CHAPTER 130

Caesar's First Encounter with a Mermaid

Strictly speaking, this was the first time Caesar had ever seen a mermaid.

The other party's delicate and pitiful appearance, combined with her stunning beauty, stirred something within him. A faint sense of excitement flickered in his heart, and an unfamiliar yet instinctive desire to protect her arose.

He wasn't the only one affected. Eli, Brad, Arnold, and Gnali—all of them—were captivated by the mermaid's ethereal beauty. Their gazes remained fixed on her, as if mesmerized.

"So, men really are just hopeless creatures," someone muttered under their breath.

"My God, this is unbelievable! So, this is the legendary mermaid… I've never seen one before," Eli exclaimed, his face filled with shock.

"No wonder they call them mermaids… A mermaid… A mermaid… It's real…" Brad murmured in a daze, still trying to process what was before him. He had imagined what a mermaid might look like, but he never expected one to be this breathtaking.

Even Lily, Wei Na, and Regina—three of the most beautiful women in their crew—were taken aback. The mermaid's beauty did not pale in comparison to theirs. If anything, she might have been even more stunning.

However, when Lily and the others turned their gaze toward their companions—especially Caesar, who seemed particularly entranced—their expressions darkened. Caesar immediately felt a chill down his spine. Realizing the danger, he quickly straightened up and restored his usual cold demeanor.

Meanwhile, Hades, standing off to the side, clenched his fists. His fury was barely contained.

Hades knew exactly what fate awaited a mermaid once she was auctioned off. He had been enslaved before—he had suffered at the hands of humans, treated as nothing more than merchandise.

His hatred for the people responsible for this trade burned like an unquenchable fire. The ones he had already killed weren't enough—there were always more lurking in the shadows, perpetuating this cruel system.

But at least, today, this particular mermaid had a stroke of luck.

If Caesar hadn't decided to come to Sabaody Archipelago, Hades would have never known about this auction. And if he hadn't known, this mermaid would have been sold off to some twisted noble or slaver, her fate sealed in chains and suffering.

Now, at least, she had a chance.

Turning to Caesar, Hades exhaled deeply, his voice carrying the weight of his emotions.

"Caesar… thank you."

Caesar met his gaze and, in his usual calm yet domineering tone, said, "Hades, do whatever you want. Our Caesar Pirates can handle it."

Hades' eyes widened slightly before narrowing with renewed determination.

In the next instant, he vanished.

A collective gasp rippled through the auction house as Hades reappeared directly on the auction stage. The audience was thrown into an uproar.

"What the—?! He just—he just appeared on the stage!"

"Wait… Isn't he with the Caesar Pirates?!"

"They've been sitting there so quietly… I thought they were just here to buy something! Are they planning to cause trouble?"

Normally, bidders weren't allowed to step onto the auction stage. Hades' bold move was a blatant challenge to the establishment. The tension in the room skyrocketed.

The auctioneer, who had been presiding over the event, froze. Sweat formed on his brow as he recognized Hades—the infamous pirate with a bounty nearing 400 million berries. And more importantly, a core member of the Caesar Pirates, led by none other than the terrifying Caesar himself.

The host hesitated, debating whether to invoke the power of the organization backing the auction. But before he could act, Hades clenched his fist and sent it crashing into the mermaid's tank.

Glass shattered. Water burst forth.

The mermaid tumbled forward, only to be caught gently by Hades as he swiftly wrapped her in a bubble, ensuring she could breathe.

Then, his eyes landed on the explosive collar locked around her neck. His fury ignited.

"They put a damn explosive collar on her?!" Hades snarled, his voice filled with pure rage.

Without hesitation, he reached out, his hands glowing with the advanced application of Haki—Ryuo. With a precise application of his power, he dismantled the internal mechanisms of the collar and crushed it in his grasp.

Silence.

Every single person in the room was frozen in shock.

The auctioneer opened his mouth, as if to say something, but no words came out. He was too afraid.

Then, a shadow stirred in the audience.

Caesar stood up.

The moment he rose from his seat, the entire auction hall tensed.

"Wait, that's Caesar!"

"What is he going to do?!"

"Was this all premeditated?!"

"They were just sitting there so calmly… Now, all of a sudden, they're causing chaos? Could it be that they want the mermaid for themselves?"

Whispers and murmurs filled the air, but Caesar paid them no mind. He simply spoke, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.

"The auction is over."

Then, without another word, he turned and walked toward the back of the venue.

The room was left in stunned silence.

The auctioneer was paralyzed. He didn't dare speak, yet remaining silent wasn't an option either. He was caught in an impossible dilemma.

Caesar, however, wasn't looking for unnecessary conflict. The mermaid was the only thing he intended to take by force today. The underground syndicates running the auction house still had their uses.

After all, Caesar had bigger ambitions.

With a composed yet commanding tone, he ordered, "Calculate the total price of everything our crew has taken so far."

The auction house's manager scrambled to comply, his voice trembling as he stated the amount. Without hesitation, Caesar signaled Lily to pay.

Then, turning to the man in charge, he issued a simple directive.

"Call your boss."

The manager gulped and immediately dialed a secured line. After a brief exchange, he passed the receiver to Caesar.

"I'm Caesar."

A pause. Then, from the other end of the line, a smooth, middle-aged voice chuckled.

"Well, well… Captain Caesar. I've heard much about you. If you wanted the mermaid, you could have simply asked—I would have given her to you freely. There was no need for such theatrics, hahaha."

Hades gritted his teeth at the casual tone, his anger barely restrained. But he knew Caesar had his own reasons for making this call, so he held himself back.

The man continued, "Of course, we merely auction these items. We do not directly capture them ourselves. What happens before or after the sale is beyond our concern."

Caesar remained impassive.

"I'm not here to discuss the past," he said. "I have another matter to talk about."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"I want you to use your network to locate and collect Devil Fruits for me. Any that enhance combat abilities or have unknown effects. The price will depend on the fruit's power, but for unidentified ones, I'll pay a flat rate of 500 million per fruit. There's no upper limit."

The line went silent for a moment. Then, the man chuckled again.

"Well, Captain Caesar… That is an interesting request."

After a brief pause, he continued, "Very well. I will put out the word. If any qualified Devil Fruits surface, they will be brought to me first."

Caesar smirked slightly.

"Good. Then we have a deal."

With that, the negotiation was sealed, and the Caesar Pirates took their leave—along with the freed mermaid.

Subscribe to Patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters