's eyes was the last thing Disco saw before his own knees buckled, and he hit the ground hard.
As he slipped into unconsciousness, Disco's mind raced with realization. This overwhelming force—it was Conqueror's Haki, the same domineering will that his master wielded.
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"Do you want to leave this place?" Luffy asked, approaching the two frightened girls without giving Disco another glance.
Lisa and Fili, still reeling from the sudden turn of events, could hardly process what was happening. It was Lisa who first found her voice, nodding vigorously. "We just want to go home, but these collars..." she began, her voice trembling. "They'll explode if we try to remove them. The only way to—"
"Gomu Gomu no..." Luffy interrupted, reaching for the explosive collars.
"WAIT! If you touch them, they'll explode!" Lisa exclaimed in panic.
"Fusen!" Luffy's voice was calm, and his palm expanded, enveloping the collars as his entire body puffed up like a balloon.
BOOM! Two soft explosions were muffled by Luffy's stretched skin, causing no harm to the girls.
Lisa and Fili stood in shock, their hands instinctively reaching for their necks, only to find the collars gone, safely handled by Luffy's unique abilities.