Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

Now, the Azure Wolf Mech undoubtedly surpasses the limits of this era in both hardware and software... In this process, mech worship inevitably arises. Especially after learning from Sett that mechs themselves also experience joy and aversion, Judge's eyes are filled with fervor: "Without a doubt, the God of Machines has been born!!"

Hearing Judge's words, Sett couldn't help but roll his eyes. But just as Sett was about to say something more, through his mental link with the mech, Sett clearly sensed the mech's joy at being called the "God of Machines"...

"..."

After thinking for a moment, Sett swallowed what he wanted to say and simply said, "Let's start the experiment and record the parameters."

As he spoke, Sett had already entered the Azure Wolf mech. Because the binding was already complete through the system, Sett experienced no hindrance or delay while controlling the Azure Wolf mech; his movements were as natural as if he were moving himself. At the same time, Sett could clearly feel that his power had become even stronger after being transformed by the rune tree—

It was precisely because of this that Sett was able to roughly perceive the rune composition of the mech—the arms and lower body were composed of Domination runes and Resolve runes, respectively. The former could generate powerful physical destruction, while the latter could effectively enhance defense and support. The main cannon on the chest and the propulsion wings on the back were based on sorcery runes. The central AI was primarily controlled by Precision runes, with sorcery runes assisting in the overall control of the mech's mobility.

Without any explosive power, a single punch, measured to be 1,300 tons, demonstrated an astonishing striking force of one arm.

After playing for a while, Sett could clearly feel the power surging around him. After completing the calculations, Sett stepped out of his armor.

While the experience was good, well… it lacked the raw, exhilarating feeling of direct, brutal combat, leaving Sett feeling like something was missing. In subsequent attempts, the vast majority of people couldn't achieve synchronization with the Azure Wolves. Including Enel, Urouge, and others, the highest synchronization rate was barely around forty percent. They were still a long way from meeting the eighty percent requirement for piloting.

In the end, he went up with a try-it-and-see attitude, and Robin's synchronization rate actually reached 82, which surprised Sett. According to the system's feedback, Sett also understood why Robin's synchronization rate was so high.

The reason is quite simple. Influenced by Sett, Robin is now developing her skills in physical combat. Especially after CP9 agents joined Armor City, Robin now calls Kalifa whenever she has free time to compile a list of the World Government agents' training methods—yes, she calls her over, not asks her for advice.

As newcomers to the World Government's intelligence agency in Sett City, Rob Lucci and his team have gained some fame in the Sett Arena due to their former agency status. However, within Sett City's internal leadership, they are considered outside the core circle, finding it difficult to gain trust and often facing exclusion.

Therefore, Rob Lucci personally handles many matters in Armor City—for example, when the CP0 agents came before. This is partly to demonstrate Lucci and his team's resolve to break with the World Government, and partly to use Rob Lucci's presence to warn these World Government envoys not to harbor any ulterior motives, as they are well aware of the World Government's tactics.

This makes sense, considering that Enel and his group joined before Sett even rose to power. Besides Enel, there were also veterans like Pad who had followed Robin and Sett since the time of the Skullcrushers.

Although these elderly men are generally not very strong, even less so than fighters ranked outside the top 500 in the Fighting Arena, their seniority alone is enough to earn them important positions. They may not live extravagantly, but as long as they work hard, a life of wealth and comfort is practically guaranteed.

I hadn't experienced it before, but after returning to Arms City and resting, Sett got a taste of Robin's daily life—it was incredibly busy. From morning till night, reports were sent in for approval almost every few minutes. All sorts of things, big or small, came crashing down at once. Eventually, Sett called Robin over and asked her how she could handle all this.

Robin's response was simple—she's used to it.

After spending some time together, Sett noticed that Robin had a penchant for categorizing. She would sort different reports, then register and approve them all. This would undoubtedly be torture for others, but for Robin, it was a pleasure. However, Sett felt that this method was far too inefficient.

After discussing with Robin, Fujitora, Tina, and others for a while, Sett decided to divide Armstrong City into different districts, with each district responsible for different matters. This would save Sett and Robin from having to report everything separately, which was quite troublesome for them.

Looking at the crowd before her, Robin wasn't intimidated—as the host of this meeting, Robin knew very well that she represented Sett. So, she didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly:

"Next, the main urban area of ​​the academic force led by Judge will be changed to Piltover City, which will be responsible for the research and development of Hextech technology and will be located in the center of Sett City. Fujitora, the combat force you lead will be located in Demacia City, which is north of Sett City... no, let's say south." Robin said thoughtfully, "The terrain north of Sett City is flat and can be connected to other cities via railcars, so that medical treatment can be provided in a timely manner in case of emergencies."

After a period of negotiations, the city of Armor was roughly divided into five districts: Piltover, primarily for scientific research; Demacia, focused on military training and enhancement; and a commercial and entertainment district focused on commerce, tourism, and gambling. Each district was managed by a different official. This reduced administrative burden and ensured sufficient healthy competition between districts, preventing technological progress from being hindered by monopolies.

Aside from the fact that Antuo Island has already been divided into zones, another major event during this period was the arrival of Zefa.

On the harbor, Sett sat in a chair drinking beer. In the distance, he spotted a warship with naval sails. Sett raised an eyebrow, then stood up and waved to the tall figure standing on the warship.

"Hey, old man Zepha! Are you alright?!"

As the ship docked, Zephyr heard Sett's words, and a long-lost smile returned to his face.

"You bastard! I told you not to become a pirate, and instead of becoming a pirate, you blasted Mary Geoise to pieces!" Although he had left the Navy, as a former Navy Admiral, it was impossible for Zephyr to have no feelings for the Navy: "You have no idea, because of what you did, even Sengoku has turned a few gray hairs!"

"Haha! I only said I wouldn't be a pirate, not that I'd be a dog for the World Government~ How does it feel, not bad, right!"

Upon hearing this, Zefa's face showed a hint of emotion. Looking around the harbor, he saw a bustling crowd. Another cruise ship docked, and elegantly dressed people disembarked, their attendants carrying large and small packages. Some even brought their families.

"That's great... I'm not worried about encountering robbers at all."

Upon hearing Zephyr's words, Sett burst into laughter: "What's the point of just robbing once? A steady, long-term strategy is the key! If you ask me, those pirates are just pathetic!"

"Haha~ You're quite the prude."

Hearing Sett's disdain for pirates, Zeff smiled. Previously, Zeff had thought Sett didn't want to be a pirate because of a promise he made. But upon reflection, it was less a promise and more a reflection of Sett's arrogance, which made him utterly disdainful of such a meaningless and worthless profession.

Does this sound like a bad thing? No, not at all. Zeffa doesn't think so—because Zeffa knows very well that promises can always be forgotten or corrupted one day. On the contrary, it's people like Sett who don't hide their likes and dislikes that are truly the key to determining their path.

Having traveled all the way from the Grand Line to the West Blue, Zeff had gained a general understanding of Armor City based on what he had seen and heard along the way. However, upon entering Armor City, Zeff quickly realized that he was still far from truly understanding it!

264·Machine Soul

In Zeff's mind, although Antawn Island... no, it should now be called Sett's City, although it's now independent of the World Government, Sett is still the top dog...

It's not that Sett's abilities are lacking, but rather, Zeff knows very well that Sett's personality isn't suited for overall planning. He's like those great pirates of the New World. In Zeff's estimation, while Sett's Castle might be decent compared to other places, it's certainly not comparable to a major World Government stronghold… like Loguetown.

But upon arriving here, Zefa quickly realized his mistake. He noticed that the wealthy people showed no sign of tension. Even children played freely in the streets. Occasionally, uniformed soldiers could be seen patrolling. However, unlike the navy, the people from other islands often showed fear or distance when they saw patrolling naval forces. The reason was simple: these naval personnel received extra "management fees."

Of course, it wasn't just about extorting protection money; it was also about freeloading... things like eating a bowl of noodles or drinking a glass of wine without paying were commonplace. After all, I'm wasting my time patrolling for you, so as a business owner, you should at least offer something in return, right?

Although Zephyr disapproved of these things, it was undeniable that he couldn't control such multi-layered matters... There were too many instances of double-dealing. As an admiral, Zephyr couldn't possibly keep an eye on the navy in a small locality forever, could he?

But here, Zefa found no fear on the faces of the merchants. On the contrary, every single one of them would warmly greet the patrolling soldiers and offer them a cup of hot water when they saw that the soldiers had their own nephews or nieces.

"The management is quite good." Zeffa looked at Sett with some surprise.

Sett showed no pride whatsoever. He simply said indifferently, "This was all Robin's arrangement... You know, I've always been too lazy to get involved in these things. If there's anything else, it's Sett's City; anything bigger is beyond my control."

Sett knew very well how much effort Robin had put into making Armor City what it was today. He also knew that this was already enough... If Sett really took control of the entire West Blue, then with all the people in that vast sea depending on Sett for their lives, it would be a miracle if Sett could actually save them all.

This is precisely why Sett doesn't continue expanding—Sett now has everything he could want: money, power, strength, technology, and the future. What's the point of having useless territories? Besides, because of his presence, the West Blue has already abolished exorbitant taxes, so Sett has shown leniency towards officials in other parts of the West Blue.

However, Sett's thoughts don't mean outsiders share them... even the current World Government has its doubts. You West Blue officials, not only do you not pay the Celestial Gold, but what kind of taxes do you even collect... are you working for Sett or for us?

Of course, that's just wishful thinking. The World Government wouldn't dare to actually take action against Sett. After all, the last attempt to do so resulted in over half the prisoners in Impel Down being killed or wounded…

Just then, Zefa suddenly noticed several butterflies fluttering in the sky. As their wings rose and fell, glimmers of golden light flashed. Upon closer inspection, he realized these were no ordinary butterflies, but mechanical butterflies constructed from intricate gears. The center of each butterfly emitted a faint blue glow, its entire body gleaming gold, giving it a refined and sophisticated appearance.

It landed on a salesperson's finger. Seeing the curious looks from the children around them, the salesperson didn't hide anything, but smiled and said, "Piltwolf Mechanical Butterfly, don't miss it! The battery inside is powered by the legendary Hax Crystal!"

Hearing the salesperson's words, children on the surrounding streets began begging their parents to buy them a few. Red, black, white. They weren't very expensive, only a few hundred Berries each, which was a drop in the ocean for these wealthy tourists. In comparison, not only the children were curious, but even the adults themselves were curious about how these intricate mechanical butterflies could fly.

Some astute individuals spotted a business opportunity and immediately approached the salesperson to inquire about the source of the goods and contact information. However, upon hearing the origin was "Piltwolf City," they shook their heads in disappointment. While Demacia City was open to the public, both Demacia City and Piltwolf City remained shrouded in mystery, not only for these tourists but also for some of the city's native inhabitants. Outsiders, even those with invitations, were prohibited from venturing into other areas. And the legends surrounding these two cities were countless.

Mechanical giants, Hextech cannons, and the fearless vanguard soldiers who can use statues weighing several tons as training tools have all become enduring urban legends in Demacia and Piltover. There are many of these legends, some fabricated, some based on fact. True or false, they all contribute to the mystique surrounding the city of Demacia and Piltover.

Seeing this scene, Zephyr couldn't help but ask curiously, "How does this mechanical butterfly fly? Its metal body and small wings shouldn't have enough support."

Upon hearing this, Sett glanced at the butterfly, shook his head, and casually said, "It's just a little toy. I guess it was made by those scholars inside to amuse the children."

"Just for teasing the kids?"

Upon hearing Sett's words, a strange look appeared on Zephyr's face—although he seemed childlike, even with Zephyr's knowledge, one could clearly sense the precision and difference within it.

In response, Sett simply explained, "It's quite common... Piltover is full of scholars who make little things to amuse their children in their spare time. Later, the children brought them to school, and while playing with them, a traveling businessman happened to see them and placed an order for tens of millions of Berries... And so it's like now, those scholars make little things to earn extra money in their spare time."

Sett treated these scholars very well, but nobody complains about having too much money, right? Robin, in particular, was happy to see it happen—the more they sold, the better, as long as they paid their taxes on time.

Of course, even if it's a small toy, it's not an ordinary one. Just like now, picking up a butterfly, Sett said, "This butterfly is powered by the internal energy of a Hextech crystal. The overflowing energy is purified and then fed into this miniature battery. One battery can keep it flying for about a week. It's a pretty ingenious little gadget."

Hearing Sett's words, Zephyr nodded, seemingly confused. Although Sett appeared calm and collected, he had actually been curious about the little butterfly when it was first produced. However, after seeing it so many times, he gradually became accustomed to it... after all, he already had a large robot at home.

Passing through the commercial district, the Hextech Industrial District immediately comes into view... Of course, that's what the insiders call it. Officially, it's known as the "Piltwolf District."

"It's a good opportunity to go and see how their research is going."

With Zephyr sightseeing in tow and a touch of showing off, Sett stroked his chin, swiped his access card, and entered the industrial city.

Unlike the bustling city outside, Hextech's interior is comprised of massive, monolithic buildings. The sky is covered by enormous domes, with only a few outdoor terraces and windows offering glimpses of its clear expanse. It's also far less crowded than the outside world, with the majority of the inhabitants being scholars dressed in white. Upon seeing Sett, they all gave a slight bow before continuing with their tasks.

He didn't pay much attention, since they were all working for him. He led Zephyr to the largest experimental floor in the center. As soon as they entered, Sett saw Judge, dressed in a white isolation suit, directing everyone and constantly checking various parameters.

Around the room were all sorts of strange machines powered by Hextech crystals.

Judge didn't show much surprise when he saw Sett, because Sett often appeared here.

"How's the research going?"

Upon hearing Sett's question, Judge nodded and said, "The reverse engineering of the Azure Wolf Mech has achieved initial success. However, most of it is still theoretical, and we don't have much progress on the core Harx Technology Turbine Alchemy Tank."

"That's normal. Everything is done step by step."

Sett wasn't too surprised by Judge's words.

The Azure Wolf Mech is a treasure trove for Hextech City, containing countless mysterious technologies that are unattainable to most. Like a martial arts manual in a wuxia novel, while it won't make you invincible and impervious to attacks upon mastery, it will certainly allow for a faster and more comprehensive refinement of Hextech's fundamental theories, thus benefiting more Hextech researchers.

"Is the problem solved?" Sett asked.

Upon hearing Seti's question, Judge realized what Seti was referring to. A look of helplessness immediately appeared on his face: "No... for now, we can only use the old method."

Hearing this, Sett shook his head with a sigh—the Wolf Mech was good in every way. The only problem was that the mech had to be activated to conduct research. And the mech itself was aware of this activation. If the mech was unhappy, then even if Sett himself came, it wouldn't cooperate with Judge's research.

In general, the Azure Wolf mech is like Sett—it loves big scenes.

Sure enough, to Zephyr's bewildered gaze, Judge had already changed into the robes of a mechanical priest.

265·Technological Progress

Under Zefa's watchful gaze, Gazhi calmly changed into a strangely styled robe. In that instant, Zefa felt that Gazhi might have lost his mind. Although he wasn't a scholar, hadn't he at least seen how things worked? Even a fool could tell that wearing such inexplicably useless and cumbersome decorations wouldn't help scientific research in the slightest.

In that instant, Zephyr began to have some doubts about the attitude of the Armored Castle—Zeff wasn't a brute like Kaido. Zephyr knew very well that the atmosphere of an academic team could largely reflect the internal state of the organization. Take the simplest example: if an organization is rife with bureaucracy and slow to react, then, following the example of those above, the academic team would also suffer from apathy, procrastination, and many other problems. And now, with this inexplicable introduction of some unheard-of religious belief, even though he considered himself knowledgeable about academic groups, Zephyr's first reaction was still suspicion.

However, what Zephyr didn't know was that this was the best method Gazhi and the others could do... The Azure Wolf Mech itself possessed its own consciousness. Apart from Sett, who could command it based on its designated "master" identity, everyone else, even Robin, could only synchronize through the psychoskeleton. As for Gazhi, whose synchronization rate was less than ten percent and who had absolutely no connection with the Azure Wolf Mech, he could only try to please the machine spirit.

All of Gazhi's and his team's efforts have only one goal: to reverse engineer the Azure Wolf Mech. As mentioned before, the Azure Wolf Mech can be considered the most iconic product of a certain stage of Hextech. Especially in a city like Armor City where Hextech is still in its infancy, even the smallest achievement can accelerate the pace of research.

In this situation, getting the cooperation of the mechs becomes especially important.

Just like now, dressed in the priest's robes, Gazhi roared in a deep voice: "Ring the bell once!!! Push the lever, insert the crystal, start the piston and pump!"

Upon hearing the words of value, the apprentices struck the brass bell with their mallets. Then, the scholars, who had already prepared and repeated the action countless times, donned gloves and carefully placed the prepared Hextech crystals into the arcane piston and rune pump.

With a series of creaking sounds, the pistons and rune pumps, now powered, rapidly began to operate. Crystal-blue runic energy, accompanied by the sounds of operation, began to permeate the pipes within the Azure Wolf mech. Like blood vessels, it quickly circulated energy internally—unlike traditional machinery. The Azure Wolf mech, in addition to Hextech and runic arcane arts, also incorporated biotechnology. Beneath the sturdy Avalon armor, forming the mech's skeleton and muscles, were synthetic muscles created from the flesh and blood of a gigantic creature called "Leviathan."

This also includes the machine spirit of the Leviathan armor itself, which is an artificial consciousness that has evolved through the Enlightenment Rune.

For this reason, the Azure Wolf Mech also requires a large amount of high-quality energy to complete its internal system cycle in order to operate.

Having confirmed that the piston and pump had successfully completed their operation, Jia Zhi breathed a sigh of relief—but without relaxing for a moment, he immediately pressed on, shouting, "The bell tolls twice! Activate the alchemy vessel, ignite the reactor, and stabilize the lower limb gyroscope!!!"

As the words fell, the valve was released. With the combined efforts of the workers and scholars, the Hextech Crystal energy, activated by the pistons and pumps, was successfully injected into the Turbo Alchemy Tank, the heart of the Azure Wolf mech. Normally, like in a car, the piston is the heart of the engine, bearing alternating mechanical and thermal loads, making it one of the most critical components operating under the harshest conditions. However, due to the different tech tree, the piston in the Azure Wolf mech is more like an artery. If the pistons and pumps previously only transported energy to every corner of the body, now, by activating the Hextech Turbo Alchemy Tank and the Archangel Reactor, they are awakening all the equipment and functions of the entire mech.

After completing this step, the main camera on the head of the Azure Wolf mech flashed with a sharp light in Zefa's vision. The light flickered erratically, like a savage beast, as if contemplating how to tear its prey apart.

Witnessing all this, Zephyr's senses were undoubtedly clearer the moment he felt this aura—in Zephyr's perception, this was not like a machine starting up; on the contrary, it was more like an ancient sea king sleeping in the muddy seabed awakening... That terrifying aura was no longer just the kind of Conqueror's Haki that sweeps over with pressure, but a pure, life-level suppression.

This is also the most crucial step in activating the Azure Wolf Mech—after the Hextech Turbine Alchemy Tank is activated, all the runes inside the mech will begin to function. Similarly, the core AI and artificial consciousness located within the mech will awaken from their slumber, or rather, from standby.

It's like waking someone up in winter who's been staying up all night and barely managed to fall asleep at 5 a.m.

In this state, the Machine Soul is filled with the dissatisfaction brought on by morning grumpiness—to suppress it, one option is to have Sett give commands, or to replace the operation of the artificial consciousness with one's own, like Robin did. Another option is to try various means to please the Machine Soul and dispel its morning grumpiness.

And this is the most important step. If something goes wrong, then unless it's Sett, it's not just a matter of starting over—we'll have to wait three natural days before we can try to reawaken him.

Upon realizing this, Jiazhi's eyes widened in fury, his gaze as large as copper bells, and his voice, deep and resonant, even drowned out the echoing bells beside him: "The great bell tolls three times!!! Praise be to the God of All Organs!!!"