Alex couldn't help but cast a surprised glance at Dark King Rayleigh.
What was going on with this old man?
Back in the day, Rayleigh had roamed the seas alongside Roger, conquering the world. Even now, he was still capable of going head-to-head with Admiral Kizaru.
A figure like that—could he really fail to hold onto a glass?
And what was with the look in Rayleigh's eyes when he looked at Alex?
It was almost as if… he was terrified.
"Sir, are you alright?"
"Not feeling well?"
With a faint smile and a hint of curiosity, Alex looked at Rayleigh.
"I didn't sleep very well last night. My apologies."
Rayleigh quickly adjusted himself, pretending nothing had happened as he smiled back at Alex.
Shakky, standing nearby, couldn't help but glance at Rayleigh in confusion.
Others might not know who Rayleigh really was, but Shakky knew perfectly well.
This was a legendary powerhouse.
So why had he gone pale just from glancing at this young customer?
Had Rayleigh seen something?
Unable to suppress her curiosity, Shakky began carefully examining Alex from head to toe.
Unfortunately—
She didn't possess Rayleigh's level of strength.
No matter how she looked, Alex appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary person.
She couldn't see anything unusual at all.
"Please wait a moment, sir."
Shakky quickly set aside her doubts, greeted Alex, and began mixing his drink.
Rayleigh also returned to normal and continued with his work.
Alex glanced at Rayleigh's back, and a vague guess formed in his mind.
Could it be… Observation Haki?
According to its lore, it was a mysterious ability that allowed one to sense the presence of living beings—even glimpse the future.
Had Dark King Rayleigh sensed his aura?
That was the only explanation Alex could come up with.
Otherwise, there was no way to explain Rayleigh's momentary loss of composure.
After a brief moment of thought, Alex pushed the matter aside.
He resumed acting like an ordinary customer, blending into the lively atmosphere of the bar.
"Sir, your drink."
Before long, Shakky placed the mixed drink in front of Alex and spoke politely.
Though she still didn't understand Rayleigh's earlier reaction, one thing was certain—
This young man was no ordinary person.
Alex lifted the drink with mild curiosity and anticipation, taking a sip.
It wasn't exactly delicious, but it wasn't bad either.
However, it was undeniably different from any alcohol he'd tried before.
It was an interesting experience.
"Alright, that's about enough."
After drinking for a while and seeing that the time was right, Alex stood up and left the bar.
"Rayleigh."
Only then did Shakky finally get the chance to ask, "What was that earlier? You seemed shaken when you saw that young man."
"Maybe it was just my imagination."
Rayleigh shook his head and gave a brief explanation.
"My Observation Haki sensed his life force… and it was countless times stronger than Roger's."
"What?!"
Shakky was instantly stunned, her mouth falling open.
At last, she understood why Rayleigh had reacted that way.
But someone stronger than Roger by countless times?
That was impossible!
Roger was the Pirate King!
Yet Rayleigh's Observation Haki shouldn't be wrong.
So what was really going on?
Shakky was left completely bewildered.
…
Alex, of course, had no idea about the discussion between Shakky and Rayleigh.
At this moment, he had already arrived at the auction house.
There were about thirty minutes left before the auction began, and the place was already packed.
Looking around, it was nothing but a sea of heads—lively and crowded.
This auction house was very different from those in modern society.
It was far more primitive.
No reservations were needed—if there was a seat, you sat. If not, standing in the hall was perfectly acceptable.
Alex glanced around. There were only a few seats left, and rather than squeeze in, he simply stood in the aisle.
Surprisingly, this kind of "earthy" atmosphere wasn't bad at all.
Listening to the people around him chatting, joking, and discussing rumors from the four seas and the New World, Alex didn't feel bored in the slightest.
Soon enough—
It was time for the auction to begin.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the auction will begin in ten minutes!"
"Please prepare yourselves!"
A flamboyantly dressed host appeared on the stage, shouting loudly to the crowd.
Despite having no microphone, his voice carried throughout the entire hall—quite impressive.
In the world of pirates, there really was no such thing as a normal person.
Creak—
At that moment, the doors of the auction house were suddenly pushed open.
The previously noisy hall fell instantly silent—so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Two incredibly important figures had entered.
A man and a woman.
Their looks were… ordinary. Very ordinary.
The man was even somewhat short and chubby.
But the clothes they wore were extravagantly luxurious, dazzling to the eye.
Still, compared to the "bubbles" covering their heads, even those clothes seemed insignificant.
Celestial Dragons.
That's right.
In the entire One Piece world, only Celestial Dragons carried themselves like this.
Judging by their age and appearance, the two seemed to be a father and daughter.
The slightly chubby father was holding a "pet" in his hand—
A miserable young girl, her neck bound by an iron chain, crawling along the floor.
Under everyone's gaze, they swaggered toward the front row.
Whoosh!
In an instant—
Not just the first row, but the first three rows of people all stood up and moved away at lightning speed, clearing the seats.
How could ordinary people possibly sit in the same row as Celestial Dragons?
"So these are the Celestial Dragons?"
Alex cast a curious glance at the pair.
Their reputation was simply too notorious; it was only natural to be curious.
But after one look, his interest vanished.
Aside from their absurdly high status, they were utterly worthless.
Alex withdrew his gaze and paid them no further attention.
He waited calmly for the auction to begin.
"Daddy, there are too many people here. I want some peace and quiet."
Unexpectedly, the female Celestial Dragon glanced around and began acting coquettish toward her father.
Seeing his precious daughter unhappy, the chubby Celestial Dragon was instantly furious.
"All of you—get out!"
"We're reserving this entire auction for ourselves!"
He turned around and declared arrogantly to everyone in the hall, his tone brooking no argument.
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