Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, the number of ships coming and going to Loguetown had increased slightly compared to usual.
After all, what was being auctioned this time wasn't just Sig's treasure map but also a variety of rare items prepared by the Shipping King, Umit.
Loguetown was already a hub for all kinds of exotic goods from across the seas, a commercial center of the Grand Line. The news of Umit's rare items had quickly spread, attracting even more people.
The auction was about to begin, and guests dressed in various attire were already pouring in.
Among the crowd, the Celestial Dragon Charlos, with his square bubble helmet, stood out like a sore thumb.
His face was dark, clearly in a bad mood as he strode forward with his head held high. Wherever he walked, the crowd parted like the sea, leaving him an isolated island in a sea of people.
Even on this island, where the rulers of the underworld set the rules, no one dared to disrespect a Celestial Dragon.
"Charlos-sama, welcome!"
A portly middle-aged man came running over, kneeling from a distance.
"Could we possibly waive the kneeling etiquette for the others during the auction?"
The man looked up, sweat dripping from his forehead.
Charlos snorted but nodded.
"That's only fair. Otherwise, the auction wouldn't be able to proceed."
However, as his figure disappeared into the auction house, it sparked a wave of discussion among the crowd outside.
"Celestial Dragon Charlos? Isn't he the one who was attacked by Sig in the East Blue?"
"Is this Celestial Dragon here to bid on Sig's treasure map? This is getting interesting."
"Wait, wasn't there a news story recently that Sig had also come to Loguetown? What if they run into each other?"
Someone raised this possibility, and many people's expressions turned hesitant.
If a Celestial Dragon and the criminal who attacked him were to meet here, it probably wouldn't end well.
This wasn't a spectacle worth watching...
Meanwhile, inside the auction house, the Shipping King Umit's expression was also grim.
He had just learned that Celestial Dragon Charlos had arrived.
He had approached Sig and provided a large number of rare items for the auction, partly to gauge Sig's intentions and partly to show goodwill.
But now, he was starting to regret it.
"I should have realized... What Sig is planning isn't so simple."
Umit's face was stern, his expression growing more serious.
He had originally thought that Sig was just stirring up trouble, like when he shouted about Another Piece from the execution platform in Loguetown.
But if Celestial Dragon Charlos was involved, the nature of the situation had changed.
Did Another Piece really exist? There was still some debate about that.
After all, the bounty set by the World Government for the treasure was 400 million berries.
That was already a considerable sum.
But let alone the Celestial Dragons' national treasure, even the wealth stolen from the Celestial Dragons' vault should far exceed that amount.
"Is Charlos-sama more invested in this treasure map than I expected?"
"Or is this a trap specifically targeting the Celestial Dragons?"
It had to be! Otherwise, why would it be such a coincidence that the very Celestial Dragon Sig had attacked was now here?
"Was the hiatus of the Tieba Tabloid also deliberate?"
"He was waiting for the right moment, waiting for Charlos-sama to approach Loguetown before announcing the auction!"
Umit felt a chill run down his spine.
But now, it was too late to stop.
The auction had officially begun.
Celestial Dragon Charlos, along with Umit and others observing the event, were seated in private booths within the VIP section.
These booths weren't completely enclosed, but they were separated from the general seating area by partitions.
After a brief opening speech, the auctioneer officially began the auction.
"The first item up for auction..."
Beside the auctioneer, a graceful woman walked onto the stage carrying a tray. On the tray was a peculiar-looking armband.
"This is a hidden weapon from the West Blue—a hidden blade."
The man responsible for the demonstration strapped the device onto his wrist. With a flick of his hand, a gleaming short blade shot out from the armband, which he then gripped.
After a few swift demonstrations, the man released his grip, and with a soft click, the blade retracted back into the armband.
"As you can see, this is an extremely concealed weapon. The blade extends and retracts quickly."
"When not in use, it's just an ordinary armband that can be hidden inside your sleeve, completely undetectable..."
"The starting bid is 500,000 berries, with increments of no less than 10,000 berries."
In the VIP booth, Sig was also a bit surprised.
Here, he had encountered a rudimentary version of the hidden blade.
"Is this something Umit brought?"
Sig vaguely remembered that when he had met Umit earlier, among the rare items Umit had showcased, there had been an armband .
This crude version of the hidden blade was of questionable practicality.
The short blade extending from the palm didn't seem very convenient to grip, and if not handled skillfully, it might even cut the user.
In practical use, it might not be any better than carrying a dagger.
The other auction guests also seemed skeptical of the hidden blade, and the room fell silent.
But for Sig, who didn't actually need to use a sword to fight, it was quite appealing.
Back when Crocodile had suddenly attacked, Sig hadn't even had time to pull out his folding knife and had to waste one of his Iruma card uses.
But this hidden blade was even faster than a folding knife.
"I'll need to find out if the craftsman who made this hidden blade is one of Umit's people..."
As he pondered this, Sig raised his paddle and began bidding.
His deep voice echoed through the VIP section, causing the auctioneer's eye to twitch slightly.
A bid increase of just 10,000 berries? He's really going for the minimum...
Hearing such a bid from the VIP section was unexpected.
But as a seasoned auctioneer, he quickly recovered and announced with a smile:
"510,000 berries, going once..."
Sig's booth was adjacent to Umit's, so his bid naturally reached Umit's ears.
"Only a 10,000 berry increase? What is he trying to do now?"
Umit deeply felt that he couldn't understand Sig's actions.