This was precisely why Jack rarely set foot on the Sabaody Archipelago. Even when passing through, he preferred to avoid landing altogether. As a marine, he was duty-bound not to resist the Celestial Dragons, but he feared that if he saw them with his own eyes, he wouldn't be able to hold back from wiping out those despicable tyrants. To prevent any unnecessary trouble, he simply chose to stay away.
Meanwhile, Zoro found himself face-to-face with a startled Celestial Dragon. Casually sipping his drink, he asked, "What's the problem? You need directions or something?"
The Celestial Dragon's immediate response was to draw a gun and fire at him. Sensing the hostility, Zoro instinctively prepared to retaliate, an act that sent waves of panic through the nearby civilians and pirates.
"That idiot… He's not really going to—" muttered Scratchmen Apoo, one of the supernovas, watching in shock as Zoro reached for his sword.
Just as Zoro was about to unsheathe his blade, Jewellery Bonnie suddenly charged at him from the side, slamming into him with enough force to knock him off balance. Dramatically wailing, she cried out, "Brother! Why did you have to die?!"
Completely baffled, Zoro looked down at her and asked, "Oi, what the hell are you doing?"
"Idiot! We're all pirates here, and we have to follow pirate rules! Do you want to get an admiral on our backs?!" Bonnie snapped as she dropped the act and got to her feet, glaring at him.
Zoro, however, paid her no mind. Instead, he turned his attention to the civilians who had been knocked down by the Celestial Dragons. Lifting one up, he ignored the chaos around him and simply asked, "Where's the nearest hospital?"
"You've got to be kidding me… A pirate actually saving people?" Joelle Bonnie muttered under her breath, watching Zoro carry the injured away with an expression of clear disapproval.
"It's a good thing Bonnie stepped in, or that could've turned into a real disaster. That was Straw Hat's swordsman, Pirate Hunter Zoro, right? I've heard that crew is full of lunatics. Taking on a Celestial Dragon like that… they must have a death wish," said Capone Bege, leader of the Fire Tank Pirates, shaking his head in disbelief.
"It's no surprise he survived. There were no signs of death on his face," Basil Hawkins, the Magician, commented in his usual calm manner.
"Their second-in-command already has a bounty of 120 million, and he doesn't strike me as the type to take orders from just anyone. That tells you everything you need to know about their captain," mused the strange monk, Urouge, watching Zoro disappear into the distance with growing curiosity.
Just as the commotion was settling down, back on the Thousand Sunny, Sanji and the others received a frantic call from Nami. Their mermaid friend, Camie, had gone missing. Knowing time was of the essence, Nami called Sanji specifically—he had the contact information for the Flying Fish Riders, experts in tracking and transportation.
It didn't take long before Duval, the narcissistic former pirate who bore an unfortunate resemblance to Sanji (before receiving a "corrective" kick to the face), reappeared on the scene.
Thanks to the efforts of the Flying Fish Riders, they quickly pinpointed Camie's location—DOck No. 1 of the Sabaody Archipelago, home to the largest human trafficking ring in the region. Without hesitation, Duval confirmed their worst fears: Camie had been taken there.
Luffy and his crew quickly began converging on the human auction house to rescue Camie.
Unbeknownst to them, however, the venue held another unexpected captive—none other than their intended coater, Silvers Rayleigh. Like Camie, he too was set to be auctioned off.
—
Meanwhile, at Navy Headquarters, Jack had just returned and was casually sipping tea with Garp when a commodore suddenly burst into the room, his voice urgent.
"Vice Admiral Garp! Urgent report!"
"What's got you so riled up?" Garp asked, unfazed, as he munched on senbei and sipped his tea.
"Sir! Reports indicate that 'Dark King' Rayleigh may have been spotted at the human auction house on Sabaody Archipelago!" the officer announced with a serious expression.
"Silvers Rayleigh? Hah! So that old coot ended up in a human auction?" Garp chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.
"Yes, sir. However, no one seems to have recognized him yet—he's just being treated as another old man up for sale. My men reported his sighting, but they aren't completely certain. Should we inform Fleet Admiral Sengoku?" The officer hesitated, unsure of the appropriate course of action.
Garp waved a dismissive hand. "No need to bother Sengoku with this. I'll handle it."
"But sir, what if it really is Rayleigh?" the officer asked, still uneasy.
"It has to be him," Garp said with a chuckle, taking a leisurely sip of his tea. He gestured for Jack to refill his cup before adding, "Knowing Rayleigh, I'd bet he lost a wager and sold himself off."
"Huh?" The colonel blinked in disbelief. "You're saying he willingly put himself up for auction?"
"It's best we pretend we know nothing," Garp replied, waving a hand dismissively. "The Navy doesn't have the spare manpower to pick a fight with Rayleigh right now."
Jack sighed and stood up. "Forget it, Sensei. I'll go check it out. He may be Dark King Rayleigh, but if the lower-ranked officers don't realize who they're dealing with and accidentally provoke him, things could get ugly."
Garp considered this for a moment before nodding. "Fine, but one thing—stay clear of the Celestial Dragons. The last thing I need is Sengoku sending an admiral after you."
The officer standing nearby furrowed his brows in confusion. He was well aware of Rear Admiral Jack's reputation—a prodigious talent, said to be a once-in-a-century genius. But why would Vice Admiral Garp imply that the fleet admiral himself might have to dispatch an admiral just to rein him in?
Without sparing the puzzled officer a second glance, Jack grabbed his cloak and strode out of Garp's office, heading straight for Sabaody.
When Jack arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago, the human auction house on Dock No. 1 was already packed. The venue was teeming with spectators—not just the Celestial Dragons and Dark King Rayleigh, but also Luffy and his crew, who had come to rescue Camie, along with several of the notorious supernovas drawn to the spectacle.
Outside the auction house, Nami and the others quickly grasped the nature of the establishment from the gatekeeper. Without hesitation, she made her stance clear.
"Since we can't fight our way in, we'll have to play by their rules. Listen up, everyone—we still have a fortune on our ship, about 200 million Berries. I plan to use it to buy Camie back. Any objections?" She asked, her tone firm.
"Of course not!" Chopper, already transformed in his urgency, responded immediately.
"That's a lot of money! It should be enough… But I have no way to repay you," Hachi said, his initial excitement quickly giving way to disappointment.
Nami shot him a cool glance. "If it means saving a friend, I don't care how much it costs."
Overcome with emotion, Sanji fell to his knees, his eyes turning into hearts. "Nami-swan, I love you so much!" he howled dramatically.
Starfish Pappag and Hachi, with tears streaming down their faces, bowed deeply. "Thank you! We'll never forget this kindness as long as we live!"
As Luffy and his crew hurried toward the auction house, Jack was also making his way there. Along the route, he spotted several of the infamous supernovas strolling openly through the streets. Resisting the urge to act, he remarked to Lena beside him, "These supernovas are bold—walking around so brazenly. If Sengoku-san hadn't ordered me to stay out of trouble, I'd have rounded them all up by now."
"Sir, this isn't the time for reckless action," Lena said quickly, her tone tinged with worry. She knew Jack's temperament and feared he might actually follow through on his words.
Jack let out a sigh. "Do they really think I wouldn't find out about Ace? Even though they tried to keep it from me, something like this was never going to stay a secret."
Lena simply nodded. Since Jack already understood the gravity of the situation, she chose not to press the matter further.
Elsewhere, X. Drake stood still, his expression darkening as he scanned a freshly printed newspaper. "No wonder the security here is so lax despite being so close to Marine Headquarters… So that's the reason," he muttered.
"What is it, Captain?" one of his subordinates asked, sensing the shift in his demeanor.
Drake held up the paper, his voice grave. "Whitebeard's Second Division Commander—Fire Fist Ace—is scheduled for public execution."
Meanwhile, word of Ace's impending fate spread rapidly. Aside from a few who remained preoccupied at the auction house, nearly everyone else in the area learned of the shocking news through the headlines.
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