Chapter 351: The Bold Heist

The Navy's slave hunt had merely paused to make way for the auction, not ended. Once Doflamingo's grand celebration concluded, another thorough investigation would likely sweep through Sabaody Archipelago to confirm whether the escaped slave had truly fled the island.

During their journey to the auction house, both men had noticed countless pirates clutching wanted posters bearing Oboro's scarred visage. The recent conflict with the Navy had been entirely his fault, and everyone else had suffered the consequences of his actions. Naturally, they wanted to see the face of the man who had turned their sanctuary into a battlefield.

In a twisted way, Oboro had achieved a form of fame.

Most pirates with substantial backing or genuine strength had glanced at the wanted poster once before discarding it with disinterest. Only minor crews were excitedly discussing the astronomical bounty listed beneath his image.

Fifty million berries.

That staggering sum exceeded the bounties of most pirates operating in the first half of the Grand Line. Even some supposedly "legendary" captains commanded far less respect from the World Government. The number spoke volumes about the Celestial Dragons' influence—after all, the World Government that issued such bounties was merely a plaything in the hands of the World Knovles.

Oboro's escape had indeed made him notorious throughout the seas. At minimum, every pirate capable of reaching Sabaody Archipelago represented elite criminal talent from across the ocean. His name would spread through their networks like wildfire.

Yet Oboro felt nothing about his newfound infamy. The bounty was simply a meaningless string of numbers to someone like him.

As the most prestigious landmark in the lawless zone, Doflamingo's auction house boasted an astonishing daily flow of customers and generated tremendous profits. These resources provided the foundation for his ambitious plans in the New World and his status as an underground emperor. The business financed everything from his artificial Devil Fruit trade with Kaido to his elaborate schemes to "please" the Celestial Dragons.

The auction imposed no restrictions on guest identity. The interior space could accommodate enormous crowds, and Doflamingo's philosophy was to welcome all customers with open arms. Pirates, mafia bosses, government officials—he accepted everyone's money equally. The more diverse his clientele, the wider his reputation spread, further enhancing the auction house's prestige. Of course, on ordinary days before major celebrations, the merchandise quality remained relatively modest compared to special events.

Oboro and Dom found empty seats in the dimly lit hall. Aside from the brilliantly illuminated auction stage, the rest of the space remained shrouded in protective darkness that preserved customer privacy. Joker's attention to such details explained his remarkable business success.

After spending roughly an hour observing the proceedings, Oboro discovered that Doflamingo's enterprise encompassed far more than his memories had suggested. Beyond the expected slaves, the auction featured cutting-edge technological achievements including weapon blueprints developed by various nations, private islands, and valuable real estate holdings.

The Heavenly Demon also dealt in assets seized from rival pirate organizations—mineral rights, shipping routes, territorial claims, and other profitable ventures. This went well beyond the simple weapons and Devil Fruits Oboro remembered from his knowledge of the original timeline.

The most intriguing category was intelligence. Emerging pirate crews could bid on classified information about their enemies or potential targets, though such secrets commanded premium prices. The auction house truly operated as a one-stop solution for any criminal enterprise's needs.

"In the eyes of small pirate forces like ours, the Seven Warlords of the Sea represent the strongest powers beneath the Four Emperors," Dom whispered while watching the auctioneer's passionate presentation on stage. "But Doflamingo has pushed his influence to the absolute limit—something completely different from the other six Warlords."

Oboro munched thoughtfully on a bag of french fries he'd purchased at the entrance, the cost naturally falling to Dom as the one carrying money. As a Sabaody local with some pirate experience, Dom possessed decent knowledge about first-half Grand Line rumors, though his information remained limited.

Among the current Seven Warlords, only Crocodile operated with similar scope to Doflamingo. However, Crocodile's schemes focused on the Alabasta Kingdom, and his identity as Baroque Works' shadowy mastermind remained unknown to most outsiders, creating an impression of relative restraint.

"Since this is the annual celebration," Oboro mused, finishing his snack and adjusting his mask, "the treasures including that Devil Fruit should have already been delivered or are currently en route, wouldn't you say?"

"Huh?" Dom shuddered as he detected the underlying implication in Oboro's casual observation.

"Boss, you're not planning to..."

Oboro slipped his hands into his pockets with calculated nonchalance. "Precisely. I intend to steal it."

The words hit Dom like a physical blow.

As power sources native to this higher-tier world, Devil Fruits possessed far greater value than anything he'd acquired in Demon Slayer. Since fate had presented this opportunity, how could he possibly let it slip away? The resources from Demon Slayer might retain some utility in this reality, but they would certainly prove worthless in whatever dimension awaited him next.

Challenging this world's governing will provided entertainment, but collecting genuine resources remained his primary objective.

Dom's scalp prickled with terror. His insane new boss seemed determined to antagonize every powerful force in existence—first targeting Celestial Dragons for assassination, now planning to rob one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Just hearing such plans made Dom's survival instincts scream warnings.

"Let's go," Oboro announced, rising from his seat with casual authority.

Dom scrambled to follow, his mind reeling from the implications of what he'd heard.

Outside the auction house gates, a group of pirates had gathered on the surrounding grass, discussing their plans with boisterous confidence. Oboro caught fragments of their conversation as they passed—typical boasting about how their crew had prepared substantial funds and absolutely would claim the Devil Fruit during the upcoming celebration.

During their time in the hall, Oboro had overheard similar whispered discussions and price estimates. Most attendees expected the Animal-type Devil Fruit to fetch several hundred million berries, though that didn't account for bidding wars and emotional overspending that could drive the final price even higher.

The estimate aligned with Oboro's own calculations. He remembered that officially, Devil Fruits were valued around 100 million berries, but that had been long ago. Current market conditions reflected inflation and increased demand. Securing any Devil Fruit now required serious financial commitment, and wealthy buyers weren't in short supply.

Animal-type fruits were admittedly less impressive than their Paramecia and Logia counterparts, but their potential remained closely tied to user skill and creativity. Rob Lucci served as a perfect example of maximizing such abilities.

"Hey!" One pirate from the boasting group noticed a figure in athletic wear approaching with his head lowered, apparently about to collide with their companion. "Watch where you're walking, you—"

The complaint died as the pirate saw Oboro withdraw one hand from his pocket in a fluid motion. His arm moved with blurring speed, creating multiple afterimages in the space between them.

Every member of the pirate crew suddenly rolled their eyes back and lost consciousness, standing frozen like statues despite remaining technically upright.

Dom watched in fascination as Oboro flowed through the immobilized pirates with practiced efficiency, systematically relieving them of all valuables before walking away without breaking stride. Dom found himself curious about where Oboro had concealed the stolen money—his simple outfit offered no obvious hiding places.

"What enviable physical talent," Oboro murmured, examining his reddened palm with a mixture of admiration and frustration.

He had utilized precise meridian and pressure point strikes to render the pirates unconscious while maintaining their rigid postures. Without leveraging acupoint manipulation concepts, achieving the same result through pure physical force would have been impossible given his current body's limitations.

His palm throbbed with genuine pain—it felt like the bones might have cracked from the impact. The observation spoke volumes about his targets' natural durability.

While One Piece might not surpass Hunter x Hunter in terms of overall power scaling due to the Dark Continent's existence, the baseline physical capabilities of ordinary humans in this world far exceeded what he'd encountered in that previous reality. Among the higher-tier dimensions he'd categorized in his mind, One Piece undoubtedly ranked near the top for pure physical potential.

This "physical upper limit" setting represented a genuine opportunity for someone like Oboro. It meant he could potentially develop the Dantian Qi Sea cultivation method—derived from his Demon Slayer experiences—to absolute perfection within this reality's enhanced parameters.

"Interesting," Oboro smiled beneath his hat's brim as they walked away from the scene. "Suddenly, I find myself quite excited about the possibilities."

The game was about to begin in earnest, and the stakes had never been higher. But for the first time since arriving in this hostile world, Oboro felt genuine anticipation rather than mere survival instinct driving his actions.

This reality wanted him dead? Let it try. He would take everything it had to offer and make it regret targeting him in the first place.