One Piece - I Am A Different Luffy! BOOK1!

Chapter 163 - Lumenarquia 03.

[Chapter Size: 2100 Words.]
Third Person POV

Lumenarquia, First Half of Grandline.

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As human slaves were brought onto the stage, the auctioneer, with a voice echoing authority and greed, announced each of the slaves, describing them as if they were mere commodities.

The first to be presented were men and women of various ages and nationalities. Some seemed to have been fishermen or rural workers, captured and forced into a terrible fate. Others looked like people who had already lost all hope, their gazes empty and resigned.

Bids started to be made, with values varying, but quickly reaching exorbitant figures. The bids for these male human beings reached up to 2 million berries among the strongest.

Nami, whose own history was stained by slavery and loss, felt each bid as a personal blow. "How can they treat people this way?" she wondered in a low voice, her expression a mix of anger and sadness.

"This is so cruel..." Shirahoshi commented, frightened.

The crew represented freedom at sea, seeing such a scene was abominable to him.

As the auction continued, an even more disturbing situation unfolded. Semi-nude women were brought onto the stage, displayed in a degrading manner before the ravenous crowd of buyers. These women, some young and others older, were presented with a vulgarity that only served to accentuate the obscenity of the event.

The auctioneers described each woman lasciviously, highlighting their physical characteristics and suggesting indecent uses for them. Bids for these women started high and quickly escalated, with some reaching the figure of 5 million berries. It was a scene that distilled the purest form of exploitation and dehumanization.

"This is sick," Luffy said aloud, unable to hide his disgust.

"Do we still have to watch all of this?" Vivi complained, not appreciating any of what she witnessed.

Hugo, whose past was also marked by slavery, felt a wave of overwhelming anger. His fists were clenched so tightly that rocks began to form from his akuma no mi power.

Luffy turned to his companion. "Calm down, Hugo. We'll sort this out, but we can't lose our heads," he said in a low but firm tone, trying to calm his companion.

Many other crew members had distastes, some looked indifferent, but the gleam in their eyes said it wasn't a scene appreciated, Chopper and Vivi almost cried seeing this.

At the height of the tension in the VIP room, an unexpected moment interrupted the growing indignation of the Straw Hat crew. The doors opened and the king of Lumenarquia, who they saw on the posters, entered, his imposing presence and prominent nose immediately drawing attention. He approached Luffy with a diplomatic smile, but his eyes betrayed a hidden urgency. Luffy looked at him indifferently, wondering what that guy was doing invading his crew's space without asking if he was welcome or not, whether a king or not.

Soon his guards entered with him, and the auction manager stood by his side. "Excellency Monkey D. Luffy, this is King Javier Lumen VII of Lumenarquia," the manager said, "We're here because a very important guest from the underworld wishes to speak with you. He's known as Joker," the king suddenly announced, watching the Straw Hat captain's reaction closely.

Luffy, who was indifferent, not liking the approach, narrowed his eyes upon hearing the name. He knew exactly who this "Joker" was - Doflamingo, one of the Shichibukai and a notorious figure in the new world. A member of the crew frowned at that moment, Lami, clenching her fist, as this was someone she wanted to kill.