CHAPTER 23

"The next auction is our final product—the mermaid from Fish-Man Island!"

"The starting price is one billion Berries! Each increase must not be less than one hundred million Berries! Now the bidding starts!"

With a booming shout from the auctioneer, the velvet curtain was instantly drawn open.

Inside the reinforced glass tank, a beautiful mermaid was curled up her tail trembling slightly—her eyes filled with tears and silent terror.

She looked pitiful beyond words.

And for a moment, it was as if the 'gentlemen' in the audience forgot they were bidding on a slave they erupted into cheers and shouts, some nearly leaping over the railing in excitement to "save" such a rare creature.

"I pay one billion Berries!"

"I bid 1.3 billion!"

"1.5 billion!"

"Two billion Berries!"

The bidding grew savage within seconds the price had soared beyond two billion, and still it showed no signs of slowing down.

In a shadowed corner, a figure leaned against the wall, arms crossed shaking his head slowly beneath his black scarf.

"A bunch of greedy beasts... and every time I come here, I see this same sick show. Mermen and mermaids in chains sold like exotic pets.

Strange I've yet to see any human slaves on display. Are they really that much harder to catch than fish-men?"

Carl's voice was low filtered through a thin mask that hid his identity.

He wore simple civilian clothes, nothing like his Marine uniform no epaulettes, no medals, no indication of his rank.

His face was hidden behind a nondescript mask, and his head wrapped in a dark scarf.

To the naked eye, he looked like a mercenary or perhaps just another underground broker.

This auction house didn't check identities as long as you had a deposit and didn't start a fight, you could come in freely.

Technically, Pizza had ordered him not to leave the base but Carl wasn't a child.

If he wanted to walk the Sabaody streets, no one was going to stop him.

And in this disguise carrying only an ordinary iron sword on his back no one would ever guess he was the rising Marine officer "Carl the System."

His goal tonight was simple he wanted to test a theory: whether someone with his system powers could consume a second Devil Fruit.

If it worked his strength could grow exponentially.

He'd been combing these black-market auctions for five days now.

He had freed four enslaved fish-men so far but had seen zero Devil Fruits.

Despite how common they seemed in the manga's main narrative actual fruits were absurdly rare.

"That's enough. I've already stepped in four times one more won't hurt."

Carl sighed quietly, crossed one leg over the other, and waited for the auction to end ready to act.

He hated slavers but this underworld network was far too big to dismantle alone.

Still, saving even one soul was a start.

"Ten billion Berries! This mermaid is MINE!"

The entire room fell silent.

That voice shrill, nasal, arrogant rang out like a dagger scraping glass.

Carl didn't need to look.

Everyone in the room recognized it immediately.

A Celestial Dragon one of the so-called "World Nobles" had arrived.

Even the guards near the stage stiffened, and the auctioneer nearly dropped his microphone.

From the entrance, surrounded by armed bodyguards in black and a slave dragging his coat, strolled in none other than Saint Charlos a disgusting man with a bloated belly, transparent dome helmet, and a twisted grin.

The atmosphere shifted instantly from chaos to suffocating stillness.

Even the filthiest pirates and crime bosses here dared not make a sound.

Because in the Sabaody Archipelago, nothing provoked more fear than the sudden appearance of a Celestial Dragon.

And Carl his hand already drifting toward the hilt of his sword gritted his teeth beneath the mask.

"Draco actually came? No wonder Pizza assigned a patrol route today it turns out a Celestial Dragon came to Sabaody."

Carl's eyes narrowed slightly beneath his scarf, scanning the room.

The moment the Tenryuubito appeared, the entire auction house fell into dead silence. No one dared to speak no matter how wealthy or powerful they were.

Everyone in the room understood what it meant to defy a Celestial Dragon. In the eyes of the World Government, even uttering words of discontent could be grounds for death instant, brutal, and absolute.

The bidding had ended the moment the Celestial Dragon made his offer. Trembling, the auctioneer hastily confirmed the winning bid, even though he knew better than to expect any actual payment.

The enslaved mermaid was released from the glass tank by the handlers, still too shocked to react. Her fate was sealed for now.

"Hmph! I heard the Fish-Man Island auctions provide high-quality merchandise, but the ones reserved for us Celestial Dragons are clearly the best. Truly exquisite!"

Saint Charlos the same Tenryuubito who once tried to buy Camie grinned sickeningly as he stared at the mermaid like she was a collectible, not a living being. He turned with a self-satisfied snort and walked out of the auction house, his slaves trailing behind like a parade of despair.

"Uh... the auction money"

The auctioneer foolishly raised his voice as the Celestial Dragon left.

Without even glancing back, the man in black walking beside Charlos drew a pistol.

With a sharp bang!, a neat hole was punched through the auctioneer's forehead blood splattering over the auction podium.

"Trash like you dare ask for payment? Here's your reward take it to the afterlife."

The guard sneered, then turned and followed the retreating entourage.

Once they were gone, the auction house erupted into chaos screams, footfalls, and confusion spread like wildfire.

The auctioneer had been the venue's manager. Without him, the staff were lost, directionless a ship with no captain.

In the panic, Carl slipped silently out of the main hall and trailed after the Celestial Dragon from the shadows.

Saint Charlos was perched atop a slave, using the man as if he were a horse, while another massive slave carried the water tank containing the traumatized mermaid.

"Over thirty slaves… disgusting. Not a flicker of resistance in their eyes. They've forgotten what freedom means."

Carl clenched his fist.

Then, with a flash-step, he appeared right in front of the Celestial Dragon, cutting off his path.

"Huh?! What kind of filthy commoner dares stand in my way? You must have a death wish!"

The Tenryuubito didn't hesitate—he raised his ornate pistol and fired.

But Carl tilted his head effortlessly avoiding the bullet.

"Slaves! If any of you want to live—run. Now!"

"Round Dance Slash!"

Before the shocked guards could react, Carl's blade swept through the air in a circular arc.

A wave of blade-infused energy surged out—precisely targeting the explosive collars around each slave's neck.

With a pop and hiss, every collar was disabled in a blink. Carl had channeled a fine stream of his system-enhanced power through the blade, expertly disabling the explosive mechanisms without harming the wearers.

It was a technique refined over days of trial and error—perfected for this exact scenario.

"RUN!!!"

The moment their shackles fell off, the slaves' eyes lit up—as if a spark had reignited their long-dead spirits.

A single shout triggered a chain reaction and they bolted in every direction.

Even the massive slave carrying Charlos threw him off his back and escaped at full speed.

The only one who didn't move was the mermaid—still in the water tank, unable to flee easily on land.

But the others? They fled with everything they had.

"You worthless trash! Go after them! Bring them back now!"

Despite being thrown to the ground, Saint Charlos remained conscious and furious. He shouted at his bodyguards, who scrambled to obey.

But before they could reach for their weapons, Carl struck again.

With a blur of movement, he cut down every man in black—their throats slashed in near silence.

These were standard guards, thugs granted a status boost for serving the World Nobles but none were anywhere near the strength of a Marine officer.

"Y-you... you dare lay a hand on me?! Do you know who I am?! I'm a Celestial Dragon! A god! I—"

Before he could finish, Carl drove his blade cleanly into the man's chest.

"God? Don't make me laugh."

Carl kicked the lifeless body aside and glanced around. His cover wouldn't last much longer—nearby, a Marine patrol was approaching.

He hoisted the glass tank with the mermaid over his shoulder, took a breath and dashed toward the shore.

A few moments later, the patrol team finally arrived drawn by the noise and fleeing slaves.

They stopped in their tracks as their eyes locked onto the body of the Celestial Dragon.

A heavy silence fell.

"It's over. We're too late…"

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