"What? If that's true, then doesn't it mean Whitebeard himself will take action?" one of Drake's men exclaimed in shock.
Everyone knew exactly what kind of man Whitebeard was. He treated every crew member as his own child, and if anyone dared to harm one of them, he would stop at nothing to retaliate.
"That's right," Drake said, his gaze shifting toward Marine Headquarters. "A war is about to begin."
Meanwhile, at the human auction, the mermaid Camie was shoved onto the stage. Before the announcer could even finish introducing her, one of the Celestial Dragons immediately placed a staggering bid—500 million berries. The sudden, astronomical price left Nami and the others stunned. They had prepared to buy Camie back with their own hefty bid of 200 million, but this unexpected turn of events caught them completely off guard.
"What do we do now? Sanji, say something!" Chopper, still in his transformed state, turned anxiously to Sanji, who remained silent, deep in thought.
Sanji clenched his fists. It wasn't just the presence of the Celestial Dragons that made this situation dire—it was also the explosive collar fastened around Camie's neck. Once secured, those collars couldn't be removed, and any attempt to do so would trigger a deadly detonation.
As Nami, Sanji, and the others wrestled with their next move, the auctioneer's countdown reached its final moment.
"Time's up!" the host declared triumphantly. "And so, our mermaid, Camie, is officially sold to the world's nobles for 500—!"
Before the auctioneer could finish his announcement, Luffy and Zoro came crashing down from above, riding a flying fish straight through the ceiling of the auction house.
"What the hell is going on? Don't tell me…" Eustass Kid narrowed his eyes toward the commotion, a feeling of unease creeping in.
Sure enough, as soon as Luffy landed and saw Camie being auctioned off, he bolted forward, yelling in outrage as he rushed to save her. In a desperate attempt to stop him, Octopus Hachi inadvertently revealed that he was a fishman.
Gasps and murmurs of shock spread through the crowd. The nobles and wealthy spectators recoiled in disgust, their voices rising in angry condemnation. Security personnel immediately moved in to block Luffy's path, but before they could act, one of the Celestial Dragons raised a pistol and shot Hachi without hesitation.
"HACHI!" The Straw Hat Pirates cried out in shock.
"Yay, yay, yay~! I hit him! I hit him!" The Celestial Dragon laughed gleefully, admiring his own marksmanship.
The room fell into an uneasy silence—except for Luffy. His fists clenched, his body trembled, and his usual carefree expression darkened with rage. But what infuriated him even more was the reaction of the bystanders. Not a single one of them showed concern. Instead, they sneered and whispered amongst themselves, treating Hachi's suffering as nothing more than entertainment.
Just as Luffy was about to explode in fury, Hachi, despite his wound, weakly reached out and grabbed him.
"W-Wait… Straw Hat… huff… don't… be angry… huff…" Hachi gasped, struggling to speak through the pain.
"You promised me… that no matter what, you wouldn't go against the Celestial Dragons… even if they killed someone right in front of you…" He coughed, his voice growing weaker. "It's fine… I used to be a pirate… I did a lot of bad things… Maybe this is just karma."
"I'm sorry," Hachi whispered, his breath ragged. "I just… I just wanted to help you… and apologize to Nami…"
Luffy crouched beside Hachi in silence, his expression unreadable.
"I've never been able to accomplish anything," Hachi choked out, tears streaming down his face. "It was the same back then, and it's still the same now. Not only can I not save Camie, but I dragged you all into this too… I'm such a failure!"
On the side, Nami covered her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. She had once despised Hachi for what he had done to her hometown, but that was in the past. She had already forgiven him long ago. Seeing him now—wounded, desperate, and willing to risk everything just to make amends—overwhelmed her with emotion.
Nearby, Zoro and Sanji remained silent, their eyes fixed on their captain, awaiting his decision.
"You filthy fish, I shot you once already—why won't you just die?" The Celestial Dragon sneered, raising his pistol once more. "All this useless whining is getting on my nerves!"
But as he aimed at Hachi again, his hand faltered.
Luffy had lifted his head. His eyes locked onto the Celestial Dragon, and in that instant, a wave of raw fury radiated from him. The noble's fingers trembled around the trigger, suddenly paralyzed with fear.
"Oi, Oi… Is this really happening?" Eustass Kid muttered, eyes widening in surprise. "Is he actually about to do something reckless?"
The crowd murmured anxiously, their gazes darting between Luffy and the Celestial Dragon.
"No way… What's he thinking?" someone whispered.
"He's a Celestial Dragon! That pirate wouldn't dare—would he?"
"Wait, Straw Hat! Don't do it! You'll only get yourself into trouble!" Pappag pleaded desperately. He wanted nothing more than to save Camie, but he couldn't bear to watch his friend throw his life away.
But Luffy wasn't listening. Without hesitation, he clenched his fist and sent the Celestial Dragon flying with a single, earth-shaking punch.
For a moment, the entire auction hall fell into stunned silence.
Then, a single, overwhelming thought consumed the crowd:
"Who the hell is this guy? He actually dared to hit a Celestial Dragon!"
Trafalgar Law, seated nearby, let out a low chuckle. "Heh… Straw Hat-ya, you're an interesting one."
On the other side, Eustass Kidd smirked to himself, his expression unreadable.
Luffy adjusted his hat, then turned to his crew. "Sorry, everyone… I heard that when you hit one of these guys, the Navy sends an admiral after you." His tone was casual, but his eyes burned with determination.
Zoro let out a sharp laugh as he drew his sword. "Hmph, all your fault for knocking him out, Luffy. Now I don't get to kill him myself."
Sanji exhaled a trail of smoke, his voice calm. "So, what's our next move?"
Meanwhile, Nami knelt beside Hachi, concern etched across her face. "Are you okay, Hachi?"
Hachi lowered his head, guilt written all over him. "I'm sorry… I got you all wrapped up in this mess. But you guys… You're really in trouble now."
"Well, it's Luffy. What else did you expect?" Nami sighed with a small smile.
Deep down, she had already forgiven Hachi. After hearing his heartfelt confession, her only real concern now was his injuries.
"Alright, everyone! Time to get down to business!" Franky cracked his knuckles, clearly eager for action.
"First, we need to rescue Camie. The key to her collar should be backstage," Chopper instructed, slipping into his role as the crew's doctor. "Hachi is hurt, so I'll stay here and take care of him. I'm counting on you guys to find the key!"
As chaos erupted in the auction hall, the Straw Hat Pirates charged toward the stage, ready to fight.
Meanwhile, in the audience, Saint Rosward was seething with rage. "Call a Marine admiral immediately! Someone actually dared to lay hands on a Celestial Dragon! My poor son!"
The furious noble was none other than the father of the Celestial Dragon Luffy had just knocked unconscious.
But before he could continue his tantrum—
"Ahhhhhh—!"
A blur of motion from above.
With perfect (or rather, accidental) timing, the Flying Fish Riders swooped in, carrying Robin, Usopp, and Brook toward the battlefield.
"Oops… I think I landed on something."
Usopp, having crashed from the sky, realized—too late—that he had used Saint Rosward as a cushion. The noble let out a final groan before passing out cold beneath him.
"Father!!"
Charlia, another Celestial Dragon, glared at the Straw Hat Pirates with pure hatred, her whole body trembling with fury.
First, her brother was knocked unconscious. Then, her father's fate was uncertain. Charlia seethed with rage. Even if a Marine admiral arrived, she doubted this humiliation would be easily resolved.
"I'll make those filthy pirates pay!" she spat, her eyes burning with fury.
Just then, her gaze landed on the mermaid, Camie, still standing helplessly on the auction stage.
"It's that wretched mermaid's fault! If she hadn't been here, none of this would've happened! I'll kill her—I'll take away the very thing they came to save!" Charlia sneered, a twisted sense of vengeance forming in her mind.
As a Celestial Dragon, she had spent her life believing she was above all others. The idea that she could ever be in the wrong never even crossed her mind. To her, the fault always lay with someone else.
Meanwhile, Luffy's eyes lit up as he spotted his friends arriving.
"Brook! Usopp! Robin! Hurry and get Camie out of here—the Navy's on its way!" He shouted.
Sitting comfortably in the audience, Trafalgar Law smirked. "Too late, Straw Hat. The Navy's already here."
"Huh?" Luffy turned at the unfamiliar voice, then blinked in surprise. "Who the hell are you? And what's with that bear?"
His attention had immediately locked onto the white-furred mink standing beside Law.
Law leaned back casually. "The Navy surrounded this place before the auction even started. They weren't sure who their target was, but I doubt they ever imagined someone would be stupid enough to punch a Celestial Dragon."
Law had no intention of introducing his crewmates to Luffy. They were his companions, not spectacles for others to gawk at.
"He's Trafalgar Law," Robin explained while skillfully fending off attackers. "A pirate, just like you, Luffy. He's also one of the Supernovas."
Law smirked. "You Straw Hats sure know how to put on a show."
Meanwhile, Charlia stormed toward Camie, but the auctioneer quickly stepped in her way.
"Please wait, Lady Charlia! You haven't paid for this item yet, so you cannot kill her!" he pleaded, desperate to prevent her from ruining the sale.
"Shut up, you worthless peasant!" Charlia snapped, shoving past him. "I'll kill this filthy mermaid right now!"
But just as she reached Camie, Charlia suddenly stiffened—her eyes rolling back as she collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
A stunned silence filled the room. Then, from behind the auction stage, a massive figure emerged.
"Hey, look, big guy! This whole auction's turned into a mess!" A strange, casual voice echoed through the hall. "Since all the money's already been stolen and the show's over, I might as well head back to the casino."
The crowd turned to see an elderly man with white hair, speaking nonchalantly as if he had no part in the chaos.
The towering giant beside him sighed. "You sneaky old man… You came here just to steal money, didn't you?"
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