Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

56·Haoyi armed color

Feeling the lingering power dissipate in his arm, Sett stared at the void before him and fell silent.

Armament Haki is a materialization of human spirit. On this basis, both fighting spirit and killing intent can become the energy source of Armament Haki... And just now, Sett transformed the heroic spirit within him into Armament Haki.

Sett's fighting spirit stems from the damage he takes in battle and his heightened battle will. Unlike in the game, where it can only be passively acquired through taking damage, in reality, Sett actively cultivates his battle will through training, thus generating this fighting spirit to engage in combat. Of course, compared to constantly encouraging himself, a faster way to acquire it is still through taking damage to stimulate the release of dopamine in the brain.

In other words, Hao Yi is a kind of berserk fighting spirit under extreme excitement—in terms of energy source, it is almost no different from Armament Haki.

Even back on the ship, Sett had already begun a series of experiments on the fusion of Heroic Will and Armament Haki. The golden Armament Haki he just witnessed was a product of this fusion.

Sett named this new ability "Armament Haki of Aggression." It's not simply about turning Armament Haki from black to gold, but about making it more aggressive.

In terms of defense, the "Heroic Armament Haki" is not further enhanced, and it is not even as tough as the original version. However, in terms of offense, the "Heroic Armament Haki" has nearly three times the energy output of ordinary Armament Haki.

Just like before, Sett didn't simply cause an airburst through sheer force. Instead, he directly detonated the power attached to his arm.

Compared to ordinary Armament Haki, which can only be applied to the arms for attack, the adhesive nature of Gorye Armament Haki gives it more possibilities.

Gazing at his jet-black arm, Sett began to breathe slowly. His mind was highly focused, and after a moment, the nail-sized patch of Armament Haki began to spread across his arm. It took about fifteen minutes to completely cover his entire arm. The transformation from gold to black took even longer. In total, it took a full hour…

"It's still too long," Sett thought. Unlike the Deliberate Punch, which is a technique of using Willpower directly engraved in biological instincts, Willpower Armament Haki is a new ability that Sett developed himself. Therefore, there are no templates left for Sett to refer to; everything must be explored by Sett on his own.

Just like Sett himself, he mastered these breathtaking techniques through countless battles in the ring. And now, Sett can only be said to have taken his first step.

"Time to hunt, today's food!" Sett raised his head again, his eyes burning with a fierce flame.

The transition between Jet Black Armament Haki and Mighty Armament Haki will be the focus of Sett's training going forward. Once he successfully masters both, Sett will be able to freely control his functional attacks and defenses.

One must walk one step at a time, and eat one bite at a time. Only after completing these tasks should one consider further spiritual practice.

As night fell, the elite class began their dinner.

Zephyr didn't bring any extra people with him for this group training, so everyone had to hunt and cook their own dinners. Survival is also a very important part of life on the high seas, because even a vice admiral-level officer could be trapped in special sea areas due to the complex and unpredictable celestial phenomena of the Grand Line.

However, when they entered the mountain, they all fell silent.

The entire forest looked as if it had been ravaged by a tornado. Giant trees snapped in half, and wild beasts lay dead on the spot. Huge heads were smashed to pieces, with brains, bits of flesh, and white bone fragments scattered everywhere.

Especially those wounds, they give the impression that they were not killed by a gunshot, but rather that someone used a bomb to explode them from the inside.

The air was thick with the stench of blood; there was no need for any hunting, as the carcasses of wild animals were visible everywhere.

“…It’s definitely that guy!” Tina rubbed her temples in exasperation.

Smoker silently took two puffs of his cigar, exhaled a heavy smoke ring, and then said with a hint of hesitation in his eyes, "Your friend... seems to have a bit of a temper...?"

“That bastard’s temper has never been good…” Tina paused, a hint of doubt in her eyes; “But why this time? Didn’t he already master Armament Haki?”

If Sett's slaughter of beasts was due to his slow progress in mastering Armament Haki, Tina and the others could understand it. However, Sett was arguably the first to master Armament Haki and successfully project it outwards... Even Zephyr directly admitted, "That guy is a genius, you don't need to worry about him..."

But now...

Despite his explosive temper and arrogant personality, Tina didn't see Sett as someone who enjoyed torture or meaningless killing. For Sett, the process of the battle was more important than the outcome…

But this time, Tina was also a little unsure.

Just as Tina and the others were still thinking, a series of rustling sounds came from the distant dense forest.

Carrying a giant buffalo the size of a three-story building, Sett walked silently toward the crowd. He made no sound, and the crowd simply watched him.

Seeing this, Sett shook his head and said, "This is enough for you to eat..." Then he walked towards the camp alone, seemingly pondering something.

Standing in the makeshift watchtower, Zephyr's gaze was filled with complex emotions as he watched Sett approach carrying a water buffalo.

“Tell me why,” Zephyr said. “Those beasts…you didn’t have to kill so many.”

"The reason?" Upon hearing this, Sett glanced at his fist while looking at Zeff in front of him. Then he nodded thoughtfully, clenched his fist, and looked at Zeff.

"Then get on it, Zephyr!"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Zephyr immediately assumed a fighting stance. He expected Sett to throw a punch, but instead, Sett stood rooted to the spot, making no further move.

Just as Zeffa was about to ask Sett what he was trying to do, five minutes passed and a golden light the size of a fingernail suddenly covered Sett's fist!

"Um?!?!"

57. Sett's Weakness

Upon seeing the golden light on Sett's fist, Zeff couldn't help but freeze for two seconds—Armament Haki has been developing for over a century now. Generation after generation has continuously refined it, essentially establishing its form and limits.

Now, seeing the golden light on Sett's fist, Zeff was momentarily stunned.

In Zeff's view, the golden Armament Haki on Sett's fist wasn't dazzling; it merely shimmered with a dreamlike, fluorescent glow. At first glance, it even somewhat resembled Sengoku's Devil Fruit form…

After a moment of silence, Zephyr asked with some confusion, "Aren't you a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user?"

"A Zoan-type Devil Fruit?" Hearing Zephyr's words, Sett subconsciously twitched his ears. Clearly, he was mistaking the Vastayan's physical characteristics for the characteristics of Devil Fruits in this world… However, Sett was too lazy to explain, simply saying indifferently, "What are you trying to say?"

"Where did you get your abilities? This... golden Armament Haki?"

"I developed it myself~" Sett said casually, "Wouldn't it be a bit too boring if it were all black? So I just did a little bit of development on top of what was already there~"

"..."

Sensing Sett's nonchalant tone, Zeff realized something—Sett's talent could no longer be measured by common sense.

Thinking back carefully, even when he first met Sett and defeated him, Sett didn't seem to be particularly upset about the defeat... He had thought Sett didn't care about losing, but now he realized that perhaps Sett didn't think he had used his full strength.

Thinking this, Zephyr sighed inwardly. However, with Tina and the others' assurances, Zephyr still harbored an unrealistic fantasy about Sett joining the Navy. Gazing at the golden light atop the iron fist, Zephyr's expression turned solemn: "Attack! Let me test your mettle!"

"I've been waiting for you to say that!!!"

Upon hearing this, Sett's expression shifted to one of wild joy. To be honest, although Sett had spent a month on the navy ship, training alone in solitude, it didn't mean he could suppress his inner desire for violence.

As for those beasts just now, it was less of a battle and more of an experiment in using Armament Haki.

Combat is only useful when facing opponents of equal strength or those stronger than oneself!

As soon as he finished speaking, gold had already covered Sett's arm. In Zeff's vision, the golden arm transformed into a fleeting streak of light and hurtled towards him.

Without underestimating Sett, Zephyr's arms were instantly enveloped in Armament Haki. Even so, Zephyr's arms still felt intense pain—not purely external damage, but because the Armament Haki of Might and Might infiltrates the opponent's body with a portion of its power at the moment of attack, causing severe internal damage. However, correspondingly, as the attack intensifies, the stamina consumption of Armament Haki of Might and Might is more than five times that of ordinary Armament Haki.

For an ordinary person, Dark Armament Haki might last for thirty minutes, while even with Heroic Armament Haki, it would only last a little over six minutes at most. But Sett is different. With the Undying Grip, Gathering Storm, and his own training, Sett's endurance is beyond the reach of ordinary people. In fact, he doesn't even need a ship; Sett can cross the West Sea alone!

Even Zephyr couldn't help but squint as he felt the excruciating pain emanating from within. Then, his Armament Haki spread further, covering his entire arm from the inside out, finally lessening the internal damage.

Immediately afterward, Zeff and Sett simultaneously threw punches, colliding head-on. Sett's strength was originally far inferior to Zeff's—even with the combined power of his Subduing Force, Penetrating Force, and Undying Grip, he couldn't achieve a draw against Zeff in a direct confrontation. But now, with Armament Haki fully applied, the three damage amplifications stacked once more against Zeff's punch. At the moment of impact, it was as if a thunderbolt exploded between the two.

With a loud bang, Sett was sent flying backward just like last time. But unlike last time, this time Zephyr couldn't maintain his balance. His straight body slid back two meters, his massive thighs carving two furrows in the ground.

Zephyr's Armament Haki exploded instantly, and even with Zephyr's physical strength, his arm was covered in blood and wounds.

"..." In the silence, Zephyr's eyes were filled with disbelief.

I was broken down.

Regaining his senses, Zephyr quickly regained his composure. Looking at Sett before him, he remained silent for a moment before a hint of astonishment appeared in his eyes.

"Golden Armament Haki... does that mean they've abandoned defense?"

"Golden Armament Haki?" Upon hearing this, Sett didn't rush to answer, but instead chuckled and said, "Mys is called 'Heroic Armament Haki'! As for defense... why do you think I've given up on Black Armament Haki?"

As he spoke, Sett raised his arm. Another ten minutes or so passed, and the gold gradually turned black.

"..."

"Okay... the conversion process will take a while now."

Zephyr nodded in understanding, but his eyes were still filled with an indescribable complexity.

Although Sett can't switch between the two colors quickly yet, he's only just mastered externalizing Armament Haki, and he's already developed an offensive Armament Haki that almost completely sacrifices defensive capabilities. While the transition between the two is still very slow... given Sett's talent, is shortening the switching time really that long?

It's probably not that simple... By then, a monster with no blind spots in attack or defense will reappear at sea.

Fortunately...

Zephyr glanced at the beast ears on Sett's head and thought, "At least, the Seastone can keep things somewhat in check..."

As for the Mink Tribe, Zephyr never even considered it. Not only were they a race from the New World, but more importantly, the Mink Tribe's faces weren't so smooth and clean...

58. Beach Volleyball

"You really don't plan to join the Navy?"

On the beach that night, the elite squad was having their dinner party. Among them, Zephyr's gaze was filled with complex emotions as he looked at Sett, who he knew was somewhat aloof.

In Zephyr's plan, the reason he brought Sett here was to let Sett experience the genuine camaraderie among the Marines. However, Sett seemed to have anticipated all of this. His arrogant personality, barbaric actions, and the deliberate killing of numerous wild beasts... at least two-thirds of the Marines felt repulsed by this non-commuter program.

Sure enough, while they were all laughing and singing naval songs nearby, when the scene shifted to Sett, only Zeff was with him.

Faced with this invisible isolation and rejection, Sett showed no sign of displeasure. Holding a beer—a reward for his progress in his training—he leaned back on the soft sand, gazing at the vast ocean as he sipped his beer.

“I don’t plan to,” Sett said. “I can tell from you that the Navy has no future.”

"Because of me?" Zeff was somewhat surprised, because Zeff's goal was to bring Sett into the Navy. But now it seemed that Sett didn't want to become a Navy member because of him?

Why is that?

Faced with Zephyr's doubts, Sett scoffed and said, "The General Who Doesn't Kill—I laugh just hearing that nickname. What's a villain? Trash, a desperado! A coward who fears power but not morality! What's the point of not killing them? Waste food?!"

“No, everyone has a chance to repent and correct their mistakes.” Zephyr explained in response to Sett’s disdain. “People have a kind side. You have to believe that they can change… At least, only if you believe that they can change will they believe in you.”

"Bullshit."

"There's really no other way."

Zephyr was somewhat helpless in the face of Sett's idea. The title of "Admiral Who Doesn't Kill" was indeed not a good one, and even within the Navy, there was considerable criticism of Zephyr's appeasement policy. However, considering that Zephyr had now stepped down to the sidelines to cultivate the Navy's future leaders, no one said much more. They simply waited for the next generation of Navy Admirals to change the prevailing atmosphere at sea.

Shaking his head, Zefa didn't want to dwell on the matter any longer. So he asked, "Sitting here all alone, haven't you ever felt lonely?"

"Lonely? Me?" Sett couldn't help but laugh; "You think I would feel lonely?"

"Isn't that right? You've never tried to fit in."

“Because we’re not on the same path.” Sett took a swig of beer, then realized he’d finished it, so he just tossed it onto the beach without bothering to clean it up.

"Wild beasts always roam alone, while cattle and sheep travel in herds."

"But lions also hunt in packs."

"You can't convince me," Sett said casually. "You'll find out, I'm completely incompatible with your navy. Of course, regarding the matter of Haki training, you can come to me with any questions you have in the future, no charge~"