#243 - Chapter 243: Another Auction
“The annual auction is officially open today. As long as you have money, you can find everything you need there.”
In the restaurant, huge advertisements flew through the air.
Personnel from the auction house held large megaphones, repeatedly broadcasting their advertising slogans.
“Wow~ What kind of transportation are Jin An and the others using? It's my first time seeing it!”
Tian Yue Shi pointed at the unknown object rapidly flying through the air, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Jin An looked up at the figure in the sky that was already disappearing and explained,
“Flying Fish, it can leave the water for five minutes for brief high-speed flight.”
“The Sabaody Archipelago actually has such magical things.”
Tian Yue Shi exclaimed, her eyes revealing a strong interest.
“That auction seems quite interesting, should we go take a look?”
Jin An pondered for a moment and nodded,
“Sure, we happened to arrive, and we have the time.”
He agreed almost unconsciously, feeling faintly that going to the auction might bring unexpected gains.
Just then, a figure walked up to Jin An and stood beside him, politely speaking,
“Hello there, young man.”
Jin An turned his head and saw the person from the gambling den earlier, still with a gentle smile on his face.
“Have we met before? I sensed a hint of inquiry in your gaze directed at me earlier.”
The man continued,
“Have we met somewhere before?”
Jin An was taken aback, not expecting the other party's perception to be so strong.
“This is our first time meeting, but I've heard your name.”
Jin An said frankly, he did know the other party, but it was in his past life.
“Is that so?”
The man extended his right hand and smiled,
“I can feel the righteousness emanating from you. You are a very good person.”
Jin An also extended his hand and shook it with the other man.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
The man heard their conversation and asked,
“From what I gather, you are planning to go to the auction house?”
Without waiting for Jin An to answer, he continued,
“Can I join you? I'll cover all the expenses this time.”
Jin An smiled slightly and said seriously,
“It's not about the money, it's mainly that I want to make friends with you.”
Tian Yue Shi tugged on Jin An's sleeve and said softly,
“Isn't this a bit inappropriate…”
Jin An patted Tian Yue Shi's hand and smiled,
“It's okay, it's all ill-gotten wealth anyway.”
The man nodded, his smile gentle,
“That's right, this money was all won from the gambling den, so it doesn't matter how it's spent.”
He paused, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes,
“As for that casino… the owner has disappeared from the world.”
Tian Yue Shi glanced at Jin An and noticed a hint of approval in his eyes as well.
She breathed a slight sigh of relief and smiled,
“In that case, let's go to the auction house together.”
The three of them walked towards the auction house together.
Jin An and Tian Yue Shi walked side by side on the streets of the Sabaody Archipelago.
While Issei lagged slightly behind, he knew the relationship between the two people in front of him.
He didn't want to be a third wheel.
The sunlight in the sky shone down with a warm glow, reflecting on the shopping bags they carried.
Jin An's thoughts couldn't help but return to his last experience attending an auction here.
That auction mainly sold slaves, it was dark and oppressive.
This auction's scale and scope had expanded greatly, seeming even more prosperous and attracting even more people.
As they reached the entrance of the auction venue, they saw that the plaza was already filled with many people.
The crowd was bustling, various sounds mixed together, forming a lively scene.
Vendors seized the business opportunity, setting up stalls in the plaza to sell all kinds of goods.
Tian Yue Shi's gaze swept over the dazzling array of goods on the stalls, her eyes revealing a strong interest.
“Jin An, look, they're selling snacks over there, let's go take a look!”
Tian Yue Shi grabbed Jin An's hand and said excitedly.
“Once we enter the auction house, we probably won't be able to eat for a while.”
Jin An (⊙o⊙)… "Didn't we just come out of the restaurant?"
“Oh, just think of it as eating afternoon tea early.”
Tian Yue Shi didn't allow for argument, directly pulling Jin An along.
Tian Yue Shi was attracted by the various snacks on the stalls, her eyes shining as she stared at the colorful and fragrant food.
She chose a few of the most tempting snacks, handing part of them to Jin An,
“You try some too.”
Jin An took the snacks and said with a smile,
“You really are a little glutton.”
Tian Yue Shi playfully stuck out her tongue,
“Of course, food is one of my favorite things.”
Just as they were enjoying the food, Jin An's gaze inadvertently swept over the crowd in the plaza and saw some familiar faces.
Some were wealthy merchants he had seen at the last auction, and some were pirates who had already risen to fame on the sea.
People gathered in small groups, discussing the upcoming auction.
“I heard that there will be many rare treasures at this auction, I wonder if we can get our hands on any.”
A wealthy merchant said to his companions, his tone full of anticipation.
“Yes, I also heard that there will be some legendary Devil Fruits at this auction, I wonder if it's true.”
Another person chimed in.
Jin An's heart stirred slightly upon hearing their conversation.
It seemed that this auction was not only large in scale, but the auction items were also very valuable.
He was a little curious, wondering what kind of surprises this auction would bring.
Tian Yue Shi also heard those conversations, she tugged on Jin An's sleeve,
“Jin An, I heard that you need an invitation or proof of financial resources to enter the auction house.”
“But we don't seem to have any of those things…”
Issei walked over, holding a bowl of snacks,
“You don't have to worry about that, I've already prepared it.”
Jin An and Tian Yue Shi were speechless, it seemed that they had really latched onto a thick thigh this time...
Seeing that some people were already entering, the three of them followed the crowd.
The two walked through the crowd of onlookers, heading towards the entrance of the auction venue.
The guards at the door checked their invitations and politely let them in.
Stepping into the auction venue, Jin An felt a strong commercial atmosphere, the surrounding decorations were luxurious and artistic, every detail seemed so exquisite.
They found their seats and sat down, waiting for the auction to begin.
Tian Yue Shi's gaze darted around the venue, full of curiosity and anticipation.
Jin An closed his eyes slightly, using his Observation Haki to scan the entire auction venue.
With precise targeting, his Observation Haki clearly investigated the situation in the auction house.
To his disappointment, most of the things here were not very attractive to him.
