One Piece: Investing In Whitebeard At The Start.

["No matter what, the slave trade in the Sabaody Islands will not stop unless all the Celestial Dragons in this world die."]

In an auction venue deep within the illegal district of the Sabaody Islands, Vane stood silently while Kalifa remained behind at Shakky's Rip-Off Bar. They had arrived on the Sabaody Islands two days ago and had stayed at the bar since. Shakky had treated them well.

Today, Vane had come to the auction house again—not to stir trouble, but to purchase Devil Fruits. Occasionally, Devil Fruits were auctioned here, although it was rare to see them on the open market. Most weren't exceptionally powerful or attractive, yet people still flocked to buy them.

Such was the allure of Devil Fruits.

Collectors, investors, and pirates alike were willing to bid on any Devil Fruit, not necessarily for their combat usefulness but as investments. From an investor's standpoint, every Devil Fruit held value—regardless of type. A Logia-type wasn't inherently more valuable than a Zoan in this system. For investing in dimensional characters, three Devil Fruits were required—no more, no less. One Logia couldn't be used in place of three weaker fruits.

That was the system's rule.

Right now, the item up for auction wasn't a Devil Fruit—it was a fish-man slave. This auction house was newly established, as were many others in the Sabaody Islands. Operating these venues was far safer than life as a pirate. Piracy involved constant risk—raiding, fighting, and death. The auction business, on the other hand, was highly profitable and low-risk, especially with the patronage of pirates, nobles, and, most importantly, Celestial Dragons. Under their protection, the auctioneers thrived.

The Sabaody Islands were often called the "backyard" of the Holy Land Mary Geoise, as Celestial Dragons frequently visited. While some slaves were shipped directly to Mary Geoise, many were first brought to Sabaody for public auction. Fish-man and mermaid slaves fetched the highest prices, especially those with good looks.

As the female fish-man slave stood on stage in her water tank, the crowd erupted in lewd cheers. She was stunning—and at the very front of the line, a Celestial Dragon was practically drooling.

Yes, the Celestial Dragons had come again. But this time, Vane didn't act immediately. He was waiting for the Devil Fruit to appear at the end of the auction.

He watched the despair in the fish-woman's eyes, so familiar… so hollow. Vane shook his head. In this world, the weak could not even protect their own lives.

Unsurprisingly, the Celestial Dragon won the bid. Who would dare challenge them here? No matter how beautiful the slave was or how badly others wanted her, no one would cross a Celestial Dragon.

"What's next up for auction?"

"A Devil Fruit!"

"That's right! A Devil Fruit! The Zoan-type: Macaque Fruit! They say whoever eats this fruit will…"

"The starting price is 130 million Berries! Each raise is in increments of 10 million!"

"Don't miss your chance!"

The auctioneer shouted, and the room burst into excited murmurs.

"Three hundred million Berries."

Vane's calm voice cut through the crowd like a blade. Silence followed.

Naturally, Vane claimed the Devil Fruit without resistance. Truthfully, it wasn't worth 300 million Berries, but that didn't matter to him.

Because Vane didn't plan on paying.

Not only did he walk out without handing over a single coin, he also slipped into the auction house's back room and casually took a billion Berries. Thanks to his [Investment System], he had access to a vast internal warehouse—he didn't even know its limits. It was meant for storing gold, silver, jewelry, and other valuable assets. it could be instantly absorbed.

He used most of this wealth to accelerate his investments in key characters.

Just as he exited the building, Vane spotted the Celestial Dragon dragging the fish-woman by a metal chain.

The air trembled.

In his hand, Vane summoned his sword.

With a single swing, a white slash cut cleanly across the sky and sliced the Celestial Dragon in two. His torso split apart, his eyes wide in shock as death overtook him. The slash had pierced his heart.

Before the guards could even react—before they knew what had happened—Vane struck again. Another thin, white slash swept through the air, silently cutting their throats. One by one, their heads tumbled to the ground.

The fish-woman screamed, horrified, as the heads of three Celestial Dragons rolled to her feet. Their grotesque bodies followed soon after.

Vane walked over slowly.

"If you want to live, don't scream."

She stifled her voice, but terror was etched into every line of her face.

Vane coated his hand in advanced Armament Haki and snapped the slave collar open. Rayleigh had once mastered this technique. Vane had perfected it.

"You're free."

Tears poured from her eyes as she bowed repeatedly, thanking him over and over before finally running away.

"What a dull world," Vane muttered, turning his gaze to the auction house.

Everyone inside had already fled in panic. Another Celestial Dragon was dead—again. Would the Navy Admirals come this time? Maybe, maybe not. The Admirals only moved when summoned by a Celestial Dragon… and the summoners were now lying in pieces.

When Vane turned toward the crowd outside, fear silenced them. No one dared speak.

["All things in the universe, turn to ashes!. Burn them all."]

Vane raised his sword high and unleashed a sweeping slash of flame. A sea of fire engulfed the auction house, reducing it to smoldering rubble.

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