Super Card System

Just as Ian was continually refreshing the store, the auction gradually reached its climax.

As the Devil Fruit was brought up, Baccarat woke Ian.

Ian pretended to yawn, looking sleepy, and spread his arms out on the chair, glancing at the wealthy and powerful participants around him.

Clearly, these people were quite interested in the Devil Fruit. While the auctioneer was introducing the Devil Fruit, they were whispering and discussing it privately.

As members of the upper echelons of society, these people were undoubtedly interested in the Devil Fruit, but don’t be mistaken—they would never actually eat the Devil Fruit themselves!

The Devil Fruit has been around for many years in this world. Most ordinary people, not fully understanding the true nature of the Devil Fruit’s power, harbor some fear towards it. Although they know that eating a Devil Fruit grants extraordinary powers, they also believe that an indescribable demon resides within the fruit. The moment someone eats the Devil Fruit, the demon would take over their body.

This kind of belief is superstitious, but it is widely spread in this world. For the wealthy, their most precious asset is undoubtedly their own lives. They are more than willing to believe in these superstitions rather than risk their bodies by trying a Devil Fruit.

“How could we, the noble, behave like those commoners?” …

So, the interest these people have in the Devil Fruit is more about curiosity and amusement, or because of their collecting habits, or perhaps they see it as a stepping stone to higher status.

They wouldn’t dare eat it themselves, but they could make their subordinates eat it. Having a Devil Fruit user as a bodyguard would significantly enhance their security.

It must also be noted that the Celestial Dragons, as the world’s aristocracy at the top of the hierarchy, greatly influence these noble classes. Many of them aspire to imitate the Celestial Dragons by having their slaves eat Devil Fruits for entertainment…

Soon, the auctioneer announced the starting price for the Devil Fruit: 500 million Berries!

As soon as the starting price was announced, bids began coming in. However, what surprised Ian was that these people were raising the bid by only about 100,000 Berries at a time, occasionally jumping by 200,000 or 300,000 Berries.

Puzzled, Ian asked Baccarat, “Are you sure these guys are really wealthy?”

In his view, a so-called wealthy person should be raising the bid by at least a million at a time. Bidding in increments of 100,000 Berries? Are you kidding me?

Baccarat covered her mouth and chuckled, then whispered to Ian, “You don’t understand. The truth is, many rich and noble people are only flashy on the surface. To maintain their lavish lifestyles, many even live off borrowed money. Also, most of the wealthy and nobles aren’t fools; they’re quite shrewd. They’re not going to throw money away on something frivolous like this all at once! Unless there are Celestial Dragons here, you won’t see anyone who treats money like it grows on trees.”

Ian was speechless and patted the suitcase filled with chips at his feet. “So, does that mean I’m richer than most people here?”

“Of course!” Baccarat laughed. “With just the chips you have now, more than 90% of the wealthy people here don’t have as much as you!”

As she said this, Baccarat felt a bit pained. Although Tezoro had given Ian 20 billion Berries without batting an eye, it was actually an enormous amount of money. Tezoro’s annual tribute to the Celestial Dragons was about this amount! Ian had essentially taken Tezoro’s entire year’s protection fee in one go. How could Tezoro be content with that?

This was why Tezoro had ordered Baccarat to handle the situation carefully, to see if they could get some of the money back from Ian and his group. It was the typical gambler’s mindset—losing a lot makes you want to win something back, even if you know the other party is tough to deal with.

Ian nodded, indicating his understanding, and then asked Baccarat, “What’s the usual selling price for a Devil Fruit like this at your auction house?”

Baccarat replied, “The starting price for Paramecia-type Devil Fruits is usually 500 million Berries. Depending on the ability, the final price ranges from 800 million to 1 billion Berries. Stronger Paramecia Fruits can even go up to around 1.5 billion. Zoan-type Fruits have a lower starting price, typically 300 million, with final prices between 600 million and 800 million Berries. Of course, Mythical Zoan Fruits are an exception, but they’re very rare. I’ve never seen a Mythical Zoan Fruit at an auction. As for Logia-type Fruits, they’re also very rare, with starting prices usually around 1.5 billion, and final prices ranging from 2 billion to 3 billion Berries.”

Hearing this, Ian calculated briefly and felt somewhat speechless. If this Devil Fruit were to be auctioned for around 1 billion Berries, then with these people raising the bid by 100,000 Berries at a time, how long would that take?

So, Ian said to Baccarat, “Increase my bid by 50 million Berries!”

Baccarat wasn’t surprised and did as Ian instructed, raising the bid by 50 million Berries in one go. As a result, the price of the Devil Fruit immediately jumped to 611 million Berries.

When the auctioneer excitedly announced the new price, a collective gasp emerged from the audience. They turned to look in the direction where Baccarat and Ian were seated.

Those familiar with Baccarat immediately realized it was Ian who had made the bid, and they gazed at him with astonished expressions.

Ian, however, scoffed at them, thinking, “Seriously? Raising the bid by 50 million scares you that much?”

He felt like standing up and pointing at them, saying, “I don’t mean to target anyone, but all of you here are broke!”

It was a peculiar feeling. A bunch of wealthy nobles and aristocrats weren’t even as rich as him, a pirate. How ironic!

Ian’s bid did indeed shock many people. They whispered among themselves, speculating about Ian’s possible identity.

Although surprised, the wealthy nobles and aristocrats weren’t completely intimidated by Ian’s bid. As Baccarat mentioned, the final price of a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit usually ranges from 800 million to 1 billion Berries. The participants knew this. Their strategy of raising the bid by small increments of 100,000 Berries was just a cautious attempt to see if they could secure the Devil Fruit at a lower price, driven by a hopeful yet shrewd mentality.

Among the attendees, there were indeed those who could afford such a high price for the Devil Fruit. Although they were astonished by Ian’s substantial bid, the current price was still far below their psychological limit. After a moment of silence, people began to bid over Ian’s offer again.

This time, the increments were slightly higher, with some raising the bid by 500,000 Berries at a time.

However, Ian frowned and signaled Baccarat to raise the bid by another 50 million Berries! Instantly, the price of the Devil Fruit approached 700 million Berries.

Ian’s aggressive bidding pace was unexpected for the upper-class participants. Many sensed his determination to win the bid and hesitated to continue.

In the end, four people continued to bid: a portly man with a cigar, an old man surrounded by beautiful women and wearing a crown, likely a king, a well-dressed, bespectacled elite, and a plump noblewoman who looked like a nouveau riche.

These four pushed the price to 730 million Berries.

“Raise it by 100 million!” Ian said to Baccarat, looking thoughtful as he eyed the four bidders.

At 830 million Berries, the portly man immediately withdrew.

Among the remaining three, the plump noblewoman raised the bid by 10 million, the elite added another 10 million, and the kingly figure raised it by 20 million.

“Raise it by another 100 million!” Ian’s eyes gleamed with a mysterious light as he instructed Baccarat.

With the bid now at 970 million Berries, the elite man sighed and shook his head, withdrawing from the competition. The plump noblewoman glared at Ian but also decided to stop bidding. Only the kingly figure, who was lecherously hugging a beautiful woman beside him, casually added another 50 million.

The price had now surpassed 1 billion Berries, exceeding the typical auction price for most Paramecia-type fruits. The bidding war between Ian and the kingly figure had captured everyone’s attention.

They all wanted to see what final price this relatively unimpressive Paramecia-type shriveled fruit would fetch.

“Should we keep going?” Baccarat asked, her face tense as she looked at Ian.

Ian stared at her for a moment before smiling and saying, “Of course we’ll keep going. I told you, I must have this fruit.”

Following Ian’s instructions, Baccarat raised the bid by another 100 million Berries.

At 1.12 billion Berries, Ian watched the king. As expected, the king, still nonchalant, raised the bid by another 50 million.

Ian smiled and added another 100 million, bringing the bid to 1.27 billion Berries.

The king seemed to hesitate for a long time before adding another 30 million, pushing the price to 1.3 billion Berries. He then turned and gave Ian a seemingly provocative look.

“Should we keep going?” Baccarat asked, feeling both excited and anxious as she awaited Ian’s decision.

“What do you think?” Ian glared at her and said, “Of course not… we’re not raising the bid anymore!”

“Uh, okay…” Baccarat responded instinctively, but then immediately realized what he meant and looked at Ian in astonishment. “We’re… not raising anymore!?”

“No kidding!” Ian said. “I’m not stupid. Thirteen billion obviously exceeds the value of this Devil Fruit!”

“But didn’t you say you were determined to get it?” Baccarat was bewildered. “You have over six billion in chips, and now it’s only at 1.3 billion, and you’re stopping?”

Ian chuckled and said, “Of course I’m determined to get it. But who said I have to buy it with money?”

After speaking, Ian angrily slapped the armrest of his chair and stood up. Pointing at the kingly figure, he darkly said, “Old man! How dare you take my stuff! Damn it, don’t leave after “school”, I’ll wait for you!”

The well-dressed upper-class individuals present were completely taken aback. They hadn’t expected that Ian would not only stop bidding but also stand up so aggressively, making personal threats against the bidder. For a moment, they were all stunned, staring at him in disbelief.

Ian, on the other hand, maliciously stared at the old man, scrutinizing him from head to toe as if to memorize his appearance.

Hmph, damn it, a so-called “shill” pretending to be dignified! How dare you play this game with me…

I’ll make you spit out every bit you took!