Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

Filled with doubt, the pirates cautiously approached the hull, muskets in hand. Before they could take another step, Erken kicked open the drop pod door. The loose soil and rubble blocking the door were sent flying like shrapnel by the sudden force.

With a stinging pain, the pirates picked up their cheap flintlock pistols, outdated enough to be mere collector's items in Arms City, and attempted to attack. But emerging from the hull, their four-meter-tall bodies resembled gleaming silver iron towers; all the musket bullets fired at them wouldn't even leave a white mark. A single punch shattered the upper body of the pirate soldier blocking their path. Then, one hand pulled a chainsaw sword from its other arm, and the other drew a Hextech explosive pistol from its waist.

bump!!!

With a dull gunshot, it shattered the bodies of dozens of people. The bullets exploded like grenades upon hitting the street.

Immediately following the opening of other drop pods, Demacian squires, clad in 40-kilogram "light" anti-magic stone plate armor, began suppressing each block under their captains' command. With a series of whooshing sounds, the squires, aided by their Hextech grappling hooks, swiftly occupied the high ground in each block. Thermal sensors activated, and before any pirates could react, they were riddled with bullets that pierced through walls and blew their heads off.

“Don’t overestimate your capabilities!!”

Nearly twenty pirate soldiers simultaneously rushed out of the sewers, attempting to trip Erken—they had realized that these armors were terrifyingly heavy, and once someone fell, they would never get up. Unfortunately, they were unaware of the extent to which Demacian regular army heavy armor had evolved after four years of reverse engineering the Azure Wolf mechs. Before they could even get close, the Thor's hammer power unit on his back activated, accompanied by blue lightning emanating from the Hextech crystal. The twenty-odd pirates were like weeds before Erken, being forcefully pushed against him and smashing through nearby houses.

Caught between bricks and anti-magic stone alloy, the soldiers who attempted the attack, writhing in agony, were instantly mangled. The civilians hiding in the houses heard only a deafening crash, followed by a giant carrying over a dozen bloodied pirates smashing through a corner of the building. Having already avoided the civilians hiding inside using infrared sensors, Erken didn't even bother to glance at them before continuing his crackdown on the streets—compensation for the civilians would be handled by other departments in the city of Wanhao. The Demacian soldiers only needed to do four words: brutal suppression.

271·Twelve Minutes

The people of Sett City weren't the only ones paying attention to this battle—in fact, every influential force on the high seas was extremely curious about how far Sett City had developed. And battles were undoubtedly the most important factor in judging a force's strength.

At least in this era where individual strength has reached unprecedented levels, earning power is inextricably linked to violence. After all, if you can't possess the power to convince and subdue others, then don't expect them to spit out the cake they've got in their mouths.

Watching the footage broadcast from the front lines, especially after witnessing the overwhelming destructive power of the Demacian soldiers, both the World Government and other factions fell silent.

The nearly 40,000 pirate soldiers of the Baro Kingdom were a formidable force even in the New World. They were ruthless and vicious; an ordinary army would likely collapse within a single round against such an army. Now, facing the pursuit of a mere two hundred or so, even escape was a luxury. Aside from lying on the ground and surrendering, death was the only outcome—some didn't even have the chance to surrender. They hid behind cover, hesitated, and for a moment, only to be struck by an armor-piercing bullet that shattered their armor and shattered their skulls.

Fully armed, ten Demacian regulars, each leading twenty retainers, precisely and effectively struck down all resistance forces in their respective streets. The weapons of the Demacian soldiers varied greatly—as mentioned before, this was an era where individual combat prowess was off the charts. Therefore, traditional military drills like standing at attention and marching in formation weren't entirely without value; rather, collectivism was somewhat constrained by individual heroism. As it was now, the weapons of the Demacian soldiers were custom-made according to their preferences and personalities. From ancient two-handed greatswords and one-handed swords to chainswords and power hammers, they had it all. The only requirement was that they must obey orders during battle.

From the moment they entered the battlefield, in less than half an hour, the forces outside the Kingdom of Baro were completely paralyzed. Upon witnessing the deaths and injuries of Thousand Faces, the soldiers behind him dropped their weapons and lay prone, too afraid to move, as the towering giant strode past them with heavy steps—once they decided to surrender, no one attempted a counterattack. Ultimately, they were all just trying to make a living; those with true ideals wouldn't choose to join a pirate crew as accomplices to evil.

Upon approaching the king's castle, the soldiers of Armstrong Castle faced a new wave of resistance—while the soldiers on the outskirts of the streets were merely opportunistic rabble who would surrender at the first sign of trouble, those inside the castle were all elite pirates under Abel's command. Every single one of them was a vicious pirate who had fought their way from the New World to the New World Paradise on the Grand Line.

For these pirates, surrendering before even starting a battle was absolutely out of the question—it would have been fine if Sett had come, and it would have been acceptable if those officers from Armstrong Castle had arrived. But it turned out to be just a bunch of soldiers; who did they think they were?

It turned out that Sett City looked down on them. The flintlock bullets struck the heavy armor without leaving even a white mark. Seeing this, and watching the approaching Demacian soldiers, Abel roared, "Fire!! Bomb these iron cans to death!!!"

With the captain's roar, the gunners around him had already taken aim. Then, with a thunderous boom, cannon fire erupted. Seeing the shells, Erken's eyes narrowed, and he roared, "Prepare for the assault!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Urken charged forward, only to be hit by the artillery fire, a dent appearing in his heavy armor. The impact caused Urken, still inside the armor, to let out a muffled groan. But he was already familiar with this level of pain—unless hit in a vital area like the head, the internal cushioning of the armor wouldn't have a significant impact on the Demacian warrior.

Braving the artillery fire, they first took a step forward, and then, in everyone's sight, the army of the Armored City, led by Erken, began to run—yes, running while wearing half-ton armor. Their legs and waists, powered by Hextech Propulsion Modules, spewed out deep blue propulsion flames. It was less about running on their own strength and more about being propelled by the propulsion system. In just a few seconds, their speed had reached an astonishing eighty kilometers per hour.

Infrared vision activated, pinpointing the weak point in the wall where the pirate soldiers were hiding. Maintaining his balance, he quickly holstered his explosive rifle at his waist as he approached the castle, then held his right arm horizontally in front of him. With a mechanical whirring sound, the cone-shaped arm shield unfolded. Like a battering ram, the heavy stone wall shattered. Amidst the flying debris, Erken's movements didn't falter; his chainsaw sword roared, and in an instant, his once heavy and solemn marble armor was covered in blood.

The saw blade spun, instantly ripping organs and flesh apart. Another arm shot out, grabbing a pirate like a rotten fruit and slamming him to the ground. Then he stood up, drew his explosive pistol, and with the aid of aim assist, each trigger pull claimed several lives. But this was merely the appetizer.

After witnessing the Demacian soldiers breach the outer defenses, the pirates inside surged out like a tidal wave. Without hesitation, they activated annihilation mode. Immediately, the Hextech Crystal maximized its energy output; accompanied by blue arcs of electricity, the armor behind Erken opened and closed continuously, unleashing portable Hextech stomp cannons, Hextech automatic rocket launchers, and Hextech kinetic heavy machine guns from behind.

Along with the explosive pistol and chainsaw sword he used for assault combat, he threw them to the ground—his entourage would retrieve them. The machine opened and closed, his hands were covered by a columnar device, and then, accompanied by a steaming sound, flames at a temperature of nearly 1,500 degrees Celsius shot out.

Boom boom boom boom!!!

They had no ability to resist, and even those who managed to escape were quickly finished off by the squires following closely behind the Demacian soldiers.

But just then, the pirate crew's officers appeared. The flames and missiles that had been spewing forth seemed to be blocked by an invisible wall. Through the power of willpower, a middle-aged pirate with dyed blond hair and a graying complexion stood menacingly on the stairs before them, arrogantly declaring, "I am the user of the Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, the Devil Fruit of Willpower! Your weapons are toys in the face of my willpower!!!"

As he spoke, the middle-aged pirate clenched his fist, and all the bullets and cannonballs that were fixed in mid-air exploded instantly—to conserve anti-magic stone materials, even Demacian soldiers used anti-magic stone bullets in limited quantities. Normal kinetic weapons were sufficient to deal with ordinary pirates.

Seeing this, Erken simply waved his hand. Receiving the order, one of the Demacian soldiers put away his annihilation equipment and, with the roar of his Hextech engine, charged directly at the pirate officer.

Seeing this, the pirate officer's eyes filled with savagery. He raised his hand, ready to use his Nen ability to shred the Demacian soldier inside his armor. From a distance, the pirate officer could still use his Devil Fruit ability to manipulate rocks and other objects to exert some influence. However, as the Demacian soldier drew closer, and the engine's powerful roar shook his eardrums, the pirate officer could clearly feel his Nen ability steadily diminishing. This feeling was different from the powerlessness he felt upon contact with Seastone. It was simply as if all his power was being sucked away by something.

Before the pirate officer could react, the soldier was already in front of him. Without pausing, the short knife in his hand pierced through his heart with astonishing speed, and then he raised his hand and smashed his head with a gun.

A powerful Paramecia-type telekinetic Devil Fruit user's only achievement was leaving some rock fragments on the Demacian soldiers' armor. Upon witnessing this, even other forces already aware of the threat and power of Sett's City—including but not limited to the World Government, the Revolutionary Army, and the Emperors of the Sea—fell silent—despite the brief duration of the scene, less than a minute. But from these mere clues, they had already gleaned something.

"That ability user's ability... seems to have stopped working?"

"Is it pyrobro? But isn't that only found in seastone?"

"Could it be that Armor City and Kaido have made a deal?"

"Impossible, because even Kaido doesn't have such technology!"

The various factions on the high seas were abuzz with discussion. But no matter how much they debated, the final outcome would remain unchanged. Just like the current battlefield, after eliminating the first pirate officer, the rest was much easier—paramecia-type Devil Fruits were already quite rare on the sea, and the physical enhancements of Zoan-type fruits were useless against Demacian soldiers. Logia-type fruits, being even rarer than paramecia-type Devil Fruits, could even secure a place on the ships of the Emperors of the Sea. Therefore, as an independent pirate captain, Abel was merely a paramecia-type Devil Fruit user with some strength and a minor reputation.

The absence of Logia-type Devil Fruits left Erken somewhat dissatisfied—if he could kill a few Logia-types, he could more perfectly achieve Lord Sett's goal of intimidation!

However, this cannot be forced.

After glancing at Abel kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, and after the judge finished pronouncing Abel's crimes, Erken coldly pinned him to the ground with a single sword stroke.

Excluding the time it took for the warships to travel, the suppression took a total of fourteen minutes.

272·Aftermath

After the trial concluded, Erken led the annihilation squad members out of the castle with cold expressions.

Beneath their armor lay long, flowing robes. The judges, their bodies radiating a powerful aura, nodded silently upon witnessing this scene. They then proceeded to various districts to issue proclamations of the end of the war.

It was only as the judges announced the end of the battle that the people who had been hiding in their houses cautiously emerged. Abel's body was thrown into the square. After a brief pause upon seeing the corpse of this pirate tyrant, the crowd began to move. However, due to the imposing presence of Armstrong Castle, no one attempted to break through the defenses; they simply hurled stones at the pirate's corpse.

Accompanied by a live broadcast, his head fully covered by a battle helmet, the High Inquisitor produced a prepared codex and said, "Praise Sett, praise the City of Sett, praise the Fleet of Prophecy. According to Article 1 of the Fourth Law of the City of Sett Codex: 'The City of Sett holds the right to use all patented technologies derived from Hextech Crystals.' and Article 5 of the Sixth Law: 'The area where the Hextech Coordinate Tower is located is the legal territory of the City of Sett.' All sinners who attempt to violate the sanctity of the City of Sett Codex will be punished without mercy, without compassion, without forgiveness..."

A cold voice, amplified by the broadcasting system, resounded throughout the town. Then, they arrived at the coordinate tower previously claimed by the pirates, restarted it, and after a successful connection was confirmed by the Den Den Mushi, the soldiers reboarded their ship. Then, with a surge of energy from the Hextech flying gate, they vanished from the sight of the people of the Baro Kingdom.

After a brief period of silence, the Kingdom of Barlow quickly descended into chaos once more. The events in Armor City were over, but the purge of the Kingdom of Barlow had only just begun. The only difference this time was that no force would attempt to seize control of the Hextech Gate.

Although this was Demacia's first battle in front of the world, the aftermath of the war was undoubtedly terrifying—especially the brief impact on Devil Fruit users—the Nen-Nen Fruit is one of the few near-omnipotent fruits even among Paramecia-type Devil Fruits. It not only allows for telekinesis (flying) but also enables large-scale attacks from a great distance. It even simulates the Float-Float Fruit's abilities to some extent.

However, in the short twelve-minute live stream, the pirate officer couldn't even last a minute before being beheaded by the combined attack of the Demacian soldiers. A sword pierced his heart, then a spear shattered his skull. Clean and swift, the entire process was textbook perfect, as precise as a scalpel, without a single superfluous movement—clean, efficient, and beautiful.

"According to our calculations, these Armored City soldiers, without considering Armament Haki and Observation Haki, should have an average ability between lieutenant colonel and senior colonel."

At the conference table at the Naval Headquarters, Vice Admiral Tsuru said with a solemn expression, "But if we include those armors... the information revealed by the live broadcast is far too little."

Lieutenant General Tsuru sighed and said, "Based on the information we already have, if these armors do indeed contain pyrobro, or if Armor City controls the production of pyrobro, then each of them poses an average threat level between a Major General and a Lieutenant General. Furthermore, judging from their firepower, the destructive power they can cause is in no way inferior to that of a Devil Fruit user."

"Furthermore, when facing individuals with special abilities, it will guarantee that you will have the upper hand."

In the conference room, both the Admiral and Fleet Admiral Sengoku wore grim expressions after hearing the Vice Admiral's analysis. The only ones seemingly unaffected were Kizaru and Garp. Although Sett had broken his leg, Kizaru's friendship with Sett remained unaffected; he even returned to Armored Castle for a visit during his vacations. Garp, on the other hand, was completely indifferent to the World Government's current situation. In fact, after hearing Vice Admiral Tsuru's words, he nonchalantly remarked, "That's really impressive~"

The situation was somewhat unusual; his mind was in turmoil. So, the one-armed Sengoku ignored Garp's sarcastic remarks, speaking with a grave and incredulous expression: "Ten people... those Demacian soldiers were only ten people, yes, plus the two hundred squires. They wiped out a New World pirate crew with a total bounty exceeding one billion in just twelve minutes?! Even if it were a vice admiral in the Navy, they wouldn't be able to capture them all in a few days!!"

“It’s still different.” Kuzan shook his head and said, “Those pirates weren’t at sea, and the arrival of the Armstrong Castle was extremely fast. The pirates were not prepared in advance… They crossed the West Blue, the Grand Line, the Calm Belt, and all the way to the Kingdom of Baro in two days. Considering the quality of Hextech Crystals, it will probably take half a year to recover after they finish.”

Just as Kuzan said, even ignoring terrain, it would take the Prophet Battleship at its normal speed at least two months to reach the Kingdom of Baro—however, contrary to Kuzan's prediction, doubling the speed meant a huge increase in consumption. Shortening the time from two months to two days came at the cost of ten Hextech Crystals becoming dull and needing to be left to recover.

Despite the high cost, both Judge and Robin were fully supportive – because they knew that the success or failure of this mission would directly affect the safety of other Hextech Coordinate Towers in the future.

"And based on my guess, those Demacian soldiers are probably the most elite soldiers in Sett's city." Although it was an analysis, Kuzan still couldn't help but rub his temples and say, "The cost of these soldiers must be astronomical... According to my observation, every one of their armors is equipped with a Hextech crystal power system... No wonder they are the overlords who control the production of Hextech crystals. A single Hextech crystal, worth two billion, is priceless, and each soldier has one..."

Thinking about this, Kuzan felt a pang of unease – with the passage of time and the rapid advancement of technology, Hextech Crystals were now far more valuable than some Devil Fruits on the high seas. Even elemental Devil Fruits seemed insignificant compared to Hextech Crystals. After all, no matter how powerful a fruit was, it was only the power of one person. But the wealth and technology represented by a Hextech Crystal were unparalleled…

Under these circumstances, the amount of Hextech Crystals flowing out of Sett City each year is very limited; even the World Government can only obtain about ten each year. Although some fragments also flow out of Zaun's Grimy Hand Harbor every year, everyone knows that Sett City has a firm grasp on where these fragments go... Even if some are truly lost due to the ever-changing sea, it is still disproportionate to the resources controlled by Sett City.

"Those Demacian soldiers are all bought with money." Akainu, standing nearby, said gravely after hearing Kuzan's words, "If I remember correctly, the annual construction costs of the Demacian city area account for 20% of the entire city's planning, second only to Hextech City and land reclamation. As for the Navy... impossible, give up. The World Government and the Demacian city are two different things."

Perhaps because his arm was destroyed by the Lifeform Disintegration Ray during his battle with Sett, Akainu's personality has changed slightly compared to the absolute inability to tolerate any dissent in the original work.

Of course, this change wasn't due to physical injuries. As a soldier of unwavering will, Akainu's shift in mentality stemmed more from the positive impact of Sett's extraordinary actions… from the system of slavery and the Heavenly Gold system to the ruthless extermination of pirates in Impel Down and the complete eradication of human trafficking in the West Blue. All of this proved that while Sett's actions might have been wrong, the results were not problematic…

At least, Akainu doesn't think these are all bad things... It's absolutely impossible for Akainu not to be shocked by the fact that he achieved what he wanted in a way that he himself couldn't accept.

It was precisely for this reason that Akainu conducted a thorough study and analysis of the existence of Sett's Castle. According to Akainu's analysis, Sett's Castle model is something that cannot be replicated in this world.

"The existence of Arms City is due to its geographical location, a unique entity resulting from the combination of Hextech crystals, Sett, and Hextech technology. Currently, 80% of the underworld's transactions take place in Zaun's Grimy Hand Harbor, essentially an island absorbing the nutrients of the entire world," Akainu calmly stated. "In this process, Sett's power, prestige, the location of Arms City, and the energy of Hextech crystals complement each other... Perhaps it is precisely because they know this that Arms City's urban planning involves at most land reclamation, unlike those idle pirates who do nothing but divide territory and fight each other..."

"Even so, the energy radiating from the City of the Arms has made all the people of the West Blue forget about the so-called World Government... especially the common people. They would rather be waiters at the City of the Arms Casino than be civil servants of the World Government."

"I wouldn't do it either if I were in their shoes." Hearing Akainu's words, Kizaru muttered nonchalantly, "The executives at Armored Castle earn more than I, an admiral..."

Although the voice was very soft, who were all those people present? Upon hearing this, Garp, who was standing to the side, laughed and joked around, while Akainu glanced at him with some displeasure. Kuzan remained silent, and Sengoku and Vice Admiral Tsuru exchanged glances and then sighed helplessly—how could they not hear Kizaru's dissatisfaction?

As an admiral, Kizaru doesn't belong to any faction—if you had to name one, he's purely neutral. He's neither a dove nor a hawk, neither offering help in times of need nor adding to someone's success. In the real world, such a person would be hard to find, because people need collective recognition. But this world is different—in this world where individual strength is off the charts, anyone with ability is someone who cannot be ignored, no matter where they are.

Just like Kizaru now, his seemingly indifferent complaints actually represent the opinions and dissatisfaction of a neutral officer in the Navy who is responsible for eliminating pirates.

The reason Kizaru didn't say anything was because he knew very well that the Armored Castle model couldn't be replicated—if salaries were distributed like Armored Castle, it would require the World Government on a massive scale. If the Navy increased salaries, the Army would have to, right? If the Army increased salaries, lower-ranking officers would have to, right? If lower-ranking officers increased salaries, higher-ranking officers would be short of money, and the national treasury would be empty, forcing them to seek higher membership fees from member states. Large countries are fine, they have spare cash in their treasuries. But what about small countries? They're already dirt poor, and now they have to increase their fees? Regardless of whether small countries increase their fees or not, the end result will be a large influx of new pirates… This is a perfect example of how a single move can have far-reaching consequences.

"This meeting isn't for discussing these things... What we need to discuss is our next steps in dealing with the City of Wrist."

"No need to change our attitude," Garp said nonchalantly. "That kid Sett isn't a pirate, what's the point of being wary of him? Besides, four years have passed, I don't believe that kid hasn't grown at all... He had to go berserk when he fought Kuzan and the others before, do you think he still needs to?"

The words were crude but the meaning was sound. Hearing Garp's words, the people around fell silent. Sengoku, in particular, looked at his mechanical arm with deep emotion—this arm was no ordinary mechanical arm; it was a Sky-2 Hextech Prosthetic Arm, a pressure-driven prosthetic similar to the Shurea. Even Akainu's arm was a gift from the Arm-Gun City.

Each arm contains the complete structure of a Hextech Crystal. The technology within is so advanced that even the current World Government can only deduce a fraction of it—and every time Vegapunk sees it, he marvels at it, wishing he could detach his own arm and replace it with one like this.

Putting aside everything else, the sheer number of Hextech technologies that have emerged in the City of Arms over the years has already made the World Government reconsider its position.

In addition, the Proverbs Fleet has clearly undergone several updates and iterations, making it worlds apart in terms of attack capabilities and flexibility.

And then there's Sett, who hasn't even reached his prime yet...

Thinking about this, Sengoku felt a headache coming on—yes, even now, Sett hasn't reached his prime yet!

In this world, the prime of life is greatly extended due to the human body's maximum potential. With proper training, one can easily maintain this age until their seventies or eighties. Sett, on the other hand, is only around twenty-five or twenty-six. Even compared to the average person's peak age of thirty or forty, he still has five or six years left…

Moreover, the strong and ordinary people in this world are beings from completely different dimensions...

At that moment, the door on the side was suddenly pushed open, and then a navy man entered and handed a letter to Sengoku.

That's... an invitation?

An invitation to the City of Wrists?

273 Invitational Tournament

In fact, it wasn't just Sengoku—or rather, the Navy—who received invitations. Similarly, every significant power on the high seas received Sett's invitation.

"Wrist City's Strongest Executive Invitational Tournament".

When Sengoku saw the invitational tournament information, his mind went completely blank. While he was still bewildered, Garp leaned over to look and then chuckled, saying, "A deathmatch invitational tournament? Sounds like it has nothing to do with us?"

"An invitational tournament?"

Upon hearing those three words, the people nearby exchanged glances, a hint of surprise in their eyes. There were many competitions on the high seas, but most were just betting on fists. After all, in this chaotic Great Pirate Era, the gap between the strong and the weak was even greater than the gap between a human and a dog. In this situation, a competition was one thing, but the key point was that it had actually been sent to the Marine Headquarters of a pirate crew?

"Based on my understanding of him, I reckon those three emperors should have received invitations by now..."

Thinking this, Kizaru slowly remarked, "That Sett guy is always big spenders... I bet the prize money is pretty good, right? The invitations have already been sent to Marine Headquarters. If the prize money is just a little bit, I'll definitely make fun of him later, hehe~"

As he said this, Kizaru showed no sign of tension—of the three admirals, Kizaru and Sett were the closest. Aside from their time together in Flevans dealing with the Donquixote Family, Kizaru was also the most indifferent to his own status.