Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

"Testing Sett's limits like this... You want to test him? Fine, then let's go." Sett looked up, wiping his bloodied fist, and glanced at Spandam's lieutenant.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Sett grinned and said, "Oh ho, someone I know?"

His face turned deathly pale.

Rob Lucci was initially reluctant to come—for him, Sett was a nightmare. First Frenzy, then Water Seven. Each time, encountering Sett had ruined everything. He'd thought that as the second-in-command observing the ceremony, he wouldn't have much to do. But now it seemed he'd been wrong.

His gaze vanished, half his body stained crimson with blood. A nauseating stench filled his nostrils, reaching straight to the top of his head. Only Rob Lucci, a seasoned veteran, could have done it; anyone else would likely have been vomiting uncontrollably on the ground.

He thought he was the next Spandam—though he thought this, Rob Lucci had absolutely no intention of resisting.

Rob Lucci is no longer the little brat he was in Flevans... or rather, even the Emperors on the high seas wouldn't dare ignore Sett's presence. Despite the rumors in the newspapers, the Four Emperors are trying to win Sett over rather than recruit him... For someone as powerful as Sett, to even offer a word of recruitment, let alone invite him to be their second-in-command, would be an insult.

But to Rob Lucci's surprise, Sett chuckled and then made no further move. He simply tossed the scarlet handkerchief casually to the ground and said, "From now on, you'll take over his work..."

Returning to his seat, Sett sprawled out on the chair. His leather boots were crossed over the table, and his eyes blazed with unbridled arrogance. "They're curious about my attitude, aren't they? Then tell them! Watch closely, and tell them properly!"

What could Lucci say after hearing Sett's words? He simply looked up at Sett, then nodded silently...

Finally, Sett belatedly glanced at Robin beside him and said casually, "It has nothing to do with you, I just want to crush him."

"..."

After hearing Sett's explanation, Robin nodded silently after a moment of silence. Smoker's face was filled with helplessness.

"I think I said something I shouldn't have..."

“Sett is like this.” Although somewhat surprised by Sett’s sudden choice, Tina, who was standing beside him, didn’t sense anything amiss after regaining her composure. She simply took out a cigarette with a sigh. But after glancing at Robin and the others beside her, she silently put it away—Tina didn’t have Smoker’s ability to control smoke.

Tina then took out a piece of candy and popped it into her mouth, saying casually, "The World Government's thinking is a bit too simplistic... If it were any other Emperor of the Sea, they would at least tacitly convey their stance to the other party. If Tina remembers correctly, the World Government has dealings with Kaido of Wano Country regarding Seastone. If they can't afford to provoke him, they observe his attitude; if they can trade, they trade; if they can't win him over, they ignore him... This time, I guess they're thinking the same thing."

“It doesn’t matter.” Smoker nodded upon hearing Tina’s words. He glanced at Spandam’s corpse, which was being cleaned up by the waiters. Although he didn’t feel any sense of shared sorrow, it was impossible for Smoker not to have any thoughts about watching someone who had been his equal suddenly die.

Spandam, Spandam… their names alone suggest a close relationship. Add to that Spandam's status as a close advisor to the Five Elders, and it's not hard to imagine that this Spandam is nothing more than a sycophant… a fact evident from his very gesture. Even as Sett's fist landed on Spandam, Spandam showed absolutely no reaction befitting a threat…

The corpse, too, had hardly any muscle on its body… The thought that such a good-for-nothing was his equal in rank on this mission, and perhaps even higher in actual rank, made Smoker feel nauseous.

"Alright." He casually stretched his shoulders. "Ready to open for business! I have other important things to do after the opening!"

Hearing Sett's words, Tina shook her head with a sigh—the other important matters Sett mentioned were clearly related to the Sin Army. In the past, Tina would have definitely tried to stop him. After all, Sett had only been back for a short time, less than a month, and he was already going out again…

But when I think of my teacher Zephyr, who has been so devoted to me like a father… I know I can’t just ignore this.

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Watching the game, EDG played terribly in these two matches.

237·Opening

That was when Enel first came to the Casino of the Brawn.

Following Fujitora from the end of the Skypiea to the summit of the Western Skypiea, Enel arrived at the High Roller Casino on Antuo Island. The azure sea and the magnificent architecture, so different from any Skypiea, left Enel utterly astonished.

"Mr. Ichisho?" The first to come out to greet him was a guy called "Paper Fan." He'd heard she was Sett's woman... Though unwilling to admit it, Enel knew very well he was no match for Sett.

Even so, Enel didn't give up... because during his journey in the Blue Ocean, Enel learned of the existence of Devil Fruits. At the same time, he deeply understood how lucky he was to have eaten one...

The Rumble-Rumble Fruit is a rare find even among Logia-type Devil Fruits, and can be considered an invincible Devil Fruit.

After Fujitora explained Enel and Urouge's identities, Enel soon had his debut battle arranged by Robin.

At that time, Enel didn't care much about the battle... especially feeling the gazes of everyone around him, Enel was even a little annoyed.

What is this? Being watched in battle by others? It's ridiculous, it's like being treated like a plaything. I don't know why Sett is so enthusiastic about this... Although unwilling, circumstances dictate his actions, and Enel decides to experience the unique characteristics of the Blue Sea. Putting everything else aside, at least he can familiarize himself with the customs of the sea, which will be more convenient when he ventures out to make his own way in the future.

His opponent was known as Silver Axe, and was said to have previously been a notorious pirate with a bounty of over 30 million... Even in the West Blue, that bounty was quite high. As a newcomer, and with no one optimistic about his chances, Enel easily defeated all his opponents with his golden staff accompanied by booming thunder.

Enel's arrogance was evident in his swift and decisive actions. Standing unharmed on the arena, carrying his golden staff, Enel coldly stated, "This is the punishment for defying God, you piece of trash."

A certain arrogance had become part of Enel's personality—in fact, Enel regretted saying those words. After all, he had just arrived here, and had already lost to Sett. Beneath the surface arrogance, Enel concealed a deep-seated inferiority complex.

But to Enel's surprise, that's just how the arena is—those who gamble don't appreciate anything moderate or peaceful. The more independent and arrogant you are, the more likely you are to receive cheers from the crowd.

Enel's arrogance undoubtedly appealed to the audience. Before Enel could even react, the crowd was already chanting his name as the victor.

The sudden recognition and the repeated cheers for his name from the crowd momentarily stunned Enel.

In the end, some left dejectedly, feeling lost. Backstage, Urouge, who was waiting for Enel, exclaimed in admiration, "As expected of the Blue Sea! Compared to places like Skypiea, the people here have absolutely no fear of power!"

"...Perhaps." Enel simply said this, his face remaining calm, but his heart was burning with excitement. Even after returning to his room and repeatedly washing his face with cold water, Enel couldn't truly calm himself down.

Perhaps they are just deceiving themselves?

Having experienced cheers and recognition, Enel's first reaction was self-doubt—a deep-seated inferiority complex that is difficult to eradicate.

Somewhat disappointed, Enel chose to remove his mask in the second match.

Long ears, no wings, and that fluffy golden afro. This was always the reason Enel was looked down upon by the others in his hometown of Piccolo during his childhood... He thought that revealing his appearance would make the gamblers laugh. But once again, things took Enel's surprise.

In people's minds, this is far from ugly—it's even somewhat trendy. After all, there are countless oddly shaped people on the high seas!

On the contrary, hairstyles like afro and long ears are merely distinctive features—and more importantly, the most important thing in the ring is not how spectacular the fight is, but whether it can arouse people's excitement and passion.

Just like Sett, every punch lands with a visceral impact, each strike sending adrenaline soaring. And other boxers, under Sett's guidance, occasionally pull off some fancy moves. Like wearing clown costumes, or leaping off rooftops into the ring…

After several matches, Enel's popularity grew, and he was no longer just cheered for by gamblers. There was even a time when, while he was out on the street, two girls specifically came up and surrounded him.

"Could you give me your autograph?!"

Still a naive young virgin, Enel, who was a force to be reckoned with in the ring, was somewhat flustered and unsure of what to do. It was only after Urouge, who was out shopping with him, reminded him that he came to his senses.

Enel treated the two girls to a meal, and listening to their undisguised admiration, he realized—the Casino of the Arms never required people to idolize Sett. Instead, every boxer could cultivate their own fanbase. In other words, those cheering his name weren't just gamblers who had made money, but also those who truly loved and supported him!

After that, came a series of battles. Enel, winning battle after battle and establishing his own aloof and arrogant style, gradually discovered that it wasn't just female fans; in the casinos, many men with afro hairstyles had his large head tattooed on their chests—from then on, Enel seemed like a different person. Even in his leisure time, a faint smile would appear on his lips.

At the same time, because he was called "Thor" by fans, Enel took the initiative to ask that the Thunder Drum accessory be hung on his back. Even now, Enel still remembers the cheers from fans who were so excited that they almost fainted when he went on stage barefoot, carrying the Thunder Drum and the Golden Staff.

It was after that that Enel found himself unable to part with the Armor Casino... or rather, he felt he couldn't leave behind the people who were enthusiastically chanting his name.

"It's your turn to speak."

Just then, Urouge handed the microphone to Enel, who was standing nearby. Snapping out of his reverie, Enel looked around at the crowd surrounding the ring and suddenly remembered that it was time for the Armor Casino to officially open for business…

Enel glanced around, then a familiar, arrogant smile—the kind that thrilled all his fans—appeared on his lips. He raised his hand, pointing at Sett beside him: "I'll take down Sett one day! I'll become the brightest star here!!!"

Enel!!!

As mentioned before, in the ring, the more flamboyant one's personality, the more cheers they receive. And Enel, in his current state, was unconsciously arrogant to the extreme. The already heated arena instantly escalated like a powder keg.

Seeing this, Sett showed no displeasure whatsoever. On the contrary, his face was filled with a hearty smile: "Hahahaha! Come on then!!!"

Feeling a bit angry because his subordinates humiliated him? Don't be ridiculous. Sett is way past that stage now—instead, he'd be disappointed if his return caused his fighters to lose their fighting spirit.

Now, there is no doubt that Enel is full of potential, both in terms of the power of his Devil Fruit and as a fighter.

Seeing this, Robin smiled with some emotion and whispered to Sett and the others, "When Enel first came, I even hired some hype crews to create some excitement... I didn't expect him to grow so fast."

Although Robin is younger than Enel, in other aspects, whether it's her methods or her mental age, Robin far surpasses Enel. When she learned that Enel's ability was the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Robin had already planned to train Enel as a star fighter in the arena.

Enel clearly did not disappoint Robin. At the very least, since stepping into the ring, relying on his arrogant personality, swift and decisive fighting style, and independent attitude, Enel has consistently been among the top three in popularity.

Cheers erupted, and the crowd was incredibly excited. It was the official opening, and Sett didn't bother with any small talk—he had no intention of inviting any organizations to give speeches. After the star fighters finished speaking, they simply began their business for the day.

The first battle, unsurprisingly, was again between the Red Oni and the Blue Oni. To increase the variety of the battles, Dorry and Brogy's weapons and the setting would change for each fight—a situation that Dorry and Brogy didn't seem to mind. After all, in the original story, even without their battle axes and swords, they still fought with their fists.

For them, weapons and arenas are external things; the war god of Elbaf will protect the victor. Under this tradition, even though Dorry is severely injured due to Baroque Works' sabotage, he still goes to duel to uphold the maxim. Compared to this, simply changing weapons and arenas is really not a problem.

All of them were star players, and the entire Casino of the Stars was in high spirits. After all, before this, even a star player like Enel would only appear twice a week, even if it was to maintain his popularity.

Most of the time, I still focus on training... especially Armament Haki. Without mastering it, I can't fight other Logia-type Devil Fruit users at all.

Seeing Enel and the others appear, the other forces on the sea realized something... that besides Sett and Fujitora, the Casino of the Arms also had many people with considerable strength!

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I've noticed someone wants to get into LoL. In my opinion, I'd recommend playing LoL Mobile... partly because the world is similar and the controls are alike. On the other hand... the current PC version is terrible. The most fun I had was playing during the Bronze and Silver eras, with everyone ganging up on each other. Simply put, the less skilled you are, the more fun it is; it's more fun when everyone's a noob, you can really enjoy the thrill of playing against each other.

But now everyone knows how to use the R-flash combo, plus the loss of low-elo players and high-elo players smurfing, the environment has visibly deteriorated... I only play Teamfight Tactics and ARAM on PC now. Rift? Ranked? I won't even touch it!

238·Ready to Depart

As the opening ceremony concluded, Rob Lucci breathed a sigh of relief—Sett had no intention of keeping the guests, and even the envoys of the Sea Emperors had only spoken with Robin before leaving.

Just when Rob Lucci thought he and his companions could leave unscathed, Sett suddenly called out to them.

"Wait a minute, I have something to ask you."

"...What is it?"

Rob Lucci sighed inwardly—ever since meeting Sett, Rob Lucci's luck had been consistently bad. And now, hearing Sett's words, Lucci, in his disappointment, was prepared for the possibility of never returning.

But then Sett's question made Rob Lucci's gaze suddenly tighten: "Come on, tell me, where is Impel Down?"

It was a question, but Sett's voice left no room for compromise. Its crispness and decisiveness emanated from within, brooking no argument—and Rob Lucci was startled by Sett's words. As a World Government agent, Rob Lucci was now more or less aware that something was amiss. But looking at Sett before him, Lucci couldn't help but purse his lips… Was he truly given a choice in all of this?

It's common knowledge across the sea that Impel Down holds the World Government's most notorious criminals—and many people even know its location. However, no one has ever dared to attack it.

Now, looking at Sett before him, Rob Lucci wasn't sure what the others were saying, but one thing was certain: Sett was a man of his word… Seriously, if you really wanted to compare, Mary Geoise was more than ten times more important than Impel Down. But what was the result? Sett had blasted a massive chasm through the Red Line. And nearly seventy percent of the Celestial Dragons on it were killed…

Under these circumstances, the World Government was still hesitant to act rashly because of Sett's terrifying power... Upon hearing that Sett's goal was only Impel Down, Rob Lucci actually felt a sense of relief.

It's strange, really. Ever since he met Sett, Rob Lucci, a CP9 agent of the World Government who instilled fear in other factions, has found himself constantly worried...

So Rob Lucci simply stated the location of Impel Down... which wasn't a secret. Given Sett's status, he could easily find out by asking any of the other Emperors of the Sea.

The Emperors of the Sea were more than happy to see Sett clash with the World Government. They even hoped the fighting would intensify so they could reap the benefits—the battle on Mary Geoise, in particular, had weakened the Navy, and all three Emperors had profited handsomely. The great pirates, in particular, had all extended their reach into the heart of the Grand Line's first half, Paradise.

"Then let's get ready to go!!"

Hearing Sett's words, Lucci began to consider how to send the message out—it would take at least a month to travel from the West Blue to the Grand Line. If they encountered turbulent currents or bad weather, that time would be even longer. Lucci knew very well that if he didn't send the message out beforehand, Impel Down's defenses would be utterly powerless against Sett's attack.

wrong……

Lucci realized he had fallen into a misconception—years of being indoctrinated with the World Government's concept of "justice" had led him to instinctively believe that the World Government represented justice. And justice should prevail. But upon closer reflection, even if he managed to pass on the intelligence, it seemed utterly pointless…

But we must strengthen our control measures.

Lucci thought to himself—after all, if Sett were to release all those criminals and keep them at the Armor Casino, the World Government would be even less able to fight Sett!

Just as Lucci was still thinking, a crisp sound suddenly came from the side.

With a serious look in his eyes and two cigars dangling from his mouth, Smoker, his fists clenched, stared intently at Sett—clearly, Smoker, who had just arrived to say goodbye, had also heard Sett's question.

"Even though we're friends... I can't ignore that!!!"