Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

But the Emperors of the Sea are different—they possess the power of Conqueror's Haki, coupled with terrifying physical abilities and Devil Fruit powers. In battle, no matter which one Sett faces, if the other seizes an opening, he could be left with a severe injury in an instant!

Including Charlotte Linlin's sneak attack, all of these were based on Sett's sense of crisis hardening his body at the last moment before he was injured.

Otherwise, with that slash just now, Charlotte would have inflicted far more than just a deep cut to Sett's back, exposing the bone.

"Sett! That's enough!!!"

In the end, Kaido decided to back down. Looking at Sett who had stepped onto land from the water, his dragon eyes filled with solemnity, he said, "Yamato will stay here, and the Beasts Pirates will take responsibility for all the losses… Let's end it here!"

Though unwilling to admit it, Kaido's heart was now filled with regret—Sett was too powerful. Sett's power had surpassed Kaido's imagination. Even if he and Linlin could defeat Sett, the terrifying abilities Sett had displayed wouldn't be enough to kill him.

Continuing this mutually destructive battle without being able to kill Sett is unwise. Even a three-year-old on this high seas knows how terrifying Sett's regeneration speed is. According to Kaido's calculations, he and Big Mom now only have two choices.

One option is to kill Sett on the spot, eliminating any future threats. The other is to end the battle immediately, even if it means losing face. Otherwise, Sett will recover from all his injuries in a week, or even less. By then, Charlotte Linlin, who has only barely recovered from her superficial wounds, and Kaido will be utterly powerless to resist!

Don't forget, besides Sett, the Beasts Pirates also have a formidable enemy named Whitebeard... In fact, Kaido is now wondering why Whitebeard hasn't joined the battle yet.

You have to understand, no matter how you look at it, now is the best opportunity to take down Kaido...

What others didn't know was that Whitebeard was a resurrected ghost. Even less did they know that one of the prices for returning freedom to Whitebeard was that Kaido and the other Emperors of the Sea had to be handed over to Sett… In other words, from the very beginning, Charlotte Linlin and Kaido were already Sett's prey.

Upon hearing Kaido's words, before Sett could say anything, Yamato, who had just heard Kaido want to end the fight, became frantic. He immediately stood up and shouted, "Quick! Keep fighting!!! Boss Sett, kill my dad!!!"

Looking at Yamato's determined expression, the entire night sky fell silent for a moment.

Rubbing his nose, Garp clicked his tongue – “He suddenly became curious about how Kaido teaches his children… He’s too filial, as if he’s afraid his father will die too slowly.”

Turning his gaze away from Yamato's distasteful large breasts, Sett turned his attention to Kaido and Charlotte Linlin in the air, his rugged face filled with unrestrained restlessness and madness.

"That's it? I'm not going to swallow the phlegm I've already spat out!! It's good that you're all here, so it saves me from having to find some fabricated excuse to cause you trouble later."

"Die!!!"

When Sett uttered the last sentence, it was practically squeezed out between clenched teeth. The rage in his eyes materialized, leaving a trail of crimson light in the air.

As Sett rapidly approached, Kaido gritted his teeth and exchanged a glance with Charlotte Linlin above him. Their long-standing tacit understanding allowed them to comprehend each other's meaning even without speaking.

Without hesitation, his life force and power surged forth unrestrained. Above the azure dragon's head—a deafening rumble!

The sky suddenly shifted, Kaido manipulating the storm and fiery clouds into a funnel shape, making the heavens seem to invert for a moment. Then, raising her arm, Charlotte Linlin channeled a torrent of lightning into the sky. A vast number of souls, under Charlotte Linlin's control, merged with the entire sky. Behind her, the miniature sun Prometheus unleashed scorching flames.

In an instant, the entire sky transformed into a sea of ​​fire filled with thunder and intense heat.

The unprecedented pressure from the blade wrapped around his hand caused the soul residing within it to experience unprecedented pain, repeatedly crying out in fear, "Mother! I can't take it anymore!"

Ignoring this, Kaido gripped his sword tightly with both hands, and his dragon body rushed towards Sett's figure with a whooshing sound.

In an instant, the blade pierced the sea of ​​clouds, and under immense pressure, it seemed as if the entire sky was collapsing towards Sett!

313·Regeneration

Rumble!!!

Dark clouds connected with blades, molten lava, and surging lightning. They swirled and mingled with the storm clouds that blanketed the sky.

As the blade descended from the sky, even before it touched Sett's body, the terrifying pressure was already suffocating.

But faced with this pressure, Sett, as always, showed no fear whatsoever. On the contrary, his expression grew increasingly ferocious and distorted. Lowering his center of gravity, the ever-accumulating force caused the pressure inside Sett's chest cavity to rise higher and higher. Accompanied by taut muscles, streams of hot air shot out from the gaps in his muscles.

Highland bloodline, Ragnarok, bloodthirsty slaughter, cluster of blades, conqueror, the unyielding grip...

As buffs were activated one after another, Sett's eyes were instantly filled with pulsating arcs of electricity. Then, under everyone's gaze, he swung his arm without hesitation, accompanied by the sound of air being torn apart.

bump--!!!

Sett's body teleported dozens of meters away as if by teleportation. The speed was so fast that the dust that was originally on Sett's body even remained in its original place, leaving a trail of afterimages that gradually dissipated with the wind.

After closing in, Sett, suspended in mid-air, twisted his torso without hesitation. The dragon of his spine first stretched out, then suddenly contracted. The power around him was concentrated into a single bundle, accompanied by a roar, and his straight hand shattered Charlotte Linlin's sword head-on before everyone's eyes.

During this process, along with the fierce battle, Sett's hands also shattered. As people watched, amidst the flying fragments of the shattered sword, Sett's hands also began to explode and break apart at the same moment they made contact.

Along with the crimson bloodstains, Sett's skeleton was exposed to everyone's view—the moment he saw the skeleton, even though he was somewhat prepared, Garp couldn't help but squint his eyes.

Garp knew about the bone fracture technique, which involves creating cracks in the bones through continuous resistance, and then using the body's super-regenerative ability to heal the broken bones, thus achieving greater strength.

Back then, Sett was only about 2.5 meters tall, so his strength wasn't immediately apparent. Now, with his explosive growth, Sett at full power is nearly seven meters tall. His exposed bones, from a distance, resemble rows of logs or steel pillars—thick and coarse. Especially the bones in his fingers, covered in scars from excessive healing, are three times the thickness of other bones of the same volume!

"Ughhhhhh!!!"

As the blade shattered, the steel sword Napoleon in the old woman's hand let out a scream. Born from Charlotte Linlin's soul, Napoleon possessed not only his own consciousness to coordinate with her, but also the unique ability to merge with other soul creations. Combined with Charlotte Linlin's own unique steel balloon physique, in direct combat, Napoleon's destructive power was in no way inferior to that of the 21 Great Swords.

But now, the integrity of the object has been compromised, and Napoleon's soul energy is leaking out of the gap at an unimaginable speed.

In the past, Charlotte Linlin would have rushed to mend Napoleon's weaknesses and replenish his soul energy. After all, Napoleon was a weapon that had been with her for most of her life. In terms of intimacy, even some of her own children were far less important to Charlotte Linlin than this precious sword.

Unfortunately, Charlotte Linlin had no time to pay attention to Napoleon's screams, because in the next moment, Sett's shattered but dagger-like broken bones were already piercing Charlotte Linlin's head.

Because of her misjudgment, Charlotte Linlin had no time to dodge. But in the next instant, a dark figure flashed past from the side, and the next moment, Katakuri, wielding a black steel fork, struck Sett's body like a cannonball.

Seizing the momentary opportunity, Charlotte Linlin abruptly shifted her body. Although it was very timely, Sett's burst of power exceeded the expectations of Katakuri and even Charlotte Linlin.

Even though the bloodied, battered bone fragments had been knocked aside, they still viciously pierced Charlotte Linlin's shoulder under Sett's control.

With a gushing spurt of blood, Charlotte Linlin's body suddenly swelled up, like a balloon, forcefully squeezing Sett's broken bones out of her body. At the same time, Kaido unleashed a scorching breath at Sett, followed by the massive blue dragon rising into the air, its long tail whipping up thunderclouds as it lashed down from the sky like a steel whip.

Human strength is limited, yet humans can easily create sonic booms with a whip. Skilled individuals can even whip a whip that reaches Mach 2. This is because, during the whipping process, the total kinetic energy of the whip remains constant, but the moving part decreases, resulting in the whip tip reaching increasingly higher speeds.

Although he didn't know the principle of the whip tip effect, Kaido, with his long experience in battle, knew better than anyone how to unleash the maximum destructive power of the Azure Dragon's body.

The immense power continued to accumulate, and in the blink of an eye, the dragon's tail, which had not seemed particularly fast to begin with, had become a blur. The high-pressure storm clouds left behind a series of thunderclaps, sonic booms, and explosions of flames during the process.

bump!!!!

The blow struck Sett's shoulder, and with a shattering sound, a piece of Sett's right shoulder ripped off at a visible speed, and then he plummeted to the ground like a meteor.

Exhaling a heavy breath, Kaido looked at Katakuri beside him, knowing that this guy was Charlotte Linlin's strongest child, and a sense of relief rose in his heart.

Without a doubt, relying on his powerful Observation Haki, Katakuri had clearly foreseen some unacceptable outcome in the future, which is why he forcefully intervened during the Imperial Battle...

Before Kaido could say anything, amidst billowing dust, Sett's body swayed a few times in the crater, then he stood up somewhat disheveled and waved to Fujitora and the others not far away: "I can do it myself!!"

As he spoke, Sett's right shoulder began to twitch. With a series of cracking sounds, his previously broken right shoulder recovered at an unimaginable speed. His previously severed right arm also regained its complete skeleton within a few breaths.

The terrifying rate of regeneration is enough to send chills down one's spine.

------------

Busy dealing with the car accident...

Some readers have commented that my reaction to car accidents seems a bit too flippant, so let me explain… I'm a man, and my family runs a small logistics company. We encounter accidents almost every year. At first, I felt helpless, but eventually, I became numb to them…

Generally, as long as both parties are safe, they will consider what to do next and what kind of impact it will have.

This time, my mom drove my dad back to our hometown. My brother and I were just sitting at home doing nothing, when trouble suddenly fell on our heads.

The dashcam's recording card was taken by the traffic police. The little girl who was hit is okay; she's a high school freshman, and the two broken bones are in her lower leg, so the impact is minor and she won't have any lasting effects. Her family is also very kind; they kept comforting my mother after confirming that the girl was alright. Apparently, the road conditions at the accident site were a bit problematic; after accelerating uphill, there was a residential area right at the entrance, making it impossible to brake in time. There had been a fatal accident there recently… so the girl's family is very understanding.

The vehicle involved in the accident was my commuter bike, which has now been impounded by the traffic police. I'll probably have to switch to riding a bicycle for the time being... Anyway, I'm going to buy two pounds of pork ribs tomorrow and go visit the girl.

It's quite frustrating to encounter something like this at the start of the year.

314·Extermination

Flesh and blood continued to grow along the regenerating bones, and in just a few breaths, Sett was back to his pre-battle state. His body was completely unharmed, except for his clothes, which were somewhat tattered from the fierce battle.

Its terrifying vitality and fighting power are awe-inspiring.

Along with the surging blood and qi, Sett's face was also filled with fanaticism.

The continuous battle, starting from the very beginning, had unknowingly lasted for five hours. For beings of the Sea Emperor's caliber, such a long battle was merely an appetizer. Just like now, although they could feel the pressure emanating from Sett, and even suffered several heavy blows from Sett, neither Kaido nor Charlotte Linlin bore any injuries that could definitively determine the outcome of the battle.

Both possess immense vitality, making this prolonged tug-of-war the norm in imperial battles. In comparison, the battle between Sett and Whitebeard was noticeably too short. This also demonstrates that Sett's strength has long surpassed that of the so-called Emperors of the Sea, making him a terrifying force unmatched on the high seas!

With Sett's recovery complete, the battle immediately entered its second phase. Time ticked by, and Fujitora and the others quickly evacuated the crowds from the relevant streets to ensure Sett's fight wouldn't affect too many residents.

Similarly, the executives of Arms City also exerted control over the other two Yonko crews—both the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates, both proud and arrogant Yonko crews. Although the fact that the leaders of the two crews joined forces to fight Sett made them feel inferior when facing the people of Arms City, they also had their own pride and at one point united to resist the control of Arms City.

In response, the Armored Castle resorted to the audacity of calling on the Whitebeard Pirates for help in suppressing the fighting—although Armored Castle was engaged in battle, Whitebeard was not. Under the suppression of a Sea Emperor, they could only swallow their pride and accept their control, retreating to a corner off the coast of Armored Castle to observe the battle unfolding above.

As the top lieutenant of the Beasts Pirates, King's gaze was filled with solemnity as he looked at the battlefield. He then turned to Katakuri beside him and asked, "In this battle... do the boss and the others have a chance?"

"..." Upon hearing this, he fell silent. No matter how much Katakuri unleashed his Observation Haki, the future he saw was always just as horrific.

Putting everything else aside, just consider Sett's previous piercing blow. If Katakuri hadn't anticipated it with his Observation Haki, Charlotte Linlin, who was struck by the blow, would have at least lost half of her fighting power, if not died outright...

Unlike now, when they can still fight with boundless energy.

Of course, Katakuri was also aware of his own limitations. Relying on his Observation Haki, which allowed him to foresee the future, to provide a rescue was one thing, but in a direct battle, with his every move locked on, he wouldn't have a chance to do anything...

In fact, it's just that Sett didn't care. Otherwise, if Sett had been motivated to kill, even if Kaido and Charlotte Linlin joined forces, they probably wouldn't have been able to stop his methods...

The protracted battle lasted for five days. During this time, the once azure sky was constantly filled with thunderclouds, and then molten fire rained down from the heavens. As the Azure Dragon writhed, enormous figures clashed and fought. Even with the officers of Armstrong City trying to hold things together, the aftershocks alone destroyed a large number of buildings in Armstrong City. As a result, Fujitora and his men had to constantly guard the edge of the battlefield, just in time to prevent meteorites and flames from crashing into the city.

By the evening of the fifth day, after a prolonged battle, Charlotte Linlin had suffered a significant loss of sugar. Thanks to her unique Iron Balloon physique, Charlotte Linlin possessed physical strength comparable to Kaido, a user of the Mythical Zoan-type Azure Dragon Fruit. However, as a price to pay, Charlotte Linlin's energy consumption was dozens of times that of an average person.

Furthermore, Charlotte Linlin suffers from a congenital condition called "food cravings." This condition flares up from time to time, and when it does, the patient descends into absolute madness, not only becoming extremely thin but also losing control of her violent mind, smashing and destroying things indiscriminately.

When she has an attack, she becomes completely ruthless, even towards her own son, Charlotte Linlin. Simply put, during an attack, her combat intelligence drops to zero; she won't dodge or defend, only attacking randomly. The only way to restore her sanity is to give her the food she craves.

Of course, this state isn't entirely negative. It's just that the positive effects are negligible compared to the negative ones—this frenzied state also leads to a continuous increase in power output.

In her gluttonous frenzy, Charlotte Linlin's frenzied attacks gave Sett a sense of exhilaration. Because she lacked reason, Kaido was temporarily unable to coordinate with Charlotte Linlin—she had no reason, and once she got close, Charlotte Linlin wouldn't even spare Kaido.

Seizing the opportunity, Sett flashed to Charlotte Linlin's side and delivered a hook punch that pierced Charlotte Linlin's unsuspecting ribs.

Ribs shattered, right lung lobe pulverized. Then, he clenched his fist. The next moment, Sett forcibly ripped the shattered organs, along with bits of flesh and bone, from his body.

With Charlotte Linlin severely injured and rendered unable to fight, the remaining battles came to an end at a visible speed.

Around six o'clock on the morning of the sixth day, as the sun rose, people turned their attention to the gradually quieting battlefield.

Hesitantly, he headed towards the battlefield. Bathed in the morning sun, Sett, covered in blood, sat alone on the only remaining dusty chair. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he downed a beer.

Behind Sett was the corpse of a woman who was eight meters tall, and the corpse of a blue dragon that stretched for hundreds of meters, its head smashed into a pile of mud.

The enormous corpse atop the ruins, bathed in the morning sun, was a powerfully shocking sight.

Sett casually poured the remaining ice-cold beer over his head, then got up to stretch his limbs, cracking his neck a couple of times, and casually said to Fujitora and the others, "Recruit those who should be recruited, and kill those who should be killed. I'm going to sleep."

In his words, Sett showed no regard for the remaining members of the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates.

But now, faced with Sett's contempt, they didn't dare utter a single word.