Volume 1 - CH 82

“I wonder what interesting twists and turns the top war will take now that they know Ace’s identity in advance.”

Rhodes walked out of the Shakky bar at a leisurely pace, lost in thought.

The information he had traded was, of course, the fact that Ace is the son of the Pirate King Roger, along with all the details from that time.

For instance, how Ace’s mother, Rouge, managed to evade the Marines’ search and keep her pregnancy hidden for twenty grueling months.

Thanks to this crucial piece of information, Shakky, with her sharp intuition for intelligence, was able to easily discern its authenticity.

She was taken aback by the revelation.

Clearly, she hadn’t anticipated that Roger had left a successor alive, unknown even to members of the Roger Pirates.

Eager to get the word to Reighley as soon as possible, Shakky excitedly told Rhodes about the sword and sent him on his way.

As luck would have it, the sword was located in Rhodes’s destination: the Flower Country.

Apparently, it was a royal treasure of the Flower Country, though it’s unclear how Shakky obtained this information.

With the specific details of the Great Sword, Rhodes no longer felt the need to obtain the sword at the auction.

Instead, he approached the event with a carefree attitude and met up with Soros, who had been waiting for him outside.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the auction, they found the place heavily guarded, with a circle of security guards standing at the entrance.

“Sorry, this is a private area. If you don’t have an invitation, please leave,” a security guard stepped forward and said politely.

“We don’t have an invitation,” Soros said coolly. “Please announce that I, Soros, have come to pay a visit.”

The security guard hesitated upon seeing Soros’ confident demeanor. Could he be some kind of big shot?

At that moment, a round middle-aged man walked over slowly from a nearby location. Upon seeing Soros, his eyes brightened and he rushed over with excitement,

“Sir Soros! How did you get here? I thought you were working in the New World?”

“It’s you, Harden. I just returned,” Soros replied with a hint of arrogance. “I see that you are also attending the auction. It’s a coincidence that I get to bask in your radiance. Take us in.”

“Of course, it’s an honor to have you bask in my radiance. Please do me the favor of helping me out in the future as well,” Harden responded with enthusiasm.

Soros, a well-known and trusted merchant of the World Government, can open a world of new possibilities for such a merchant as Harden. Even a small spill of oil and water from him could fill Harden’s stomach to the brim.

Seeing that they were acquainted, the security guard allowed them to pass without any obstacles.

As they entered the auction venue, they were struck by its immense size.

The seats in the venue were already occupied by all sorts of people, all of whom were dressed elegantly and had remarkable demeanors. They were either wealthy merchants or nobles or exceptionally powerful individuals with an imposing presence.

“Sir Soros, you’re here as well?”

“Sir Soros.”

As soon as Rhodes and the others entered the venue, many people seemed to recognize Soros’s identity and stood up to greet him.

Those who did not know him were still in confusion, and the people next to them quickly introduced SorosN to them.

This was the World Government’s trusted merchant, a figure regarded as a top businessman in the industry.

Rhodes found it amusing that Soros, who recently had almost been killed by a Sea King in the New World, had such a great reputation in the Sabaoady Archipelago.

Of course, there were also many people who looked down on him.

For example, the richest merchant of the West Sea, Gates, whose industry was primarily based in the West Sea, with a slight presence in the first half of the Grand Line, had little overlap with Soros, who was based primarily in the Sabaody Archipelago.

As Soros basked in the flattery and fawning of the crowd, Gates couldn’t help but snort coldly, feeling a little envious.

This was because the merchants he had been chatting with earlier had also run over to greet Soros.

After all, Sabaody was their home turf.

“Forget it, it has nothing to do with me. Let’s just quickly bid on that Great Sword and return to the West Sea as soon as possible. The Grand Line is still too dangerous.”

Gates took a deep breath and thought to himself.

The auction finally began.

The first item up for auction was a set of armor that belonged to a famous pirate.

The auctioneer introduced the item and the bidding began.

The price quickly soared and many people participated in the bidding.

Soros also joined in, but his eyes were fixed on a corner of the venue.

There was a young man with a straw hat sitting there, who seemed to be in his early twenties.

He wore a straw hat and a blue coat, and his facial features were delicate and handsome.

He sat there quietly as if he was waiting for something.

Soros’ eyes narrowed, and he couldn’t help but wonder who this young man was.

The starting bid was 30 million bellies, but it wasn’t long before it soared to 60 million. In the end, the auction was won by Gates, the richest merchant of the West Sea, for a whopping 90 million.

Many people couldn’t help but marvel at his wealth and extravagance.

Throughout the rest of the auction, Gates continued to make bold bids, showcasing his status as the premier merchant of the West Sea and even causing Soros to feel a pang of envy.

While the Grand Line may have boasted higher average strength than the Four Seas, the Four Seas covered a vast, stable region that generated a significantly higher economic effect.

Gates’ wealth was undoubtedly among the top echelon in the world.

“Hmph, if this guy doesn’t leave Sabaody today, he might not make it out alive,” Soros sneered to himself.

As the saying goes, wealth should not be flaunted openly. Anyone who dared to spend so lavishly in the chaotic region of the Sabaody Archipelago should better be prepared for the hungry wolves who will come knocking.

Rhodes nodded slightly in agreement. This kind of rich merchant was the favorite prey for pirates.

“And now, the last item of this auction,” the host announced as he unveiled a sheathed long sword on the tray.

Before it was even drawn, the sword exuded a sharp and fierce aura, it was clearly not an ordinary item.

“This sword, named Aranakiri, is a masterpiece created by a master blacksmith with his blood, sweat, and tears. It was forged using earth fire and was struck by lightning on the day it was completed, resulting in its exceptional quality. Even among the Great Blades, it ranks among the top,” the host explained.

“Starting bid, 30 million bellies.”

The various powerful individuals and wealthy nobles present all looked excited at the prospect of bidding on the sword.

It was clear that they had come specifically for the Lanqie.

Powerful individuals craved Great Blades, while wealthy nobles either collected them or used them to build connections and expand their networks.

Take Gates, for example. His business empire centered in his homeland of Flower Country, so it was crucial that he maintain good relations with the Flower Country royal family.

If it could be solved with money, it wasn’t even worth considering.

“40 million bellies!” Soros raised his paddle.

Some people were surprised to see Soros bidding, as he was not a swordsman and had no particular interest in collecting famous swords. Could it be that someone within the World Government had their eye on this sword?

Upon thinking this, no one else dared to speak up.

The World Government had ruled the world for 800 years and accumulated a vast amount of power, making it not something that ordinary people would dare to defy.

As the host hesitated on whether or not to bring down the hammer, a confident voice called out, “One hundred million!”

Everyone was shocked as they searched for the source of the voice, and saw that it was none other than Gates, the wealthiest merchant in the West Sea.

“You!” Soros seethed with anger, feeling disrespected by Gates.

“One hundred and ten million!” Soros raised his bid again.

“One hundred and fifty million!” Gates calmly responded.

Many of the wealthy merchants and nobles present were on the brink of collapse, shocked by the huge increments in the bids. For every one million added by the other side, Gates added four or five million.

It was clear that he was determined to win.

Soros was taken aback. He had already considered using million as his unit of measurement to be extravagant, but he never expected Gates to be even more over-the-top.

For a moment, Soros couldn’t help feeling a little overwhelmed. He wasn’t like Gates, a free trader with no oversight – he had the World Government to answer to and while he did have a generous amount of funds, he couldn’t afford to be frivolous with them or risk being targeted.

As he considered this, Soros couldn’t help but turn to the leader of their group, Rhodes, seeking his opinion.

Rhodes’s brow furrowed slightly. He had previously bragged about having 200 million on hand, enough to buy a Great blade, but he hadn’t anticipated running into someone like Gates, who seemed prepared to do whatever is to take what he wants.

“Our limit is 200 million. Anything more isn’t worth it,” Rhodes declared.

After all, his eyes were locked on the sword in the possession of the Flower Country, and while the Aranakiri was a decent sword, it wasn’t a necessity.

“Fine,” Soros gritted his teeth and raised his placard once more.

“160 million!”