Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

This illusion, perhaps less than a fraction of a second, felt incredibly long. The instant Shanks realized what was happening, a surge of power accompanied him as a violent backdraft of air enveloped him. Being in it felt like sinking into mud! Any step that would normally be effortless now required dozens of times the effort to complete!

In that moment when even extricating himself was incredibly difficult, Sett's upper body, which was leaning back, made a new movement—

A deliberate, deliberate punch!!!

Extreme compression! The blazing white beam of light cleaved the entire deserted island and the sea at the horizon in almost an instant!

73. Pursuit

The immense power compressed to its limit transformed into a scorching white beam of light that pierced the entire island. The intense friction with the air caused the area it passed through to become scorching hot. The once shimmering sea surface instantly boiled violently upon contact. The seawater evaporated into steam, and even after the light dissipated, the residual heat still created trenches on the sea surface for half a second!

Meanwhile, Shanks' face was covered in cold sweat. The sense of crisis reflected by his Observation Haki washed over him like waves—but at this point, what use was Observation Haki? Anyone with eyes could not ignore this beam of light that could instantly evaporate seawater!

One hand gripped the hilt, the other braced against the blade. Caught in the surging torrent of heroic energy, Shanks swayed like a small boat in a storm. His short-sleeved shirt was torn to shreds by the force of the energy the moment it touched him. Then, as if remembering something, Shanks' gaze sharpened, and he deflected the blade, creating an acute angle between himself and the onrushing torrent of heroic energy.

Overwhelmed with pride, Shanks could feel that even with the protection of Armament Haki, his internal organs were still trembling and constantly producing new wounds.

But there was no time to worry about that now. Taking a deep breath, Shanks deliberately created an opening. Then, as if struck head-on by a heavy hammer, he was sent flying backward like a cannonball!

As Shanks was sent flying backward, before Sett could adjust the angle of his attack, an indescribable aura erupted from Shanks—Conqueror's Haki!!

Although he knew about it, he had never actually experienced it. Sett didn't even know that Shanks had unleashed Conqueror's Haki. He only felt as if his brain had been hit by a heavy hammer while he was being bombarded with Conqueror's Haki.

In the instant that Sett's brain was momentarily stunned by the Conqueror's Haki, Shanks seized the opportunity to unleash a series of bizarre aerial explosions. With a flurry of footsteps, the acceleration from Shave and Moonwalk further amplified Shanks's backward flight!

In the past, given Shanks' carefree nature, he would have likely jokingly shouted, "This is my escape route!" But now, Shanks felt pain in his internal organs. The moment he opened his mouth, a string of bloody froth gushed from his throat, filling his lungs with stagnant blood!

When did such a freak appear in the West Sea?!

His body ached all over, and his bones and muscles were injured. Using his remaining strength, Shanks ran all the way to the Red Voss, which was positioned two nautical miles away and ready to provide backup.

He already knew Shanks wanted to find an opportunity to leave Sett stranded on the island, but upon seeing Shanks in his current state, even Beckman, with his composed nature, couldn't help but frown and ask, "What happened?! What was that pillar of light just now? We all felt it here!"

As he said this, Beckman's eyes were filled with solemnity—even now, the sea around the Redford was still rising and churning due to the aftershocks of the deliberate punch.

Before he could even speak, Shanks coughed up blood, his face contorted with madness and agitation: "Never mind that! First of all, before he recovers, stay away from that lunatic!"

His Observation Haki told him that this matter was not over so easily!

Just as Shanks had predicted, the deliberate punch pierced the sea, leaving little of his former bravado. The raging power continued to increase, and even though the deliberate punch was a technique ingrained in Sett's muscles, this near-reckless compression had already caused a backlash—his muscular right arm, used for the punch, ruptured its muscles the instant his bravado surged, blood gushing out. His skin was even burned away in the instant of friction.

His bones were shattered, and the white tendons made of muscle and connective tissue, oozing bright red blood, were directly exposed to the air. If the blood were removed, his robust physique would be a perfect anatomical model. A breeze swept by, bringing with it a wave of excruciating pain that would make most people faint. But Sett paid no heed. His muscles writhed, constantly recovering, while his burgeoning fighting spirit caused him to gasp for breath.

Raising his head, his golden eyes scanned the surroundings, but he couldn't find the red-haired figure. It wasn't until he sensed something that Sett, guided by his battle instincts, or perhaps his Observation Haki, turned his gaze towards the Red Voss, which had already sailed an unknown distance across the sea.

Trying to run? Impossible!!!

Having spotted the trail, Sett didn't hesitate for a moment. With a teeth-grinding creak and intense pain, his muscular physique instantly tensed, forcing his bones back into place. The muscles in his legs bulged dramatically, appearing as hard as steel bars on a construction site!

Then, three nautical miles away, Shanks, who was recuperating in the infirmary under the care of the ship's doctor, noticed the movement on the sea behind him. He turned and looked out the window—

"Holy crap!! He's catching up!!!"

74. Escape Route

On the azure sea, winds and clouds surged, and amidst the white waves, a red-haired figure, shimmering with golden battle aura, tumbled about.

"Holy crap!!! He's caught up!!"

Shanks kicked open the door and ran out, his arm still bandaged. His face was filled with despair and helplessness. Beckman, who was busy with other things, was also surprised to hear Shanks' words and his mouth dropped open.

"Really? Didn't you say he was seriously injured too?"

"It's really serious!!" Shanks said weakly, while on the other side, as the distance drew closer, the sound of the surging seawater also attracted the attention of the others on the Red Fox ship.

"You damn redhead! You can't get away!!!"

Sett's furious voice came from behind—Shanks had never intended to fight Sett in the first place, and upon hearing these words, he became even more agitated; "Quickly, find a way to get away from this guy!!"

"Okay, okay, I'll think about it some more... but what do you suggest we do?!"

Upon hearing Beckman's words, Shanks glanced around, then without a word, picked up a beer barrel and threw it at Sett.

With a thud, Sett was drenched in amber-colored beer. Seeing this, Sett became even more agitated, and his swimming speed increased dramatically.

"Don't just stand there! Throw it!" Shanks hoisted a nearby log and started hurling it at Sett, who was positioned at the stern of the ship. "Throw away everything you don't need! Oh, and that old tin cannon in the warehouse too! It'll lighten the load!"

As they spoke, all the crew members of the Red Fosse busied themselves throwing extra items at Sett. Plates, bowls, chopsticks, cabinets, wooden stakes, benches, even the anchor clattered down on Sett with a series of clanging sounds. But these things barely made a dent in Sett's muscular physique. On the contrary, this playful beating only fueled Sett's inner rage.

Although Sett's speed didn't decrease, the Red Fox's speed gradually increased as its weight decreased. However, it wasn't long before the Red-Haired Pirates discovered a new problem—

"Nothing's missing!!"

Hearing Beckman's words, Red Hair asked with some skepticism, "How come nothing's missing? Aren't there lots of odds and ends on the ship?"

"That's all!" Beckman complained helplessly; "Yespas had already pulled the toilet down and thrown it over there..."

"How were the results?"

"Missed it."

"hateful!"

Shanks hammered the splint with a heavy heart—if it hit, he might be able to transfer Sett's hatred onto Yasopp!

As their conversation grew increasingly heated, and with his arm wound gradually healing, Sett's speed increased. The distance between them and the ship began to shrink.

Seeing the ferocious fighting spirit and savage grin on Sett's face, Shanks couldn't help but grab Beckman by the neck and shake him back and forth; "Give me some use, Beckman!!"

At first, Beckman was deep in thought, but after a moment of contemplation, he suddenly fell silent as if he had figured something out.

"Speaking of which..."

As Beckman's voice rang out, everyone turned their hopeful gaze toward that tall figure.

In response, Beckman calmly said, "Speaking of which... Sett's target seems to be just the captain, right?"

"..."

A moment of silence fell over the entire splint. After a while, Yasopp nodded matter-of-factly; "It seems... to be like that?"

Upon hearing this, Lucky Lu, a portly man dressed in green stripes and holding a large piece of roasted meat, nodded in agreement: "In that case... that means we just need to throw the captain away... and then..."

Sensing the increasingly dangerous gazes from the crowd, Shanks's impulsive mind instantly returned to normal and began to think rapidly. Almost immediately, Shanks slapped his thigh; "I've got it!"

"What's the solution?" Beckman asked, rolling up his sleeves. "If we don't have a solution, then we'll just have to let the captain roam free for a while...maybe we can even get a free vacation to Antuo Island."

Although Sett had the will to fight, he didn't intend to kill. He was simply belligerent—betraying a teammate was a good pastime when there was no real danger.

Moreover, Sett is a local bigwig on Antuo Island, so maybe they can take the opportunity to see what the biggest casino in the West Blue is like.

Especially Yasopp, who had always lived in a small mountain village and had never been to a casino since he first went to sea with Shanks. And now, he's already cleaning his gun barrel and preparing to load it!

"The Calm Belt!" Shanks said, his eyes gleaming. "Let's go into the Calm Belt first! Then we'll circle around and come out!"

“Wait a minute…” Beckman said with a hint of helplessness, “Sea Kings in the Calm Belt…”

"We'll just go in briefly and then come right back out!" Shanks said. "I have Conqueror's Haki, which will ensure our voyage isn't affected for a while! Once Sett gets entangled with the Sea Kings, we'll just run out!"

From a distance, a small sailboat watched this scene unfold.

75. Escape from Death

With the plan finalized, Shanks and the others steered to the left without hesitation.

Being close to the edge of the Western Sea, the ship's speed slowed down drastically after entering the Calm Belt. However, Shanks, a powerful figure who had returned from the New World, had already modified the Redford.

Although the duration was short, the Red Fosse was still able to sail for a period of time thanks to its internal steam power.

They had already created some distance, and although the sea was closing in, Sett could sense the enormous sea monsters that seemed to be everywhere in the waters ahead—

Just as Sett was about to continue the pursuit, suddenly, as if remembering something, he slapped his forehead. Then he clasped his hands together. A blue halo rose from the ocean within a twenty-meter radius of Sett.

On the other side, Shanks couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as he watched the waves dissipate.

"Phew~ That's good! Looks like this guy knows the Calm Belt is dangerous and has given up the chase!"

Upon hearing Shanks' words, Beckman, standing to the side, nodded with lingering fear.

"Speaking of which, when did such a monster appear in the West Sea? I heard his wife is a branch manager in the Navy? If he's in the Navy, then the West Sea probably won't be in chaos anymore."

"Huh? Is the branch manager his wife?" Yasopp scratched his head; 'I heard she's his sister?'

“Really?” Raki Lu said, gnawing on a large bone; “I heard his wife is his sister…”

"..." After a moment of silence, the impulsive Shanks widened his eyes in surprise; "There really is someone who likes this guy?!"

With the crisis averted, everyone began chatting and laughing again. But just as they were still laughing and rowing, Shanks suddenly felt a sense of impending danger, triggered by his Observation Haki.

Just as Shanks frowned, Yasopp, a sniper with excellent vision, pointed to the water about a hundred meters ahead, as if he had spotted something.

"Isn't the color of the sea over there a little off?"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze. Although they didn't possess the exceptional visual abilities of Yasopp as a sniper, everyone on the ship was a formidable individual. Concentrating their attention and carefully discerning the details, they quickly noticed that the seawater Yasopp was pointing to was a different color from the rest of the area.

"It seems... the color is a little darker?"

Beckman hesitated, stroking his slightly stubbled chin. Just as Beckman was pondering this, Shanks, as if sensing something, instantly became excited; "Holy crap! He's got a cheat code!!!"

"Hard to starboard! Run!!!"

The moment the sound faded, Sett's body leaped out of the water like a white shark—no, rather than leaping out, it looked more like a javelin shot straight out!

His amber eyes, brimming with an air of arrogance, seemed to gleam with a hint of gold. His robust body, carrying a giant sea monster nearly fifty meters long, soared into the sky.

"Screech!!!" Sett's furious voice instantly echoed throughout the entire sea. His bulging muscles resembled those of a charging bull. Carrying the giant sea king, Sett hurtled towards the relatively insignificant Red Fox like a meteorite!

His hair, dyed a fiery golden color by the newfound exuberance, fell amidst a howling storm—

Takizawa Laura!!!

Using a zigzag path to reach the seabed, Shanks pinpointed the location of the Red Falcon and activated the Awesome Strike ability. Faced with Sett's sudden leap of nearly five nautical miles and the overwhelming, catastrophic attack that seemed like a meteor shower, Shanks had nothing more to say—

"Don't come any closer!!!"

As Shanks watched Sett approach him, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips amidst his tension—not out of sarcasm, but out of an instinct for adventure.

Sett wasn't the only one who could grow through battle. The moment Sett slammed into the Red Fox, his mind was highly focused, and his Conqueror's Haki, which normally only radiated outwards, was transformed into a sharp javelin under the influence of its potential.

Being in a high-speed movement, the shockwave of Conqueror's Haki was even more intense than before. It evolved during the battle. If it were the uncontrolled, radiating Conqueror's Haki of before, Sett was confident he could halve the time he was momentarily stunned by the shockwave of Conqueror's Haki that had surpassed his own power, the shockwave from Shanks' evolved form. Sett was frozen in mid-air for a full half-second!

Under normal circumstances, half a second might not seem like much. But Sett is currently moving at high speed! It's like scrolling through TikTok while driving a sports car at 200 kilometers per hour; even a moment's lapse in attention could have serious consequences!