"Who do you think... is standing before you?! You bastard!!"
"I've had enough! I'll kill you!!"
Jack the Drought, one of the All-Stars of the Beasts Pirates and a user of the Ancient Species Elephant-Elephant Fruit Mammoth Form!
He was incredibly robust, standing a full meter taller than even the seven-meter giant, Kaido. His most striking features were the tusks adorning his head and shoulders, which at first glance looked as if they had grown from his own body.
King and Queen were responsible for guarding their headquarters, so among the top executives, Kaido had only brought Jack.
Kaido held Jack in high regard, and Jack was unfailingly respectful to Kaido, viewing him as a figure of worship.
Before setting out, his elder brother King had warned him multiple times: if he encountered the man called the White Wolf, he must absolutely avoid conflict with him.
Jack had listened and endured several times.
But now... he simply couldn't hold back anymore!!
How dare he be so disrespectful to Boss Kaido!!
I don't care who you are!! I'm going to kill you!!
The atmosphere, which had just settled, erupted again due to Jack's furious roar.
Griffin's smile was like a crescent moon, his hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist. "Then... come."
Clang—
Jack's eyes were consumed by crimson, as if rage had completely taken control of his brain. He drew the shotel blades from his tusk ornaments.
Just as the situation reached its breaking point...
Thud—
Kaido raised an arm to block Jack, his voice sounding like muffled thunder.
"We're even. I forgive the kid's offense."
"Don't look at Jack with those dangerous eyes."
Despite the complications, the auction proceeded as scheduled, with people from all over the world arriving one after another.
The venue was exceptionally large and magnificent, featuring an architectural style reminiscent of Mary Geoise, predominantly white. To ensure that giant-sized guests didn't feel restricted, the seating on one side was designed to be massive.
Kaido's area reflected Doflamingo's meticulous attention to detail; it was specifically tailored to the Beasts Pirates' style, featuring rugged stone thrones.
Maids carrying drinks moved through the crowd. When passing the Beasts Pirates, they quickened their pace, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
But when they reached Griffin's side...
They stopped immediately. Even after setting down the drinks, they were unwilling to leave, crowding together behind him with hearts in their eyes.
Tap— tap— tap—
"What an unprecedented face. Even I have never seen anyone more beautiful than you."
"This isn't something an ordinary woman could ever hope to rival... wouldn't you agree, Rear Admiral Griffin?"
The woman's voice was filled with charm, a sultry tone that could melt one's bones.
She walked out slowly, wearing a high-slit pink and white dress, thin plumes of smoke rising from the long, slender pipe in her hand.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Stussy of the Pleasure Street, here to pay my respects!"
The Queen of the Underground World's Pleasure Street...
"Get lost."
Griffin lowered his head slightly, looking at Stussy with cold indifference. "A replica of Buckingham Stussy... looking at you makes me sick."
Stussy recoiled two steps, her pupils shrinking rapidly.
She hurriedly looked left and right, ensuring that no one from the World Government was nearby, and lowered her voice. "What do you know?!"
Griffin slowly raised a hand. "There is no need to explain anything to you. Shiryu, if she doesn't move, kill her."
"Though I don't understand what you two are talking about, how can you expect me to strike such a beautiful woman..."
Despite his words, Shiryu had already stood up and drawn his blade.
He was someone who wouldn't even hesitate to strike Hancock. A mere Stussy...
Shiryu was contemplating where to cut to get the maximum blood spray!
The best part about following Griffin was that his killing instincts were fully liberated.
The G-179 Branch didn't have a prison.
Pirates who had killed were executed; those whose crimes didn't warrant death were assigned to forced labor.
Wanting to sit in a cell and eat Griffin's food for free? Keep dreaming!
"Wait! I'm leaving!!"
Stussy didn't hesitate for a second. She didn't even care about exposing herself as she left, even using Moonwalk to flee.
"Tch! She ran fast!"
Shiryu sheathed his blade reluctantly, his cold gaze shifting toward the gathered maids. Just as he opened his mouth, he seemed to remember something and immediately clamped his jaw shut and sat back down.
There had been a similar situation before. His killing intent had flared up, but he couldn't kill the intended target, so he had looked at the civilians living at the base and made a snide remark.
'Why don't I just slash these onlookers to death!'
For the following three months, Shiryu had stayed in the Critical Care Unit, nearly failing to make it out.
The highest seats on either side of the auction were assigned to Griffin and Kaido. Below them sat various powerhouses of the underground world and famous Pirates.
There were also many unknown Pirates.
The reputation of the Float-Float Fruit was too great. Even rookies who had just entered the New World without wealth or power couldn't help but think...
What if I'm the one who gets it?
This was a genuine chance to soar to the heavens, and that wasn't just a metaphor!
"Even Stussy hit a wall..."
"I only saw him in the newspapers before... aside from a face that's unnaturally beautiful, he doesn't seem to have much of an aura."
"Is this the legendary new Hero of the Marines?"
"Quiet!"
An older man beside him nudged him and whispered, "By the time trash like you can perceive his aura, you'd have already died eight times over!"
"I heard that when he arrived, he and Kai—"
Mid-sentence, he caught a glimpse of the massive figure dominating one side of the auction out of the corner of his eye and didn't dare continue.
"In short, we've long reached a consensus: just view him as an equal to those three monster Admirals of the Marines. Don't be fooled by his rank of Rear Admiral. That old man Sengoku is very wicked!"
"The sixth page of the World Economic Journal has a theory. The reason the White Wolf hasn't been promoted isn't because of that nonsensical declaration. Actually..."
He leaned in and whispered, "You know Vice Admiral Tsuru, right? The dream girl of the older generation of Marines."
"Back in the day, both Sengoku and the Hero Garp were infatuated with her!"
"Hmm... I think I've seen that too. What does that have to do with the White Wolf not getting promoted?"
Smack!
A slap to the back of the head.
"I told you to read the papers more. You read one issue and think you know everything!"
"Listen... Marine rumors say Sengoku is pursuing the widowed Vice Admiral Tsuru, but she... Sengoku is jealous, which is why he banished him to a remote branch and refused to promote him!"
"What!! There's such a thing!!"
"Bastard! I told you to keep your voice down! If you keep shouting like that, I'm not bringing you out next time!!"
Sometimes, having hearing that was too good wasn't a blessing...
A vein throbbed on Griffin's forehead.
Because Morgans always used him as the protagonist for the sixth page of the Economic Journal, Griffin had previously sought him out for a "private talk."
After plucking all his feathers, the bird had finally behaved for a while.
Well, only for a while.
When he wanted to find the bird-man again, Morgans had wised up and refused to show.
Just as he was thinking of how to trick him into coming again, Griffin's attention was drawn by a commotion at the entrance.
"Huh?! What entrance fee? You have to pay just to enter a place?!"
"How much!!"
"Five hundred thousand Belly! That's enough for so many feasts! Why don't you just go and rob someone!!"
The commotion at the door attracted more and more attention. A noble lady covered her smile with a folding fan, her eyes showing disdain. "Where did this country bumpkin come from? Can't even produce five hundred thousand, yet dares to come to an auction."
Ace still had ice crystals on his body. He turned to Teach and held out his hand. "Teach, do you have money! Give me five hundred thousand!"
Teach fumbled around and pulled a coin out of his crotch, grinning to reveal his missing teeth. "I only have two hundred."
"Two hundred, not ten thousand?! You go out without bringing money!"
"I thought you brought some, Captain Ace..."
Griffin rubbed his forehead.
"Shiryu, go and bring them over. Don't let them keep embarrassing themselves."
Shiryu immediately stood up, his expression turning ferocious as he turned his back to Griffin.
Damn bastard! He actually dares to use me as a servant! Just you wait! Lord Shiryu will...
When Ace arrived before him, his face was still full of defiance.
"Hmph! Putting on that Marine skin certainly makes you rich. You must have embezzled quite a bit!"
Griffin tapped his knee lightly and spoke slowly. "Ace, I really don't like you."
"It's only out of respect for your elders that I've tolerated you time and again."
"Elders..."
Ace's gaze softened slightly. "Do you still remember the old man? Then..."
"Not Whitebeard," Griffin interrupted him.
Ace's expression shifted, darkening. "You're not talking about that person, are you... Let me tell you, my only father is—"
"I meant your mother," Griffin said calmly, his tapping finger stopping.
"Compared to that mother of yours, what is a mere Pirate King worth?"
"Cherish the life she gave you. This is my one and only piece of advice."