The Devil's Grin - A One Piece Fanfic (Snail-like Updates)

The Auction

Rayleigh sat in the cell trying to figure how much he would sell for. Hopefully whoever bought him was rich. He needed to pay off his gambling debts if he wanted to stay on the Archipelago. Mostly because it would be too much of a hassle to fight the collectors. Thankfully he had kept his flask. If he tried going through this sober he might kill everyone there.

"Hold your side tighter," one of the auction workers huffed as two of them came through the office door carrying a body.

"I'm trying but it's not easy," the other growled back. "You saw what happened to the other guys. We can't let our skin come in contact with her."

"Yah." The first nodded. "I still can't believe we found such a catch just laying on the boss' floor. This one is going to be one hundred percent profit. I even heard the boss say we might get paid extra this time."

Poor girl seemed to be out as they set her in the cell across from his. She was going to be in quite the distraught state when she woke to find herself heading for slavery. The thought drove him to take a swig from his hidden flask.

As the alcohol burned his throat he thought back to a time when he believed he could make a real difference in the world. Back then he would have saved the girl from her fate as well as everyone locked up here. Now he knew the truth.

"Hmm?" The girl began to stir sitting up. "Where am I?"

"An auction house," Rayleigh answered taking another swig feeling the familiar buzz of drunkness. Her slim arms matches her nice legs. But he still couldn't see her face past the shadow of her cloak.

"Ray-Ray?" the girl spoke up confused. "Is that really you? You're so old!"

He gasped as the light hit her face and the sight pierced his clouded mind. "Impossible!"

●●●●●●●

Nami was going over the numbers Hachan had given her again. A mermaid could easily sell for one hundred million and with the crews recent aquirings they had roughly two hundred and fifty million. And they had run into Frost who said he had another three hundred million on hand he could help them out with. She had wanted to have him use his powers to save Keimi but he revealed that his powers hadn't been working properly for a last few weeks and it was safer to just buy their friend back. Between the two of them it would be no problem.

"Sold!"

She looked up to see the auctioneer call in the next person to be sold.

"We have here two young children being sold as a pair. They very friendly and will be perfect playmates for your own children." He bragged about their family benefit. "Or if you dont have children they are great for cleaning small and hard to reach places. Either way they are a steal of a deal starting at two hundred thousand for both of them!"

It made her sick to watch those children clinging to each other, fear in their eyes, as the crowd began bidding on them. What kind of twisted people could honestly offer money for children? If she didn't need to guarantee saving Keimi she would spend some of her berries to save them. It made her feel worse that she was forced to choose between her friend and these defenseless kids.

"Sold for a wonderful seven hundred and thirty thousand!" The auctioneer shouted. "Now for our next item!"

A woman wearing a white cloak was walked out. Her head was down and covered by her cowl but from the rest of her body she was definitely attractive. Nami could already see several of the disgusting men calculating how much they would be willing to pay. It made her skin crawl.

"This lovely lady is quite unique," the auctioneer began. "Her exquisite figure gives her the perfect position as eye candy. And she has a very amazing ability." He motioned for one of the stage hand to approach. "Despite being in Sea Prism Stone cuffs anyone who touches her seems to lose consciousness."