At The Peak of One Piece

Several items were auctioned off, none capturing Victor's interest—some even stirring disgust. 

Among them were slaves. 

He knew this world's darkness, but witnessing the naked commerce of human lives was a first. Victor's hand twitched toward his sword. 'Freeing these few changes nothing.' Slave trading was normalized here, met with excitement over "exquisite specimens." Victor felt like a foreigner in his own world. 

'The world bends not to one will. To shift it demands time, cunning, resources—and overwhelming power.' 

He understood the hierarchy: Celestial Dragons crowning a pyramid upheld by the World Government, twin mountains crushing all beneath. Sabaody's grim reality was their creation—a microcosm of sanctioned despair. Stability meant preserving rotten equilibriums. Surface prosperity masked festering darkness. 

────── 

Victor snapped back to the present. Something 'finally' held his gaze. 

"Our next treasure is beyond price—a dwindling resource. This may be the last of its kind!" Auctioneer Ethan whipped away the red velvet. 

Revealed was a football-sized blue ingot. Its surface seemed to drink the light, hypnotizing every eye in the room. 

"Kast Blue Gold!" Ethan declared. "Discovered by the enigmatic Kast, its beauty is rivaled only by its indestructibility. Even a Great Grade blade cannot shave a sliver!" 

"Rarity defines it. Legends claim a single massive meteorite birthed all known deposits. Smaller fragments? Painstakingly cleaved from the mother lode. Many supreme blades whisper its name—a mere trace in the alloy elevates strength exponentially!" 

"One Supreme Grade Sword is said to be forged 'entirely' of Blue Gold! On its completion, moonlight converged upon the blade—a lunar blessing. Its edge could part oceans, leaving wounds upon the sea itself!" Ethan's voice soared with mythic fervor. 

The nobles buzzed. Even as a collector's trophy, its value was incalculable. Frenzied whispers crisscrossed the hall. Ethan savored the pause—letting awe inflate bids. 

Victor leaned forward. 'Unmentioned in canon. Even old Kouzaburou never spoke of it... Truly that rare?' 

...but did it truly live up to the legends? 

If the tales held truth, forging at least a Great Grade blade was guaranteed. Victor craved it. His purse, though not insignificant from accumulated spoils, might still prove inadequate. 

"Ben," Victor tapped the informant's shoulder, "ever heard of Kast Blue Gold?" 

"Pretty much what the auctioneer said. The sword legend? Myth, likely. But the metal 'is' top-tier for forging. Heh." Ben confirmed. 

Victor nodded. 'Enhanced quality was enough.' Blended with other rare metals, it might birth something extraordinary. 

"Rebecca," he turned, "want a sword made from this?" 

"With a 'full' blue blade?" Her eyes sparkled like stars, utterly enchanted by the color. 

"Use it 'all' for one sword? Dream on!" Victor lightly rapped her head. "There's barely enough! My own blades need upgrading!" 'This girl and her color obsession...' 

"Ow! But it's so 'pretty!'" Rebecca pouted. 

Ignoring her, Victor focused his Observation Haki into a laser-like beam onto the Blue Gold, probing its essence. 

In the front row, Barrow's gaze burned with naked avarice. 

'This Blue Gold is MINE. Anyone who bids... I'll crush them.' 

"If the legends are true, then at the very least, we're looking at a Great Grade Blade—maybe even higher. I want it. The question is, can my wallet handle it?" Victor wasn't obsessed with money, but he'd saved up a fair amount over the years. 'Will it be enough?' 

"Ben, ever heard of this Kast Blue Gold before?" Victor tapped the shoulder of the man sitting in front of him. 

"Actually, yeah. What the host said is mostly true—except for the legend part. Nobody's ever seen that sword. But it 'is' top-tier forging material, no doubt about it," Ben chuckled. 

Victor nodded. 'As long as it improves quality, that's enough.' If he could combine it with other rare metals, he might even create something better. 

"Rebecca, want a sword made from this stuff?" he asked. 

"One with a fully blue blade?" Her eyes sparkled—clearly enchanted by the idea. 

"If I used all the metal for 'your' sword, there'd be barely any left. What are you thinking?" Victor flicked her forehead in exasperation. 'Such a small quantity, and this girl's hung up on the color?' 

"Ow! But it's so pretty!" she whined, rubbing her head. 

Ignoring her, Victor focused his Observation Haki on the blue metal. 

Meanwhile, in the front row, Barrow's eyes burned with greed. "That Kast Blue Gold 'will' be mine. Anyone who dares bid against me is dead." 

"Now that everyone understands the value of this Kast Blue Gold, let's begin the auction. Starting bid: 30 million berries!" Ethan announced. 

"31 million!" 

"35 million!" 

... 

"50 million!" Barrow finally entered the fray. At this point, only a handful of bidders remained. 

"51 million," Victor countered. He had the funds. 

"55 million!" A sword-carrying pirate joined in. 

"60 million!" A nobleman raised his hand, smirking as he whispered to the woman beside him, "I'll have my slaves wear collars made of this. That blue would look 'divine' on them." 

"How generous of you!" The woman giggled, her smile dripping with cruelty. 

---

The bids climbed to 80 million berries—far exceeding the value of most Great Grade Blades. Barrow was sweating now. 

"I am Barrow of the Rhodes Family. This Kast Blue Gold 'will' be mine. I'd appreciate it if everyone here… 'cooperated'." He stood, scanning the room with a threatening glare. "Sabaody can be a dangerous place. It'd be a shame if anyone got lost." 

The unspoken threat hung heavy. Most backed down—antagonizing an underling of an underworld kingpin over a shiny metal wasn't worth it. 

"What a bully!" Rebecca fumed. 

"Relax. I'm not scared of him," Victor said calmly. "I'll keep bidding until my pockets run dry." 

"Barrow," Ethan's voice turned icy. "Threatening customers is 'not' how we do business here." 

"Don't twist my words, Ethan. I'm just trying to save some money. Your boss won't mind, right? I'm sure he'd 'understand'." Barrow smirked. Once he secured the metal, his standing would rise—Ethan's anger meant nothing. 

Ethan seethed but had no choice. The damage was done. "This isn't over, Barrow." 

"81 million berries!" Barrow barked. "Any 'other' takers?" 

Silence. 

Barrow grinned. "Come on, Ethan. No more bids. Announce it already." 

Ethan's jaw clenched. "81 million… 'once'." 

A pause. No one spoke. 

"81 million… 'twice'." He tried one last appeal. "This may be the last Kast Blue Gold in existence. Think carefully." 

"Victor! Why aren't you bidding?!" Rebecca tugged his sleeve. 

"Let him enjoy his victory for a second," Victor murmured, a sly glint in his eye. "The higher the hope, the harder the fall." 

Five agonizing minutes passed. Barrow's grin widened. The metal was as good as his. 

"81 million berries, third and final—" 

"Wait." 

A voice cut through the tension. 

"81.1 million." 

The entire room froze. 

Barrow's smile shattered.