One Piece : Winged Dragons of the Beast Pirates

Tesoro was also drawn to the sudden voice.

He turned his head in surprise, wanting to see clearly who had just uttered such arrogant words.

Then, his gaze froze instantly.

"No way!!"

Baccarat's face turned deathly pale, her long, shapely legs trembling.

"How could this be happening?! Why would he be here?!"

From the private box the giant had burst out of, a handsome young man stood calmly at the edge of the hole in the wall.

Beside him, a white-haired girl leaned gently against him.

The two of them watched the scene quietly.

They looked just like a young couple sightseeing.

But their presence sent a wave of absolute fear crashing through the entire auction hall.

Because, by now, there were very few people in the world who didn't know who they were.

The bloodthirsty spectators, watching at the risk of their lives, were instantly thrown into utter panic.

"D-Did I see that right?"

"I-It's Ian the Skyfire!!"

"Why is one of the Four Emperors here?!"

Why would a Pirate Emperor show up at such an ordinary, unremarkable auction?

At this point, even the most blood-hungry audience members wanted nothing more than to cry and flee for their lives.

This was a Pirate Emperor!

One of the four most terrifying pirates in the entire world!

A being who could doom them all to eternal suffering with just a flick of his finger!

But no one dared to run.

They were terrified that any sudden movement might disturb the Emperor's mood.

And if that happened...

They might not even have a body left to bury.

"Boss!"

In the dead silence of the hall, only Solem dared to speak up, loudly complaining, "The Gold-Gold Fruit isn't even in our hands yet!"

Tesoro and Doflamingo both turned pale at the same time.

That giant… was Ian's subordinate!

No wonder he was so ridiculously strong!

He had long heard that Ian had formed a giant army—this giant must be their leader.

Doflamingo clenched his fists.

His heart swirled with emotions he couldn't quite name—was it jealousy, or something else?

A giant army, huh...

Forget an entire army—even getting the loyalty of just a squad of giants would be enough to make Doflamingo laugh in his dreams.

Then, a realization hit him.

The Gold-Gold Fruit was as good as lost.

He knew one thing for sure: once Ian set his mind on something, he never gave up halfway.

Tesoro was also gritting his teeth tightly.

Was it Ian?

That man he yelled at on the street earlier—he was actually a Pirate Emperor?

Cold sweat instantly soaked Tesoro's back. All he felt now was lingering fear.

Thankfully, he had told himself not to stir up trouble before making a move. Thankfully, Ian hadn't taken it personally back then. Otherwise, he might already be a pile of ashes by now.

After the fear came a wave of frustration.

Damn it!

He was a lofty Pirate Emperor—why the hell did he have to pretend to be some lowly commoner?

Looking back on how he acted in front of him, Ian probably thought he looked like a clown.

And now...

Was he seriously going to compete with a Pirate Emperor over a Devil Fruit?

The very moment that thought formed, sweat began to bead on Tesoro's forehead.

"Isn't that just asking for death?"

"Don't be hasty, Solem."

Ian held Yamato's hand and jumped down from the VIP box, walking calmly toward the battlefield.

Wherever he passed, all the bloodthirsty spectators bowed their heads low, not even daring to look above his ankles.

They practically wished they could kneel at his feet and welcome His Majesty the Emperor.

Ian chuckled lightly. "There's really no need to rely on brute force to get the Devil Fruit, is there? We can always settle things through more peaceful means."

If the fight kept going, someone might actually die.

Doflamingo was his good brother.

Tesoro was a professional manager he valued.

Baccarat's Luck-Luck Fruit was also quite intriguing.

And Solem—needless to say—was one of his top commanders.

It would be a shame if any of them were to die.

So, it was best to stop things here.

"Fufufufufu..."

His good brother Doflamingo was the first to recover. He laughed cheerfully and said, "So Ian, how do you suggest we handle this Devil Fruit?"

Ian looked at him with a surprised face. "Oh, Doffy, my friend—you're here too? It's been a while, hasn't it? You're looking pretty good."

Doflamingo had just been punched by Solem. His clothes were torn, and even his iconic Super Saiyan-like hairstyle was a mess.

He was far from looking "pretty good."

The corner of his mouth twitched.

You bastard—what are you even pretending for?

Isn't that bastard Morgans standing right behind you? Like he wouldn't tell you I was here?

But Doflamingo still wore a big smile.

"It really has been a long time, Ian. Fufufufufu. Remarkable. You've become one of the Four Emperors now."

Thinking back to when they first met, that was just over two years ago.

Even then, Ian had already made a name for himself across the seas—but Doflamingo had never imagined that in such a short time, Ian would rise to the top of the world.

Frustrating.

Every time he thought of Ian, Doflamingo couldn't help but feel that way.

Even though he was so much younger, from the very first time they met, he had already stood high above him, like looking down from the clouds.

"So," Ian encouraged, "You've got to keep pushing forward too, Doffy. Go and take down Aunt Linlin, Teacher Kaido, or even Whitebeard as soon as you can."

Yamato burst out laughing and couldn't help patting Ian on the shoulder.

As if that's ever going to happen with this guy.

Doflamingo's smile stiffened slightly.

At that moment, Tesoro spoke up, "Ian the Skyfire, what exactly do you mean by peaceful means?"

This was the question Tesoro cared most about now.

At this point, all he could do was hope Ian truly meant what he said—that he wanted to settle things peacefully.

Ian smiled and said, "Wasn't this supposed to be an auction in the first place? Since the Gold-Gold Fruit is the item up for bid, then of course it should go to the highest bidder."

"Don't you think so?"

Tesoro looked as if someone had flipped a switch. His eyes instantly lit up with fervor.

"Exactly! Money is power! Whoever holds the wealth has the power to decide everything!"

"Oh?"

Solem glanced at Tesoro.

Could this guy be a kindred spirit?

"Doffy," Ian turned to his close friend with a grin, "You don't have any objections, do you?"

Doflamingo kept his smile completely intact. "Of course not. This was always meant to be an auction item."

"Perfect."

Ian clapped his hands, then looked at Tesoro. "In that case, you can return the item to the seller."

Tesoro took a deep breath and looked at Baccarat.

Without hesitation—like she was tossing away a hot potato—Baccarat quickly threw the fruit back to Doflamingo.

"Excellent. In that case, let the auction begin."

Ian chuckled and said to Tesoro, "You can place your bid now."

"Dice!"

Tesoro shouted in a low voice.

The big man quickly ran back and rummaged through the rubble, eventually pulling out two boxes.

Tesoro had entered the auction house fair and square after passing inspection.

He brought money.

If the host was too powerful, then he planned to use money to buy what he wanted.

That was his strategy.

But he didn't expect—while the hosts were somewhat strong, the competitors were far stronger.

"A total of one billion Berries!"

Tesoro opened the boxes, revealing stacks upon stacks of cash. "This is all the money I brought with me!"

"If you can offer more than this, I'll admit defeat."

Money could decide everything in this world!

That was what Tesoro believed.

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**********

Support me on my patreon and read upto 20 early chapters.

patreon.com/PirateKing24