Time Travel: Age of Discovery

At this moment, Teya wanted to complain. Although he couldn't recognize people's faces, he could hardly recognize the island.

To be honest, Teya has been to many islands, and some of them do have similarities, some are located in the middle of mountains, some are surrounded by forests, some are inhabited, and some are deserted, with little difference.

But Teya always felt it was strange. If this was where the black market was, why were there no ships?

The island seems like a deserted island.

Still far from the island, the middle-aged general stopped the boat... "So far, the road ahead must be walked alone. If you have any questions about the unknown, feel free to ask them now."

Teya smiled calmly and thought to himself: Just go with the flow, there is nothing to be afraid of.

Hearing this, the middle-aged man revealed that most of the black market bidders were prominent figures. Teya felt a little worried about being discovered. However, at this point, he had no choice but to move forward bravely. If all else failed, he would resort to force.

Teya acted decisively, placing the boat on the water and rowing towards the island.

"Hmph, I'll talk to you in detail after this matter is concluded."

After Teya left, the middle-aged man's face turned gloomy, just like when he was plotting underground on Snow Island.

In his eyes, Teya was just an ignorant chess piece who could still be used at the moment.

......

Waves crashed against the rocks, a sound like crushing jade. Teya struggled to shore, but didn't attempt to use his skills. After all, entering an unknown black market, he might be watched. Even if no one was around, Teya knew that if he used his Observation Haki, he would be able to sense their presence. But he didn't dare to do so now, unless he intended to provoke an island war.

Following the middle-aged man's instructions, Teya took out a black and red envelope and headed towards the island. Sure enough, a sound similar to bird song rang out, indicating the contact's guidance. Teya followed the sound.

It seemed so close, but Teya walked for over ten minutes before stopping because the sound kept changing its direction. Although he could easily track the other party, Teya restrained his attack and pretended to be unarmed.

The trees were sparse, and the rocks stood out. Suddenly, three men emerged from behind the rocks, all dressed in black and red, one tall and two short. The leader offered no polite greetings, simply reaching for the envelope, which Teya handed over.

“Carlos, ‘The Collector’ is that you?”

Teya smiled and replied, "I am the one he entrusted with the task."

These three seemed quite capable, and even Teya could sense that they were no ordinary pirates. However, compared to ordinary pirates, they were only slightly better, and in Teya's eyes, they were no different.

After confirming that Teya was unarmed, the three men led him to the entrance. The tall man lifted the grass, revealing an iron gate. Opening it revealed stairs leading underground, a hidden passageway on the surface.

There are many wonders in the world, and this trip has broadened Teya's horizons.

"Hey, do you want to come in?"

The tall man urged Teya in, then slammed the door shut. Although underground, Teya didn't feel suffocated; there was a faint breeze on her face.

The underground passage was illuminated by lights at regular intervals. After walking for about five or six minutes, Teya finally saw a white light ahead and sped up.

“Oh my god!”

This was a natural reaction, not a deliberate one. The scene before him resembled an aquarium, a massive semicircular dome constructed of an unidentified transparent material, with numerous fish swimming above.

It turns out this is a vast expanse beneath the island's lake. I wonder how powerful the forces behind the black market are to have such audacity.

At this moment, Teya's reaction attracted many people's attention. Some people laughed at his surprise, thinking that he was inexperienced. However, this action reduced everyone's suspicion of Teya, and they regarded him as an insignificant person, saving them the trouble of talking to him.

"You are the representative of 'The Collector', right? Please follow me."

A woman in a black and red dress examined the envelope and led Teya to a corner.

"It will take a while. Please be patient."

After the woman left, someone brought her some fruit and pastries, but Teya didn't touch any of them to prevent any accidents.

During this break, Teya quietly looked around at everyone, but didn't see any familiar faces. He thought they might be someone similar to him, perhaps sent here on a mission.

Only the group on the right behaved politely, while the others were filled with murderous intent, fearing that others would not know their ruthlessness. Several people noticed Teya's gaze and made provocative gestures towards him, their contempt clear.

However, Teya had no intention of playing with them, he was only concerned about the items being auctioned.

“Oh, this seat is not available yet.”

An old man with white hair and a beard, dressed in a suit, smiled at Teya and sat next to him.

Teya didn't care about the old man's identity because the auction had already begun. At this moment, he was concentrating on the host on the stage, his eyes fixed on the object covered by the red cloth.

"Everyone has been waiting for a long time. Without further ado, let me first take a look at the first treasure, one of the twenty-one skills of the Great Blade, Bone Crushing."

The red cloth was removed, revealing an ancient and exquisite long sword. Everyone's eyes flashed with eagerness. Many sword masters on the sea were quite fond of this sword.

Teya frowned slightly. Although he had no feelings for knives, this opening item was enough to attract attention. It seemed that this black market was unusual and exciting.

Even if the middle-aged man didn't say anything, Teya knew it well.

The best stuff is always saved for last. This is what Teya wanted to help the middle-aged man.

However, the black market's rules were complex, and each exhibit would be followed by a ten-year hiatus. The reason for this was unclear. Aside from the first item, the large, sharp sword with twenty-one craftsmanship, the subsequent three exhibits failed to capture Teya's interest, and nearly an incense stick of time had passed.

While waiting, Teya yawned involuntarily and rubbed his hazy eyes. The old man sitting next to him seemed to be infected and yawned too.

Teya glanced at the host on stage and saw a masked man in black and red approaching and whispering something. The host nodded, smiled, and coughed twice to attract everyone's attention.

"Everyone, we have important news. We have just received intelligence that two devil fruits will be auctioned together."

Two devil fruits?

Others reacted calmly, many urging them to speed up. A wooden cart, covered in crimson silk, was pushed forward by a sturdy man. From it came a clanking sound, like the clatter of iron chains.

As the red silk was unveiled, the entire audience erupted in gasps of surprise. A beautiful woman, bound in chains and imprisoned within an iron cage, her face terrified, clearly overcome by fear. This woman possessed a peerless beauty, and Teya looked around, seeing several people already showing signs of covetousness.

Ran Teya thought to himself, the legendary empress must be even more magnificent. But the exchange of lives here, could it be the so-called black market?

Teya felt disgusted, but he could do nothing about it. Then, the emcee began to describe in detail where the girl came from and what kind of island she was.