Chapter 80 Slave Auction

As the ship symbolizing the world's highest authority slowly docked at the Sabaody Archipelago, the tension on the island thickened.

Just as Smoker predicted, the arrogant Celestial Dragons chose to disembark in the lawless Black Paradise, unconcerned with its dangers.

Three Celestial Dragons rode atop enslaved humans, descending from their ship with an air of laziness and disdain. Their mere presence cast a heavy pall over the area.

Behind them marched a squad of heavily armed guards, their synchronized steps radiating an aura of authority. The streets they passed fell into an eerie silence, as if the very air had frozen.

Even the most audacious pirates knew better than to challenge the might of the World Nobles. Some knelt submissively at the roadside, while others, quicker on their feet, had long since vanished.

The Celestial Dragons moved with a haughty arrogance, as if showcasing their dominance over the world itself. Their cold, dismissive gazes seemed to disregard the very existence of those around them.

Unaware or indifferent to the perils of Black Paradise, they carried on, their lives steeped in privilege and untouchable power. History, to them, was not a cautionary tale but proof of their divinely ordained supremacy.

Smoker observed the scene from a rooftop, his sharp gaze fixed on the trio.

One of them, Saint Nicopol, wrinkled his nose and sniffled, wiping away snot with a handkerchief in an exaggerated motion.

"That fool Bancroft has been flaunting his pirate slaves every chance he gets. It's infuriating!" he grumbled, stomping on the head of the slave beneath him. The poor captive, hands clawing into the dirt, endured the humiliation in silence.

Saint Luance, reclining lazily on a chair carried by his slave, replied without opening his eyes.

"Why not ask the Cipher Pol agents? If Bancroft won't talk, surely CP wouldn't dare hide anything from us. Lying to a Celestial Dragon is a death sentence, after all."

Saint Adelaine giggled softly, covering her mouth.

"Oh, Luance, seems like you already know something juicy~"

Luance smirked smugly.

"Of course. Gernika from CP6 discovered a supply chain that delivers pirate captains as slaves—real trophies!"

Nicopol's face lit up with excitement.

"Impossible! Pirate captains are rare catches. Even Cipher Pol wouldn't be able to secure so many!"

Luance scoffed.

"Who cares how they do it? What matters is that we get what we want. They're loyal dogs—do you think they'd ever deceive their masters?"

Nicopol nodded eagerly.

"This time, I'm buying every pirate captain available! I'll make sure that fool Bancroft never gets to show off again!"

Adelaine licked her lips, her eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger.

"Let's hope there are some handsome pirate slaves. The common ones don't last long enough to be fun."

As the group made their way toward the auction house, Smoker pulled out a Den Den Mushi.

"They've reached your side. Remember—stay hidden."

A sharp voice crackled in response.

"Don't insult me. I'm busy—no time for your lectures!"

Zeon hung up the call and turned to the auction house staff.

"You're in charge from now on. Handle everything."

A veteran of both royal courts and the underworld, Zeon understood the Celestial Dragons' depravity all too well. They were like rabid dogs, especially when it came to beautiful women—pirates, queens, it made no difference to them.

To avoid unnecessary conflict, Zeon had arranged for all staff to remain out of sight, leaving only pirates and criminals to face the nobles' whims.

This was the agreement with Smoker: the Celestial Dragons could do as they pleased with the scum of the underworld, but precautions would ensure the chaos didn't spill over.

The Celestial Dragons had entered the auction house, and Smoker decided not to follow them. He trusted Zeon to handle the situation flawlessly.

They had already coordinated with the World Government, ensuring that any damages caused by the Celestial Dragons would be covered by the government. This arrangement had taken considerable effort.

For this event, Smoker and Zeon had meticulously prepared, eliminating over a dozen pirate crews and selecting more than 300 high-quality slaves. Among them were several bounty hunters, with the highest bounty reaching 60 million Beli.

The first public auction soon began.

Standing outside the auction house, Smoker could hear the exclamations and laughter resonating from within, even from a distance.

"Looks like the launch was a success. The slave auction has made a sensational debut," he thought, satisfied.

With everything running smoothly, Smoker felt no reason to linger. Turning away, he began wandering through the lawless zone. The streets were noticeably quieter than usual, as even the pirates seemed drawn to the auction.

Three hours later, Smoker's Den Den Mushi rang.

"Hello, Zeon. How did it go?" he asked.

Zeon's voice came through, brimming with excitement.

"Smoker, do you know how much we made from this auction?!"

Smoker raised an eyebrow. "Even with some inflated bids during the auction, ordinary slaves should go for 700,000 Beli each. With 300 slaves, that's around 200 million. Add the bounty hunters, and maybe we'd reach 500 million."

Before Smoker could voice his calculation, Zeon interrupted with a triumphant laugh.

"The total was over 1.5 billion Beli! That's more than triple our expectations!"

"What?!" Smoker was stunned. "How is that even possible?"

"A Celestial Dragon bid several times the expected price for a few pirate captains, which drove up the price of the other slaves as well!"

Smoker frowned. "The Celestial Dragons are known for their extravagance, but wouldn't other bidders, like nobles from smaller nations, hesitate to match those prices? If the Celestial Dragons stop bidding, wouldn't the others risk being stuck overpaying?"

Zeon chuckled.

"Smoker, sometimes you're too logical for your own good."

"Don't forget—these slaves aren't just status symbols. They're weapons."

Smoker was momentarily puzzled. "Weapons? What do you mean?"

"Bounties represent strength. Enslaved pirates are as good as living weapons. Would you let a powerful weapon fall into the hands of a rival nation?"

Smoker's eyes widened as realization dawned. "Of course! With those control collars, the slaves become tools at their master's command."

Zeon continued enthusiastically.

"Smaller nations without strong militaries were desperate to buy those bounty slaves, offering several times the usual price. Why invest time and resources into training soldiers when you can buy ready-made combatants?"

Smoker sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile. "They're not just for defense, are they? If these nations wage wars, these pirate slaves become the perfect weapons of war."

Zeon laughed.

"What's wrong? Feeling guilty for fueling their ambitions?"

"Not really," Smoker replied, his tone calm. "If a nation is determined to go to war, they'll find the means—whether it's weapons, mercenaries like the Germa 66, or the Eight Treasures Navy. Maintaining peace is difficult, but starting a war is far too easy."

"Then what's on your mind?" Zeon asked.

Smoker's gaze softened.

"Just thinking about the civilians. That's all."