Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

With a confident yet arrogant air, Whitebeard's eyes blazed with unwavering fighting spirit. Seeing this, Sett's lips curled into a smile.

From Sett's perspective, Whitebeard is quite easy to deal with—like Shanks, Whitebeard is more of an idealist than a pirate. However, unlike idealists like Shanks, Whitebeard's ideals aren't grand or ambitious. He simply wants a group of people who belong to him. In this case, dealing with Whitebeard doesn't require any hidden agendas. You just need to state your purpose directly.

If I had to pinpoint the reason... it's because Whitebeard, like Sett, never considered avoiding a challenge!

It's quite frustrating, really. Sett initially thought that Kaido, who had the nickname of the world's strongest creature, would be very generous. But after learning about what happened in Wano Country, Kaido's standing in Sett's eyes plummeted.

The purity is insufficient.

As for Whitebeard... at least he seems to have some purity!

Thinking this, a fighting spirit flashed in Sett's eyes. Along with this rising fighting spirit, a dazzling display of Armament Haki began to emanate from the air.

Over the past four years, Sett hasn't been stagnant. On the contrary, through continuous integration and mastery, Sett's control over his own power has reached a state of perfection. Just like now, his dazzling Armament Haki, like golden flames, is even able to swirl around the air around him.

Sett unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, and the surrounding reefs crumbled at a visible speed, centered on him. Looking up, Sett's figure at the eye of the storm was becoming increasingly chaotic. But no matter how chaotic he became within the storm, Marco and the others could clearly sense the savage rage in Sett's eyes.

"How merciful! I can't even bear to see you grow old and die!"

"Then thank you!!"

Sensing Sett's gradually emerging fangs, Whitebeard tightened his grip on the Murakumogiri. Then, the air exploded, and Conqueror's Haki surged skyward. Before everyone's eyes, the intense Conqueror's Haki transformed into jet-black lightning, merging with Armament Haki to adhere to the broad, thick Murakumogiri.

Whitebeard's body was larger than that of an ordinary person, and although he spent most of his time wandering the seas, he was whiter than most. Now, with a surge of power, the muscles in Whitebeard's thick arms bulged, like two thick giant logs. In Sett's sight, one hand gripped the end of a razor, and then his upper body leaned back sharply, unleashing a powerful slash with all his might. A storm raged where he passed, and dark lightning streaked across the space, leaving behind a deep, lingering trail of light.

Atmospheric segmentation!!!

Another violent sound rang out, leaving a deep V-shaped slashing trail in the air. On either side of the slash, the air and the surrounding environment were strikingly different colors, as if a paintbrush had erased a section of space in the heat of the moment.

The last time Sett witnessed this strike was during Whitebeard's battle with Kaido—because of Kaido, Sett disdained to engage in a fight with superior numbers. Now, experiencing the power of this strike firsthand, Sett felt his blood surging. With the pressure, every cell in his body seemed to cheer and leap with joy. Like parched earth finally receiving rain, a twisted smile uncontrollably spread across Sett's face.

Immediately afterward, his right arm slightly bent, he clenched his fist and swung upward. At the moment of attack, the muscles of his back, waist, arms, and thighs twisted together. His previously bent leg joints straightened, providing immense support like a hydraulic press. Under this support, Sett's heavy strike increased in speed once more. There was no fancy technique, only pure muscle power. Armament Haki swirled around him, golden lines etched between his fingers.

Uppercut!!!

The hard iron fist struck the descending razor blade squarely. The two powerful forces collided repeatedly, and the resulting shockwaves, centered on the blade and fist, surged wildly outwards like a tidal wave. The raging storm relentlessly ravaged everything around them; even Marco, who had retreated a hundred meters into the air, felt a sense of unease, his short, golden hair flying wildly.

fear!!!

Marco's eyes widened in disbelief—he knew his father, Whitebeard, was incredibly strong, a Pirate Emperor. He could even visually perceive the blazing, furnace-like life force within Whitebeard and his crew. But only now did Marco truly grasp the terrifying power of a full-force clash between the two!

When Whitebeard clashed with Kaido, he used all his strength. However, it was still on Kaido's territory, and Whitebeard had to reserve about 30% to 40% of his power to deal with unexpected situations.

Now, in this fair duel, Whitebeard no longer needs to consider anything else—he can simply unleash his power to his heart's content!

Now, under the unrestrained bombardment, the aftershocks of the force directly erupting from the center of gravity have already made the still inexperienced Marco feel a sense of turbulence and unease, and he is even unable to maintain his form in the air!

Having missed his target, Whitebeard showed no hesitation. He withdrew his blade, a serious look creeping into his eyes as he stared at the white mark on Sett's fist. Whitebeard was certain that even Kaido, struck head-on by that powerful slash, would be spurted into a pool of hot blood amidst the pain. But for Sett, it was merely a white mark—

Whether it's Armament Haki or the calluses on his knuckles, it all proves that Sett's physique has reached an astonishing level!

Even so, Whitebeard's eyes showed no fear. Instead, they burned with intense fighting spirit. He raised his blade straight up, pointing it at Sett's chest—"Giant's Razor!!!"

300·Intentional Blow Punch (2/3)

'Giant Razor! ! ! '

He rested his long sword on his shoulder, his gaze fixed intently on Sett. In that instant, Whitebeard seemed less like a pirate and more like a fisherman.

A fisherman raised his harpoon, his gaze fixed on his prey—the moment of impact, the blade of his longsword, enhanced by the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, sliced ​​through the air. Ignoring wind resistance, the swift strike was like a bolt fired from a heavy crossbow.

boom!!!

laugh--!!

With a sound like a blade piercing flesh, a spurt of scalding blood erupted from Sett's shoulder. The blood, landing on the ground, emitted rising steam; its intense heat felt more like hot water from a steam engine than human blood.

Seeing his father's attack hit the mark, Marco's face lit up with excitement—but soon, Marco's expression turned puzzled.

Because in Marco's view, although Sett was clearly hit, Whitebeard's face showed no excitement whatsoever. On the contrary, it was filled with anger:

"Why!" Whitebeard demanded angrily, "Why?! With your danger instincts, you should have been able to dodge it!!!"

Whitebeard sensed the attack the instant it struck. Sett had anticipated it—but instead of dodging, he chose to take it head-on.

Was Whitebeard a hero? Everyone has a different opinion on this. In the eyes of the Navy, so-called heroes are nothing more than lawless scoundrels. But one thing is certain: Whitebeard was definitely not a coward who couldn't accept defeat... And now, this victory handed to him by charity is, for Whitebeard, an utter disgrace.

"Don't get it wrong."

Sett raised his head, his eyes filled with a sense of ease and rapture.

"Four years... a full four years. I haven't experienced any pleasure from pain..."

"Can you imagine?" Sett grinned, "With the stimulation of pain, dopamine is released, endorphins are produced, and adrenaline is synthesized..."

As he spoke, a strange aura continuously rose around Sett. In a daze, Sett's body didn't weaken despite the injury; on the contrary, stimulated by the intense pain, his muscles bulged one after another. His blood vessels visibly expanded, reaching twice their previous thickness in the blink of an eye.

At the same time, the sound of my heartbeat became increasingly clear, heavy, and powerful. It felt like a constant roaring and howling. On my neck and arms, veins and blood vessels bulged one after another.

laugh--! ! !

A stream of jet-black, hot blood spurted from the wound left by the supreme great work, the Cloud-Slaying Cutter. Then, it turned crimson. Accompanied by continuous writhing, the wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

However, Sett had no intention of letting his wound heal so easily. Under the watchful eyes of Whitebeard and the others, Sett extended his finger and plunged it into his wound like a sharp dagger. His rough fingers twitched repeatedly, and with the gushing blood, waves of pain and pleasure surged through Sett's nerves.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic right now!!!"

With a smile, Sett's pearly white teeth were revealed. Beneath the intense excitement lay a terrifying and ferocious grin—according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the highest level of need is self-actualization, while the lowest level, the foundation upon which all needs exist, is physiological needs.

For Sett, both self-actualization and physiological needs are the same: a thirst for battle—not from a psychological perspective. For Sett, the pleasure derived from combat is far more intense and intoxicating than procreation!

The intense pain continued to spread; he hadn't engaged in a truly exhausting battle in a long time. In that instant, Sett's gaze hardened, and then a deep purple beam of light tore through the air. Fortunately, Whitebeard had noticed the purple light early enough to barely dodge it and escape unharmed.

Even so, the moment Whitebeard sensed the life-form disintegration ray, his forehead was covered in cold sweat—on this vast ocean, if you were to ask what Sett's most terrifying move was, besides his berserk mode, it would be this unknown deep purple ray.

The Lifeform Disintegration Ray had already demonstrated its power in Mary Geoise—everything collapsed in its path. Flesh and bone dissolved, cells dissolved. Even the World Government's top-tier forces, like the Marine Admirals, could only desperately try to dodge it. Once contaminated… well, Akainu's mechanical prosthetic right arm would be the best solution.

Currently, the generally accepted way to deal with the life-form disintegration rays on the high seas is to avoid them as much as possible, or to quickly cut off any flesh or blood that has been contaminated with them to prevent further spread of the ray.

Especially after the battle in Impel Down was revealed—the Nine-Tailed Fox Katarina simulated Sett's body and came into contact with the life form disintegration ray, resulting in her being directly petrified, and the heart-wrenching roar and fear before being petrified, became a nightmare for countless people.

Even now, many people believe that Sett's life-form disintegration ray is a terrifying power that was conceived after he made a deal with the devil...

Realizing what was happening, Sett immediately shut down the release of the Lifeform Disintegration Ray, then bent down and covered his face, forcing himself to calm down a bit from the excitement brought on by the continuous orgasms. When he raised his head again, Sett's eyes, besides the fighting spirit, also contained a hint of apology: "Looks like... I still can't get too excited. Otherwise, it'll end too quickly."

Upon hearing Sett's words, Whitebeard scoffed—if anyone else had said such a thing, Whitebeard would have considered it a provocation. But now, coming from Sett's mouth, Whitebeard not only didn't doubt it, but even genuinely agreed…

However, whatever the level of recognition, that's all it is. Looking at Sett before him, Whitebeard, longsword in hand, a serious expression flashing in his eyes—

One hand held a knife, while above the tightly clenched iron fist of the other arm, a bluish-white ball of air rose. It wasn't a real ball of light, but rather a collapsed, disintegrating mass of air formed through continuous vibration. Then, both hands gripped the knife, and the collapsed mass of air adhered to the blade.

The originally sharp razor blade was enveloped by a circular mass of collapsing air, and a strong vibration was transmitted along the blade. Even when the blade was held with both hands, the immense pressure caused it to tremble incessantly.

He looked as if he'd just stepped out of a sauna, straining to keep the razor steady in his hand, sweat pouring down like raindrops. Then, he abruptly raised his head, and in the instant the blade swung, the sharpness of the flying slashes was enveloped in a powerful shockwave, the air buzzing wherever it passed. A series of deafening sounds rang out. Three consecutive, horizontal, shocking slashes flew mercilessly toward Sett's body.

In response, a golden light rose from Sett's arms. But before Sett could attack, on the other side, immediately after completing his stunning slash, Whitebeard tossed his Murakumogiri into the air, extending his hand as if grasping the air before him. Muscles bulged, and a violent flow of blood burst through the blood vessels in his muscles. As the crimson spread, a strange rumble reverberated through the space.

Centered on Whitebeard's ten fingers, the surrounding space was densely covered with spiderweb-like cracks—under the influence of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, space, or rather the air within space, had become a tangible entity that could be manipulated.

"Shockwave - Heaven and Earth Reversal!!"

With a sudden, forceful tug, the force spread from Whitebeard's arms to Sett's entire surroundings. The space around them resembled a sailboat caught in a whirlpool, a chaotic sense of powerlessness crashing through. Amidst the turbulent air currents, the internal organs churned violently, even the brain within the skull was constantly pounding against the inside of the skull under the influence of this chaotic space.

In Sett's vision, the entire world seemed to flip in an instant. The surrounding energy was incredibly chaotic, the magnetic field shifted, and Sett couldn't even determine his location!

Seizing the fleeting moment of darkness, without a trace of melancholy, Sett suddenly threw a punch, pinning his arm viciously into the rock wall like a nail.

But before Sett could fully recover from the chaos, a devastating slash tore through the air. Due to the spatial distortion, the three slashes that had originally come in a straight line were affected and instead flew in from three directions simultaneously!

With a serious look in his eyes, Sett could clearly feel the intense threat emanating from these shocking strikes.

Take a deep breath and quickly restore your composure from the chaos.

Unleashing his Observation Haki, Sett abandoned his defenses right before Whitebeard's eyes, turning his gaze entirely to Whitebeard. The fervor in his eyes burned like a raging fire, threatening to engulf him. Then, he leaned back slightly, a terrifying aura rising from the bulging muscles of his right arm. The next moment, *poof poof poof!!*

A torrent of blood instantly burst the blood vessels, and a violent power surged within the body, constantly repairing itself as it burst. Meanwhile, the tough skin on the surface of the body was visibly evaporated, and the long, crimson hair transformed into golden flames under the surge of Armament Haki.

The strike landed, and Sett felt a sharp, bone-cracking pain all over his body. But amidst this, Sett's gaze grew increasingly frenzied—

"Deliberate, devastating punch!!!"

301·Muhun (3/3)

"Hmph, hmph haha ​​...

There was no roar; on the contrary, in Whitebeard's view, Sett was just smiling—Whitebeard was well aware of the destructive power of his Tenchi Reversal.

By using the Tremor-Tremor Fruit to shake space and disrupt the sense of direction of individuals or groups, the vibrating air and magnetic fields alter the trajectory of the devastating slash, completely sealing off all of the enemy's escape routes. In this process, the enemy has virtually no room for counterattack.

Putting aside other issues, the fact that the brain can maintain normal functioning amidst continuous intracranial contusions in extremely chaotic situations is an unknown challenge.

Now, having sensed that crisis, Sett neither dodged nor defended, but instead, in full view of everyone, assumed an attack stance again.

Because of the angle, Marco and the others couldn't understand Sett's behavior, but they could feel Sett's aura directly. Their energy was locked onto by Sett, and Whitebeard could feel Sett's violent will.

His eyes were bloodshot, not from anger, but from a frenzied restlessness. A strong sense of crisis kept assaulting Sett's nerves. Even before the shocking slash touched his body, Sett's instincts already made him tremble slightly at the impending attack.

But this tremor lasted less than a tenth of a second before being replaced by a complete, visceral excitement. The intracranial anesthetic was continuously produced, and hormone levels surged. The heart contracted, pumping massive amounts of blood to every limb and bone with the force of the heart, which functioned like a hydraulic pump.

boom!!!!!

The strikes hit their mark squarely, but the sound of flesh tearing apart wasn't the usual ripping of blood. Instead, the shockwaves, upon contact with Sett, produced a series of teeth-grinding sounds. Then, the force of the impact exploded outwards, sweeping across the surrounding air from Sett's center. In just moments, the entire reef was already teetering on the brink of collapse amidst the deafening roar.

The once calm sea instantly transformed into a raging torrent, its waves vibrating and penetrating the seabed along the veins of the reef, causing rough rock pillars to grow like bamboo shoots on the seabed. Visibly, within a ten-nautical-mile radius of the reef island, the entire sea appeared fragmented.

The sea surface cracked open visibly, and whirlpools formed one after another. In that instant, the marine life felt the destructive power of the impending catastrophe.

At the center of gravity, amidst flying debris and blood, Sett's eyes were completely enveloped by a golden light condensed from his heroic spirit. It bloomed wildly, accompanied by his long, fiery golden hair, while Sett's bones and flesh crackled and creaked under the immense pressure.

Muscles taut, even bursting through the skin's restraints. Rope-like, yet intensely crimson muscles were exposed to the air. Interspersed with golden light, the skin, far tougher than cowhide, dissolved rapidly like a thin film—"Premature, devastating punch!!!"

With his high-altitude lineage, air resistance was practically zero. But even so, at the moment of swinging, under the intense strain, Sett's body emitted a series of cracking sounds as his bones broke.

With a single punch, the already shattered sea surface boiled even more violently due to the pull of the energy. Centered on Sett, the surrounding air continuously contracted. The powerful gravity made Sett like the center of gravity of a black hole, and the broken sand and gravel were drawn towards Sett without gravity, but before they could even touch him, they were turned into dust by the emanating aura.

boom!!!!

Beyond the limits of human perception, in Whitebeard's perception, the entire world became utterly blank in that instant. Neither the boiling sea nor the raging waves could remain in Whitebeard's perception for even a moment.

The violent energy crashed down like the sun. He barely managed to raise his Murakumogiri sword to block it, but the long sword, as thick as an ordinary man's thigh, cracked at a visible speed the moment it came into contact with the impact. The time he could withstand the attack was less than half a second. It had already begun to collapse due to the surging pressure on the outer layer just before it made contact.

For some reason, in the instant he felt this threat, which was almost equivalent to death, Whitebeard felt no regret despite his fear. On the contrary, a joyful smile even appeared on his lips at that moment.

The next moment, in everyone's sight, light completely engulfed Whitebeard's body—