~~Claude Brave~~
A gentle orangey fickle washed all over Portelin, signaling the setting of the evening sun. Nervous gazes behind windows, betraying any feelings of captivation or serendipity, watched as the lawless made their way to the long-awaited auction. Situated just beneath the Argent mountain from the southest point in this city full of lechery, the warm orange tinge warming the sky didn't seem to be reaching what was formerly recognized as an abandoned theater. Instead, long shadows were cast on the ground giving the air of gloominess. Normally, Claude was used to glows of lights decorating the nightly skies of different west blue cities whenever sunset came to slant, but this one in particular lived up to its dark fame.
He marched sternly by the road, cold step after stiff step. Usually, he wouldn't show his face in public but for today, he had to chase off some of the rats lurking from the shadows and eyeing his treasure. His new right hand man, Guillermo Brave, gave threatening glances to the gang members and surely enough, most weren't stupid enough to confront them.
He straightened the ends of his black suit with elegance showing in every bit of his movement. Negumi Brave, one of his most dangerous underlings, in possession of a very powerful 'weapon', watched their rear with rebellious eyes and a dangerous smirk that eased into subtlety whenever Claude gave him the cold gaze.
"Will we be staying here for the whole day? Cooling our heels and quivering in our seats, while we wait for the devil fruit to show up? I still don't understand why we can't just buy the damned auction house and steal everything from its arrogant guests" Negumi lashed out from the side. He loved throwing tantrums whenever he had a chance to do. Boredom is my greatest enemy, or as he always says.
"you would have to have half a mind to buy it. Ships and brothels are much sounder, better investments than auction houses. Didn't the experience of running trade companies teach you a thing or two about how the economy works?" Guillermo said with a snarky tone, as the rebellious Negumi found it hard to counter-argument the silver haired, stone faced, sharp tongued man. At long last, he spoke while clenching the handle of his spiked bat, his roguish face aching to show another smirk "then what was the smart thing about leaving our men back in the ships"
"In case things go awry or unexpectedly, an armed ship is the safest way to escape. Doubtlessly, you and I should be enough to protect the patriarch, or have the years made you grow soft?" Guillermo commented which caused the smirking Negumi to click his tongue with a 'Tch' sound.
"Prick" he muttered with enough volume to piss off the right hand.
"silence, you two" Claude would have loved to let them prattle on and not bother himself with any of their talks, but today was a special day.
They strolled and walked steadily, increasing their pace bit by bit and keeping an eye on the surroundings. Streets grew dark and deserted the more they sauntered over to the theater. Mildly-cold winds beat down on Claude's head, soft as blood and relentless as old guilts. Fat droplets of sweat didn't make his appearance seem any less dignified… the appearance of a cold-blooded patriarch who would go at great lengths to amass wealth and fame.
He resembled a statue in his mannerism, eyes cold and sharpened to a high degree, back straightened and molded to suit his black clothing, legs spread closely but not too far away allowing gracefulness to show even in his casual steps. After some time, Alleys widened to show the entrance of a majestic looking thing. 'a fit entrance for a grandeur treasure' he thought with satisfaction as the lothesome rats from before started appearing. No… it would be more accurate to call these ones in particular rodents.
The red fangs, the burned men, valkyries of the night, scarlet hats, bloody serpents. All were the notorious gangs of Portelin, infamous enough to rival even the biggest, most influential businesses in this city. But in front of the patriarch's cold eyes, they didn't amount to anything. Their names carried nothing behind the weights of their words while his did; he was a figure to be respected, leader of one of the five biggest families in West blue. People mentioned his name with fear drilled deep into their bones. Rodents like them melted away like snow whenever his men rode at them at his command. Claude seldom dreamed of the ships that sailed through the narrow tunnels and the sharp canals of the red line, aiming to take a part in grand line journey. He imagined himself handling the wheels of those ships and stirring his life and his men's to a new direction. Alas, as a smart man, he knew his limits. But… Even if he died without fulfilling these aspirations, he would at the very least let the name 'Claude of the Brave family' live in the histories of this era, and he refused to let his name decorate the page of someone else's history. Every man with ambition desired fame and recognition and Claude was no different 'this devil fruit is my first step to reigniting the name of my family'.
Resolute, Claude and his two underlings skimmed through the crowd and made their way to a closed entrance. Ladies who looked to be brothel prostitutes greeted all guests of the auction, from the gang members to pirates, but when it was their turn to enter the women blocked their path with apologetic faces.
Claude indifferently waited. Negumi cracked his neck twice in a row before wickedly smirking, while Guillermo took two steps in front of the patriarch regarding the ladies with impatience. The two retreated to show, beneath the shadows of the narrow entrance, the silhouette of a dark-skinned young man.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Claude took a quick glimpse… A protective ringmail over brilliantly-tooled leather, clean greaves and arm sleeves that reached the palm and wrapped gently around the hand, a badge of a snake clad in a gunslinger's hat that can be seen from the right side of the chest vest, a clean haircut that complimented the young man's long hair quite well. Claude has heard a song or two of the snakes' work in the gambling district, and although he tried quite hard to spot the fear in the young man's face, he found nothing but sternness and diligence.
"What is the meaning of this? servant, this is Claude Brave of the big five. Make way for us or face the consequences" Guillermo spoke first before the young man could clarify anything. Walking forward a bit, the latter bowed his head and told his piece. "forgive my rudeness, m'lord. Now if I may speak frankly, flaunting our names here and there will not do us, auctioneers, any good in the long run. So my guests excuse us, you will follow us to a special 'seat'"
"this is madness!" Guillermo bellowed and clenched his fist, readying to deliver a strike to the face. Likewise, Negumi brought the bat to his shoulder while showing a bloodthirsty smile. Claude looked in interest at the young man's face, trying to see right through his intentions, before quickly waving his hand at the two, stopping the recklessness from developing into actions. 'how cunning of them, they know very well that they hold the higher ground in this exchange, so they will try and control the auction as they like. And if we do anything, the fruit will simply find its way into another place. Money is what they want, or so it seems' Claude thought in a flash of amusement, before commanding his two underlings. "stop it. He knows what he's doing."
"truthfully and brilliantly spoken, m'lord. Now if you perchance have any doubts, you may refer to me as Sha Lin. I shall be your servant for the night and guide you to your seat." Sha Lin the servant, bowed in courtesy before turning around and pathing down the entrance. Claude showed a subtle smile of interest, and followed quickly behind after commanding the other two to do the same.
Immediately, the powerful rosy smell of expensive perfume assaulted them, bringing their withered minds to a moment of bliss. Claude observed in great intrigue as the servant began speaking. "You, m'lord, as well as the other two, will get a private seat near the other three special guests. The auction will begin in a short time. First of all, weapons will be brought to light, crafted by the finest blacksmiths who are capable enough to handle the densest of metals and strongest of wood materials. Then, slaves will be auctioned right after, mermaids from the prying eyes of Fishman island, orphans and young pretty girls, strong fighters and pit warriors, and if it might interest you, even rare animals. Last but not least, the main course will obviously be the devil fruit. Pastel-green skin, exotic patterns, juicy flesh filled with the power of the sea. I believe we all saw those peals, m'lord. That thing is said to be a treasure that only pirates and white cloaks hold, but what says Portelin cannot hold one?" Sha Lin's mutterings fell like a warm embrace on Claude's ears. The patriarch had a good idea of who these three special guests might be.
As soon as the devil fruit was mentioned, His hands trembled in excitement, and for a moment, he showed a crack in his demeanor, only for it to diminish.
The auction house was of two distinct stages or more like plateaus that peeked on the high platform of auctioning. One was for the special guests, on a slightly higher ground than the other. Both ends of the stages connected to show a slender passage, squeezed between the two. The ladies from before, and others, could be seen patrolling the passage, carrying cups of wine and bottles of beer, plates of food and baskets of freshly grown fruits, all the while, attending to the guests and their needs. Claude gestured to Negumi and Guillermo to guard his seat by the rear of the high stage, and leaned for a close whisper in Sha Lin's ears. The latter didn't show any signs of discomfort or the such.
"remember very well. Whoever your master is and howevermuch his wealth might be." ominously, he spoke with the pride and dignity of a true leader. "know that I can always double, even triple their price. Diligence and loyalty are always welcomed in the Brave family." he ended with a warm smile that certainly didn't reach the eyes.
Sha Lin brought his delicate hand to his chin and took a moment to ponder. "I shall consider the offer, m'lord".
Claude finally went back to his designated seat. His mind thought back to the young servant 'a mismatch of eyes, dark of skin, sharp of tongue, and very smart. I wonder who his patron might be–'. On the way to the seat, his thinking halted right in the middle.
" What is art without love? A folly? A sterility?~
Art is not a mere piece of painting meant to indulge mystery~
It is the secret of love, it is the beauty of life and even history~
Through it, we wish to deceive fate of its great victory~
Art is love, art isn't a path of darkness, art isn't a mere futility~"
Claude couldn't help but release a painful groan as soon as he sat down, knowing that he would be in company of a very abnormal individual. Frank Costello, as fashionable as ever, smiled at him with a glowing handsome face. Wearing the same artistic costume from before, the love fanatic kept rhyming the ends of his sentences. "hello, my friend. It's a pleasant meeting, dare I comment." Claude simply ignored Frank's mutterings, lest he goes mad. He could even notice Negumi and Guillermo shifting uneasily from behind him, and he couldn't really blame them. The man was strange, and had his own unique air of mystery and… insanity?.
"where is Waylen?" Claude asked the love fanatic, and the latter took a moment to clear his throat. He pointed at the front of the seated crowd and said. "here he is, the stagehand himself. bold and ruthless he might be, he has a unique fondness for large crowds, as he loves fighting people. 'Sending a message to lowlives' he calls it" Frank gently stroked his luxuriant hat, appearing sad and weary, and Claude had to stop himself from face-palming. "a pity I can't share his artistic way of living. As strange as it might be, I would run in great haste if I was in his place. I'm not a fan of huge crowds. My costly clothing tends to get dirty with sweat and heat, it is unacceptable"
Gazing around, Claude also noticed the unusual sight of a quiet Danzo, sitting right to his left. What comforted him though, is the fumbled stack of cash berries on his hands. 'no matter what happens. Even if the sun rises from the west, this guy would still care more about money'.
Claude took a moment to observe the attendees of tonight. It was as he expected, the same gathering of rodents and thugs. Crazy shouts, loud gossip, angry screeches, impatient mumbles… they were common sights of a busy Portelinian auction house, or at least that's what he figured out.
"ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the auction house. I am your host for today, Ethan." a young man, well in his prime and very brazen, calmed the enthusiasm of the crowd for a moment. "Now without any fuss or delay, Shall we begin?"
"YEAH" the shout of the excited crowd drummed in Claude's ears, as he crossed his arms gracefully. His eyes, the pupils of a cold-faced leader, shimmered with eagerness.