Sakaski smiled and ruffled Enel's hair.
"It's still early, go back to sleep."
"Spend this time well, learning from Doctor Vegapunk."
Enel nodded.
"Okay!"
Then he walked back to his room.
Sakaski shook his head and picked up the unfinished newspaper.
Time flies...
------------
In the blink of an eye, a month and a half of sailing came to an end.
The Sabaody Archipelago.
Sakaski and Enel disembarked, watching the handover by the government personnel.
Enel reluctantly said goodbye to Vegapunk.
In over a month, Enel spent more than 18 hours a day with Vegapunk.
Perhaps it was because Enel was too intelligent, or perhaps all scientists were like this.
Their communication and learning were practically inseparable from eating and sleeping.
Vegapunk looked at the dejected Enel.
"It's okay, Enel."
"There will be opportunities to meet again."
Then he looked at Sakaski.
"Thank you, Mr. Sakaski, for your care this past month."
Sakaski nodded, giving him a reassuring look.
Vegapunk smiled and waved goodbye to the two.
They were escorted to another warship.
Watching Vegapunk disappear on the warship.
Sakaski held a few bounty posters, these were pirates currently docked at the Sabaody Archipelago.
He flipped through them, put them away, and looked at Enel.
"Let's go, I'll take you to see the darkness."
Enel, still downcast, replied with a "hmph" and followed Sakaski into the distance.
------------
At this moment.
Sakaski and Enel had changed out of their Marine uniforms, donning cloaks that concealed their figures and faces.
"Sabaody Archipelago."
"A necessary stop on the way to the New World."
"The island is a gathering place for people of almost every profession in the world."
"Human traffickers, slaves, nobles, civilians, fish-men, pirates, bounty hunters, Marines, the government, and more."
"Here, from Red Tree #1 to #29."
"These are designated as lawless zones."
As Sakaski finished explaining to Enel, they had also arrived at their destination.
"We're here."
He gestured for Enel to follow.
A large circular building with five large characters written on it.
"Human Auction House..."
Entering the hall and taking their seats, Enel looked around with curiosity.
People of all sorts were present.
There were nobles who appeared to be high and mighty.
There were famous pirates from wanted posters.
There were those clenching their fists, glaring at the young people on stage with hatred.
Enel's powerful Observation Haki allowed him to feel the myriad of human experiences within this small auction house...
Suddenly, the host preparing on stage ran out in a panic.
Sakaski raised an eyebrow.
A moment later, the auction house host and manager entered, leading a Celestial Dragon wearing a hood.
They were directed to the VIP seats.
After the Celestial Dragon was seated, the host wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
He went up to the stage, took a deep breath.
"The monthly Auction of Humans at Tree #1 is about to begin!"
"This time, we have also prepared many high-quality slaves for everyone."
"And some super popular items will be presented!"
"We sincerely wish everyone can buy a slave to their satisfaction!"
The crowd below cheered and egged them on.
"Ooooh!!!!!"
Not far from Enel's side.
A middle-aged noble couple were discussing what kind of slaves to buy.
The middle-aged noblewoman said.
"The slaves I bought last time were useless within 10 days."
"This time I'm going to buy a young and strong fish-man slave."
"Fish-man slaves have ten times the physical fitness of humans."
"Oh hohohoho~"
She giggled coquettishly, covering her mouth. The middle-aged nobleman beside her said.
"I heard there's a princess from a certain country this time."
"I'm planning to get her."
"After all, she's a princess of a nation."
"Hehehehehe~"
The middle-aged noblewoman also teased.
"You really do have a preference for pretty girls, as always~"
"Hehehehehehe~"
The middle-aged nobleman chuckled sinisterly.
Enel frowned slightly. Treating humans like livestock... had become the norm?
Thinking this, he looked at Sakaski.
But Sakaski was unmoved, merely looking at the stage with a detached gaze.
Enel suppressed his disgust and stopped releasing his Observation Haki.
He followed Sakaski's gaze towards the stage.
Seeing that the atmosphere was sufficiently built up, the host on stage said.
"Alright, the first item today is!!!!"
"The eldest daughter of a musical family from the West Blue Kingdom of Troja D'e."
"Possessing a voice that amazes the world."
"A human music box that can sing any song for you!"
"176 centimeters tall, weighing 98 pounds!"
"A voice of an angel."
"Loxitia!"
Oh!!!!!
As the beautiful and moving woman appeared, the atmosphere in the hall reached a new peak.
The host began to say.
"As the first item today!"
"Special price!"
"Starting bid at 800,000 Berries!!!"
"Now! Everyone! Please raise your paddles and start bidding!!!"
Buyers continuously raised their paddles and called out prices.
In a short while, it had risen from 800,000 to 2.7 million.
The bidding then gradually slowed down.
"Excellent! Congratulations to guest number 74!"
"Sold for 2.7 million Berries!!!"
Below the stage, the dazed noble holding paddle number 74 chuckled at the stage, drooling unconsciously...
The impact on Enel's worldview was unimaginable.
Angrily, he wanted to stand up and destroy this place, destroy this dirty auction house.
But Sakaski's large hand forcefully held him down.
"Don't let anger cloud your judgment."
"This is just the beginning."
Sakaski's indifferent voice came through. Enel looked at Sakaski's cold expression and felt a stranger for the first time.
"Think carefully about where you went wrong."
After speaking, Sakaski removed his hand from Enel, and Enel slowly calmed down.
He suppressed his anger and watched the auction house expressionlessly.
Until it ended...
In the evening, the two, who hadn't bought any slaves, walked on the road.
Sakaski led Enel towards the next location.
At the same time, he said to Enel.
"Have you figured out where you went wrong?"
Enel's voice was somewhat cold.
"I have."
Sakaski stopped and looked at Enel.
"Where did you go wrong?"
Enel closed his eyes.
"I was too weak."
Sakaski shook his head.
"You still haven't understood."
He sighed inwardly and continued.
"As a Marine,"
"Not considering the bigger picture, acting impulsively upon seeing a bit of darkness."
"This is your greatest mistake."
"You completely failed to consider the consequences."
"If you destroyed the auction house, you would indeed save a few dozen slaves."
"But then what?"
"Being wanted."
"Being hunted."
"You are a Logia-type Paramecia user, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit."
"If you want to escape, no one can catch you."
"But your life?"
"You were destined to become a Marine Admiral. Your future could save tens of millions of lives at sea."
"Even your research could shorten the distance of communication between people at sea."
"You would become a figure renowned throughout the seas, your name would be written in future scientific textbooks."
"Yet, for a few dozen slaves, it would all be destroyed."
"Becoming a fugitive and a wanted criminal."
"Decades later, when your lifespan comes to an end."
"Looking back on your life."
"You will regret everything you did at that time."
"You once possessed everything others envied."
"But due to impulsivity, you destroyed it with your own hands."
"You wouldn't even be able to attend the funeral when Vice Admiral Maurice reached the end of his life."
"You would have to stand alone behind the clouds, looking towards the island where the funeral was held."
"Silently shedding tears."
"Enough!!!"
Enel shouted angrily, his eyes reddened.
Sakaski's words laid bare the cruel reality...
Some forms of justice could not be enacted...
"Keep up."
A detached voice came.
Enel's mind echoed with Sakaski's words as he followed the figure ahead.
Sakaski's next destination...
The Marine branch on the Sabaody Archipelago.