Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

315. Decisive through a proclamation

"Extra! Extra!"

On the streets, simply dressed newsboys waved the newspapers they were reading, walking through the alleys and shouting, "The emperor has fallen! The tyrant reigns supreme!!"

Upon hearing the newsboys' voices, the pedestrians who had been hurrying along the street immediately stopped and took out their loose coins to buy a newspaper to read carefully.

Sett's battle with the two sea emperors was no secret, but because a battle of this magnitude could not be ended overnight, for a week all the newspaper headlines were about the current progress of the war.

Because of its advantageous location, the World Economic News Agency has consistently made headlines. Today, Wanhao City has the upper hand; the day after tomorrow, the two kings will have the upper hand. Putting aside everything else, the betting odds on Wanhao City alone have accumulated at least 5 billion in high-value bets—don't doubt Wanhao City's ability to amass wealth.

More importantly, this is only the amount of gambling openly in Wanhao City. If you really want to calculate it, the amount of gambling underground is at least several times, or even dozens of times, that amount—a royal war is something that can hardly be seen once every few decades, let alone a battle between one person and two sea emperors.

Before this, many people believed that Kaido and Charlotte Linlin were on par with the Emperors of the Sea, so many thought that Kaido and Charlotte Linlin would ultimately win. But now that the result is out, countless people have lost everything.

Casinos show them no mercy—the rich gamble for fun, the middle class might call it "buying excitement," but for the poor to gamble is simply asking for trouble. Trying to turn their fortunes around through gambling? There's only one outcome: gambling addicts will meet a terrible end.

They brought out a newspaper, which detailed the battle between Sett and the two emperors on the last day, as well as the post-battle scene that occupied an entire page of the newspaper.

Sitting amidst the ruins, drinking heartily, with giants severed at the waist and dying dragons behind him, Sett's ferocious appearance is visually striking—and this is only what the photographs depict. Footage of the Battle of Sett's City is now fetching an astonishingly high price on the black market.

"Go inside, we're not in the mood to be rough with you right now."

With an unlit cigarette dangling from her mouth, Tina glanced at Katakuri and the others in front of her, her gaze filled with annoyance and indifference.

It wasn't that she was looking down on Katakuri and the others; it was simply that Tina was really annoyed right now—in the Imperial War, Armored Castle suffered over half its losses, with nearly two-thirds of its area destroyed by the aftershocks. It was only because Demacia City was impregnable, and because of the anti-magic stone, that Kaido and Charlotte Linlin dared not approach. Otherwise, it would definitely have been reduced to ruins as well.

Yes, at the very start of the Imperial War, Kaido and Charlotte Linlin tacitly lured Sett to other districts of Armored Castle, especially the Piltover Industrial District, which was ostensibly the most technologically advanced. Their aim was to influence Sett's attacks and performance through the value of the industrial district. However, they didn't expect Sett to be so oblivious to its value. After a flurry of punches and kicks, hundreds of billions of yen vanished into thin air.

In other words, upon realizing that things were going badly, they immediately used the Canglang mech to transfer important equipment and technological data; otherwise, the losses would probably have been even greater!

Post-disaster reconstruction and the organization and management of refugees are the key headaches that Tina and Robin will face next.

But upon closer examination, it's not too difficult—merchants pursue profit, and right now, if we're talking about what's most valuable on this vast ocean, then without a doubt it's Sett and the City of the Arms.

Sett can't invest, but Sett's Castle can. Before the Clash of Clans even began, Sett's ability to generate revenue was already unparalleled on this sea. And now, after the Clash of Clans ends, anyone with a brain knows that Sett will become, or even surpass, the World Government, becoming an individual who transcends the collective.

In this context, as Sett's faction, the value of City of the Wrist can no longer be measured solely by numbers.

Even as Kaido lay dying, merchants were already applying to help rebuild Armor City. They even said they wouldn't ask for a single penny from Armor City… Asking for nothing was impossible; the merchants might refuse, but Armor City couldn't refuse. The real key was establishing a connection with Armor City.

With the fall of two sea emperors, there's no doubt that their remaining territories will fall to Sett. In this situation, once they establish this connection, along with the West Blue, some of the most valuable seas in the world will become their golden trading grounds!

Robin, of course, wouldn't agree to this, but instead replied that he would prepare for the post-disaster reconstruction through a bidding process in three days. This is not something one company can handle alone; from building materials and disaster relief to the resettlement of refugees, it requires the cooperation of many companies.

As for the core component, the "Wrist City," it needs to be rationally allocated and supervised to ensure its own interests are maximized...

"By the way, we should also prepare the Hextech Flying Gate coordinate tower in the New World." Robin walked over from the side and said with a helpless expression, "We also need to take over Whole Cake Island and Wano Country. The Big Mom Pirates and the Beast Pirates have left quite a few mid-level officers at their bases... They might not accept our modifications so easily. I'll inform Mr. Fujitora and Mr. Zephyr later and have them lead the Demacian soldiers to do the cleanup work."

Although there are already many Hextech Gear Towers in the New World, in reality, neither the Beast Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, nor even the Whitebeard Pirates have built their own towers at their bases. They've mostly placed them on the outskirts—because they don't understand the principles behind towers. In this situation, they can only prevent sudden attacks on Armstrong Castle by obstructing the construction sites of towers.

However, now that they are dead, the construction of the Coordinate Tower is a natural progression—including Whitebeard, who probably wouldn't stop the construction of the Coordinate Tower now.

The next day, Wano Country.

Because of its isolation and lack of communication, Wano Country remains unchanged from before Kaido left, still under the oppressive rule of Kurozumi Orochi.

But today, suddenly, people saw one dark shadow after another appearing in the thick clouds.

That was a pitch-black Hextech spaceship.

The people of Wano Country were astonished, having never heard of such a thing as Hextech.

Just then, on the black ship, Kaido's "son," Yamato, who boasts at least a D-cup bust, poked his head out, revealing a happy smile, and excitedly shouted, "Good news! My dad's dead~~~"

Quinn, a carefree former executive of the Beasts Pirates: "I'm numb."

316·The King's Flag Changes Atop the City Wall

"These guys who're living comfortably are really going to use black ships to kick open the country's doors! Hahahaha~~~"

Laughing nonchalantly, Sett stood in the only remaining intact city of Demacia, holding a wine glass, his eyes filled with madness.

As for the meaning behind Sett's words, Robin and Tina exchanged speechless glances—on the other side, on the dark warship, Yamato and Koushirou's faces were filled with excitement.

They couldn't help but be excited. Just recently, they were despairing over the opening of Wano Country—to them, Kaido's existence was like an insurmountable mountain. Powerful, invincible. But who would have thought that so soon after, Kaido and Big Mom were both killed…and their bodies were reportedly taken away for further modifications.

Yes, after seeing the pacifists created from Sett's scraps of flesh, Judge felt like a new world had opened up for him. He plunged right in, spending all his time without a second thought thinking about how to get some of Sett's scraps.

Unfortunately, Sett had no interest in feeding his flesh to the eagle. So Judge had to give up... But then, unexpectedly, an opportunity suddenly presented itself. Although it wasn't Sett's flesh and blood, Kaido's physical strength and Big Mom's steel balloon physique were both rare treasures on the high seas.

In terms of rarity, it even surpasses the number of Devil Fruits!

Two such treasures suddenly appeared, and the Judge almost fainted with joy the moment he heard the news.

The only slight pity is that their Devil Fruit abilities have all disappeared—Charlotte Linlin's Devil Fruit ability vanished completely, and all her soul creations instantly reverted to their original forms. Kaido, on the other hand, slowly reverted from his dragon form to a human corpse after death. Fortunately, their physical strength was preserved to some extent.

In terms of value, Charlotte Linlin's corpse is more valuable than Kaido's—Kaido was indeed hailed as the world's strongest creature before Sett, but this was due to Kaido's Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit.

If we disregard Devil Fruits, Kaido, while a top-tier physical powerhouse, pales in comparison to Charlotte Linlin's terrifying steel balloon physique.

Judge's deepest research area is genetics—with Charlotte Linlin's corpse, Judge will now have to think about how to add the Steel Balloon's constitution to the genetics.

Sett wasn't particularly interested in androids—but one thing couldn't be denied: Judge's research did have merit. At least for now, Judge's children were among the stronger of their peers.

Their innate steel skin and special abilities like fire, lightning, and superhuman strength all testify to their uniqueness. The only problem is their personality flaws... but Sett doesn't seem to have the right to criticize others for those flaws.

Outside, various merchant guilds were busy discussing how to allocate the reconstruction work in Sett's City. Judging from their enthusiasm, cutting corners was highly unlikely—after all, this was Sett's territory. Anyone who had lived in the West Blue knew that Sett was a man of his word. If he said he'd kill you, he wouldn't let you live until tomorrow. If cutting corners did happen, given Sett's personality, everyone involved would probably be destined to be stepped on in the toilet and fast-forwarded to their reincarnation.

In contrast to the bustling and vibrant Armor City, the remnants of the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates were in a state of despondency in the makeshift prison beneath Armor City.

With their strength, breaking through the prison wouldn't be too difficult. But they knew very well that Sett was waiting for them up there—every time they recalled the image of their leader dying violently in the ruins, they felt a lingering fear, as if waking from a nightmare.

"Second brother... what should we do next?"

Hearing Brulee's somewhat nervous question, even Katakuri, with his resilient nature, couldn't help but feel a little downcast—back when Charlotte Linlin was still around, neither Katakuri nor Brulee, Perospero, Muskie, and the others had ever imagined this scene.

In their hearts, Charlotte Linlin might not possess a mother's gentleness or sufficient tolerance. But her strength enabled them to fear no enemy. Even if the sky were to fall, their mother would be there to hold it up.

In this world where strength reigns supreme, the existence of a sea emperor can inspire boundless confidence.

But now, with the fall of two Sea Emperors, the pillars that sustained them have also crumbled. Even Katakuri, lost in uncertainty about the future, couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy and pessimism… With his own life in someone else's hands, what right did he have to say anything else?

"That damn bastard! Quinn!"

Nearby, came the furious voice of King, the former leader of the Beasts Pirates, the Great King of the Wildfire. Even with his hands handcuffed with magic-suppressing stones, King continued to pound the floor, his eyes filled with intense anger—for King, Kaido was not just a captain, but a faith. When King was imprisoned in the World Government's secret agency as research material, it was Kaido who took him out.

He promised to usher in a new era. And King also made a vow in his heart that he would make Kaido the true Pirate King... But now, everything has become nothing—Kaido is dead, and all his dreams have vanished.

And Quinn, the Plague Pirates' leader, goes without saying—as one of the two major figures, Quinn has received countless favors from Kaido. Especially in terms of research funding, he has never lacked a single penny. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the Grand Steward of the entire Beasts Pirates.

But what was the result? Right after Kaido's death, Quinn was practically the first to surrender with his subordinates—and Sett accepted Quinn's surrender.

Because Judge repeatedly emphasized Quinn's value as a scholar, Robin believed that Quinn's existence possessed sufficient academic value. Therefore, she and Tina, together, subjected Sett to a series of utterly pathetic attempts at persuasion, until Sett happily agreed—

Of course, Sett suspected that Robin and the others were just getting a taste of something new—after all, Sett always left similar matters entirely to Robin.

Now, Quinn, without pausing for the moment after surrendering, went to Wano Country to try and persuade them to surrender as well. This constant shifting of allegiance reveals Quinn's fickle nature.

317·The Unknown Future

The fall of Kaido and Charlotte Linlin has had far-reaching consequences beyond just the further expansion of Armored Castle's power. Even before this, the World Government was already extremely wary of Armored Castle. Now, with its soaring reputation, it is forced to confront this difficult problem head-on.

"Kaido and Big Mom are both dead... It's unbelievable."

In Mary Geoise, the bald-headed Five Elders, wielding a longsword, spoke with a grave expression: "Five years ago, facing the combined might of the three admirals, Sett had to recklessly enter his berserk state to possess that invincible power... But now, with two Sea Emperors, even if we all attack together, the outcome is uncertain..."

"Didn't it go berserk?"

The Five Elders, one of whom had a birthmark on his forehead, looked grave after hearing the words of the Five Elders with the Longsword. The Five Elders with the Longsword shook his head and said, "No… According to all the World Government agents and Navy officers present, Sett showed no signs of losing his mind or indiscriminately behaving during the battle… Throughout the six-day battle, he single-handedly overpowered and tortured Kaido and Charlotte Linlin."

"At first, Charlotte Linlin and Kaido were able to organize an effective counterattack using their own abilities... But as Charlotte Linlin fell into the symptoms of food cravings and lost her mind, exposing an opening that Sett shattered her internal organs, their battle came to an end at an unimaginable speed... Sett did not suffer any obvious injuries. Or perhaps, he had already fully recovered by the time people approached."

Upon hearing the words of the Five Elders, the others exchanged glances and then lowered their heads slightly, falling into silence. Five years ago, Sett's terrifying attack in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise had already exceeded the expectations of the Five Elders and the others.

This world has a power ceiling—and Sengoku was undoubtedly one of those closest to it. Even if he wasn't as strong as Whitebeard, he wasn't far behind, after all, both were strong individuals who survived the test of time in the previous era. But what was the result?

With a single headbutt, Sengoku's arm was shattered without any resistance, and he fell unconscious. It was only because Sett lost his mind at the time that the headbutt missed a few inches and did not hit a vital spot; otherwise, even if it was just the aftershock impacting his brain, Sengoku might still be lying in bed as a corpse.

In that single attack, over 70% of the Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise were killed or wounded. The Celestial Dragon Guard was nearly wiped out. Even the Five Elders were almost entirely injured. If Lord Im hadn't stepped forward at the last moment, the final outcome would have been very uncertain…

"This matter is no longer something we can decide." In the end, it was the curly-haired Elder with the hat who stood up and said solemnly, "Let's hand this over to Lord Im... Sett's strength has grown beyond our estimates and imagination. Vegapunk's pacifist beliefs are probably worthless now."

"Let Lord Im make the decision."

Upon hearing the words of the curly-haired Five Elders, the bearded Five Elders and the blond Five Elders beside him nodded silently. They exchanged glances, confirming their respective thoughts, and then the five of them stood up and walked silently toward the royal palace at the highest point of the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.

The Holy Land of Mary Geoise is now somewhat different from its past form. Having taken a direct hit from Sett, Mary Geoise, which was initially thousands of meters above the sea, is now only a few hundred meters above the water. The Red Line, which once stood above the sea and separated the world, now appears as if a gap has been blasted open. The new Holy Land of Mary Geoise was built on one side of the old site, and the newly established G6 Marine Branch stands above the gap.

Due to the Mary Geoise massacre, a large number of powerful pirates flooded into Paradise from the New World. After a four-year cleanup effort, the World Government finally drove these pirates back to the New World and reclaimed the lost territory of Paradise in the first half of the Grand Line. The current G6 branch serves as a Marine stronghold to prevent pirates from bypassing the G5 branch and entering Paradise—in fact, not only the Marines, but also World Government agents and Celestial Dragons' guards are frequently stationed there. Compared to other Marine branches, the G6 branch is exceptionally valuable.

Although the Holy Land of Mary Geoise was rebuilt on the Red Line, the Holy City where Im resided was not rebuilt—when Sett unleashed his punch, the Holy City did not collapse along with the Red Line, but instead remained suspended in the air like an island in the Sky Island. Even now, the Holy City still stands silently in the air without any support.

It gave the impression that it was floating using the power of the Float-Float Fruit... The World Government has hidden too many methods and secrets throughout its hundreds of years of history. Even the Five Elders know very little about these secrets; the only one they know is the mysterious and great being Im.

Of course, now that time has passed, Sett's appearance seems to have made Im no longer as unapproachable as he once was... After all, Sett really went a bit too far back then.

Now, everyone thought that no matter how fast Sett grew, the aftereffects of his rampage would cause his abilities to decline for a period of time. But who would have thought that in just five years, just the time it took to go from kindergarten to second grade, Sett's growth rate would double as if he were on drugs. Now, he has even reached a point where he can dominate the entire sea...

Ironically, even the Five Elders had previously acknowledged that Sett was on par with the Emperor of the Sea... After all, Sett struggled even when facing a combined attack from the three Admirals without going berserk.

But now it seems like a complete joke... and the main point of the joke is that all the idiots who took that statement seriously.

Even Lord Im must have had his share of regrets, right? The Five Elders, sword in hand, thought silently—after all, Lord Im was less than a finger's length away from killing Sett back then, but Sett escaped using some kind of teleportation technique…

Thinking this way, even the Five Elders didn't know what to do next.

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The accident report is basically out... the girl was fully responsible. She was riding an electric scooter without looking at the road. My mom slowed down, honked, and changed lanes, but the girl didn't react at all. My mom's only mistake was not slamming on the brakes and not realizing the girl really didn't react at all, not even glancing at her...

318 - Undeclared War

"The world government has declared war on us?"

Upon hearing this news, Sett, who had been feeling rather bored, suddenly brightened up and turned his questioning gaze toward Robin standing to the side.

Robin remained indifferent and simply nodded blankly—compared to Sett's excitement, Robin felt rather weary.

"It's not a declaration of war... it's that the World Government's army has already assembled and is marching towards us..."

Heavens have mercy! The battle between the two Emperors in Armor City only ended less than a week ago. And what happened? Before they could even catch their breath, the World Government came knocking... Why didn't they just come from the start?