One Piece: The user of the Nen-Nen Fruit, who overturned the sea.

The banquet ended late at night.

Shaki's bar has guest rooms upstairs, enough to accommodate everyone.

Roy was assigned a room on the third floor by the window, from which he could see the iconic Yarchiman mangrove tree of the Sabaody Archipelago.

He didn't rush to sleep.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting a silvery-white glow on the floor.

Roy leaned against the window, gazing at the brightly lit commercial street in the distance.

The nights in the Sabaody Archipelago are never quiet.

Especially these past few days.

He could sense a restless atmosphere permeating the entire island—from pirates, the navy, bounty hunters, slave traders, and underground forces…

The various forces are intertwined, like a string stretched to its limit.

The auction will begin tomorrow.

Those mermaids and female warriors will also be put up for auction.

Roy looked away, lay down on the bed, and closed his eyes.

Forget it.

who cares.

there is always a solution to a problem.

The next morning, when Roy woke up, it was already bright outside.

He pushed open the door and went down the stairs.

Inside the bar, two people were sitting at the bar counter.

Tesoro.

Ben Beckman.

The two stood on either side of each other, holding coffee, and silently looked at each other.

Judging from the looks of it, they've been sitting here for quite a while.

Roy raised an eyebrow: "You two, didn't sleep all night?"

Tezzolo put down his coffee cup: "Boss, how can I sleep at a time like this?"

Beckman exhaled a smoke ring and said calmly, "I'm used to it."

Roy smiled.

It has to be said that Tezzolo really does act like the team's second-in-command when it matters most.

He's usually all smiles and laughter, but when it comes to serious matters, he's more reliable than anyone else.

If it weren't for the fact that his skills were still a step behind Barrett and Hawkeye, he could have easily taken the position of first mate.

However, in the Roy Pirates, Bullet's authority was ingrained in the bones of every member.

That guy usually keeps a low profile, but if anyone dares to lose their temper in front of him, he'll teach them a lesson in no time.

Although Tesoro is quite strong, he is still a bit lacking compared to Barrett.

Besides, Roy doesn't care about these empty titles.

Making Tesoro the chief financial steward of Beehive Island, managing the entire pirate crew's finances, is far more suitable than making him a vice-captain.

He walked to the bar, poured himself a glass of water, and took a sip.

"Tezzolo, go and fetch Lafayette."

Tesoro put down his coffee cup, and in a flash, he disappeared as a bolt of lightning.

A moment later, he returned with Lafayette.

Lafayette was dressed neatly, his top hat worn properly, looking nothing like someone who had just been dragged out of bed.

"Captain, you were looking for me."

Roy nodded: "Lafayette, how long can your Imitation Fruit last?"

"A perfect imitation would take about two hours. If it's just changing the face and body shape, it can last half a day."

That's enough.

Roy took a few pesos out of his pocket and put them on the bar.

"Go for a stroll around town. Find out which auction house the female warrior and mermaid girl from the Kuja Pirates are being held at."

"The time and place of the auction, which forces are involved, and the security arrangements—the more detailed the better."

Lafayette took the Bailey and bowed slightly: "Understood."

He turned and left the bar. The moment he stepped out the door, his face had transformed into that of an ordinary middle-aged businessman.

Roy nodded in satisfaction.

Lafayette was born to do intelligence work.

Lafayette returned in less than half a day.

When he pushed the door open, he still had his disguise on his face and looked like a merchant who had just returned from the market.

"Captain, we've found out."

Roy gestured for him to sit down and said.

Lafayette picked up the water glass on the table and took a big gulp.

"There's no need to ask around; the news has spread throughout the entire Sabaody Archipelago."

"The auction will be held at the Golden City Auction House in Zone 1 tomorrow at 10:00 AM."

"That place is the territory of the Genus family, a giant in the underworld, and security is extremely tight."

He paused.

"The photos of the mermaid girl and the female warriors of the Kuja Pirates have been made into posters and put up at the entrance of the auction house."

"Starting bids: Mermaid Girl, 50 million Berries; Nine-Snake Warrior, 30 million Berries each."

Lafayette pulled a few crumpled posters from his pocket and placed them on the table.

On the poster, a mermaid girl with long blue hair is locked in a cage, her eyes filled with fear.

The other two are female warriors wearing the Kuja Pirates' battle suits. Their injuries haven't healed yet, but their eyes are defiant.

Grandma Niu walked over at some point, her face turning ashen as she looked at the posters.

"Where...are they being held?"

Lafayette shook his head: "I couldn't find out. The location where the Kinos family is being held is classified; outsiders have no way of knowing."

Grandma New gritted her teeth and gripped her snake staff tightly with both hands.

Roy patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. He'll show up at the auction tomorrow."

Grandma New took a deep breath and nodded.

Lafayette continued, "There's one more thing."

"explain."

"It is said that there are many treasures in this auction."

Several Devil Fruits, a large, sharp sword, and some items unearthed from ancient ruins.

"That's why it attracted a lot of important figures."

"And—" Lafayette lowered her voice, "there are rumors that a Celestial Dragon will be there tomorrow."

After he finished speaking, the bar fell silent for a moment.

Celestial Dragons.

World nobility.

Descendants of the Creator.

The most dangerous presence on this vast ocean.

Roy's lips curled into a cold smile.

"Celestial Dragons? Interesting."

"It seems the lessons learned from Mary Geoise a few years ago weren't profound enough."

Beckman, who was standing nearby, twitched at the corner of his mouth when he heard this.

He thought to himself: Do you think everyone has the strength of your Roy Pirates?

They don't even respect the world government; they not only dare to offend it, but they've done so more than once.

Granny New's expression changed: "Celestial Dragons? If Celestial Dragons are present, then..."

"So what?"

Roy interrupted her, his tone calm.

"If I, Roy, want to save someone, even the Celestial Dragons can't stop me."

Grandma Niu opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

She suddenly remembered what Xia Qi had said last night—this man never plays by the rules.

Meanwhile, at the Sabaody Naval Base.

Zefa's warships arrived at the port in the early morning.

Before the boat had even come to a complete stop, he jumped ashore and strode toward the base.

He has barely slept these past few days.

After the gold was stolen, he led the new recruits in a symbolic "pursuit" for a while.

Then he received orders from headquarters to immediately proceed to the Sabaody Archipelago and rendezvous with Garp.

In the base's conference room, Garp, Akainu, and Aokiji were already waiting.

With the addition of Black Arm Zephyr, the four admirals of the Navy are now all together.

When Zephyr pushed open the door, Akainu was sitting in the corner with a gloomy expression, lava dripping from between his fingers, burning the armrests of his chair with pits.

Garp sat in the main seat, crunching away on a rice cracker.

Only Aokiji nodded: "Thank you for your hard work, Professor Zephyr."

Zefa sighed and found a seat.

The lieutenant general stationed at the Sabaody base stood in front of the nautical chart and began to report on the current situation of the Sabaody Islands.