"Is the information reliable?"
"Absolutely, Boss. We used news about Merfolk slaves as bait to draw this information out.
Those idiots really thought I'd sell my own people for money. Each of them was practically giddy with excitement."
"Well done, Karma. But when dealing with these people, remember to stay vigilant. Don't actually treat them like idiots."
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind."
Karma, an octopus Fish-Man, was one of the pirate captains subordinate to Whitebeard in the original timeline.
Back in the Fish-Man District, Nereus had once carried out a purge, targeting those Fish-Men who made a living by selling their own kind.
Without traffickers, children wouldn't go missing at all.
That statement might sound a bit absolute, but the facts proved that if no one engaged in human trafficking, most missing people wouldn't stray far from where they disappeared and could usually be found.
Fish-Man Island lay deep beneath the sea. That traffickers were able to succeed so often also had much to do with the help of these "inside collaborators."
After all, the Fish-Man District had originally been a neglected zone of Fish-Man Island, a place where all kinds of illegal dealings festered.
Karma had almost gone down that path himself. Back then he was still a half-grown kid, his head full of ideas about making quick money.
It just so happened that he ran into Nereus's great purge, leaving him no chance to step onto that road.
In truth, this was Karma's good fortune. Had he gotten involved a bit earlier and become one of them, he would only have been mercilessly killed by Nereus.
That was the difference between what had happened and what never did.
And now, Karma was an undercover agent embedded among them. On the surface, he was a Fish-Man Island trafficker selling his own people; in reality, he was responsible for passing intelligence to Nereus, allowing him to obtain information about some slave transport ships and auctions.
"Have Kadar and the others come back yet?"
"Soon. Kadar knows this area very well. At most thirty minutes, and he'll have the coating materials back."
"Prepare for coating. Have the combat personnel get ready to provide support to them. Once the people are brought back, dive immediately."
After the orders were given, the coating craftsmen aboard the ship immediately got busy and began their preparations.
If they were human craftsmen, they wouldn't have been able to do all this so quickly. But for Fish-Men skilled in bubble technology, a few hours was more than enough time.
"Mr. Nereus, are we going to rescue the other slaves as well? I can help too."
"No need, Kuma. This situation is different from God Valley. The risk isn't that high, and there's no need for you to use your ability to send them away directly.
Amphy, you too. This time, just stay on the ship and keep watch."
As he spoke, Nereus took out a map of the Sabaody Archipelago.
"The human auction house is located to the west, in GR 1. That's the lawless area of the Sabaody Archipelago. Ironically, directly below it, areas 60–69 are where the Marines are stationed.
Those Marines who shout 'justice' from their lips simply sit by and watch the evil of human trafficking happen right under their noses.
Once I make my move, the Marines will definitely act. And to prevent slaves from escaping, they'll be sure to deploy forces along the coastline to stop the slaves from leaving by ship.
All you need to do is take out those Marines.
As for the auction house itself, we'll follow the usual procedure. Sebastian, you bring crew members whose appearances are close to humans and move with me."
In fact, even without Nereus's orders, Sebastian had already prepared the personnel for the operation—either human crew members, or Fish-Men whose looks were close to humans.
The main reason was that Nereus's "notoriety" around here was simply too great. If Fish-Men were too obvious, it would be easy to scare off some of the people attending the auction.
"I have a question. Your arrangement is clearly for ease of operation, but Sebastian he…"
Amphitrite glanced at Sebastian. His massive build and prominent Fish-Man features didn't exactly meet the requirements for covert action.
If it came down to who stood out more, even Amphitrite in her mummy-like clothes would be more inconspicuous than Sebastian.
"Come to think of it, you don't seem to have ever seen me fight."
Sebastian proved with his actions how he infiltrated. He simply vanished into thin air right before Amphitrite's eyes.
If it weren't for the past few months of constant hellish training, during which she had already awakened Observation Haki, Amphitrite wouldn't have been able to sense Sebastian's position at all.
"I can turn invisible. As for Boss, appearances mean nothing to him. By the way, Boss, you train our Miss Amphy every day. Haven't you shown her all your abilities?"
"What Devil Fruit ability would you use to train Haki? Besides, they're just some extra little tricks."
As he spoke, Nereus raised his hand and casually swept it across his face. In an instant, his features underwent a drastic change—no matter how good one's face recognition was in this world, no one would be able to identify his original identity.
It wasn't just his face; even his body shape could be altered.
With a bit of effort, Nereus could sculpt his own face at will. If he wanted to save trouble, he could directly transform into the appearance of some soul from the River of Death.
It was only because he didn't rely much on this ability; otherwise, he would have earned a nickname like "A Thousand Faces" on the seas.
A few hours later, at the Human Auctioning House beneath Grove 1, the auction seats below were packed to the brim, voices clamoring, not a single seat left empty.
The location of the Sabaody Archipelago had a special significance. In a sense, it could be considered the meeting point of the Four Seas.
Slaves from the Four Seas, the Grand Line, and even the New World were all sent here to be auctioned.
Coupled with the fact that Mariejois was right next door and Celestial Dragons would occasionally come down to amuse themselves, this caused the human trafficking trade in the Sabaody Archipelago to persist despite repeated crackdowns.
As for the entrance to the auction house, there were essentially no inspection measures at all. Whether nobles from various lands, black-market dealers, or pirates—anyone willing to spend money to buy slaves was welcomed without discrimination.
It was only in recent years, because of Nereus's existence, that there was at least some warning directed at the Fish-Men as a group.
Meanwhile, backstage at the auction, the people in charge of this human auction were checking the status of their "goods."
"First auction off that musician from the North Blue, then the maid from the West Blue. Use that Mink as the half-time piece. Didn't they say someone caught a Merfolk? Why hasn't it been delivered yet?"
"No news. But Mr. Zeke, even if a Merfolk really is delivered, should we still sell it? What if that monster comes knocking? I heard that at an auction in the New World before, everyone on the entire island was slaughtered…"
The person beside him didn't see the enormous profits a Merfolk could bring. Instead, there was a hint of fear in his voice.
"You're exaggerating. It was just the people at the auction house who died, plus quite a few Marines who came to suppress it. Don't worry, there's been no news of that guy for almost a year now. He probably died together with Rocks in the West Blue, right?
This is a Merfolk! If the news had come a few days earlier and we'd promoted it a bit, maybe even those filthy rich Celestial Dragons would come here. The commission from just this one deal might be enough for us to live off for a lifetime!"
Zeke was indulging in fantasies about his future, completely unaware that an invisible man had already slipped into the backstage area.
TN: Hey guys, I will be releasing extra chapters for every 20 power stones. (5-7 chapters.)
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