Half a month had passed since Ash obtained the Supreme Grade Ship Helm.
The date was September 25th.
It was time for another Gran Tesoro auction.
After learning about this month's auction items in the Sabaody Archipelago, Tesoro specifically arranged for Baccarat to notify Ash that Devil Fruits would once again appear at this month's Gran Tesoro auction.
At the very least, that level of consideration left Ash highly satisfied.
Meanwhile, in the New World, the Dawn had recently wiped out several pirate crews. Curious about the unusual concentration of pirate activity in the middle region of the New World, Tsuki investigated and uncovered an important piece of intelligence.
They were not far from the legendary Pirate Kingdom, Hachinosu, also known as Beehive Island.
For the first time, Tsuki voluntarily requested command in battle, something that greatly pleased both Pini and Youki.
At the same time, the Ryugu Kingdom had contacted Wyper for an unknown reason. The Thunder Dragon Gaya was currently undergoing coating at the Sabaody Archipelago in preparation for a trip to Fish-Man Island.
Since the Dawn had never visited Fish-Man Island due to its enormous size, Nami wanted to take this opportunity to chart the surrounding waters.
Ash also recalled an important detail from the original timeline.
The four original Road Poneglyphs were located in the Mokomo Dukedom, beneath the sea at Fish-Man Island, and in the possession of both Charlotte Linlin and Kaido.
However, when Monkey D. Luffy and his crew reached Fish-Man Island five years later, only Joy Boy's apology Poneglyph remained. The red Road Poneglyph had vanished without a trace.
Very few people knew about the missing Road Poneglyph.
Ash suspected the person who had hidden it was either Edward Newgate or Shanks.
When Roger became Pirate King, he had shared the truth of the world's secrets with Whitebeard. Because of that, Whitebeard naturally knew about the Road Poneglyph hidden beneath Fish-Man Island. It would not be surprising if he had taken it after Fish-Man Island came under his protection.
The second possibility was Shanks.
After returning to the New World, Shanks knew the location of the Road Poneglyph, and if no one else had claimed it, there was every chance he had taken it himself.
Ash believed the second possibility was more likely.
It would also explain the words Shanks spoke years later after defeating Kid and obtaining information on the remaining Road Poneglyphs.
"It's time for us to go claim it."
Most likely, Shanks had already secured the final Road Poneglyph and had simply been waiting for the other three.
Of course, this was still five years earlier.
Whether the Poneglyph had already been moved remained uncertain.
From Ash's perspective, it would be best if that troublesome stone was still there. That would save everyone a lot of effort.
After learning from Ash that Fish-Man Island housed another Poneglyph, Robin was delighted and immediately joined Nami aboard the Thunder Dragon Gaya to head for Fish-Man Island.
---
After dinner at Gran Tesoro, Ash took the VIP express elevator to the auction venue.
The hall remained as lively as ever, packed with buyers and noisy conversations. Fortunately, there were not many pirates present. The few who were there deliberately kept their distance from Ash, not daring to approach and embarrass themselves.
Ignoring the flirtatious flying kiss Baccarat sent from afar, Ash casually found a VIP seat and leaned back, closing his eyes to rest.
Unexpectedly, a small commotion soon broke out.
The ever-reliable "atmosphere group" quickly delivered fresh gossip.
"Look over there, that giant man in biscuit armor!"
"Keep your voice down! That's one of the Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates, the Minister of Biscuits, Charlotte Cracker!"
"What? The Sweet Commander worth 860 million Berries? Didn't the Big Mom Pirates send Charlotte Perospero last time?"
"Your information is outdated. This all started after what happened recently at the Sabaody Archipelago..."
As expected, gossipers existed everywhere.
Ash listened for a moment and quickly realized who had arrived.
Charlotte Cracker.
The same man who nearly force-fed Luffy to death years later.
So, had Big Mom decided that Perospero was too cautious to fight over Devil Fruits, and instead sent the more aggressive Cracker?
Ash could not be bothered trying to understand Big Mom's logic.
That woman's obsession with sweets had likely turned her brain into cream long ago. Ordinary people could never understand her thought process.
Besides, no matter who showed up to bid, the Devil Fruit would eventually end up in his hands.
The only difference was how many Berries he would need to spend.
And money was the one thing Ash lacked the least.
The whispers gradually died down.
Moments later, the floor trembled beneath heavy footsteps.
Clearly, someone enormous was approaching.
Ash did not move. He only lifted his eyelids slightly and glanced toward the aisle.
Sure enough, Cracker's biscuit soldier walked past him.
As they crossed paths, Ash clearly felt the hostility in the other's gaze.
Still, Ash ignored it and shut his eyes again.
Cracker?
Not worth his attention.
The massive figure standing there was only a biscuit soldier. Cracker himself was not even inside it.
Why waste energy competing with a giant biscuit?
Soon, every guest had taken their seats, and the auction officially began.
One item after another was sold.
Most of them meant nothing to Ash, but as the bidding continued, the atmosphere steadily heated up.
After more than half a year of dealing with Ash, Tesoro seemed to have fully understood his preferences.
As expected, a famous sword appeared at this auction.
A Great Grade Blade named Yalis.
Although it was not one of the Twenty-One Great Grade Blades, Ash still wanted it for his collection.
Everyone knew that while Skillful Grade Swords started at around one million Berries, Great Grade Blades, even unranked ones, were worth at least ten million Berries.
As expected, Baccarat announced the starting bid.
"Ten million Berries!"
A horse-faced noble immediately tried to grab a bargain.
"Ten million!"
Ash casually raised a hand.
"Fifteen million."
A pirate, or perhaps a bounty hunter, gritted his teeth and followed.
"Twenty million!"
Just as Ash prepared to end the bidding, Cracker's biscuit soldier suddenly raised its hand.
"Thirty million!"
Ash glanced at the large sword resting on the biscuit soldier's shoulder before lazily raising his own hand.
"Fifty million."
The auction hall instantly quieted.
If Ash remembered correctly, Cracker's weapon was the Great Grade Blade, Pretzel.
Most swordsmen in the world carefully nurtured a single blade with Armament Haki.
Someone using a Skillful Grade Sword might switch if they found a Supreme Grade Blade. But for someone who already possessed a Great Grade Blade, very few would abandon years of refinement and compatibility for another weapon.
To swordsmen, a famous blade possessed its own spirit.
Sharpness and durability could be strengthened through Haki over time, but the bond formed between swordsman and weapon was even more valuable.
Which meant Cracker bidding only suggested two possibilities.
Either he intended to give it to one of his younger siblings.
Or he was simply trying to make things difficult for Ash.