Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

The muzzle of the gun, still warm from the friction of the bullet, was pressed against his head. Ben Beckman, a look of smug satisfaction on his face, said, "Looks like I've won the grand prize!"

"..."

Staring at Beckman before him, Lucci remained silent for a moment before exhaling a breath of stale air and nodding slightly. If it weren't for Beckman, even if Lucci survived, dodging a fatal blow from behind would have come at a heavy price. Compared to that, it was merely a defeat…

Then, as the dust settled after the fourth round, people were astonished to discover that, apart from the Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates, only one other pirate crew remained standing on the field... That was...

"The Red-Haired Pirates?" People were somewhat surprised.

It's important to understand that while most of the Four Emperors' pirate crews successfully secured spots in the top three or four during previous battles, the remaining crew members were all captains from various other pirate groups. Given this situation, the fact that another pirate crew has managed to dominate the rankings suggests that, at least on paper, their leadership is on par with those of the Emperors.

"Haha~ Looks like I'm in good luck~ Hehe."

In the winners' bracket, everyone's gaze turned to Shanks, who had been lucky enough to escape the brutal brawl of the qualifying rounds. A serious expression crossed their faces—although Shanks' current bounty wasn't very high, and his reputation wasn't particularly widespread, anyone who knew anything about Sett couldn't forget the name Shanks.

Compared to the importance attached to this by the officers of the Emperor of the Sea, ordinary pirates and viewers were quite puzzled.

"Who are they? The Red-Haired Pirates? Never heard of them."

Is this the new world?

"It's said that their captain fought Lord Sett several years ago and survived... But isn't their captain red-haired?"

"Huh? He actually survived Lord Sett's attacks? He must be quite strong... That silver-gray one seems to be the strongest, could it be him?"

"I don't know... The Red-Haired Pirates... It's been several years since I last heard of them, hasn't it?"

Compared to those notorious pirates, the Red-Haired Pirates were indeed relatively unknown during this period—especially to ordinary people.

Firstly, he had personally clashed with Sett and held his own for a short time. Although he ultimately lost, considering that the three generals combined were all badly beaten, it wasn't exactly a shameful thing... In fact, being able to emerge unscathed from Sett's clutches was an honor in itself. After all, those who had survived before had all perished in Level 6 of Impel Down.

They were a group of idealistic navigators and adventurers, not so-called pirates. This meant that although Shanks was considered extremely dangerous by the Navy's high command and was a member of the Pirate King's crew, he remained relatively unknown to the general public because he hadn't committed any major heinous acts.

At least in the past four years, the Red-Haired Pirates' only appearance in the public eye was during their fight with Sett. Shortly after, Sett arrived at Mary Geoise. Given the tragedy at Mary Geoise, the Red-Haired Pirates' battle with Sett was practically minor news. Especially after learning of Shanks' defeat, nobody cared anymore…

After all, countless people have lost to Sett, and no one will deliberately remember a loser.

Except for Yue Lun.

Everyone thought it would be time for Shanks to choose a challenger and win the tickets. But just as they were about to begin, they discovered that due to Jack's death, one of the thirty-two spots was now vacant.

"Haha, looks like my good luck is working again~"

Shanks adjusted his straw hat, a hint of relief on his face.

Hearing Shanks attribute his participation in the official competition entirely to luck, some of the other pirates took it seriously, while others were unimpressed—especially Marco, who was standing nearby. Because the Flame of Resurrection could directly sense the life force of others, in Marco's eyes, the dense life force within Shanks was even more terrifying than that of King, the leader of the Three Disasters of the Beast Pirates!

That feeling... was almost as intense as feeling my own father did!

Thinking this, Marco pursed his lips—others might not know, but didn't Marco know? His father, Whitebeard, hadn't seen his life force increase even once in the past two years…

285. A great deal of discussion

"This kid is really lucky."

Sett glanced at the thirty-six finalists, his face filled with disdain—each of them had been through battle. Redus, in particular, was considered by almost all of them to be the most troublesome opponent.

However, at Sett's level, the strength of a person's life force can be directly sensed. In Sett's perception, Shanks' strength is comparable to that of the Emperors of the Sea. While Whitebeard is indeed powerful, his life force is showing signs of decline. In contrast, in just four years, Shanks' life force has increased by a third... He has reached this level even before reaching his prime. Undeniably, Shanks will undoubtedly have a place among the future Emperors of the Sea.

At least, judging from Shanks' current talent, according to Sett's estimate, in seven or eight years at most, Shanks should have the courage to go toe-to-toe with Whitebeard.

Meanwhile, many of Sett's old acquaintances were among those who successfully qualified for the knockout stage. For example, Hawkeye, Jinbe, and even Kuma and Ivankov from the Revolutionary Army… Well, because of Sett's appearance, although the World Government is aware of the Revolutionary Army's existence, compared to Sett's Castle, the threat they pose to the World Government is negligible… Especially after Sett gained prominence, Dragon is now taking advantage of Sett's Castle's momentum to build up defenses and amass resources. Aside from some remote New World locations and small countries across the seas, the rest are secretly working to win over the common people and gain their hearts.

In terms of strength, these people all possess it. After all, every single one of them who made it through the elimination rounds had fought their way through the ranks of powerful pirates with bounties exceeding 300 million. During this process, even many of the top emperors' officers were unexpectedly defeated and failed to advance. The remaining thirty-six are a testament to both strength and luck.

Even so, the current match... although it has only just begun, Sett is already starting to feel a little bored because he is standing next to someone of Whitebeard's caliber.

Sett was still somewhat worried—Whitebeard had clearly reached the limit of his life and was about to begin his decline. In other words, if he didn't find a way to start a fight soon, all that awaited Sett in the future would be a Whitebeard tormented by internal injuries and with failing eyesight…

Sett's hobby is fighting against strong opponents, but to bully or abuse an old hand just because he's strong... well, let's leave Sett alone.

On the contrary, the news from Judge that came from the side cheered Sett up: "Redus's test results are in."

Wearing a white lab coat, Judge had a look of amusement on his face. He waved for Judge to speak directly, telling him not to worry about so much. Seeing this, Judge, under the watchful eyes of those around him, said, "Redus's Devil Fruit awakening caused distortions in his brain and nervous system. Besides the change in his thought patterns, his pain receptors were also greatly weakened… to the point that he has no sense of pain at all. Provided he has sufficient energy and doesn't suffer any serious, fatal injuries, he can fight until his body collapses."

As he said this, Judge shook his head with a touch of emotion and said, "He's just like a mad dog..."

"But it still sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Haha~"

Hearing Judge's words, Sett didn't seem to care much. After all, Redus's mind had been somewhat unstable from the start. This kind of mental illness made everything he did seem so perfectly justifiable…

"Disperse."

Sett shrugged at Whitebeard and the others beside him and said, "The knockout stage won't start for another two days. If there are any injured people in the fleet, you can go with Judge to Piltover city for a stroll. There are specialized medical facilities there. As for the rest, that's all. Just don't cause any trouble."

With that said, Sett didn't bother to hide anything and bluntly stated, "Let me make this clear first: Sett City is my territory. If you really do something wrong, I won't care what you think."

"Oh, I see."

Upon hearing Sett's words, Whitebeard appeared quite easygoing, showing little reaction to them.

Ultimately, everyone has their place. Even the emperors of the sea have to observe pirate etiquette when visiting each other, let alone someone like Sett, who is a special being who is somewhat detached from the Navy, the World Government, and pirates. If Whitebeard's politeness was still out of courtesy, then Kaido and Charlotte Linlin exchanged a glance, and their thoughts were entirely driven by self-interest.

Although Sett mentioned the commercial value of Sett City before, everyone in the world actually knows what Sett City's real pillar industry is—nothing more than Hextech Gates!

As a transit point in the world, if we're being precise, Sett City can only be considered a vital sea route in the West Sea. However, once you leave the West Sea, Sett City loses all its advantages.

It wasn't until the City of Arms successfully developed the Hextech Gate that things changed. Previously, circling the Grand Line would take at least a year. And if a ship encountered a particular shipwreck, it could sink at any moment.

But what about Hextech portals? At most, it takes two or three days, and there's almost no risk—at least, much lower than encountering Sea Kings or special celestial phenomena. Under these circumstances, the shipping business across the entire ocean is dominated by City of the Arm. Even the World Government sometimes has to send special personnel to contact City of the Arm. Just recently, City of the Arm announced the signing of an agreement regarding the Hextech Coordinate Tower in the Sabaody Archipelago…

Anyone who travels by sea inevitably encounters the Hextech Gate. Because of this, everyone living on this ocean knows the immense wealth hidden within. Previously, the World Government struggled to maintain its maritime transport system, but now, even the World Government has to acknowledge the overwhelming advantage of the Hextech Gate… compared to traditional sea transport, it's a complete game-changer.

Before the Hextech Gate, the cost of fuel for transporting goods via flying ships in Sett's City was quite high. Now, the Hextech Gate has drastically reduced costs and increased speed many times over. This time, besides wanting to see what Sett was really capable of, they also wanted to personally experience just how powerful Sett's so-called "City of Progress" really was!

Before leaving, the various Sea Emperors' officers followed behind their leader. During this time, Marco's gaze fell upon Sett… Although it wasn't the first time he'd seen him, no matter how many times he'd met him, Marco always felt a profound sense of awe… The life force of each person could be easily observed through the Phoenix Fruit's vision. In this situation, in Marco's view, among the four most lawless beings on the sea before him, Kaido's life force surged like a furnace, and Charlotte Linlin's life force was comparable. This meant that neither of them had yet reached their true peak…

As for Sett, it was even more so. To Marco, it no longer felt like a furnace rising up, but rather like a sun constantly burning. Moreover, this sun was still expanding, giving the impression that it was about to expand into the next stage called a red giant.

This level of vitality is beyond terrifying... In comparison, the life force within Old Man's body is more like charcoal embers than flames. Though still intensely hot, it has inevitably begun to dissipate heat and gradually cool...

Thinking this, Marco's expression turned extremely somber. Even his initial joy of victory vanished without a trace. Seeing this, the other pirates nearby didn't think much of it; they were simply used to it—yes, they were already accustomed to Marco's current expression.

Although he couldn't remember exactly when it started, Marco's smiles became less frequent after that. Even his genuine joy was tinged with bitterness.

But when they asked, Marco would become tight-lipped, or even refuse to say anything at all. After a while, people rarely asked about it anymore…

In contrast, Whitebeard glanced at Marco's expression and sighed helplessly before shaking his head and saying, "Then we'll be going...we'll experience the other gadgets in Arms City!"

Marco wouldn't tell others the truth when they asked him, but wouldn't he tell Whitebeard when he asked him?

Whitebeard knew his body better than anyone. His strength hadn't increased in a long time, and he felt this stagnation all too well—it was incredibly frustrating. "Beauties and great generals alike are destined to grow old." While his formidable physique gave him enough confidence to maintain his strength for the next two years, what about afterward? His internal injuries were far more numerous than those of Kaido and his crew…

Often, the more you know, the less you dare to take a step. Just like Marco now, it is precisely because he can see with his own eyes the life force within Whitebeard that has ceased to boil and burn that he becomes increasingly depressed.

In contrast, on the other side, as he left, carrying a golden staff with a Hextech crystal embedded at each end, Enel's face was full of casualness and arrogance.

"You're pretty good, I mean Observation Haki. This is the first time I've seen someone who can rival me in Observation Haki!"

Upon hearing Enel's words, Katakuri paused slightly. Seeing this, Charlotte Flampe, still young but already displaying the traits of a bandwagon fan, immediately jumped in and said, "Stop talking nonsense! Katakuri's Observation Haki is the strongest..." Before Charlotte Flampe could finish speaking, Katakuri suddenly stretched out his palm, then turned to look at Enel—not with disdain, but with a serious nod in his eyes.

"If I were to encounter you, I would show no mercy!"

"Of course, haha ​​...

Upon hearing Katakuri's reply, Enel laughed and turned to leave. Though his voice and words were filled with arrogance, his eyes blazed with fighting spirit—Enel was certain that his Observation Haki was the strongest in the entire Armored Castle. Even Sett was no match for Enel in terms of Observation Haki!

……

Okay, that's only considering Observation Haki. After all, when he's truly in a state of heightened awareness and his blood is boiling, Sett doesn't even need Observation Haki to enhance his senses... His entire body is flowing with stress responses, and Sett can even dodge bullets the instant they touch his body without leaving a scratch.

This level of reaction doesn't even require using Observation Haki to dodge... Of course, in Sett's words, only battles like this possess true purity.

Of course, both Zeff and Fujitora politely declined Sett's theory of purity... After all, the purity that Sett advocated placed on a person's natural talent was extremely demanding.

Compared to the diverse and complex thoughts of the people inside the arena, the discussions outside the arena, or among the general public in the city of Wanhao, were even louder.

Outside the arena, although the match was over, people still seemed reluctant to leave after watching such a long competition. Apart from a few women with children who wanted to go home and weren't interested in the fighting, the vast majority of the men and women, young and old, chose to go to their favorite taverns to chat and gossip.

"If you ask me, the most powerful one in these matches is definitely that Aokiji Kuzan! Didn't you see? He froze more than a dozen great pirates in one go, they couldn't even move! He scared the other pirates so much that they didn't dare to make a move!"

"Absolutely! I think only that Whitebeard First Division Commander would dare to fight Aokiji! No wonder he's an admiral who survived Lord Sett's clutches unscathed!"

Look, surviving Sett's clutches has become an honor.

"Aokiji is a different matter!" another drinker said discontentedly. "If you ask me, the World Government is shameless! They actually sent a Marine Admiral to participate. Just you wait and see, if Aokiji wins even slightly badly, I'll tear him apart!"

"Absolutely! If you ask me, the most powerful one is that guy called 'Bartholomew Kuma'! I'd never heard of him before, but he took them all down with a single slap, without even needing a second one!"

"Right, right! The Paw-Paw Fruit, right? Isn't that the most useless fruit? How come it's so powerful? Morgans is no match for it!"

--------

I'm having some writer's block...

286·Kozaburo

Morgans is now facing a major headache regarding the match – the reason being that this match has revealed far too many unexpected and previously unheard-of powerhouses.

Sett was happy to see this happen—after all, Morgans, aside from being very detailed about the news regarding Sett City, mostly relied on hearsay and rumors. Simply put, he would publish things in the newspapers without any investigation.

Especially when he saw Morgans' list of the most useless Devil Fruit candidates, even Sett was a little stunned—indeed, the Paw-Paw Fruit was useless in the hands of others. But whether a fruit is useful or not depends on how the user develops it.

A good ability user can turn a weak ability into an extremely powerful one, or make an already powerful ability even more powerful.

Although it may sound strange, some fruits are just unreasonably strong—like Enel's Rumble-Rumble Fruit.

Inside the tavern, people were arguing, but most of their comments were praise for the contestant's strength: "That guy named Mihawk, he must be Hawkeye who traveled with our Lord Sett back then, right? Those eyes are really sharp! When he looked at me, it felt like I was cut by a knife!"

Hearing a drunkard's words, his friend couldn't help but joke, "Haha~ Getting a single glance is like being cut with a knife? That's an exaggeration! Were you drunk and accidentally bumped into a shard of glass?"

"impossible!"

Hearing his friend's words, the red-nosed drunkard couldn't stand it any longer. With a straight face and flushed from drinking, he said in a drunken stupor, "Don't I know what it feels like to hit a shard of glass? It's a completely different feeling. You didn't make eye contact with him. I glanced at him, just for a moment, and I broke out in a cold sweat! I sobered up instantly!"

"You were sobered up by the fright? That doesn't make sense." My friend stroked his chin suspiciously and said, "Then why are you like this now? Your face is all red from drinking."

"Yeah, I was scared, so I immediately drank a few more glasses to calm my nerves." As he said this, the drunkard with the bulbous nose picked up the bottle and chugged down his liquor.

The adults were chatting enthusiastically, and the children were naturally not to be outdone. Little Luffy, barely a toddler, was excitedly shouting at the table, "So amazing!! I saw that big bear slap people one by one, and everyone who touched him flew away in a flash! It didn't even feel like he used any force!"

"I heard it's the Paw-Paw Fruit?" Ace said thoughtfully. "Isn't the Paw-Paw Fruit supposed to be weak? It can only make a few paw pads appear in your palm. I didn't expect it to be so powerful."

"That's because you haven't seen him." Sanji said with a proud air after hearing what Ace, Luffy, and the others said, "Uncle Kuma often comes to our dojo! We've known for a long time whether he's powerful or not! It's just that you bunch of country bumpkins don't know!"