Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

Air superiority was obtained so easily!

"Begin the descent! Get your gifts ready for the meeting!!!"

Stepping onto the deck of the warship, Sett's face was filled with an arrogant expression.

Sett could somewhat guess what Lucci was thinking, but he didn't take it to heart at all—at six thousand meters in the air, did he really think everyone was Kaido?

Even if he's proficient with Mooncloth, so what? Even an old monster like Garp could only run about two thousand meters with Mooncloth. In the oxygen-deprived environment of high altitudes, without professional training, or with an unsuitable skill set, Lucci's strength would be reduced by at least 30%. Running downhill in this situation… yes, going downhill is easier than going uphill. But descending from six thousand meters, even if Lucci's stamina allowed him to go, his knees and legs would be ruined from the continuous pressure and impact by around two thousand meters.

Then came the free fall of five thousand meters.

Push through the city gate.

Being on duty at Impel Down is undoubtedly an extremely tedious job. After all, Impel Down is located in the Calm Belt, and apart from the prisoners from Enies Lobby and the supplies regularly delivered by the Navy, you can hardly see any ships, let alone birds or beasts.

Most sea monsters are lazy, spending most of their time sleeping and hunting on the muddy seabed, rarely surfacing. Under such conditions, even the most elite soldiers would eventually become lazy and slack off after a while.

In other words, the benefits are good, with meat at every meal and holiday perks. Otherwise, who would come to a place like this!

Thinking this, a hint of boredom appeared in the guard's eyes. Suddenly, a shadow fell from above. At first, the guard didn't pay any attention, only marveling at his good luck today; such a large cloud was blocking out the sun, finally providing some shade.

But then the guard noticed something was wrong—why didn't the shadow cast by the cloud move at all?

Looking up at the black shop in the sky, the guard felt a little confused—when did such a large bird appear in the windless zone?

But then the guards discovered a new problem—it wasn't a bird at all, but a warship flying in the air!

Realizing what was happening, the guards immediately sounded the alarm. Hearing the flashing alarm, the previously lax guards in the prison became alert. But unfortunately, their alertness was of no use—when they were still about three thousand meters from the water, Sett leaped from the deck, landing face-up with his limbs outstretched.

Was it suicide?

While people were still wondering, Sett had already approached the sea surface, his right arm bent backward. The muscles in his thighs, following the curve of his spine, continuously gathered power, and at the critical moment, people finally saw clearly what was falling from the sky—but only a very few could see it. For the vast majority, all they could see was a black afterimage falling from the sky!

His heroic spirit transformed into golden lightning, roaring and exploding from his arm. In the instant he swung it, the gates of Impel Down, along with the surrounding sea, seemed to detonate dozens of depth charges in a single moment. First, there was a momentary vacuum, followed by a massive surge of seawater that directly shattered the outer walls of Impel Down's gates.

241 Magellan

Happy Holidays!

Looking at the crowd before him, Sett's face was filled with arrogance.

To be honest, Sett never took this group of people seriously from the beginning—Impreg, though heavily guarded, was easy to defend and difficult to attack, so even now there weren't any truly capable people stationed there…

Alternatively, intelligence suggests that the warden of Impel Down poses no threat to Sett at all.

In contrast, Sett was more curious whether the group of Marine Admirals would arrive... but upon reflection, he probably wouldn't. After all, Sett's actions this time were widely expected.

How could anyone who truly loves the Navy possibly agree with such an outrageous plan as the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the Sin Army?

At other times, it's fine; considering the guidance he received from Zeff, Garp, and himself, Sett wouldn't hesitate to show mercy... but if someone tries to stop him now, Sett won't care about anything else.

Sett looked at the group of people in front of him, stretched his shoulders a couple of times, and then casually said, "If there's nothing else, just leave the door wide open. I'm always reasonable and I hate violence the most."

Upon hearing Sett's words, the guards nearby exchanged glances—not only them, but even Robin and the others on the spaceship rubbed their temples in exasperation.

It's one thing if other people say that, but for Sett to say he doesn't like violence—don't be ridiculous. Compared to Sett, even someone like Akainu who pursues absolute justice can be considered merciful… However, not everyone thinks that way. For example, the slave soldiers on the Proverb battleship, upon hearing Sett say he was merciful, nodded in full agreement.

These slaves were the same ones from Mary Geoise. However, with the development of Antwerp Island and the abolition of slavery, many homeless slaves simply came to Antwerp Island to pledge their loyalty to Sett… Others might consider Sett cruel. But to them, Sett was a savior. In terms of loyalty alone, even the long-time employees of the Casino of the End might not be as loyal as them…

If one were to pinpoint the reason, it might be the legendary convert fanaticism—simply put, convert fanaticism refers to new converts to a religion who exhibit even greater piety and fervor than long-time believers. A well-known example is modern Spain. After its restoration from Protestant rule, Spain became a fanatical Catholic and launched numerous wars that were severely detrimental to its national interests under dubious religious pretexts. As a result, they failed to gain Jehovah's favor and instead declined due to frequent warfare.

To put it more simply, it means: "The traitors killed their own people even more ruthlessly than the Japanese."

However, when applied to the slave army, this kind of fanaticism among converts isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's just that they're sometimes overly fanatical, but Sett doesn't care. He simply instructs Robin to do some basic literacy work. Once their knowledge increases, they'll naturally know what they should be doing… the more ignorant people are, the more superstitious they are. As for whether they'll betray Sett after gaining knowledge… Sett can't be bothered with that.

Sett enjoys being worshipped, but he absolutely doesn't want to become a religion or a god. Even if they decide to leave Antwerp Island to fight it out, Sett won't stop them or try to stop them—this sea is definitely more thrilling to pound when it's teeming with life!

"Sett is here?!"

Upon hearing the news from outside, Magellan, who was reading the newspapers in the restroom, was filled with surprise. Despite Impel Down's remoteness, its upper echelons, like Magellan, were quite aware of what was happening at sea. They hadn't just read the newspapers; they had even watched the live broadcast of the Mary Geoise massacre… after all, Mary Geoise was less than half a day's sea voyage from Impel Down.

Knowing full well Sett's power, Magellan was initially stunned upon hearing the news of Sett's arrival, but his face quickly turned grave. Indeed, in terms of the number of his men, Sett was inferior to the Navy, the World Government, and even more so to the great pirates who had carved up the New World. But if one had to name the most troublesome, it would undoubtedly be Sett. Although it was known that Sett would lose his mind when he went berserk, and Sett himself had mentioned more than once in Morgans' reports how disgusting his berserk state was, there was no denying that as long as Sett was alive, his terrifying record was awe-inspiring.

The most obvious point is that even the Celestial Dragons haven't dared to cause trouble lately... In the past, if the tribute from the heavens to member states of the World Government arrived even a few days late, they would be severely reprimanded, insulted, and even punished by the Celestial Dragons. They didn't care even if it was due to natural disasters; in their eyes, the lives of lowly people were no different from weeds. They were born to serve the offspring of their creators.

But now, the West Blue has essentially declared independence, and both the Navy and other agents of the World Government are giving Antwerp Island the run. Although it was only a ripple effect, it still killed nearly 60-70% of the Celestial Dragons. Even so, Sett's wanted poster has not been released... and even some of the original wanted posters for the West Blue have been withdrawn. Anyone with a brain knows how formidable Sett is now.

Is the intention to recruit the criminals from Impel Down into their ranks?

Magellan thought to himself—as a pirate, this was undoubtedly an excellent choice.

Sett's only weakness compared to other major maritime powers is the lack of a strong and numerous subordinate force. Fujitora is one, Mundo is another. The rest are merely the backbone, not the pillars. Impel Down, on the other hand, is overflowing with notorious criminals and villains… If Sett were to truly recruit them, it's foreseeable that he would become, or even surpass the World Government, the most powerful force on the seas!

After all, every single monster imprisoned in Impel Down possesses not only immense strength but also a wealth of connections and resources...

I thought that Sergeant, being under the command of Admiral Zephyr, would be more trustworthy than those great pirates... but now it seems that he is indeed a cut above the rest.

Thinking this, a serious look appeared in Magellan's eyes.

He knew it would be a tough battle.

"Everyone, prepare for battle! Absolutely no retreat!!!"

At his command, without the slightest hesitation, Magellan strode forward, his aura spreading outwards. He then led the way towards the gate, his eyes filled with seriousness—even a readiness to face death.

Faced with Sett's terrifying physique, Magellan even doubted whether his poison would be effective!

Following Magellan, Shiryu of the Rain sneered as he wiped his longsword: "Kill him... Magellan, and my sentence should be over, right?"

"……snort!"

Magellan paid no heed to Shiryu of the Rain's words—as someone with his own sense of justice, Magellan knew very well just how wicked Shiryu of the Rain was beside him.

As the warden of Impel Down, Shiryu of the Rain, in terms of sheer strength, could even fight Magellan to a standstill. Such power is clearly an underutilization of his talents as warden. If we're really going to consider it, he should be a deputy warden… but the only problem, and also the biggest problem, is…

Shiryu of the Rain was extremely bloodthirsty, often killing prisoners without cause to satisfy his desires. For this reason, Magellan repeatedly imprisoned Shiryu... The prisoners in Impel Down were not good people, so he was only put in solitary confinement.

However, during one of his imprisonments, Shiryu of the Rain's bloodlust erupted, and the uncontrollable Shiryu of the Rain killed the guards to satisfy his desires... This can be considered a major taboo in Impel Down.

Therefore, Shiryu of the Rain was sentenced to death with a reprieve by Magellan. In the original story, Shiryu had already been imprisoned for ten years when Whitebeard attacked Impel Down. Now, however, he has been imprisoned for less than a year, and has been released early because of Sett…

A short while later, with a heavy thud, the door opened, and Magellan, dressed in a black overcoat, walked out with a solemn expression.

Unlike his future self, Magellan's current height is not yet that of a colossal figure approaching five meters. At least for now, he appears to be only slightly over four meters tall. He is completely covered by a thick Impel Down cloak, and everyone around him, from the guards to the warden and deputy warden, wears gas masks that cover their mouths and noses.

Not only is Magellan's height and physique inferior, but his control over toxins is also far less than in the future. His entire body is covered in poison; even the slightest touch can transmit deadly pathogens. Even food remains contaminated upon contact with Magellan. As a poison-man, Magellan possesses immense strength, but as a price, even with the power of an admiral, he cannot walk in the light like other admirals.

"You must be Magellan, the director here?"

Looking at Magellan before him, Sett said casually, "His ability is the Venom-Venom Fruit, which means that both his breathing and excretion contain a huge amount of poison. Ordinary people would die from endless torment if they were to come into contact with it even slightly... No wonder you have the strength of an admiral but stay in Impel Down. If you were really sent out to lead the Marines, before the enemy even makes a move, you would probably wipe out your own crew with a single carelessness."

"This is none of your business."

Magellan paid no heed to Sett's casual words—or rather, he was already used to it. He knew better than anyone that he wasn't suited to leading the navy at sea. Or perhaps, more than that, Magellan was concerned about Sett's objectives.

Magellan's eyes widened suddenly as he stared at Sett, demanding sharply, "What are you doing here! Impel Down is a top priority for the World Government; absolutely no outsiders are allowed to enter!!!"

242·Antibody

Sett paid no attention to Magellan's words, his eyes filled only with unbridled madness.

Sett's response to Magellan's words was simple: "What do you mean by the World Government's top priority... After all that talk, it all boils down to the World Government's dumping ground. I wouldn't feel sorry if every single piece of trash in there died."

Standing there tall and imposing, Sett's tone was nonchalant—from the very beginning, Sett had never been one to hide his thoughts. And now, having reached his current position, Sett possessed the power to do as he pleased on this sea. In other words, Sett's strength and status had now reached a point where others had to consider his thoughts, rather than Sett having to consider others' thoughts.

Upon hearing Sett's words, Magellan's eyes narrowed—although he was the warden of Impel Down, Magellan still agreed with Sett's assessment. Every single criminal here was a bad person. However, what surprised Magellan was that these words actually came from Sett's mouth… If he knew this, why did Sett even come here?

Watching Sett, who was eager to fight and already rubbing his hands together, Magellan took a deep breath and decided to ask him questions first—although he knew Sett's strength, Magellan wasn't afraid. As the user of the Venom-Venom Fruit, Sett's regenerative abilities were indeed extremely strong. However, after careful consideration before coming outside, Magellan had devised a plan for how to fight Sett… The toxins Magellan possessed were far beyond what any single toxin in nature could match.

The fighting is fine, but if the facilities of Impel Down are damaged in the fighting, then if even one prisoner escapes, it will be an unimaginable disaster for the world!

Sett didn't hide anything from this: "I'm here to kill someone."

"...Murder?" Magellan's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing Sett's words. After a moment's thought, Magellan remembered a criminal imprisoned in the sixth level of the underwater prison, the Infinite Hell.

"Is it... Whitebeard Jr.?"

Upon hearing Magellan's question, Sett raised an eyebrow and then nodded.

"Yes."

Magellan had heard about Zephyr's situation—and to be honest, he was also somewhat displeased with it. After all, as a Marine Admiral, Zephyr was arguably the most peaceful and popular member of the Marines. Even Magellan himself had received a lot of encouragement from Zephyr. But now, even his enemy couldn't be executed… A hero's decline is inevitable, and the death of a friend brings sorrow. As a fellow subordinate of the World Government, it was impossible for Magellan to be completely indifferent.

But that's also where the problem lies...

"I am the warden of Impel Down, appointed by the World Government!" Magellan assumed a fighting stance as he stared at Sett. However, unlike before, the initial hatred and hostility in Magellan's eyes were gone, replaced by unwavering resolve—"Imperial Castle is not to be entered by any outsiders!!"

Upon hearing Magellan's words, before Sett could say anything, a sudden gust of cold wind arose from the side. Before anyone could react, Shiryu of the Rain, unable to contain his killing intent, stepped forward, his tall figure towering over Magellan, his gaze fixed on Sett, his eyes filled with fanatical killing intent: "Let's get straight to the point, Magellan!!!"

The moment the words fell, Shiryu of the Rain drew his famous sword in an instant, its blade gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight. Then, without the slightest pause, as if even the air itself had been sliced ​​open, Shiryu of the Rain's strike, swift and silent, became a streak of motionless afterimage as it slashed towards Sett's neck.

Magellan wanted to stop him, but Shiryu of the Rain was too fast. When he saw Shiryu draw his sword, Magellan cursed inwardly—clearly, Shiryu was simply unable to control his killing intent and was taking the initiative because he was afraid the battle would end prematurely.

Indeed, releasing Shiryu of the Rain was a mistake!

Although it was a mistake, releasing him was ultimately his own decision. Looking at Sett, Magellan lowered his voice and said coldly, "Excuse me." Immediately afterward, his body was covered in dark purple slime.

Seeing this, the surrounding soldiers hurriedly fled into Impel Down—Magellan himself couldn't perfectly control his Devil Fruit. And with attention focused on Sett during the battle, the spread of the poison was almost inevitable! Sure enough, in just a few seconds, with the dripping of venom, a pile of dead fish, belly up, appeared on the surface of the water around Impel Down.

Seeing Shiryu of the Rain's murderous strike, Sett's eyes showed no fear. On the contrary, the twisted will he had suppressed from the beginning, which had now erupted in an instant. The once calm sea was swept away by this aura, and in an instant, rolling waves surged outwards.

Armament Haki covered his dark arms, adorned with golden patterns. The instant flesh touched the blade, the sensation made hope Liu's gaze sharpen – it wasn't the feel of striking flesh. In fact, quite the opposite, it felt like striking a piece of steel; the recoil even made Xi Liu feel a slight numbness in his hand!

Taking the slashes head-on with his forearm—while the berserk mode is frustrating, it undeniably enhances Sett's potential. It's similar to training; after each workout, muscles heal, undergoing supercompensation in the process, resulting in a stronger and more resilient physique.

Without giving Shiryu of the Rain a chance to attack again, Sett stretched out his hand, his right arm grabbing the dark blade before Shiryu could retract it. Seeing this, Shiryu's eyes flashed with anger—in battle, directly grasping a swordsman's blade was arguably the most blatant form of humiliation.

Unfortunately, Shiryu of the Rain was shocked to discover that Sett's arm strength had reached an appalling level. With bulging veins, the blade in Sett's hand felt like it was stuck in stone. No matter how hard Shiryu tried to pull it out, the blade wouldn't budge an inch!

Then, in everyone's sight, Sett's arm moved violently again, and he grabbed the blade in his hand, forcefully pulling Shiryu of the Rain off the ground, and then slammed him down onto the thick brick ground like a straw.

bump!!!!

With a heavy thud, Shiryu of the Rain slammed his back against the hard rock. Fine cracks spread outwards, and along with the crimson blood, the cigar that Shiryu of the Rain had been holding in his mouth fell to the ground and rolled into the sea with the tremor.

Before he could react, Sett's steel-thick thigh delivered a vicious kick to the heart, shattering the entrance gate of Impel Down!

Amidst a chaotic commotion, Sett coldly flicked his hand. Crimson blood splattered from his fingertips—the destructive power of a direct sword strike and a mere cut were entirely different things. Relying on his taut muscles and powerful Armament Haki, Sett could use his arm to directly block Shiryu's slash. But like just now, in the instant he clenched and swung, even Sett's hand was instantly severed.

This kind of injury might impair the combat ability of others, but for Sett... almost in the next second, right before everyone's eyes, the wound on Sett's palm began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye. Moments later, not even a trace of white residue remained.

Seeing this, Magellan deeply realized Sett's power, his eyes filled with solemnity. Then, two thick, dark purple streaks of venom rose fiercely from Magellan's back.

"Poison Dragon!!!"