Chapter 36: The Raid
Late at night.
Grove 1, Human Auction House.
The surroundings were peaceful, with only the occasional soft sound of bubbles rising from the ground. However, a loud bang instantly shattered the tranquility of the night.
BOOM!
Thick smoke and dust rose from the entrance of the auction house. A large hole was blasted through the heavy, sturdy door, and the entire venue shook violently.
Ring ring ring!
Ring ring ring!
...
The alarm blared throughout the entire auction house.
Meanwhile, inside the auction house, in a luxurious lounge.
Disco was drooling and fast asleep. The sudden loud noise startled him so much that he rolled over and fell off the bed.
"What's going on? What was that sound?! Guards! Where are the guards?! Why aren't you asleep so late at night? Is it some damn slave trying to escape and causing trouble?" Disco got up from the floor, grabbed the coat beside him, and put it on angrily.
Late-night explosions often occurred at the venue; they weren't uncommon at all. Some people who didn't understand how terrible the explosive collars were would try to destroy them or find ways to escape, causing explosions that woke Disco from his sound sleep.
He opened the door and strode angrily toward the cells, wanting to see which reckless fool was causing trouble so late at night.
However, when he arrived near the prison cells, Disco was instantly terrified by the chaotic scene.
"Something terrible has happened! Master Disco, pirates have broken in!"
"There are so many pirates; they're wreaking havoc in the hall!"
"Many of our people were injured. What should we do now?"
These guards, armed with spears and wearing armor, surrounded Disco like ants on a hot pan.
Thud!
Thud!
Disco jumped up, kicked the two closest to him, and shouted angrily, "Trash! All of you trash! Asking me what to do? What's the point of keeping you! How dare pirates come here to cause trouble? Don't they know where this place is? Which pirate crew are they? Did you see clearly?"
Any pirate crew that could make it to the Sabaody Archipelago through sea adventures, no matter how strong, had to have some brains. Who would be so reckless as to attack a human auction house with connections? It made no sense at all!
"The Dawn Pirates! They shouted that they were the Dawn Pirates and demanded we hand over all our treasures!"
"That's right, the one leading the attack, the most brutal one, was their captain, Dahn Shuke!"
"There was another one who was also super scary. He knocked three of us out with one punch. His name is... Dahn Page!"
"Yes, yes! And there are two women with dual guns!"
"..."
The guards all spoke at once.
"Huh? The Dawn Pirates? Is there such a pirate crew? I've never heard of them! Go! Go and fight them off! Those 'goods' are wearing collars; they can't escape! What are you standing around for? If the Celestial Dragons blame us tomorrow, you'll all be dead!" Disco knocked the guards on their heads, urging them to provide support.
Hearing the threat of the Celestial Dragons' blame, the guards were no longer afraid. They all ran toward the hall with their heads held high.
In the hall.
BOOM!
"Urgh..."
"I am Dahn Page, the brawler of the Dawn Pirates! Hand over all your treasures!"
T. Bone threw punch after punch, infusing them with Armament Haki. Each blow was accompanied by the screams of the guards. To avoid being recognized, Ian had given special orders before the operation: no using their usual weapons. Peacock had an additional rule: no using Devil Fruit abilities. Even with just his fists and Haki, T. Bone's combat prowess was still formidable.
T. Bone's weapon: Fists.
Nami and Skylark's weapons: Dual guns.
Peacock's weapon: Mace.
As for Ian...
At this moment, he was transforming into a great swordsman and wreaking havoc on the scene.
In the enhancement template for [Overall Quality], there was an option for swordsmanship. Since it appeared, it had only been randomly selected for enhancement three times. In swordsmanship, Ian had reached the level of releasing sword energy but hadn't delved deeper into techniques. So, he only knew one move. In simple terms, it was called... random slashing!
"I slash!"
"I slash again!"
Boom...
Boom...
In preparation for today's action, he had specially found a broad, heavy sword. Every time he swung it, the fierce sword energy tore terrible gaps in the venue. The seats, furnishings, stage, and all kinds of decorations were utterly destroyed by Ian. What he wanted wasn't just to rob people and money but to completely destroy this place!
After creating massive chaos, Ian activated his ability to investigate:
There were 75 guards in the venue total. In just a few minutes, over half had been killed or injured. The rest either hesitated or sought shelter. Guards were human too; they would be afraid and want to survive. They simply couldn't figure out where the Dawn Pirates had come from. There were only five of them, but they exerted the energy of five hundred!
"Almost there. Beta (Nami), go find the keys! Page (T. Bone), follow Beta and get everyone out. Tom (Peacock), Jerry (Skylark), and I will go get the money and rob them all!" Ian stood high on the auction platform and directed his subordinates.
"Yes, Captain!"
"Understood, Captain!"
"Let's grab the money; follow the Captain!"
The group moved through the ruined corridors of the venue, sweeping toward the prison cabins and the finance office at the rear.
...
"Don't come any closer!"
"You damn pirates, don't you know this is a place the Celestial Dragons often visit?"
"We have the protection of the World Government's big shots. Don't you want to live?"
"Reinforcements are coming soon; why don't you run now?"
"Stop, everyone, stop! Please, don't come any closer!"
Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!