Chapter 96

A/N:

Dear Readers,

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Grove 1, Sabaody Archipelago

It had been a day since we arrived at Sabaody. Doffy had already acquired a new galleon for us. Of course, he didn't bother to buy it; he simply burned the entire tavern along with its crew in Grove 9, and then we moved the newly acquired ship to Grove 27. Iceburg started coating the entire ship after getting all the necessary tools.

Luckily for us, a fishman in the new group I had met earlier was familiar with the process of ship coating, so we had him reassigned to the ship's coating as it was going to be our getaway ticket. Although the fishmen were excellent swimmers, the condition of the captives was unknown, so we were preparing the ship in all haste. The coating was expected to be finished by midnight today.

Currently, I was staying in a small, dilapidated wooden cabin on the edge of Grove 3. There were many such abandoned cabins on this grove, used by pirates as temporary rest houses. The atmosphere was tense. None of the fishmen were in the mood to sleep, as tomorrow was supposed to be the day of the auction, and we had planned to take action then.

As of now, the slavers were being cautious, keeping the prisoners in multiple locations. It wasn't just Katakuri; as I had suspected, his triplet brothers, Daifuku and Oven, were also on the island overseeing the event.

"Knock, knock." A rhythmic knocking sound echoed throughout the room, causing the fishmen to tense up even more.

"It's alright, it's one of our own," I reassured them. My observation haki had already disclosed the identity of the person standing outside.

With my confirmation, a fishman stepped up and opened the door, leaving only a small gap to peek through and ensure everything was in order before letting the cloaked man in.

The man removed his hood, revealing a middle-aged face. He was the help Shakky-san had arranged to get us into the auction house without alarming anyone. However, the man now seemed to be in a hurry.

"There has been a change in plans," he declared. "The auction is being rescheduled for midnight today." It seemed like something significant must have happened for the auction to be moved up.

"A Tenryubito is making their way to Sabaody after hearing that there would be mermaids for sale tomorrow," he explained while sitting down and taking a sip from the rum poured by one of the fishmen. "He has ordered the auction to be carried out immediately once he reaches Sabaody to ensure that he gets ownership of all the mermaids."

The fishmen around the room exchanged worried glances. The presence of a Tenryubito always complicated matters. The man who had brought the news seemed unperturbed by the fact he was surrounded by fishmen, treating them as if they were just any other humans.

"We have to move quickly," the fishmen leader said. However, my mind was racing with new plans. "This changes everything. We'll need to be in position before the Tenryubito arrives. This complicates things…"

If a Celestial Dragon was making his way to the auction venue, it would mean that during these chaotic times, at least an Admiral candidate would be escorting the party. I had to ensure that Doffy didn't get wind of this, as I was certain he would try something reckless.

"We're going in now. We can't wait for the Celestial Dragon to arrive, as that would only complicate things," I declared, standing up and clutching Kitetsu. I turned to the middle-aged man, who was leisurely sipping rum. He must have thought I was joking, but his eyes widened when he realized I was serious about breaking into the auction house immediately.

"You... you must be crazy! These are the Big Mom pirates, and in addition to them, forces from the underworld control the auction houses. You won't make it a hundred feet near the captives," he exclaimed.

The original plan was to stealthily enter the auction house once the mermaids had been gathered in a single place tomorrow, disguise ourselves as auction house handlers, and rescue the mermaids. However, now I am suggesting we go in with all guns blazing. It was madness—pure madness.

Even some of the fishmen showed confused glances, but then, remembering that they were doing this to rescue their family, their resolve returned. Everyone quickly started gearing up to attack the auction house. The mermaids would soon be brought to Grove 1, as the auction had been rescheduled.

"You guys... fine, just don't blame me later if you get surrounded and slaughtered," the middle-aged man commented, resigned to the madness of our plan. His job was to get us into the auction house discreetly, but now we were abandoning stealth for a direct assault.

"Remember, we have to move quickly and decisively," I whispered. "Our primary objective is to rescue the mermaids. Avoid unnecessary fights, but don't hesitate to defend yourselves."

The fishmen nodded in agreement, their grips tightening on their weapons. We advanced toward the entrance, the dim light casting long shadows on the ground. The middle-aged man led the way; his knowledge of the auction house layout was invaluable.

Soon enough, the middle-aged man led us to the edge of Grove 1, where numerous ships were anchored along the shoreline. Among them, I spotted several flying the Jolly Roger of the Big Mom Pirates.

"This way," the middle-aged man gestured, directing us toward a large drain pipe meant for sewage water to be discarded into the sea.

"In here? This looks like the sewers," one fishman complained as the middle-aged man expertly picked the locks securing the metal grills.

"What else did you expect? Did you think I'd take you through the front door, announcing that more than a dozen fishmen have come to the auction in peace?" He snorted sarcastically while working on the lock.

"Click!" The lock finally gave way, and he swung the metal gate open, ushering us into the dark path. Despite the pitch-black darkness, the middle-aged man navigated expertly, but my observation haki guided me just as well. Like Ishho, I had stopped relying solely on sight to perceive the world around me.

After more than ten minutes of stumbling through the darkness, the middle-aged man whispered from the front, "Quick, up the ladder. This will lead us to an abandoned room where they store discarded furniture and junk from the auction house." He directed the fishmen up the ladder one by one while he stood to the side. Just as I was about to climb, he stopped me by placing a hand on my shoulder.

"This is as far as I take you, my friend. What lies ahead is up to you and your friends. My payment, if you will?" He extended his hand, not for a handshake but for his part of the payment, as his deal was only to get us in via a safe route.

Something didn't feel right. The way he acted seemed off, so I used my observation haki to sense if anything was amiss. Just then, my future sight kicked in, and I couldn't help but smirk while looking at the middle-aged man.

"The deal was for you to get us into the auction house. I'm not paying you a single belly until I step into the auction house. Now, please," I gestured for him to climb the ladder before me.

"Ah, come on! It's just as I said. The auction house is right above. You can climb the ladder and confirm it yourself. Just pay me up. I have other urgent matters to attend to. You're not my only client," he replied in a hurry, but my voice of all things picked up on his internal panic. If I was not wrong, the bastard had sold us out to the Big Mom Pirates.

"There is no honor among thieves, hehe," I chuckled. "That was not a request, by the way." I drew Kitetsu, and before he could react, I severed an ear from the middle-aged man.

"Aarrgh!" The pirate held his bleeding ear and let out a scream. Even in the darkness, my slash was accurate enough to deprive him of just a single ear.

"Don't think I missed. And don't make me repeat myself. Up the stairs you go," I whispered in his remaining ear like the devil himself. The middle-aged man froze in terror. What he originally thought was easy money had now become his doom. Although I knew there was a trap waiting, I also knew it wasn't enough to hold me back.

Despite my ridiculous bounty, it seemed the Big Mom Pirates were underestimating me. Soon enough, I would teach them a lesson for this folly.

We climbed up the ladder, entering the abandoned room filled with discarded furniture and junk from the auction house. The atmosphere was thick with tension, with every creak and rustle amplifying the danger we were about to face. I signaled the fishmen to stay quiet and vigilant as we made our way through the dimly lit room.

"Stay close," I whispered, leading the group toward the door that connected to the main auction area. My observation haki was on high alert, sensing every presence around us. The middle-aged man followed reluctantly, clutching his bleeding ear.

"Bang!" A deafening noise echoed through the room, followed by a blinding flash that submerged us in brightness, rendering us practically blind. Amidst the chaos, I heard the sharp crack of gunfire as more than a dozen seastone bullets shot in our direction from the corners of the room. I unsheathed Kitetsu and expertly deflected the incoming bullets, redirecting them toward the corners where they had been fired.

Thanks to my observation haki, especially my future sight, I was already prepared for their attack. As I redirected the bullets, the room began to calm down, and the lights flickered back to normal. Just as I had expected, our group was sealed within a cage made of seastone. I couldn't help but chuckle at their foolishness for thinking I was like other Devil Fruit users. I was an anomaly, and only the World Government knew I had the Lightning Logia fruit.

"Seems like you were waiting for me," I chuckled loudly, turning toward a certain direction outside the cage where I detected the strongest presence. My vision adjusted to the room's lights, and I saw that even the other fishmen were surprised, many still coming to realize we had been led into a trap.

"Donquixote Rosinante," a tall figure spoke, stepping forward. "Formerly known as the Sword Demon of the Marines, then pursued by the same Marines for the assassination of a member of the Reverie. You vanished from the face of the world for more than a year and a half, and now you have resurfaced. Your reputation precedes you. You could have led your life in hiding, but no, you had to involve yourself in the matters of the Big Mom Pirates."

The man was imposing, standing over five meters tall with spiky crimson hair. He seemed to be in his mid-twenties and was none other than Charlotte Katakuri, the strongest commander of the Big Mom Pirates. He stood outside the seastone cage, a serious expression etched on his face.

"You bastard! What have you done? I will kill you!" The fishman leader roared, jumping at the middle-aged man who had led us here. The leader quickly understood the situation as more than a hundred pirates from the Big Mom crew surrounded us.

Katakuri's eyes narrowed as he looked at the fishman leader. "Save your energy, fishman. This human led you into a trap, and now you're all at our mercy."

I couldn't help but smirk. "Mercy? Coming from the Big Mom Pirates? That's rich." I locked eyes with Katakuri. "You might think this cage can hold me, but you're sorely mistaken."

"Let me borrow him for a second," I said, grabbing the middle-aged man like a ragdoll. With a swift motion, I hurled him toward the seastone cage. His back slammed against the seastone bars, causing a ripple of shock to pass through the room.

Katakuri's eyes widened as he instantly recognized the danger. His future sight must have already kicked in because he immediately released his mochi, covering more than a hundred of his subordinates, and began to retreat from the room without delay.

However, I was even faster. My observation haki was not something Katakuri could match. Black lightning surged through my body, and my skin turned black like ink as I channeled my powers. My arms coiled, storing momentum at its maximum.

"Too slow, Katakuri," I muttered, a smirk playing on my lips.

With a burst of speed, I launched myself forward, shattering the marbled floor beneath my legs. The sound of metal splintering echoed through the room as my punch tore through the ribcage of the pirate who had deceived me and landed squarely on the sea stone cage.

"Lightning Tyrant!!!" The ferocity of my punch echoed throughout the auction house, and with a deafening boom, almost the entire portion of the auction house seemed to disintegrate with a single strike.

"Ross, we still need to rescue our family. Please, don't bring the auction house down with our family inside," the fishmen leader gulped in fear at the sheer display of power, but realizing that they were free from the cage, he approached me from beyond and pleaded.

"Ah, sorry, sorry, I got carried away. I always wanted to fight a strong pirate like Katakuri, you see. And don't worry, I was holding back. If I were serious, I would have used my sword," I chuckled. Using my observation haki, I pinpointed where the mermaids were being held. It seemed to be true that the Celestial Dragons were coming, as the mermaids were already within the auction house. I gestured for the fishmen leader.

"They are being held in the basement. Go through this hallway all the way to the end, take a left, and then a right. You should see the stairs to the basement. Let me deal with these people. Don't wait for me, and make sure you get the keys to their shackles. I fear they might have used some tricks to keep the mermaids from escaping," I instructed, then casually walked forward toward the large open hall in front of me, where Katakuri had managed to retreat with his subordinates. I had to commend the man, as he was able to react and even take his subordinates to safety.