The auction had come to an end.
After obtaining the treasure map, the Celestial Dragon Charlos stood up with his subordinates, ready to leave.
Being in the same room as Sig gave him no sense of security.
"Charlos..."
Several figures from the front-row VIP seats approached, their faces plastered with forced smiles.
This wasn't the first time a Celestial Dragon had visited Loguetown.
For influential figures like the Shipping King Umit, who often dealt with wealthy Celestial Dragons like Charlos, this was a valuable opportunity to build connections.
Seeing the crowd approach, Charlos frowned, instinctively wanting to scold them.
Right now, he just wanted to leave Loguetown as quickly as possible, putting as much distance between himself and Sig as he could.
The mere thought of Sig's face made Charlos' heart race.
However, the man in the black suit beside him quickly whispered the identities of these individuals.
"The powers behind Loguetown? So they must have a lot of subordinates, right?"
Charlos, for once, took a moment to think before speaking:
"Call your men! Escort me out of here!"
More people meant a slightly greater sense of security.
The implications of his words made the VIPs glance back at Sig.
"Is Charlos so afraid of Sig?"
"He really is another dangerous figure like Doflamingo, someone even a Celestial Dragon dares not provoke..."
Despite their thoughts, the VIPs acted swiftly.
They couldn't afford to ignore a Celestial Dragon's face.
The treasure map auction had been a high-profile event, featuring both the treasure map and the presence of a Celestial Dragon.
To deter any potential troublemakers, the various factions had deployed a large number of elite members to maintain order inside and outside the auction hall.
Under the orders of these powerful figures, a dense crowd quickly gathered outside the auction hall.
Then, this sea of people, surrounding Charlos at its center, moved out of the auction hall and toward the distant port.
The grand procession of hundreds, even thousands, of people left Sig feeling a mix of awe and envy.
"Isn't this Charlos the real user of the Face-Face Fruit?"
Sig, the fake Face-Face Fruit user, had spent days planning, negotiating with various factions, and leveraging his reputation to intimidate the Celestial Dragon, all to buy the Calm-Calm Fruit for 200 million berries.
Meanwhile, the true Face-Face Fruit user, Charlos, had forcibly purchased the treasure map without anyone daring to oppose him, and even had powerful figures groveling at his feet.
Still, Sig didn't lose out.
He had only spent a fake treasure map and gained over 90 million berries, plus the Calm-Calm Fruit.
He glanced at the system panel.
Mission: A Small Goal
Mission Requirement: Earn 100 million berries. (99%!)(MISSING)
Mission Reward: One random card draw opportunity.
The only downside was that he hadn't quite reached his small goal, missing it by just a tiny bit...
"It's time for me to leave."
After tallying his gains, Sig stood up and prepared to leave with his subordinates.
But his steps soon halted as he turned back to look at the now-empty auction hall.
A sense of unease washed over him.
Charlos had taken a lot of people with him.
This meant that the surrounding streets were now hollow shells. The elite members of the underground factions who had been maintaining order were now escorting Charlos away, led by the Shipping King and others.
Moreover... the pirates who had been sitting in the back rows of the auction hall were also gone, not a single one remaining.
"We need to get back to the Pleasure District."
Sig's expression darkened slightly as he quickly led his subordinates out through a side door, heading back to the Pleasure District.
However, as soon as they turned a corner, the group of mountain bandits came to an abrupt stop.
In front of them, a wall of people—dozens, if not hundreds—stood blocking their path, their intentions clearly hostile.
"Boss Sig, these are the people from the auction earlier."
Kuro adjusted his glasses and whispered a reminder.
He had been sitting in the back as a plant and immediately recognized these individuals.
"Sig. You've been playing us for fools!"
A burly man stepped forward from the crowd, his voice filled with anger.
"You deliberately brought the Celestial Dragon here to sell the treasure map back to him."
"What about us? This auction was a farce!"
"Why waste time talking to Sig?" Someone else nearby drew their sword, their eyes gleaming with greed.
"The treasure map is in the Celestial Dragon's hands, but Sig is still here, isn't he?"
"Hey, tell us the location of the treasure! If we find it before the Celestial Dragon, everything will be fine!"
Sig silently looked at the large group before him, his heart sinking.
He had chosen the island's largest auction house precisely to involve the local factions and ensure no one would dare cause trouble during the auction.
Who could have expected that most of these people would be swept away by the Celestial Dragon...
"You don't dare oppose the Celestial Dragon, but you dare to provoke me?"
Sig nodded faintly, praising them:
"Good judgment..."
His words made the pirates' faces darken.
Regardless of anything else, Sig's strength was not to be underestimated.
But before they could make a move, Sig's next action left them stunned.
Sig reached into his pocket and pulled out a yellowed map, unfolding it...
It was another treasure map!
The design on it was identical to the one from the auction!
"You want my treasure map, don't you? If you want it, I can sell it to you."
Sig coughed lightly, and then the bald man beside him pulled out a megaphone from who-knows-where and shouted:
"Another Piece Treasure Map Clearance Sale!"
"The treasure map that the Celestial Dragon spent 300 million berries to snatch is now available at half price! For just 150 million berries, it can be yours!"
"This is the last backup treasure map, a chance to obtain the great treasure! Buy now and profit!"
The sudden megaphone announcement left the pirates dumbfounded.
"This..."
"Why is there a second treasure map?"
"Wait... how many treasure maps do you have?"
"This is the last backup treasure map in my possession," Sig said with utmost sincerity.
"There were only two—one original and one backup—both drawn over twenty years ago when I buried Another Piece. I don't have any others."
"Back then, I only made two copies. After all, if there were too many treasure maps, they'd lose their value."
Hearing this, the crowd turned their attention to the treasure map in Sig's hands.
Indeed, both the original and the backup maps were yellowed and slightly damaged, exuding an aged, historical feel.