Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

Having some understanding of the Five Elders' methods, Robin could guess that this was a tactic by the World Government to sow discord between Sett and the Navy—if Antoy retaliated, it would at least appear to outsiders that Sett's relationship with the Navy had broken down. If they didn't retaliate, it would expose both Sett's continued serious injury and Antoy's internal weakness. The Navy, too, couldn't possibly offer an explanation for this. After all, the World Government was their superior organization; how could the Navy, as subordinates, possibly disrupt the World Government's plans?

The final result is that, no matter what, we have to swallow our pride and bear it silently.

Despite his reluctance, Kuzan had no choice but to adopt a fighting stance—regardless of his duties or identity, even if he didn't agree with it, as a Marine Admiral, Kuzan had to protect these World Government agents.

But at that very moment, suddenly, an agent aimed from afar, locking onto the target with Observation Haki—anyone who had carefully reviewed the footage would have recognized that this agent was no ordinary World Government assassin like those from CP9. Rather, it was a Celestial Dragon guard who, along with the Five Elders, had used Armament Haki to resist the aftershocks of the deliberate punch when the Holy City was destroyed!

Fully armed and concealed among ordinary agents, they had completed their standard procedures just moments before the warship docked. The World Government-customized sniper rifle, its walnut wood casing adorned with ornate gold-painted patterns, was locked onto Robin by Observation Haki—just as planned. Both Issho and Robin were focused on Admiral Kuzan, deliberately concealing their presence; for a time, even Issho failed to detect the sniper's existence.

Until, pull the trigger.

With the sudden surge of killing intent as the trigger fell, Ikko could clearly feel the surrounding energy fluctuate violently—it was directed towards Robin!

Issho's expression suddenly changed, followed by a whooshing sound as his longsword was drawn. However, upon seeing this scene, due to the information asymmetry, Kuzan, caught off guard, thought Issho was about to attack him and immediately conjured a sharp ice blade. His Armament Haki enhanced, and it fiercely clashed with Issho's staff-sword!

"asshole!!!!"

Hearing Yixiao rebuke Kuzan, he was somewhat puzzled—but then, before Kuzan could say anything, the moment the bullet flew past him, he sensed the killing intent carried by the bullet, and Kuzan's expression suddenly froze.

The bullet traveled at supersonic speeds. Lacking Issho's keen perception, Kuzan didn't realize Issho's target wasn't him until the bullet flew past him. Instead, it was Robin in the distance, whose attention was focused on him and Issho, as she hadn't fully mastered Observation Haki due to her brief training!

They wanted to resist, but it was clearly too late now.

The distance between the bullet and Robin kept shrinking, and Kuzan could even feel time around him slowing down. But in this slowed time, there was nothing he could do—just like in Ohara, facing the refugee ship being shelled, all he could do was watch silently, and then, with his remaining conscience, heeded Saul's pleas and let Robin go…

This time, the Celestial Dragons' Imperial Guard clearly gave Kuzan no chance to compromise. The black bullet looked quite plain, lacking even the patterns often found on sniper rifles. But it was precisely this simplicity that fueled Kuzan's terror—it was Seastone!

Unlike ordinary copper or iron bullets, these bullets were a deep blue mixed with jet-black. As a Devil Fruit user, being hit by one would render even Robin, let alone Kuzan, momentarily powerless due to the properties of Seastone. And that momentary powerlessness would be enough for the Seastone bullet to pierce the body and shatter vital internal organs!

But at that very moment, just as the bullet was about to strike Robin, suddenly, *bang!* The bullet seemed to be stuck in something, impaled on the air in front of Robin, unable to budge an inch.

Then, an even more intense purple light burst forth from Robin's body. Before Robin could react to what this purple light was, a broad, thick arm, which gave Robin a strong sense of security, stretched out from behind her.

Before Kuzan could react, he flicked his finger at the bullet stuck in the air.

bump!!!!

A loud blast rang out, and the bullet, blasted away by a flick of the finger, left a violent friction trail in the air. It flew backwards as a white streak at several times the speed of its travel; although it seemed to take an incredibly long time, it was actually just a matter of a split second.

The Dragon's guard pulled the trigger, but before he could even react, his own bullet shattered his skull!

Red and white debris flew everywhere, and before the agents could even react, their bodies were covered in thick blood and mangled pieces.

"Hey~ isn't this Kuzan? Long time no see, got itchy skin again, huh~"

Sett draped his arm over Robin's shoulder, appearing beside her with a carefree expression.

"The Overlord is here!"

Hearing Sett's defiant voice, an inexplicable sense of security enveloped Robin. Even Kuzan, standing nearby, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief…

Wait, I'm a Navy soldier! Why should I feel relieved?

223·Zefa's Calamity

Looking at Sett in front of him, Kuzan felt somewhat relieved that Sett's arrival had averted a disaster, but soon he felt a sharp pain all over his body.

"We meet again... Well, now that you're here, I guess my mission is complete. By the way, you've recovered pretty quickly."

If it were anyone else, Kuzan would be completely speechless, unable to utter a single word. But regarding Sett, Kuzan still has some things to say.

Sett, standing to the side, paid no attention to Kuzan's policy of surrounding but not attacking—it was obvious to anyone that this was the work of the Celestial Dragons.

Looking at Sett in front of him, Kuzan's eyes showed some amazement—as someone who had fought Sett before, Kuzan was probably the most qualified to say just how dire Sett's condition had been.

To put it bluntly, Sett at that time could have killed any child. His muscles were withered and limp, making him look like burnt-out charcoal.

Now, his physique is robust, and his blood is surging... It was thought that the severe injuries he sustained before would leave Sett with some lingering problems. But it seems that even after fighting to the point of exhaustion, Sett's regenerative abilities have not been affected in the slightest. In fact, they have become even more vigorous.

Kuzan could clearly sense that Sett's current energy and vitality were definitely stronger than before... In other words, the rampage did not make Sett weaker, but instead further increased Sett's potential.

Such a body is simply too terrifying... It is foreseeable that the West Sea will soon become Sett's territory.

Thinking this, Kuzan glanced around the West Blue, a complex look in his eyes... No more Heavenly Gold, no more slavery, no more rampage by the Mafia, slave traders, or even pirates... For the West Blue, this might actually be a good thing?

"You're too kind." Sett remained unfazed by Kuzan's astonishment, his eyes filled with amusement—Sett was well aware of his current position on the seas. It could be said that as long as he lived, the World Government wouldn't dare make the slightest move in the West Blue. Of course, if Sett revealed more of his desires, the World Government might have to fight tooth and nail to kill him.

After all, the West Blue has always been the most chaotic sea in the World Government's history, teeming with notorious pirates and criminals. And now, it's just a little worse... Sett has absolutely no interest in revolution or anything like that. Ultimately, in this world where extraordinary power exists, promoting any kind of egalitarianism is simply a pipe dream. Even the current peace in the West Blue is built upon Sett's immense power.

In this situation, how can we establish so-called equality? What about Sett's privileges? Following the example of those above and imitating them blindly will only make us a laughing stock.

In a world where one person's military might can defeat a nation, including Sett himself, the strong have privileges, and that is undeniable.

"Speaking of which, is that Sengoku guy alright?"

Having spent a month and a half in the Calm Belt, their understanding of the outside world was limited to what they knew. Sengoku's injuries were clearly not something an ordinary newspaper was qualified to report. Kuzan, standing nearby, didn't hide anything, stating bluntly, "His injuries are quite serious… he only just woke up recently. Right now, Vice Admiral Tsuru is basically handling everything in the Navy… it's all thanks to you, guy. The Navy is currently facing both internal and external troubles."

As he said this, Kuzan couldn't help but sigh again—this information couldn't be kept secret, so Kuzan simply told him directly.

Before arriving, Kuzan harbored prejudice against Sett's rampaging, twisted killing intent, believing that Antore Island had become a playground for serial killers. However, when the time came, Kuzan discovered that the people of Antore Island no longer recognized the World Government…

Where is Zephyr?

Sett continued to ask—if you were to ask who Sett was closest to in the Navy, then without a doubt it would be Black Arm Zephyr.

Having trained with Zephyr for a year, and knowing that Zephyr wasn't a particularly cunning person, Sett knew very well that Zephyr truly loved the Navy. Even when facing Sett, Zephyr repeatedly said that while the Navy had its strengths and weaknesses, it was precisely because of these that it needed him.

Now, Sett, on whom Zeff had placed high hopes, has become the World Government's biggest headache... I imagine that guy must be feeling pretty bad.

"..."

Despite Sett asking his master, Kuzan remained silent. This surprised Sett—looking up, Sett could even see a hint of complexity in Kuzan's eyes.

Raising an eyebrow, Sett realized that the matter concerning Zeff was probably not so simple. So he beckoned to Robin, who was standing nearby. Seeing this, Robin nodded knowingly and gestured for a casino employee to bring over a stool and a coffee table.

"Sit down and tell me slowly."

"..."

Kuzan's expression remained complicated, as if he hadn't heard Sett's words.

Sett simply tapped the table, his voice calm but filled with undeniable composure.

"Kuzan, please sit down."

Like Reiner from that lousy Titan series. However, after a long silence, Kuzan finally sat down. Then he said, "Admiral Zeff... no, Teacher Zeff has resigned."

"...Resignation?"

Hearing Kuzan's words, Sett narrowed his eyes—Sett knew Zephyr's love for the Navy better than anyone. Under these circumstances, Zephyr resigning? Don't be ridiculous… Given Zephyr's personality, even if it were due to the changes of the era, he would at most step down as an admiral and become a full-time instructor, nurturing more future stars for the Navy. Like Kuzan and Akainu, he was able to weather the storms alongside the Navy.

Now, Sett understands very well that Kuzan's "departure" doesn't mean stepping down as an admiral, but rather a complete withdrawal from the Navy...

"Taking the beer Robin handed him, Sett flicked the cap off with his thumb, his eyes filled with cold indifference, and said, 'I know that old man Zeff... his passion for the Navy is unparalleled. He resigned? What happened? Tell me, or I'll find out from others.'"

Hearing Sett's words, Kuzan paused—he knew very well that this was a scandal for the Navy. But what could he do? Did the Navy really still have the right to avenge Zeff? Or would the World Government really allow them to take such a huge risk in these turbulent times to avenge a retired admiral who had already lost his will to live?

The answer is no... The current World Government would never take such a huge risk to provoke a Yonko (Emperor of the Sea).

Even if it's just a possibility...

If that's the case, then there's only one choice left...

Thinking about it, a long-lost serious look appeared in Kuzan's eyes.

"The reason why Admiral Sengoku was able to arrive in time during the battle in Mary Geoise was because the G5 branch of the New World had Marine hero Garp and teacher Zephyr to hold off the encirclement of the great pirates from the New World."

"so what?"

"During this process, the training naval ship led by Professor Zephyr was attacked by pirates because Professor Zephyr was not present."

"..."

Upon hearing this news, Sett paused slightly in his drinking, then silently placed the bottle on the table beside him, his expression visibly darkening.

This matter is related to him? This was something Sett hadn't expected... but upon reflection, it didn't seem so surprising. After all, the battle of Mary Geoise changed the entire world order. In comparison, the dust from the aftershocks alone was like a collapsing mountain to ordinary people.

“Go on.”

"Only two people survived... Binz and Ain. They used their Devil Fruit powers to shrink their bodies and then hid themselves in the growing trees. Everyone else is dead."

Binz and Ain… Sett vaguely remembered these two. The former was a gaudily dressed little ninja. The latter was a girl with wavy, sea-blue hair. The former's ability was the Lush Fruit, which could accelerate the growth of trees. The latter's ability was the Rewind Fruit, which could reduce age, but she was very poor at it; the last time she saw her, she could only rewind one or two months.

The only thing they had in common was that both of them were adopted after Zephyr's wife and children died... Yes, Zephyr's wife and children had already been attacked by pirates and died long before that.

By that time, Zephyr was already despondent. Although he retained his rank of admiral, he had effectively stepped down to the second line, focusing on training personnel for the navy.

And now, another pirate attack... and this attack might even be related to me.

Feeling somewhat down, Sett picked up a beer bottle and chugged it down—Sett could even picture Zeff's dejected appearance now.

"Where is that pirate now?"

"He's been arrested."

"Arrested?" Upon hearing this, Sett frowned—if he was arrested, why not just execute him?

"He's currently imprisoned in Impel Down... The reason is that the pirate has some connection with the Sea Emperor 'Whitebeard.' And right now, the World Government doesn't have the extra resources to deal with an attack from a Sea Emperor."

Taking a deep breath, Kuzan's face was somewhat complicated. Clearly, even Kuzan himself was somewhat displeased, but because of his position, he couldn't say much: "That guy claims to be Whitebeard's son... Although we can't verify whether it's true or not, the Five Elders have ordered a ban on private retaliation."

"In Impel Down?"

Upon hearing this news, Sett thoughtfully stroked his chin—he couldn't care less about those sea emperors.

Putting everything else aside, there are currently three people claiming to be emperors of the sea. But there has only ever been one overlord!

224·Goodbye Tina

Imprisoned in Impel Down...

Stroking his chin, Sett fell silent. Impel Down, nominally a place where the Navy imprisoned criminals, was, in reality, independent of the World Government, as Sett knew better than anyone. Even the wardens of Impel Down, since the establishment of the underwater prison Impel Down, had all possessed strength comparable to a Navy admiral.

Furthermore, being built in the Calm Belt, it's safe to say that even if criminals escaped, they wouldn't survive—because the area is teeming with roaming Sea Kings. However, this is no problem for Sett.

Or perhaps, it was just sea kings and the Calm Belt that Sett never took seriously.

A connection to the Sea Emperor? That's even less important. Sett is more interested in seeing whether the Emperor or the Overlord is more powerful.

"Alright... Go back and tell Zefa to come visit Antuo Island when you have time."

With that, Sett threw the beer bottle aside without any regard for public decency, his face full of annoyance: "Don't bother coming out."

Upon hearing this, Kuzan glanced at Sett and nodded without saying anything more. He simply stood up, turned around, and slowly rode his bicycle toward the distant naval warship.