And there's more?!
Many people felt annoyed and resentful in their hearts, but no one stepped forward to provoke him.
"What rules are we talking about?"
"The World's Greatest Auction will provide approximately fifty thousand seats in total. The venue is divided into four levels, stacked one above the other."
- First level: 48,000 seats
- Second level: 3,600 seats
- Third level: 240 seats
- Fourth level: 12 seats exactly
Hearing this, someone immediately frowned and asked, "What does that mean?"
Vladimir explained calmly: "It is very simple. Those seated on the lower two levels will not be allowed to place bids. Only those on the upper two levels have the right to participate in the auction."
"What?!" The man's expression changed sharply. "You mean to say that Phantom is holding an auction but won't even let people bid?!"
"So what if that's the case?"
Vladimir glanced at him and spoke in a steady, unyielding tone: "These are our rules. Anyone who disobeys... dies."
At these words, the man fell silent immediately.
He could easily guess the reason behind such rules. There were far too many people wanting to bid, so to avoid unnecessary trouble, Phantom had simply established a system of ranks. If you wanted to take part in the auction, you had to earn the right to do so first!
"Let me add one more thing," Vladimir said suddenly, with a hint of amusement in his voice. "And if you want to reach the third and fourth levels... you should be careful. The stairs leading up there are not easy to climb, and seats are limited."
After saying this, Vladimir turned and walked away. His voice drifted back clearly to everyone present.
"Doflamingo, open the doors... and welcome our guests!"
"Understood!"
Doflamingo grinned broadly. With a wave of his hand, the massive entrance gates of the auction hall began to swing open.
Creak... Creak...
The two thick, heavy gates, each dozens of meters tall, slowly parted to reveal a narrow gap.
"Welcome to the World's Greatest Auction!"
...
"Welcome to the World's Greatest Auction!"
As Doflamingo spoke, behind him, the two enormous gates, each dozens of meters high, slowly swung wide open.
Everyone looked closely. Beyond the gates lay a long corridor, lined with elegant lights on both sides, leading all the way deep into the venue.
"By the way... what is that golden disc floating above the auction hall?"
Suddenly, someone could not help but ask the question that had been on everyone's mind.
Many people looked up at once. Sure enough, hovering high above the venue was a golden disc, floating motionless in the air, slowly spinning gently.
"Who knows? Let's just go in quickly and get a good seat!"
Soon, more than forty thousand people began pouring into the venue.
After walking through the long corridor, the crowd finally entered the main hall.
The hall was circular and incredibly spacious. In the center stood a raised red platform, and at the very middle of the platform was a wooden stand—completely empty at the moment.
All the seats were arranged in a half-circle, spread out across the four levels rising up from the center.
The first level consisted only of basic seats. The second level was much more comfortable. The third level was even more exclusive, with exactly 240 seats available.
As for the fourth level, it was the most luxurious of all—it consisted of private suites. The inner walls were made of glass, allowing anyone inside to see every detail and movement taking place throughout the entire auction hall clearly.
"What an amazing venue! There are only twelve top-tier private suites in total!"
"Just the preparations for this event must have cost hundreds of billions of Berries..."
"Hahaha! One of those twelve suites is going to belong to our Torn Pirates!"
Suddenly, a disheveled man wearing a straw hat laughed loudly from among the crowd. He leaped into the air, intent on heading straight for the fourth level.
"The Torn Pirates?"
"A pirate crew that rose to prominence recently, after the Storm, Unicorn, and Lance crews disappeared without a trace. Their captain is Torn Nago, with a bounty of 820,000,000 Berries!"
"I heard rumors that Torn is a hybrid of a Fishman and a human—though no one is sure if that's true."
Many people exclaimed in surprise.
"Sky Step!"
Torn stepped on empty air, moving like a speeding cannonball as he shot straight toward the fourth level at incredible speed.
But just then, a brilliant light shone forth, bathing the entire auction hall in a holy glow.
A six-winged Archangel spread its feathered wings, radiating pure, divine light.
"Anyone who wishes to reach the fourth level must use the stairs. You may go back now."
Floating in mid-air, the Archangel extended his right hand and pressed it down toward the crowd from a distance.
Instantly, a flood of brilliant light surged forth, and a powerful force of holy energy struck out like a wave. It swallowed Torn Nago in an instant and sent him flying backward with a single blow.
"What?!" The members of the Torn Pirates paled as they watched their captain fall from the sky.
"That's one of Phantom's Sky Sovereigns—an Archangel!" someone said with a grave expression.
"The stairs? Where are the stairs?"
Everyone looked around, searching for the path that led to the upper levels.
But just then, a figure had already appeared inside the private suite in Hall Number One.
____________________
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