Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

"A strike boat?"

Upon hearing this unfamiliar term, Vincent's face showed a hint of confusion. Although he was knowledgeable, Vincent's expertise lay primarily in medicine. He knew little about naval equipment. However, Vincent's curiosity was only slight, and he quickly inquired, "A speed of sixty knots... Could you please help us? The island's supplies are running low... Without enough blood, I, as a doctor, can't even prolong a patient's life..."

As he spoke, a hint of sorrow appeared in Vincent's eyes.

Hawkeye shook his head and said, "Instead of that, explain why the World Government is lying. If lead poisoning isn't contagious, why are they sealing off this place?"

"Pyrite disease is caused by pyrite."

Hearing Hawkeye's question, Vincent said, "I've investigated, and this disease is not contagious at all. The first to be infected with lead poisoning were the miners. Without proper protection, those miners were the first to be infected with lead poisoning. The reason why lead poisoning has appeared on such a large scale in Frevans is not only because Frevans has abundant lead mineral resources, but also because lead minerals are infectious."

"As you can see, Flevance wasn't always this white town. It was only after people discovered the lead ore and started mining it that it became what it is today."

“Refined amber ore has no effect on people… but the royal family of Flevans was too eager for quick success!” Vincent said angrily. “In order to attract people to Flevans for tourism, they used crudely processed amber ore extensively throughout the country. Over the years, the toxicity has accumulated, and now Flevans is full of deadly poisons!”

Upon hearing Vincent's words, Sett nodded thoughtfully.

“No wonder,” Sett said casually. “So, do you sell anything here?”

"...No, not only medicine, but also food and other nutritional supplements are almost gone..." Vincent said wearily. "If you need supplies, you can check the black market, but the prices are very high, and those gang members may not keep their word."

"That's great!" Sett chuckled, a hint of excitement in his eyes. "What I love most is when someone comes looking for me to double-cross me!"

"..." Upon hearing this, Vincent opened his mouth in a daze, and then said helplessly, "Although we are just strangers meeting by chance, sir, you'd better be careful, because now there are many guys from other seas coming to Frevans to try and make a quick buck."

103. The Don Quixote Family

When a country descends into chaos, not only the surface of the country but also the shadows beneath it will be plunged into turmoil.

Just like now, in his luxurious villa, Doflamingo's face was filled with that sickly smile—though he was smiling, his forehead was covered with dense, blue veins. Not yet sporting his flamingo-like fluffy plumage, Doflamingo was currently only wearing a black, fitted suit.

It seems that everyone in the underworld likes to wear a full suit of youthful attire; otherwise, they're considered unprofessional.

Although he appeared to be smiling, his tone and everything else betrayed that Doflamingo was more excited than thrilled.

"Don Quixote's empire... has begun!"

"Young Master is saying things that are incomprehensible again~"

Upon hearing Doflamingo's words, Trebol, who was limp and squirming like a slug, chuckled and asked, "Young Master, Flevans is in such a chaotic state right now, what are we doing here?"

"Money." Doflamingo's face still wore a wicked smile. Even when faced with Trebol's question, he showed no sign of anger—among the most senior members of the Donquixote Family, besides Rosinante, Doflamingo's biological brother, there was Trebol, who ate the Sticky Stick Fruit; Pica, who ate the Stone Stone Fruit; Diamante, who ate the Fluttering Flying Fruit; and Vergo, who specialized in physical combat.

Doflamingo's Devil Fruit is the String-String Fruit. Prior to this, Trebol had voluntarily offered the String-String Fruit to Doflamingo. Therefore, for Doflamingo, Trebol and the others had long transcended their status as ordinary subordinates, and were considered family.

Not only Torrepol was puzzled, but the others also wore the same expression. Pica and Vergo were not talkative, so Diamanti, dressed like a native, took the initiative to ask:

“Money? Are you kidding me, Dover?” Diamanti frowned in confusion. “This country is in such a mess, how can it possibly have money? Those lead ore used to be useful, but now they’re worthless.”

Flevans, as an island nation, lacks beautiful scenery, famous mountains and rivers, and even more so, any renowned powerful figures. Before this, its most valuable asset was amber lead ore... but with the emergence of amber lead disease, even amber lead ore has become worthless.

It's even said that because of the rumor circulating at sea that "amber lead disease is caused by amber lead ore," people now wouldn't even accept it for free. Merchants who used to beg Fryvanes for more supplies are now running as far away as possible. They'll even add a final curse: "You've ruined the reputation of our shops!"

"They have tons of money!" Doflamingo said with a hint of malice. "Back in the Red Line, I heard that a plate of lead ore costs 150,000 Berries!"

Upon hearing Doflamingo's words, the pupils of those around him contracted slightly. 150,000 Berries for a plate—it sounded outrageous, and they would never have believed it coming from anyone else. But Doflamingo was different. He had once been a member of the Celestial Dragons, but later left the Holy Land of Mary Geoise for various reasons, and thus formed his own family.

When it comes to the decadent lifestyle of the Celestial Dragons, Doflamingo is definitely one of the most authoritative figures on this sea.

"Everything supplied to Mary Geoise must be of the highest quality. The Celestial Dragons love buying these flashy but expensive things! 150,000, 200,000, 1 million!!" Doflamingo said. "And where did all this wealth go? It all ended up in this country! Or rather, in the country's royalty. The Minister of Finance, the Minister of the Army, the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Foreign Affairs..."

"All the ministers are of royal blood, and the so-called national treasury is nothing but their private coffers. Rather than letting these incompetent people rot the money in their hands, it's better to simply hand it over to me!"

Wearing sunglasses, Doflamingo's eyes gleamed with a ferocious ambition; "At least, in my hands, this money is much more useful!"

Upon hearing Doflamingo's words, Trebol and the others exchanged glances and then nodded in agreement.

Diamanti, standing nearby, exclaimed, "What about those Marines and CP9 brats outside? What if they try to stop us..."

“Ignore them,” Doflamingo said. “The World Government won’t dare do anything to me, and there are some among them who dislike the Flevans royal family. As long as we give them some of the wealth, they will help us.”

"Where are the Celestial Dragons?" Diamante asked疑惑地; "Don't the Celestial Dragons really like things made of pyrite?"

"That was before." Doflamingo wasn't annoyed by the barrage of questions; he was always forgiving of his close "family." Sitting there, he calmly answered the questions as always: "Back then, they were already bored with playing with the amber-lead artifacts, and after the amber-lead disease broke out, they were all furious, believing the Flevans royal family wanted to kill them… Now, they're actively helping us blockade Flevans!!!"

Upon hearing Doflamingo's words, the others exchanged glances and then nodded in agreement. Trebol, in particular, couldn't help but exclaim, "As expected of the young master! He can so easily make a country his own, toying with it at will!"

"It's just because of my identity." Doflamingo wasn't very excited; instead, he said nonchalantly, "The Celestial Dragons aren't all short-sighted and useless. Even if I leave Mary Geoise, my blood is still an indispensable part of me. The Navy doesn't dare to attack me... Similarly, they don't dare to ignore me."

He paused, a hint of annoyance creeping onto Doflamingo's face; "If it weren't for those two bounty hunters, we'd be Shichibukai in no time! Damn it!!"

His unique identity also grants him access to information channels independent of ordinary pirates. Doflamingo is one of the few members of the World Government outside of its official structure who knew about the Seven Warlords system long ago.

Doflamingo's most frequent activity was plundering the "Celestial Tribute" offered to the Celestial Dragons. However, due to the power structure of this world, the Celestial Dragons' status ineligible the Navy to attack Doflamingo. Therefore, some World Government officials, frustrated by the Celestial Tribute situation, considered making Doflamingo a Shichibukai (one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea).

Now, because of some of Sett's comments, all these plans have been put on hold!

After a moment of silence, Pica opened his mouth, and unlike his burly and sturdy body, his voice was extremely high-pitched and thin, like that of a eunuch: "About those two bounty hunters... it seems they've also come to the North Sea!"

104. Sky-high price

"They... those two bounty hunters, it seems they've already arrived in the North Sea."

Upon hearing Capone's high-pitched, eunuch-like voice, Doflamingo and the others fell into a brief silence. Afterward, Doflamingo raised an eyebrow in confusion; "What are they doing in the North Blue? If I remember correctly, that guy named Sett is from Antwerp Island in the West Blue."

Because the Shichibukai plan was shelved, Doflamingo paid special attention to information about Sett. They were far apart, and Sett had no family or relatives in the North Blue. Why, instead of going back to develop his own power, was he doing in the unfamiliar North Blue?

Although Doflamingo's words are ruthless, he is still in the development stage, and conflict with a major power in another sea area is not the best option for the Donquixote Family.

"I don't know... but I heard it's to hunt down some pirate." Pica was a member of the Donquixote Family's special forces and was familiar with all the threatening forces at sea. Even so, Pica couldn't be sure what Sett's true motives were.

After all, abandoning their own assets in the West Blue just to hunt down a pirate seems rather strange no matter how you look at it...

After a brief moment of thought, Doflamingo asked with a somewhat grave expression, "How many people did they bring?"

“…two,” Pica replied. “Only those two bounty hunters.”

Upon hearing this, after a brief moment of astonishment, Doflamingo suddenly burst into laughter; "Hmph... Hahaha, hahahahaha!!!!"

Veins bulged on his forehead, and with a ferocious grin, Doflamingo said menacingly, "Only two people? He really thinks highly of us!!"

Not only Doflamingo, but Trebol, standing beside him, also nodded in agreement, saying with a hint of sarcasm, "I've long heard that the West Blue is isolated, but now it seems he's even heard of the Donquixote Family of the North Blue!!"

"Then let's teach him a lesson!!" Doflamingo leaned back on the sofa, his eyes behind his glasses fixed on the ornately decorated ceiling. "Perfect timing. Quite a few people in the World Government also dislike this guy. After the Flevans affair is over, we can consolidate his influence in the West Blue. When we reach the Grand Line, we'll be even more confident!"

"Of course, the most important thing is to squeeze every last drop of profit out of the Flevans royal family."

"Yes, young master!"

While the Donquixote Family was still discussing how to deal with Sett and the Flevans royal family, Sett and Hawkeye had already arrived at the Flevans black market under the guidance of Dr. Vincent.

Unlike other parts of Frivans, the Black Market Street was extremely noisy. Its address was a dimly lit, winding alleyway, impossible to find without directions. Chaotic and crowded, it felt like Diagon Alley from Harry Potter.

If there's any difference, it's that the wizards in Diagon Alley don't have to worry about food. In contrast, the black market streets of Flevans are filled with sickly pedestrians.

Still wearing his protective suit, he noticed Hawkeye's noticeably thinner figure compared to Sett, and a gaunt-looking old man approached him. A fawning smile graced his wrinkled face: "Guest? Want to buy some blood? I haven't contracted lead poisoning yet, and I have type O blood! Three hundred milliliters for only twenty... no, one hundred and fifty thousand Berries!!"

"..."

Hawkeye glanced at the old man, shook his head without a word, and then turned and left. Seeing this, the old man assumed Hawkeye thought the price was too high and followed behind him, saying, "Not even 150,000? Sir, this is already very cheap! The normal price is over 300,000. It's only cheaper because I'm a bit old, but the effect is the same! Whether it's your family or your friends, as long as they have type O blood, it can alleviate this condition!"

He kept talking, then said with a hint of disgust, "I'm not sick, stay away from me."

Upon hearing Hawkeye's words, the old man paused slightly, then muttered something incomprehensible in dialect with a hint of disdain before turning and heading towards the entrance of the black market street to wait for the next customer.

It wasn't just the old man; both sides of the black market street were teeming with idle thugs. Like the old man, they also carried rudimentary blood-drawing tools in their pockets. Judging from the wear and tear, the needles and other implements were probably not being used for the first time.

They had been looking at Hawkeye with great enthusiasm, but after hearing that Hawkeye wasn't sick, they all immediately looked away and searched for their next prey.

Although expensive, it has to be said that sales are quite good. The walk was only a hundred or two meters. In less than the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, Sett and Hawkeye saw five or six thugs make a deal, following the patient into a small dark room or simply into an alley to draw and sell blood.

"Tch, no wonder Vincent's hospital is short on blood." Sett said nonchalantly, "Donating 300 milliliters of blood to their hospital gets you absolutely nothing in return, and they might even beg you to take more. Then you just resell it on the black market for 300,000 Berries... It's such a lucrative business, I bet their hospital nurses are helping them steal from the blood bank's reserves!"

Upon hearing Sett's words, Hawkeye glanced at the hospital icon on the blood bag in the thug's hand, then nodded silently.

There was little fluctuation in his tone, his words filled with indifference: "The social order of this country has collapsed, and it seems that it won't be long before this country is completely destroyed."

It wasn't just about selling blood; it also sold other food and medical supplies. But none of these were the most valuable thing. The most valuable thing was a well-dressed man.

Opening the shop door, the man held up two fingers: "Two million Berries! Two million Berries per person! We'll provide a ferry and fresh water, and in the name of the Don Quixote family, we guarantee you'll escape Flevans!!"

"Me! Me!!"

Upon hearing the man's words, the surrounding crowd went wild. Two million Berries was a fortune that many people in this world could only accumulate in a lifetime. However, thanks to the smuggling of lead ore, the average income in Flevans far exceeded that of other countries. Although it was still expensive, they couldn't care less about that now, in order to survive... They even ignored the naval blockade outside.

What if they manage to escape?!

Hawkeye shook his head and then walked over.

Sett and Hawkeye don't need a ferry, they just need enough fresh water.

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It should be released on the 27th... I'll keep writing and praising the manuscript in the meantime, and then upload all the backlog at once. Then I'll do an extra burst of updates.

105. Finding trouble

"Do you need anything, guests? Whether it's ferries or passports for entering other countries, we sell them here!"

The well-dressed man grinned at Sett, seemingly trying to project an image of warmth and harmlessness. Sett, however, remained indifferent. Hawkeye, glancing around, casually remarked, "No need for a ship or passports... we just need fresh water and enough sealed oak barrels."

Upon hearing Hawkeye's words, the man beside him narrowed his eyes and silently murmured a pity.

Judging from their appearances, neither Sett nor Hawkeye were ordinary individuals—Sett, needless to say, exuded an overwhelming aura of savagery, like that of a wild beast. And Mihawk, clad in his isolation suit, possessed eyes so sharp they seemed capable of piercing one's very soul.

“Fresh water is available, of course!” the man said, “but it’s not cheap. You know, everyone on the island wants to get out! Food and water are both essential resources!”

"How much."

Hawkeye simply stared silently at the man before him. After a moment of silence, seemingly realizing that Hawkeye wasn't an easily swayed housewife, he decisively stated, "One hundred thousand Berries for each oak barrel, three hundred thousand Berries for each barrel of water!"

"Why don't you just rob us?!" Hearing the man's words, Sett, who hadn't spoken until now, walked over with a vicious grin. "Damn it, when we first came in, that old man was selling 300 milliliters of blood for only 150,000 Berries, how come here a bucket of water costs 400,000? I don't remember water ever being more expensive than human blood!!"

“You can’t say that, sir!” The man wasn’t angry at Seti’s words. Instead, he said, “The destruction of Flevans is inevitable. What use is blood? In the end, it will only prolong the time before death. But we are different. With the supplies provided by our Don Quixote family, escaping from here means we can live freely!”

"Outside, blood, water, and boats are all incredibly cheap! But here... what can we do? We're the only ones who have them."

Upon hearing the man's words, before Sett could say anything, some people in line who wanted to buy the qualification were the first to protest. Waving their arms and looking at Sett with crazed eyes, they shouted, "Bastard! If you don't have money, go home and wait to die! We have plenty of money! Don't waste our time!!"

"That's right! Get out! People like you..."

Would Sett tolerate these people's arrogant temper? No.