Chapter 97

Everyone began to take their seats.

Luo En casually found a seat near the back and sat down, quietly waiting for the auction to begin.

Not long after, the lights on the stage lit up.

A long-haired beauty wearing a cowboy hat, draped in a white fur coat, with wheat-colored skin, walked onto the stage.

"Oh?"

Upon seeing her, a hint of surprise flashed briefly in Luo En's eyes.

"Nico Luo Bin, so it's her hosting this auction."

Standing on the brightly lit stage, Nico Luo Bin gazed at the entire hall, smiled slightly, and said, "It seems all the guests have arrived, so... let the auction begin."

"The first item up for auction..."

Just as the auction began.

Crocodile, draped in a black fur coat and smoking a cigar, stood on the top floor of the Rain Dinners casino, his ambition-filled eyes looking down upon this sleepless city in the desert.

"Let the carnival... begin!"

At the same time.

Mr. 1 of Baroque Works, the Supa Supa no Mi user Daz Bonez, and Miss Doublefinger, the Toge Toge no Mi user of Baroque Works, began leading Baroque Works members to launch sudden attacks on all underground forces in both the Arabasta Kingdom capital and Green City.

Mr. 4, Mr. 5, and Mr. 7 of Baroque Works launched sudden attacks on the underground forces in the three cities of Yuba, Nanohana, and Katorea.

Mr. 2 Bon Clay, the Mane Mane no Mi user of Baroque Works, led a large number of Baroque Works members ambushed within Rainbase to secretly surround the various underground forces near Rain Dinners, waiting for the right moment to sweep them all up in one net.

After tonight.

There will be only one underground force in this Arabasta Kingdom!

And for Crocodile, the mastermind behind everything, this was merely the first step in realizing his plan for a pirate to usurp the nation!

Rain Dinners Casino.

After nine items had been auctioned off, the atmosphere in the auction hall was heated.

These underground force executives or leaders were completely unaware of everything happening outside.

Finally, the highlight of the night arrived.

"Next to be displayed is the final item of this auction!"

Hearing Nico Luo Bin's words, nearly everyone in the auction hall stretched their necks, their eyes burning with urgency as they stared at the display stand on the stage covered by a black cloth.

Nico Luo Bin, now the Vice President of Baroque Works, abruptly pulled away the black cloth, revealing a Devil Fruit inside a glass case, its skin covered in spiral patterns.

"Paramecia type, the Tetsu Tetsu no Mi!"

"Starting bid, 180 million Berries!"

"Ooh oh oh!!!"

The entire hall erupted in an uproar.

"I bid 200 million Berries."

"230 million."

"250 million!"

"Don't fight me for it, 300 million Berries! We, the Reis Family, are taking it!"

For a moment, various forces throughout the hall competed fiercely to place bids.

"The Paramecia Tetsu Tetsu no Mi, huh..."

Luo En looked at the Devil Fruit on the stage and compared it with the Tetsu Tetsu no Mi he had once seen in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia in his memory.

No mistake.

It was indeed a genuine Paramecia Tetsu Tetsu no Mi.

Controlling steel.

If developed well, it could be an extremely powerful ability.

Not to mention anything else, simply relying on the Tetsu Tetsu no Mi's ability to manufacture and produce weapons would allow one to earn a fortune.

No wonder these forces are so frantic...

However, would Crocodile actually be willing to put such a powerful Devil Fruit up for auction?

Luo En scanned his surroundings, looking at the ferocious and frantic faces of those placing bids, then used his Observation Haki to sweep over those hidden in the shadows, gradually finding his answer in his heart.

To destroy someone, one must first make them go mad.

Indeed, just as he had guessed.

This Devil Fruit was bait thrown out by Crocodile, bait designed to make these underground forces lose their reason and fall into madness.

He never intended to actually auction it off.

Nico Luo Bin, the Vice President acting as the host, a Devil Fruit user hidden in the shadows, and that display stand capable of sinking at any moment—these were the proof.

"Interesting..."

The corners of Luo En's mouth lifted slightly.

At this point, the bidding was nearing its end.

The price of the Tetsu Tetsu no Mi had reached 700 million Berries, with only two people, or rather two factions, continuing to bid.

"760 million Berries."

"780 million."

"780 million Berries once, 780 million Berries twice, 780 million..."

"Damn it, I'm going all in! 800 million Berries! If your Shitzu family can offer a higher price than this, I'll admit defeat! But if you try to screw me over, heh heh, my Mokchi Work Agency will fight you to the bitter end!"

The boss of Yuba's largest underground gang, Mokchi Work Agency, the one-eyed Mokchi Cains, said viciously to the eldest son of the capital Alubarna's biggest gangster family, Ray Shitzu.

On the stage, Nicole the Luo Bin began to bang the gavel: "800 million Berries once, 800 million Berries twice, 800 million Berries…"

Ray Shitzu clenched his fist, staring fixedly at that one-eyed dragon.

But in the end, he did not continue calling out a bid.

"800 million Berries, three…"

Just as Nicole the Luo Bin was about to bring the gavel down, and the one-eyed Mokchi Cains's face was about to break into an excited smile.

A figure, under the gaze of everyone, suddenly appeared out of thin air on the exhibition stage without a sound.

"I want this Devil Fruit."

Accompanying the boy's calm and unhurried words.

Before everyone could react, the black-haired boy who had suddenly appeared out of thin air on the exhibition stage, wearing black seven-quarter pants and a white short-sleeved hooded sweatshirt, reached out and easily shattered the glass display case whose hardness rivaled steel, grabbing the Paramecia Iron-Iron Fruit directly in his hand.

The burly man Kouya Red, who had bumped into Luo En in the hall earlier, stared at the black-haired boy on the stage holding the Devil Fruit, his pupils contracting sharply.

"It's that guy!"

90, Crocodile's Killing Intent (2/5, asking for subscriptions!)

Nicole the Luo Bin only now reacted.

Immediately her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms to activate the Flower-Flower Fruit's ability.

"Body Bloom!"

She had only just seen two arms grow from the body of this mysterious, unfamiliar black-haired boy in front of her, and before she could strangle him, his figure suddenly flashed and appeared right in front of Nicole the Luo Bin. In her widened eyes, he slapped a palm against her neck.

Luo Bin's vision instantly went black, and she fell forward.

Luo En reached out and caught her, hoisting her onto his shoulder.

"Guillotine!"

The blade thrown from above was imbued with extreme gravity, tearing through the air at an astonishing speed, falling toward Luo En below.

Luo En stomped his foot, activated Shave, and his figure vanished from the spot, dodging the strike.

And the entire exhibition stage was nearly destroyed.

"Where's the guy?! Where is he?!"

Everyone turned their heads, looking around.

The one-eyed Mokchi Cains was also so thrown off by this sudden turn of events that his face turned green. He drew the pistol from his waist and roared at his surroundings: "Where's my Iron-Iron Fruit?!"

The burly man Kouya Red stared at the black-haired boy beside him, holding a Devil Fruit in one hand and the vice president of Baroque Works slung over his shoulder, dumbfounded.

"Over there!"