– POV General –

Night had just fallen on Belfort City and the light of the oil lamps was already illuminating the cobblestone streets of the almost sleeping city. Depending on the neighborhood, the alleys were more or less empty or still animated by the various businesses still open. To the east was a large building made of gray stone, rising quite high into the sky, very beautiful, imposing and welcoming only those who could pay.

This large building was none other than the one and only Opera House of Belfort where the famous and long awaited auction was to be held. The steps of a large staircase made of white stones allowed access to a large open door. One could see the luxurious interior, filled with mostly noble people wearing masks hiding their faces to make the evening more fun and exciting.

In front of the door stood officers and butlers in charge of checking if the newcomers had a title authorizing them to enter or an invitation. Most of them were nobles, but there were also merchants from different sectors, lawyers and doctors. As long as you were rich and came by recommendation, you were allowed to participate in the auction without being from high society.

While dozens of carriages, each more luxurious than the last, were parading in front of the entrance, a group of people were waiting in a street further on. They were standing back, five of them, waiting for three people to arrive. The Cerberus members were almost complete and were waiting for the one who was a little late, busy giving instructions to her tigers left on the ship and two brothers.

Like the people entering and present in the Opera House, the small group was dressed as smartly as pirates on an undercover mission could be. They all wore half-masks that were more or less the same as the invitation indicated, simple and hiding their faces. The five Hysterics were not dressed like the noble and wealthy merchants though, but their clothes were enough to make them look like rich eccentrics.

"I don't know about you, but I'm really excited about going incognito to this party for the rich. If we make it, we can make so much more money than we did when we got here a few days ago."

As they waited patiently, Mysie had spoken up testifying to the excitement she felt about this party. Her red hair was tied up in a bun and she wore a dress she had bought in town, scarlet red, that came down to her ankles and was slit at mid-thigh. Her mask hid the top of her face and was red, black and yellow, matching her dress, hair and amber eyes perfectly.

Next to her, Joe looked like a navy lieutenant dressed in simple gray pants, a white shirt and a dark blue coat with epaulets. His mask was even simpler than Mysie's as it was a shiny silver like his hair. The man had a hand on his chin and was already thinking about how to complete their mission as he answered his friend.

"We still don't know exactly the layout of the Opera House, how many people are there and especially the level of security which must be quite high. This time we need to be as prepared as possible and discreet...at least at first."

"Yes, we are not going there to actually attend the auction or to have fun. While everyone else is busy we need to gather as much information as possible to strategize when Achi and her family arrive."

As she adjusted her black mask with red feathers, Kali was bouncing off of what Joe had just said, more stressed than excited as Mysie could be. They were finally going to carry out the first step of the long plan they had to find Diana Hellfire and it began in Belfort City. The Lord's map and his young daughter were one step closer to the crew of their missing parents so it was not to be missed, under any circumstances.

Kali was also wearing a red dress with purple highlights and unlike Mysie's, hers was not as close to the body and ended up flared. She didn't have sleeves either but rather a neckline revealing her shoulders despite the coolness of the night. Her brown mid-length hair was loose but had the particularity of having two braids starting from her ears and joining at the back of her head for an elegant style.

"Once we have strategized through Joe, we will stick to our plan and take what we can along the way. Everything must be completed before daybreak, let's do our part, our Captain will be in charge of the map accompanied by the two brothers to assist her."

Lucas who was right next to Kali had reminded everyone of their purpose as he finished tying his hair with a purple ribbon. The two meters tall young man had the look of a wealthy merchant as he had retrieved what they had stolen from their first fight on the ocean. A simple cloak of the same color as his ribbon was over his shoulders but the material and its luxurious embroidery made all the difference.

Made of a beautiful, shiny, satiny dark purple silk fabric, it was embroidered with gold and white threads and looked like it was made for him. Underneath, he had a simple white shirt with the collar turned up, black pants and dark purple boots like his cape. As a mask, Lucas had opted for a simple black mask hiding only the top of his face just like Edward's who stood before him.

"Mmmh, us at the Opera, our Captain at the mansion...let's hope she doesn't destroy everything."

The young man with the red beard who didn't like being smothered in unnecessary layers of clothing was the one dressed most simply. Red shirt, brown pants and black boots enhanced by the same cloak he wore on his first visit to the city. His red hair looked elegant for once, simply styled like his usually shaggy beard, now shiny and neatly trimmed.

"I thought you were a fan of destruction though, Edward~"

Suddenly, further down the street, the mocking voice of their Captain could be heard in the gloom as she appeared, followed by Buggy and Douggy. Hestia was dressed completely in black with a different style than usual but still very special. She had a black shirt open at the top with the collar turned up underneath an open jacket that also had epaulets embroidered with threads as golden as the buttons.

As always, Hestia's sleeves were rolled up, revealing her tattoos, especially the symbol of a snake coiling on her forearm. She had her multitude of imposing rings on each hand, a bandana on her left wrist and a medallion hanging from her neck. The young woman had her blonde hair loose and her pure white half mask brought out the color of her eyes even more intensely.

"Here we are at last."

Behind her, the two brothers Buggy and Douggy were more or less similar in style but looking a bit more like guards than rich merchants or nobles. They were the only ones carrying their weapons to cultivate that bodyguard feel for the group but it wasn't a problem. They both had a bag with more or less all the crew's weapons ready to be used...now gathered the infiltration could begin.

_____

"Mmmh you come from the slave trader Gusto ? Who are you ?"

"Rich travelers interested in the best of your city."

The group had finally arrived in front of the large doors of the Opera House and were facing one of the men in charge of checking in. Hestia had handed over the parchment that served as an invitation but was immediately flooded with questions. Indeed, the eight pirates, although disguised, seemed to be subject to a more thorough interrogation than the others.

"And where are you from ? What is your relationship with Gusto ? Why exactly are you coming to the Opera House ? You're not the kind of person...I expected to see here..."

"Where we come from has absolutely nothing to do with what we come here to do my dear sir, we are simply traveling in search of amazing things for our benefactor. Then, Gusto is simply a merchant that we met when we were looking for a slave, he simply redirected us to this party. As for what we come here to do, isn't it obvious ?"

"Well it is...but my instinct is to be wary of you so I'm just asking simple questions to detect the truth."

Although dressed more luxuriously and flashily than usual, the guard at the door was wary of the group of pirates who had just arrived. It was his instinct because the eight people in front of him gave off a dangerous and intimidating aura that he could not ignore. Hestia had suspected this and knew that the first challenge would be to get in so it was time to play it up and manipulate him to her liking.

"We would never miss an opportunity like this offered by Lord Hamilton Von Kokosnuss himself, but I didn't know his men discriminated against his guests. It seems we were wrong about him, it will not end there."

The suspicious look on the face of the man at the entrance had changed to one of almost panic at the thought of this conversation going all the way back to his superiors and them sanctioning him. Hestia, who was acting, had a look of both disappointment and irritation, not helping the guard to feel better and making him hesitate. Of course it was his job to control people at the entrance and he was in his right but the pressure he felt was real as the young woman continued.

"What a shame, we needed an exceptional slave to present to the Duchess but I guess we are not welcome here. Sigh...we were supposed to keep this a secret but thanks to your aberrant descrimination and indiscretion here I just revealed who our benefactor was."

"T-The Duchess ? M-May I ask which one ?"

"What audacity, after treating us almost like criminals, you dare to ask me such a question ? Yes the Duchess...don't tell me you don't know who I'm talking about ?"

"I..."

The guard felt cold sweat run down his spine obviously not knowing who Hestia was talking about since she herself did not know. However, there were many nobles in the world and the man had no way to verify her words without alerting everyone. Was he going to take that risk, delaying all the entries ? Or was he going to swallow the lies of the young blonde masked in front of him.

"Countess, our cover is blown, let's leave, we'll send a letter to the Lord of Belfort to explain the incident."

"Mmmh...you're right."

Lucas had suddenly walked up to Hestia taking great care to be heard by the guard inventing a title for his Captain out of nowhere for added credibility. They may not have been dressed like rich nobles and aroused suspicion, but the man at the door could not take such a risk. He couldn't tell the real from the fake either, but human beings tend to run away from danger and Hestia played on that.

Her talent for lies always managed to persuade those to whom she lied right in the eyes without ever stuttering and with a more than convincing assurance. Hestia was a good manipulator, a good liar and therefore could slip into almost anyone's skin. Adding to that her look that could almost speak for her, it didn't take long for the guard to give in not wanting to create a scandal.

"O-Okay, wait ! Please accept my sincere apologies Miss Countess, welcome to the Opera of Belfort may Ladies and Gentlemen enjoy this evening and find your happiness at this auction. Please, come in."

Bowing slightly as he trembled, the bluff of the Captain and her First Mate had worked perfectly despite the few difficulties encountered. As a mere door guard, the man didn't have enough authority to get out of trouble if it turned out he had disrespected a Countess. Of course he could have alerted his superiors but possessing an invitation, noble or not noble he was in the wrong despite his instinct.

"I hope that you will know how to make up for your affront, it is inadmissible..."

"Of course miss, right away !"

Seeing the fear in his eyes, Hestia relished the moment without letting anything show on her face while her eyes shone with an ominous glow. Abandoning all his doubts, the man suddenly turned to a young man who was standing a little further away like a butler. Disregarding his racing heart at the thought of having almost created a diplomatic incident that didn't even exist, he quickly called out to him.

"WILLIAM prepare a private balcony upstairs for these guests please, there are two left unreserved for tonight."

"But they are for the high-class guests...who are they ?"

"Don't ask questions, just do it !"

"Yes !"

Then, returning the invitation to the young blonde woman, he bowed a second time, indicating to the group to follow the one who was going to lead them. It is thus without a word nor a thank you that the eight pirates finally entered the great Opera House of Belfort to carry out their plan. While the guard checked the invitations of the following people, he wiped his forehead without seeing the smile of Hestia and Lucas who were winking at each other.

_____

"Ring the bell if you need anything, there is a hostess at the door ready to attend to your every need. Here is your sign with the number 69 on it for you to bid on our many lots on display tonight, have a great evening."

"Thank you."

*CLACK*

William had just accompanied the group into one of the balconies overlooking a huge room originally made for theatrical performances. There were many seats with red fabric and gold frames that had a number and a number on the back for ease. As the butler closed the door, the eight were finally alone

"Oh damn I thought we were never going to get through !"

"That idiot would never have dared to check if what I said was true or not anyway. It was a risky bet but men are all cowards pffhahahaha~"

"OI !"

"Not you giant freak haha~ And now we get preferential treatment even though we are pirates, isn't that ironic ?"

Lucas had suddenly turned back to Hestia squinting at what she had just stated even though he knew her statements were not about her friends. Raising his eyes to the sky with a chuckle, the atmosphere suddenly changed to something much more serious. They had finally made it into the Opera House and had thirty minutes to wait before the auction began.

"So ! We're not going to stay on this balcony forever, we need to get as much information as possible before the first lots are presented. Since Buggy, Douggy and I will be leaving for the mansion once Von Koko and his family are here, we can help you."

"I'll strategize with the information we gather, in those thirty minutes we have left. I just need to know mainly the number of people handling security, the general layout of the Opera House and of course where our target will be."

Joe had listed what was primarily needed for the development of a plan that needed as much as possible to not make a mistake. For him, this was the most important part because with good information he could head off any problem as quickly as possible. Everyone agreed and trusted him for everything that touched the strategy and were motivated to help him as much as possible no matter what happened.

The gray-haired man turned his head towards his Captain leaning against the wall to speak again but the latter was ahead of him by nodding. With this simple gesture, she entrusted him with the direction of the operations and proved to him the total confidence she had in him. After all, Hestia may have been the Captain, but she knew when to give way to those who were more qualified than her in a particular field.

"Thank you Captain. So, from what I saw there are four floors in this Opera House so we need to split up to cover as much ground as possible before the auction starts. The building is huge and we have very little time so I'm counting on you to gather as much information as possible."

His mind was working at breakneck speed and even without the activation of his gift he was still far more strategically effective than the other crew members. In a situation like this where you had to improvise on the spot, Joe was an indispensable asset and everyone knew it. The game could finally begin with eight hysterical people splitting up to watch, listen, investigate disguised as rich merchants in order to make a mess.

"Buggy with Lucas on the ground floor, Douggy with Mysie on the second floor, Edward and I will go to the third floor and finally Kali and our Captain on the top floor."

The groups were now formed and the infiltration could finally begin so that they would all be ready when Hestia and the two brothers left for the mansion. Objective : to mostly find out information about security, where were the lots that were going to be sold, where their target would be, and an overall idea of the architecture of the Opera House as they fled. As everyone nodded their heads Hestia straightened up with a serious look and face.

"Did you hear Joe ? Get to work."

"AYE !"