Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

While Robin was still feeling panicked and uncertain about the future, Sett, contrary to his usual arrogance, suddenly placed his hand on Robin's head.

"Are you scared, little agent... no, you should be called my little secretary now~"

As he said this, Sett's face held a hint of amusement. After a moment of silence, Robin slowly nodded; "...Um. I'm a little... unsure what to do..."

After the Ohara incident, Robin spent over five years adrift at sea. During the two months he lived with Sett, Robin experienced a long-lost feeling of home—the feeling of having someone to rely on… But now, he's suddenly told that Sett will soon be leaving too…

How could Robin possibly remain calm in this situation? He had lost what he once possessed, and just when he finally gained it again, he was about to lose it again...

"You're still just a child," Sett chuckled. "Why do you think you can rely on me? You place all your hopes on my ideas. What if my ideas change one day? Wouldn't you then have no bargaining chips left?"

"..." After hearing Sett's joke, Robin nodded seriously after a brief silence, as if she had figured something out.

“Alright…then leave the West Sea to me!” Robin tidied her hair slightly, then said as shrewdly as ever, “You and Tina have both become students in the elite class. Relying on Admiral Zephyr’s connections, even if you leave, as long as we don’t provoke you, other forces won’t dare to make any rash moves against us. And Sett, you’ll have enough time to grow stronger. When you come back, we can completely swallow up the West Sea’s black market at an even faster pace.”

Upon hearing Robin's words, Sett laughed heartily: "That's right! That's exactly it!" Sett showed no sadness that one would expect from a parting; on the contrary, he seemed quite excited after hearing Robin's words.

"That's right! How could my secretary be a good-for-nothing who only knows how to cry!"

“…That’s true.” Robin shook his head with a slightly helpless smile, then raised his eyes, his somewhat youthful face full of determination; “I will make you unable to leave me.”

"Then good luck, my little secretary!"

"Ok!"

They gave each other a high five, and although they didn't say anything more, both Sett and Robin had tacitly confirmed their agreement.

Just then, a voice came from the side: "Sett! Are you there? Pack up and get ready to leave! We still need to go to the East Blue to pick up a few students."

As he spoke, Zephyr pushed open the door. There he was, Sett and Robin, high-fiving each other.

At first, Zeff didn't realize anything because his attention was focused on Sett. But soon, after seeing Robin's face, Zeff's expression froze at a visible speed.

Nico Robin, the Devil's Child.

This is a name that anyone who pays attention to the sea will never overlook—as the only surviving scholar of Ohara, Nico Robin is the only one capable of deciphering the Poneglyphs. Based on this, it's safe to say that any ambitious individual would not ignore this name.

The world government, in particular, is eager to eliminate them!

The reason there can only be three Admirals in the Navy is not only to highlight their transcendent status, but more importantly, to set an example for the Navy. Now, seeing Nico Robin, Zephyr feels only numbness.

"Why are you harboring her?!" Zeff couldn't help but ask—Sett was an outgoing person who never hid his ambition. And now, a wanted criminal who could threaten the foundation of the World Government was being harbored by him…

While still holding onto hope for the World Government and the Navy, Zephyr is now beginning to wonder whether bringing Sett on board was a move to train him into a Navy officer or a move to raise a future threat.

If Sett really harbored malicious intentions from the very beginning...

Sett's face remained indifferent. This was not only because Zephyr was a well-known dove in the Navy, but more importantly, because he believed Robin could handle everything.

Sure enough, upon seeing Zephyr, understanding the whole story, and seeing the hesitation written on Zephyr's face, Robin, standing beside her, said without hesitation, "Is it going to be like Ohara again?"

Upon hearing this, despite his many doubts, Zefa couldn't help but stop thinking.

Is it because of Ohara? That's why Sett is so distrustful of the World Government... and the Navy.

Realizing this, Zephyr, a conscientious naval officer with a reputation for not killing, suddenly found himself not even qualified to clench his fists.

54. Influence

"Are you all... from Ohara?"

Zephyr's voice carried a hint of bitterness. Sett seemed quite nonchalant about it.

“I guess so,” Sett said. “Anyway, it doesn’t make much difference. At least I don’t have any good feelings towards the World Government.”

Upon hearing Sett's words, Zeff seemed to want to say something. However, after learning about Robin and Sett's background, Zeff didn't know how to offer any advice—the World Government hadn't even spared the refugee ships from Ohara, leaving Robin as the only one left of the tens of thousands of people in Ohara.

If such hatred could be dispelled with just a few words, it would be an insult to Robin herself.

He sighed with some emotion, turned and left, but then paused slightly as if he had thought of something halfway there, before taking out a diary from his pocket and handing it to Robin.

“This is a training manual for Haki and the Six Powers of the Navy. Don’t tell anyone else.” With a hint of bitterness on his face, Zephyr removed his glasses, his eyes filled with sadness as he nodded slightly to Robin. “I know I’m not qualified to say this… but I still hope you can let go of your hatred. The Buster Call of Ohara was opposed even by many in the Navy; not all Marines are like that…”

"But that's how the World Government works, isn't it?"

Robin showed no fear despite being an admiral like Zephyr. On the contrary, her face was filled with seriousness and determination.

In other matters, Robin might be able to deflect, joke, or back down. But when it comes to Ohara, Robin would never back down an inch. Knowing this deeply, Sett never jokes with Robin about the suffering involved—not out of so-called kindness, but simply out of basic human decency.

Zephyr pursed his lips and simply said, "Go do what you think is right... but if you hurt someone because of this, I will be the first to arrest you."

After saying that, Zephyr glanced at Sett, but didn't mention Robin again, only saying, "Let's go, there are other members in the East Blue."

Upon hearing this, Sett shrugged, then clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Mundo!!!"

From the house next to Tina's... no, now it should be said, from the ruins that Mundo had transformed, came a voice saying, "Huh?!" Immediately afterward, Mundo rushed over, smashing his head through the glass and sticking it in: "Sett's friend! Mundo, over there!!!"

"Okay, okay~ Mundo is also Sett's good friend~"

Sett said casually, "Mundo's intelligence is extremely high; as a doctor, his IQ is almost equivalent to that of a three-year-old. Entrusting Mundo with anything requiring high precision is a pipe dream; picking up food with chopsticks is already his physiological limit. However, there is one thing he can do: he will faithfully and tirelessly carry out any orders or requests given by Sett."

Or rather, this is the key reason why Sett isn't afraid of Robin being discovered by Zeff—given Mundo's vitality and tankiness, even Zeff could withstand him for several rounds. And that time would be enough for Sett to take Robin out to sea, seize a ship, and escape.

Now that there's no need to deal with Zephyr, things are even simpler.

“Next, I’m leaving here,” Sett said. “So while I’m gone, you and Robin must protect this house and always listen to Robin, understand?”

"Okay! Robin is also Mundo's good friend!!!" Mundo, slurring his words, slammed his arm through the wall while putting his arm around Robin's shoulder.

With a blank expression, Robin now has a thorough understanding of Mundo's intelligence...

Mundo's strength is undeniable—at least in the West Blue, he's definitely a top-tier monster!

If it weren't for Mundo's presence, Sett wouldn't feel comfortable letting himself go out to train alone...

Seeing that Zephyr had already left, Sett whispered, "Ignore what that old man said. See if you can give Mundo the Haki and the Six Powers."

Not far away, Zephyr, with sharp ears and eyes, heard Sett's words. His face darkened, he glanced back at Robin, and finally shook his head helplessly.

The Ohara disaster was inextricably linked to every high-ranking officer in the Navy. In particular, the one who ordered the warships to bombard the refugee boats was none other than Zeff's protégé, Sakazuki…

This sense of guilt, as if it were the instigator, left Zephyr, a man of conscience, utterly speechless in front of Robin…

Zeff shook his head. He had a premonition that Sett and Robin would wreak havoc on the ocean in the future. But even so, Zeff still chose not to intervene.

"This is the bitter fruit you created... the Warring States period."

As the general who carried out the Ohara Buster Call, regardless of his motives, Sengoku's act of firing on the refugee ship is something he cannot deny.

This time, even as a colleague, Zephyr still chose to follow his conscience.

It seems that all I can do is try my best to influence them...

Zephyr was unaware of the seriousness of the problem—he actually wanted to reform Sett.

55·Heroic Spirit·Armed

"The so-called domineering spirit is a potential that all humans are born with."

Looking at Sett in front of him, Zephyr slowly said, "Aura, killing intent, fighting spirit... When you manipulate these invisible feelings, willpower can be transformed into a weapon. And this powerful force is what people call dominance."

As he explained, Zefa's arm turned black in an instant.

"This is Armament Haki. After using it, it's like wearing invisible armor. With further development, it can be used to release Armament Haki externally, wrap Armament Haki around the user, and many other new techniques, which can increase the user's attack and defense in all aspects."

"The way I evade your attacks is called Observation Haki. It's the power to strongly sense the opponent's presence. Once you improve this power, you can extract the location and number of enemies outside your field of vision, as well as the actions your opponent will take in the next instant. Advanced Observation Haki can even see the short-term future."

"The other one is Conqueror's Haki—an ability that is one in ten thousand. Possessing Conqueror's Haki means possessing the 'qualities of a king.' It cannot be acquired through training; it is gradually revealed and enhanced as a person grows."

Upon hearing Zephyr's words, Sett tilted his head; "Conqueror's Haki? That sounds like it was tailor-made for me!"

Upon hearing this, after a brief silence, Zephyr shook his head helplessly and said, "Tina really wasn't wrong about arrogance..."

"Arrogance? No, I'm just stating the facts!" Sett is determined to obtain Conqueror's Haki. After all, his passive trait includes "Conqueror" from Teamfight Tactics.

After finishing the sit-ups, and facing Zeff and Sett, I felt I had a fighting chance – in the game, the most realistic thing is true damage.

Zephyr didn't say anything about it. He just thought that when Sett started training in Haki, he would temper his temper... at least, an overly arrogant Marine is not a good Marine.

It took about a week to travel from the West Sea to the East Sea. After Smoker boarded the ship, Zeff led everyone in special training. Upon arriving at the deserted island, Zeff calmly said, "Observation Haki requires enduring continuous attacks in the dark to strengthen perception, so we'll start with Armament Haki training. First..."

The training began, and Smoker, Hina, Dewan, Dade... these people, who were considered the future pillars of the Navy, began their agreed-upon training.

The constant battles honed everyone's will, enabling them to manipulate their own beliefs. But it's easier said than done. From dawn till dusk, everyone was exhausted, yet not a single person had even scratched the surface of Armament Haki.

Seeing this, Zephyr wasn't surprised. After all, if Armament Haki were really that easy to master, it would have been known throughout the world long ago...

"Don't be discouraged, take a break first. Armament Haki training is the most difficult, but also the most important. Only by mastering Armament Haki can you pose a threat to Logia-type Devil Fruit users. Before that, the first thing you need to do is..."

Just as Zefa was about to share some of his experience, before he could even open his mouth, a voice came from the side: "Hey hey hey~".

Seeing this, Zephyr frowned slightly—though kind, this didn't mean he was weak. He was currently teaching the future backbone of the Navy. Such a sudden interruption would likely have made any teacher impatient.

Sett remained nonchalant, even somewhat nonchalant. Under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, Sett suddenly clenched his fist. In an instant, a jet-black aura enveloped his entire wrist, reflecting a shimmering light in the setting sun.

"So this is the difficult-to-master Armament Haki? How laughable~"

As he spoke, Sett sprang to his feet, dusted himself off, stretched his neck, and said with a relaxed expression, "It's not as difficult as I thought it would be!"

Zephyr opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately said nothing more. He simply solidified his resolve—no matter what, even if he didn't become a Marine, he absolutely couldn't let Sett become a despicable pirate.

Otherwise, this talent would surely make him another overlord of the new world!

"Keep it up, everyone!"

Sett casually waved to Tina and the others before heading towards the deserted island to hunt for today's dinner.

Smoker remarked with some surprise, "You've mastered Armament Haki so quickly? Where did you meet this guy?"

Faced with Smoker's question, Tina simply smirked, "I wish I never knew this bastard... but he's the fastest learner, God just doesn't make sense!"

"Isn't that reasonable?" Smoker was quite open-minded about Tina's unwillingness to accept it, and even spoke with a hint of admiration.

“When I boarded the ship, I noticed that he almost never went out. I initially thought he was just introverted and didn’t like to communicate, but now it seems… he may have been practicing meditation all along.”

Despite the astonishment of the crowd, Sett was not actually very happy. During the month he spent on the ship, Sett had already begun to experiment with the compatibility of Armament Haki with himself.

Now it seems that Hao Yi's transformed Armament Haki can be taken to an even higher level!

Just like now, deep in the forest, Sett concentrated all his mental energy on his arm. The next moment, a point of golden light, as if formed from condensed heroic intent, appeared on the pitch-black Armament Haki.

With a casual wave of his hand, a loud explosion rang out!