At The Peak of One Piece

"Boss, a man and woman took out Chad. Skilled fighters." 

"Interesting. Send their photos..." 

────── 

Victor and Rebecca arrived at the auction house. Luck favored them—an event began in one hour. 

After a meal nearby, they entered the grand hall. Tiered seating descended like a theater, half-submerged underground. 

A sharp gaze pierced Victor's back the moment they crossed the threshold. He met it coldly—a well-dressed man in the front row. The man sneered and turned away. 

'Fake nobility. Cross me, and you'll weep.' Victor chose rear seats, scanning the crowd. Nobles filled the rows. No Celestial Dragons—a routine auction. Several powerful auras lingered near the front, including the staring man. 

"Careful, kid," whispered a sharp-eyed youth in front. "That glare came from Barrow—a top executive of the Rhodes Family. Nasty piece of work." 

'Rhodes again.' Victor's eyes narrowed. Coincidence? Unlikely. 

"Details?" Victor slid a wad of bills to the informant. 

"Name's Ben. Information broker." He pocketed the cash. "Find me at Flying Street #78, Grove 10." 

"The Rhodes Family rules the underworld. Slave ships, trafficking rings—spanning all seas, even the New World." 

"Barrow runs Sabaody operations. Devil Fruit user. Captured a 150-million-berry pirate once. Sold to Celestial Dragons. Don't provoke him." Ben glanced nervously toward Barrow. 

"Know his Fruit power?" Victor pressed. 

"Rumored Paramecia," Ben admitted, embarrassed. "Few witnesses survive. He eliminates them." 

"Half-truths won't earn fees next time." Victor's tone held promise. 

"Understood. I'll dig deeper," Ben vowed. 

A bell chimed. Silence fell. 

A tall man in a top hat took the stage. 

"Ladies and gentlemen! I'm Ethan, your auctioneer." His smile gleamed. "Three strikes of the gavel seals a bid. May you all claim your treasures!" 

Then his expression turned stern, his voice icy as he continued, "But if anyone dares to break the rules—takes goods without paying, or worse, tries to steal—then that person might just find themselves becoming part of the auction inventory. Of course, that's assuming they're still alive. Rest assured, our auction house has the means to ensure compliance." 

Ethan's words sent a ripple of murmurs through the crowd. Many here were regulars, well aware of the auction house's ruthless reputation, so few seemed particularly shocked. 

Victor knew that running an auction house on Sabaody Archipelago—practically the Celestial Dragons' backyard—was no small feat. Whoever owned this place was undoubtedly a major player in the underworld. 

'Like the auction house in the future, owned by that former Celestial Dragon turned Warlord, Donquixote Doflamingo.' But right now? Doflamingo was probably still in his early twenties, still building his power base in the North Blue. He wasn't a factor yet. 

"Alright, settle down. Let the auction begin!" Ethan raised his voice, slamming his gavel. The chatter died instantly, and he smirked, pleased with the obedience. 

"Now, presenting our first item!" 

Two tall, scantily clad women carried a draped wooden frame onto the stage. Whatever was beneath the cloth remained a mystery—for most, at least. 

Victor's Observation Haki swept over it instantly. 'A sword. Decent craftsmanship. Probably a named blade.' Not that he cared much—he preferred forging his own weapons. 

Once the frame was set down, Ethan stepped forward and dramatically yanked off the cover. 

"Our first lot is a famed sword—one of the 41 Fine Grade Blades: the 'Flame'!" 

"A rare and exquisite weapon, crafted with precision. Its crimson blade carries a unique beauty, and its pedigree is undeniable. Once wielded by a master swordsman, this blade is a treasure for any warrior present. Starting bid: 5 million berries. Let the bidding begin!" 

Plenty in the pirate world carried swords—low-ranking Marines, common pirates, mercenaries. Most relied on mass-produced weapons, serviceable against average foes but useless against real fighters. 

True sword masters, however, were rare. At that level, fighters diverged—some honed their bodies, others relied on Devil Fruits, Haki, or even firearms. 

"5.1 million!" 

"5.5 million!" 

... 

"6 million!" 

The bids stalled there. A Great Grade Blade was worth that much—nothing extravagant. A higher-tier blade, like one of the 21 Great Grade Blades, would've started in the tens of millions. 

"6 million, going once…" 

"6 million, going twice…" 

"Sold! The winner may collect their prize after the auction—or head backstage now if preferred." 

Ethan's gavel fell, and the first transaction was complete. 

... 

"Victor, is a sword really worth that much?" Rebecca asked, running a hand over her own blade. 

"More or less. That price isn't bad. The gap between sword grades can be tenfold. A higher-grade blade would start at 10 million, depending on quality. I'm here to see if they're auctioning good materials—I want to forge a top-tier sword myself. My current ones can't keep up anymore." 

"Oh. Mine's still plenty strong. I'm not replacing it yet," Rebecca said, patting her sword fondly. Victor had made it for her, and she loved it. 

"Fair. When you're ready, just say the word. I'll forge you an identical one—but at the highest grade." He grinned. 

"Deal." 

"Now, presenting our second item—a treasure map once owned by Captain X!" 

"5 million!" 

"6.5 million!" 

"10 million berries!" 

... 

"Sold! Congratulations to the winner!"