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"That's a pirate flag, isn't it? Is this auction being supported by a pirate crew?"
"Not just any pirate crew can set foot in the Sabaody Archipelago and openly protect a human auction house... It must belong to one of the Shichibukai or an Emperor in the New World."
"The Human Auction House at Grove 1 already existed in the Sabaody Archipelago before the Hunters Guild took over and erased it, along with the people working there."
"No matter how ancient this type of establishment is, I have always been opposed to the sale of human beings."
"This Mister Disco infuriates me. He will surely win the title of the worst character in this arc in the next poll."
"You're mistaken. That despicable Celestial Dragon with mucus deserves to win it."
"But Disco won't be far from the top three either."
Inside the art store in Ohara, the group consisting of Clover, Vegapunk, Homing, Brook, and Saul were discussing the current events in the manga that marked the beginning of the human auction.
Without a doubt, all of them were against human enslavement and couldn't bear witnessing such cruel scenes.
"Depriving a person of their freedom is worse than killing them."
"How can he make music when his spirit is broken? How can they recognize their worth when they are stripped of their freedom? Damn it! This is a human being, not a commodity!" Brook expressed his anger after seeing the despairing eyes of Byron, a musician pirate.
After witnessing a fellow musician pirate, much like himself, being treated as a mere commodity with his features described and a price tag assigned, Brook lost his ability to find amusement and his anger intensified.
"Sigh~ I understand how frustrating this is... but let's look at the bright side, the world is progressing towards a complete ban on slavery," Vegapunk said with optimism in his eyes.
"Ah, I have a new invention idea that could aid in eradicating slavery worldwide!" Vegapunk's excitement was evident.
...Not far from the group of disheartened men, the Store Goddesses performed their duties flawlessly.
"This is revolting..." Olvia gazed at the manga panel showing Caimie immersed in a despairing swamp, awaiting her turn to be sold as a slave. She couldn't help but feel a bitter taste in her mouth.
Far away from Ohara, specifically on the island of Flevance, the reactions of the inhabitants mirrored those of ordinary people in Ohara and throughout the world.
"Engaging in human trafficking is a crime that goes against our very humanity... Before the era of the World Government, such practices were not common." Chris adjusted his glasses before expressing his anger.
"It was only after the rise of the World Government that these heinous acts began to be perpetrated on countries and peoples who refused to submit to their rule. Witnessing the fate of those who were torn apart by the World Government's claws, many former dissenters eventually succumbed and joined out of fear for their fellow countrymen."
As a member of the D clan, Trafalgar D. Water Chris was well-informed, His father, from whom he inherited his will and surname, had shared a great pieces of information with him.
"..." Mary was left speechless. What could she possibly say? She, too, was deeply frustrated, but it seemed that their frustrations couldn't change anything.
"This is..." Suddenly, Mary noticed a scene in the manga that not many had paid attention to.
"My son is feeling angry..." Latest content published on n0velfire.net
In the manga, the auctioneer, Mister Disco, was still delivering his speech. However, the scene shifted to show three individuals. The first was Rosward, a Celestial Dragon, whose face displayed no signs of emotion, only indifference.
The second person was Kidd, the captain of the Kidd Pirates and the highest-bounty Supernova. He was smiling, seemingly enjoying the spectacle.
The last person was Trafalgar Law. With one eye closed and the other open, the vertical lines drawn on his eyes hinted at his unease and discomfort with the entire situation, especially as he heard people bidding on a fellow human being.
"He's truly upset..." Observing Trafalgar Law's evident distress in the manga provided Chris with some relief. At the very least, this person he suspected to be his son possessed genuine human emotions.
•———•———•———•———•———•
"Duval... What the hell is this disgusting list?" Sanji exclaimed, smoking three cigarettes simultaneously to vent his growing frustration while reading a list that Duval had given him.
"They're market prices," replied Duval.
The list read as follows:
[Criminals and citizens of non-World Government nations are acceptable goods.]
[Starling Auction Price List.]
{•Human - 500,000 beri
•Dwarves - 700,000 beri
•Minks - 700,000 beri
•Longarms - 700,000 beri
•Longlegs - 700,000 beri
•Snakenecks - 700,000 beri
•Fish-Man - 1,000,000 beri
•Giants - (M) 50,000,000 beri, (F) 10,000,000 beri
•Mermaids - (F) 70,000,000 beri, (M) 1,000,000 beri, (F, parted) 10,000,000 beri
•Ability users - special price
•Others, exotic species - special price}
"You see why everyone's after Mermaids? They're on a whole other level."
"If you buy one, you're free to do whatever you want... But they're usually put on display as trophies by the super-rich," Duval continued.
"They spend their lives in a small tank on display."
"What are you trying to say!?"
"No... I was just thinking, you can't really call that living."
"If that's how you feel, then hurry up and find her!" exclaimed Sanji.
•———•———•———•———•———•
Back in Ohara, this time in the grand hall of the Art Palace, Toki, and Sora found themselves enjoying their vacation, both expecting mothers.
But now, they're with worried expressions, the two women closely followed the unfolding events in the manga.
"This list... who could be the villain responsible for creating such an official slaves list?"
Toki looked at Sora and replied, "Clearly, it's the World Government... they are the ones who have allowed this practice to persist, a practice that should have remained in the dark recesses of history."
"As you can see... only criminals and civilians from non-World Government nations are deemed acceptable for sale... It's a blatant form of oppression."
"There are impoverished nations unable to pay taxes to the World Government simply because they are too destitute. It's not that they don't want to join; they are simply treated as separate entities and subjected to such deplorable treatment."
The more Toki spoke, the more the wounds of the past resurfaced, one by one. As a time traveler, what had she not witnessed? What aspects of this world remained unknown to her?
She was all too familiar with the profound devastation this regulation had caused. The ruin that the World Government had inflicted upon the world.
A ruin that Rob had been tirelessly working to mend ever since he arrived in this world.
Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
Chapter 534: All races are angry with the World Government.
Chapter 535: It Will Be a War...!!! (Part 1)
Chapter 536: It Will Be a War...!!! (Part 2)