met free 25: Things that can be solved with money...
25: Things that can be solved with money...
The heavy night blanketed Dressrosa, covering its daytime hustle and bustle, leaving only the scattered lights of the harbor.
Tonight, the Coridad and Tobago arena shed its usual gladiatorial frenzy, revealing its solemnity and austerity as an ancient building.
The bullring is now an auction venue that has been transformed over several days.
The crystal chandelier cut the light into a dazzling yet cold glare, illuminating the faces of those in the hall, some dressed in fine clothes and others in outlandish attire.
The hushed conversations of the people echoed like the buzzing of mosquitoes in the spacious room covered with a deep red carpet.
Oro changed into a well-tailored dark tuxedo, his short golden hair neatly combed, a stark contrast to his usual casual attire.
Instead of choosing the prominent front row, he went alone to a secluded VIP box on the second floor of the venue.
Through the glass of the box, he could clearly overlook the entire auction pool and most of the seats.
Oro toyed with a cold, gold chip, his gaze sweeping downwards—
The metal-trimmed robes of the Metal Cult members, some notorious leaders and their bodyguards, and elegantly dressed nobles and wealthy people...
Seated on a soft chair to the side of the main auction stage, Count Jupiter, dressed in an elaborate formal suit, holding a gold-plated cane, with a wealthy face but sharp eyes, was one of the central figures at the heart of this gathering of undercurrents.
"It really is... a chaotic mess."
Oro murmured to himself, a barely perceptible chill creeping onto his lips.
Inside the auction hall, the whispers gradually subsided with the ringing of a bell.
All eyes were focused on the display stand where the lights were shining.
Count Jupiter did not personally act as auctioneer; instead, a professional auctioneer with a loud voice and exaggerated expressions stepped forward and used highly inflammatory language to kick off the nightly feast.
However, the first few items auctioned were nothing more than ordinary and rare jewelry, antiques, or exotic animals from remote seas.
Although it attracted some wealthy individuals to bid, for the truly important people, these were just appetizers; the atmosphere was lively, but far from being explosive.
Until the sixth item was brought to the stage—not one, but six specially made transparent water tanks connected together!
Inside the tank, six beautiful female mermaids huddled together, their faces filled with terror and helplessness.
Their appearance instantly ignited a twisted frenzy within the venue.
The auctioneer's voice suddenly rose, filled with undisguised desire:
"Dear ladies and gentlemen!"
"Next, it will be time to witness the bounty of the sea!"
"Six mermaid ladies from the deep sea!"
Their beauty, their voices, and their unparalleled value as 'rare treasures' and 'perfect companions' need no further explanation!
His finger pointed to one of the mermaids, who had long blue hair and a particularly resolute look in her eyes compared to her companions:
"I especially want to introduce this person to everyone—Fischer Taylor!"
"Look at that stubborn look in his eyes, that temperament that is different from ordinary people!"
"Conquering her, taming her, will bring you unparalleled satisfaction and pleasure!"
"Fischer..."
Inside the private room, Oro repeated the surname in a low voice.
The name immediately reminded him of Fisher Tiger, the fishman hero who would one day climb the Red Line alone, wreak havoc on Mary Geoise, and liberate countless slaves.
This Taylor is very likely connected to it.
Below the stage, the breathing of the nobles and wealthy became noticeably heavier, and the bidding rose and fell, with prices climbing rapidly.
For those who wield power and wealth, keeping and manipulating beautiful and intelligent humanoid beings as slaves is one of the ultimate ways to demonstrate their status and satisfy their perverse desires.
Oro's eyes turned cold. His original plan was to keep a low profile and focus on the pointer and the Magnet-Magnet Fruit.
But the scene before him, and the potential that the name "Fischer Taylor" represented, made him change his mind instantly.
Just as the auctioneer announced, "The highest bid so far is 350 million Berries! Any higher bids?" and was about to bring down the gavel—
Five hundred million.
"Five hundred million each."
A calm and clear young male voice came from that secluded VIP box on the second floor.
The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to possess a strange penetrating power, instantly overwhelming all the noise in the venue.
Whoosh—!
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
All eyes, including those of Count Jupiter, were drawn to the box where Oro was.
Three billion Berries to buy six mermaid slaves?
This price is far beyond the normal range of the market; even the top-quality items rarely reach this figure.
Is this the price of the Mermaid Queen?
The auctioneer was stunned and confirmed incredulously, "Three to three billion Berries!"
"This distinguished guest has offered three billion Berries!"
A brief silence fell over the audience. The wealthy individuals who had been bidding earlier looked at each other, and finally shook their heads helplessly.
Paying such an outrageous price for a moment's pleasure is not in their best interest.
Count Jupiter narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing the blurry young figure behind the glass of the private room, his fingers lightly tapping the gem at the tip of his cane.
He seemed to be weighing something, but in the end, his satisfaction with the high commission outweighed his curiosity about the bidder's identity.
"Three billion Berry at a time!"
"Three billion Pele twice!"
"Three billion Berries... three times!"
"make a deal!"
The auctioneer excitedly brought down the gavel, so hard that the hammerhead flew off!
"Congratulations, distinguished guest! These six rare treasures are now yours!"
Oro leaned back in the comfortable chair in the private room, expressionless, watching as the staff carefully pushed the tank containing the mermaid off the display stand and sent it to the backstage for handover procedures.
His extravagant spending undoubtedly exposed him to the scrutiny of all the forces present.
The upcoming auction for the Magnet-Magnet Fruit will probably not be as "low-key" as he initially envisioned.
"Alright..."
Oro picked up the glass of red wine prepared in the private room and swirled it gently. The crimson liquid left winding streaks on the glass, reflecting the glint in his eyes.
"Since the waters have already been stirred up, why not... see what bigger fish we can catch?"
His gaze returned to the booth below, hoping for an even bigger surprise tonight.
He's not short of money.
Or to be more precise, he doesn't lack gold.
All the worries about money in the secular world are non-existent for him, the Paramecia-type Gold-Gold Fruit user.
If something can be solved with money, then it's not a problem.
The figures of the six beautiful mermaids had disappeared, but countless gazes, some curious, some scrutinizing, and some even malicious, still lingered around Oro's private room.