The record-breaking price had left a trace of madness on the auctioneer's face.
"And now, at long last, we've reached the final, show-stopping item of today's auction!"
"If x-ray vision lets you experience a new kind of thrill in life… then what about invisibility?"
The entire hall fell silent.
Only the auctioneer's passionate voice continued to ring out.
"That's right, invisibility! What an incredible concept. How many men have fantasized about eating the Clear-Clear Fruit and gaining the power to become invisible?"
"But that one-of-a-kind Devil Fruit is nothing more than a pipe dream for most. Now, there's a more realistic option within your reach."
"Presenting our final auction item: the Invisibility Hat!"
At the auctioneer's cue, a beautifully crafted stand was brought forth. At the top of the stand sat a very ordinary-looking hat; nothing about it suggested it had the power to make someone vanish.
Those who had missed out on the X-ray glasses now felt lucky.
Meanwhile, the royal from earlier looked genuinely stunned.
I thought the glasses were the ultimate prize... but this?
This is even more perfect for the Celestial Dragons.
A certain World Noble would soon be visiting the North Blue, and Stanford Kingdom was a mandatory stop. This was his chance to curry favor.
But after spending over 400 million on the glasses, his funds were running low.
"Starting bid: 15 million Berries!"
With the opening price announced, the crowd erupted into a frenzy of bidding.
"20 million!"
"30 million!"
"50 million!"
"300 million!"
Fueled by the earlier excitement over the X-ray glasses, the bidding climbed rapidly.
Eventually, the price hit 450 million Berries.
The final bidder was the head of a major North Blue trading guild, a man whose wealth was beyond measure.
His bid crushed the competition, and he successfully claimed the Invisibility Hat.
The moment he won, the tycoon, Hendry, gestured for his men to retrieve the hat immediately.
"Esteemed Mr. Hendry, there's a button on the right side of the hat. Press it to activate the invisibility," the auctioneer said politely, clearly recognizing the man.
"This hat can only be used five times, so please keep that in mind."
The tall man named Hendry nodded, unable to wait any longer. He immediately put the hat on his head and pressed the switch.
In the next second, his form began to blur. Under everyone's watchful eyes, he vanished from sight.
"Hahahaha! Judging by your faces, I must be invisible now, right?"
Hendry basked in the astonished gazes of the crowd.
In his invisible state, he walked right in front of several people, none of them reacted.
Everyone watched in awe and envy.
It really worked.
True invisibility.
As for the creator of the item, Hammer had already made his way backstage, ready to collect his earnings.
Saunders had been waiting a while. When he saw Hammer approach, he greeted him warmly.
"Honored Mr. Anvil, here is the payment for your auction items. Your proceeds have been converted into a World Government-backed check, redeemable at any major bank."
"As for the payment for the mink girl, we've already deducted that portion. The remaining 570 million Berries are yours. Please keep it safe."
Hammer took the check, stamped with the mark of world authority, nodded, and tucked it away.
"And also," Saunders added, "Here is the location and information of the three bounty targets you have selected. Please accept it."
"We at the Hydra Club deeply appreciate your patronage. Should you acquire more... unique items, we hope you'll consider us again."
His words made Hammer pause. After all, auctions were clearly a great way to make fast money.
But right now, he had other matters to deal with. Besides, if he made too much noise, the headquarters might take notice. He needed to stay cautious.
Leaving the auction house, Hammer wasted no time and took the snow leopard mink girl onto his speedboat.
He understood the saying: "An innocent man with a treasure invites danger."
He had already shown his face at the auction. If anyone harbored bad intentions, things could get ugly fast.
Once aboard, he tossed the mink girl a thick blanket and started the engine to speed away.
But just as he was about to leave the harbor, a pirate ship began to stir.
It moved directly into Hammer's path, blocking his route.
"Hey, brat, you think you can just leave after snatching up what I wanted? Did you really think I'm gonna just let that slide?"
A vicious-looking man stood at the bow of the pirate ship, glaring at him.
The sight of him made the mink girl tremble again.
"Oh? So what, you planning to rob me now?"Hammer showed no fear. He shut off the engine, and a flicker of violence flashed in his eyes.
He had already been annoyed by the slave trade at the auction. Now that he was being stopped again, his patience as a transmigrator had completely worn out.
All he wanted now was to vent.
"Listen close, boy," the pirate captain snarled. "Hand over the Mink and every Berry on you, or else"
"...Hahahaha!"
The threatening laughter sent another wave of terror through the snow leopard girl's body, her face pale with fear.
Hammer noticed her trembling form and exhaled deeply through his nose.
"If you're going to rob me," he said coolly, "at least have the decency to introduce yourself. I'd like to know who's about to mug me."
The pirate captain threw his head back with a booming laugh.
"People call me the Battle Maniac, Butcher Batu!"
"I ain't some two-bit pirate from the North Blue. I came here just for the auction. A small fry like you from this region wouldn't know my name, and that's no surprise."
Hammer's heart stirred at those words.
From what Batu said, he must be a pirate from the Grand Line. That would mean… his bounty's probably not low.
"And what might your bounty be, oh great 'Battle Maniac'?"
Batu smirked arrogantly and replied in a loud, boastful tone, "I'm a big-time pirate with a bounty of 100 million!"
Then he scowled and barked, "Why the hell are you asking so many questions? Hand over the girl and the money, now!"
A hundred million...
Hammer's eyes practically lit up.
'This is perfect, I got exactly what I needed without even trying.'
Just enough to report back with!
"Great. 100 million Berries is perfect!"
"Soru!"
With that word, Hammer vanished from sight.
Batu immediately felt something was wrong. He had seen this move before, it was a technique used by the Marines.
"Shit..Damn it! You bastard, you're a Marine?!"
"Shield Shield: Spiked Shield!"
Just as Hammer's heavy punch was about to land, a massive shield covered in spikes materialized between them.
!?
Hammer was startled and quickly withdrew his fist, retreating to the side.
Batu grinned wickedly.
"Not so fast, little marine. I ate the Shield-Shield Fruit. I'm a Shieldman, I can conjure all kinds of shields out of thin air!"
More translucent shields began materializing around him in a defensive formation.
"Let's see how many bones I have to break before you learn your place!"