Doflamingo descended from the sky and landed right in front of the row of displayed captives.
Wearing a wide, smug smile, he walked with his characteristic swagger, arms outstretched as if he were welcoming everyone present.
"Fufufufu... Far more people have come than we expected—nearly twice as many. So we've decided to change the rules at the last minute."
Without even realizing it, he had begun using the collective term "we" and "us."
He didn't think much of it, but anyone who had dealt with Phantom before felt a twist of unease in their chest.
"You sea rogue!" Suddenly, a giant standing over twenty meters tall spoke in a deep, rumbling voice. "Cut the nonsense! When does this auction start?!"
"Fufufufu..." Doflamingo let out a laugh that sounded cunning and scheming. "Oh? Are you one of the giant warriors from the Giant Kingdom of Elbaf?"
"Hmph! I am no savage from Elbaf! I come from Dakayaana!" The giant snorted angrily. "Where are the people from Phantom?!"
To be honest, this giant nation of Dakayaana actually held a grudge against Phantom.
Back when Vladimir had been sent flying by Kuma onto an island inhabited by giants, he had simply taken the Curse-Curse Fruit from their country without a second thought.
That was an extraordinary Devil Fruit—its power alone was equivalent to three ordinary fruits combined.
Of course, Doflamingo had no idea about any of this. Even among the hundred thousand people here, fewer than ten percent had even heard of Dakayaana, let alone knew about their conflict with Phantom.
"Dakayaana?" Doflamingo raised an eyebrow, searching his memory. "Never heard of it. There are only a few giant kingdoms known to the world."
The most famous was, of course, Elbaf. Dakayaana, by contrast, was a reclusive, little-known nation.
"Really? The world has already forgotten we exist... Then today, we shall make our return known to everyone!"
The giant huffed loudly, sending puffs of hot air through his nostrils.
"And now, sea rogue—are you going to let us into the venue or not?!"
"Fufufu... I told you not to rush!"
Doflamingo swept his gaze over the crowd. With so many people packed together, it was impossible to see clearly who was where.
"Given how many have arrived, we need to vet everyone. Right now, there are more than one hundred thousand of you—almost one hundred and ten thousand. But only fifty thousand will be allowed inside."
As soon as he spoke these words, voices of protest immediately rang out:
"What did you say?!"
"Cut the number in half? Vetting us?!"
"Bastards! Are you kidding me?! Do you have any idea how much effort it took for us to travel all the way here from the New World? We've waited half a month already, and now you won't even let us into the venue? Don't get too cocky, Doflamingo of the Donquixote Family!"
Protests and shouts rose up like crashing waves.
The only thing keeping everyone from lashing out immediately was the terrifying reputation of Phantom. Otherwise, chaos would have broken out long ago.
After all, not a single person here was an ordinary individual—every one of them was dangerous and powerful in their own right.
Doflamingo simply grinned and said, "That's just how things are. Don't like it? Feel free to try and stop me."
As he spoke, he stepped aside, revealing the twenty-six captives displayed behind him.
"Fufufu... Truth be told, we prepared plenty more wooden stands. We wouldn't mind adding a few more!"
At these words, the crowd fell silent for a moment. But almost immediately, someone called out again:
"Stop beating around the bush! Just tell us—how exactly are you going to judge who gets in?!"
Even though there were over one hundred thousand people here, most were either from major factions, or had come just to watch the event, hoping to take advantage of any opportunities that arose, or simply to witness the grand occasion for themselves.
Since only fifty thousand spots were available, it made sense to follow a clear system rather than waste time arguing.
"As for how we will judge..."
Doflamingo was about to explain when a man suddenly appeared floating high above the crowd, speaking in a calm, even tone.
His voice was soft, and there was no microphone to amplify it—but it reached every single person clearly, as if he were speaking directly into their ears.
"You're taking far too long, Doflamingo."
"Lord Aizen?!"
Doflamingo looked up, his expression shifting slightly. "I didn't realize just letting people in would attract the attention of the Vice Captain."
Vice Captain?!
Countless people's faces changed instantly as they craned their necks to look up.
There, high in the sky, stood a man with hair styled neatly back from his forehead, wearing a long, flowing white robe that made him look tall and elegant.
A long sword was fastened at his waist.
Vladimir stood with his hands in his pockets, his gaze sweeping calmly over the crowd of one hundred thousand below.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the auction hosted by our organization, Phantom. I am Aizen—the Vice Captain of Phantom!"
He paused for a moment before continuing: "Because so many of you have come, we must select who may enter. Only fifty thousand will be allowed inside. And the rules for selection are very simple: anyone who can remain standing upright on both legs while under my Spirit Pressure will qualify."
"What did you say?!"
"Spirit Pressure?!"
"Remain standing?!"
The expressions on everyone's faces darkened. This kind of arrogant, overbearing attitude was enough to make people furious just looking at it.
Vladimir, however, simply smiled gently, his demeanor calm and unhurried.
"There is no intention to look down on any of you. I am merely stating the rules clearly. Don't worry—I will increase the pressure gradually, lowering the number until only fifty thousand remain. It may be difficult to control perfectly, but I will be careful... so that I don't end up crushing everyone to death!"
The moment the word death left his lips, an immense, overwhelming force of Spirit Pressure descended upon the entire Area 1.
BOOM!!
It felt as though the sky had split apart and the earth was breaking apart. The ground trembled violently, and everyone felt a ringing in their ears as deafening roars echoed through the air.
It felt as though the entire world was shaking and swaying at that very instant.
In the blink of an eye, thirty thousand people simply could not hold on for even a single second. One after another, they crashed to the ground with heavy thuds.
"Wha... what is this?!"
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