Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

307 Looting

They studied indoors, greedily absorbing knowledge from the outside world.

Yamato's face was full of curiosity as he looked at the book in his hands, his eyes brimming with excitement.

Wano Country is closed off, and even the textbooks in the private school have been modified to portray Kozuki Oden as a depraved villain, compare Kaido and Yamato to wise rulers, and describe the policy of closing the country off as a unique and unparalleled good policy.

After reading Kozuki Oden's logbook, Yamato's yearning for the outside world never waned for even a moment.

Now, finally freed from Kaido's control, Yamato is finally able to freely explore the outside world—and in just half a month, she has already read several books with the sponsorship of Koushirou's family.

The fruits and knowledge contained in the book deeply impressed and satisfied Yamato. The satisfaction of acquiring knowledge is quite different from other forms of satisfaction.

But this time was different. Just as Yamato was greedily absorbing knowledge from the book, a series of rapid footsteps suddenly came from the doorway.

Upon hearing the sound, Yamato was initially taken aback. He thought it was Koushirou again, but upon closer listening, he realized there were far too many people, and the sound of their footsteps was completely different from Koushirou's.

Through the shadow cast by the window, Yamato saw an extremely bloated, obese figure. After arriving at Yamato's door, the figure raised its arm, and after confirming its location, seemed to press a button.

The next moment, beep ...

The shackles on Yamato's wrists sounded a loud alarm once again. Realizing something was wrong, Yamato stood up and tried to run outside.

But in the next instant, he kicked open the door and saw Yamato's figure. A serious look appeared in Quinn's eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, his right arm shot out, accompanied by a whooshing sound. The mechanical arm swelled up like a thick python, and before Yamato could even land on the ground, it grabbed him in mid-air.

“Don’t struggle anymore, young master,” Quinn said impatiently, looking at Yamato. “Boss Kaido has already decided to leave this place… If we take you away now, no one will notice.”

His mouth was tightly covered by a steel cable. He tried to struggle, but Yamato found that he couldn't utter any meaningful words, at most only making muffled groans.

Upon arriving at Axe Castle, Kaido indeed sensed many unusual things. However, the more he experienced this discrepancy between reality and expectations, the more dissatisfied he became.

Of all these things, what Kaido found most unacceptable was the departure of his son Yamato. Family scandals should not be aired in public, but now, Yamato has not only broken ties with his father in front of everyone, but more importantly, he has also directly revealed the affairs of Wano Country to the world.

Now everyone knows why Wano Country became Kaido's territory... Similarly, the Whitebeard Pirates, who had been maintaining a superficial peace, openly declared war on him.

In order to confront the Whitebeard Pirates, Kaido was forced to publicly acknowledge his relationship with the Big Mom Pirates... This open and honest relationship certainly made everyone realize that the Beasts Pirates were not to be trifled with. However, this forced action only made Kaido feel more humiliated.

This was supposed to be a trump card revealed at the last moment, but now it's being forced out.

Kaido's personality is remarkably similar to Sett's in some ways—especially when he makes mistakes. Or rather, when others perceive their actions as wrong, they absolutely do not believe they have made a mistake themselves.

This is not unique to Sett and Kaido, but a common trait or individual characteristic shared by most of the powerful figures on this sea.

Previously, Kaido was somewhat envious of the tournament rewards and didn't want to leave without a reason, so he held back for the time being. But now that he's preparing to leave, Kaido doesn't intend to linger here any longer and has decided to take Yamato back to his territory so that he can see what the true laws of this sea really are.

But at that moment, suddenly, a sharp blade of light erupted from the dark street. Before Quinn could react, the blade of light swiftly severed the steel mechanical arm.

As he fell from the sky, Koushirou stepped onto the wall of the house, rose into the air, and then caught him steadily.

Turning his gaze to Quinn, Koushirou's eyes were filled with tension as he said, "You dare to make a move in Armor City! Are you going to break your agreement?! Aren't you afraid Sett will come after you?!"

"Hmph!" Upon seeing Koushirou's figure, Quinn's eyes flashed with coldness, and then he said, "Instead of this, you should be thinking about how you're going to survive!!!"

With that, Quinn swung his arm again. The severed arm in the distance, though seemingly unconnected, still emitted a crackling sound. The next moment, it spewed flames, hurtling towards Koushirou's back like a small missile.

Although Quinn did not participate in the competition, as a scholar, what Quinn cared about was never the competition itself—but rather the technology of the City of Arms. In the past month or so, Quinn has also developed new prosthetic functions based on his original work and some of the technology he discovered in the City of Arms.

However, with the swordsman's keen senses, he felt a fierce wind coming from behind and Koushirou slashed without hesitation. But the next moment, Quinn's heavy fist struck Koushirou's ribs from the side.

Impacted, Koushirou was sent flying horizontally.

He regained his balance mid-air, planted his sharp sword in the ground, and used the broad, tough back of the blade to increase friction and stabilize himself. Looking at his arm, which he had clearly severed but was now unharmed, a look of seriousness rose in Koushirou's eyes.

In response, Quinn let out a strange, loud laugh.

"The modular robotic arm works really well! Now, you can die!!!"

As he spoke, Quinn opened his palm, his mechanical arm opening and closing like steel, revealing a pipe filled with dark red light. Then came flames, the light growing ever more intense. In Koushirou's vision, a blazing pillar of fire then erupted forth.

Incineration Cannon!!!

"Flame Splitting Slash!"

Sheathing his sword, he unleashed a devastating strike. The encroaching flames were cleaved in two by the powerful, gusting wind. Unfortunately for him, aside from the incinerator on his arm, Quinn was covered in weapons from head to toe!

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My enthusiasm always plummets towards the end... I need to change that. I need to finish this book properly and start a new one properly...

308. Tearing Off the Face

Holding a sword in one hand, with Yamato protecting him from behind, Koushirou's gaze was filled with solemnity as he looked at Quinn beside him.

In contrast, Quinn, surrounded by the faint glow of Hextech crystals, showed no sign of heaviness on his face, only impatience and irritability.

Quinn could sense that the samurai before him was no ordinary swordsman. At least, during the previous strike, he had felt a strong sense of threat. Under these circumstances, even if he could defeat him, it would waste a great deal of time.

Time is secondary; the most important thing is that if they attract the attention of the City of Arms, then once the enforcers arrive, it won't be so easy to escape... That damned City of Arms, not only has it managed Piltover's city area so tightly, but the key is that almost every enforcer has a set of Hextech Armor. In close combat, the rate at which power is lost is even faster than the rate at which life force is restored.

Just as Quinn was pondering how to quickly end the battle, a muffled footstep sounded from the side. Immediately afterwards, a massive figure emerged from behind Quinn. The enormous gourd-shaped bottle was open, releasing a strong and fragrant aroma of wine.

His rough face was flushed with the redness of drunkenness, and his breathing was slightly heavy—coupled with the huge scar on his chest, it was none other than Kaido, the Beasts Admiral, one of the Emperors of the Sea.

"Yamato, you've made enough of a scene, it's time to come back with me!!"

Looking at Yamato, Kaido's drunken gaze completely ignored Koushirou's presence—to Kaido, Koushirou was indeed not worth paying attention to.

Yamato simply gritted her teeth and remained silent, staring at Kaido with utter disgust.

Seeing this, Kaido's eyes narrowed slightly, and without saying a word, he reached out to grab the girl. But before his hand could even reach her, a streak of cold light flashed in the night.

A trickle of blood appeared. Retracting his hand, Kaido looked at the wound on his palm, the drunkenness in his eyes fading slightly. He turned his gaze to Koushirou, who held the long sword, and after a brief silence, as if recalling something, said with a hint of disdain in his voice, "Not bad...you actually dared to swing your sword at me, samurai?"

Koushirou remained silent, gritting his teeth and preparing to hold out until the law enforcement officer arrived.

Koushirou's inner strength isn't as unwavering as his outward appearance suggests—indeed, Koushirou possesses immense talent. However, in this world, talent isn't as important as character. Those without dreams, or those with weak wills, will quickly weaken in both strength and spirit. This is evident in Oda's writing. Two people in their sixties, one with dreams and unwavering resolve, and the other with a dreamless, complacent attitude, are completely different.

Having once been awestruck by Kaido's power, Koushirou now gradually understands, through his interactions with Yamato, why the head of the clan, Shimotsuki Ushimaru, was willing to risk his life to break the cage with the other two samurai and free Yamato.

With the support of his ideals, Koushirou's grip on the sword gradually tightened, and his gaze became more resolute.

Kaido's gaze showed little other emotion; after a brief moment of surprise, he returned to his disdain.

"It's over... Go to hell!"

However, just before Kaido launched his attack, a series of orderly footsteps suddenly came from one end of the street.

Clad in white law enforcement armor from head to toe, the high-ranking law enforcement officers of Armstrong City donned their helmets, the iron curtains on their faces falling away one by one. Their exposed gazes were filled with coldness and seriousness.

Standing among the crowd, Tina, draped in a cloak emblazoned with the words "Justice," though her naval epaulets were now gone, wore a look of utter helplessness. A half-lit cigarette dangled from her lips, and she held a scythe in her hand: "While I had some idea… I really didn't expect that someone of Kaido's stature would break a promise!"

As she spoke, Tina couldn't help but admire Robin's impeccable management of Arms City—it was no exaggeration to say that Robin had managed it flawlessly. After learning that the Beasts Pirates had joined forces with the Big Mom Pirates, Robin believed that the Beasts Pirates might break the agreement by plundering Yamato after receiving their reward at the end of the tournament.

At first, Tina was somewhat skeptical, after all, Sett's reputation on the high seas was enough to silence even a child's tears. But just as Robin said, a pirate is still a pirate. Having completed the merger of two Yonko crews, Kaido's mindset is no longer what it used to be—in Kaido's mind now, even if Armstrong came, he probably wouldn't be a match for them.

After all, if the two Sea Emperors joined forces, defeating the three Admirals of the Navy head-on wouldn't be too difficult—killing them would be another matter entirely.

In addition, there's the habit of alcoholism—drunk people are not trustworthy. In a moment of impulsiveness, they might do things that are incomprehensible to ordinary people.

Just like now, Tina was initially full of complaints, thinking that Robin was trying to find an excuse to get rid of her so she could have a one-on-one fight with Sett, but now it seems that she was overthinking it... well, Robin alone can't beat Sett.

Tina composed herself and tapped the iron trinkets in her hand, signaling Kaido to widen his eyes.

Upon seeing the law enforcement officers, a hint of seriousness did indeed rise in Kaido's eyes. Even so, Kaido didn't retreat a single step—the drunkenness in his eyes vanished almost instantly. For a body of Kaido's caliber, alcohol would completely dissipate in less than a few breaths if he so desired.

“You’re not qualified… Tell Sett to come here himself. I have no interest in talking to a nobody like you.”

As he spoke, Kaido raised his gourd and took a swig. He didn't seem to care much and simply sat down against the roof to wait for Sett to arrive. The enforcer had already come here; Kaido wouldn't believe Sett didn't know.

On this vast sea, strength reigns supreme. The City of the Armored, in terms of both technology and security, exists only under Sett's protection—on this basis, things like deceiving superiors or overstepping one's bounds are impossible in this world… at least not in such a large power.

Manipulating the rules and finding loopholes to profit is the survival strategy of the weak. In this world, the strong are born with the right and ability to make the rules.

Sett didn't hide anything from this, and walked out from the side wearing a simple woolen coat.

"Not bad, Kaido."

309. War Begins

Looking at Kaido before him, Sett's eyes held little anger. More than anything, it was amusement.

"You couldn't hold back anymore? I thought you'd at least stay on your own turf before you dared to turn on me."

"Hmph, there's no need for that. Let's settle this matter right here!"

With that, Kaido tossed the gourd of sake aside. He stood up, and the wound on his palm, inflicted by Koushirou, was completely healed in an instant.

Sensing Kaido's thoughts, Sett grinned—he'd always heard that Kaido possessed the strongest physique in the world. Although that title had been taken by Sett after the events of Mary Geoise, much like Whitebeard's claim to be the world's strongest, Sett's desire to challenge Kaido had never waned in the slightest.

In contrast, Kaido's eyes were filled with seriousness—although he was unhappy that his title had been taken from him, Kaido was also well aware of Sett's strength. Especially after the previous battle, Kaido knew very well that it would be extremely difficult for him to defeat Sett alone.

But now, everything is different...

With this thought in mind, Kaido shouldered the spiked club on his back, gripped it tightly, and walked toward Sett without flinching.

Sett simply waved his hand, signaling the surrounding law enforcement officers to leave, and then resumed his steps, walking towards Kaido's figure.

The next moment, Conqueror's Haki erupted fiercely, accompanied by a wind pressure that spread like a storm, and Kaido raised his blackened spiked club high in the air.

"die!!!"

"Then you'd better try your best!!!"

The moment the words left his lips, Sett took a large step forward, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit, his pupils leaving a dazzling trail of light in the air that lingered. He threw a punch, his entire body seemingly pulled forward uncontrollably by the force of the blow.

The two forces collided, the pitch-black Conqueror's Haki clashing together. The Conqueror's Haki, solid as lightning, surged wildly in this space, instantly shattering the entire land into pieces.

The heavy pressure kept coming, and Kaido's face flushed red with blood surging – in Kaido's perception, in just one month, Sett's power had grown visibly again!

Of course he's grown—defeating Whitebeard earned him at least three system-generated achievements. Although Sett has stopped absorbing some unused skills and instead focused on integrating his existing abilities, he won't simply ignore techniques that could enhance his power.

Just like now, Sett has collected the last Fleet Footwork rune in the Precision tree. Tenacity, Bloodline, Resilience, Coup de Grace... all sorts of buffs are maxed out, and he enters combat mode with one punch. If this were in the game, Sett's status bar wouldn't feel like League of Legends' status bar, but rather like Dungeon Fighter Online's status bar... three whole rows of beneficial buffs and passives, plus Sett's own overpowered base abilities.

Under the heavy pressure, Sett was not too badly hurt, but Kaido had to retreat five or six meters before he could finally stabilize himself.

Although he had regained his footing, Kaido could clearly feel a tingling and sticky sensation in his palm. He let out a soft breath and looked at Sett, whose brow was relaxed. Kaido gritted his teeth—Sett was stronger, without a doubt, he had become even more powerful.

Not only speed, but also strength and reaction time have become even more powerful than before. Previously, when Kaido and Sett clashed, they were evenly matched, at most a 40/60 split with no clear winner. But now, after exchanging blows, Kaido is certain that Sett has been completely unaffected; his vital energy remains perfectly stable.

In contrast, although he managed to absorb the force, his hand was already cracked the moment he was hit...

"Are you kidding me?!"