"Lord Ye Chen has returned!"
With that shout, the people of Daughter Country all paused what they were doing and looked up at the sky.
A familiar roar echoed through the air. Soon after, a streak of crimson light soared across the heavens toward Daughter Country. Moments later, the red glow dispersed, revealing a massive dragon spanning several hundred meters.
The people of Daughter Country gasped in awe at the sight of Sky Dragon, their eyes dreamy with admiration.
Amidst the commotion, Little Sky descended onto a large clearing.
Ye Chen leapt down from Little Sky's head, and upon touching the ground, Little Sky's massive form rapidly shrank into a two-meter-long small dragon that coiled itself around Ye Chen's shoulders.
"Welcome back, Lord Ye Chen!"
"Lord Ye Chen, how is the world outside?"
"Lord Ye Chen!"
The people of Daughter Country shouted out in unison, their voices filled with excitement. Several girls looked at him with eyes full of adoration.
Seeing this, Ye Chen was slightly startled. He hadn't expected to receive such a grand welcome. Compared to when he first arrived in Daughter Country, the difference was like night and day.
What Ye Chen didn't know was that because Daughter Country resided within the Calm Belt and remained cut off from the outside world, news rarely reached them. Many of the citizens had never seen a man before and were full of curiosity.
Ye Chen, with his delicate features and a mighty dragon as his mount, naturally became an object of fascination. In this matriarchal, militarized society, strength was revered above all else—and Ye Chen exuded it.
"All right, Lord Ye Chen just returned. Let him rest first."
The crowd parted as Lisa, captain of the Kuja Pirates, called out. She then turned to Ye Chen and respectfully said, "Lord Ye Chen, you've had a long journey. Dinner is already prepared."
Hearing that, Ye Chen's stomach grumbled. He hadn't eaten a thing during his trip to Sabaody Archipelago—just as he was about to, trouble kept showing up. First the transaction, then some fools picking a fight, then Kizaru, and then Kaido.
"Let's go then," Ye Chen nodded.
Under Lisa's guidance, Ye Chen returned to the royal palace.
After a hearty meal, Ye Chen reclined on the palace balcony, enjoying the cool breeze as it ruffled his hair. His eyes closed in contentment.
"Lord Ye Chen."
A voice called from behind. Ye Chen opened his eyes, turned around, and smiled upon recognizing the visitor. "Granny Zha, just who I was looking for."
Granny Zha looked a bit puzzled. "Is there something you need, Lord Ye Chen?"
Ye Chen gazed out into the moonlit night and asked, "I've got 1.8 billion Beli—how many Devil Fruits can that buy me?"
"Lord Ye Chen… did you already sell off the treasures from Celestial Gold?" Granny Zha asked, her eyes wide with shock.
"Why do you ask?"
Granny Zha looked a bit awkward. "The auction houses I recommended are backed by pirates. They don't dare take too many things from the Celestial Dragons, so…"
"Oh, I didn't sell it to them. I sold it to No.76 Auction House," Ye Chen said casually, as if talking about something entirely ordinary.
Granny Zha was rendered speechless, her face full of disbelief.
"You… you sold it to No.76 Auction House?"
She was completely stunned. She had never met anyone this brazen. Rob the Celestial Dragons, then sell the loot right back to them? She could only imagine how humiliated the No.76 Auction House must have felt—paying for their own stolen goods.
"Well, they're the only ones with the capacity to handle something that big, aren't they?" Ye Chen chuckled.
"I suppose…" Granny Zha muttered in agreement after thinking about it.
The other auction houses may have strong backers, but none had the ability to absorb that much treasure from the Celestial Dragons in one go. Only No.76 could manage it.
"Enough about that. With 1.8 billion Beli, how many Devil Fruits can I buy?" Ye Chen asked.
Granny Zha thought for a moment and replied, "It's hard to say. Devil Fruits have always been rare, and whenever one appears, it's snatched up immediately. A normal fruit starts at around 100 million, but if you really want to secure one, expect to pay over 200 million. And that's just for the most basic kinds. Logia types, Zoans—especially Mythical or Ancient Zoans—are practically priceless."
Ye Chen nodded. He was already aware of this. Even basic Devil Fruits were astronomically expensive. Logia types easily went for over a billion, and that was if you could even find one. Mythical Zoans were even rarer.
But for Ye Chen, type didn't matter. He would take anything—the more, the better.
"I don't care what kind it is, as long as there are a lot of them. Even the trashiest powers will do," Ye Chen said.
"In that case, I'll have Lisa contact our channels. With 1.8 billion Beli, we should be able to get six or seven fruits," Granny Zha replied.
That was about 300 million per fruit, which matched Ye Chen's expectations.
While the market price might be 100 million, he wasn't naive enough to think he'd get any at that rate. In reality, 200 million was the minimum to seal a deal.
"Alright then, help me get in touch. Here are the bank notes." Ye Chen handed over four deposit slips.
"I'll go speak with Lisa right away," Granny Zha said, taking the slips and leaving promptly.
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