Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

His breathing was heavy. Smoker knew he had no chance against Sett—he didn't even have the ability to harm him. But it wasn't a question of whether he could win; it was because he was a Marine—it was his duty to stop those villains from running rampant on the seas.

I thought that even if Sett parted ways with the Navy, as Zephyr's student, he wouldn't become like those who wreak havoc on the seas. But now it seems I was clearly wrong!

"And you!!!"

Looking at Rob Lucci beside him, Smoker's eyes were filled with disgust: "I used to think Spandam was just an isolated case within the World Government. But now it seems that CP9 and the high-ranking officials of the World Government are all just a bunch of insects!!"

Hearing Smoker's words, a hint of sadness flashed in Lucci's eyes. Smoker, however, paid no attention to Lucci's thoughts. After speaking, he gritted his teeth and glanced at Sett, whose face was filled with amusement. Just as Smoker raised his fists, a figure in black rags suddenly appeared from the side and knocked Smoker's fists down with a stick.

"Wait a minute!" Tina said with a helpless expression as she walked over from the side, following Robin. "You really don't know anything?"

Along with Tina, other CP9 agents also arrived. Seeing the scene before them, the CP9 agents prepared for battle.

Smoker showed no sign of yielding. Instead, he raised his fist and pointed it at Tina, saying, "I should be the one saying that! I thought that even after leaving the Navy, you, Tina, would still uphold your sense of justice! But now it seems I misjudged you!!!"

"That's Impel Down!!! Don't you know the carnage those great pirates have caused?! Zeff himself told us how arduous the construction of Impel Down was. And now? Sett is going to attack Impel Down! If those mortals escape, the number of people affected will be astronomical!!!"

By the end, Smoker's eyes were bloodshot. Not only others, but even Lucci was moved by Smoker's words—Lucci upheld a darker kind of justice. For this, Lucci resolutely carried out every decision of the World Government, even at the cost of killing civilians, without hesitation.

He had thought he was the only one who could uphold justice, but now, after hearing Smoker's words, Lucci's fists clenched involuntarily.

"I absolutely cannot let you leave like this... I absolutely cannot stand idly by!! I know I'm weak, insignificant in front of you, in front of Sett. I can't even defeat that guy named Enel... But I will never change my principles of justice!"

"I will not forgive a single sinner!!!"

"is it?"

Hearing Smoker's words, Sett, far from being angry, grinned – that's more like it! Sett didn't dislike people with character, but rather those who had character yet were weak and lacked perseverance. Sett admired Smoker's current state. At least, he was genuinely fighting against evil, even knowing there was no chance of victory.

However, Sett didn't seem to care, and just picked up a beer and started chugging it down his throat while saying:

"Have you heard about the Sin Army Plan?"

"……What's the meaning?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of suspicion flickered in Smoker's eyes. Meanwhile, on the other side, having heard of the Sinister Army's plan and realizing something, Lucci's eyes suddenly tightened.

"It's not just the Criminal Army Plan, there's also the Seven Warlords Plan... it just hasn't been implemented yet."

With a cold snort, Tina knocked the ten fists that Smoker was pointing at Sett down again, went to Sett's side, poured him a glass of whiskey on the ice, and then calmly said:

"In order to deal with the new wave of pirates setting sail in the Great Pirate Era as predicted by Vice Admiral Tsuru, the World Government decided to select seven great pirates as the 'Seven Warlords of the Sea' with legitimate status under the World Government, as a force to divide the pirates."

"..."

Hearing this, he fell silent. Although it was only a brief description, Smoker had already sensed something amiss.

Tina, without pausing at all, calmly said:

"Simply put, they are seven great pirates who have the right to privateer. If I remember correctly, these pirates can legally plunder, with the only requirement being that they hand over a portion of their spoils, are prohibited from attacking member states of the World Government, and will lend a helping hand to the World Government when it faces a crisis."

"Impossible! You're lying!"

Smoker could hardly believe that the World Government would propose such a motion that was almost an insult to the existence of the Navy.

Tina, however, remained nonchalant, saying, "You can ask Vice Admiral Tsuru if there's such a proposal. Also, I can tell you about the previous candidates for the Seven Warlords—Crocodile, Crocodile, Gecko, Moria, the Donquixote Family, Doflamingo…they were all planned to become Seven Warlords. Crocodile fought a bloody battle with Bullet, a descendant of a demon, and Moria clashed with Kaido. Doflamingo, on the other hand, is a Celestial Dragon, and the World Government wouldn't mind an outcast Celestial Dragon becoming one of the Seven Warlords."

"..."

Upon hearing these three names, Smoker fell silent... If it were a lie, it would be exposed immediately since the names were explicitly stated.

Even so, Smoker still found it hard to believe.

So, Smoker raised his head and looked at Lucci beside him.

239·Departure

The Seven Warlords of the Sea...

Upon hearing those familiar words, Lucci's eyes narrowed slightly. Then, he saw Smoker's gaze.

Feeling the intense doubt and fingerprints in Smoker's gaze, Lucci couldn't help but lower his head slightly—in fact, with Lucci's abilities, the training and practice he received as a Level 1 Lucci, let alone this kind of questioning gaze, even if Lucci were to be threatened with hostages in front of him, his expression would not waver in the slightest.

They might even swiftly and decisively resolve the issue along with the hostages.

But sometimes, things can't be judged by appearances alone... Indeed, Lucci could deny it all. However, this kind of information could be easily gleaned by simply asking around with a Den Den Mushi...

"The Seven Warlords of the Sea have been abolished," Tina said calmly. "You can probably guess why, right?"

"……Um."

Although unwilling to admit it, after a long silence, Smoker quietly withdrew his fists and sullenly sat down on the sofa. He could guess from Tina's few words that it was definitely because of Sett. At the very least, it was inextricably linked to Sett. After all, long ago, Sett had made statements in the newspapers about "beating up the Seven Warlords of the Sea." However, at that time, only a few people in the Navy Headquarters and the World Government knew about the Warlord proposal.

“And then there’s the Sin Army Project…” Tina’s face was heavy when she talked about the Sin Army Project.

Although she had left the Navy, hearing that the World Government, to which she had once served and served, would make such a proposal, Tina couldn't help but feel a sense of shared sorrow...

"Simply put, it's about making the criminals in Impel Down, as part of a 'criminal legion' led by the World Government's intelligence agency, atone for their crimes..."

"..."

After a long silence, Smoker realized he didn't even have the strength to refute.

Even with his heart set on it, Smoker still couldn't believe the World Government would make such a choice. And more importantly, although Tina didn't explicitly state it, the meaning was unmistakable… those so-called criminal forces, theoretically, weren't under the Navy's jurisdiction, but rather belonged to special operations agencies like CP9. In other words, if they encountered danger during missions, the Navy didn't even have the authority to command them. In fact, they might even be under their command.

It's important to understand that the intelligence agencies, as organizations specifically serving World Government executives and Celestial Dragons, hold a higher status than the Navy. Even if the Sinister Army, under the jurisdiction of these agencies, publicly claims to be of lower status than the Navy, it's obvious that in practice, they are absolutely on par with the Navy… or perhaps even higher.

The thought that he might even be mocked face-to-face by the criminals he had arrested made Smoker feel a heavy weight in his heart—his defenses crumbled.

As he pondered, Smoker lost the will to argue... If it were just him who was emotionally charged, that would be one thing. But Smoker was someone with deep affection for the Navy. His childhood experiences had instilled in him an extreme hatred for pirates; one could say that without the Navy, there would be no Smoker as we know him today.

Indeed, the World Government's thinking is understandable. After all, the World Government's fighting strength has been severely weakened because of Sett. Coupled with the three Emperors' opportunistic actions, the World Government is now facing internal and external troubles and urgently needs to replenish its forces.

The criminals in Impel Down… each one possesses immense power. If they were truly killed, even a random Devil Fruit user who had been left out in the open could rise to become a new pirate. As things stand now, if the Crime Army plan were to actually succeed, Smoker is certain that the pressure on the World Government will be greatly reduced. At the very least, they can reclaim the first half of Paradise on the Grand Line intact. However, as a price, a decrease in the city's stability is inevitable…

Smoker joined the Marines because of pure strength, not to serve as a lackey for the World Government's high-ranking nobles. In Smoker's eyes, what good are cities, islands, and the paradise of the first half of the Grand Line if they're reclaimed?

The Navy's dignity was being trampled on—at this point, even Smoker himself asked himself: Was it still necessary for him to persist?

Thinking this, Smoker angrily swung his fist, sending a spray of dirt flying onto a nearby flowerpot. Then, he ruffled his hair fiercely, turned and left, saying, "Do whatever you want... I don't care anymore."

Open the shop.

Seeing this, Tina remained silent for a moment, then looked at Sett and asked, "What's wrong? Why don't you tell him about Teacher Zeff?"

Given Smoker's personality, Tina was certain that if Sett mentioned Zeff, Smoker would join the group without hesitation.

Sett scoffed indifferently, "Useless... that guy really likes the Navy."

Upon hearing Sett's words, Tina was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Sett to speak of Smoker in this way—Sett, however, remained calm; "Even if Smoker knew about that old man Zeff, it wouldn't matter. He'd come with us to Impel Down to kill the guy who hurt Zeff. And after that, he wouldn't come back with us; instead, he'd choose to stay there and accept the Navy's punishment."

As he said this, Sett stood up. Seeing this, Robin, who was standing next to him, picked up a fur coat that was far more flamboyant than the Navy uniform and looked like it was burning with flames, and draped it over Sett's shoulders.

"That guy was a Marine until the end, a decent friend. But this doesn't need any upright Marines... it's a tyrant's vigilante justice!!"

As he spoke, Sett strode forward. Outside the door stood Fujitora, already prepared—though he had joined the Casino of the Open, Fujitora had never strayed from the people. Rather, he had always been a wanderer upholding his own sense of justice. Regarding stopping the Criminal Army's proposal, Fujitora had absolutely no objection whatsoever…

Meanwhile, taking a deep breath, Lucci gave a suggestive look to his CP9 companions... No matter what, they had to find a way to disembark en route and pass on the information!

Having received the captain's order, Kaku and the others nodded silently.

But to Lucci's surprise, as Sett walked, a booming sound came from the plaza outside—it was the sound of Hextech motors!

I'll make up for the 1k I owe tomorrow.

240·Airborne

It has been said that no matter how advanced human technology becomes, we are always just boiling water in different ways.

This statement is undoubtedly biased, after all, besides energy technology, there are information technology, materials technology, biomedical technology, and so on... But in terms of energy technology, this statement is perfectly valid. However, the focus isn't on boiling water in different ways, but rather on researching how to boil water more efficiently.

At present, Antuo Island is barely scratching the surface of Hextech development. However, there is one exception—energy.

Even in the simplest way of utilizing Hextech Crystals, the energy they can provide is enormous... This can be seen from the fact that Ekko, the Time Assassin, was able to use Hextech Crystals to develop the Z-Drive and shake his own timeline.

Although Antoro Island is not yet powerful enough to shake the timeline, it is more than capable of connecting the modified threads to Hextech Crystals to turn them into energy batteries—simply controlling the frequency of energy output is sufficient!

As the powerful roar of the generators roared to life, Lucci's eyes widened in disbelief—before his eyes, three massive warships rose from the terrace above the Ark Casino. Hextech pumps continuously channeled high-density, crystalline blue energy into the warships' internal engines. Empowered by Hextech, the Wind-Swept Shells on the Ark Prophet began releasing intense wind pressure—the time it took to obtain the Hextech Crystals was simply too short. Even with Germa 66's advanced technology, they could only use the Hextech Crystals as an auxiliary tool to enhance the Ark Prophet's propulsion system.

But everyone knows that Hextech Crystals have unlimited potential.

"We're ready!"

Judge walked in from outside, his face filled with a solemn expression. Following Sett and the others' gazes, Judge also glanced back at the technological warship, a flicker of excitement uncontrollably appearing in his eyes. But it quickly turned to disappointment.

"If we had enough time, we could design a completely new warship centered around Hextech crystals... But the time we have now is too short. We're just using it as a battery, which is a waste of its potential..."

“That’s enough.” Sett didn’t care about the dissatisfaction in Judge’s words; “The progress of the times always gives people hope, and these minor shortcomings are not a problem.”

Gazing at the warship in the sky, Lucci felt a sudden dizziness. In a daze, when Lucci and the others came to their senses, they were already aboard the warship. Looking at the surrounding scenery, the warship soared high above the clouds. As far as the eye could see, the azure sea formed a perfect arc. The boundless expanse left Lucci with a profound sense of despair.

"What do you mean, Captain...? Should we still try to slide down?"

"..."

Hearing Kaku's somewhat nervous question, Lucci knew that Kaku was really afraid that he would nod... But Lucci wasn't stupid. Looking at the altitude of at least six thousand meters above the ground, after a moment of silence, Lucci silently shook his head: "Let's wait and see... They'll eventually have time to replenish their energy!"

Hearing Lucci's words, Kaku's eyes lit up—yes, although he didn't understand what the Hextech crystals Sett and the others were talking about were, Kaku was certain of one thing: keeping a standard warship over fifty meters long flying in the air required a massive amount of energy. Having learned about the Science and Technology Forces, Lucci knew very well that even the current World Government didn't have the capability to support such a standard warship flying for an extended period.

Therefore, in Lucci's plan, no matter how well Sett and the others prepared, and even if they had spare energy, they would need to change batteries at least two or three times from the West Blue to Impel Down... and the opportunity for them to leave would be during the battery replacement, when they would land and exchange for supplies!

With this thought in mind, Lucci's eyes filled with seriousness—opportunities were too few, and every single one had to be seized firmly!

With this in mind, Lucci followed Sett all the way to the skies above Impel Down.

"..."

Looking down at Impel Down, Lucci's eyes were filled with despair.

No other method would have been possible to reach the skies above Impel Down so easily—Impel Down is located in the Calm Belt, strategically positioned with Enies Lobby and Marine Headquarters. Because the Calm Belt lacks wind, the usual way to enter Impel Down is to attack Enies Lobby, push open the Gate of Justice, and then ride the ocean current through the massive whirlpool between Marine Headquarters, Impel Down, and Enies Lobby—and this current only extends from behind the Gate of Justice. Other currents simply carry people and ships to their designated areas.

Impel Down has been impenetrable from the outside since its inception—especially its outer walls, which are entirely constructed of Seastone to prevent damage from Sea Kings. For Devil Fruit users, it is a nightmare to behold; calling it indestructible is no exaggeration.

But that was all in the past... It was beyond Lucci's imagination. Along the way, the Prophet battleship didn't slow down at all, directly crossing the high walls of the Red Line, and in just four days, it had arrived above Impel Down!

The previously mentioned stationed soldiers, the chaotic ocean currents, and the unshakeable Gate of Justice were completely ignored...

"Hahaha~~~ That's fast!!" Having had experience at sea, Sett knew very well how amazing this speed was—or rather, the reason Sett chose to go to sea in the first place was not only to see the world, but also to familiarize himself with its details.

Otherwise, it would be too unprofessional for the big brother not to know the speed of the warship and the arrival time.

Even without any natural disasters, it would take ordinary warships at least a month and a half to reach this point. With the navy's blocking fire, the heavy Gate of Justice, and the elite marines of the Navy Headquarters just moments away, entering Impel Down would be virtually impossible without the combined efforts of two Emperors of the Sea—after all, the navy is no pushover.

But now, thanks to the Prophet warships, those defenses deployed on land and sea are practically a joke. If it weren't for the desire to avoid alerting the enemy, dropping a few bombs would be enough to send them to their deaths!