Saint Rosward hadn't brought enough Beli with him this time. If he bought that Devil Fruit, he might not have enough left to purchase what he truly wanted. He had to give it up but he already memorized Mondo's face, burning it into his mind. Sooner or later, he'd make that man his slave and teach him a painful lesson.
"Interesting," Teach muttered with a faint grin as he watched Mondo leave. "Not just a reckless brute. There's thought behind that roar."
Teach could see it—the spark of cunning buried under that rough exterior. Given time, with the Exploding Bear Fruit, that pirate might grow into someone worth noticing. If he survived long enough to reach the New World, that was.
Mondo completed the purchase swiftly, taking his men backstage to seal the deal. Every last coin they had went into that fruit. There was no reason to stay and watch the rest. They planned to eat it, leave, and disappear before trouble found them. A wise move, though it disappointed those who had been waiting to rob them once the auction ended.
The auction moved on.
"The second main item up for bid," Kyle announced with an excited gleam, "is a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit — the Scythe-Scythe Fruit! Once wielded by the great pirate Blood Scythe Barton, bounty seven hundred million Beli! After his death in the New World two years ago, his power has returned to the sea! Eat it, and perhaps you'll become the next Barton!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Seven hundred million. Even saying the number made lesser pirates tremble.
Teach's grin widened. "So it's that one."
"What's wrong?" Mostima asked, raising an eyebrow. "You know him?"
"Heh heh… you could say Barton died by my hand," Teach said, his voice casual but eyes glinting. "Me and Anthony, together."
Mostima's eyes flickered with surprise, but he quickly composed himself. "Then should we bid?"
"Of course. You can never have too many Devil Fruits. If nothing else, they're worth collecting," Teach said with a smirk. "Every power has its moment to shine."
The Scythe-Scythe Fruit wasn't weak. In the hands of a true fighter, it could turn the user into a whirlwind of death. In the hands of a coward, it was nothing but a fancy blade.
Saint Rosward, overhearing the fruit's name, scoffed inwardly. "Scythe? Trash ability." To him, the crowd's excitement looked idiotic. "Commoners… always so easily pleased," he muttered, shaking his head as though surrounded by fools.
The bids rose quickly. The name alone carried power, the legacy of Barton drawing hungry eyes. But as always, few could afford to keep up when the numbers grew high. Mostima, calm and patient, bid strategically until the final hammer fell.
"Sold! For five hundred thirty million Beli!" Kyle announced, voice cracking from excitement.
All eyes turned to Mostima. The cloaked man had now claimed not one, but two Devil Fruits. The murmurs began to spread like wildfire. Some saw him as prey—two Devil Fruits and a two-hundred-million bounty were tempting targets. Others, those with sharper instincts, recognized danger and quietly decided to keep their distance.
And then, Kyle's voice rose again.
"This… is the final main auction item! An exceedingly rare treasure — a mermaid!"
A heavy tank filled with seawater was rolled onto the stage. Inside floated a young mermaid with long blue hair that shimmered under the lights, her tail glimmering like polished sapphire. A slave collar gleamed cruelly around her neck, chains running into the tank to keep her restrained. Her tearful eyes reflected the room — filled with greed, awe, and silent fear.
Kyle's voice echoed through the hall. "Starting bid: fifty million Beli!"
The crowd stirred. Even the most jaded nobles and pirates couldn't help staring. But none dared to move. Everyone knew the Celestial Dragon's taste. This was his prey. Competing for her meant death.
Already, some were leaving. What was the point in staying? The mermaid's fate had already been decided.
Teach glanced toward Mostima, amusement in his eyes. "What's this? You planning to bid? Maybe win yourself a beauty? I heard mermaids can grow legs when they turn thirty."
Mostima smiled faintly at the teasing, not denying it. "No need to act rashly. There are other ways to save her."
Teach's grin deepened. "Then follow your heart. It's just a Celestial Dragon."
Teach's tone carried quiet confidence. He trusted Mostima. That young man had grown — not just in power but in judgment. Only twenty-two or twenty-three, and already someone Teach could picture standing among his future officers. Teach might've been selfish, but as captain, he believed in giving his crew the freedom to act.
The Roger Pirates would burn a country for a crewmate. Teach saw no reason to be lesser.
"Heh. Then that's the kind of strength I'll need, Captain," Mostima said softly, smiling as his eyes met the mermaid's. Her name was Kairi — her gaze full of despair, chained in a world that saw her as nothing more than property.
She had ignored her kin's warnings, wandered too far, and paid the price. She knew exactly what fate awaited a captured mermaid. No words could describe the hopelessness in her chest.
But when she looked out through her tears, she saw him — Mostima's calm figure, his eyes steady, his expression kind. Their gazes met, and in that fleeting moment, her heart steadied.
He nodded once. A silent promise.
Then, quietly, Mostima began to act.
Above the grand hall, faint silver feathers shimmered into existence, slicing soundlessly through wood and stone. Cracks began to spider across the ceiling — fine lines invisible to most, but deadly all the same.
The auction for the mermaid had already begun.
"Five hundred million! I'll take her!" Saint Rosward declared arrogantly, his voice booming through the silence. His greedy eyes locked onto Kairi like a predator savoring the kill. The thought of parading her before his peers filled him with smug delight.
Kairi felt sick under that gaze. She looked back at Mostima — and saw his calm smile. Somehow, it made her feel safe again.
A soft rain of dust began to fall from the rafters. Those with sharp instincts noticed. Some rose quietly and slipped toward the exits.
Then came the sound — a deep, splintering crack.
Everyone froze.
The ceiling groaned. The fine cracks widened into gaping fractures, and the massive roof above began to sink. Panic exploded through the room like wildfire.
"Run! It's collapsing!" someone screamed.
The doors burst open as the crowd stampeded, shoving and trampling each other to escape.
The Celestial Dragon's calm shattered. His central seat — once a symbol of superiority — had become a death trap.
"Quick! Get me out of here!" Rosward screamed at his guards. "And bring the mermaid! I don't want a scratch on her!"
"Yes, Saint Rosward!" his men answered, drawing their weapons as chunks of stone began to fall.
But then came the crash — a thunderous boom as the ceiling finally gave way.
The guards threw themselves around Rosward, abandoning everything else. The mermaid's tank shattered, water spilling across the floor.
Kairi closed her eyes, waiting for the end.
And then—a flash.
A silver arc swept through the chaos. The chain at her collar snapped clean in two. The next instant, she was gone, swept away in a blur.
Blood spattered across the ground. Screams filled the air. The once-grand auction house was now a scene of carnage and dust.
Kairi opened her eyes slowly. She was in Mostima's arms, his cloak brushing her face. Her cheeks burned.
"You can't go far," Mostima murmured. "The collar will explode."
Teach stepped forward from the shadows, smiling. "Relax. My Haki might not be perfect yet, but this much is child's play."
He shrugged off his cloak and draped it over the trembling mermaid, hiding her tail from sight. Then, with both hands, he gripped the collar.
Kairi trembled. She knew what was coming, but her fear was instinctive — the collar was built to detonate if tampered with.
"Don't worry," Mostima said gently. "Trust him."
Her breath steadied. For the first time in days, she felt warmth instead of fear.
Invisible Haki flowed through Teach's palms, pressing into the collar like an unseen current. Tiny cracks spread across its surface.
Crack.
And then—snap.
Teach ripped it free and hurled it away. The collar detonated mid-air with a thunderous explosion that shook the ruined auction hall.
"Let's move," Mostima said quickly. His Observation Haki had already picked up movement. Reinforcements were coming fast.
Outside, the chaos had already spread. Marines surrounded the area, blocking every exit. Inside, the organizers were in a frenzy, screaming for answers. A catastrophe of this scale—especially with a Celestial Dragon involved—would destroy reputations and cost lives.
"Damn it! Who did this?!" bellowed Lincoln, a Marine Lieutenant Commander stationed nearby. His face was pale with fear. Had Saint Rosward been hurt, he'd be finished.
Meanwhile, in Area 3, Mostima moved quietly through the empty streets. The night air was cold, still, and tense. His steps echoed faintly on the cobblestone.
Then, from the shadows, figures emerged—pirates and bounty hunters, closing in on both ends of the street.
Unseen, from a nearby rooftop, Kairi clutched Teach's cloak around her shoulders and whispered nervously, "He'll be alright… won't he?"
Teach stood beside her, eyes sharp and calm. "Don't worry," he said, watching the gathering storm ahead. "This is his fight. Watch closely—and remember what true strength looks like."