One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

In just half a month, news of an upcoming auction for a Devil Fruit in Mad Hat Town had spread across most of the West Blue.

Pirates hungry for power flocked to the area in droves.

Particularly the captains of pirate crews already gearing up for the Grand Line—they were determined to obtain it at any cost.

What did a Devil Fruit represent?

Only seasoned pirates, those on the verge of stepping into new territory, could truly grasp its significance.

Meanwhile, the Navy branches in the West Blue inevitably caught wind of the news as well.

However, troop deployment remained a persistent weakness for the regional Navy. Even with knowledge of the situation, they could do little.

After all, this was the West Blue, not the Grand Line.

Leaving aside questions of priority, the sheer expanse of the West Blue was incomparable to the more centralized waters of the Grand Line.

This meant the Navy branches in the West Blue had to scatter most of their forces across numerous territories to protect the safety of the civilian population.

If they attempted to concentrate scattered troops in one location, even with instant communication available, they couldn't act quickly enough.

The most vexing problem, however, stemmed from the omnipresent threat of pirates.

Unlike the Navy, which needed to station forces to maintain order, pirates—despite rarely working together—shared a common tendency to roam freely across regions.

Spotting opportunities for profit, they swarmed in like locusts to blood.

By the time the Navy arrived, the pirates would already have vanished, only to reappear wherever there was another opportunity.

In such a situation, rashly redeploying forces would only create more chances for the locust-like pirates to act unchecked.

Thus, compared to the individual threat of a pirate crew, it was the sheer numbers of pirates that set the Four Seas apart from the Grand Line and gave the Navy endless headaches.

Of course, factors like local culture and traditions also led to disparities in the distribution of naval forces across the West Blue's territories.

Excluding the occasional negligent officers, some well-staffed regions could form mobile units focused on pursuing and eliminating roving pirates.

These unrestricted Navy units often struck fear into the hearts of pirates.

While effective, such measures merely treated the symptoms rather than addressing the root cause.

As for places like Mad Hat Town—entrenched lawless zones—what could a single mobile unit truly achieve?

It was akin to a lone sheriff entering a den of ten thugs.

The threat of a firearm might momentarily suppress the outlaws, forcing them to surrender their numerical advantage.

But if the sheriff walked into a den of a hundred thugs, the outcome was self-evident.

Breaking this stalemate would require the Navy Headquarters to send a force capable of tipping the balance.

Yet the commotion caused by a single Devil Fruit wasn't enough to warrant such a drastic response from Headquarters.

Even though the West Blue Navy branches couldn't mount a strong offensive against Mad Hat Town, their eyes remained firmly fixed on it.

Inaction didn't mean doing nothing at all.

Mad Hat Island, Mad Hat Town, Mad Hat Auction House.

True to its name, the auction house was built to resemble a top hat laid on its side.

For example:

The first and second floors formed the brim of the hat, covering the largest area and serving as the main auction venue.

To maximize capacity, the venue's design mirrored that of a conventional opera house.

Thus, the second floor could be considered an extension of the first.

The higher levels, as the structure rose, had progressively smaller areas.

At the very top, the penthouse belonged to the auction house's owner.

Lavishly decorated, the room exuded the ostentation of newfound wealth.

The wall facing the street was entirely made of floor-to-ceiling glass, and in front of the window stood a deep-red European-style table set.

Resting atop the table, cushioned by a layer of soft cloth to highlight its value, was the Devil Fruit slated for auction in ten days.

Seated in the main armchair was a burly middle-aged man with slicked-back hair, a cigar in his mouth, and a red suit stretched across his frame.

This man was the auction house's owner—Lucius Ralph.

"With just a wave of the hand, you can drive a pack of wolves and tigers mad—that's the allure of a Devil Fruit," Ralph said, reclining in his chair, his cold, dark eyes devoid of ordinary human emotion.

Across from him, another man smirked. "That's why it was worth all the trouble to smuggle it out of the Grand Line. Just moving it to a new region has already multiplied its value several times over. Deals like this are rare in this world."

Ralph exhaled a cloud of smoke, his gaze piercing through the haze to the smug look on the man's face. He didn't bother correcting the man's naive assumption.

In this world, good deals were far from scarce.

The skyrocketing value of this Devil Fruit was more a result of savvy marketing than the trade itself.

Snuffing out his cigar, Ralph said coolly, "The starting price is one billion. The final price should exceed ten billion."

"That much?"

The man was taken aback, clearly trusting Ralph's judgment.

Ralph glanced at the Devil Fruit on the table. "The major players of the West Blue's underworld aren't interested in this fruit, but the five major crime syndicates are determined to have it. That means only one of them will win the bid. Do you know what that implies?"

Without waiting for a reply, Ralph continued:

"It means that as long as the bidding remains fair, the price will keep rising until it reaches the absolute limit they can afford. Of course, that assumes no one resorts to underhanded tactics. As for the swarm of pirates, they're just here to make up the numbers and throw away their money."

Hearing this, the man's interest was piqued.

"So, who do you think will win the fruit among the five syndicates?"

"The Capone Gang."

Sol Weaponry Shop.

In half a month, Maude's injuries had almost fully healed. Coupled with a steady diet of meat and fish, not a trace of his earlier emaciation remained.

His once-pale and haggard complexion now glowed with health.

Feeling fully recovered, Maude removed his bandages and made a point to check his reflection in the mirror.

Gone was the sickly appearance, replaced by a face full of vitality. Without the bandages obscuring his eyebrows, he looked much more striking.

Gazing into the mirror, Maude was surprised.

"Wow, I'm actually this handsome?"

At the same time, he had finally identified his second target—the neighbor.

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