Chapter 28: Alleyway Battle

The décor of the auction hall resembled that of an opera house, with the first-floor seats arranged in a half-ring shape, all facing the auction stage, which was clearly visible to everyone.

The second floor featured independent boxes embedded into the walls, each with a diagonal staircase leading down toward the auction stage.

At this moment, the venue was overcrowded.

Even the exclusive boxes on the second floor were fully occupied.

On the gilded auction stage, a middle-aged auctioneer with a calm demeanor was enthusiastically congratulating the buyer who had just purchased a female slave.

In a seat near the front row, Saul's eyes were fixed on the female slave who had just been auctioned off. His wolf-like gaze swept over her sensitive areas.

"Gulp."

Saul couldn't help but swallow hard.

It wasn't until the slave girl was escorted backstage that he smacked his lips in regret.

Beside him, Arthur silently shifted away.

"So white and big," Saul exclaimed, wiping away the drool that had accidentally escaped his mouth and then casually wiping his hand on Arthur's clothes.

"You...!"

Arthur stared at Saul in shock and anger, resisting the urge to smash the seat over his head.

Saul, however, acted as if nothing had happened, casually crossing his legs.

Arthur gritted his teeth, blaming himself for the misfortune of sitting next to Saul.

"It's going to get lively soon," Saul suddenly muttered to himself.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, looking at him in disbelief.

Saul grinned and whispered, "But anything that easily touches the heart..."

"Huh?" Arthur's expression turned serious, as if he had realized something.

Then he heard Saul's next words.

"...is often like shit, easily clouding some people's judgment."

"..."

On the auction stage, the middle-aged auctioneer spread his arms wide, his tone as impassioned and commanding as ever.

"The next item will be the final slave auctioned tonight, serving as the grand finale of the slave category. I assure you, it will not disappoint. So, without further ado, let's take a look."

As his last word echoed, he swung his arm dramatically, pointing to the left side of the stage.

Accompanied by the rumbling sound of wheels, a cart carrying an iron cage was pushed to the center of the stage by two burly staff members.

Inside the cage, an earth-colored fishman sat cross-legged, his burly body wrapped in unbreakable chains.

The fishman's head hung low, motionless as if lifeless.

Though his physical condition appeared good, he exuded an aura of despair.

The auctioneer approached the cage and smiled.

"This is tonight's grand finale—a cone-toothed sharkman. I'm sure those of you who are interested in this item have come prepared, while those who aren't will find it unappealing."

"Therefore, I'll skip the introduction and move straight to the demonstration."

As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, a staff member on the other side of the cage pressed a button on the cart.

ZiZi--!

Bright electric currents surged through the fishman's body.

"Ahhhhh!"

The fishman, who had been lifeless just moments ago, suddenly writhed in agony, his mouth wide open as he let out a blood-curdling scream.

His gaping mouth revealed the defining feature of a cone-toothed sharkman—rows of sharp, densely packed teeth.

Among the audience, buyers who had come specifically for the fishman were already eager to bid, their hands poised to raise their cards as soon as the auction began.

Kazit was one of them.

This fishman slave was the item he was determined to acquire.

Backstage, behind the auction stage's curtain, cages holding slaves were haphazardly arranged.

Most of the slaves were women with exceptional figures and looks, though there were also a few strong male slaves.

Regardless of gender, all the slaves bowed their heads in despair as the fishman's agonized screams echoed through the air.

Among the cages was one that resembled a pet kennel, housing a skunk with a white body and a slender figure.

Strangely, the skunk emitted a peculiar fragrance instead of the expected foul odor.

The skunk was curled up in the cage, its human-like black eyes observing the human slaves around it.

Those eyes, indistinguishable from a human's, showed no trace of the despair that gripped the other slaves.

When it looked at them, it was as if it were gazing at a group of pitiful creatures.

The night deepened, and a cool breeze swept through the streets.

Alex quietly trailed his three targets.

Not long after they left, a group of drunken men stumbled out of the tavern and headed down the street in a specific direction.

After they had walked some distance, Saber emerged from the tavern.

He didn't spare a glance at the men who had already moved ahead but, like Alex, began following them quietly.

Unbeknownst to Alex, who was positioned in the opposite direction, Saber was also on the move.

Alex followed his three targets, patiently waiting for the right moment to strike.

He wasn't in a hurry.

As long as he could secure a profit, he was willing to wait until dawn.

This was one of his guiding principles as a hunter.

Alex maintained a safe distance, keeping his prey in sight.

Time passed, and soon, half an hour had gone by.

Finally, Alex saw his opportunity.

The three men stopped their aimless wandering and turned into an alleyway.

Alex's eyes gleamed as he quickly followed.

The three men, oblivious to the danger trailing them, wandered deeper into the alley.

To their surprise, they spotted a bar with its lights still on at the end of the narrow passage.

"Huh, there's even a bar in a place like this?" one of the men remarked, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.

"Want to grab a few more drinks?"

"Sure."

Their excitement rekindled, the men headed toward the bar.

Bang! Bang!

Suddenly, two gunshots rang out in the alleyway.

The bullets struck two of the men in the back, sending them sprawling to the ground.

"Huh?"

The third man, unharmed, reacted swiftly. He grabbed one of his fallen companions and used him as a human shield, his eyes darting toward the source of the gunfire.

Bang!

Another shot rang out.

The bullet struck the human shield, adding another wound to his back.

At the other end of the alley, Alex, who had fired the third shot, was mildly surprised.

He had brought three guns with him, allowing him to fire three shots in quick succession.

The first two shots, fired from flintlock pistols, had struck his initial targets.

He had deliberately avoided vital areas to ensure they wouldn't die immediately.

Then, he quickly switched to [Usopp] and fired at the third man, who was armed with a knife.

He hadn't expected the knife-wielding man to react so quickly and ruthlessly, using his companion as a shield without hesitation.

Realizing that the two wounded men would bleed out soon, Alex dropped [Usopp] and charged toward the knife-wielding man.

Seeing Alex approach, the man hesitated for a moment before pushing his human shield aside and drawing his long knife.

Alex closed the distance, dagger in hand, and launched his attack.

Instead of retreating, the knife-wielding man stepped forward, thrusting his blade toward Alex in an attempt to exploit the reach advantage of his weapon.

But Alex, shorter and quicker, dodged the strike narrowly.

In a flash, two blades clashed.

Alex darted past the knife-wielding man, then turned, his heel scraping the ground as he faced his opponent.

Moments later, blood spurted from the man's wrist and throat.

The fight had ended in an instant.

As the knife-wielding man collapsed, Alex stepped forward, pressing his dagger against the man's back and pinning him to the ground.

He quickly searched the incapacitated man and retrieved a bounty poster.

After confirming the names, Alex summoned his notebook and swiftly recorded the details of his three targets before they drew their last breaths.

"Done," Alex muttered, sighing in relief as he wrote the final word.

"Tsk."

At that moment, a voice filled with surprise came from the alley's entrance.

Startled, Alex reflexively closed his notebook.

The blood staining its pages coalesced into a droplet and fell to the ground.

In one fluid motion, Alex crouched, drew a flintlock pistol from one of his fallen prey, and spun around, aiming the gun at the source of the voice.