Chapter 139: A Cruel World (1)

"Well then, next up is our most abundant category of slaves—the Dwarves. With their extraordinary forging techniques, they are a fine choice for crafting weapons."

"Clang... clank-clank..." Dragging heavy chains, two soldiers forced someone half the height of a normal human onto the stage.

Their eyes were like stagnant water, devoid of all hope. The dwarf stood upon the stage like a walking corpse, put up for auction as mere merchandise. What a cruel and ironic spectacle.

Without a word, Xuanye had long since recognized the ruthlessness of this world. His expression remained utterly calm as he gazed coolly upon the sinful, ugly faces surrounding him.

In fact, Xuanye's resolve to stand at the very pinnacle of this world only grew stronger. He simply refused to ever sink to such a wretched state, treated worse than pigs and dogs.

"One hundred million!" As always, right from the front row, Charlos-seiclaimed the item. After all, to the Celestial Dragons, money was truly nothing more than toilet paper.

"My son, you must maintain your gentlemanly demeanor. Even though our family is wealthy, we should still leave a little broth for the others to drink," a middle-aged Celestial Dragon to his left admonished Charlos.

"Hmph, Father is right. All the items auctioned so far are absolute trash; the good stuff only comes at the very end. This time, I want to bid for a strong human, because the last one was far too fragile—he died after just a casual bit of torture," a female Celestial Dragon to his right chimed in.

Turning her head, one could see the female Celestial Dragon possessed fairly delicate features, yet the words she spoke revealed a venomous and scorpion-like heart.

"Fine, then let these lower beings bid for whatever they like!" Snorting dismissively, Charlos looked down upon everyone in the hall with utter contempt.

"My sincere thanks to your grace, Lord Charlos-sei! And now, presenting our next slave—a giant, possessing boundless strength. Bidding starts at twenty million Berries..."

"Twenty million..."

"Thirty million..."

"The next item, a member of the Longarm Tribe..."

In the blink of an eye, two hours passed. During this time, Xuanye once again witnessed the sheer madness of this world, as slaves accounted for a staggering ninety percent of all auctioned items.

"And now, for the final three items. I believe everyone has been waiting quite a long time."

"The first item: the Observation Haki training method left behind by a pirate with a bounty of two-hundred-and-thirty million. Those who understand will recognize its true value at a glance. Starting bid: three hundred million Berries."

"What... Observation Haki?" Several pirates stirred in agitation. Having traveled from the Four Blues to the Sabaody Archipelago, anyone with half a brain knew what Haki was.

Do not assume Haki was something everyone could use; those were merely superficial displays. Those who truly mastered it were individuals of genuine strength. Without a doubt, Haki was equivalent to the legendary martial arts manuals of his past life—anyone who understood it cherished it above all else.

Do you know why those who mastered Haki were always such an exclusive few? It was because of an unwritten rule. If Haki were to become widespread, then the affairs of this world would no longer belong solely to the pirates and the World Government.

Imagine if the training methods for Haki were disseminated across the entire globe. Even if only one out of every one hundred thousand people managed to cultivate it, just calculate how many countless individuals in this world would awaken to it?

Just thinking about it—nearly half of the world's population possessing Haki—made the consequences too terrifying to contemplate.

"Please note: this manual for training Observation Haki must be memorized under the watchful eye of our auction house, after which the original copy will be burned," the auctioneer solemnly announced the rule.

Even so, the entire hall erupted into intense excitement.

"Four hundred million Berries!"

"Get lost, four hundred and fifty million!"

"Five million—it has to be mine!"

"To think trash like this is actually in demand. How pathetic. Why don't I just buy it and give it to my slaves as a reward?" Right at the front, Charlos-sei spoke with absolute disdain, shouting, "One billion Berries!"

The hall fell dead silent. A few ferocious-looking pirates turned bloodshot with rage, but at the mere thought of the consequences of killing this creature, they clenched their fists and forced themselves to suppress their fury.

And the reason the noble idiot bought it was simply to reward his slaves! Curses filled the hearts of everyone present against this ultimate scum of the seas.

"Congratulations to Lord Charlos-sei for winning this item," the auctioneer said cautiously, flashing a flattering smile.

"Bring out the next auction item."

"This is a heavenly masterpiece necklace crafted from three hundred and sixty-five top-tier diamonds, combined with peerless colored glaze, entirely by hand. Such heavenly beauty is fit only for the most stunning woman in the world, and this is the one and only piece in existence. Starting bid: five hundred million."

If the first item was a man's desire, then this one was a woman's. Instantly, the venue erupted into chaos as countless men accompanied by their partners were besieged by women radiating all manner of charming allure.

"Darling... I want it..."

"Master, I desire this..."

However, before anyone else could shout a bid, a crisp and fiercely arrogant voice rang out.

"One billion Berries."

"Congratulations to Princess Shalria for winning this unique masterpiece of heavenly beauty. Only Her Highness Princess Shalria is worthy of possessing it."

A masterclass in blatant flattery brought a smile to Princess Shalria's face.

The hall plunged into silence once more, for whenever a Celestial Dragon made a move, no one else dared to contend with them.

"Then, we have only the final item remaining. I trust it will not disappoint you all."

A large water tank was hoisted up abruptly. Inside sat a creature with a human upper body and a fish tail below, possessing cascading purple hair, pale violet eyes, delicate features, and a voluptuous bust.

Her tearful, watery eyes were filled with absolute terror, her entire body curled up into a tight ball. Without a doubt, this was a mermaid—and a top-tier mermaid at that.

"Boom..." The entire venue went wild. Every single male present wore an evil expression, their eyes blazing with the desire to violate and possess.

"A mermaid, it's actually a mermaid..."

"How long has it been since one appeared? I never expected to see a mermaid today."

"I must buy her..."

"Indeed, as everyone knows, mermaids are exceedingly difficult to capture, let alone one of such exceptional quality. Starting bid: whatever you wish to offer."

With a flush of excitement, the auctioneer brought his gavel down heavily.

"Three hundred million!"

"Five hundred million!"

"Eight hundred million!"

"Eight hundred and thirty million!"

In mere moments, the bidding for the mermaid soared toward one billion Berries. Watching the crazed crowd, Xuanye couldn't help but sigh at how foolish people with money could be.

Aside from her looks, this mermaid was completely useless, and she didn't even possess the anatomical traits men desired most. If Xuanye remembered correctly, mermaids only split their fish tails into human legs once they reached the age of thirty. In other words, before that, only her mouth could be of any use; everything else was strictly for viewing.

And this mermaid was, at most, under twenty-five years of age.

Lacking any interest whatsoever, Xuanye stood up, intending to leave. By now, the coating on his warship should be finished.

Yet, at that very moment, the mermaid who had been curled in a ball suddenly uncoiled. On her wrist, a very ordinary-looking bracelet emitted a radiance that left Xuanye utterly transfixed.

Stopping in his tracks, Xuanye stared unblinkingly at the bracelet on the mermaid's wrist. There could be no mistake—absolutely none. It was the birthday gift he had once given to Xiaoxi.