Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

Amidst the surging stream of light, all that could be seen was a fleeting afterimage—the enormous figure was so clearly visible within the blazing white pillar of light. Amidst the air, barely shielding his eyes with his fiery wings, Marco prayed incessantly through the gaps in the light.

They prayed that their father, Whitebeard, would once again appear before them as an invincible force, crushing all challengers as he had always been.

Unfortunately, this time, even with Marco's prayers, Whitebeard's figure was still uncontrollably obliterated by the flow of light within that blazing white pillar of light.

The aftershock of the deliberate punch traveled nearly thirty nautical miles. Wherever it passed, whether it was the floating clouds in the sky or the vast sea, it left behind high-pressure, evaporating air, instantly creating a bizarre celestial phenomenon that could not be formed in nature.

Splash splash ...

Seawater turned into raindrops and poured down from the sky. Caught in the storm, Sett's body was riddled with holes, especially where the shockwaves had struck, revealing shattered bones. His left arm had been severed and lay on the ground, blood flowing freely.

In contrast, on the other side, Whitebeard's body had completely vanished. His original six-meter-tall figure was reduced to a broken section of Murakumogiri.

"Hiss~~ Hah—!!!"

Exhaling a breath of stale air, Sett felt the intense pressure inside his organs cause even his exhaled air to be scorching hot. His entire body was wracked with pain, but Sett felt no fear. On the contrary, his brow was filled with excitement and bliss. This feeling of complete release was even more intoxicating to Sett than the peak of his reproductive act.

Muscle dissolution, bone shattering? This was irrelevant to Sett. Because in the very next lesson, before Marco and the others' eyes, Sett's battered body quickly began a new round of writhing. Not only his wounds and broken bones, but even his severed arm had regenerated within a few breaths.

The only thing that remained unchanged was that Sett's clothes were still tattered and torn.

After a brief silence, Marco descended from the sky. Wiping away his tears, his gaze towards Sett was filled with complex emotions.

"Sett!!!"

Diamond Jozu, standing nearby, couldn't help but let out an angry roar, glaring at Sett with a face filled with rage and despair. Two streams of tears flowed down his cheeks—to them, as orphans, everything Whitebeard did was for their home. And in their hearts, even the gods in the heavens were less than a single finger of Whitebeard's.

And now, right before their eyes, Sett blasted Whitebeard to death—without even leaving a speck of dust, only a broken blade symbolizing that Whitebeard had once stood there.

Sett showed no reaction whatsoever. His head was held high, a sultry expression on his face, as if he were still lost in the afterglow of the battle.

Sett's reaction only fueled Jozu's anger, but before Jozu and the others could take a step, Marco stretched out his arm and blocked the group behind them.

"What are you doing! Marco!!! He's the guy who killed Dad!!!"

Hearing Jozu's angry question, Marco didn't answer. After a long silence, he suppressed the grief in his eyes and said, "This was a pre-arranged battle... What you're doing will only prevent Father from resting in peace!"

"But he killed my father!!!"

Upon hearing Marco's words, Jozu understood, but he still couldn't accept that someone who had killed his own father was standing unharmed in front of them.

Marco didn't answer, but just stared at Sett. Under the gaze of Marco and the others, Sett seemed to have had enough of the recollection. He let out a long breath, squeezed the blood clots out of his body, and then looked at the only remaining half of Whitebeard's broken sword.

"Is it because I haven't exercised in too long? I guess I'm still finding it hard to control myself~~"

With that sigh, Sett casually shook his head, then raised his hand and bit down, creating a small notch. Blood dripped onto the blade under the force of gravity.

In his past memories, Sett gained far more than just the power bestowed upon the paper. Similarly, Sett also mastered a variety of techniques and even items belonging to other heroes. To be precise, even in complete death, Sett could use Zilean's Hourglass to rewind time. Yes, rewind, not rebirth.

But now, there's no need—this is enough.

The crimson blood, upon contact with the blade, showed no sign of melting or sliding down. Instead, in people's vision, the drop of blood formed a strange rune, like an eye, before completely merging into the blade.

The next moment, Blade defied gravity and floated in the air.

Passive skill: Shepherd of Souls.

Requirements: Obtain the deceased's personal belongings to store their consciousness. Personally kill the deceased to complete the karmic entanglement. Perform a death ritual to complete the soul shepherd's contract.

"How much longer are you going to sleep, Whitebeard?"

302. The Emptiness After the Battle

"Dad... Dad?!"

Staring at the enormous humanoid figure before them, Marco and the others stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Sett, however, simply shook his head indifferently. Seeing Whitebeard, whose gaze also held a hint of confusion, seemingly still reeling from the previous attack, Sett tossed him a fragment of the broken sword.

"This is the medium through which you exist."

As he spoke, Sett turned and left with a look of dejection, his expression suggesting that he had not yet recovered from the aftermath of the battle.

Whitebeard hesitated for a moment, then looked at Sett beside him and couldn't help but ask, "What is your purpose?"

Hearing Whitebeard's question, Sett raised an eyebrow. Whitebeard continued, "Such technology always comes at a price... What is your purpose? Resurrection of the dead—I've never heard of such an ability before!"

Sett appeared quite nonchalant in the face of Whitebeard's questioning.

"Don't think so highly of yourself." He said casually, "You're worthless now... like ashes that've burned out, you can't even grow any stronger. Luckily, you, Sett, are kind-hearted and can't bear to see people die of old age, so I just killed you first."

After saying that, Sett continued, "Kaido and Charlotte Linlin are both my prey... Ugh, how annoying. There are fewer and fewer valuable prey left on this sea."

As he said this, Sett's face showed a hint of annoyance again—Whitebeard in his prime was definitely one of the strongest beings on this sea. But right now, Whitebeard only gave Sett a passable feeling—indeed, the battle was exhilarating, and the thrill of bloody combat was incredibly exciting. But unfortunately, this exciting feeling quickly disappeared after the battle ended.

The distant reason is that Sett's destructive power might be on par with, or slightly surpass, Whitebeard's. However, in terms of endurance, ten Whitebeards combined probably couldn't match one Sett...

Sett's stamina has reached an absurd level. The kind of injury he just suffered would have taken him at least ten days to two weeks to recover from four years ago. But now, he's fully recovered in just a few breaths. His only feeling is a little hungry; his stomach is empty, that's all…

"The so-called Sea Emperor... seems to be weaker than I imagined."

Hearing Sett's mutterings, Marco and the others exchanged glances, their eyes conveying a sense of helplessness. Finally, Marco couldn't help but say, "Could it be... I'm just saying it's a possibility, but is it possible that it's because you're too strong right now?"

Just as Marco said, Sett's growth rate is simply too fast—ignoring everything else, even just the growth from Gathering Storm alone amounts to 14.6% of his base muscle strength per year. Don't be fooled by this being base muscle strength, not overall muscle strength. In reality, it's like how base attack damage increases with level.

Sett has never neglected his training... and under these circumstances, four years have passed. Sett's endurance and the destructive power of his attacks in normal conditions have reached a level surpassing that of ordinary Sea Emperors...

Every powerful individual has their limits. With continuous training, the rate of muscle growth and strength enhancement decreases. Under these circumstances, Sett's seemingly limitless growth becomes incredibly terrifying. Even now, Kaido, in his prime, cannot guarantee a 10% increase in strength each year…

There is a framework to the limits of this world... but unfortunately, Sett's framework is not from this world, but from the background story of League of Legends.

With essentially the same lower limit, Sett's potential is far beyond the reach of any other life form in this world. In comparison, Whitebeard is indeed powerful now. However, as time goes by, Whitebeard will only grow weaker…

Time waits for no one.

Sett thought to himself—he had originally planned to wait and see if there were any more powerful and promising opponents in the world. But now it seemed he couldn't wait any longer.

Whitebeard, once hailed as the world's strongest man, no longer poses a significant threat to Sett... This is not a good thing. Sett has never aspired to invincibility. In other words, if Sett truly desired invincibility, he wouldn't need to flaunt his achievements. With the powerful growth potential of his runes, he could simply spend ten or twenty years in a corner of the ocean with Robin, and emerge to sweep across the entire Red Line.

No matter what kings of the heavens, the underworld, or the sea, none can withstand the overlord's punch.

Unfortunately, Sett doesn't pursue invincibility—what Sett pursues is a fight to the death.

Now, this feeling of emptiness and boredom constantly assaulted Sett's heart. Under the onslaught of this boredom, Sett could feel his purity steadily slipping away...

With that thought in mind, Sett sat on the only remaining stone pillar on the reef and began to sigh deeply.

Meanwhile, Marco and the others exchanged glances, speechless, as they watched Sett, who was filled with agitation and whose eyes were constantly flashing with resentment.

In contrast, after experiencing his new body and new form, Whitebeard's eyes showed a different light.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

"...It's nothing, it's just that this new body is a bit strange."

Whitebeard said, "This body doesn't seem to be able to continue growing..."

"You can't get stronger either." Just as Whitebeard was saying something, Sett said, "Everything about you was completely frozen at the moment you were reincarnated. You won't grow or weaken. As for when you die... that depends on your own will."

"When your spiritual power is completely exhausted, you will face true death... It should be about twenty-three or twenty-four years away, right?"

Upon hearing Sett's words, Whitebeard opened his mouth, then nodded knowingly.

"Twenty years...that's enough, more than enough." As he said this, a smile even appeared on the white-bearded man's lips. "More than enough! And you lot, get your spirits up, you brats!!"

Upon hearing that Whitebeard only had twenty or thirty years left to fulfill his mission, the members of the Whitebeard Pirates all wore complex and somber expressions—if there's anything in this world that people least want to face, then death is definitely on the list.

Just like now, knowing that Whitebeard's time was coming to an end, even Marco, who was the most quick-witted, couldn't help but feel a sense of complexity and heaviness.

Whitebeard, however, took it all in stride. Marco was well aware of Whitebeard's condition; as the Whitebeard Pirates' chief physician, he knew everything about him. And similarly, Marco wouldn't lie to Whitebeard. Therefore, whenever Whitebeard asked, Marco would tell him the truth.

His hidden injuries kept recurring, and his internal organs and muscles had reached their limits. In this situation, Whitebeard estimated that he had at most ten years left to eke out a living... Yes, just a few years to eke out a living.

Whitebeard is already sixty-four years old. In ten years, he will be seventy-four. However, once Whitebeard passes seventy, his physical strength will experience a precipitous decline. At that time, he will probably need syringes to prolong his life.

In fact, as early as four years ago, after seeing Whitebeard's life force begin to slow, Marco began to advise him to stop drinking—but unfortunately, it was to no avail. For Whitebeard, drinking was as important as living.

That's how pirates are; they pursue a life of unbridled pleasure, never thinking about what they should do tomorrow. By the time Whitebeard is seventy, he probably won't even be considered alive anymore, just barely clinging to life...

In this situation, his lifespan was extended. Although his strength could not increase, compared to his previous state, this body, which allowed him to continue living freely, was more in line with Whitebeard's wishes.

Compared to Whitebeard's nonchalant attitude, Sett appeared extremely agitated. Sett had planned to rest and recuperate until Kaido and Charlotte Linlin reached their peak power before engaging them in a truly exhilarating battle. This battle, in particular, stemmed from Sett's perception that Whitebeard's bloodline had become impure, unable to suppress the hidden injuries within his own body, causing his own power to stagnate.

To prevent Whitebeard from growing old and weak in the future, Sett decided to issue the challenge directly... However, this time, the battle went fairly well, but afterwards, there was absolutely no aftertaste. It felt like masturbating; the initial sensation was pleasurable, but afterward, all that remained was emptiness.

This emptiness made Sett feel extremely uncomfortable, like someone who had been holding it in for a long time sneaking to the toilet, only to have their homeroom teacher yank the door open from the outside and yell at them in front of the other students: "Don't do that! Hold it in!!"

"Tsk," Sett clicked his tongue in annoyance, muttering to himself with a hint of frustration, "I have no choice but to act now... Damn it, Kaido still has over ten years to grow..."

Just like Sett muttered to himself, after realizing that his growth rate was a bit too fast, Sett decided to bring forward the matter of beating up the Emperor of the Sea... What? You're saying Sett should suppress his growth?

Stop talking nonsense. Why would you suppress your own growth? If so, what's the difference between that and simply letting things slide, except that it's a bit more subtle?

Meanwhile, Marco and the others, having overheard Sett's mutterings, couldn't help but exchange glances—it has to be said, Sett's personality and actions were indeed beyond their imagination.

A normal person would be happy about this, right? With such immense power, they could easily ascend to the throne of the world's number one simply by focusing on their training. But right now, Sett isn't happy at all; instead, he's frustrated because he doesn't have enough worthy opponents...

While silently mourning Kaido's future, Marco thought for a moment and then couldn't help but ask, "Sett, are you planning to revive Kaido as well? Just like Father did."

Upon hearing this, Sett turned his gaze to Whitebeard. Whitebeard's strength was undeniable, possessing world-class combat power. If Sett were to repeat his previous tactics of resurrecting Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, it was foreseeable that Sett would become the sole overlord, reigning supreme over the entire world.

Sett curled his lip in response.

"What's there to care about with the strength of a group of old, weak, sick, and disabled people... but the Shepherd of Souls is indeed very strong."

Sett is a very pragmatic person. In this situation, Sett is well aware of how powerful the Shepherd of Souls is—to say that someone's abilities aren't that strong just because of some harsh preconditions is simply self-deception.

Power is power, power that exists only on paper. In Sett's view, this needs no explanation. However, Sett also doesn't have many ambitions towards Kaido and his crew—once resurrected, their life force is fixed, unable to grow further. Although Kaido and his group's current power is still beyond the reach of 99% of the world's population, for Sett, there are times when they can't even grasp his exhaust fumes…

"Speaking of which, it's about time."

Stroking his chin thoughtfully, Sett said, "The idea that the Sea Emperor and the Overlord are 'on the same level'—which seems like a joke—is starting to get more and more people taking it seriously. It's time to change this collective fallacy."

"..."

Upon hearing this, they fell silent; Whitebeard and the others remained silent—because they had all thought the same thing before.

While acknowledging Sett's strength, even Whitebeard believed that as long as Sett didn't go berserk, he wouldn't pose a significant threat... However, it now seems that what's even more terrifying than his berserk state is Sett's almost limitless growth rate. Unfortunately, in the past, because fewer and fewer people dared to oppose Sett, his opportunities to act also dwindled. This led many to subconsciously forget that Sett isn't even in his prime yet, but rather in the midst of his growth... adolescence.

Whether in terms of wealth or strength, Sett has now far surpassed the so-called Emperor of the Sea.

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I'm preparing the final part of the plot; the remaining word count should be around 100,000...

Actually, some readers in the group suggested a creative idea: Hextech psionic ascension leading directly into a crossover anime/movie universe. However, that would require rewriting the main storyline, which is troublesome, and more importantly, Sett's personality and selling points would be limited. Therefore, the crossover/movie/movie universe concept will be reserved for the next book…

Ultimately, this book was mostly experimental, a test of whether my familiar writing style suited Qidian's style.