Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

Although Sett killed Whitebeard Jr., one thing remained: Zeff's family and students were utterly and irrevocably dead. Under these circumstances, even a gentle man like Zeff took on a ruthless edge in his actions.

"Family...do you think you're the only one with family?" Zephyr asked, his voice tinged with hatred as he stared at the white-bearded man, his gaze carrying a complex and indescribable meaning.

"Don't think you're the only one who has this kind of thing!!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Zephyr's body flickered slightly, and then the Hextech Crystal on his back emitted a dazzling blue light. Without any warning, Zephyr's body appeared out of thin air right in front of Whitebeard, delivering a powerful punch to Whitebeard's face.

After taking several steps back, Whitebeard stared at Zephyr's body in astonishment, then glanced at the arcane energy surging behind Zephyr. He quickly realized that this was also a technology extended from Hextech... Although it was the first time he had seen it, Whitebeard was, after all, a 64-year-old veteran. Even though he only noticed that Zephyr's breathing was slightly heavier, he estimated that this item would put a strong strain on the user's body.

Pointing at Whitebeard, Zephyr said, enunciating each word clearly, "What does Whitebeard Jr. have to do with you!"

"Whitebeard II?"

Upon hearing Zephyr's question, Whitebeard's eyes showed a brief moment of confusion, which then turned into sudden realization—Whitebeard finally understood where the deep-seated hatred in Zephyr's eyes came from.

“He is not my son… otherwise, I would have been there when he was imprisoned in Impel Down.”

Looking at Zephyr, Whitebeard suppressed his violent killing intent towards Kaido and instead forcibly maintained his rationality, turning his gaze to Zephyr. He also valued his family, and only when facing Zephyr was Whitebeard willing to suppress his killing intent and rationally explain, "His mother, Bakkin, and I have some connection... but that's all in the past, it has nothing to do with the present!"

Upon hearing Whitebeard's words, the hatred in Zephyr's eyes gradually subsided—but only slightly. After all, the pressure that had accumulated over a long period of time couldn't be easily dispelled.

In the next instant, looking around, the law enforcement officers of the City of Arms were already surrounding the remaining captain with their hammers in hand.

"They're fighting like this on my turf, aren't they taking me way too lightly?"

While saying this, Sett didn't seem to care at all, and was even enjoying his beer while watching the show. This left Robin and Tina feeling particularly helpless—it was clearly Sett's property that was lost in the battle between Kaido and Whitebeard, yet Sett was the one watching with the most interest.

Whitebeard glanced at Sett and let out a cold snort: "This has nothing to do with you... Kozuki Oden is my brother. No matter what others think of him, he's my brother, my family. And I will never allow those who harmed my family to continue roaming freely on these seas! This is the Whitebeard Pirates!!!"

Upon hearing Whitebeard's words, Kaido, covered in dust, spat disdainfully. Although he had clearly been at a disadvantage in the previous battle, even in this situation, Kaido showed no intention of compromising or surrendering... They were both Emperors of the Sea; if Kaido surrendered, he wouldn't be able to continue sailing the seas. He might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes to earn some extra money.

"You can fight if you want, but don't fight on my turf."

As he spoke, Sett scratched his full head of red hair, his eyes full of casualness, and said, "I still have to hold a tournament here... Don't blame me for not telling you, you can fight whenever you want, but not now. Any grudges can be settled by your men in the tournament, as for you yourselves... go wherever you want after the tournament! If you don't have a place, I can even provide you with a venue!"

Hearing Sett's simple and straightforward words, and glancing at the fully armed law enforcement officers around him, Whitebeard snorted coldly, then turned and left, saying indifferently as he walked away: "All members of the Whitebeard Pirates, if you engage in combat with any member of the Beasts Pirates during the competition, do not consider advancing; immediately eliminate them!"

Whitebeard wasn't stupid—even when he went to rescue Ace in the original story, he made ample preparations, bypassing the Navy's encirclement and breaking through from the inside using the coating. Based on this, Whitebeard knew very well that if the fighting continued, it would anger Sett and violate the rules. Even without Sett's intervention, Fujitora and Zephyr alone would be enough to give Whitebeard a hard time.

What's more, there's Kaido watching him like a hawk... He realized that this was a fight to the death, and that Kaido would do anything to kill him if given the chance!

Whitebeard wasn't afraid of death, but he was afraid that his recklessness would cause his family to suffer... The ocean is vast, and these things will only truly begin when we reach the New World!

"Oh, right..."

As if remembering something, Whitebeard suddenly stopped and turned his gaze behind him. In the distance stood Yamato standing with Koushirou.

Having been preoccupied with anger over Oden's death, Whitebeard calmed down a bit and quickly realized the legacy of Wano Country—the legacy of Kozuki Oden.

"Yamato...we can't let Kaido take her back!"

"That's really strange." Upon hearing Whitebeard's words, Kaido's eyes darkened slightly, and then he said, "Why should I listen to you about whether I take my son or not? This is clearly a family matter, isn't it?"

"That's just what you think," Whitebeard said dismissively. "True family members don't need blood ties to be incredibly close!"

"Say what you will, Yamato's blood is my blood!!"

Just as Kaido was still arrogantly spouting his nonsense, Yamato on the other side erupted in another outcry: "I am Oden!!! I will open Wano Country to the world!!"

"..."

Seeing this scene before him, Sett felt like he'd been tricked and his eyes had been opened—it started as a conflict between father and daughter, but then Koushirou was inexplicably dragged into it, and now even Whitebeard was involved.

But their own daughter was biased towards outsiders. When Yamato saw the white beard, it was as if she had seen a relative... wasn't he a relative?

Whether Kozuki Oden's actions were right or wrong, good or bad, or whether he was mentally deficient, is one thing. But it's a fact that Kozuki Oden was Yamato's idol. And in Kozuki Oden's nautical log, his descriptions of Whitebeard are even more telling.

This also led to Yamato, who regarded Kozuki Oden's nautical log as his own bible, developing a huge liking for Whitebeard, whom he had never met.

Upon hearing Yamato's words and learning that this was Kozuki Oden's last wish and dream, Whitebeard couldn't help but smile. In Whitebeard's view, what was truly terrifying on this sea was never death, but forgetting one's own dream.

Similarly, although Kozuki Oden is now dead, his dream has been passed down and is firmly engraved in people's hearts as a lifelong obsession...

Taking a deep breath and looking at Kaido, Whitebeard said seriously, word by word, "Stop it, Kaido!! I will absolutely not let Yamato go back with a guy like you!!!"

"Really? Then you can try and see if my fists will allow it!!!"

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Robin felt a headache coming on. She glanced at Yamato beside her, then stepped forward and said, "If that's the case... perhaps we can compromise?"

"compromise?"

“That’s right.” Hearing Whitebeard’s question, Robin said gently, “Since neither of you can accept Yamato going with the other side… then why not just let Yamato stay in Armor City? Armor City will always be neutral, and Yamato’s strength is enough to fight in the arena. As for living facilities and cultural education… we at Armor City are quite confident.”

Robin wasn't lying about that last sentence... The current Armor City boasts some of the most cutting-edge technology in the world. Compared to that, pirates?

That was just a bandit den; 99% of its members were illiterate.

297·Disappointing

Upon hearing Robin's suggestion, Kaido narrowed his eyes and then sneered, "Impossible! Yamato is my son! How I raise him is my business! This has nothing to do with you... Sett, keep your men in check and stop interfering in my family affairs!"

"Huh? Is that so?"

Hearing Kaido's words, Sett grinned, then cracked his neck and said maliciously, "So what if I want to say something? Don't forget, Arms City is my territory! I haven't even dealt with you for destroying the streets, and now you're acting all high and mighty, huh? Believe me or not, I'll take you down right now!"

Upon hearing this, before Kaido could say anything, Zephyr and Fujitora exchanged a glance after Zephyr heard Sett's words, "I'll take you down," before Zephyr lowered his head indifferently. However, their auras subtly locked onto Kaido.

In the future, Kaido, facing an attack from two admirals, might not be able to win, but he certainly wouldn't be defeated; at most, they would fight to the death. However, the current situation is different… and it's not just that Kaido's strength hasn't reached his prime.

More importantly, he had a Whitebeard in his prime and Sett, whose strength was already on par with Whitebeard at his peak, even in his youth.

This is without even considering the possibility of going berserk...

Robin, standing to the side, could only feel helpless... Kaido's words, though seemingly arrogant, actually implied compromise. If it were anyone else, even Tina or Robin herself, they would have simply gone along with it.

But Sett is different. Sett always loves war and never plays dirty tricks. Or perhaps, he's simply too lazy to do such things. It's like his view on power—although he's the nominal leader of Sett City, Sett almost... no, he completely ignores its development. In a low-martial arts world, he'd probably be completely sidelined...

Threatening Sett? It's like throwing a meat bun to a dog—completely useless.

Feeling the pressure emanating from the two people around him, Kaido somewhat regretted making the threat. But a pirate is a pirate after all. He didn't retreat the moment he sensed the threat. Instead, he focused intently, and the killing intent in his eyes surged.

"Eh..."

He sighed somewhat helplessly.

Finally, Robin, looking exhausted, said, "Let's discuss what to do with Yamato..."

"……Um."

Upon hearing this, Kaido didn't say much this time, but simply nodded sullenly—Kaido now realized that Sett in front of him had never considered things like the so-called rules of the sea.

Whether it's a royal war or anything else, there are unwritten rules on the seas. These rules are passed down orally, but whenever a new overlord emerges, someone will try to make them understand them, directly or indirectly... but Sett obviously doesn't need to worry about such things.

It's certain that someone tried to talk to Sett about it... but Sett refused to understand.

Turning his gaze to Robin, Kaido understood why she held such a special position in Armor City after receiving her reply-like look. It wasn't just because she had grown up with Sett; more importantly, she was the true decision-maker of Armor City.

A brainless brute, humph.

Thinking this, Kaido found an excuse for himself, then glanced at Whitebeard and said, "There's no point in hiding it now. Kozuki Oden was killed, so be it. He was boiled in oil. That guy was a strongman."

"Kaido!!!"

Upon hearing Kaido's words, Whitebeard's eyes widened in fury, the scar on his heart was reopened, and intense anger relentlessly assaulted his nerves.

"Dead is dead!" Facing Whitebeard's anger, Kaido even said with some disdain, "On this sea, it's all about the victor and the vanquished. You've killed far more people than I have! Pirates are just pirates, a bunch of disorderly thugs, recklessly indulging their desires. What family? Don't make a fool of yourself!"

Kaido was very clear about his identity and never intended to be a good person from the beginning. He was, in a sense, a true pirate in the literal sense. It was precisely because of this that, in Kaido's eyes, Whitebeard's family-oriented ways were utterly absurd and even disgusting.

To outsiders, Whitebeard might seem better, but to pirates, he doesn't deserve to be called a pirate at all—but upon closer inspection, pirate doesn't seem to be a very good nickname either.

It can only be said that the worldview of this world is severely distorted due to the power dynamics. The desire for strength is an instinct of life, which can be seen from the fact that those young people regard the despicable profession of piracy as freedom.

Whitebeard grew even angrier at this. Unfortunately, before Whitebeard could say anything, Robin said helplessly, "You two should stop for a moment... Even if we're going to start a royal war, we should at least wait until the tournament is over and we're back in the New World. Putting everything else aside, just this street alone has already caused our Armor City to suffer losses of at least 1.5 billion."

That's still an understatement... After all, some hidden losses, such as security issues, cannot be measured in monetary terms.

Hearing Robin's words and understanding her implication, Whitebeard snorted coldly, saying nothing more—as a neutral entity, it was best to avoid provoking Armored Castle if possible. Otherwise, even Whitebeard wouldn't be able to withstand being besieged by two maritime superpowers. Moreover, the World Government and the Navy were watching with predatory eyes.

Given their personalities, it's absolutely impossible for them not to get involved later on... A direct declaration of war would provoke a collective rebellion from all the pirates on the high seas, doubling the difficulty. But if it's about kicking a man when he's down... no one will stand up for the loser.

"Yamato! Don't worry!"

Turning his gaze to Yamato beside him, Whitebeard's voice was calm and collected as he said, "I will risk my life and reputation to prevent Kaido from taking you away! Family is not just about superficial blood ties... From the very beginning, you have been a member of the Whitebeard Pirates!!!"

Upon hearing Whitebeard's words, Yamato, who had been somewhat nervous, widened her eyes in surprise—Kaido's education of Yamato was practically nonexistent. She had never experienced fatherly love or family care, which was one of the main reasons why Yamato was initially drawn to Kozuki Oden.

When Kozuki Oden was sentenced to be boiled alive, he carried a door plank on his back to protect his nine followers, ensuring their survival so they could open the country of Wano. This act of sacrificing his own life to save his men, or brothers, deeply moved Yamato.

The Beasts Pirates believe in the law of the jungle. Under such circumstances, Oden's actions are unheard of for Yamato. Coupled with Kaido's indifference, it would be strange if Yamato's thinking wasn't distorted.

Now, hearing that Whitebeard was willing to risk his life and reputation for him, whom he had only just met, Yamato felt a strange sense of happiness.

Kaido scoffed and said, "You already have enough sons! Whitebeard! Take your attention away from my sons... An old man should know his place!"

"Then you can ask the old man's fists if they agree!"

Not an inch would yield—though reckless, Whitebeard's gaze showed no sign of compromise. Even the possibility of annihilation was irrelevant. The only thing he could never abandon was his people.

Although Whitebeard's thoughts were simply for his family, Robin, from a third-person perspective, thoughtfully stroked her chin... Unlike other pirate crews, the Whitebeard Pirates didn't have any special commanders or star generals. They were mostly addressed by their division commanders. Aside from Whitebeard, everyone else was like brothers, with no hierarchical distinction.

In this situation, if the Whitebeard Pirates were to win every battle, that would be fine, but if they were to suffer a defeat, they would immediately fall apart... Just like Armstrong Castle, the Whitebeard Pirates were also built on Whitebeard's terrifying strength.

Similarly, objective factors prevented Whitebeard from compromising regarding his family. If he did, internal strife within his family would immediately follow.

Of course, Whitebeard himself might not care about these objective factors. In Whitebeard's view, he simply couldn't abandon any of his family members.

"How about staying in Armor City?"

Robin, standing to the side, said with a hint of contemplation, "Arm City is independent of the World Government and the pirates, so Yamato can do whatever he wants without any impact... If Yamato goes back, then given his current state, he will be affected by any of your pirate crews."

Robin explained, "On one hand, Yamato's situation has been made public. If she returns to the Beasts Pirates, she will still be unruly and may even cause dissatisfaction within the Beasts Pirates. As for Whitebeard's crew, it goes without saying. Being forced to engage in a fierce battle with another Yonko crew because of a little girl, even if there are no problems at the beginning, as the war progresses and casualties continue on both sides, some people will inevitably hate Yamato because of this."

Upon hearing this, before Kaido could say anything, Whitebeard frowned. Whitebeard wanted to retort, but when he thought about the potential consequences of the Imperial War affecting the entire sea, he fell silent once again.

Although Whitebeard believed in and accepted his family, it was undeniable that if a prolonged war between the emperors were to break out, the resulting casualties would inevitably lead to changes in people's hearts... Having drifted on this sea for over sixty years, Whitebeard knew very well that the complexities of human nature could not be determined in just a few words.

As Robin said this, a smile appeared on her lips: "Then, how about we maintain a neutral stance and settle Yamato in Arms City for now? Even if it's the Imperial War, it won't end anytime soon. Once the Imperial War is over, we can come to Arms City and take Yamato away... Of course, by then, whether Yamato wants to leave or not is another matter."

Robin had no intention of restricting Yamato's freedom. In fact, the vast majority of the fighters in the Armor City Colosseum were freelancers. Aside from guys like Enel, 70% of the fighters were self-employed. They could easily become full-time pirates if they wanted…

Of course, it's unrealistic to expect them to become pirates after they've accepted the culture of Armor City...

"What would you do?"

Turning his gaze to Robin beside him, Whitebeard remained silent for a long time before asking, "What would you do if Yamato stayed here?"