Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

"Judge, how are things on your end?"

As he said this, Sett turned his gaze to Judge, who had been staring wide-eyed ever since Sett took out the Hextech Crystal, constantly examining it through his analytical lenses and calculating. Now, hearing Sett's question, Judge nodded after a moment of calculation and said, "Vegapunk's androids can use Hextech Crystals... The general circuitry is similar to the previous Prophecy Ship, but the circuitry isn't strong enough; it might collapse internally if the time exceeds ten minutes."

Can the problem be solved?

"Yes." A hint of pride rose in Judge's eyes—pride, vanity, and arrogance, though. But in matters of technology, Judge was confident he was second to none. Unfortunately, Ser wasn't asking Judge's question.

"I mean Vegapunk, is he any good?"

Upon hearing Ser's question about Vegapunk, Judge's eyes flashed with disgust, but he still said, "That guy is quite clever... It's not difficult for him."

"very good."

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Sett nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the CP0 agent beside him and tossed over the Hextech fragment from the robot's heart.

Somewhat flustered, the agent caught the crystal shard in both hands. Although he didn't understand Sett's meaning, the agent knew the shard was incredibly valuable—at least, in that instant, the Pacifista's power had increased by more than one level! Even holding it in his hands, the agent could clearly feel the immense energy emanating from the shard. Compared to Sett's bio-battery heart, this shard was not only smaller but also had a much higher energy density.

To this, Sett simply said, "This thing is called a Hextech Crystal, and it's also a key to the future—consider it a gift from me to Im."

Despite saying that, Sett was certain that the crystal would eventually end up in Vegapunk's hands.

Hearing Sett's words, everyone present was utterly bewildered. This included the agent—after all, anyone with a modicum of sense could guess the immense value of this crystal. The mere sight of it increasing the robots' power was priceless! They had previously heard Dr. Vegapunk claim that the Proverbs Fleet couldn't exist because its power source was unsustainable. But now, it was clear that it was all inextricably linked to the crystal in their possession.

Sett, are you going to release this kind of thing?

Realizing something, Robin fell into thought. Beside her, Judge stared wide-eyed, his eyes filled with disbelief—was Sett going to abandon her and choose Vegapunk? No, impossible! In other areas, Judge believed he was second to none when it came to science!

To this, Sett simply said, "This is the key to the future. Of course, I won't keep it all to myself. If you want it, trade something for it. Aren't you guys doing business with Kaido using seastone? This stuff is way more useful than seastone, which is only good for making shackles!!!"

"..."

Upon hearing Sett's words, the agent couldn't help but swallow hard—he had initially worried about dying a violent death, or at least being punished for the damage done to the Pacifistas if Sett didn't kill him. But now it seemed… he might even rise to prominence!

While everyone was still frantically thinking, Sett turned his gaze to Judge and the other scholars beside him, his eyes filled with arrogance, and said:

"I can't be bothered to support a bunch of freeloaders!!!"

Hextech is the future, and Hextech Crystals are the keys to that future. Sett had considered making it unique to Sett's city... but from another perspective...

Monopolizing the future of Wrist City, compared to monopolizing the future of the entire world... seems to be more tempting?

261·Science and Technology

Sett knew all too well the potential of Hextech Crystals.

Indeed, if Sett monopolizes Hextech, he will be far ahead in the field of technology. But thinking about it carefully, with Hextech Crystals, Sett seems to be able to dominate the field of technology no matter what he does.

If that's the case, is it really necessary for Sett to carefully hide and research the Hextech Crystal...? Sett's answer is no. Because Sett possesses sufficient deterrent power. With this power, what Sett needs to do is not to carefully hide it and then wait until he absolutely has to use it before taking it out. What Sett should really do is use his deterrent power and the infinite possibilities of the gem itself to seek the greatest possible benefit in the true sense.

In that case, Sett has absolutely no need to hide himself so carefully.

Whether it's the South Blue, with its highest average technological level, the Future Kingdom of the Grand Line, the Revolutionary Army's Revolutionary Research Laboratory, or the World Government's Scientific Research Force, all possess scholars with abilities far exceeding those of ordinary people. The emergence of the Pacifistas, in particular, solidified Sett's suspicions—only about four months had passed since the Mary Geoise massacre. Yet, within those four months, after obtaining Sett's flesh and blood, Vegapunk completed his research on androids.

While it's certain that the technology for creating androids wasn't developed out of thin air in those four months, but rather began during his time working with Gadgetzan, one thing is certain—Vegapunk's rapid understanding and modification of Sett's flesh and blood, and his utilization of it, makes him one of the most creative scholars in the world.

Is Sett a reckless brute? Yes. At least Sett himself knows very well that he prefers a brutal, hand-to-hand combat to a drawn-out negotiation. But unlike Kaido and other Sea Emperors, Sett understands the power of technology—especially given his past life experiences—and arguably values ​​it more than anyone else in this world.

Given that it is clear how powerful technology can be, why is a scholar like Vegapunk not under Sett's command?

Then we should find a way to get them to work for us.

In Sett's palm, the Hextech crystal gleamed under the light.

"Sett doesn't support idlers! Gadgetzan, and the other scholars, you all know very well the value of Hextech Crystals! As long as you have good ideas, I will provide you with Hextech Crystals for academic research." As he said this, Sett's gaze remained calm and unwavering.

"Here, there are other scholars from all over the world... You are welcome to try your hand at the future nurtured by Hextech Crystals! If you can't keep up with the research progress of those scholars outside under the conditions of Sett's City, then it only means you are not that valuable." Sett's lips curled into a smile as he said this. Then he put the smooth, gem-like Hextech Crystal into his pocket: "Of course, we are also willing to accept anyone who wants to join Sett's City."

After speaking, Sett left, leaving everyone staring at each other. Enel and the others didn't seem to understand Hextech very well, nor did they seem particularly interested in science and technology. However, those around Gazhi and the others, upon hearing Sett's words, displayed complex expressions that alternated between pale and purple.

Sett's meaning was clear—Sett's City controlled the production of Hextech Crystals and also possessed the research and development records of Hextech technology. If, despite these numerous advantages, they still couldn't compete with the scholars outside, then Sett wouldn't mind replacing them with a new group to rebuild Sett's academic team.

“That’s quite bold, Mr. Sett.” One of the scholars, who was more cheerful and easy-going, quickly regained his composure and simply shrugged, saying, “I thought Mr. Sett would be as careful as Kaido, hiding the Hextech Crystal in Arms City.”

“This is a good thing, isn’t it?” Upon hearing this, another scholar, who looked somewhat frail, calmly lowered his head and said, “Competition is what drives us… If we can’t keep up with the pace outside under the conditions of Armor City, then we have no reason to exist.”

"Competition is the best environment."

Scholars are well aware that some things cannot be accomplished with enthusiasm alone—external stimulation is also necessary.

After a brief silence, Gaji, the top executive of the academic unit under Armor City, scoffed disdainfully: "Who are you underestimating? So what if Vegapunk joins us? I am the strongest scientist!"

Upon hearing Gazhi's words, the scholars nearby exchanged glances and chuckled knowingly. While Gazhi was the head of the academic unit in Armor City, this was only under combat readiness. In ordinary times, the internal competition within the academic unit was equally fierce. After all, Hextech Crystals and related research funding were limited.

Sett didn't care about money, believing it was useless to save it and that enjoying life was the right thing to do. But Robin was used to being frugal and careful with her money.

For Robin, consulting with scholars is a common occurrence. It's not uncommon for him to cut 80% of the research funding for useless academic studies in one go, based on the differing judgments and evaluations of various scholars… Nobody's money grows on trees.

Meanwhile, watching this scene unfold, Robin thoughtfully stroked her chin—although Sett had only mentioned it casually, Robin had handled the details. Right now, issues such as the approval process for Hextech crystals would become the focus of Sett's diplomatic negotiations—in terms of archaeology, given her Ohara background, Robin was arguably the most knowledgeable person in the world. However, in the entirely new field of Hextech, archaeology wouldn't offer much assistance.

Even so, based on the experience accumulated over that period and the attitudes of the scholars, Robin was certain that when the Hextech Crystals reached the outside world, it would cause a stir in the academic world—at that time, there would probably be a constant stream of people applying to buy Hextech Crystal fragments.

“It’s necessary to set up a separate department,” Robin thought, scratching his head. As a monopolistic giant, Sett City has the pricing power over Hextech Crystals. This means that Sett City can sign many related unequal treaties based on Hextech Crystals. For example, unilateral sharing of research results, progress reports, dedicated personnel monitoring, usage approval, and so on.

What? You think this is outrageous? No problem, you don't have to... but apart from City of the Armored, it seems that Hextech Crystals aren't produced anywhere else.

Monopolies are just that unreasonable—a thought that brought a smile to Robin's lips.

Seeing this, Tina, who was standing to the side, raised an eyebrow while holding an unlit cigarette in her mouth: "What's wrong? Tina, you seem to be in a good mood?"

"well enough."

Although she was a little jealous that he had acted first, the two had lived together for a long time, so Robin didn't throw a tantrum—in fact, Robin's personality simply didn't support her doing such a thing.

"In any case... at least the upcoming 'Arm City' will break the casino's single revenue model."

“With Sett here, there’s no need to worry about development…” Upon hearing Robin’s words, Tina simply shook her head and added, “In the end, strength will speak for itself on this vast ocean.”

The current financial system of Armor City is somewhat distorted—over 50% of its total revenue comes from casinos. The remainder comes from tourism and shipping. While this isn't a major problem—places like Whole Cake Island and Wano Country can develop steadily—what do they rely on? Technological capabilities? Or cultural landscapes? Neither. They simply rely on their leaders, Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, and the like. Armor City, with Sett, can develop in a similar way—at least, Tina, a former rising star of the Marines, understands very well the underlying laws of this sea.

Upon hearing Tina's words, Robin gently shook his head and then calmly said, "If it's just for development, there's absolutely no need to do it this way."

"Why is that?" Tina asked, puzzled.

To this, Robin shrugged and calmly said:

"At least I need to be able to lend a helping hand when Sett has problems, rather than becoming a burden that holds him back."

As Robin said this, a flicker of emotion crossed her eyes—Robin could clearly sense that, in the eyes of the outside world, in the eyes of the World Government, Sett's Castle was still a shackle restricting him. Otherwise, with his rampaging power alone, Sett could run rampant across the seas. Let's just look at the present moment.

Whether it was the Sinister Army plan or Whitebeard Jr. who killed Zeff's students, without the existence of Sett's Castle, the World Government would have rejected them without a second thought. They were terrified of provoking Sett's rage—a purely neutral figure, unbound by family or friends, and like a sword of Damocles. But because of Sett's Castle, in the eyes of outsiders, Sett, who seemed threatening from head to toe, actually gained a weakness… rather than an ally.

A burden that holds you back?

This is not a name that makes people happy.

Aside from the Hextech Crystal issue, there's still a lot to do in Settlement.

Staring at the "Kingdom Mecha - Azure Wolf" skin listed as "Available" in the system quests, Sett began to wonder—what exactly is this skin?

----------

There's another one tonight.

262·Incomplete

Item: Kingdom Mech God - Azure Wolf.

Introduction: Sett is a nameless savage struggling to survive in the wilderness. He knows his greatest talent lies in his fists. After earning his fortune and fame in the brutal arena, he forges a new identity, calling himself "The Blue Wolf." Upon hearing of Leviathan's invasion, he uses his fame and wealth to acquire his own Avalon, determined to prove his power once and for all to his devoted audience.

After glancing at the description, if Sett remembers correctly, this should be the skin's backstory—roughly understood as a Sett in a multiverse outside of Valoran.

"The Azure Wolf, Avalon?..."

Upon hearing the name of the mecha, Sett stroked his chin, roughly understanding its name. Just as Sett was about to click "confirm," his finger paused slightly as if he suddenly remembered something—if Sett remembered correctly, the skin's splash art seemed to be more than just what it looked like.

After thinking for a moment, Sett asked, "How big is Avalon?"

[35 meters tall, weighing 280 tons.]

"..."

Upon hearing this, Sett rubbed his temples—thirty-five meters. As a mecha enthusiast, if Sett remembered correctly, the Strike Freedom was only eighteen meters tall, right? With a weight of 280 tons, the moment it appeared, the Sett Casino would probably have to temporarily close for renovations.

With this thought in mind, Sett went straight to the open space outside. To prevent any unexpected situations, he had Robin call Judge.

"Is there something you need? I still have an experiment to do."

Judge's expression wasn't good—although Judge was currently working under Sett, Sett was generally lenient with his own people, as long as they didn't make any major mistakes. Let alone Judge's annoyance at being interrupted while doing research, Enel practically shouted every day that he would defeat Sett sooner or later, but Sett just couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

Sett waved his hand and said, "A friend sent over some things... Oh well, we'll see."

As he spoke, under Judge's questioning gaze, Sett snapped his fingers and clicked "Claim." Immediately afterward, a deep blue pillar of light, filled with Inspiration runes, rose from the open space in front of Sett and the others. At first glance, it looked as if Sett had unleashed Ryze's ultimate ability, Warp Jump.

However, unlike the winding path leaps, this deep blue pillar of light was far more profound. At the same time, the runes dancing within this arcane energy were also more deep and mysterious. Even merely observing it evoked a sense of mental pressure.

Just as Judge was becoming somewhat agitated by the mental pressure and was about to ask what to write, the light dissipated. Accompanied by the sound of a machine opening and closing, a massive wave of air surged outwards. An arm, like a steel pillar, emerged from the light, emitting a faint glow. The surrounding air vibrated at a high frequency the moment the arm appeared. High-density energy surged in all directions. Sett knew this feeling well—when using the Warp Drive to distort space, energy tides also occur due to spatial correction forces.

It gleamed with a metallic sheen in the sunlight, its back adorned with four massive cones, from which one could vaguely sense a surge of energy. The moment the mech appeared before him, information about the Azure Wolf mech flooded Sett's mind. Then, amidst the astonished gazes of Judge and the others who had rushed to the scene, he spoke;

"For Leviathan, the Azure Wolf-type Avalon mobile armor. Its core power source is a Hextech turbine alchemy tank with an internal Archangel reactor. The legs are equipped with multi-dimensional gyroscopic stabilizers, and the multi-angle hydraulic power distributors in both legs allow the mech to move more smoothly and flexibly in combat, ensuring the balance of the leg movements. The knee joints are torque-driven, and each muscle unit is equipped with 95 Colossus units, enabling rapid and accurate armor mobility. The outer shell is made of Orichalcum steel alloy, which can withstand the frontal impact of Leviathan and ensures the mech's freedom of movement in other dimensions for a short period of time."

As he spoke, Sett couldn't help but click his tongue; "The four runic propulsion wings on the back, besides serving as propulsion devices, also function as heat sinks, allowing the mech to have a longer operating range under normal conditions and reducing the operational pressure inside the armor. The front-end armor is equipped with Shuria Drive, and the arms are equipped with three Overlord Units, each with 55 Executioner Crew members. The minimum arm strength of a single front-end arm is 550 tons. Pilots are limited to at least 3% of the eligible individuals. Once the conditions are met, a connection can be established through the psychoskeleton. Forcibly piloting the mech will result in the user being affected by the Overlord Runes, losing self-awareness and becoming an arcane puppet."

After talking for a while with a dry mouth, Sett couldn't help but touch his chin as he looked at the armor that was 35 meters away and as tall as a 12-story building.

While this world's technology tree is quite bizarre, even boasting the technology to create androids, Sett had never heard of such a large suit of armor before—he glanced at Judge beside him. Well, judging from his expression, Sett was certain that he was seeing it for the first time as well.

Although not entirely clear on what this thing actually was, Sett was fairly certain from a glance that the Azure Wolf mech was a product of Hextech... at least, he saw many Hextech-related technologies in the data. However, one thing was certain: it wasn't purely a Hextech creation. Based on the explanation above, parts like the Executioner and Colossus mechs were constructed using rune combinations—if Ryze saw this, he'd probably fight tooth and nail to retrieve it. However, considering that the Kingdom of Mechas is a branch of the universe, it's uncertain whether Ryze even exists in that universe... it's also possible that these runes were created by Ryze himself.

In summary, the Azure Wolf Mech is composed of arcane energy, Hextech technology, and substances unique to the League of Legends universe. While it's a product of arcane energy and runes, Sett astutely noticed one crucial point: thanks to the enhancements from the Executioner crew, the Azure Wolf Mech's arm strength is only stated to be a minimum of 550 tons, roughly twice its body weight. However, based on system parameters, after completing the connection to the psychoskeleton and achieving synchronization between the pilot and the Domination runes, mental power will directly influence the mech's overall destructive power, including but not limited to the main cannon in its chest and the propulsion systems on its front and back.

If there's anything else... it's that this mech itself seems to possess consciousness, only it's not as sensitive as a human's; it only has simple likes and dislikes...

263. Zephyr Arrives

"Unheard of...unheard of. This is simply the most perfect creation of Hextech!"

Looking at the data provided by Sett, Judge's eyes were filled with shock—the Azure Wolf mech's performance was extremely powerful; even at its lowest output, it could generate a strike of over a hundred tons. Furthermore, with different combinations of commands, it could achieve further attack enhancements.

Unlike ordinary mechanical controls, the Azure Wolf Mech uses a psycho-skeleton link—when Judge entered the cockpit, he froze on the spot. He had never imagined the mech's interior would be like this. It was sleek, without complicated buttons or control panels, only a single, integrated exoskeleton armor covered in blue runes. Once donned, it could be piloted, similar to controlling the main cannon, while the propellers were activated entirely through mental manipulation.

Scientific development is a gradual process. Unlike spiritual practice, there are no sudden enlightenments or rapid advancements in science. All science is built upon a solid foundation of basic physics. This includes Hextech, which is based on our existing understanding of Hextech crystals.