In the stands, Caelan took in everyone's reactions but didn't care much.

As long as they didn't fight to the death in Dressrosa, they could do whatever they wanted once they left. If anyone dared to make a move before the deal was completed, he wouldn't mind killing a chicken to scare the monkeys.

Morgans had Caelan as his backer, so he was unfazed. He spoke passionately, "The extremely valuable Caesar Courant will definitely be worth your investment! The starting price is 3 billion Berries, and each bid must not be less than 100 million Berries!"

"Three billion Berries! Did I hear that right?"

As soon as the words fell, many forces gasped.

They were not underground kings like Tesoro and Lu Feld, but rather small groups hoping to try their luck. Morgans' words instantly shattered their fantasy.

Many of these groups had total assets of less than 3 billion Berries, and the liquid funds they could mobilize were even less.

Three billion Berries was almost equivalent to the bounty of a Yonko.

Even the right-hand men of the Yonko only had bounties of just over 1 billion.

If the starting price was 3 billion, then the final price must be something on par with a Yonko's worth, right?

All of a sudden, the enthusiasm of these smaller forces faded, and they decided to just watch how the big players acted.

But even the big names were hesitant. Their money didn't fall from the sky, and with a starting price of 3 billion, they had to be cautious.

At this moment, an elegant and charming female voice rang out.

"I'll start with 4 billion Berries."

It was unexpectedly Stussy who made the first move.

This empress of the entertainment industry should have been the most unlikely bidder, someone who had barely shown any presence before.

Everyone looked at Stussy in confusion, wondering why she suddenly acted.

However, Stussy smiled at Caelan in the stands and said coquettishly, "Caelan-sama, this is all the money I have. I wonder if I can get the artificial Devil Fruit technology?"

"The auction is a one-on-one bidding game, and the highest bidder wins," Caelan replied with a smile.

It was obvious from his attitude that she wasn't after the artificial Devil Fruit technology at all. She was clearly trying to use this as an excuse to show favor.

"Kitsune."

Gion looked at Stussy with dissatisfaction and muttered quietly.

This woman's intentions were far from pure.

"That's a pity."

Stussy smiled charmingly.

Although she claimed to regret it, there wasn't a trace of regret on her face.

She then glanced at the women around Caelan, giving them a playful wink.

This time, even Gion couldn't hold back anymore.

"This damn old woman!"

Tesoro, Lu Feld, and others cursed inwardly.

Watching Stussy and Caelan exchanging flirtatious looks, they knew she was blatantly trying to curry favor with him.

Asking for 10 billion Berries all at once was a bit excessive.

She was using their money to do favors for Caelan, which was truly unkind.

"4.5 billion Berries! I want the artificial Devil Fruit!" shouted Peclo.

This was all the money he could spare. If he managed to win, that would be great, but if not, it didn't matter.

After all, it was still a good thing to drain the resources of his rivals.

And even if you bought it now, it didn't necessarily mean you would have the last laugh.

"Don't kid yourself! You think you can get the artificial Devil Fruit technology for 4.5 billion?"

"Five billion Berries!"

Tesoro looked at Peclo with disdain and raised his bid.

He clearly knew what Peclo was trying to do but didn't care.

If Peclo really had the guts, he could raise it to 10 billion, and Tesoro promised he wouldn't even compete.

Tesoro claimed to control 20% of the world's circulating Berries, about 500 billion, but his actual liquid funds were only around 25 billion.

Once the price exceeded 10 billion, even he would have to think carefully about how to increase his chances of success.

After all, acquiring the artificial Devil Fruit technology cost money, and funds for subsequent manufacturing were also essential.

"…"

Peclo gave Tesoro a death glare.

If you want to raise the price, just raise it. Why step on me?

As the saying goes, a barking dog never bites. Peclo had already made a note of Tesoro in his little black book.

From now on, better not sleep too deeply.

"Five billion Berries?! The Golden Emperor has offered five billion! That's truly impressive!"

Morgans struck his mallet and shouted excitedly.

"Anyone higher? Mr. Lu Feld, will you just sit there and watch the artificial Devil Fruit technology fall into someone else's hands?!"

Morgans turned to provoke Lu Feld.

Now, only the Loan Shark King could match Tesoro.

And as expected, Lu Feld spoke.

"I'll pay 5.5 billion Berries. Even for you, Golden Emperor, it won't be so easy to get the artificial Devil Fruit technology."

Lu Feld said calmly, biting down on a cigar.

Although his total economic power wasn't as great as Tesoro's, his liquidity was not much less.

Even if you might not be able to take something away after buying it, seizing the opportunity first always increased the odds.

"Six billion."

Tesoro raised his sign calmly, expression unmoved.

"6.5 billion."

"Seven billion."

The two took turns raising their signs, leaving the crowd stunned.

"Is that even money anymore?"

"The bid increment only needed to be 100 million Berries, but these two are jumping by 500 million each time!"

As their bids climbed in 500 million increments, both large and small forces began questioning their very existence.

Compared to these two titans, their own funds seemed utterly laughable.

It was clear that the God Slayer was going to make a fortune this time.

They looked up at Caelan, only to see him smiling, unable to hide his amusement.

(To be continued.)