Hearing this, not only Kong was stunned—Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru were also taken aback.
"Ayr? That guy… he's really on Hive Island?"
Garp's expression grew heavy at the mention of Ayr's name.
Although he had grown tremendously stronger over the years and believed that their next encounter could go either way, the mere mention of Ayr brought back memories of their last battle—a humiliating defeat at Ayr's hands.
"That guy Ayr is here…!" Garp thought, his excitement rising despite himself.
Sengoku, ever the strategist, placed his bowl and chopsticks down and spoke gravely:
"If a cadre of the Rocks Pirates has appeared on Hive Island, we must inform higher command to send reinforcements immediately."
"I never expected the Rocks Pirates to be interested in the Beehive Island auction," Zephyr remarked, folding his arms across his chest.
Kong, still holding the Den Den Mushi, was silent for a few seconds before asking:
"Besides Ayr, have you spotted any other Rocks Pirate cadres?"
"As of now… no, we haven't seen anyone else from the crew."
"Understood," Kong replied, nodding before ending the call.
Tsuru turned to him. "What's the plan, Kong?"
"The Rocks Pirates' top members rarely operate alone. If Ayr is here, it's highly likely that the rest of the crew is as well."
A grin spread across Kong's face. "This might be the opportunity we've been waiting for."
For years, the Marines had attempted to dismantle the Rocks Pirates, but the vastness of the New World made tracking them an impossible task. Even when they managed to locate the crew, only small Marine forces were ever nearby, never enough to mount a decisive assault.
However, this time was different.
With the auction on Hive Island still days away, they had time to mobilize the Navy's main forces. If they acted swiftly, they could assemble a fleet strong enough to wipe out the Rocks Pirates in one strike.
Kong wasted no time and immediately reported the situation to Fleet Admiral Brownie.
Upon receiving the news, Brownie made a shocking decision—he would lead the operation himself.
Not only that, but he also ordered the deployment of Admirals Zhenwu and Sabertooth to join the siege.
In other words, for this one battle, the Marines had dispatched:
Fleet Admiral Brownie
All three Marine Admirals—Kong, Zhenwu, and Sabertooth
Vice Admirals Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru
This force represented the very core of Marine Headquarters' power.
The importance they placed on eradicating the Rocks Pirates was evident.
---
Meanwhile, on Hive Island
Time passed quickly, and at last, the grand auction of Beehive Island began.
The Marines had completed their preparations.
At the same time, some of the strongest members of the Rocks Pirates—Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and Charlotte Linlin—had already landed on the island.
However, rather than rushing into action, Whitebeard and Golden Lion made their way to a tavern, while Linlin wandered off to explore.
Ayr, preparing for the auction, donned a black cloak to conceal his identity. He didn't want the Rocks Pirates to know he was attending.
Upon stepping inside, he found the auction house already packed with pirates. The venue was massive, capable of holding over two thousand people, and the atmosphere buzzed with excitement. Ayr quickly took a seat.
As he waited, a commotion erupted nearby.
"Stand up."
Ayr turned his head and saw a muscular young man wielding a large spiked kanabo. He was glaring at a pirate sitting nearby.
"Hey! Do you even know who I am? I've got a bounty of 100 million beli—"
BOOM!
Before the pirate could finish his sentence, the young man swung his kanabo with brutal force, sending him flying across the room. The impact was so powerful that the pirate, despite his massive bounty, was knocked unconscious instantly.
The young man took the now-vacant seat next to Ayr.
A whisper spread through the crowd.
"That's Kaido!"
"Kaido? You mean the up-and-coming pirate rookie with a 70 million beli bounty?"
"Yeah! That's him!"
"Unbelievable! His bounty is lower, yet he just crushed someone worth 100 million in one hit!"
"That guy is a complete monster!"
"Shhh! Keep your voice down! If he hears us, we're dead!"
Even though Kaido was still an emerging figure in the pirate world, his terrifying strength was undeniable. Many had underestimated him due to his relatively low bounty, but after witnessing this display, no one dared to question his potential again.
Ayr observed the young Kaido carefully.
Though still in his early years, the future "Strongest Creature" was already showing signs of the monster he would become.
Still, Ayr wasn't particularly interested. Instead, he turned his focus back to the auction.
With the wealth he had accumulated, he was ready to buy whatever caught his eye.
Moments later, a man holding a microphone stepped onto the auction stage. Wasting no time, he began speaking.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the auction! Let's get started!"
The audience erupted with anticipation.
"And now, for our first item of the night… One of the legendary 21 O Wazamono swords—Demon Slayer!"
The entire auction hall exploded with excitement.
"What?! The first item is one of the legendary 21 O Wazamono swords?!"
"There are only 21 of these in the entire world!"
"This auction is insane! The first item is already this valuable!"
"I don't even care if I don't buy anything! Just witnessing these treasures is worth the trip!"
As the crowd roared, Ayr leaned forward in his seat.
The auction had only just begun, but it was already shaping up to be something extraordinary.
IMPORTANT UPDATE –
I WILL BE POSTING 1 CHAPTER HERE EVERY DAY, BUT IF YOU WANT TO READ 5+ ADVANCE CHAPTERS DAILY AND 15 EXTRA CHAPTERS BY THE END OF EACH MONTH, JOIN MY PATREON FOR EXCLUSIVE EARLY ACCESS.
🔗 JOIN NOW: patreon.com/Oreski
PS: I HAVE UPLOADED 50+ ADVANCED CHAPTERS ON PATREON ALREADY, AND BY THE END OF EACH MONTH, I WILL POST 15 MORE CHAPTERS—DON'T MISS OUT ON THE ADVENTURE.