Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

“For three people… here’s what we’ll do.” The captain straightened his clothes and said, “We will take full responsibility for the collision. The cruise ship has a small dry dock, and we’ll have the shipwrights help you with the repairs. A storm is approaching, so perhaps you could have your companion come aboard the Orbit to take shelter from the storm. By the way, where are you headed, guests?”

"There is no specific destination, but it is generally within the Sihai area."

Sett's face was full of nonchalance. Although they were looking for Sky Island Shells, according to Judge, Sky Island Shells were only found beneath the White Sea of ​​Sky Island in the Grand Line.

Sett hadn't forgotten his purpose for setting sail—to find that damn redhead and then hang him up and beat him up.

There's no trace in the West Blue and North Blue, so we'll have to choose either the East Blue or the South Blue to continue the pursuit... The South Blue is probably out of the question, as its technology is relatively more advanced than the other three seas. However, given that Shanks has already repaired his pirate ship using supplies borrowed from a Navy warship, he probably wouldn't go there for nothing...

“Then let’s go to the East Sea,” Sett said. “Any island will do, just hurry up and fix my ship.”

Although it was casual, it made the captain increasingly serious and solemn—he thought that anyone who dared to set sail in a small boat for such a trivial reason was either a brainless brute or a strong person with absolute confidence in their own abilities.

Judging from Sett's earlier action of leaping directly onto the deck, there's no doubt that the guy in front of him belongs to the latter category—the captain doesn't know that Sett doesn't belong to either the latter or the former. Rather, he is the ultimate form combining the two.

That is, being too confident to use one's brain.

It has to be said that Sett's survival to this day is truly a miracle of nature.

While thinking, the captain said, "That's great. We're going the same way anyway. The Orbit's destination is the Goa Kingdom, located in the central part of the East China Sea. If you only want to enter the East China Sea, we can drop you off when we encounter an island during the voyage."

As they were talking, raindrops began to fall from the sky. Seeing this, the captain said, "Sir, please have your companion board the boat first. The boatmen will tow the yacht into the dock for repairs. As for the rest area... I'm sorry, sir."

The captain said somewhat apologetically, "There are quite a few guests on the Orbit this time, and there's only one luxury suite left... If the guest doesn't mind, could you squeeze in a little?"

Upon hearing this, Sett stroked his chin—he wasn't picky, after all, they had said it was a luxury suite, which showed their sincerity. But if it were about being put in lower class... Sett wasn't the kind of person who liked to be treated like a pushover.

But the questions that need to be asked should still be asked.

"Is the bed big enough?" If it's one of those small beds that's two meters long, Sett's feet won't have anywhere to go...

“Sir, you don’t need to worry about that!” Upon hearing Sett’s words, the captain beamed and said, “The deluxe suite has a four-meter-long bed! Not to mention three people, even five people can sleep comfortably!”

Having considered the average height of people in this world, especially the height of the strong, the captain naturally wouldn't do anything to make his guests feel uncomfortable. Especially just now, seemingly recognizing Sett, the first mate's eyelids blinked like a stapler.

Seeing this, Sett scratched his head and nodded. He then called out to Hawkeye, who was waiting below, "Come on up! Someone's treating!"

Silence followed. Hawkeye's eyes were filled with astonishment—in one day, no, in one hour, Hawkeye had suffered two severe mental shocks.

First, Sett wasn't angry at being rear-ended while sailing on the open sea. Second, when Sett went to argue with them, they didn't even start a fight!

These two events completely overturned Hawkeye's previous impression of Sett.

"Who are you? Why are you impersonating Sett?!" Hawkeye almost blurted out. But seeing the annoyance in Sett's eyes, he quickly realized—this probably wasn't the first time Sett had encountered something like this.

Sett and Hawkeye are not people who like to pry into things. After confirming that their personalities were compatible, the two tacitly chose to pursue Shanks together.

Based on this, they didn't care about each other's past actions or painful experiences. Fundamentally, they were remarkably similar in certain ways: they had clear goals, but focused more on the present than the future.

As for the past, I'm too lazy to even think about anything that has happened. Unless it's a very important memory, like fragments of my childhood.

Carrying Sanji, Hawkeye lightly touched the ground with his toes and then took two or three steps to reach the cruise ship.

He held up a finger, a bunch of keys jingling on it. Serti raised his chin; "They said a heavy rain is coming soon, and they'll help repair the boat. It's alright, a deluxe suite has become available; it won't be too crowded for three people."

Hearing this, Hawkeye nodded. Then, glancing at Sett in front of him, he said with a hint of teasing, "I didn't expect you could handle something like this so well~"

"Tch," Sett curled his lip and said arrogantly, "That's because I'm too lazy to deal with it! This captain is a good guy, he knows how to handle things."

"really."

Although Hawkeye hadn't had any actual interaction with the captain of the Orbit, he didn't doubt Sett's words—that he could resolve issues with Sett properly and non-violently. This alone proved that the captain was very adept at handling things.

Even so, Hawkeye showed no interest in making friends—neither Sett nor Hawkeye seemed to care much about friendships, especially when it came to the concept of "good friends." What is a good friend? A friend you can fight is a good friend!

"The food here is pretty good." Since it was still lunchtime, Sett decided to follow the aroma to the restaurant and start eating and drinking.

In terms of cooking skills, both Sanji and Mihawk are quite average. Mihawk, in particular, while his dishes aren't bad, they're nothing special either. Sanji, on the other hand, has a few signature dishes thanks to his own hard work... but apart from that, his other dishes are just so-so.

Now, having tasted the delicious food prepared by the chef on the cruise ship, Sett's eyes lit up – "Although it can't compare to the chefs in your bastard father's palace, the taste isn't too far off!"

Hearing Sett's words, Sanji nodded—although he disliked his father, he didn't hate the chefs as well. In fact, he was grateful to the chefs for giving him the recipes.

Although he didn't enjoy luxury, the vain Judge was definitely a person who cared a lot about his image. This included the chefs in the palace, who were among the best in the entire Western Sea. Add to that the difference in ingredients, and it's safe to say that anyone with a palate could sense the difference.

"Didn't you want to be a chef?" Sett said casually while eating. "Since you're staying on their ship for a while, why don't you go to the kitchen and lend a hand and learn something, so you won't be without any survival skills when you're living alone."

"Ok!"

Upon hearing Sett's words, Sanji wasn't saddened; instead, he nodded with excitement—a testament to his vanity. Sanji's father, Judge, believed that royalty should enjoy life, that royalty were superior beings, and that ordinary people were born to serve royalty. Even cooking was considered a servant's duty by Judge. Consequently, Sanji's kindness towards servants was seen as cowardice.

Now that he can finally enter the kitchen openly, how could Sanji not be happy?

Similarly, Hawkeye reverted to his aloof demeanor, continuing to sway his wine glass around. It's only because Sett knew Hawkeye's personality and interests were like this that he understood; otherwise, Sett would have definitely thought Hawkeye was the kind of pretentious intellectual who spent his time in bars pretending to be profound while trying to pick up girls.

Compared to Sett's group's casual demeanor, the captain and first mate on the other side appeared much more excited.

After glancing around to confirm the presence of beautiful women, the captain asked:

"You keep winking at me, what's wrong? Are they some famous people?"

"Famous! Very famous! Soon to be even more famous!!" the first mate said. "My nephew is from the West Sea, you know Antuo Island, right?"

"Of course I know that," the captain said with a sigh. "The casinos over there are doing booming business; who among the cruise ship operators doesn't know that?"

There was a hint of envy in his words. Xihai Antuo Island has developed rapidly in the past year—of course, this rapid development does not refer to its land area, but rather to its income and reputation.

Under the leadership of a figure known as "Guanyin" in the underworld, the Wanhao Casino is now thriving, a business that inspires envy. The reason for this success is the Navy's direct support. They not only dispatch dedicated personnel for patrols but also arrange for escorts to ensure the safety of wealthy patrons. Security and other aspects are guaranteed.

The current Woohoo Casino is a notorious money pit known far and wide.

"That redhead, my nephew told me, he's Sett, the big boss of the Wrist Casino!"

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It's really cold in Tai'an today; I woke up freezing this morning. But I've already moved on from the heartbreak. Anyway, I'm still young, in my early twenties, I'll definitely meet the right person someday.

149·Yixin Dojo

"Sett? You said his name is Sett?!" Upon hearing the first mate's words, the captain froze.

If you were to ask where the best place in the world is to travel, people would likely have different answers. After all, this wonderful world has countless dazzling attractions. But one thing is certain: if you were to ask where the biggest money pit in the world is, all the wealthy people would answer: Antuo Island.

Antuo Island is no longer what it used to be. Robin and Tina have a very close relationship, especially after Tina realized that Robin wasn't the kind of person who was solely focused on revenge and whose reason was consumed by anger. Tina has come to approve of Robin even more.

Despite her formidable strength and status as a rising star in the Navy, one undeniable fact remains that Tina's strategic acumen is only average within the navy. Completely clueless about business logic, she is often used primarily as a military officer rather than a strategist capable of devising plans and overseeing operations from the rear.

Robin, being a wanted criminal, couldn't easily get involved in many matters, so the two hit it off immediately. Robin would provide strategic advice, while Tina would handle the official matters—even the West Blue, known as the strongest sea, was still only one of the Four Seas. This meant the Navy could largely suppress the antics of some lawbreakers.

Furthermore, with the business blueprint left by Sett before his departure, the current "Fist of Fame" casino is definitely not just a simple casino, but a comprehensive entertainment island integrating dining, drinking, and entertainment. In addition, Antalo Island itself is a shipping hub, and influenced by the "Fist of Fame" casino, Antalo Island is now also vigorously developing its tourism industry, cooperating with the casino for mutual benefit.

Anyone involved in the cruise industry is familiar with Antuo Island, as the route from other sea areas to Antuo Island has always been the most profitable. It's less turbulent, making shipping safer. Large shipping companies typically establish connections with the Antuo Island naval branch, which then coordinates with navies in other regions, ensuring escorts are provided by naval branches from various areas on both the outbound and return journeys.

Although Tina, given her status, could easily request other naval branches to provide escorts, doing this once or twice is fine, but doing it too often will inevitably cause other naval branches to become disgusted with this thankless task.

They are already well-off, so they pay extra for each escort mission to casinos and shipping companies. Whether it's the captain of the warship or the accompanying sailors, they all receive substantial additional income, which increases their motivation and ensures safety, further making Antuo Island a top choice for the leisure and entertainment of more and more wealthy people.

However, this kind of business wouldn't be viable on the Grand Line. Once inside the Grand Line, the navy's deterrent power drops drastically. Unless escorted by a naval officer, a ship laden with wealthy people would be the prime target for pirates!

"Captain, haven't you always wanted to sail the route from the East China Sea to Antuo Island? If you could persuade Mr. Sett..."

Nothing more was said, but the first mate's meaning was clear—the first mate was the ship's officer, second only to the captain. In this situation, the first mate and the captain were essentially of one mind. The more money the captain earned, the more money the first mate earned.

If the Orbita can truly establish a route from the East China Sea to Antuo Island, then given the current competitive pressure on cruise ships in the East China Sea, it could even monopolize the entire East China Sea market!

Nothing is more profitable than a monopoly, especially since the shipping route to Antuo Island in the East China Sea is not yet fully open.

"If that's the case...it is indeed an opportunity!!"

As he said this, a hint of excitement appeared on the captain's face. It's a fool not to make money when it's available, especially in the current situation. Everyone knows that the suddenly rising West Sea Antuo Island represents immeasurable wealth. With the prosperity and continuous expansion of the Wanhao Casino, if he can establish good relations first, he can definitely get a head start on making money through the future navigation license!

However, speaking of which, the captain stroked his chin and said, "The name Sett... it sounds familiar."

"That's right..." After thinking for a moment, the first mate suddenly slapped his forehead; "That's right! I think I saw it in the newspaper!"

As he spoke, the first mate pulled out the newspaper again. He stared at Sett's picture—a picture of extreme arrogance, Sett's handsome face filled with an untamed spirit. His thumb was pointing directly at himself, as if he were saying something threatening.

Unfortunately, they were all native to this world. If it were their previous lives, some of them would probably have already uttered "Kono dio da!" from their very DNA.

Putting aside their actions, the striking, highly recognizable scar on the bridge of his nose immediately made the first mate and captain recognize him as the person they had just met.

"The Kingdom of Sinking, Sett..."

Muttering the name and recalling the battle achievements in the newspaper, cold sweat instantly streamed down the captain's face.

Although the captain had long suspected that Sett was no ordinary man, seeing the destructive power Sett had described in the newspaper still sent a chill down his spine—thankfully, he hadn't thrown a tantrum, otherwise, his cruise ship would have been next to sink!

Yes, a powerful figure like Whitebeard wouldn't readily believe newspaper reports. Having lived through turbulent times, even when faced with news reports aimed at protecting himself, he could maintain his independent thinking. However, many more people, influenced by herd mentality, instinctively believe the reported facts.

News is the mouthpiece of public opinion, capable of easily controlling its direction. Ordinary people lack a precise understanding of the magnitude of power. In their eyes, there's little difference between lifting a one-ton object and lifting a hundred-ton object—they can't see the difference, nor can they do it.

Instinctively and ignorantly pursuing thrilling scenes, when they saw this news, coupled with Sett's identity as the owner of the Sett Casino, ordinary people like the captain and first mate almost believed it to be true without thinking—even if they would remain calm in private, when they saw the real person, especially when they saw the huge profits behind it, they chose to believe it without a second thought!

It's just like those fans who go on a rampage online, bashing those who smile and ask for autographs in real life...

Thank goodness... No! Oh no!!!

Initially relieved that he hadn't provoked Sett, the captain's mind went blank after considering Sett's current situation. He quickly ordered the first mate, "Hurry and have the rooms tidied up! Empty those luxury suites! We must establish this connection; wealth and glory await us today!!!"

"Okay! I'll give the order right away... no, I'll do it myself!"

Realizing the seriousness of the problem, the first mate immediately went to direct the sailors and waiters to help tidy up the room.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Sett and the others were having their meal when the captain inexplicably walked over with a smile.

"Mr. Sett, how did you find your dining experience?"

Although he couldn't figure out what the captain was doing, Sett didn't care. He just wiped his mouth while curiously observing the captain in front of him.

"The dining experience was alright... So, is there something you need?"

"No, no!" the captain said. "It's just about accommodation. We've decided to clean out the other two empty rooms, so you and your companion won't have to sleep together."

Upon hearing this, Sett, still chewing on meat, stared at the captain of the Orbit in front of him without saying a word, only staring at the captain's face.

Feeling the pressure, the captain broke out in a cold sweat.

After a moment, Sett shook his head indifferently; "Just say what you want to say. I'm busy eating and don't have time to play guessing games with you."

While Sett was pleased with the captain's tact, it didn't mean he considered the captain one of his own. And even if the captain were one of his own, Sett wasn't interested in roundabout ways of communicating. He preferred a straightforward, direct approach, favoring the concise and clear communication style of a military unit.

"It's like this, Mr. Sett, we want to open a shipping route to Antor Island..."

"The route to Antuo Island?" Upon hearing this, Seti raised an eyebrow; "Then you guys just go ahead and do it. Why are you asking me?"

"The East China Sea is not yet fully open to navigation. Although we want to go there, there are some issues with the right to use the ports along the way..." With a slightly embarrassed smile on his face, the captain of the Orbit was practically asking Sett to make an exception for him.