Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

Won't it crash?

Just as Hawkeye was about to ask out of curiosity, Sett rubbed his chin with some annoyance.

"We need to find a way to punch them..."

Upon hearing this, Hawkeye breathed a sigh of relief—yes, it was still Sett.

No matter what kind of adversity they are in, their first thought is always how to give the other party a good punch.

"Make room for me." Sett said nonchalantly, stroking his chin as he pondered. "I need to rest, and so do the cooks on the ship. Tell them to prepare some good food... My ship's shock chaff is broken, fix it. That's all for now. If you don't fix it, I'll keep beating you up until you do."

"..."

Despite suffering multiple fractures and severe organ damage, Judge remained silent for a moment after hearing Sett's words, then nodded numbly—the sea was a place where the strong preyed on the weak. There was no need to feel ashamed; surviving was already an incredible stroke of luck.

Standing to the side, Sanji's eyes were somewhat blank—he admitted that seeing his father, who had caused his mother's death in grief, being beaten did give him a sense of satisfaction. But afterwards, all Sanji felt was emptiness.

With the help of the android soldiers, Judge managed to stand up, glanced at Sanji, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions.

"Let's leave this place..."

"Um……?"

Sanji looked up, somewhat bewildered. Judge simply said coldly, "You don't like it here anyway, do you? I'll give you a ship, I'll give you money... Leave here and do whatever you want. But there's one thing."

"Don't tell anyone you are my son."

Upon hearing Judge's cold words, even Hawkeye couldn't help but raise his eyes slightly—it was hard to believe that such cold words could come from a father's mouth.

Or is it that every eccentric genius scholar has such an eccentric personality?

Sanji pursed his lips, nodded, and then turned and ran towards Sett without looking back.

The remaining children of Judge, including Yuichi and Ichi, paid no attention to them. Showing no fear, they simply got up silently and followed behind their father. Reiju, the only one whose emotions hadn't been eroded after the successful modification, glanced at her younger brother's retreating figure with a complex expression.

She felt a pang of envy, for he had left his father and the cage called Germa. Confused and lost… she didn't like her current life, but she was powerless to resist. At the same time, she gained a completely new understanding of her father's coldness and ruthlessness.

Even so, Reiju couldn't say anything. She just glanced at her younger brother's last figure before turning and leaving with her father.

Upon entering the room—or rather, the room—it was a magnificent palace.

As the King of Germa, Judge's vanity permeated every corner of the palace. Its opulent grandeur lacked any elegance. Even the massive oil painting depicting the slaying of the Four Kings, commissioned at great expense, failed to diminish this vulgarity; instead, it further amplified the air of nouveau riche.

"Get up, I'm going to sleep. Close the curtains."

Upon hearing Sett's order, the servants, their faces filled with panic, hurried out in small, quick steps.

Mattress manufacturers in this world must be doing brisk business. Unlike the mass-produced mattresses of my previous life, which averaged two meters in length, in this world, any reasonably strong person is over three meters tall. For even a slightly higher-end mattress, an extra inch can cost thousands more. And then there are the giants… good news for mattresses.

Without thinking too much about it, I lay down on the bed.

Sett has long believed in the simple and brutal principle of "use your fists instead of your brains." This directly leads to him often charging in with "Tata-ka! Tata-ka!" when someone tries to pick a fight, resulting in several rounds of thrilling and passionate brawls.

But sometimes, passionate brawls have to be situational. Like right now, the World Government is so big that it can't be defeated by brute force alone. Well, it's just that Sett's brute force isn't pure enough yet, otherwise he should be at the Five Elders' house right now, giving them water to wash their feet.

The voyage was truly exhausting, both physically and mentally. The bed and blankets got soaked from being turned over. They also had a strange smell for some reason. Not only did I have to eat raw fish every day while starving, but I also had to put up with a skinny pheasant next to me who had diarrhea every five minutes on average.

Now that he finally has a more comfortable place, how could Sett not take a good rest—as for thinking or anything like that, forget it.

Since you're already so tired, it's not too late to think about it after you wake up.

"I'm going to sleep. Do as you please."

After saying that, Sett closed his eyes.

Hawkeye glanced at Sett, then nodded wearily before lying down on the sofa with his knife in his arms and closing his eyes to rest...

Unlike Sett's deep sleep, Hawkeye was only in a light sleep with his eyes closed. Although those who have mastered Observation Haki can provide warnings even while asleep, no one can guarantee that Observation Haki will still be able to be released normally in such a distressing situation.

In contrast, looking at the two people in front of him who seemed to have fallen asleep, Sanji, after a brief moment of confusion, also chose to lie down on a small sofa.

The reason for not choosing a bed is simple: Sett's strength is undeniable, and if he had a habit of kicking off the covers, Sanji was afraid he would wake up as Sanji-chan.

Because of the wariness surrounding Sett's arrival, Sanji had been neglected in the storage room for over a month. Now, finally back on the soft sofa, he soon fell asleep alongside Sett. Seeing this, Hawkeye tossed a thin blanket over him. As for Sett—whatever, Hawkeye was hoping Sett would catch a cold and get diarrhea, letting him experience the feeling of being pickled in a toilet.

While the three rested, on the other side, Morgans hurriedly grabbed a roll of film and ran to the World News Agency, his face filled with excitement—what use is strength if it's overwhelming? For ordinary people, they don't care about the number of clashes in a moment. What truly captivates the eye is always the grand spectacle!

Carrying boats to smash the sea! A spectacular scene, big news!!

145. Whitebeard

People's perception of the strong is mostly based on speculation and the visual impact they feel.

Based on this, aside from those with real combat achievements, most people still judge heroes by their performance in battle.

"Dad, this news is interesting!"

Sitting atop the mast, young Marco gazed curiously at the newspaper in his hands. His slightly immature, lazy face was filled with curiosity; "Lifting a warship... Is that fake news? Even my father might not be able to budge a warship that big."

"What are you saying, brat?"

Upon hearing Marco's words, Whitebeard, who hadn't yet fallen to the point of needing an IV drip to survive as he would in the future, held up a sake bowl that could easily be used as a bathtub and said, "Bring over anything interesting for your old man to see! Those old geezers, Garp and his gang, really, I've been itching for a visit for a while!!"

As he spoke, Whitebeard let out a loud laugh. Although over sixty years old, Whitebeard was still quite vigorous. His physique was in its prime, and although there were signs of decline, his charm remained undiminished. Especially for old friends like Garp, whom he had fought since the last era, three days without a fight felt like ants were crawling all over his body.

Marco nodded upon hearing his father's words. Then, his arms transformed into wings of vibrant blue flames as he descended from the mast and handed over the newspaper.

The moment he saw the newspaper cover, Whitebeard made a sound of amazement.

"It's that kid again... I've been hearing a lot about him lately. If I remember correctly, he's Zephyr's student, right?"

“Yes.” Marco nodded and said, “He is indeed Admiral Zeff’s student… but it seems he’s not in the Navy, but became a bounty hunter.”

Bounty hunters, whom ordinary people rarely encounter, are old acquaintances for a force like the Whitebeard Pirates. Indeed, Marco's words contained little reverence or fear, but rather calmness and casualness.

Upon hearing Marco's words, Whitebeard was somewhat surprised: "A bounty hunter? What would such a promising talent do if he were a bounty hunter? If that's the case, he might as well be a pirate. Or is the Navy making things difficult for this kid again?"

“No, not at all.” Marco shook his head.

Although the concept of the Four Emperors doesn't yet exist, the three greatest pirates of the New World have been confirmed. Whitebeard, a powerful figure who rivaled the Pirate King in the previous era, is naturally among them.

It was precisely because of this detached position that Whitebeard was well aware that the World Government was not as monolithic as it appeared. More importantly, the World Government sometimes didn't trust the Navy at all, treating it simply as a tool.

If that's the case, it's not unacceptable for such a promising talent to leave the Navy and become a bounty hunter... After all, while Zeffa may be a bit indecisive, his teaching abilities are undeniable.

They were old rivals, and Whitebeard knew very well that the Navy wouldn't easily give up on such a talented young man... And now, such a talented young man had become a bounty hunter... It was a bit of a pity.

Yes, as a pirate, Whitebeard felt a little sorry that Sett had become a bounty hunter.

Even across the world, bounty hunters are definitely not considered a good profession—in fact, in the eyes of some people… or rather, in the eyes of most people, bounty hunters are not as appealing as pirates.

In the hierarchy of contempt, the Navy and pirates are barely on the same level, while bounty hunters are below them. They are even at the very bottom of the entire ocean.

In most people's eyes, bounty hunters are simply unruly individuals, incapable of becoming Marines, and a group of thugs lacking the courage to oppose the World Government. Furthermore, they are seen as unproductive, only interested in ambushing weaker pirates, making "bounty hunter" a derogatory term. Especially considering the current state of the seas, there are virtually no bounty hunters who have made a name for themselves in the New World.

There's an old saying from before liberation: "A good man doesn't become a soldier, and good iron isn't used for nails." In this world, changing "don't become a soldier" to "don't become a bounty hunter" makes no problem at all—just look at Luffy; after his bounty increased, the people of Windmill Village considered him successful, even proud of him.

In Sett's previous life, when a wanted criminal's bounty skyrocketed, relatives and friends would be more than happy; they would be considered lucky if they didn't try to distance themselves from him—the most common reaction would probably be that they were even more enthusiastic upon discovering the walking 500,000.

"I heard it's because this guy wasn't a graduate of a regular naval academy or recruited," Marco said with a hint of amusement. "Instead, he came from a slave ship and started fighting in underground boxing matches at casinos. Apparently, he had some connection with that rising naval star named Tina, which is why he trained with Zephyr for a while... about a year, and then he left the navy."

"Oh ho."

Upon hearing Marco's words, Whitebeard stroked his chin. "That's quite unexpected... Let's see when he comes to the New World. If he does, let's see if we can bring him into our family!"

"What if you don't come?"

Marco asked with some curiosity, "His hometown is in the Western Sea, and I heard that a girl who escaped from a slave ship became his secretary. It's understandable that he wouldn't come to the New World, isn't it?"

"That just means he's nothing more than that kind of man."

Whitebeard ignored Marco's words, instead curiously opening the newspaper and saying, "The New World is where the strong should be. Other places, no matter how lively they are, are just small fry! If they don't even dare to come to the New World, what right do they have to talk about anything else!"

"That's true."

Hearing his father's words, Marco nodded in agreement—it wasn't just pirates; the common people of the New World generally looked down on the inhabitants of the Grand Line and even the Four Seas. Especially because of the chaotic rule of law, the Navy's influence in the New World was far less than that of the pirates. Didn't you see that even when the Celestial Dragons were investigating the people's conditions, they didn't dare to go to the New World? The reason was that the New World was a murky and dangerous place.

In the first half of the Grand Line, Marine Admirals could overwhelmingly dominate and ensure the safety of the Celestial Dragons. However, in the New World, a single Marine Admiral might not be able to protect the Celestial Dragons—moreover, the position of Marine Admiral is a signal. If this is mistaken for the Marines advancing into the New World and declaring war on all the great pirates there, things could get quite interesting…

In a sense, the pirates of the New World are the Celestial Dragons of the pirate world, only they are not as noble as the Celestial Dragons with their Bordered Yellow Banner.

He opened the newspaper, and then came the actual news report. Upon seeing it, Whitebeard understood why Marco had made that initial sound of surprise.

Those steel warships, weighing hundreds of thousands of tons, are beyond the reach of human power. Yet, in this photo, they are effortlessly carried on the shoulder and leaped into the air!

Instinctively, Whitebeard had some doubts.

Is this picture photoshopped?

Stroking his chin, Whitebeard believed his suspicions were well-founded—tens of thousands of tons were an insurmountable weight for him. Let alone a rookie bounty hunter who hadn't even set foot on the Grand Line yet?

This world has scientific research forces, and naturally, it also has special electronic devices similar to computers—however, the development trajectory of this world is somewhat strange, so things like computers are used exclusively by the world government.

A massive steel warship weighing tens of tons is undoubtedly a behemoth in this world. Even with Whitebeard's confidence, a head-on collision would at most force it to stop in front of him. But to lift it up like this, or even leap it out of the water… the difference is no longer just a matter of weight.

"The more I look at it, the more fake it seems."

Marco, who was standing nearby, chimed in, "That's Germa's flagship, I think it's a whole size bigger than the Moby Dick. To carry it like that and then jump out of the water... could it be something the Navy did on purpose? Like, sending someone to be a bounty hunter or something?"

The scene in the photo was truly horrifying. Unlike ordinary people, Marco, having spent much time aboard the Moby Dick, had a clear understanding of the extent of power—in the common perception, the strong could move mountains and cleave seas. But in reality, very few could achieve this. Even someone like Old Man, hailed as the world's strongest man, could only move mountains by using his Devil Fruit powers.

"Possibly." Faced with Marco's skepticism, Whitebeard nodded after a brief moment of thought and said, "Whether it's Garp or Zephyr in the Marine Headquarters, they earned the Marines' recognition through their strong abilities and personal charisma. Sengoku is different. Even in the last era, Sengoku wouldn't have gotten along with someone like me. Now that the Great Pirate Era is intensifying, if we can't recruit those potential pirates into the Marines' ranks, then making them bounty hunters is the best option."

"As for this picture..."

Stroking his chin, Whitebeard continued, "Back when Roger was captured, Shiki the Golden Lion caused quite a ruckus in Marineford... That guy's ability can make objects float without gravity. But given his personality, it's unlikely he'd cooperate with the World Government..."

As he spoke, Whitebeard said, "It could also be other Devil Fruit abilities, such as projection. It's also possible that Shiki made some kind of deal with the World Government... If it's to counterbalance the upcoming Great Pirate Era, then it's not entirely incomprehensible."

As he spoke, the white-bearded man picked up his wine bowl and gulped it down in one go. Because of its shape, some wine dripped down his chin, but the white-bearded man didn't seem to care. He simply looked at the newspaper, let out a hearty laugh, and said:

"No matter what, for Sengoku and the others to value him so highly, that little guy named Sett must be quite something! Wow, time flies—before I knew it, this old man had already appeared on the great ship of the new era!!"

"Haha, Dad is the strongest man in the world, no matter which ship he's on!"

They weren't surprised by Whitebeard's remark—in fact, Marco and the others had often heard him make similar comments during this period. But no matter which time it happened, they didn't take it to heart.

It wasn't because of force; the crew of the Moby Dick were mostly social outcasts, outsiders who had never experienced the warmth of family and kinship. Other pirates might find Whitebeard's treatment of his crew as sons and family naive, but for these people who had never known the good things in life, all they felt for him was reverence and gratitude. Therefore, Whitebeard wasn't just a captain; he was their "father." Like a true family member, he wouldn't allow anyone to harm his comrades, and he absolutely wouldn't tolerate betrayal among them—they never questioned Whitebeard's abilities!

As for Marco's optimism, the white-bearded man beside him didn't say much, but simply nodded with a sigh, and then continued to drink and read the newspaper while gazing at the sea.

By the end, even Whitebeard couldn't help but smile; "The Fallen Kingdom, Sett... Gurararara~ What a resounding name!"

Five hundred years ago, the monster Oz, famous throughout the world, was known for his hobby of transporting his favorite islands. He was a staggering 67 meters tall, which earned him the nickname "Transporter of the Nation." Now, a newcomer, a bounty hunter, is being called "Sinker of the Nation."

Although the territory of the Germa Kingdom is indeed a warship, there are probably quite a few people who disagree with this title.