"So, let's get started!"
At this moment, Vane was like a beast unleashed from its cage. He remembered how he had offended the slave traders earlier that morning and ended up captured and auctioned off. He remembered how, years ago, his parents were shot dead in the street simply for failing to kneel in time before the Celestial Dragons. He remembered the arrogance of those so-called gods—how powerless he had been, and how he'd remained dormant for years, achieving nothing.
Vane's eyes turned ice cold. He knew that killing a Celestial Dragon would make him a target for the entire world. Even if he wasn't a pirate, even looking at them the wrong way was considered an offense punishable by death. Touch a single hair on their head, and you'd bring the wrath of heaven down upon yourself. And to kill one?
He would absolutely be hunted down without mercy, and the first to pursue him would be a Navy Admiral.
"Since I've already offended them, I might as well finish the job! Kill them all—wipe out every last one of them, and maybe then there'll be peace."
His grip tightened. Cold resolve filled his eyes as he picked up the knife from the waist of a fallen slave trader.
Vane walked out from behind the curtain and stepped onto the stage.
The crowd went silent. Everyone, including the auction attendees, stared at him—Vane, a knife in hand. Wasn't this the slave the Celestial Dragons had just purchased? But where were his shackles?
Vane gave a cruel smile.
Behind the unaware auctioneer, he lunged forward and drove the knife into his back. The blade pierced straight through, emerging from the front.
"Wha…"
The auctioneer froze, stunned by the sudden searing pain. His face went pale as he slowly turned his head—only to see the very auction item from earlier.
"You auctioned me, didn't you?"
Vane's voice was venomous. He yanked the knife out and, in one fluid motion, slashed again. The auctioneer's head dropped to the ground.
Screams erupted. The once orderly auction house descended into chaos. Staff members rushed the stage, but Vane released a controlled burst of Conqueror's Haki—sharp, precise. The advanced technique allowed him to knock out only his chosen targets. The charging staff collapsed where they stood.
Gasps and cries filled the room. The two Celestial Dragons on the platform stared in disbelief.
Vane turned his gaze to them—cold, disgusted. His expression alone was enough to make them furious.
Especially the female Celestial Dragon who had offered 30 million Berries.
"Arrest him! How dare a lowlife glare at a noble Celestial Dragon!"
The female Celestial Dragon screamed, pointing at Vane, and ordered her guards forward.
The guards charged—but with Vane's Observation Haki, he could see right through them. Their movements were sluggish, predictable. Of course, they weren't true fighters. No one dared touch a Celestial Dragon in this world, not with Admirals guarding them. Their protectors never needed to be strong.
Vane swung the blade once—one head fell. Then another. Six guards dropped in under thirty seconds.
He turned and faced the Celestial Dragons directly. His eyes radiated years of pent-up rage. The brother and sister trembled visibly. The male frantically pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
"Navy Headquarters! This is an order! Send an Admiral—now! We're in Sabaody! A filthy lowlife dares to assault us! His eyes… his eyes! Gouge them out! Kill him!"
His shriek echoed through the auction house.
The crowd froze.
He had called the Navy Admiral.
Vane's expression didn't change. In a flash, he appeared in front of them.
He slammed the glass helmets on their heads down against the wooden bench.
"You're the rot in this world. You parade around as gods, but you're filth—less than garbage. Descendants of the Creator? You've done nothing but poison this world with your arrogance. You all deserve to die."
With a crushing force, Vane shattered the glass helmets. For the first time, the Celestial Dragons were exposed to the air—air they considered impure, shared with the 'commoners' they despised.
They froze in shock. No one had ever dared this before.
"He touched the Celestial Dragons!"
"He killed their guards!"
"An Admiral is coming!"
Panic swept through the crowd. Everyone bolted—especially the pirates, who knew too well what an Admiral's arrival meant.
Soon, only three people remained in the auction house: Vane and the two Celestial Dragons.
"You worthless slave—die!"
The female Celestial Dragon whipped out a pistol, but Vane crushed her hand underfoot. The sickening crack of bones rang out, followed by her scream—piercing and desperate. For someone who had never even bled before, this was her first taste of pain.
"You're dead! You dare challenge the gods!"
The male Celestial Dragon tried to roar, but Vane stomped on his grotesque face, caving it in and shattering his nose. He screamed as well.
Vane's sneer deepened. He clenched his fists.
Then, screams echoed from the stage—agonized, unrelenting. The sounds continued for five long minutes before finally going silent.
A loud voice rang from outside.
"Criminal inside, you're surrounded! Release the noble Celestial Dragons immediately!"
Heavy footsteps thundered beyond the walls.
The Navy had arrived. The Admiral would be close behind.
Sabaody was just a step away from Marineford. The response was inevitable.
Vane didn't know which Admiral would show up.
But he welcomed it.
"It begins now."
His gaze was sharp, unflinching.
His hands were already stained with blood—and he had no intention of stopping.
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