Chapter 54: Provocation

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Upon hearing Mapelseciel Palace's words, Estercock Saint snorted in displeasure but refrained from saying more. 

Boyle's eyes briefly flashed with disappointment; he had hoped for a conflict between the Celestial Dragons and Byakuya. 

However, Mapelseciel Palace's single remark made Estercock Saint reconsider. Many pirates eager to see Byakuya humiliated were similarly disappointed.

Yet, some pirates grew curious about the confidence exuded by Byakuya and Smoker, who seemed unfazed by the presence of the Celestial Dragons. 

Estercock Saint, although annoyed, couldn't express his discontent openly in front of Mapelseciel Palace, so he impatiently urged, "Let the auction begin already!"

"As you command, Lord Estercock Saint!" Despite their arrogance, not all Celestial Dragons were as brainless as often portrayed. 

If they were truly as foolish as depicted in the anime, how could they control the World Government and maintain their status as 'gods' of the seas? 

Mapelseciel Palace was one of the more intelligent Celestial Dragons. 

Although she didn't know Byakuya's identity, seeing such a young officer already a Rear Admiral and displaying such indifference towards their presence intrigued her.

Typically, when Marine officers encountered Celestial Dragons, they wouldn't kneel but would show respectful deference. 

Given that the Marine is the strongest military force of the World Government, Celestial Dragons sometimes even required their protection during outings. 

Mapelseciel Palace saw no need to strain relations with the Marine over trivial matters.

Under the Celestial Dragons' urging, the auction soon began. As previously mentioned, this auction primarily featured slaves, occasionally interspersed with Devil Fruits. 

Both were highly sought after. Celestial Dragons and nobility mainly purchased slaves, while pirates and bounty hunters aimed for the Devil Fruits, which could dramatically enhance their power.

As the auction commenced, various slaves were brought onto the stage. 

A beautiful princess of a fallen kingdom, forced to wear revealing attire, showcased her alluring curves, prompting the corpulent nobles below to fiercely bid against one another. 

A captured general, with robust muscles and a commanding presence honed from years of battlefield experience, garnered significant attention from wealthy women.

A pirate captain with a bounty of thirty million Berries, once arrogant and notorious, now stood with dull eyes and a face marked by despair, being inspected like merchandise. 

As for the more ordinary slaves, they were countless, mostly citizens of conquered nations, captured and sold by the victors. 

Many were also likely abducted by professional slave hunters, torn from normal lives and loved ones to become the lowest class in the seas.

The Celestial Dragons showed little interest in ordinary humans, favoring exotic races instead. Dwarves, Longarms, and Fishmen were all eagerly purchased by the two Celestial Dragons. 

The climax of the auction was reached with the introduction of a giant slave. 

Only then did Byakuya witness the true extravagance of the Celestial Dragons, who spent money as if it were nothing.

Directly offering 500 million Berries silenced anyone else with ideas of bidding. 

After all, the Celestial Dragons collect the Heavenly Tribute from over 200 member countries each year, which amounts to tens of billions of Berries. 

This doesn't even include the rare treasures and Devil Fruits they acquire. They can even afford to feed Devil Fruits to their slaves. 

For them, this kind of money is hardly significant. This made Byakuya somewhat envious.

Wow, here I am, trying to enforce rules in the Sabaody Archipelago to rake in some big money. 

I've endured being looked down upon just to make a substantial profit in one go. 

But the amount I aim to earn is probably just their 'pocket money' for shopping. Man, comparing oneself to others can be so frustrating.

During the auction, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit appeared, but Boyle didn't disclose any details about it. 

Instead, he started the bidding at a relatively low price of 100 million Berries. 

It made sense—Doflamingo wasn't foolish; if the fruit were powerful, he'd have given it to one of his loyal subordinates rather than auctioning it. 

Even without knowing the fruit's specifics, pirates eagerly competed for it, eventually driving the price up to 230 million Berries. 

As the auction was nearing its end, Byakuya stepped out for a moment.

Byakuya's brief absence attracted some attention, but he returned three minutes later, and no one thought much of it. 

After Boyle auctioned off the final item, he breathed a sigh of relief. With the presence of two Celestial Dragons, he was anxious about displeasing them. 

Now, it seemed the auction had concluded successfully.

Boyle approached Estercock Saint and Mapelseciel Palace, kneeling respectfully, "I will immediately arrange for the slaves you purchased to be sent to Mariejois, my lords."

Estercock Saint, excited, replied, "No need for that. Bring the slaves over now; I want to ride the giant back." 

The giant slave that had appeared earlier was the one Estercock Saint had bought for 500 million Berries. 

Upon hearing this, a look of despair crossed the face of the Longarm Tribe slave standing not far behind Estercock Saint. 

When the Celestial Dragons decide to change mounts, it means their previous ones have become worthless, and their fate is usually death.

As expected, once Estercock Saint was seated atop the 50 to 60-meter tall giant slave, he pulled out a gemstone-encrusted, gold-plated gun and aimed it at the Longarm slave. 

"Bang!" A golden bullet pierced the slave's forehead. In his final moments, a mixture of sorrow and a hint of relief appeared in his eyes. 

Despite knowing he was doomed, he didn't resist. Even if someone had rescued him, he probably could never return to his pre-slavery self. 

Witnessing this, Byakuya couldn't help but reflect. This is truly a cruel world.

As Byakuya stood to leave, Boyle, who had been watching him, approached and said, "Rear Admiral Byakuya, are you leaving already?"

Byakuya looked at Boyle with a playful smile, "Why? Are you planning to keep me here?"

"No, no, I wouldn't dare. But didn't you mention that selling slaves requires notifying the Marine?" 

"I was too busy earlier and forgot. Now that the auction is over, I finally have time to report to the Marine."

"Do you still need a report?" Boyle straightened up, looking at Byakuya without any respect for his rank as Rear Admiral. 

Smoker, holding his jitte, veins bulging on the back of his hand, snarled, "Are you looking to die?" Boyle's words were an outright provocation. 

He was confident that since the slaves were already sold to the Celestial Dragons, even if the Marine reported it, what could they do? Go and demand the slaves back from the Celestial Dragons?

Byakuya restrained Smoker, who was ready to act, and suddenly wore a gentle smile. "Since the auction is over, there's no need for a report. Just don't forget next time." 

Smoker was stunned to hear Byakuya's seemingly soft words. He turned to see the gentle smile on Byakuya's face, and a shiver ran down his spine. 

That smile was too familiar. Every time Byakuya smiled like that, someone ended up dead—without exception. This meant...

Smoker guessed Byakuya had a plan, so he put away his jitte and stepped back behind Byakuya. 

Boyle, seeing Smoker put away his weapon, felt emboldened by Byakuya's words. 

"Rest assured, Rear Admiral Byakuya, next time there's an auction and it's not too busy, I'll report it to the Marine."

'Report? Yeah, right! If the Auction still exists that time.' Byakuya flashed another harmless smile and left without saying more. 

Sometimes, a swift death might be a kinder fate. Smoker looked at Boyle with a hint of pity, making Boyle feel an inexplicable chill. 

Still, the pride of having stood up to two Rear Admirals swelled within him.

As Byakuya and Smoker left the auction house and headed back to the Marine base, several pirate crews followed them, positioning themselves in a circle. 

Byakuya said to Smoker, "It seems some people have a death wish. You handle them."

"Finally, I've been itching for a fight. It's been too long, and now I've got some pirate crews to practice on," Smoker said eagerly. 

"I hope they don't die too quickly so I can enjoy myself."

Byakuya's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Don't worry. Once the show's over, it'll be time to wrap things up. You'll have plenty to do."

Meanwhile, across the street, Estercock Saint and Mapelseciel Palace rode their giant slave, leisurely strolling down the main road. 

The street was lined with kneeling civilians, heads bowed low, terrified of attracting the Celestial Dragons' attention. 

Just one word from them could strip away their lives and happiness. Estercock Saint, riding high on the giant's shoulders, was visibly thrilled. 

Giant slaves were rare in the seas, and buying one was quite a stroke of luck. 

Plus, the high vantage point offered by the giant gave Estercock Saint an excellent view, which he greatly enjoyed. 

Mapelseciel Palace, however, didn't share his enthusiasm. Her instincts, often sharp, gave her the unsettling feeling of being watched by a venomous snake. 

It made her uneasy as if something bad was about to happen. But she couldn't pinpoint the source of her anxiety. 

Frowning, she said, "Estercock, let's stop wandering around. I have a bad feeling. We should head back."

Estercock Saint was thrilled and wanted to ride the giant slave around a few more times. 

However, Mapelseciel Palace held a much higher status among the Celestial Dragons, so he didn't dare to oppose her. 

"Are you feeling unwell? In that case, let's head back," he said, hiding his discontent. 

Unable to vent his frustration at Mapelseciel Palace, he turned his anger on the slave, pulling out a device that resembled a remote control and pressing a button.

Immediately, tiny spikes emerged from the collar around the giant slave's neck, injecting a poison developed by the slave traders. 

The poison caused excruciating pain without being lethal. The giant's face turned a livid shade of red, and his body began to tremble in agony. 

One hand instinctively moved to remove the collar but stopped short, knowing that forcibly removing it would trigger an explosion powerful enough to sever his head.

Seeing the giant's pain, Estercock Saint discovered a new way to torment him and pressed several more buttons. 

The giant's tremors intensified, causing Estercock Saint and Mapelseciel Palace to sway dangerously and almost fall off. 

Suddenly, purple-clad figures emerged from the crowd at lightning speed, heading straight for the Celestial Dragons.

The bodyguards, tasked with protecting the Celestial Dragons, were alarmed. 

If anything happened to their charges, they faced execution, not just for themselves but also for their families in Mary Geoise. 

A dozen bodyguards moved to shield the Celestial Dragons, trying to intercept the attackers. 

The purple figures threw shurikens, but the guards' faces turned pale upon contact. These weren't ordinary shurikens—they were bombs!

"Boom! Boom!" Four explosions rocked the street, engulfing the bodyguards and the Celestial Dragons in fiery blasts. 

The sound of explosions echoed through the streets, sending waves of panic among the kneeling civilians, who felt as if their hearts had exploded. 

The horrifying realization hit them: someone was attacking the Celestial Dragons in broad daylight! The world was about to explode into chaos!

No longer kneeling, the civilians scattered in terror, plunging the island into a frenzy. 

Across the street, Byakuya and Smoker heard the explosions and instantly knew the Celestial Dragons were in trouble. 

If anything happened to them in their jurisdiction, they would be held responsible. 

The smoker was about to turn into smoke and head over when Byakuya's voice stopped him.

"Take care of the pirates following us. I'll handle this," Byakuya said. 

In a flash, he was airborne, looking down at the blazing fire with a light-hearted smile. "Let's begin," he murmured.

<End Chapter>

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