Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

"Skullcrushers? Oh! I've heard of them, the ones on Antwerp Island, right?" Shanks came from the West Blue, and Beckman, as the first mate, also knew the West Blue well. Hearing Sett introduce himself, Beckman said with some surprise, "I heard you have a wife who's a branch manager in the Navy? That certainly has a promising future. I just wonder what the treatment is like with the Skullcrushers... their uniforms are a bit ugly though."

"What kind of lousy taste do you have?" Sett scoffed when someone questioned his fashion sense. "It looks so smart on me! I'd stand out in a crowd!"

“No, no, no,” Beckman quickly shook his head. “Your uniforms are just too intimidating. I’d be willing to consider it if I could change my clothes.”

Hehehe! What are you guys talking about?

Shanks, busy pressing down on his straw hat to prevent it from being blown away by the sea breeze, leaned over with a grin, completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation.

"Never mind." Sett shook his head, then stretched his arms; "I'm too lazy to play riddles with you guys... You should all have learned Haki, right? I could feel the fluctuations of your blood energy from a long distance."

"Ok?"

Upon hearing Sett's words, Shanks also became serious—although the West Blue was more chaotic and its overall strength greater than the other three seas, this did not mean that the concept of Haki could be overused.

In fact, even now, Haki has only spread to a small extent in the New World. Knowing the concept, yet daring to come looking for him… Recalling his own identity, Shanks' spirit instinctively rippled slightly.

These fluctuations are imperceptible to ordinary people. Unfortunately for them, Sett possesses a sense of smell far exceeding that of ordinary beasts, further enhanced by his Haki training. He accurately detected the moment Shanks tensed up.

The ears on its head twitched, and then a certain, wicked smile crept across its lips:

"My senses were a bit hazy at first, I wasn't sure... but now it definitely is you!" With a smile, Sett flashed a set of gleaming white teeth in the sunlight, his fists clenching into a cracking sound: "That was your aura just now, you damn redhead, wasn't it? Come on, give me a couple of punches, and I'll let bygones be bygones for bumping into someone!!"

Upon hearing this, Shanks realized he'd been tricked, and his face was filled with embarrassment. Beckman, standing to the side, rubbed his temples in exasperation.

Seeing Sett approaching, Shanks said somewhat helplessly, "Um... can we fight later? We're in a hurry to get going."

"Still thinking about traveling?" Sett sneered. "Why don't we just go to my place? My casino is pretty big; we can rest right after we're done!"

70. Exposing Strength

Upon hearing Sett's words, Shanks' face turned ashen.

"Hey, really? I heard Antuo Island is quite far from our flight path."

"Of course I don't have to go. In fact, I'd rather settle this here!" His knuckles cracked as he pressed them together. In the past year, aside from the occasional sparring session with Zephyr, Sett had spent most of his time training alone—there was no other way; the other Marines, including Smoker, were simply too weak. They were all cowardly and afraid of trouble, and some didn't even dare invite Sett to play volleyball.

It's impossible to forget the berserk, bloodthirsty nature cultivated over the past decade in just one year of self-cultivation. Moreover, Sett's motivation is less about self-cultivation and more about preparing for better combat—his intentions have remained unchanged from beginning to end!

The fiercest gang, the strongest fighters! The most profitable arena! The freest people!

Looking at Sett, who made no attempt to hide his thirst for battle, Shanks adjusted his hat and said with a hint of helplessness, "But I really can't fight... You must be mistaken. Look, my arm isn't even half as thick as yours."

Hearing Shanks' words, Sett raised an eyebrow. Indeed, judging from physique alone, Shanks wasn't even worthy of carrying Sett's shoes—the growth period for people in this world was much longer than Sett had imagined. Even at fifty years old, they might still be developing further.

In just one year, including the growth from Gathering Storm and the Undying Grip, Sett's height has increased from 2.3 meters to 2.5 meters. Putting aside everything else in his previous life, just that height, that wingspan, that muscle mass... he could easily defend three Durants single-handedly while dribbling a ball in the NBA.

In order to prevent his physique from becoming too bulky, Sett even made a special adjustment to his training method to ensure that his physique would remain at the current stage. Whether he would grow taller or not was another matter, but more importantly, it had seriously affected Sett's future happiness.

This is not shameful; at least, Sett never hides his desires.

In comparison, the redhead is only twenty-three years old now. His height is barely 1.8 meters. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he's a head shorter than Sett… 1.8 meters might have been considered tall in Sett's previous life. But in this world, let alone 1.8 meters, even 2.5 meters is rare. Sett has already seen more than a dozen people over three meters tall!

Aside from height, just as Shanks said, Shanks is far inferior to Sett in both muscle mass and wingspan. At first glance, apart from his striking red hair, Shanks looks no different from an ordinary young man wearing a straw hat and smiling foolishly.

"It seems so..."

Sett stroked his chin, then reached out and pinched Shanks' arm. He deliberately relaxed his muscles; to Sett, Shanks' arm felt as soft as marshmallow. Standing there with an innocent expression, anyone who didn't know better would think Sett was bullying him.

Seeing this, Sett shook his head in frustration: "Damn it, what a disappointment..."

As he spoke, Sett turned and left.

Seeing this, just as Shanks breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that he had finally gotten rid of Sett, who looked like a troublesome guy, Sett suddenly raised his arm. Instantly, blackness engulfed his palm, reflecting sharp light trails in the sunlight. Almost instantly, Shanks was certain that this was an extremely high level of Armament Haki.

Accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, a jet-black iron fist slammed towards Shanks. Not instinctively, Shanks swiftly raised his arm, his Armament Haki wrapping around Shanks before Shanks could react. But just as Shanks braced himself for the impact, the expected heavy blow did not arrive.

The ferocious, jet-black iron fist came to a halt just half an inch before Shanks' arms. Apart from a slight, uncontrolled gust of wind, Sett's attack did not touch Shanks' arms at all.

Seeing their captain taken aback, Beckman and the others' pupils constricted sharply—although Shanks was an unreliable captain, they trusted and relied on him from the bottom of their hearts! Almost without thinking, pistol after pistol was aimed at Sett's head.

Sett didn't care at all. On the contrary, his face was full of a wicked smile.

"Pirates who sail the seas have no muscles at all... You're kidding me!"

Sailing at sea, battered by wind and waves. As a pirate captain, his arms are as flexible as noodles… “I may be too lazy to think, but I’m not stupid!”

Upon hearing this, he looked at the jet-black Armament Haki that instantly wrapped around his arms, and the Superior Observation Haki that instantly realized the attack and deployed defense.

Shanks, looking dejected, said, "Do we really have to fight? We still have a long way to go!"

"This fight is a must! We have no choice but to fight!"

Hearing this, Beckman looked at the two men in front of him, put down his pistol, remained silent for a moment, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said with some helplessness, "How about... you guys fight first, and we leave?"

71. Head-on collision

Arriving on a deserted island, Beckman put Sett and Shanks down, then stood at the stern and waved to them; "Then we're off! Good luck, Captain, we'll be waiting for you in Loguetown!"

Watching the departing crew, Shanks' face was filled with despair. Meanwhile, Sett, standing nearby, rolled up his sleeves with great interest.

"Stop pretending, little redhead. I learned Haki from that old geezer Zephyr... Your level is definitely not something you can achieve through hasty training!"

"Zeff?" Shanks nodded after hearing Sett introduce himself and knowing that a fight was inevitable. "Haven't seen him for a while... I didn't expect that Admiral Zeff is still training the Marines. The last time I saw him was in the New World."

As a member of the Pirate King's crew, Shanks knows far more than Sett, and even more than 99.9% of the people on the sea. Having once sailed the seas alongside the Pirate King Roger, Shanks is very familiar with admirals like Zephyr who are about to retire.

"Heh heh, I heard something incredible." Upon hearing the words "New World," and hearing the familiarity with Zeff in the voice, Sett narrowed his eyes.

With his arms stained black, Shanks asked before the battle officially began, "Speaking of which... if you studied under Zephyr, are you a Marine?"

“No,” Sett said, “If I’m going to be someone, I’ll be the boss! I have no interest in being anyone else’s dog!”

"Not a Marine... That's quite rare." Shanks' eyes showed a hint of surprise upon hearing that Sett, who was trained by Zephyr, wasn't a Marine. But before Shanks could say anything more, Sett's body had already transformed into a blur as he charged towards Shanks.

"So fast!"

Although Shanks anticipated that Sett's attacks would be far from easy for an ordinary person to handle, his eyes still widened the moment Sett launched his fierce attack.

His jet-black arms were wreathed in crimson blades. Wherever they passed, the air crackled with a fierce friction and cutting sound. Barely dodging, a strand of red hair was instantly blasted to dust by the force of the wind. And immediately after, before Shanks could even catch his breath, another golden strike, like a thunderbolt, appeared in his senses.

Instinctively, Shanks instantly abandoned his counterattack and continued to defend. And just as Shanks expected, the moment his arm was raised, the iron fist struck him squarely, the shockwave from the force of the blow leaving Shanks feeling a numbness in both arms.

With his mind calmed, Shanks completely let go of his contempt—or rather, Shanks's nature was rather carefree and unconventional. A twenty-three-year-old young man, he naturally possessed his own distinct personality. Having been trained by the Pirate King, he had previously ventured into dangerous places like the New World. Now, having arrived in the West Blue, it was inevitable that he would feel somewhat relaxed.

Now, sensing Sett's threat, Shanks' eyes turned serious.

With his Observation Haki fully unleashed, the surrounding terrain and space instantly appeared in Shanks' mind like a three-dimensional model. The wind rustled the leaves, and the wings of birds created ripples.

Activating Armament Haki, Sett threw another punch with lightning speed. But this time, before Sett could even touch Shanks' body, Shanks delivered a powerful elbow strike from a distance, landing squarely on Sett's fist.

Although a collision occurred, there was no sense of impact on flesh and blood—it was an external manifestation of Armament Haki! And it was an extremely high-level manifestation of Armament Haki!!!

Transforming Armament Haki into a tangible barrier for attack and defense allows one to weaken the force of an opponent's attack even when the strength is similar! And now, it's not just about weakening the force, but about directly negating the impact!

Even in Sett's experience, Shanks' strength was comparable to Zeff's—of course, it's also possible that Zeff wasn't using his full power.

But that didn't matter! The continuous attacks stalled, and seizing this opportunity, Shanks clenched his fists, his arms now stained with ink. And just as Shanks was about to counterattack—

Sensing the Armament Haki barrier blocking his fist, Sett's iron fist paused slightly, but then, his teeth clenched and his muscles bulged. For a fleeting moment, a chilling glint even flashed in Sett's eyes—Armament Haki of Mighty Will, penetrating power!

Just as Sett's iron fist was about to exhaust itself, locked in a stalemate with Shanks' Armament Haki barrier in mid-air, it suddenly, to Shanks' astonishment, unleashed a new power in a way that defied all logic. It was a surge of powerful Armament Haki! Golden light swirled around it, and a violent burst of energy coursed through Sett's thick muscle fibers, coursing through every inch of his arm. His bulging veins seemed to be churning with molten lava.

"Die!!"

Abandoning defense, the combined power of Armament Haki and Penetrating Force erupted simultaneously. The incredibly sturdy Armament Haki barrier was shattered, and before Shanks could react, it struck him squarely in the ribs!

Boom!

The powerful body was blasted halfway off the island, and the dense forest of the deserted island was smashed open, leaving a path full of broken wood! The dust and smoke that rose up, along with the strong wind, surged into the sky, and could be clearly seen even by the people on the Red Fox, which had already sailed two nautical miles away.

Just as Beckman and the others frowned and worried about their captain.

Shanks rose from the dust, brushing the blood from his blade. Feeling the stinging pain from the impact of the force on his ribs, a hint of seriousness appeared in his eyes: "This really is... something we can't afford to be careless about."

Looking at the deep, bone-revealing gash on his fist, and then at Shanks' elegant longsword, stained black with Haki, Sett's smile remained unchanged—pain overwhelmed him, but his spirits soared! An adrenaline rush far exceeded what most people could handle, and his violent impulses, stimulated by the smell of blood, surged even more wildly!

72. Deliberately unleashed a powerful punch

"Nice knife! But it's not over yet!!!"

Adrenaline surged, and Sett's eyes gleamed with a golden gleam of power. His red hair billowed like flames in the swirling wind, subtly punctuated by streaks of gold. His movements were as swift and agile as a bolt of lightning!

A penetrating force! Infused with heroic Armament Haki, a single punch unleashed a surging gust of wind like a hurricane. The wild jungle on the deserted island was visibly ravaged into ruins!

Holding a long sword, Griffin's red-haired eyes were also filled with solemnity.

That last move gave Sett the advantage of not having much time to react—the punch that shattered the Armament Haki landed right on Griffin's sword. Although it was only a brief obstruction, it gave Shanks a moment to counterattack, allowing the force to flow down the blade and into the ground behind him.

Even under such circumstances, the explosive Armament Haki still severely damaged Shanks' internal organs!

Feeling the stinging pain, Shanks' gaze turned grave. More than anything else, what shocked Shanks most was the golden Armament Haki on Sett's body—without a doubt, this guy named Sett was inferior to him in Armament Haki training. He hadn't even fully mastered the Armament Haki binding technique.

But even under these circumstances, despite having mastered the external application of Armament Haki, he found himself at a disadvantage in the fight.

While it's true that Shanks didn't draw his sword immediately, so what? A true strongman never makes excuses for his failures!

In the fierce clash, Sett's attack frequency far exceeded ordinary people's imagination. Wherever he passed, he was like a moving humanoid catastrophe. His robust body was like a bulldozer. In the blink of an eye, two massive arms suddenly shot out from the giant tree behind Shanks. Through the flying wood shards like blades, a pair of blood-soaked golden arms emerged from behind Shanks and then abruptly closed together.

Like the claws of a giant crab, its hard arms scraped through the air with a violent screech. The fierce embrace, the bulging muscles of its arms, felt as sharp as a guillotine!

The massive tree, which would take three people to encircle, snapped in half. Relying on his extraordinary Observation Haki, Shanks managed to break free just before his arms could close. However, as a price, he ended up with a bruised and bleeding wound on his arm.

However, such injuries are nothing compared to the rough treatment pirates endured by the wind and waves. Holding his sword in one hand, Shanks unleashed a powerful, Haki-infused slash from a distance before Sett could even pursue him.

"A vulture!!"

The elegant longsword sliced ​​through the air, its sharp blade leaving a sound in the space that resembled the cry of an eagle.

Shanks' counterattack was completely unexpected; his old strength had just been exhausted, and new strength had not yet been generated. A massive wound was left directly on Sett's chest and abdomen!

Even under these circumstances, Sett showed no sign of backing down, as Shanks observed. On the contrary, accompanied by intense pain, Sett's aura became even more terrifying. As if completely devoid of pain and fear, his ferocious fighting spirit surged like a raging torrent in the Dead Sea.

And more importantly, Sett's chest scar stopped bleeding and began to heal almost the instant he was injured!

Despite being the one injured in the fight, Sett seemed completely unaffected!

"Awakening of a Zoan-type Devil Fruit?!" Shanks could only think of this—and only this could explain where the vigorous life force came from. But another question also troubled Shanks: Sett bumped into the pirate ship while swimming!

Devil Fruit users cannot touch seawater! And while the Mink Tribe of the New World are physically powerful, they are still far inferior to Sett in his current state! Shanks knows this having witnessed the Mink Tribe's abilities firsthand!

As Shanks was still pondering, Sett leaned back. All the pent-up power surged into his veins. As it rose, a golden storm began to spread outwards from Sett. Thick trees radiated outwards. Grass, clouds, birds—the raging power surged wildly, like a river bursting its banks, coursing through Sett's veins. For a moment, even sound seemed to cease; centered on Sett, the world seemed to freeze.