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Chapter 223: A Dancer Appears!
Chapter 223: A Dancer Appears!
"One million berries! We're opening the bidding at one million berries, and number 44 has just purchased a musician and brewer who might just earn him a fortune. This price is an absolute steal!"
The first auction of the day was off to a roaring start, and even the auctioneer, Disco, couldn't believe that someone had jumped straight to a million berries.
Even with his prepared stooges to drive up the price, he hadn't expected it to soar this high and had thought that sixty or seventy million berries would be a high enough mark.
After all, no matter how much he hyped it up, the value of item number one was right there for everyone to see—it was essentially a small-time pirate who, at best, was proficient with musical instruments, a skill of little use on the high seas.
As for the cleaning skill, anyone could do that, and the specialty of brewing was of no interest to true noble magnates.
In essence, this was a worthless item, and yet there was a gullible fool who had bought it.
"Next, let's take a look at item number two, a wild man from Maruna, a non-affiliated country in the South Blue. This man possesses a robust physique, and years of exposure to the elements have made him adaptable to any environment. He can even survive without clothing, relying solely on his body. He will make an excellent laborer and a perfect punching bag to vent your frustrations on when you're feeling blue!"
A man wearing only grass pants and with his hair braided was led onto the stage, his eyes wide with terror as he looked at the audience seated in the hall.
A robust man like him naturally attracted the attention of some of the ugly-faced ladies in the audience, as well as some men with peculiar fetishes, and they began to bid fervently.
It was during this intense bidding war that Kalifa, who had been sitting beside Sarge, quietly disappeared.
In the midst of the lively auction, no one noticed the sudden disappearance of a single person, and as a CP9 agent, Kalifa was adept at staying hidden. She moved along the edge of the hall, her body flashing as she quickened her pace and slipped backstage.
"So this is the cage they're kept in."
Kalifa observed the cage backstage, scanning the captives within. Most of them were humans, and there was even an old man drinking alcohol.
"Well, well, well. A lovely young lady has joined us."
A bespectacled old man with a long chin and a face full of white hair and beard took a swig from a metal flask he pulled from his bosom and grinned at Kalifa.
"That's sexual harassment," Kalifa replied instinctively, before turning her attention to the others.
Among the captives were not only humans but also other races, the most eye-catching of which were a giant and...
"A mermaid?"
In the cage was a green-haired girl, but instead of legs, she had a pink fishtail, making her appear exceptionally beautiful.
Although she was a trained agent, this was the first time Kalifa had ever seen a mermaid.
This place was truly despicable, selling not only giants but even mermaids.
"This is..."
Kalifa paused, then whispered, "A sin."
If she were still an agent of the World Government, she might have had to suppress these uncomfortable feelings. Even now, old habits died hard, and their plan was still to return to the World Government eventually. In the meantime, the CP9 agents would maintain a low profile.
But now...
Now that she had joined the Calamity Pirates, she didn't have to concern herself with such wickedness. Sarge would take care of it; he would raze this wicked place to the ground.
"Hey, numbers four and five, get ready!"
Two guards entered from the backstage entrance and, upon spotting Kalifa by the cage, immediately assumed a defensive stance. "Who are you?" they demanded.
"Get your manager here," Kalifa said, pushing up her glasses. "I have a message for him from your boss, Donquixote Doflamingo."
...
"Wonderful! Item number three, a professional veterinarian from the Grand Line named Jasmine, has been sold for eight million berries. Congratulations to buyer number 63! And now, let's move on to item number four."
Auctioneer Disco's enthusiasm was infectious, but just as he was about to introduce item number four, a guard escorting the item rushed over and whispered something in his ear.
Disco paused, then quickly regained his smile. "My apologies, dear bidders, but I need to take a quick break. The excitement of this auction has me feeling rather urgent, if you catch my drift. In the meantime, my capable colleagues will take over the auction. Rest assured, I'll be back before you know it, and we can continue this wonderful event. Of course, I'm sure you're all more interested in the items up for grabs than my whereabouts."
His words elicited a wave of laughter from the audience.
Indeed, he was a master at rousing the crowd.
"Lily, look, that's what you call a professional."
Sarge pointed to the retreating host and laughed. "He may be in a tricky situation, but he remains calm and even cracks a joke. What a shame that he's a slave trader; otherwise, he'd make a great clown on my ship."
He could buy slaves here, but Sarge had no interest in becoming a slave trader himself. In fact, he found the profession somewhat repulsive.
Slave traders were, by and large, bullies who preyed on the weak. Most of the time, they sought out unfortunate souls to sell, as capturing strong individuals was rarely an option.
Sarge had never been interested in the weak, to begin with.
So, while he was buying slaves here, it was purely to give Donquixote a face.
Even though Donflamingo didn't want them anymore, the auction hadn't ended, and that guy still had to set up the Den Den Mushi bugs. Sarge wouldn't make a move on this place until he sold the Celestial Dragons.
Moreover, it would be so easy.
"When I do something, I always aim for the top in the industry. I capture and sell what others dare not. First, I capture, then I sell—strength permitted, of course. That's what true professionalism looks like." Sarge's sinister smile grew wider.
"Indeed, no one has your guts." Lily nodded in agreement.
These slaves on the stage were just humans, at most with some special skills. Even the most valuable male giants and female mermaids in this large venue weren't as precious as the humans Sarge had brought.
There were pirates for sale, and even some navy personnel—criminals or former navy members who had committed crimes. Spies, non-affiliated nobles, and even members of the military were up for grabs.
But never in the history of slave trading had anyone sold a Celestial Dragon...
Until now. Sarge had jumped straight to the peak of the industry.
Only that the risk he was about to take was exponentially greater than anything he had attempted before.
Lily couldn't help but feel a little helpless. According to Sarge himself, he had never been able to get anywhere, even as a thug. But now, not only was his pirate business thriving, but he had also reached the top as a slave trader.
Was this what fate had in store for him?
Was the path of a villainous trade truly suited to him?
Being a pirate wasn't necessarily a righteous path, and that perception varied from person to person. After all, everyone involved was free, and there were definitely pirates out there who acted justly. But from the general perception and reputation, being a pirate was considered evil.
Lily conceded that point, not thinking that she was doing anything particularly admirable. She was merely acting according to her own heart.
Whether it was good or evil didn't matter.
And as for slave traders, there were hardly any positive examples to speak of.
Yet, Sarge seemed to be thriving in this line of work.
Item number four was yet another human, a robust man from a non-affiliated country in the South Blue. He was sold for eighty million berries.
Item number five was a woman, her beautiful purple hair contrasting with her average looks. She still fetched a price of sixty-five million berries.
Item number six was a labor group of ten people, sold as a package for seventy million berries.
Considering there were ten people, the price averaged out to a reasonable seven million berries per person.
But in Lily's opinion, the slaves they had taken from the slave trading company were of better value. Those slaves were worth only eight to nine million berries, and overall, this auction house knew how to sell.
After selling item number six, the bespectacled Disco returned to the stage, a wide smile on his face. "My dear bidders, I'm back, and I shall now introduce item number seven."
And at that moment, in a corner of the venue, several guards began installing Den Den Mushi bugs.
Normally, such an act wouldn't be permitted. The attendees were all individuals of high status, and recording the event would tarnish the auction house's reputation.
But who could refuse when the big boss gave the order?
Disco didn't understand, but since the big boss had issued a command and even added two popular items to the auction, he was more than happy to comply. All he had to do was add some introductory remarks, and he was promised this auction house as a reward. So, Disco readily agreed.
At that moment, Kalifa reappeared and stood next to Sarge. "The message has been conveyed, Captain. He will do as instructed."
"Excellent."
Sarge nodded, taking a puff of his cigar and exhaling a smoke ring. "Now, that's what makes it interesting. I want you to count the number of people here. When the time comes, don't let anyone slip away. I'm a buyer myself, after all."
"A total of one hundred and fifty-three people, with numbers up to 99, though not everyone is holding a number plate."
Kalifa said directly, "I already counted the number of people when we arrived. Also, regarding our entry, we don't need to wait until the very end. I suggest we make our entrance towards the end when the last few items are being presented because the remaining people will definitely pique your interest."
"You certainly have the makings of a secretary; good work. We've never had anyone manage the finances on the ship, so I'll leave that to you from now on. What kind of people will interest me?" Sarge laughed.
Indeed, no one on the ship managed the finances. They had a shared system for dividing up the spoils of war, but each person contributed to this fund voluntarily, so Sarge wasn't exactly sure how much was in there. In any case, the money was used to purchase supplies, ingredients, and anything else needed for hosting feasts.
The Calamity Pirates didn't have a nominal second-in-command, but there were several key members who served as de facto right-hand people to Sarge.
Lily was in charge of navigation and command, focusing on Sarge's plans and ensuring smooth execution to avoid any mishaps.
Hawkins was the chief of staff, offering concrete ideas and actions in addition to his probability readings.
Marika was the head chef, managing the ingredients and meals for the crew.
As the captain of the shipworkers, Renetia was responsible for ship maintenance and often came up with improvements and inventions to enhance the crew's weapons. Previously, she had led a team of workers who only knew how to handle tools and perform manual labor.
But with Kaku's joining, she now had someone to lead her team of shipworkers, and his five years of experience as a shipworker in Water Seven would undoubtedly be an asset.
Ajin served as the chief of combat, overseeing the crew's daily training and battles. With Gabra's addition, they had also established an instructional team.
However, the former CP9 agents, led by Lucci, were still somewhat detached from the rest of the crew and only worked closely with Sarge, who kept them in line. They functioned as the intelligence team, with Lucci as the intelligence chief.
But despite their various roles, no one had taken on the task of managing the finances.
Kalifa, in addition to her intelligence work, could easily take on this additional responsibility.
"I understand. I'll take over the financial management when we return to the ship."
Kalifa pushed up her glasses, readily accepting the task.
She didn't feel any burden; after all, it was part of her job, and she preferred being a secretary to being an agent.
"There's a giant, a mermaid, a maid, and a dancer in the cage backstage."
Kalifa believed these would be of interest to Sarge, especially the dancer, as he had mentioned wanting one more than once.
"A dancer? Really?"
Sarge's eyes lit up. "Great! I love dancers!"
"Yes, their numbers are towards the end. I took a quick look, and the highest slave number here is twenty, so those folks will be presented much later," Kalifa explained.
"Then they must be quite rare."
Lily nodded. "The more rearward the number, the more precious they should be. The giant and the mermaid are both great, but if we're going to buy them, Sarge, we should get the maid as well."
She and Marika were currently in charge of keeping the captain's room tidy, with the occasional help from the young Retty, who could manage tasks like sofa-dusting with her small stature.
A professional maid would be a great help with the housekeeping.
Moreover, a giant and a mermaid...
Lily's eyes narrowed with curiosity.
She had never seen such beings before, even though she had encountered many tall people, but they weren't giants. And as for mermaids, she wondered if they truly had fish tails instead of legs.
"A maid, huh? Sure, let's get one to clean the captain's room. If she's rare enough, her skills should be exceptional. When we have our own territory, we can even develop a team of maids."
Sarge smiled. "And a dance troupe!"
As for the giant and the mermaid...
He was more intrigued by the giant than the mermaid.
Mermaids were said to be very beautiful, but they still had human faces. How beautiful could they really be? Both Lily and Marika were stunning beauties, and little Retty would grow up to be just as beautiful. But beauty alone wasn't that useful.
Sarge didn't have any particular interest in keeping mermaids as aquarium displays.
The giant, however, was worth a look.
(End of Chapter)
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