Compared to the slaves, the Devil Fruit didn't cause as much of a stir.
It might have been Chiga's good luck; almost no one at the auction today was interested in that particular Devil Fruit.
However, there were still bids—just not as high as the ones for the slaves.
After a few rounds of bidding, Chiga successfully acquired it for 280 million Berries, which was quite a steal.
Based on the general market price of Devil Fruits, the average value is around 100 million Berries.
So the final transaction price for this Gravity Fruit was already quite substantial.
For Chiga, though, the 280 million Berries nearly emptied his pockets.
I'm still poor, he thought with a wry smile.
But he didn't dwell on it—money was ultimately just a means.
Strength, on the other hand, was everything.
---
Soon, a servant respectfully brought the Gravity Fruit to him.
At this auction, no one would dare cause trouble, so there was no need to be cautious.
From the information Chiga had gathered, the auction house was likely backed by Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Taking the fruit, Chiga casually tossed the Gravity Fruit into his Door-Door Space.
He certainly wouldn't use the Preta Path's absorption ability here—a flashy move like that would draw the attention of Kalifa, his little spy.
The secret of the Rinnegan was one only he, and his most trusted allies could know.
If anyone else discovered it, he wouldn't hesitate to silence them—even Kalifa, his very capable assistant.
---
Sure enough, upon seeing Chiga's action, Kalifa immediately asked,
"Aren't you going to eat it?"
"I already possess gravity abilities. I'll keep this one in storage for now."
Hearing this, Kalifa didn't press further.
She was afraid of giving Chiga another reason to control her.
At this point, she had no power to resist him.
---
After acquiring the Devil Fruit, the subsequent auction items didn't interest Chiga.
He leaned back in his chair, looking like he might fall asleep.
Kalifa saw Chiga's relaxed posture and asked considerately,
"Would you like to leave early?"
Chiga thought for a moment and agreed.
Staying any longer would just be a waste of time.
---
Just as he was about to get up and leave, another slave was brought onto the stage.
Compared to the rare and exotic races from earlier, this one seemed wholly unremarkable—an old man with white hair.
The only notable thing was his expression.
Unlike the defeated or desperate faces of the other slaves, this old man wore a constant smile, as if he didn't care about being auctioned off at all.
One might even think he was here for sightseeing.
---
When the audience saw that it was just an old human man, they quickly lost interest.
The auctioneer called out a starting price of 10 million Berries, but no one bid for a while.
Just as things were about to fall silent, a calm young voice rang out:
"15 million Berries."
The auctioneer lit up as though he had been saved.
He called three times for higher bids, and when no one responded—and fearing the bidder might change their mind—he immediately struck the gavel and finalized the sale.
---
The one who had bought the slave, of course, was Chiga.
Seeing that he had actually spent money on such a seemingly useless old man, Kalifa asked in confusion,
"Why did you buy him? He's just an ordinary human. He doesn't even look strong enough to clean."
Chiga smiled without answering.
Others might not recognize the man, but he had seen the anime.
Who would have thought that the unassuming old man was none other than Silvers Rayleigh, the Right-Hand Man of the Pirate King, known across the seas as the Dark King?
Fifteen million Berries for Rayleigh? That was a bargain.
---
Waving his hand, Chiga didn't explain.
He took Kalifa and exited the venue.
At the back door, a servant was already waiting with Rayleigh—collar still around his neck—ready for pickup.
Upon seeing Chiga, the servant bowed slightly and handed over the old man, then left quietly.
Rayleigh looked curiously at the young man who had purchased him.
---
He often sold himself at auctions to make quick money when needed, then escaped using Conqueror's Haki.
Usually, his buyers were bored nobles.
This time, though, it was a young man.
Because he'd been in custody for the past few days, Rayleigh didn't know that a young Marine Captain had recently arrived at Sabaody Archipelago and destroyed the Blood Rat Pirates.
Chiga, meanwhile, was also examining Silvers Rayleigh—the Dark King himself.
Rayleigh looked younger than he had during his first appearance in the anime timeline.
Although age still showed in his features, Chiga knew how powerful the man truly was.
Rayleigh was one of the few legends from the previous era who still lived.
---
Not intending to waste time, Chiga got straight to the point.
"How much longer are you going to pretend, hmm? Silvers Rayleigh, the Right-Hand Man of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger—the Dark King."
The moment those words were spoken, both Kalifa and Rayleigh visibly reacted.
Rayleigh hadn't expected this youth to recognize him.
Ever since Roger died, Rayleigh had kept a low profile, and his appearance had changed enough to almost disappear from public records.
Kalifa, on the other hand, was stunned.
This old man... was the Dark King Rayleigh?
The World Government's records had highlighted his existence in red.
She'd read those classified files.
They emphasized how incomprehensibly powerful Rayleigh was.
And yet, here Chiga was, casually exposing his identity in broad daylight.
Kalifa was almost furious.
If you recognized him, couldn't you be a little more discreet? At least give me time to report it! Does Uchiha Chiga really think that just the two of us—and a cat—can subdue the Dark King Rayleigh??
---
Of course, Chiga knew that with his current strength, even with Medis, he couldn't hope to defeat Rayleigh.
Kalifa's combat ability wasn't even factored into his calculation.
But Chiga also understood Rayleigh's character.
At this stage in life, Rayleigh wouldn't make a big scene over this.
Even if they fought, Chiga knew Rayleigh wouldn't kill him.
In fact, that was the plan.
Chiga wanted to fight Rayleigh—not to win, but to measure himself.
The Uchiha clan had always thrived in battle.
Rayleigh wasn't like the foes Chiga had faced until now—not even Gion compared to this man.
Fighting Rayleigh would let him see his limits clearly.
It was a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
---
Rayleigh raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Oh? You know who I am, and you still dare to call me out? What exactly are you after?"
"After? I'm a Marine, and you're a pirate. What else is there?
When a Marine meets a pirate, are we supposed to sit down for tea instead of fighting?"
Rayleigh blinked at the bold response.
A Marine? This kid?
Rayleigh shook his head and laughed.
These young people today really didn't know their place.
But if the kid wanted a fight, then so be it.
It had been a while since the Dark King stretched his old bones.
---
Thanks For The Powerstones !!