Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

"Come on, that's enough." Hearing Kizaru's pretentious attitude, Sett waved his hand dismissively. "I bet you guys have even bigger complaints than I do, but you're too scared to act... I'm leaving. Don't forget to tell Zeff what I said. And you guys too, Antuo Island is short-staffed, you can switch jobs with me whenever you want, the benefits are negotiable~"

Hearing Sett's words, Kizaru shook his head helplessly, but didn't say anything more—although the Marine Headquarters' top combatants had suffered heavy losses in their battle with Sett, the strange thing was that even Kizaru and Akainu, who had been severely injured by Sett himself, didn't seem to harbor much hatred towards him.

Firstly, even a fool could see that Sett was in a berserk state and lacked rationality. Secondly, what Sett did was actually what many insightful individuals in the World Government and the Navy's Internal Security Department wanted to do. It's just that their positions dictated that they couldn't be as free as Sett. It felt like the goddess you were pursuing was sleeping with another man, and you were helping to push her butt. Even though you didn't do it yourself, you still felt somewhat involved.

"I'll hand it over to him... By the way, is Impel Down alright?"

As he said this, a hint of worry appeared on Kizaru's face—and it's no wonder he thought this way. After all, the destructive power Sett had displayed before was simply too immense. It's no exaggeration to say that even a tenth of the destructive power Sett displayed in Mary Geoise would have reduced Impel Down to ruins.

While I agree with Sett's actions, it doesn't mean that Sett has the right to break the law... But thinking about it carefully, even without Sett, the laws of this world are still as ridiculous as a joke, making them difficult to abide by.

At the very least, obeying the law can never abolish slavery.

Sett shook his head at this: "Impact is fine... well, nothing serious. I'm leaving now. You can talk to Zeff yourself. I'm too lazy to get involved."

Having said that, Sett didn't bother to say anything more. He strode towards the sea.

Seeing this, Kizaru instinctively wanted to stop him and say something. But after glancing at Sett's back and then at the severed head in his hand, he remained silent for a moment before finally sighing. A look of melancholy appeared on his wrinkled old face, and then he turned around and walked slowly toward the port with his usual leisurely demeanor: "Tell Fleet Admiral Sengoku that I'm going to visit my teacher. Please grant me a leave of absence."

Upon hearing Kizaru's words, the adjutant nodded and immediately jogged towards Sengoku's office. Meanwhile, the elite Marines who had witnessed everything exchanged glances. They looked at each other, then at Sett's retreating figure, before finally shaking their heads and going about their business…

It's strange, really. Sett, despite being an enemy of the World Government, enjoys considerable prestige within the Navy. The reason isn't hard to guess. While Sett did clash with the Navy on Mary Geoise, he only really fought the three Admirals and Sengoku. This high-level brawl didn't affect the lives of ordinary soldiers—in other words, the Navy's lower-ranking soldiers, mid-level officers, and even most of the upper-ranking officers had no grudge against Sett. Furthermore, Sett had eliminated many factors the Navy disliked, such as slavery and the Celestial Dragons…

Logically speaking, the Navy and the West Blue should be sworn enemies. But in reality, the Navy is actually quite close to the West Blue... After all, the former West Blue Navy personnel who withdrew from the West Blue have spoken at length about the advantages of the West Blue—before Sett went berserk, life on Antuo Island was arguably the most stable and safest in the four seas due to joint law enforcement.

While Sett was still on his way back to the West Blue, on the other side, at a Marine branch located in the Grand Line, Kizaru knocked on the door of a house.

Hearing a knock at the door, there was a moment of silence, followed by two footsteps approaching and a voice asking through the door, "Who is it?"

"It is I, Borsalino."

Hearing the question, Kizaru wasn't surprised. Upon hearing Kizaru's reply, the other person quickly opened the wooden door—it was none other than Zephyr's last two students, the only two survivors on the training ship—Ain and Binz.

When the training ship was attacked by pirates, Binz used the power of the Lush-Lush Fruit to catalyze the wooden structure of the ship, while Ain used the power of the Reverse-Reverse Fruit to shrink their size, thus hiding in the wood.

After that, Ain and Binz went into seclusion with Zephyr... or perhaps, stayed by Zephyr's side, hoping that Zephyr wouldn't do anything foolish.

Without saying much, the three of them exchanged glances and nodded in tacit agreement.

Arriving at Zephyr's secluded house, Kizaru could still see the food placed outside the door... it was cold, without a trace of being eaten. The people of this world possess incredibly resilient vitality; they can go without water for three days, let alone three, and truly strong individuals can go a month without much trouble. This is evident in the case of Sanji's master, Red-Leg Zeff—Zeff and Sanji were stranded on a desert island for a full eighty-five days. During this time, Zeff endured scorching sun and lived on dew and wind, his only food being his own feet and the occasional downpour for hydration.

Even under these circumstances, Zeff remained energetic and healthy afterward, without suffering any serious long-term effects.

“The teacher hasn’t eaten for two months… and just locks himself in his room, ignoring our knocking.”

A worried voice came from the side—if it weren't for the occasional sound of Zephyr talking about his wife and children, Ain and Binz would probably have already rushed in.

After a moment of silence, Kizaru sighed heavily and then knocked on the wooden door.

Unlike Binz and the others, Zephyr ignored the knocking and didn't respond at all. Kizaru didn't say anything either, simply extending his palm and melting the lock with photon-like heat before pushing it open and going inside.

The room was dark, extremely dim. There were no windows, making it feel very cramped and confined. In this dim light, Zephyr's massive frame sat quietly cross-legged. However, unlike before, under Kizaru's influence, the Zephyr of the past always stood tall, constantly reminding himself that he was a role model for all Marines and could not show the slightest sign of slackness.

But now, his beard was unkempt, and his once straight back seemed to have collapsed under the weight of something. He lowered his head, and when he heard someone push open the door, Zefa turned around blankly. His once vibrant eyes were now filled with a dejected look. Even his once vigorous face was now covered with deep wrinkles in just a few months, making him appear as if he had aged decades in an instant…

That's how the world of One Piece works: people with unwavering beliefs can look just as vibrant as they are in their sixties. Even a weakling like Zeff, who can only slack off in the first half of the Grand Line, managed to survive eighty-five days of scorching sun and hardship. But when beliefs crumble and spirit dissipates, a person's vitality and energy will age rapidly at a visible rate.

Zefa's current condition is entirely due to his strong physical constitution. If it were anyone else, they would probably already be in the ICU discussing how to make their wheelchair run faster.

He didn't say much about it—or rather, Kizaru knew that anything he said now would be futile. So he simply handed the package to Zephyr.

Silence. Zephyr's gaze remained as still as stagnant water.

Seeing this, Kizaru said, "It was Sett who asked me to give it to you..."

"..."

Upon hearing Sett's name, Zephyr's eyes flickered. He looked up at Kizaru, seemingly regaining some of his energy, and then reached out his withered hand to open the package.

------------

I checked the League of Legends timeline yesterday, and it seems a bit difficult... I'm planning to play Hearthstone (the League of Legends version) to learn more about the lore and stuff. So yesterday's 6k post was for work, hence no need to bark.

255. Becoming an outlaw

Staring at the severed head before him, Zephyr fell into a long silence. His dull, lifeless eyes stared blankly, lost in thought. After a moment, he burst into tears. Seeing this, Kizaru knew it wasn't appropriate for him to say anything. So he simply followed Ain and the others out of the room.

On the way, Ain's eyes were filled with hesitation and doubt, turning back every few steps as if she wanted to ask something. Kizaru simply shook his head—though he seemed nonchalant, he knew better than anyone else what was going on. No amount of persuasion could change Zephyr's mind now; only Zephyr could figure things out for himself to avoid problems. And now, with Whitebeard Jr.'s head, Zephyr should feel a little more at ease.

Rather than waiting here, Kizaru knew there was something more important to do next—to buy some food.

After two months without food or water, Zephyr has regained his strength, and a large meal is almost a certainty—his powerful physique means greater exertion. While Zephyr was recovering, Kizaru returned carrying a large amount of food.

Originally, Ain and Binz wanted to make it themselves—those two little guys didn't even think about how much ready-made food they could make in such a short time.

As an admiral, Kizaru was naturally not short of money; the food he bought was piled up in the house like a small mountain. Seeing this food, Zephyr didn't say a word, but went to the table and began to devour it. Large quantities of food, whether meat or other vegetables, were quickly chewed into small pieces and swallowed. In just a few moments, the mountain of food was reduced to nothing, becoming Zephyr's nourishment.

Of course, as a price, Zephyr also had to endure for a long time, standing there with a big belly, slowly digesting—not everyone is like Sett, who can use his enhanced organs to convert all food into nutrients and store them with his breathing.

"Sett went to Impel Down?"

Zephyr inquired, though his tone betrayed no doubt—others might not know, but didn't Sett Zephyr know? Sett had landed on the Holy Land of Mary Geoise for some fabricated reason. If Sett hadn't chosen to resist but had instead confessed, he might still be working as a bounty hunter fighting pirates.

But Sett's personality was far too strong; he preferred directness to compromise. Not only did he show no intention of yielding in the face of encirclement, but he also crippled most of the Marines, causing chaos on the high seas as large numbers of pirates crossed the Red Line and began wreaking havoc in Paradise.

"Hmm... Although the situation is still unclear, the losses at Impel Down are estimated to be substantial. Like the Shichibukai plan, the Sin Army plan may also have to be temporarily shelved."

Upon hearing Kizaru's words, Zephyr's eyes flickered—as a veteran Marine, if there was anything Zephyr still couldn't let go of, it was the Marines themselves. However, time and again, the World Government had severely dampened Zephyr's enthusiasm as a Marine. Especially now, hearing that even the Sinister Army Project needed to be handled by an "outsider" like Sett, a flood of emotions surged through Zephyr, leaving him feeling somewhat conflicted…

Could Sett really be considered an outsider? Zeff couldn't help but ask himself—first, the abolition of slavery, the reduction of Celestial Dragons' interference in foreign affairs, the abandonment of the Shichibukai plan, and now the shelving of the Sin Army plan… any one of these was something this old Marine desperately wanted to achieve. However, Zeff also knew very well that everything Sett had done, each and every one of these things, was beyond the capabilities of even the Marines themselves…

Kizaru glanced at Zephyr before him, wanting to offer words of comfort, but the words caught in his throat, and he didn't know how to say them—Kizaru was inherently a lazy person. It would be better if it were Aokiji or Akainu; after all, the former had once possessed a passionate sense of justice, and the latter had steadfastly maintained his path to this day. Kizaru? From beginning to end, he seemed indifferent to power. He even half-heartedly promoted himself to the position of Admiral.

Scratching his head, Kizaru said, "Sett also said that if you really can't stay idle, he'll let you go to the West Blue to take a look... Although Sett has parted ways with the Navy now, I still believe in his character."

"Ah."

Hearing Kizaru's words, Zephyr nodded. Then, Zephyr, who was known for his strict self-discipline, lit a cigar, took a deep breath, and a strange light appeared in his eyes: "At least, much better than those insects."

"..." Although not explicitly stated, even a idiot like Kizaru could guess that Zephyr was referring to the Celestial Dragons or high-ranking officials of the World Government located on the Red Line. As a Marine, while Kizaru harbored some resentment towards them, he kept it to himself. And as a former Marine Admiral, the former Zephyr would have proactively advised them to understand the World Government's difficulties...

And now... it's clear that Zephyr has completely lost hope in the World Government.

He stood up; the food was almost digested. Before leaving, Zephyr paused for a long time, but finally picked up the navy coat hanging on the wall and said, "I'm going to the West Blue... No need to see me off. Just tell them if Sengoku or the others ask."

With that, Zephyr turned and left without a word. Unlike before—Kizaru could clearly sense it. Before, no matter the circumstances, Zephyr's gaze was always gentle. But now, Kizaru could actually sense an expression in Zephyr's eyes similar to that of Akainu Sakazuki.

Clearly, these successive events dealt a heavy blow to Zeff—even altering the values ​​he had cultivated over decades. At least, although he knew that the Zeff before him was his teacher, Kizaru simply couldn't reconcile this decisive, cold-blooded man, whose eyes were filled with suppressed hatred, with his own gentle teacher who believed everyone had the opportunity to repent.

However, this seems to be the best outcome... At least, Kizaru cannot imagine whether he can maintain his initial rationality after experiencing all these things.

Meanwhile, Zephyr had already taken Ain and Binz to Antuo Island. On the other side, CP9's Rob Lucci was in a terrible predicament.

Sett didn't take him with him when he left—while Sett was entering the sixth level, Lucci took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and stole a small boat, following the current of the whirlpool to Marine Headquarters—the matter of Impel Down hadn't been exposed yet, so the Marines weren't nervous when they saw the World Government's agents.

Of course, not being nervous is one thing, but being annoyed is another—as agents of the World Government, some Navy members see CP9 as stealing their credit. Although there's no real conflict, the annoyance is still there.

Rob Lucci didn't care about this displeasure. Instead, he used his status as a secret agent to get a speedboat and immediately set sail to escape—in fact, Lucci was somewhat confused about where he should go.

Having followed Sett all the way to Impel Down, Rob Lucci was being watched by all the Impel Down officials, guards, and wardens. He was now in a truly dire situation, like mud had fallen into his pants – even if he wasn't already in a mess, he was still in a mess.

In this situation, all explanations are futile—especially given Rob Lucci's prior criminal record.

During the time in Flevans, during the Water Seven... facing the World Government's suspicions, Rob Lucci relied on his overwhelming strength and swift, decisive methods to resolve everything. However, his repeated failures were all due to Sett, to the point that Rob Lucci began to wonder if Sett was his nemesis.

As it stands now, CP9 is definitely not going back... Rob Lucci is certain that as soon as he stepped into the gates of CP9, Spandam's father, Spandam, was about to smash a cup as a signal, and then five hundred axemen would file out from both sides, take him down on the spot, and question him about why he had barged into the White Tiger Hall with a sword, or rather, into CP9 with a fist.

There's nothing we can do. The past is a minor matter. After all, Sett's ferocity is well-known. At most, it just gives Lucian a label of incompetence. Although it's embarrassing, at least his life won't be in danger.

But the problem is that Lucci's superior Spandam died this time, while he himself not only survived, but also followed Sett all the way to Impel Down—how do you explain that?

There's no way to explain it.

“CP9 can’t go back, and Kaku and the others are still on Antuo Island…” Lucci stroked his chin, a hint of seriousness on his face. Clearly, Lucci had no other options left.

Even if he returned to CP9 now, he wouldn't escape death... Lucci does harbor some hatred towards Sett, but if you had to say, that hatred is nothing compared to his loathing of Spandam, that incompetent bastard.

After all, brainwashed by the World Government's "dark justice," Lucci instinctively felt that Sett's actions seemed more in line with the concept of "justice"... Well, that's all nonsense. The only truth is that he was prepared to surrender; reasons were secondary. He could easily come up with a whole bunch of excuses.

With this thought in mind, Rob Lucci no longer hesitated. He took out a special, unmeasurable Den Den Mushi and called the CP9 members to tell them to stay put and not make any trouble. At the same time, he hurried towards the West Blue. Although they were all outlaws, Lucci preferred to join Antuo Island in the West Blue than the pirates of the New World.

After all, the CP9 members have seen firsthand the beauty of Antuo Island.

Meanwhile, Sett temporarily boarded a passing cruise ship and began taking stock of his spoils—the prisoners of Impel Down were a good source of income.

256·Science and Technology Handbook

The saying that Impel Down's criminals are a breeding ground for people is no exaggeration—at least, Sett's haul this time was definitely substantial.

What surprised Sett the most was acquiring the rune: "Overgrowth".

Effect: Whenever a life dies around the rune holder, the rune holder gains maximum health – the one with the weakest average quality among organs, muscles, and bones.

Upon seeing the rune, Sett's eyes lit up with excitement. Although he didn't say it, Sett could clearly feel his bones were already feeling the strain during this time... especially during the battle in Impel Down. Although he hadn't suffered any major damage, he could clearly feel a stinging pain in the bones of the parts that exerted force during the bursts of power.

That was the pressure from his muscles—if he continued to grow abnormally like this, Sett was certain that one day he would be killed by his own muscles... Well, he wouldn't die, but he could only rely on the Iron Body to keep him alive.

Antuo Island is still under development, and it's a bit painful to waste a can of steel compound every day for no reason—mainly because this unnecessary consumption is somewhat annoying.

With his over-growth already established, Sett will essentially no longer need additional skill acquisition—partly because the skills he already possesses are sufficient. Furthermore, due to his berserk state, Sett has witnessed the terrifying limits of their abilities. In particular, his mastery of Conqueror's Haki has elevated Sett's combat capabilities to a new level.

Previously, Sett could only fight using his muscles. Now, however, Sett has mastered the ability to enhance his power through mental focus—this new source of power represents a more multi-dimensional fighting style, including skill development. Kurikara's Unwavering Stance sounds impressive, but it's essentially an instantaneous burst of all mental and physical power. Based on this, it breaks through defenses from a single point, causing immense destructive force.

If this technique could be applied to other moves, such as slashing, knee strikes, and elbow strikes, Sett's destructive power would rise to a new level.

Putting everything else aside, at least beating a sea emperor to a pulp shouldn't be a problem...

Thinking this, a hint of regret flashed in Sett's eyes—the criminals in Impel Down were all incredibly powerful. It was just a pity they were too weak. Especially Shiki, even after a hearty meal, his strength was only about 70% of his peak. And because of the environment, he couldn't fully utilize his Float-Float Fruit abilities.

And then there's that girl named Katarina. Although her Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit was incredibly powerful, she became tainted by the Void, and the result was horrific. Forget about her life; even her soul became sustenance for some Void creature.

It's a pity I can't go to Impel Down often—Sett thought. At least 60% of the Level 6 criminals were killed in the aftershocks of this battle alone. Especially the strongest ones, who died instantly in direct combat. The remaining smaller fry wouldn't be very satisfying to fight. I just hope the World Government sends more high-ranking criminals to Impel Down next time, so I can reap even greater rewards next time.

Thinking about this, Sett couldn't help but feel a little grateful—the World Government wasn't so bad after all. At least here, they spared no effort in sending the biggest criminals to Impel Down, saving him the trouble of searching for them one by one. It was like this now, collecting them periodically and harvesting them regularly. What was that saying again? Right, we need to follow a path of sustainable development.

There are still some points left. The Demacian Anti-Magic Stone goes without saying; as the cheapest item in the system, it's practically a consolation prize in pay-to-win mobile games. It's not even an SR rarity item; it's just a regular two- or three-star upgrade material. Basically, every time the shop refreshes, there are always a few extra three- or four-star stones.

Immediately after that, Sett discovered something new—"Fragments of Master Durand's Golem Manual. Author: Durand."

"Demacia's First Shieldbearer Standard Armament and Training Manual. Author: Garen."

"Hextech Grimoire. Author: Heimerdinger."

"Key Points of Hextech Research and Application. By Senator Talis."