"Camie, we are here to save you!"
Monkey D. Luffy did not wait for Roronoa Zoro to complain about his reckless charge. The moment he saw the mermaid, he sprinted straight toward the auction stage.
The octopus Fishman Hatchan immediately rushed forward to stop him.
After all, Camie was wearing a bomb collar, and several Celestial Dragons were present. Acting recklessly could easily get her killed.
However, even when Hatchan revealed his identity as a Fishman in desperation, Luffy did not stop.
Instead, the revelation created chaos among the humans present.
Many of them began shouting insults.
To them, Fishmen were nothing more than monsters, inferior creatures that carried disease.
Seeing the disturbance, a large group of guards from the auction house rushed forward to stop Luffy.
They failed completely.
None of them could slow him down.
Then a gunshot echoed across the hall.
Bang.
Luffy suddenly froze.
When he turned around, he saw Hatchan collapsed on the floor, blood spreading across the ground.
Standing nearby was Saint Charloss, holding a smoking pistol while continuing to shout insults.
The sight instantly ignited Luffy's rage.
His expression darkened as he slowly walked toward the Celestial Dragon.
The distance between them was short.
Yet during those few steps, the emotions in the auction house shifted wildly.
Everyone could sense that something unbelievable was about to happen.
Then Luffy threw a punch.
The furious blow shattered Charloss's helmet and sent the Celestial Dragon flying across the room.
The entire auction house froze.
But what happened next shocked them even more.
Aether stepped forward.
His hand was coated in Armament Haki as he caught the flying Charloss mid air.
Without hesitation, Aether slammed the Celestial Dragon's head into the floor.
Boom.
The ground cracked violently.
Saint Charloss lay inside the crater, his head crushed.
He was dead.
Panic exploded throughout the auction hall.
People screamed and rushed toward the exits.
Some tripped over each other while others shoved violently through the crowd.
It did not matter whether pirates or nobles were present.
Someone had attacked, and even killed, a Celestial Dragon.
That meant only one thing.
A Marine Admiral would soon arrive.
Anyone who remained might become collateral damage.
Inside Aether's mind, the system began flooding with notifications.
Saint Charloss produced high level fear. Experience +5000
Saint Charloss fate greatly altered. Reward +5000
Two S rank figures generated high level hostility. Experience +10000
Eight A rank figures generated extreme surprise. Experience +4000
B and C rank figures generated high level fear. Experience +6780
Level increased to Level 28.
Aether casually shook the blood from his hand.
It was simply red blood.
Yet these people claimed to be descendants of the gods.
Still, the five level increase was a pleasant surprise.
Across the hall, Trafalgar D. Water Law, Eustass Kid, and their crews stared at him with stunned expressions.
The Straw Hat Pirates were equally shocked.
The small reindeer doctor Tony Tony Chopper trembled as he spoke.
"Luffy only punched the Celestial Dragon away, but that man actually killed him. That means he should be the real culprit, right?"
Nami punched Chopper on the head while speaking with a pale expression.
"It does not matter who the main culprit is. Anyone who attacks a Celestial Dragon will attract a Marine Admiral."
At that moment, the head of the Rosward family began screaming.
"My son!"
It was Saint Rosward.
"Kill them. Call the Marines immediately and summon an Admiral!"
Dozens of guards rushed forward and surrounded the Straw Hats and Aether.
The Straw Hat crew immediately entered combat stance.
Meanwhile Rosward raised a rifle and began firing wildly at Aether.
The bullets barely left the barrel before a knife flashed through the air.
The blade struck Rosward directly in the head.
He collapsed instantly.
Nearby, the remaining Celestial Dragon Saint Shalria froze in absolute terror.
Her father and brother had both been killed in front of her.
Inside Aether's mind, another notification appeared.
Rosward's fate greatly altered. Reward +5000.
Across the battlefield, Sanji dropped the cigarette from his mouth.
Killing a Celestial Dragon was already unbelievable.
Killing two of them like stepping on insects shattered everything he believed about the world.
Still, Sanji's legs did not stop moving.
He kicked guard after guard into the air.
Luffy knocked several enemies aside and glanced toward Aether.
"You killed two Celestial Dragons. Is that really okay? That will definitely bring an Admiral."
Aether calmly knocked aside another guard.
"What difference does it make?" he replied.
"You, Monkey D. Luffy, also attacked a Celestial Dragon. That makes you a target as well."
He glanced at the Straw Hat crew.
"I can escape alone if an Admiral arrives. For your crew, escaping will be much harder."
Luffy slapped his palm in realization.
"That makes sense."
Before he could say anything else, Nami suddenly appeared beside him.
She smashed her fist into his head.
"You still have time to think about that?"
"Hurry up and defeat these guards so we can escape before the Admiral arrives."
"Oh right."
Luffy jumped back into battle immediately.
With a strength equivalent to a 300 million Berry bounty, defeating these guards was extremely easy.
During the chaos, Nico Robin appeared beside Aether.
Her gaze was complicated.
"Why did you kill the Celestial Dragons?"
She was uncertain whether she should thank him.
By killing them, Aether had unintentionally helped the Straw Hats share the blame.
However, his decisiveness suggested something else.
Robin suspected he had planned to attack the Celestial Dragons from the beginning.
Luffy's punch had merely given him an opportunity.
Aether looked at her calmly.
"I simply disliked them."
Then he asked quietly.
"Robin, do you not hate the World Government and the Celestial Dragons?"
Robin remained silent.
Of course she hated them.
But reckless action could endanger her friends.
And killing two Celestial Dragons might attract more than one Admiral.
It was extremely dangerous.
Instead of answering, she vented her frustration on the guards.
"Seis Fleur."
Dozens of hands suddenly sprouted from the guards' bodies, breaking their necks instantly.
Meanwhile, Kid and Law watched the battle from the sidelines.
Kid clicked his tongue.
"What a bunch of lunatics. Attacking Celestial Dragons is one thing, but that crazy bastard even killed two of them."
Law remained calm.
"There is no point worrying now."
He glanced toward the exit.
"Before the auction started, the Marines already established a perimeter outside. It looks like they were trying to capture someone."
His eyes moved toward Aether.
"Perhaps that person was him."
After defeating most of the guards, the Straw Hat crew finally noticed the other pirate crews.
Luffy barely paid attention to them.
Instead, he stared excitedly at a large polar bear.
It was Bepo, a member of Law's crew.
Luffy's sparkling gaze made Bepo blush awkwardly.
Nearby, Saint Shalria slowly crawled toward the stage.
Hatred filled her eyes.
Unable to fight the pirates, she decided to take revenge on the weakest target.
Camie.
Even the auction host tried to stop her, worried that killing the mermaid would destroy her value.
Shalria shot him through the shoulder.
Then she raised her pistol toward Camie.
At that moment, two waves of Conqueror's Haki erupted simultaneously.
Saint Shalria collapsed instantly.
One wave came from Aether.
The other came from the entrance.
The stage curtain slowly opened.
An old man stepped forward.
He had white hair, wore a worn cloak and sandals, and looked like an ordinary traveler.
Yet a sharp aura surrounded him.
The old man scratched his head with a sigh.
"The auction is already over, and I finally managed to gather the money."
"I was planning to rob the buyer afterward, but nobody even bought me."
He laughed casually.
"Well, who would buy an old man like me? I might as well head back to the casino."
The battlefield suddenly became quiet.
The old man was too noticeable.
Aether silently complained in his mind.
Anyone foolish enough to buy that shameless old man would be extremely unlucky.
Seeing the old man, memories from Roger's past surfaced in his mind.
Aether murmured softly.
"So it is you."
"It is truly our first meeting."
The fallen Hatchan also noticed the newcomer.
"Rayleigh!"
The old man was none other than Silvers Rayleigh, the former right hand of the Pirate King.
Rayleigh looked around the battlefield.
Seeing Hatchan injured on the ground, he immediately understood what had happened.
A powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki burst from him.
Every remaining guard collapsed instantly.
Even those who were not targeted felt the terrifying pressure.
Law stared in shock.
"Who exactly is that old man?"
"This power feels very similar to Aether's."
Rayleigh then noticed the straw hat on Luffy's head.
A warm smile appeared on his face.
"That hat suits you well."
"I have been wanting to meet you for a long time, Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy."
Then his eyes suddenly froze.
He had just noticed someone else.
Aether stood nearby, smiling calmly.
Their eyes met.
Aether lightly adjusted his hat and spoke politely.
"My name is Augustus D. Aether."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Silvers Rayleigh."
Rayleigh's pupils widened.
The same smile.
The same voice.
The same appearance.
Even though the clothing was different, Rayleigh clearly remembered the day he first met Gol D. Roger, the man who had dragged him onto a pirate ship with that exact same grin.
Rayleigh whispered softly.
"Augustus D. Aether?"
"What exactly is going on here, Roger?"
Inside Aether's mind, another system notification appeared.
Silvers Rayleigh produced low level friendliness. Experience +10000.
Level increased to Level 30.
Level 30 achievement unlocked. Reward obtained, Green Gacha Draw.
Aether used the draw immediately.
Reward obtained.
Assault Rifle x1.