Chapter 13: The Auction Frenzy: High Stakes and Hidden Power
by xennovel“Now up for bidding is our third-to-last item.”
“Presenting from Fishman Island – the fishman, Krell!”
At that moment, the third-to-last item was brought onto the auction floor.
Krell looked a bit like Jinbei, though he stood well over three meters tall. Explosive collars were locked around his wrists, ankles and neck—a brutal method of keeping slaves in line.
If he moved beyond a certain range from the owner, the metal rings would detonate instantly. Not even those with strong Armament Haki could withstand it, sometimes dying on the spot. Worse, the collars were laced with Seastone to suppress Devil Fruit users.
So even Devil Fruit users couldn’t escape without serious injury or death.
Krell was a member of the Tiger Shark Fishman clan.
Among all fishmen, tiger sharks were renowned for their overwhelming strength. Krell’s furious glare raked across the room, his eyes fixed on the auctioneer. In his mind, whoever dared to buy him would be the first to die.
“Starting bid: fifty million Berries.”
“Gong!”
Krell clenched his fists, clearly straining against his chains.
“Seventy million Berries!”
“Seventy-five million!”
“Eighty million!”
…
People in the audience, energized by Krell’s spirit and his rarity as a fishman, kept raising the stakes.
In moments, the bid soared up to eighty million Berries.
Karl, taking in Krell’s fury and powerful physique, was clearly tempted.
He also knew that even if he joined the Rocks Pirates, he’d never serve under Whitebeard. He planned to create a crew of his own—and he’d need strong hands by his side.
Krell looked tough enough to fit the bill. Why not buy him then? As his first subordinate, and a fishman at that, Krell could be invaluable underwater.
“Guess Big Bro Newgate’s treating us today—two hundred million Berries!”
Newgate didn’t so much as blink at the price tag, sipping his rum as if nothing had happened.
Little did he know, he’d soon be aching for his wallet. After all, Karl wasn’t planning to stop at just one purchase.
Karl pressed the button to register his bid.
“A gentleman in one of our VIP suites bids two hundred million! Any higher offers out there?”
From the private box, no one could see who was bidding, but it was clear that anyone with that seat had to be a major pirate. Instantly, the hall fell silent—no one dared challenge someone who could cause them trouble later.
The auction room went completely silent.
The auctioneer quickly began the countdown.
“Congratulations to our VIP guest! Krell the fishman goes for two hundred million Berries!”
Spotting the hush, the auctioneer livened up the mood, hammer in hand.
“With the third-to-last item sold, it’s time for our next special prize!”
The auctioneer sounded genuinely thrilled—there were some real treasures on offer tonight, especially these final two.
“Up next: a Supreme Grade Great Sword—the Dragon Spring Blade!”
“Dragon Spring is one of the twelve Supreme Grade Great Blades.”
“Anyone here should know its worth. Starting bid: one hundred million Berries.”
“Whoa!”
“They’re actually auctioning a Supreme Blade today?”
“Worth coming tonight for sure!”
…
“The price just shot to five hundred million!”
A Supreme Grade Blade was in a whole other league—these were heirlooms, the kind of weapon you’d keep in the family for generations.
Even more useful than a Devil Fruit, in some ways. If you didn’t know a fruit’s ability, you could end up eating a dud and wasting a fortune.
That’s why Devil Fruit prices varied so much—from tens of millions up to several billion Berries.
But every Supreme Grade Blade was utterly unique, so their price never came cheap.
Karl might not use weapons now, but that didn’t stop him from bidding. You never know when you’ll need one, especially if you aren’t footing the bill yourself.
After all, who’d ever complain about having too many treasures?
“Eight hundred million!”
With that, he raised the bid to a new high.
Newgate felt his heart break in an instant.
All told, Karl was up to a billion Berries—a serious sum. But once he had spoken, Newgate couldn’t back down.
Some bidders had already backed off, while others targeted the VIP suite.
They knew the bidder was a big-time pirate, but when enough money was involved, even risky choices started to look tempting.
“That’s two rare items to this guest! Now, onto the last lot of the night.”
The auction house didn’t care what happened next. As long as their goods sold, they were content. Soon enough, staff brought out the final reward.
A maid entered with a tray draped in red cloth. Judging by the shape, it could only be a Devil Fruit.
“What a night! This was worth the trip!”
“Seriously, I never thought we’d see so many treasures in one auction.”
“Too bad two of them went to the same guy.”
A few pirates shot each other looks across the room. Karl was now firmly in their sights.
What they didn’t know was that Karl was someone they could never afford to cross.
“This Devil Fruit was consigned to us by a mysterious client!”
“It’s a rare fruit, and even we don’t know what ability it holds!”
“That’s why it’s up for auction tonight.”
“Because its power is unknown, the opening bid is just one hundred million Berries.”
“Now that’s a prize.”
As Karl debated whether to buy it, the cold voice of his system sounded in his mind.
He knew it was a gamble—if the fruit was useless, spending a hundred million would be a massive waste. He didn’t have that much left, and he already had a Devil Fruit himself, though he still didn’t know what ability it held.
But the system’s unexpected remark sealed the deal.
“Two hundred million!”
Hearing Karl call out his bid again, most of the other hopefuls lost their will to compete. Why bother bidding when you could just rob him after the auction?
“Congratulations to our VIP guest for winning the final item!”
“Please pay the full amount backstage. Your items will be delivered shortly. That concludes tonight’s auction. Thank you all for coming!”
The auctioneer bowed politely, then disappeared backstage.
“Knock, knock, knock!” There was a rap at the door. Karl sprang up and opened it to find three maids—one with the Devil Fruit, one with the Dragon Spring Blade, and one with Krell’s control key.
Karl handed over the money from his pouch, and the attendants took it before leaving.
When Karl bought his first item, Newgate hadn’t worried. But after the second round, he hesitated.
Still, he couldn’t refuse now that Karl had spoken. In the end, Karl had blown through a whopping 1.2 billion Berries.
With a pained sigh, Newgate ordered his pirates to pay up.