"My lords, I sincerely apologize. Please, calm your anger." The auction manager hurried over, bowing deeply. Rosen and Moris, however, didn't even respond. They both thought it beneath them to argue with such an idiot.
Besides, the manager looked like he already had his hands full.
Still, if Spandam pushed his luck any further, dealing with him wouldn't be out of the question. For now, the manager had him moved farther away—at least that spared them from his irritating voice.
"This is tonight's main auction list. Please take a look. The auction will begin in fifteen minutes." Chandler, the auction manager, wiped his sweat as he stepped onto the stage. He scanned the packed venue, filled with wealthy guests from around the world.
Nobles of Andia, notorious pirates and hunters, even high-ranking Marines were seated together. But here in Paradise, everyone seemed to maintain a façade of indifference, as if none of it mattered.
After his announcement, Chandler signaled staff to distribute leaflets. Because so many rare items were up for sale, they had kept pre-event advertising minimal.
Paradise's auctions never lacked customers. Everyone who came here would browse for treasures—it was common knowledge. The only exception was that certain contraband items had to be kept discreet.
As soon as the flyers were handed out, gasps echoed through the hall. This time, there were three Devil Fruits up for auction. That revelation shocked many.
Given the forces behind Paradise, finding a few Devil Fruits wasn't impossible. But presenting three at once carried weight. Each fruit required massive resources to obtain.
Moreover, some well-known fruits were so valuable that most people would never auction them once acquired.
That was why three Devil Fruits instantly became the highlight of tonight's event.
Rosen glanced at the leaflet. It listed their possible powers, though the details were vague. Two were Zoans, one a Paramecia.
The last one, however, turned out to be an artificial Zoan. Rosen frowned. Was this Caesar's work? How had it leaked? Weren't those fruits exclusive to Kaido?
So at this point, Doflamingo's supply line was still abundant.
Based on known intel, Kaido's army already boasted hundreds of ability users. These artificial fruits—Smile—were almost entirely Zoans.
But their risks were high. Out of ten users, only one would succeed in gaining abilities. The rest lost their emotions, becoming hollow shells who could only laugh. Hence the name Smile.
From this, Rosen estimated Doflamingo had produced thousands of artificial fruits over the years. So occasionally seeing one appear on the black market wasn't unusual.
They were derived from Vegapunk's lineage factor technology. Rosen often wondered—what kind of man was Vegapunk, truly?
First came the Lantis experiments, then artificial Devil Fruits, then cyborg technology—at the core of them all was the lineage factor.
But Rosen's real question was: could artificial fruits be used to fulfill his mission's requirements?
If so, he might one day command a crew wielding double Devil Fruit powers across all types.
Sometimes one plus one was more than two.
As for Rosen himself, his strength was already advancing steadily. He didn't urgently need another fruit. What worried him more was his crew's strength.
Especially Robin, Mr. 5, Valentine, and Miggs. Daz Bones was reliable—still lacking in some areas, but strong.
Rosen, backed by his system tasks, had less difficulty growing stronger.
Now, here was a chance to test his theory. If it worked, his plan against Doflamingo might need adjustments.
Meanwhile, the Enies Lobby chief couldn't be bothered reading introductions. He simply decided to claim all three fruits and feed them to his subordinates. Results would speak for themselves.
"The Zoan and Paramecia… could they be the Giraffe form of the Ox-Ox Fruit and the Bubble Fruit?" Rosen mused, noticing Spandam's greedy expression. It seemed likely.
After all, Enies Lobby stood alongside Marine Headquarters and Impel Down as one of the World Government's three great pillars. If its chief demanded these fruits, few would risk crossing him.
"Alright then, enough chatter—let's begin the auction! You've all seen the list, and I trust Paradise's auction will fulfill your wishes. The first item tonight is the latest clustered RPG weapon from the Science Kingdom. Designed for fortress destruction and wide-area damage. Please watch the live demonstration on the screen… Ten launchers per lot. Starting bid: ten million Berries!" Chandler announced smoothly, as staff activated the Den Den Mushi projector.
The image showed a man hefting a six-barreled launcher. He fired at a distant fortress—six rockets streaked out with blazing trails. Seconds later, the fortress crumbled into rubble.
"That's Andia's outer fortress—supposedly so strong even Marine cannons couldn't breach it. But this weapon destroyed it in a single strike. If my country's army had these, rebel strongholds would fall instantly! I'll pay twenty million for ten units!" shouted a noble from a war-torn nation.
"Only twenty lots exist. The highest bidder takes them. This gentleman offers twenty million per lot—any higher?"
"Twenty-five million!"
Now, the minimum bid meant ten launchers. So twenty-five million equaled two hundred fifty million in total—a massive sum.
"Thirty million!"
"Thirty million, once! Thirty million, twice! Thirty million, thrice—sold!"
In the end, half the stock went for thirty million per lot. The other ten were bought by a royal commander at thirty-five million each.
"Next, Andia's latest personal fortress-defense device. I believe you all know its purpose: in critical moments, it can save your life. Only one exists, painstakingly crafted by a master artisan. Starting bid: fifty million."
"Sixty million!"
"Seventy million!"
"One hundred million!"
In the end, the device sold for three hundred fifty million—comparable to a Devil Fruit's worth.
Other strange, rare items followed—things Rosen had never seen before. The variety left him amazed. Some even tempted him.
But his true focus remained on the three Devil Fruits.
"How much money can you lend me?" Rosen asked, gauging Moris's finances.
"How much can you pay back?" Moris sipped his drink.
"After my clash with the Marines, I lost a lot. For now, I have about five billion Berries." Rosen thought. If the Ark hadn't been destroyed, he'd have had ten billion.
"Cough—how much?" Moris choked. He'd never thought much about money, but five billion? That was insane. More than most men could spend in ten lifetimes.
(End of Chapter)