When Buggy thought about how he had missed the journey to the final island because of a mere illness, he felt like dying.
It was, without a doubt, the greatest regret of his life.
That thought left him briefly dejected—
but soon, a new worry took its place.
If Captain Yuuki finds out I never reached the final island… that I don't know anything about the One Piece…
Buggy glanced nervously at the white-robed figure walking ahead.
A chill ran through him.
"You'll find out soon enough."
Yuuki replied without even turning around.
If Yuuki knew what Buggy was thinking right now, he would probably just say—
You're overthinking it.
"Captain, what is Haki?"
Marianne suddenly asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.
During the earlier battle with Rayleigh, Yuuki had mentioned this power called Haki.
Mohji and Cabaji also looked over, clearly just as curious.
"Haki is a latent power that all humans are born with," Yuuki said calmly.
"To put it simply, in the Grand Line, only those who have mastered Haki can be considered to have barely stepped into the realm of the strong."
"As for what it actually does…"
Yuuki paused slightly.
"Buggy, explain it to them."
"…Huh?"
Buggy froze.
Then he felt the gazes of Mohji and the others land on him.
The ones most surprised were Mohji and Cabaji, who had once been under Buggy's command.
They were starting to realize—
their former captain might not have been as simple as they thought.
Along the way, Buggy stiffly explained the basics of Haki to them.
At this point, he was completely certain—
Yuuki already knew he had once been a member of the Roger Pirates.
Sabaody Archipelago — Area 1
One of the core zones of the lawless region.
Here stood the largest human trafficking shop and auction house on the island.
Humans.
Notorious pirates.
Even rare and valuable merfolk.
Everything could be bought here—as long as you had the money.
At this moment—
a grand auction was underway.
Inside the massive auction hall, countless eyes were fixed on the stage.
Though there wasn't much noise, the atmosphere burned with excitement.
A woman dressed in revealing attire—barely covered by a strip of cloth across her chest—walked onto the stage, carrying a black box.
Whistles and crude cheers echoed from the crowd as greedy gazes followed her.
She placed the box on the platform, then deliberately winked before leaving, drawing another round of wolf whistles.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
The auctioneer—a fat man in an elegant suit—raised a microphone and spoke loudly.
"The next item is a Zoan-type Devil Fruit!"
"According to the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, this is the Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Bison!"
"A rare Zoan fruit with exceptional strength and endurance!"
"The starting price—150 million Berries!"
He opened the box, revealing a Devil Fruit covered in mysterious swirling patterns.
At once—
all eyes in the hall locked onto it.
Everyone knew the value of a Devil Fruit.
And a combat-oriented Zoan like this?
Even more desirable.
Eat it—
and you instantly gained power.
Whether for oneself or a subordinate, it was an excellent choice.
Many people were clearly tempted.
Yet—
despite the heated atmosphere—
no one spoke.
Instead, their gazes subtly shifted toward a VIP seat.
There sat a Celestial Dragon.
No one dared bid before a Celestial Dragon.
No one dared compete for something they wanted.
"160 million Berries."
A cold-faced bodyguard in a black suit, standing beside the Celestial Dragon, called out the bid.
The moment those words fell—
the entire hall seemed to hold its breath.
Many looked disappointed—
but no one dared challenge it.
The one who felt it most, however, was the auctioneer.
Originally, this fruit should have sold for over 200 million.
Now—
interrupted by a Celestial Dragon—
he was losing a huge profit.
Still—
he didn't dare show even a trace of dissatisfaction.
"Sold!"
He slammed the gavel down enthusiastically.
The counting process?
Skipped entirely.
Who would dare outbid a Celestial Dragon?
"Next—our final item of the night!"
"The one everyone has been waiting for…"
"A Fish-Man!"
He tried to hype the crowd, but the response was lukewarm.
He knew why.
With a Celestial Dragon present—
no one expected to win anyway.
Suppressing his frustration, he gestured backstage.
Soon—
a large iron cage was pushed out.
Inside was a tall, thin Fish-Man with dark green skin—clearly weak and battered.
A swordfish-type Fish-Man.
"Starting price—200 million Berries!"
The auctioneer didn't bother hyping it further.
Instead, he looked eagerly toward the Celestial Dragon—
Saint Charlos.
Charlos stared at the cage.
"…Ugly."
He sniffed, wiping his nose, his dull expression showing disappointment.
"I thought there'd be a mermaid this time…"
Though he spoke quietly, the silence made his words carry.
Many people's eyes lit up.
The auctioneer, however, stiffened.
Charlos scratched his nose lazily.
"…Whatever. It'll do as a slave."
His bodyguard immediately prepared to bid.
But—
BOOM!
A loud explosion erupted outside.
The wall shattered open—
debris flying everywhere.
Through the smoke—
Yuuki and his group walked in.
The sudden intrusion stunned the entire hall.
The bodyguard instantly stepped in front of Charlos, alert.
Even the slightest disturbance could cost him his life.
"Well, this is lively."
Yuuki walked forward calmly in his white robe.
"I hope we're not interrupting."
"Who are you?!"
The auctioneer's expression twisted.
"Do you have any idea where you are?!"
"How dare you break into our auction!"
Swish! Swish!
Guards flooded in from all directions, weapons drawn.
The response was immediate.
Clearly, this wasn't their first time dealing with troublemakers.
Yet—
the audience didn't flee.
Instead, they watched eagerly.
Scenes like this weren't uncommon here.
Yuuki merely glanced at the approaching guards.
No order was needed.
Mohji, Cabaji, Marianne—
even Buggy—
moved at once.
"Beast Magic — Cheetah Strike!"
Mohji surged forward like a crimson lightning bolt.
Screams erupted instantly.
"Wind Magic — Storm of Blades!"
Cabaji floated into the air and pressed his hands downward.
Countless wind blades rained like bullets.
"Painting Magic — Black of Betrayal!"
Marianne flicked her brush.
Black ink splattered across guards—
and in an instant—
they turned on their allies.
The battlefield descended into chaos.
The auctioneer's face twitched violently.
Seeing his men fall in seconds—
he turned and ran.
But—
he tripped.
His head slammed into the stage.
"Ah—! It hurts!"
Looking down, he saw—
his legs were being held by disembodied hands.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Buggy grinned as his detached hands returned.
Boom!
"Die in style!"
Buggy kicked him hard in the chest—
sending him flying into a wall.
P.S We're a 100 Powerstones away from the bonus chapter