Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

"Fishman Karate, Flowing Void!!!"

The invisible air projectile left a sharp whistling trail as it flew, its trajectory a result of air friction. The arrow, which was about to pierce Redus's back, had barely pierced his flesh when it was instantly blasted into two pieces.

With a fierce glare at the crowd around him, the thirty-six-year-old Jinbe let out a heavy sigh: "Hmph! In the clash of warriors, choosing to ambush is a despicable act, but I will absolutely not tolerate such a thing! If you want to ambush, you'd better get past me, Jinbe, first!"

Upon seeing Jinbe, Sett's eyes flashed with a thoughtful expression. Then, he slapped his forehead, quickly recalling the little blue fish-man who had always followed Tiger around... well, not exactly a follower. Strictly speaking, both Tiger and Jinbe were older than Sett. But on this high seas, age was secondary; relying on seniority would only get you broken bones—unless you were a powerful figure like Garp or Whitebeard.

Upon seeing Jinbe, Sett suddenly realized that he hadn't heard from Fishman Island for a while... He wondered how Fishman Island was doing now, and decided to go and take a look when he had time.

However, it was just a fleeting thought, and Sett quickly put it out of his mind.

In contrast, in the arena, after Jinbe stepped forward, the other fish-men exchanged glances and also stood up—even now, the fish-men still harbored hatred for humans. However, this hatred had nothing to do with Sett's Castle. The most important reason, without a doubt, was the incident where Sett and Tiger, the leader of Fish-Man Island, climbed up to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise and caused a great disturbance.

Although Tiger wasn't remembered by many during this process, Sett was the one most people remembered. However, as fish-men, their focus remained on their leader. From their perspective, Sett's act of staying behind to protect his brother was incredibly appealing. This led to the fish-men having a consistently positive impression of Sett's City, even referring to it as their brother island. Consequently, many fish-men eager to experience the vibrant human world also chose to join Sett's City as casino fighters.

Sett naturally welcomed this. After all, the thought of underwater fish-men fighting was intriguing.

For most fishmen, watching fishmen fight would be infuriating, as it would be no different from watching the Celestial Dragons—but Sett was different. The gladiatorial combat in Sett's Castle was diverse; not only fishmen, but even humans frequently fought them underwater. In their eyes, anyone else engaging in fishmen gladiatorial combat was discriminating against them. Sett's Castle held these gladiatorial combats to help people better understand the power of Fishman Island and the allure of the underwater world!

Every single one of these fishmen is a hypocrite.

Privately, it doesn't matter, but now, as a member of the Sun Pirates, he was called upon by Jinbe, the first mate. The other fish-men of the Sun Pirates exchanged glances and then stepped out from the side to stand beside Redus.

As a group that faces discrimination in this world, the fish-people are incredibly united—especially when there is an external threat. Even the most internal conflicts will instantly cease, and they will unite against a common enemy.

Redus nodded in agreement—in his eyes, there wasn't much difference between races. What truly concerned Redus was Tiger—who had accompanied Sett to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. Sett fought and won. Tiger, however, seized the opportunity to transfer them away.

It gives the impression that he was enlightened, like Moses parting the sea, a wise man who was commanded by God to lead the enslaved people out of the Celestial Dragons' palace and to the Sea of ​​Freedom.

At this moment, Su Ri'an didn't recognize the group of fish-men in front of him, but Redus could clearly recognize the Sun Pirates' markings on their bodies. Realizing that they were Tiger's followers, Redus's original violent temper subsided slightly. But then, Redus once again turned his gaze to Jack beside him, a hint of provocation flashing in his eyes.

Then, he raised his arms and gestured towards Jack the Drought. When outsiders saw this, they didn't think much of it, but the natives of Arms City and the gamblers who often visited Arms City cheered.

Seeing this, Sett, who was standing to the side, explained with a little interest: "There is an unwritten rule in the Arena of Arms City called Honor Duel."

"A duel for honor?"

Upon hearing this, the white-bearded man raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in his expression. Sett explained, "There are no perfect laws in this world. No matter how perfect they are, it's undeniable that the strong and the weak are fundamentally different beings. Even the most determined person can survive for months on a sun-drenched, deserted reef island with only enough food and rainwater."

"The suppression we thought we could achieve would only breed greater darkness in the shadows... So, the City of Arms decided to bring it into the open."

Upon hearing this, Kaido nodded thoughtfully, but his inherent arrogance prevented him and Whitebeard from easily offering praise. So, Kaido simply took a sip of his drink, feigning nonchalance, and casually remarked, "Sounds good. So how will it be implemented?"

While it's hard to admit, truly harmonious pirate crews are rare... Crews like Whitebeard's are few and far between; the vast majority are like those under Kaido's command. They all submit to Kaido's strength and reputation, but privately, different groups will attack and protect each other. Under these circumstances, it's absolutely impossible for a pirate crew to be completely free of discord... And now, a duel for honor? Sounds like a good option.

"Honor duels are protected by the laws of Sett's City," Sett said nonchalantly, propping his chin on his arm. "When faced with irreconcilable conflicts, one party can choose to initiate an honor duel. Of course, the other party can choose not to accept. Because this matter is inherently risky, the acceptance rate for honor duels in Sett's City has always remained below five percent. And that five percent acceptance rate is only achieved when both parties have reached a point of no return."

"And once accepted, it will never stop until one party dies."

Upon hearing Sett's explanation, Kaido and the others turned their gazes toward the arena once again, their eyes now showing a different kind of sparkle.

If it were anyone else, or any other pirate, they might back down now. But after the commentator explained the concept of a duel for honor, Jack the Drought was quickly cornered—at least, Kaido wouldn't approve of a coward who wouldn't even accept a duel invitation.

Moreover, he was only eighteen years old, a time of youthful vigor. In Jack the Drought's view, his previous defeat was entirely due to his own carelessness. Now, having grasped the concept of a duel for honor, Jack snorted and clenched his fist, subtly gesturing towards the referee in the distance.

Seeing this, the referee nodded. Immediately afterward, the bare-chested, muscular waiters exchanged glances, then bent down, picked up the iron hammers standing on the ground, and struck the bronze bell beside them three times, heavily and lightly. With the sound echoing and the referee's command given, without hesitation, Redus once again entered his state of focus. The suppressed killing intent in his eyes erupted, undisguised, bursting forth with a speed like a thunderclap.

Having made ample preparations, Drought Jack was not as surprised as he had been at the beginning. On the contrary, his amber eyes in his orc form revealed a solid anger—for Drought Jack, being beaten so badly by an unknown nobody in the battle, and even needing his elder brother to save him from elimination, was undoubtedly a huge humiliation.

The only way to wash away this humiliation is to kill the other person—I initially thought I had to suppress my murderous intent due to the rules, but now it seems there's no need to suppress it anymore—right here: "I'm going to smash your head!!!"

With a furious roar, Jack the Drought raised his arms high. Thick and heavy. From a distance, the robust Redus appeared incredibly thin. In his Zoan-type Devil Fruit unleashed, in his half-beast form, Jack's arms were even thicker than Redus's thighs!

boom!!!!!

A heavy blow sent shards of stone flying.

With his Zoan-type Devil Fruit unleashed, Jack the Drought's reaction speed was significantly enhanced. Furthermore, having realized Redus's formidable nature during the previous battle, he showed no sign of underestimation. The instant he sensed Redus's presence, Jack turned his head without hesitation, his sharp tusks like steel hooks—no, even harder than steel. Enhanced by Armament Haki and the terrifying power of his Zoan-type Devil Fruit, Jack was confident that even if a wall of steel stood before him, he could pierce it the instant he made contact!

With the sound and feel of ivory piercing flesh, Jack's eyes lit up with delight, and he immediately raised his head without hesitation. But only when he raised his head did Jack realize that he hadn't struck Redus; rather, Redus had grabbed the tip of the tusk at the very last moment before being hit. Then, with a sudden burst of strength, his arm instantly grew larger, and his right leg lashed out like a steel whip, leaving a sharp sound in the air.

Click!

Along with the groaning of the crack, Jack was immediately gripped by excruciating pain—but before he could react to dodge or howl, Redus seized the moment when the pain had overwhelmed his senses, pulling him into his arms. Facing Jack's body covered in thick, long hair, Redus took a deep breath until his chest was full. Then, like Sett, a storm of iron fists rained down upon him.

One punch, two punches, three punches—countless fists filled the air. Heavy impacts, like tidal waves, relentlessly assaulted Jack's resilient abdomen. But the difference in their Devil Fruit abilities was undeniable, and the difference in strength between Redus's body and Sett's was catastrophic. Force is reciprocal! And indeed, in just moments, under the continuous barrage of blows, the thick calluses on his fists were shattered, and Redus's bare bones were exposed beneath his knuckles.

—————————The deadline has been changed to tomorrow… As for this book, it might be finished around January… We'll see. I'll try my best to write all the rewritten parts.

283. Khorne Worship

The purity is too low.

Seeing his bones exposed to the air after being bombarded repeatedly, Sett looked rather bored... Although the fight was exciting, the actual result felt more like children playing house to Sett.

Under normal circumstances, Sett might have been able to patiently appreciate the spectacle for a while, but unfortunately, things were different now… Surrounding Sett were Fleet Admiral Sengoku and three other Sea Emperors. With these guys still there, Sett's fighting spirit had never waned from the start… And it was precisely because of their presence that the honor duel between Redus and Jack felt like a chicken bone to Sett—tasteless to eat, yet too precious to discard.

Sensing Sett's impatience, Whitebeard winked with amusement. However, considering the current situation, he didn't say anything more.

Logically, this battle should have ended long ago, since there were only eight people left on the field... But honor duels are sacred in Armor City, especially when the other side has already accepted.

The battle intensified, with Redus beating wildly, his muscles oozing crimson blood from the pressure. In contrast, Jack, gritting his teeth and having recovered from his initial frenzy, swung his arm and delivered a powerful punch without hesitation to the onrushing Redus.

Unable to dodge, or perhaps unable to stop their own attack, Redus was sent flying like a deflated balloon the instant he was struck. Without pausing, Jack leaped high into the air, appearing like a meteorite falling from the sky. His fists clenched into hammers, he showed no mercy as he aimed at Redus's location.

Blood splattered everywhere as Redus's body was embedded in the ground from the severe blow. His chest, ravaged by the impact, was a bloody mess, with broken ribs piercing his flesh as he moved. The intense pain blinded him, his eyes bloodshot. Yet, even so, Redus stubbornly crawled out of the ground. Raising his head, he had hoped his bloody battle would earn Sett's approval, but under Sett's powerful gaze, Redus clearly sensed only the weariness on Sett's face.

This boredom wasn't directed at Redus, but at the battle itself. Only Sett himself knew this feeling; in Redus's eyes, the boredom on Sett's face was simply his own frustration and impatience…

Confusion, fear, panic. A flood of emotions overwhelmed Redus's mind. This confusion even caused Redus to overlook Jack beside him—and in the next instant, Jack's iron fist struck Redus squarely in the back. With the sound of cracking bones, Redus fell to the side like a broken kite, blood splattering everywhere.

Everyone thought the duel was over, including Sett, who indifferently withdrew his gaze. But along with the pain, the confusion and panic in Redus's mind were swept away by the agony. Then, a pair of eyes filled with doubt gradually regained their luster, then froze, becoming filled with an even more frenzied will.

What exactly constitutes a prayer to God? Redus pondered blankly. Just as he was struggling to grasp the meaning of prayer, a sudden, sharp pain disrupted his train of thought. At the same time, it also gave Redus the answer—no need for doubt, no need for hesitation. True prayer is not dry words. It is battle, it is struggle, it is the awakening that blossoms amidst suffering!

Thinking this, the crimson light in Redus's eyes grew increasingly intense. Finally, it erupted with a chilling aura. A dense, scarlet radiance burst forth wildly, accompanied by a violent surge of energy. Redus's lower limbs forcefully supported his broken spine, and with the spread of this savagery, the runes and tattoos covering his body outlined scarlet lines. His entire body regenerated in a bizarre and unsettling way.

"Lord!! I entrust myself to you!!!!!"

The molars in his mouth became exceptionally sharp, resembling shark teeth or razor-sharp daggers. The bones in his fingers also grew larger during this process, with muscles bulging and swelling one after another. Sharp, knife-like nails involuntarily grew on his large palms.

His wounds healed at a visible speed, and along with this display of power, a hint of astonishment appeared in the eyes of Sett and the others—although Sett himself wasn't a Devil Fruit user. But even if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen pigs run, right? In the continuous battles, Sett had encountered this state more than once. Was that… Devil Fruit awakening?

While it's not entirely certain, the only way to recover from the brink of death to such a terrifying aura in an instant is through the awakening of a Devil Fruit.

As we all know, the awakening of Zoan-type Devil Fruits grants terrifying physical strength and regenerative abilities that surpass human potential. Like Sett, who can heal rapidly even from cuts and lacerations. Paramecia-type Devil Fruits are different. Normally, the awakening of a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit allows the user to influence external objects… but there are simply too many Paramecia-type abilities; even the World Government's centuries-old legacy contains countless unrecorded Devil Fruit awakenings.

Especially the Devotion Fruit, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that works on the mind and then transforms into physical power—even in Piltover City, this type of Devil Fruit is the most mysterious.

Now, with the burst of power, crimson threads faintly swirl around Redus, the surrounding land. Then, with a writhing motion, white bone spurs begin to grow from Redus's body, and new joints and arms with crimson structures sprout from his back and armpits. Even his straight, thick thighs, along with the deformed changes in his body, adopt a wild, beast-like, reverse-joint posture more suited to generating power.

Then, he bent down, and like a wild beast, he sped through the air. All Jack could see in his wake was a crimson afterimage. But within that afterimage, Jack could clearly sense an undisguised, ferocious killing intent.

Panic ensued, but with the change in his physical structure, Jack was astonished to discover that Redus's speed had more than doubled. Before he could even react, a scarlet fist, like a flying stamp, struck Jack's chest directly.

Jack tried to retaliate, but Redus's body was incredibly agile. Before Jack's hand could even touch Redus, Redus dodged like a crimson phantom. Then, his tail, which had grown spikes from his tailbone at some unknown time, lashed out like a whip.

Sharp barbs tore through flesh, and flying crimson blood accompanied by intense pain. Before Jack could even scream, Redus had already climbed from the first level onto Jack's head. The five toes of his feet gripped the protrusions of his shoulder blades below his spine, while the deformed red ghost hands that sprouted from his armpits and back held tightly to Jack's shoulders and head. And finally, his original arms were used to firmly hold onto Jack's huge tusk, which had been broken off and was now only half intact.

"Roar!!!"

"Ughhhhhh!!!!"

Accompanied by Redus's roar and Jack's screams, the sound of flesh being torn apart was incessant. Then, in everyone's sight, Jack's head was forcibly pulled from his neck by Redus, who stepped on his shoulder. A large amount of scarlet blood gushed from the wound like a tidal wave. Under the immense force, three thick cervical vertebrae were also exposed to the air.

Cruel and tyrannical, his entire body was covered in runes that emitted a faint crimson glow, giving the impression of a demon crawling out of hell. Redus raised the half-beast head, its eye sockets, mouth, and nose stained with blood, high in his hand, then roared towards Sett's throne, perched high above him, in a hoarse and chaotic voice like a broken bellows:

"Skull offering to the skull seat, blood sacrifice to the Blood God!!!"

There were no cheers, no jubilation. Even Redus's own people from Sett's City showed solemn expressions after witnessing Redus's terrifying display—including the live stream outside, which was cut off during the honor duel. Now, despite his victory, Redus felt more fear and hatred—but these were things Redus didn't care about. In his frenzied state, Redus simply stared intently at Sett's position, his gaze both frantic and resolute.

Sett also showed a hint of amusement in this regard—the awakening of the Devil Fruit of Devotion even surprised and intrigued Sett.

But this curiosity, more arousing than anything else, acted like a reassuring pill in the eyes of Redus, whose mind was already in turmoil, instantly calming him down. Then, his previously panicked eyes regained their initial dull fervor.

Then, he regained his human form—and everyone noticed that after awakening, Redus, now in human form, had lost a significant amount of weight. From his initially robust physique, he was now skin and bones, his short hair completely gone, and his bronze skin a withered, ashen white. But even in this frail state, he stubbornly raised his head and surveyed the arena—showing the crowd the expression Jack the Drought had before his death.

"Skull offering to the skull seat, blood sacrifice to the Blood God!!!"

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Two more chapters

284·Strong Luck

Redus's terrifying display elicited no cheers, but he showed no discomfort at the deathly silence. On the contrary, he was exceptionally excited. Even when he was forced to leave the stage, Redus showed no signs of fatigue.

Next came the final round of the competition—as participants, the Emperors of the Sea were grouped together this round by Katakuri of the Big Mom Pirates. Sett showed considerable interest in Katakuri—because even the strongest bodies have their limits. At least, Sett could see their limits. Therefore, the Beasts Pirates were considered inferior in Sett's mind… Of course, Kaido and the others were unaware of this.

As for the Big Mom Pirates... in Sett's opinion, there aren't many capable members. The only one who can pique Sett's interest is Katakuri—although he hasn't yet acquired the Observation Haki that will allow him to foresee the future in ten years, Katakuri is already capable of using Observation Haki comparable to, or even surpassing, the level of the Emperors of the Sea.

In the arena where everyone's bounty is over 300 million and there are pirates with bounties of 500 million everywhere, not to mention others, even Marco, the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, suffered a lot of attacks. He only managed to maintain his body without any wounds thanks to the resurrection flame of the Phoenix Fruit. As for the others, they all suffered some damage due to the chaotic battles such as sneak attacks.

In contrast, Katakuri not only escaped unharmed, but even had the strength to use his steel fork to help his brothers and sisters parry attacks. Although Sett wasn't particularly interested in their familial bond, he was quite intrigued by Katakuri's Observation Haki, which even surpassed that of the Emperors of the Sea.

As for the reason... top-tier Observation Haki is even rarer than Conqueror's Haki.

"I should have gone."

After finishing the battle, Enel, with nothing else to do, sat in his seat with a hint of amusement in his eyes: "This is the first time I've seen Observation Haki of this level... Observation Haki that can compare to mine!"

Hearing Enel's words, Marco, also a member of the winners' bracket, glanced at Enel beside him and shrugged indifferently. Although he seemed unconcerned, Marco was secretly nodding in approval—it could be said that because they were both Emperors of the Sea, Marco had already seen Enel before, and even clashed with Katakuri. Otherwise, Enel's Observation Haki would definitely be the strongest Marco had ever witnessed.

Throughout the entire battle, Enel, like Katakuri, was not harmed at all—was it because Enel could also see a glimpse of the future?

The answer is no. Although he didn't know much about it, Marco could at least say that Enel's dodging method was slightly different from Katakuri's—simply put, Enel dodged before attacking, while Katakuri dodged during the attack.

Was it because Enel could see further into the future? Marco didn't know, but he didn't ask—after all, this kind of core technology couldn't be easily taught even to one's own children at sea, for fear that others would learn it.

Enel could more or less guess Marco's thoughts, so he merely chuckled, gripping his golden staff and simply watching.

This battle will be no easy feat—as a contestant, Armor City has sent Rob Lucci. To be honest, Rob Lucci's strength is actually quite considerable. His talent is exceptionally outstanding. After all, even within the talent-rich World Government intelligence organization, Rob Lucci's talent is considered by many to be that of the strongest agent in history. And now, this strongest agent has actually betrayed the World Government?

This humiliation led to World Government agents disguised as pirates launching a desperate attack on Rob Lucci during the battle.

Agents rarely operate alone. Even someone of Rob Lucci's strength often relies on teamwork in battles—and in reality, even within Armor City, Rob Lucci's strength was only considered above average, not comparable to top-tier users like Enel with his exceptional talent and Devil Fruit abilities. What truly made Rob Lucci famous was the seamless tactical coordination of his former CP9 members in team battles.

Unfortunately, only Rob Lucci participated in this battle.

Facing an attack from nearly forty people, including more than twenty disguised World Government agents, even Rob Lucci was finding it incredibly difficult. For instance, despite having nothing in between, one of the World Government agents took a punch from Rob Lucci squarely to the abdomen. Without dodging or retaliating, he grabbed Rob Lucci's hand, his eyes fixed on him with a death-defying intensity. Then, one of the assassins leaped from the shadows, a short knife appearing in his hand, and thrust it towards Rob Lucci's spine.

Once the attack is concentrated, even with Rob Lucci's physical abilities, he would be left paralyzed from the waist down due to his spine being severed.

But at that very moment, as if it were preordained, a gunshot rang out, accompanied by the sound of air being pierced. A brass bullet, blackened by Armament Haki, knocked the assassin's dagger and a finger from his hand. Then, with a sizzling sound, Beckman kicked away the agent who was restraining Lucci, and then lightly tapped Lucci's forehead with the musket in his hand.