Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

"Wrist City!!!" That's Sabo.

Then, without hesitation, Luffy said to Garp beside him, "I'm going! And I'm taking Sabo with me!!!"

"Alright, no problem, hahaha~" Garp laughed heartily, "Then let's get ready to go! I'll have my adjutant talk to Sabo's parents!"

Standing tall in the port of the Goa Kingdom, the towering Hex Coordinate Tower, accompanied by the blue aura of the Enlightenment Rune, instantly transported the airship to the distant Western Sea.

Just like when the Pirate King Roger was executed, all the rising stars of the seas went to watch, this competition has also attracted all the children who are unwilling to be ordinary!

----------

I've basically finished all the things I needed to do, and for the next two weeks I'll be updating non-stop until it's finished—hopefully.

275·Children

No man can resist a large, precisely assembled robot—especially for little kids like Luffy and Ace who are around ten years old.

Hextech flying gates are incredibly fast, taking only half a day to travel from the East China Sea to the West China Sea—an overwhelming speed that's a game-changer for other shipping industries in the world. More importantly, the cost of Hextech flying gates isn't significantly higher than traditional trade—after all, time is a crucial factor for merchants. And even if Hextech flying gates are more expensive, the time cost of the exchange is enough for merchants to recoup their investment.

And for more valuable items, it goes without saying—just like SF Express's free shipping, Hextech flying door forwarding has almost become a promotional slogan.

This is precisely why there likely won't be any shipping tycoons in the future—given the overwhelming speed of Hextech daemons, the shipping industry will primarily focus on short-distance transport, responsible for transferring goods from the coordinate tower to nearby islands. In this context, no matter how much development occurs, in the end, one will only be a small-town tycoon, unable to form a monopoly.

Upon leaving the Coordinate Tower and entering the Port of Arms City, Luffy, Ace, and the others, who had grown up in places like Windmill Village, were filled with awe—"Wow...so cool!!!"

What comes into view is a bustling street—people of all kinds, dressed in various styles, walk back and forth on the street, and you can see residents from both the Grand Line and the four seas. But more important than the number of people is the architecture of Armor City.

Through years of development, the current City of Arms has expanded by nearly a third simply through land reclamation. Even the newest port, City of Arms, is built on this artificial island. Towering skyscrapers, brightly lit casinos, and in the distance, a few children can be seen playing with robots using remote controls.

Kids have no resistance to this stuff!

Looking at his boisterous grandchildren, Garp's face was filled with a beaming smile—as a Marine, Garp rarely had time to take his grandchildren out to play. Of course, this was also related to Garp's own personality. Seeing the childlike innocence on Luffy's face in this situation, Garp unexpectedly felt that this environment seemed quite nice.

The only thing that made Garp somewhat emotional was the current prosperity of Armor City... Every time he came here, Armor City would undergo new changes. The technology here could only be described as advancing by leaps and bounds.

"Hey, Long, isn't that your son?"

In the shadows, the Okama King, draped in a huge cloak, asked with a hint of interest—although he had worked with Dragon for a long time, even as a veteran of the Revolutionary Army, this was the first time he had ever seen Luffy.

Dragon, hiding in the shadows, glanced at Luffy, whose face was filled with excitement, then chuckled and nodded, saying, "Hmm... It's been a while, and it seems this kid is still the same. Hmm, just like my father."

“Indeed.” Upon hearing this, Bartholomew Kuma nodded and said calmly, “Judging from their personalities, your son is indeed more like your father… This may be the legendary generational inheritance. Biology is truly amazing.”

Hearing Kuma's words, Dragon nodded with a slight chuckle. Although others didn't know, after the successful development of the Hextech Gate, Dragon had secretly returned to the Goa Kingdom quite often, using it to visit his children. However, these visits were all clandestine; even in Windmill Village, only a few people knew. These included Makino, who ran the Windmill Village bar, and Dadan, the foster mother who cared for Luffy and his brothers.

And they all tacitly refrained from telling Garp about Dragon's arrival... As people who had watched Luffy grow up, they still hoped that Dragon could spend more time with Luffy.

However, Long was well aware of his sensitive identity, so he would always observe secretly for a period of time before quietly leaving.

"As for the children... we'll meet them again in the future." Dragon glanced at Luffy, a fleeting hint of longing in his eyes, then smiled and said, "The important thing right now isn't these things... our goal this time is to win a ranking! ...We just need to get a few Hextech Crystals. As for the top few places... we'll see, if we can, that would be best."

Towards the end, both the dragon and the Ivankov seemed a bit downcast—after all, competing for first place in the hands of the Sea Emperor was difficult even for them… As for leaving, the Taoist didn’t need to worry; at least in the City of Arms, no one dared to make a move.

This is Sett's territory.

Therefore, the Revolutionary Army's purpose in this trip is simply to get a few rankings and then obtain Hextech Crystals.

Along with Long and the others, the members of the Frostmoon Dojo also disembarked.

"Wow, it smells so good!!!" Sanji swallowed hard, his sensitive nose clearly sensing the aroma of food in the air—the invigorating scent made Sanji feel his culinary soul burning brightly.

Like Sanji, there was also Sanji's teacher, Red-Leg Zeff—of course, with the passage of time, not many people still remember this second-rate pirate and first-rate chef.

Smelling the aroma of food in the air, Zeff remarked with some emotion, "These ingredients are rare finds in the first half of the Grand Line, or even in the New World... I never expected them to be so common here."

"That's because of the Demacia district." Hearing Zeff's words, a robust man dressed as a scholar in a white lab coat explained gently, "Sea Kings have higher nutritional value, so the Demacia district of Sett sends a squad of soldiers to the Calm Belt every day to hunt and supplement their meat intake to strengthen their physique. The food that the Demacia district can't digest flows into the market. Like what you see now, it's not very expensive in the market; it's a unique benefit for Sett residents. Don't you see? The children in Sett are on average a head taller than those in other sea areas."

Hearing the scholar's words, Zhepu nodded in understanding, then exclaimed, "No wonder it's the richest and most progressive city in the world... By the way, who are you?"

Upon hearing this, the scholar beside him nodded in acknowledgment and then said, "I am Trafalgar Vincent. I am a doctor and also the honorary nutritionist of Demacia City."

It was none other than Dr. Vincent, Law's father, who had devoted himself to treating lead poisoning—lead poisoning is not incurable. After news of Flevance's affair spread, the World Government, in an effort to cover up the scandal, claimed it was a huge mistake by the Flevance royal family. Perhaps knowing this wouldn't silence public opinion, they allocated substantial funds and scholars to handle the aftermath.

All platinum and lead mines in Flevans have now been sealed off. Riding the wave of news surrounding Dr. Vincent, who became a hero in the platinum lead poisoning incident, began to vigorously promote academic research. This has led to Flevans becoming one of the leading medical powers and academic centers on the high seas. Also, out of gratitude to Sett, back when it was still Antares Island, Dr. Vincent frequently engaged in academic exchanges, providing significant assistance and academic support to Antares' healthcare system.

And after Sett's return and the establishment of Demacia City, this became even less necessary. Dr. Vincent even began directly responsible for monitoring the physical data and nutritional reports of the Demacian warriors—previously, this honorary nutritionist title had little use. However, after the Demacian Annihilation Squad accomplished the feat of annihilating a pirate nation in twelve minutes, this title suddenly became valuable—not only the World Government and the Navy, but even the Emperors of the Sea began to extend olive branches to Dr. Vincent.

However, Dr. Vincent also knows that Demacian soldiers are irreplaceable, and that the City of the Sett can offer better fame, fortune, and money. So, until now, Dr. Vincent has spent most of his time working in the City of the Sett.

This time, he's bringing his wife and daughters over to celebrate this grand festival together.

"I...I want to go see it too!!"

Upon hearing Luo's voice, Dr. Vincent smiled and nodded, then said, "Don't wander off. If you encounter any problems, you can come to me, or you can go to the sheriff. Just tell him my name and he will take you to my office."

"Ok!"

Upon hearing this, Luo and his sister eagerly followed to watch the robots fight—unfortunately, Luo's sister didn't seem interested in it and kept clamoring to see pretty dolls and girly toys.

"Hmph, what's so interesting about that! Robots are so much cooler!!!"

Law was completely baffled by his sister's idea. Although they were the same age and it was their first time meeting, Ace, Luffy, and the others beside him were very supportive of Law's thoughts and expressed their agreement.

Having rushed over and overheard the boys' conversation, Kuina stopped herself from saying she wanted to see the dolls—she still had a girlish heart, but influenced by her father's patriarchal views typical of Wano Country, she ultimately suppressed her curiosity and love for the dolls and patiently watched the robots fight.

"There's a bar over there! Let's go check it out!" The robots' fight was over, and Luffy's eyes lit up as if he had discovered a new continent—in Luffy's mind, bars should be like Windmill Village, places where villagers chat.

Luo, the eldest of the group and already sixteen years old, hesitated to speak, but ultimately couldn't resist his own curiosity and silently followed.

276·Church Boxing Gang

"Children? Children can't drink alcohol."

Upon seeing Luffy and his crew, the bar owner paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "We do have some milk, though. Would you like some?"

Sett's control over alcohol consumption is quite strict. Especially in Piltover and Demacia, alcohol is practically nonexistent except in the infirmary. While Sett himself enjoys drinking, he mostly drinks beer. Even soldiers on duty are strictly prohibited from consuming alcohol—the saying "drinking leads to mistakes" holds true everywhere.

This is also thanks to the simple and honest folk customs of Wanhao City. A full stomach leads to good manners, and sufficient food and clothing lead to a sense of honor and shame. Therefore, they often prepare some non-alcoholic beverages—especially in some of the older bars in Wanhao City, whose patrons are mostly elderly people who have been there since the time of Antuo Island. Rather than being bars in Wanhao City, these places feel more like places where friends in a small town chat. Therefore, they not only prepare non-alcoholic drinks but also some snacks.

"Judging from your appearance, you must be from out of town."

Upon hearing the boss's question, Ace nodded and said, "Yes! Grandpa brought us to watch the match!"

The children sat in rows at the low tables specifically for kids, and the shopkeeper wasn't surprised by Ace's answer; after all, the scale of this competition was unprecedented. Even the shopkeeper himself couldn't help but feel a little envious, let alone the others. But considering his own abilities… in the end, the shopkeeper decided to obediently lie down and wait for the massive influx of tourists to arrive, hoping to make a small fortune.

Upon seeing other guests arrive, the owner, ignoring the children, rushed over to greet them. Garp followed, scanned the area to find his grandson, and immediately went to sit with him at a table. What started as a harmonious scene inevitably led to some conflicts and accidents with more people.

Just like now, a pirate who clearly comes from the New World's high seas, judging from his makeup and demeanor, has come to the bar.

Hailing from the New World, perhaps because of his habitually unruly nature, the pirate showed no intention of restraining himself. Upon entering the bar, he loudly proclaimed, "Boss! Bring me all your best drinks!!!"

The noise was so loud that it attracted the attention of everyone in the bar. The pirates, however, paid it no heed. After a moment's hesitation, a customer from the New World said, "Oh! It's Si'an Remy, the captain of the Golden Sword Pirates! I heard his bounty is over 500 million! He's a very famous pirate back home!"

Hearing someone praise him, Remy nodded in satisfaction—those who venture out to sea are ultimately after wealth and fame. With someone flattering him, Remy became even more smug, shouting, "Did you hear that! Get me the wine right now!!"

This kind of pirate boss wasn't surprising at all—Arm City, as one of the few neutral and independent forces on the high seas, was a melting pot of all sorts of people. As a bar owner, he was naturally used to seeing all sorts of strange and monstrous characters. He just muttered a curse inwardly, estimating that he wouldn't make much money for the next few years, before chuckling and taking out the drinks from the cabinet behind him.

It wasn't a big deal at first, but the noise from drinking and eating meat made the bar a bit noisy. Gradually, some regular customers got up and left, to which the owner responded with a wry smile, indicating that they'd get a free drink next time they came.

With a hint of doubt in his eyes, Luffy remained silent for a long time before looking at Ace beside him, and then at Garp, asking, "Is he a pirate?"

"Yes... While not all pirates are like that, there are definitely some annoying ones among pirates."

He wasn't wearing the Navy's Justice Coat, just casual clothes; Garp looked more like an old man taking his grandson out for a stroll. Luffy's lips twitched a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent and lowered his head to drink his milk.

But at that moment, Sanji couldn't hold back any longer. Ignoring Kuina's attempts to dissuade him, he stepped forward and said, "Please don't waste food!!"

It turns out that while drinking and eating, Remy not only made a lot of noise, but he also casually took a bite of his food and threw it into the trash can. Everything else was one thing, but this was something Sanji couldn't accept. In Zeff's teachings, a chef who doesn't even respect the food in his hands doesn't deserve to be called a chef!

Remy glanced at Sanji, a hint of disdain in his eyes. Having drunk some strong liquor, he was a bit careless and casually said, "Get lost! Who do you think you are! Even Sett wouldn't dare talk to me like that!!!"

Upon hearing this, Sanji stubbornly refused to leave—seemingly feeling slighted, Remy stood up, intending to throw Sanji aside to avoid spoiling his drinking mood. Seeing this, Garp's eyes narrowed slightly, and just as he was about to get up, before even the bar owner could react, a thick, muscular arm covered in small characters draped over Remy's shoulder.

Along with that came an extremely dull, even deathly, voice: "What did you just say?"

Turning my head, I saw a bald man. His entire body was covered in scars, and his face, arms, and chest were etched with tiny tattoos. He was holding a thick book, and his eyes were as wide as cowbells. At first glance, he looked as lifeless as a withered tree.

Seeing this, Remy, his face flushed with drunkenness, spat in the man's face and said disdainfully, "Who do you think you are! Where did this nobody come from, daring to mess with you, Grandpa Remy?!"

Somewhat unexpectedly, the man showed no anger. He simply stared at Remy and repeatedly asked, "What did you just say?"

Seeing this, Garp wanted to go over and help. But before he could, the bar owner, who had come to his senses, stopped him.

"Don't go..."

"What's wrong?" Karp asked, looking at the bar owner with some confusion.

The bar owner glanced at Remy with a hint of pity in his eyes, then pointed at the taciturn but muscular man and said, "See that mark on his shoulder?"

Following the direction the bar owner was pointing, there was a brand that burned like the sun. It covered the entire arm, and in the center of the brand, one could vaguely see the mark of a fist.

"I saw it... So what?"

"He was a slave before."

"slave?"

Upon hearing this word, Garp was taken aback, and then, as he looked at the man, he quickly realized what it meant—the system of slavery was completely overthrown by Sett.

In response, the bar owner explained, "They are Redus from the Crusader Boxer Clan... a Paramecia-type Devotion Fruit user. You outsiders probably don't know, but according to the latest findings in Piltover, Devil Fruits can affect the secretion of mood hormones in the human brain to some extent. Other things are fine, but once the slander against Lord Sett reaches their ears, it's definitely going to be bad news."

Sure enough, right after that, Redus raised the heavy tome in his hand without hesitation, baring his teeth, his eyes still blank. But in that instant, the muscles in his arms suddenly bulged, and the arm rings binding them snapped off. With a violent screech of air friction, the tome with its steel spine became a blur and smashed straight towards Golden Knife Remy's head.

Crash! Crash! Crash!!!

Blood splattered everywhere, and in just three or four blows, the once arrogant Remy collapsed to the ground, barely breathing. They were about to continue the attack, but Luo, who had been watching, finally couldn't bear it any longer and stepped forward, saying, "Stop! He'll die if you keep hitting him!"

Upon hearing Law's words, Redus, who had been fiercely attacking, froze, then looked up, his lifeless, stiff eyes fixed on Law. The instant they felt that gaze, both Law and Garp sensed an overwhelming malice! Seeing this, just as Garp was ready to fight, as if sensing something, Redus lowered his weapon, then reached into his robes, revealing a smile more painful than a grimace on Law's somewhat frightened expression. His bloodied hand, holding a piece of candy, extended towards Law.

"Thank you for saving me from breaking the precepts."

"..."

Looking at the blood-stained candy, Luo hesitated for a moment before carefully taking it from his hand. Then, Redus turned around and returned to his seat to continue slowly and carefully reading the book in his hands.

A moment later, a group of soldiers who had heard the news arrived. When they looked at Redus, their eyes were filled with helplessness. They apologized to the hotel owner and then took Redus away.

Seeing this, the hotel owner wasn't surprised at all, and even thoughtfully explained, "Redus is a repeat offender, but every time she resorts to violence, it's to defend Lord Sett's honor... It's really frustrating. She's clearly a top-ten ranked fighter in the arena, but because of her temper and personality, her popularity has always been lower than Enel's. Karma, Urouge. Of course, my favorite is definitely Lord Dorry! His 'Overlord' is the most exhilarating finishing move!!!"

Arena? Top ten? Ultimate move?

Hearing these words, Luffy and the others were filled with great confusion in their small heads.