Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

189·Catch up

"Flying warships...do they really exist?!"

Barry's face was filled with shock upon receiving Iceberg's affirmation.

No matter the circumstances, no matter how harshly people are treated, one thing cannot be denied: humanity's yearning for flight.

Even a lack of technology couldn't stop people's dreams... From the very first day they possessed memories and their own consciousness, countless people have longed for wings. Barry was no exception. The only difference between him and others was that, through his life as a boatman, Barry came to understand reality—the reality of not being able to fly.

If describing humanity's desire for flight in this way is too general, then another angle can more accurately describe humanity's desire for flight—any fruit that can fly will have its auction price increased by fifty million on top of the original price!

Even without flying, as long as one can jump higher or even glide, the price of the fruit will rise accordingly.

Based on this, although Zoan-type Devil Fruits are the cheapest, any flying type will exceed their expected price... There's no way around it; the ability to fly is simply too extraordinary in this world. With 90% of the surface area covered by water, being able to take flight provides an extra layer of protection.

Whether in battle or in pre-battle reconnaissance, the ability to fly is unmatched by ordinary Paramecia-types.

And now, flying warships!!!

"Damn it, it feels like I'm part of the construction!" Barry felt his shipwright soul burning brightly.

Unfortunately, both Sett and Iceberg completely ignored the thick-skinned guy next to them.

silence.

Iceberg knew very well the allure of flying warships to a shipwright... Similarly, Iceberg also knew how enormous the impact such warships would have on Water Seven once they were mass-produced.

"What Mr. Sett gave me... is indeed a huge problem."

As he said this, Iceberg rubbed his temples, looking a bit of a headache.

Iceberg knew very well that once such a warship was successfully built, its impact on Water Seven would be devastating. At that point, no matter how outrageous the price Sett offered, the World Government and those great pirates would purchase it regardless of the cost... The seas were also a battleground of intense competition.

Just like how the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual is known to all martial artists, even if you possess unparalleled skills, you'll still have enemies in the martial world. Now, everyone has the top-tier Evil-Repelling Sword Manual. If you don't practice it, someone else will. After mastering it, they'll come back to seek revenge and kill your entire family. So the question is, in this situation, should you practice it or not?

Unless one is as invincible as Dugu Qiubai, in this highly competitive environment, one has to train even if it's difficult... otherwise, they'll be killed by others. Besides, the cost of the flying warship is only a negligible amount of money...

It's no exaggeration to say that the existence of a flying battleship is even more intimidating than some Devil Fruits... You don't have the ability to fly, but I do. So, I'll be hovering over your head every day. Not dropping bombs, just dropping shit. What can you do? You can't do anything. You can only hold an umbrella and hide in a corner, carefully avoiding getting splashed, while silently praying that the other person had a good time yesterday and is constipated today...

Sett's request for shipwrights from him was undoubtedly intended to utilize the shipbuilding technology of Water Seven to make the Ark Maxim more robust and durable.

Yes, Water Seven could indeed refuse. But that's just the surface. In reality, Water Seven had no choice at all... because the moment the Flying Fleet was confirmed to have appeared, Water Seven was already at a complete disadvantage.

Iceberg didn't believe that Water Seven, with only a couple hundred years of history, could have any real cohesion. Especially since Water Seven itself had many shipwrights from other islands... Sett had already given Iceberg a lot of face. Otherwise, all he needed to do was build a few flying warships, and after seeing the real thing, the other shipwrights would flock to Antwerp Island.

Just like when they chose to join Water Seven... Anyway, Water Seven is already so competitive, they might achieve even greater success elsewhere!

Sure enough, Barry, standing to the side, was already staring wide-eyed at the iceberg, his face practically screaming "I want to go!"

With a sigh, Iceberg smiled helplessly and said, "Mr. Sett... it's really hard to refuse."

"polite."

Sett's face was full of nonchalance.

At this point, whether Iceberg agrees or not seems to be less important.

Nodding, Iceberg said, "Carrera Corporation is willing to provide all its technical support for the development of the Wrist Casino... no, the Wrist Casino shipbuilding industry."

Having learned from the example of Water Seven, Iceberg was certain that it wouldn't be long before the entire Antwerp Island would become Sett's territory due to the presence of the Flying Fleet... just like Water Seven was now. It was nominally a city, but the actual mayor was the president of the Carrera Corporation.

Without even much probing, Sett's Casino only needs to follow the path Water Seven took to smoothly and completely take control of Antwerp Island—Carrera learned by trial and error to build Water Seven into what it is today, and now, Sett only needs to learn by following Carrera's lead.

The same applies to the forces on Antuo Island. Given the precedent set by the Carrera Corporation, the resistance that Wanhao Casino will face will be much less than that faced by the Carrera Corporation in the past...

Back then, the Galleyra Company, in order to completely control Water Seven, gave away a number of warships to the Navy and major pirates for free to attract sponsorships, thus gaining complete control over Water Seven. Now, with Water Seven's achievements evident, the people of Antuo Island naturally wouldn't risk their lives to exchange for the flying warships that the Armstrong Casino was giving to other forces…

In the past, upon hearing Iceberg's words, Barry, who had a deep passion for Water Seven and Carrera, would have certainly jumped out to question whether Iceberg was being shameless and disrespectful in selling off Carrera's glory.

However, after learning of the existence of the flying warships and having passed the initial excitement, Barry realized the seriousness of the problem... It wasn't a matter of excitement or not, but the future of the entire Carrera Corporation.

"I hope that Carrera Corporation can achieve a deep cooperation with the Wrist Casino." Iceberg's eyes were filled with determination. As a rational decision-maker, Iceberg knew that there was very little room for maneuver left for him in this matter, and there were no good or commendable methods.

Since that's the case, instead of constantly arguing over trivial gains, it's better to be decisive. Perhaps Sett's trust and goodwill will lay the foundation for the upcoming era of flying warships...

"This matter is not my responsibility." Upon hearing Iceberg's words, Sett leaned back on the sofa with an indifferent expression, picked up an expensive bottle of wine, flicked the cork off with his thumb, and then gulped it down. He said calmly, "As for development matters, go find my little secretary. I can't be bothered with such troublesome things."

Upon hearing this, Iceberg, who was standing to the side, did not object at all, but nodded and said, "If that's the case... then so be it. Barry."

"Ah! Yes!"

Hearing Iceberg's words, Barry snapped out of his daze and stood up straight. Iceberg then said, "Give an order... Carrera Company is temporarily closed. Expedite any work that's currently in progress, and reject any new or unfinished orders. Gather all the foremen from the seven shipyards and prepare to go to Antuo Island."

"Ok!"

Barry nodded, offering no objection to Iceberg's order. Perhaps he himself understood that this level of consideration was beyond the comprehension of someone as careless as him.

They then engaged in a friendly discussion for a while. Nothing particularly profound was discussed. Iceberg understood perfectly well that the future of the Carrera Company depended entirely on Sett's ideas. Indeed, relying on its ancestral legacy, the Carrera Company could enjoy a period of glory. However, the loss of top-tier clients, such as the World Government and powerful figures like Whitebeard, would relegate the Carrera Company from a top-tier corporation to a front-line shipbuilding company. And with the passage of time and the emergence of technological barriers, a slow death awaited the Carrera Company.

"I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration."

Iceberg raised his glass. Sett shrugged indifferently; "May our cooperation be fruitful~"

After a day of rest, Sett and Hawkeye set off on their journey once more. As for the C9 members… they were knocked unconscious before even entering. And even if they had heard, it wouldn't matter; it would just take some time to find them. By the time their news reached the World Government, it would probably be too late…

Running into Sett was just bad luck for them.

On the very day Sett announced his departure, Iceberg announced his new orders.

The closure of all shipyards in Water Seven was undoubtedly big news for the city. Even the foremen who had received Barry's notification were astonished and incredulous upon hearing that the order had actually been carried out. However, when they all went to Iceberg's office to question him about his actions, Iceberg simply presented them with the partial Ark Manifesto design left behind by Sett.

After confirming the existence of the flying warship, there was a brief silence before the foreman started laughing and shouting again, saying things like, "I should take a vacation and go out for a meal. And don't forget to call me when you leave."

It was frustrating, but that was the reality. If Sett had presented some special warship blueprints, the foremen of Water Seven might have stubbornly refused to admit defeat and decided to fight to the end. But now, flying warships? This was simply a case of being outmatched. Without even thinking, they immediately rolled for the next round.

As the most advanced shipyard on this vast ocean, Water Seven's actions have attracted considerable attention from the outside world. However, due to the tight security, most forces have remained silent and have not taken any rash actions.

Meanwhile, Hawkeye and Sett were traveling at high speed in their assault boat towards their final destination, the Sabaody Archipelago.

Passing through the Magical Triangle. The sea here is shrouded in mist, the territory of the future Shichibukai Moria. However, Moria is currently probably with Crocodile at Impel Down, working the sewing machine. Therefore, the Magical Triangle is currently only inhabited by a handful of people—those like Moria whose abilities are countered by sunlight. Otherwise, no one would inexplicably end up in this sea area where getting lost is always a possibility.

Getting lost at sea is far more dangerous than getting lost on land. Most of the small-time pirates Sett and Hawkeye encountered were only there because they were being chased by the Navy.

Speaking of which, after this period of sailing, Sett also discovered one thing: the overall quality of the navy in this world is indeed rather low...

This world doesn't have an air force due to its technological limitations. Furthermore, over 95% of the land is covered by water, which means the navy also has to function as an army. In fact, it even has to perform the functions of a police force.

In such circumstances, the navy of this world often prioritizes its own safety... Indeed, there's nothing more to say about that. However, when personnel raise an alarm, choosing to respond with "It's too dangerous here, we might not be able to handle it" and thus ignoring the situation...

There's nothing morally reprehensible about it. After all, fear is an inevitable part of human nature. But this overall situation further exacerbates the fact that in this chaotic era, world governments are simply unable to effectively unite people's hearts and minds.

It's like a child clamoring to become a pirate in the future, but the parents can't even say something like "The Navy will come and get you"... Well, in the Great Pirate Era, it's possible that the parents themselves are pirates.

Of course, Sett doesn't care if the World Government is a little bad—he might even be happy if the World Government were even worse than it is now.

Lost in thought, Sett and the others successfully left the Magical Triangle thanks to the Permanent Log Pose. Utilizing the high speed of the assault boat, they soon encountered another high wall on the horizon.

"Red Earth... It seems we're getting close to the Sabaody Archipelago."

Hawkeye said, "The Red Line should be the legendary Holy Land, Mary Geoise..."

As he said this, Hawkeye shook his head indifferently—he had no good feelings towards the Celestial Dragons. Or perhaps, this sea generally held only hostility towards the Celestial Dragons.

Unfortunately, the Celestial Dragons have dogs.

"Finally here!!" Stretching, Sett's eyes widened as he focused his gaze on the port of the Sabaody Archipelago. A short while later, he spotted the familiar Red Forth in a corner.

"Haha! I finally caught up with that bastard redhead!!!"

----------

Update complete, purity increased for today's batch.

190·Choice

Lei Li sat leisurely on the boat, applying a coating to the vessel, his face displaying an expression that combined tranquility and感慨 (a sense of deep emotion).

If an old man from the sea were to witness this scene, he would surely be utterly astonished. After all, this is no ordinary place. It is the Sabaody Archipelago, beneath Mary Geoise, inhabited by the Celestial Dragons.

Rayleigh, the Dark King—four simple words, yet carrying immense weight. Even in the New World, the mere mention of these four words could cause a massive uproar… Everyone knows that Rayleigh was the Pirate King Roger's most capable ally, even being called "the Pirate King's right arm."

Now, Rayleigh is not arrogant because of his past deeds. On the contrary, he is leisurely coating the ship with a bottle of sake beside him, looking more like a carefree old man than the right arm of the Pirate King.

As for the emotion on his face... it's probably because of Shanks.

Even now, Rayleigh still remembers how naive Shanks was when he argued with Bucky about the North and South Poles on the ship. He thought Shanks would be at sea for a while longer, but unexpectedly, he saw familiar faces on that ship so soon.

Perhaps this is what inheritance is... Rayleigh thought leisurely. But his hands involuntarily slowed down.

Rayleigh recalled that afternoon when he met Roger… Back then, Rayleigh was just drifting along on a small, wrecked boat. In an unknown port on an unknown island, he met Roger and became Roger's first companion.

In the time that followed, they traveled together to the location of Laugh Tale, the Great One Piece. They learned everything about the D. clan, the Void Century, the Great Kingdom, and the Ancient Weapons… In the days leading up to Roger's surrender, Rayleigh, as the most senior member of Roger's crew, had a long, private conversation with him. After that, Rayleigh relinquished the title of the Pirate King's right-hand man and settled in the Sabaody Archipelago, becoming the coating craftsman, Old Rayleigh…

And now, as a coating craftsman, he was coating the warships of his former juniors, sending them into the New World… This feeling of inheritance brought back long-forgotten, bittersweet memories for Rayleigh. His eyes even welled up slightly.

Of course, even judging from her expression, one could tell that those moist eyes had nothing to do with sadness.

But at that moment, two steady footsteps suddenly came from the side.

"Hahaha! It really is that damn redhead's crappy ship!!"

Hearing the rough yet triumphant laughter, Rayleigh paused slightly, then looked behind him with curiosity—was it Shanks' enemy?

There was no wariness, as Rayleigh had a good understanding of his own power. Or rather, rather than being wary, Rayleigh was more curious about what kind of person this guy who called Shanks a "stinky redhead" really was... Judging from his tone, there didn't seem to be much hatred in his eyes?

He climbed the steps to the side, looked at Rayleigh, and waved his hand familiarly, asking, "Hey~ old man, have you seen the owner of this ship?"

"Master... I have met him before. But what do you need him for?"

Rayleigh stopped what he was doing, his eyes filled with curiosity. Sett didn't hide his thoughts either, raising his fist and saying, "The captain of this ship promised to give me a good fight, but he disappeared halfway through!"

Upon hearing this, Rayleigh, who was already a little curious, was immediately filled with even greater curiosity. He immediately stopped what he was doing, tossed aside his shovel and coating, and took a flask from Shanks's cabin, handing it to Sett and saying, "Come on, tell me in detail how you beat him up!"

Sett: "..."

Hawkeye: "..."

Because of his enthusiasm, Sett and Hawkeye were momentarily confused about what this old man was up to. But Sett was never one to back down from trouble, and after hearing Rayleigh's words, he picked up his flask, sat on the deck, and started drinking.

"Do you have meat?"

“Yes! Shanks and the others are all flesh worms too!” As he spoke, Rayleigh brought out a pile of cooked food from the kitchen. Seeing this, Sett didn’t stand on ceremony and began to talk about his chance encounter with Shanks while eating heartily.

Upon hearing Shanks' tactical retreat, Rayleigh felt no shame whatsoever. Instead, he burst into laughter: "That Shanks! He's just like Roger!!!"