At this moment, Luna, who was inside the auction house, gazed expectantly at the final auction item, or rather, the last slave.
This centerpiece slave was confined within a cage, which was covered by a mysterious red cloth. At this very moment, four burly men were slowly carrying it onto the stage.
Luna glanced at the gem on her person-seeking staff, which was emitting a dazzling light, like a lively sprite impatient to break free and leap out.
She instantly realized that the person inside the cage was her new partner. To be brought out as the finale and auctioned off, this Merfolk Clan member must undoubtedly possess extremely high aesthetic value.
Simultaneously, she quickly directed her gaze toward the crowd below. Sure enough, they were staring intently at the red-covered cage above with even more greedy and lustful eyes, like a pack of starving wolves desperate to pounce and abduct the beauty inside.
As a woman, Luna was filled with righteous indignation, but the moment she realized she herself was coveting this Merfolk Clan member, even if only out of appreciation for talent, she was instantly rendered speechless.
Moreover, the Merfolk Clan in the One Piece World inherently matched her sense of aesthetics, or rather, the aesthetic standards of her previous life.
Their upper body was that of a beautiful, lively, and adorable human female, while the lower body was a magnificent fish tail that shimmered with captivating light, whether in the sun or underwater. In her previous life, countless men had fantasized about the real existence of such creatures.
But the key point was that true mermaids were female.
Even after arriving in the One Piece World, Merfolk Clan slaves remained the most cost-effective slaves. Many slave traders profited by capturing them, even becoming wealthy and living leisurely lives as a result. Even though Fish-Man Island now belonged to Whitebeard, these people had never abandoned their wicked intentions.
Furthermore, the price of the Merfolk Clan in the slave market and at auctions was extremely high. Males were manageable, costing only one million Berries.
However, the price for females took a seventy-fold leap, reaching a staggering seventy million Berries! The beauty of a female Merfolk Clan member was priceless in the eyes of many, especially the nobles, who drooled over them, eager to own a beautiful mermaid as a pet, or even acquire several to flaunt their status.
Just then, perhaps sensing the sharp gaze behind them, like that of a supreme predator, many people, especially some of the strong ones, were instantly startled awake.
They all held some information, more or less, knowing exactly who was inside the cage right now. Connecting that to the person seated in the back, a mix of reluctance and resentment immediately welled up in their hearts. But ultimately, they could only reluctantly let it go. After all, who dared to offend this strongest Sea Emperor? They couldn't just look at her as a young, beautiful girl.
Her power and decisive ruthlessness, especially over the past few days, were known to everyone across this vast ocean.
They had heard tales from the New World: many reckless individuals who had sought trouble with Luna met with miserable ends. One word: death. And not just death—they were annihilated, their ships blasted into splinters and sunk into the deep sea.
At this moment, even the auction house president was slightly exasperated. Their finale auction item was indeed a heavenly beautiful Merfolk Clan member, possessing an adorable, pitiful charm.
They had originally expected to make a fortune from this, but now they realized they would only be giving a discount to this fifth emperor again.
But still, if the boss didn't mind, why should they, the employees, bother intervening?
Moreover, he was convinced that if Doflamingo were here right now, he would willingly use a Merfolk Clan member to curry favor with Luna.
"Hmph..." Luna let out a cold snort, releasing a trace amount of Conqueror's Haki and Void Energy, which instantly swept through the crowd like a gale, completely suppressing everyone below.
Following that, she pulled out an astonishingly large sum of money without hesitation, tossed it lightly, and it landed squarely on the auction stage.
With a rumble, the enormous sum signified an incredible weight. The huge money bag hitting the stage instantly produced a thunderous crash.
Everyone was shocked. That was no small amount.
"There are two billion Berries here. I want to see her in the back," Luna said, standing up, and immediately left her seat.
Seeing this overbearing fifth emperor, everyone froze, stunned and speechless in their places.
Two billion Berries for one Merfolk Clan member—the woman above was certainly extraordinary, but this was far too much! It could only be said that it was truly worthy of a Sea Emperor's expenditure: generous and lavish.
Not to mention, many people below were unwilling to pay such a price, because in their eyes, increasing the bid further for one Merfolk Clan member wasn't worth it.
Furthermore, they genuinely did not want to offend Luna.
Knowing that staying here would only lead to embarrassment, and since the auction was over, many people began to leave, including the still-unconscious Celestial Dragons, who were being carried away by his two bodyguards.
But unfortunately, they wouldn't escape.
Because, don't forget, Luna had already acquired another skill: the clone ability from the Baltan alien species. Immediately after leaving the area, Luna promptly separated a clone.
And right now, that clone was chasing them.
It was waiting for the right moment to strike.
However, the real Luna had already arrived at the back area.
After the auction concluded, the auction house president personally walked out, instructing the four burly men to carry the cage down once more.
Facing the fifth emperor in person, it was impossible not to feel nervous or afraid, but the auction president still managed a professional, ingratiating smile and said:
"Miss Luna, this is the Merfolk Clan member you wanted. The key is right here. As for the money..."
"I already said, don't worry about it. Also, tell your boss that I am very satisfied. He will receive what he wants once he arrives in my territory." Luna took the key, giving a battle-ready smile, and then turned and walked away, holding the iron chain that was attached to the cage in her other hand.
She simply walked away with the iron cage—the red cloth still draped over it, containing her new partner—in a grand manner, appearing valiant and exceptionally beautiful.
Upon hearing this, the auction house president immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
He then excitedly reported the matter to Doflamingo.
"Fufufu, good, very good. You did well. You are promoted. Make some arrangements, and then report directly to me for work."
"Ah, really? Thank you, Boss, thank you, Boss."
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