Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

It felt like a domino effect. After the first fragment was propelled away by the pressure, the entire rapier began to shatter at a visible speed. In just a moment, the blade, which was originally over a meter long, was reduced to nearly a third of its original length.

"..."

Silence followed, then Hawkeye shook his head somewhat disappointedly; "So, this sword and my journey have come to an end... You win this round."

Hawkeye spoke coolly, making no attempt to use the excuse of a malfunctioning weapon to evade defeat. He was similar to Sett, yet different. Sett was arrogant, too lazy to hide his true feelings or make excuses. Hawkeye, on the other hand, possessed an inner, almost arrogant, confidence.

This confidence prevents Hawkeye from deliberately seeking excuses—a true strongman will not be ruined by a single accidental failure.

"It's just that I had the advantage of the sword... If the swords were of the same quality, then the outcome would be uncertain." As he spoke, he paused, then shook his head in disappointment: "No, I should be the one who loses. Although I believe my swordsmanship is no weaker than yours, that solid and domineering aura that is close to that of the Black Blade is an ability and talent that I absolutely do not possess."

Upon hearing this, Hawkeye shook his head, not paying any attention to Koushirou's words—for Hawkeye, a loss was a loss, and he was too lazy to make any useless excuses.

Sett, standing to the side, clenched his fist in barely suppressed excitement: "What do you say? Haven't you had enough? Now it's my turn!"

Upon hearing Sett's words, Koushirou, who had already relaxed, couldn't help but pause slightly, then looked at Sett with some surprise. After sensing Sett's undisguised fighting spirit, he shook his head with a wry smile: "No, no, this battle has already depleted my savings. If there's another one, my dojo might not be able to stay open."

Hearing Koushirou's words, Sett glanced around. He couldn't care less about Koushirou's secret stash. However, Koushirou was genuinely exhausted... While swordsmen did train their physiques, they were far inferior to a monster like Sett. As a burst damage dealer, Koushirou was more like an assassin. With his frail frame, Sett could easily take on five of them when he was exhausted.

Seeing that Koushirou had no intention of fighting at all, Sett clicked his tongue in annoyance, then looked up and saw Koushirou looking at Hawkeye with a slightly embarrassed expression.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling guilty because you damaged his sword?"

Hearing Sett bluntly state his thoughts, Koushirou felt embarrassed but could only laugh and cry at the same time, saying, "After all, I did have the advantage of the weapon... I do have some experience in sword forging. When I saw Mr. Hawkeye's weapon, I sensed something, but I didn't expect the resistance to be so strong, directly shattering the blade..."

Even Kuina didn't know that the name of the swordsmith who forged the Wado Ichimonji in his hand was Shimotsuki Kozaburo... Not only because he was from a family of swordsmiths, but even as a pure swordsman, Kozaburo could sense that Hawkeye's weapon was not as sharp and sturdy as it looked.

I thought I could hold out until the end of the battle, but I never expected Hawkeye's Armament Haki to be so powerful...

Sett shrugged indifferently: "Don't worry about this guy."

"Huh?" Koushirou didn't quite understand Sett's meaning. Seeing this, Sett simply said;

"Don't let his quiet demeanor fool you; he's incredibly arrogant. Do you think he doesn't know his sword is about to give out? He probably knows better than anyone that the blade is nearing its limit."

"Is that so?" Upon hearing this, Koushirou hesitated—indeed, it was just as Sett had said. A swordsman should know his sword best. If even he could see that the rapier had a problem, then Hawkeye, as its owner, should know even more clearly.

But if that's the case, then why...?

Just as Koushirou was wondering, Seti continued:

"Don't even think about it. The reason he's willing is because he's incredibly arrogant. He can accept being at a disadvantage in a battle, but he can't accept the enemy being at a disadvantage. He sleeps with his sword all day long, treating it better than his girlfriend. I guess he felt that this sword could no longer be maintained to accompany him, so he simply found a strong fighter to accompany him on his final journey."

"What was that saying again? Right, to wither in battle~ Anyway, I can't understand what's so romantic about that, because I always win no matter where I am."

Having traveled together for so long, Sett could guess Hawkeye's thoughts without even thinking... Sett wasn't stupid; he was just too lazy to think.

He didn't hear the second half of Sett's sentence, or perhaps, upon hearing the first half, Koushirou understood Sett's meaning... or perhaps it was Hawkeye's idea.

Looking at Hawkeye, who stood there aloof with his short sword, Koushirou remained silent for a moment before suddenly smiling and nodding: "If that's the case... let's have another spar when you have your next sword."

"Hmm." Hawkeye nodded calmly upon hearing Koushirou's invitation—even if Koushirou didn't say anything, Hawkeye would still come back to spar and learn from him when he acquired his next sword.

Compared to Hawkeye and Koushirou's easygoing attitude towards the outcome of their sparring match, the children on the sidelines were much more excited.

"See that! My master won!" Zoro exclaimed excitedly. "My master is the strongest swordsman on this great sea!!"

"No way!!" Sanji retorted, "It's just that Mr. Hawkeye's sword isn't good enough! Didn't your master say that his sword is a Great Grade Sword? Mr. Hawkeye's sword has been used for many years!!"

Having tolerated the argument between the two idiots from the beginning, Kuina finally couldn't take it anymore and, without saying a word, delivered two blows with her bamboo swords.

"You boys... shut up!!!"

----------

I've finally finished writing three chapters. I've been cooped up at home all day, so I need to get out and about tomorrow. I have to say, the sunshine and humidity here are really high; it feels so different from inland areas. I'm already used to it, and coming back feels wonderfully comfortable.

154. Master Yi and Compression

Having trained in kendo under her father since childhood, Kuina, despite her young age, is now able to easily defeat those so-called adults thanks to continuous training.

It's fair to say that he's far superior to Zoro and Sanji in both skill and strength. Sure enough, after just two swift blows with his bamboo swords, both the green-haired and blond-haired men were crouching on the ground, tears streaming down their faces.

"Tomboy!!"

"Violent woman!!"

The two rivals both secretly disliked Kuina, but the moment their eyes met, their annoyance resurfaced, and they wanted to fight. However, Kuina, who was standing to the side, was watching them with a menacing glare. In the end, they both snorted coldly and turned away.

Having no interest whatsoever in the kids' friendship, Hawkeye finished the fight and simply sat in the dojo's room meditating and recuperating.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, his face expressionless, as if he were not the one who had just broken his sword in the battle.

Similarly, Ryu, Ivankov, and even Sett were all seated around. A moment later, Koushirou, wearing white tabi socks and carrying a wooden tray with tea utensils, came out.

Koushirou has now returned to his previous gentle demeanor. His entire aura is like a breath of fresh air. In contrast, when he opens his eyes in battle, Koushirou is more like a heartless killing monster. This stark contrast makes it difficult to discern which is the real him.

"I was a little out of line." Sitting on the tatami mat, Koushirou poured a cup of tea for Hawkeye with a slightly embarrassed expression. "I've been in the East Blue for too long, and it's been a long time since I've encountered such a strong opponent. I was a little out of line for a moment, and I hope you all won't mind."

“…Hmm.” Hawkeye remained silent. He was fine in private, but in situations like this, with many strangers around, his withdrawn nature would escalate exponentially. Even when faced with Koushirou's words, he simply nodded slightly and then picked up his tea set to take a small sip.

In contrast, Ryu was much more talkative: "Speaking of which, this is the first time I've seen you so serious, Master Koushirou. When you opened your eyes, I almost didn't recognize you as the master. I thought it was a different twin brother."

"Haha." Hearing Ryu's teasing, Koushirou chuckled and shook his head, saying, "It's just that my demeanor has changed quite a bit since I haven't been in battle for a while..."

As he spoke, a hint of melancholy crept onto Koushirou's face. Leaving his homeland of Wano Country for the East Blue, it was impossible for Koushirou's heart not to have changed at all. But so what? He had considered revenge, returning to Wano Country to fight the usurper to the death. However, Koushirou knew that he couldn't do it alone. Therefore, he only had one thing left to do—to come to the East Blue according to Lady Toki's prophecy, wait for the appearance of the Nine Red Scabbards twenty years later, and then begin the war to restore his country.

He cultivated his character and lived in seclusion. Countless years passed, and even Koushirou thought he had gotten used to his current life... but unexpectedly, a single battle awakened those sealed memories.

"How are the comrades in the Revolutionary Army?" Shaking his head to dispel the meaningless fantasy, Koushirou asked Ryu, "I heard that some member states of the World Government seem to have taken notice of you all?"

"Hmm." Upon hearing the question, the dragon beside him nodded and said, "Our operation was discovered by the Kingdom of Ilucia before... but there's no need to worry too much."

Not paying much attention, Long shook his head and said, "Although the Kingdom of Ilucia cares about us, the member states of the World Government aren't a monolithic entity. Among the member states, the Kingdom of Ilucia is only a medium-sized country in terms of national strength and other aspects. No matter how much propaganda we do, given the World Government's arrogance, they probably won't care..."

"In their eyes, the Revolutionary Army at this stage is probably just a bunch of self-important pirates."

Upon hearing Long's words, Koushirou nodded in agreement.

When Wano Country was first discovered by the outside world, both pirates and world nobles wanted a piece of the pie. It was during this time that Ryuma, the swordsman who slays dragons, became famous throughout the seas and was known as the God of Swords. Through those battles, Koushirou became acutely aware of the despicable and arrogant nature of the world nobles.

While they were still talking, Sett, reclining on the tatami mat, said with a speechless expression, "Hey, hey. Don't you guys know how to avoid talking about me, the bounty hunter?"

"What Mr. Sett said... it doesn't matter even if you know it." Hearing Sett's words, the dragon beside him chuckled and said, "He would rather be a bounty hunter than a Marine. And as far as I know, the World Government has already devised a series of plans targeting Mr. Sett."

"If I'm not mistaken, the battle in the Germa Kingdom was orchestrated by the World Government, right?"

There isn't sufficient evidence, but based solely on the clues, Dragon can roughly conclude that there's more to the battle between Sett and Germa 66—Judge's Vanity Dragon knows this. If we're being honest, seeing Sett arrive early, Judge's most likely course of action would be to try and recruit him. He would then use this opportunity to showcase the power and privilege of the Germa Kingdom, implying that even someone who has consecutively defeated a Celestial Dragon (Doflamingo) and a great New World pirate (Moria) would be willing to join.

As a result, a battle broke out, and the result was devastating. A third of the nation's ships sank to the bottom of the sea, and the war cost billions of Berries... It was only because they stopped the war and surrendered in time that the losses were significant. Otherwise, if the technology ships carrying researchers and laboratories had sunk, the losses would have been far more than just Berries... Given the World Government's track record, the Germa Kingdom might have been completely wiped out, and Judge would have become a wanted criminal.

"You know quite a lot, don't you? Did your dad tell you?"

“My father would never tell me these things,” Dragon said, shaking his head. “By connecting the clues and eliminating impossible answers, what remains, however unbelievable, is the ultimate truth… Mr. Sett might still be a little skeptical, but we are not lying.”

Long said with a serious expression, "From the very beginning, my goal was never to become a great pirate."

"Oh, really? That's really awesome." Sett responded casually to Dragon's words. Actually, Sett could have guessed even without Dragon's explanation—because Dragon's ship didn't have a pirate flag. And as the son of a naval hero, if Dragon were to become a pirate, the Marine Headquarters would probably explode... though the Revolutionary Army wouldn't fare much better.

But so what? It has nothing to do with Sett anyway. Sett just hopes the dragons cause even more trouble, so the world will be in chaos and he'll have more battles to fight.

Despite Sett's casual attitude, Dragon was not discouraged. On the contrary, his eyes were filled with seriousness and sincerity: "Sett, I've heard of you. You escaped from a slave ship. So you should know how sick this world is. There are more people who want to be pirates than marines. This is not just Roger's problem."

"This world is sick; it's rotten to the core. Our revolutionary army's goal is not merely to dominate a region of the seas, but to truly liberate the entire world! To free this world from the clutches of the World Government!"

"..."

Sett remained silent. Just as Dragon was about to say something more, Hawkeye shook his head and raised his hand to stop Dragon; "Don't say anything yet... Sett's old habits have resurfaced."

"Ok?"

Dragon was somewhat confused by Hawkeye's words. Hawkeye then raised his arrogant chin and said, "Look at his eyes, they're unfocused. He's probably stunned again... He's like this every now and then. In this state, no matter what you say, he won't hear you."

After a pause, Hawkeye added, "Of course, if you attack him, that's a different story."

Even in this dazed and confused state, Sett's Observation Haki was still functioning... Actually, it wasn't strictly speaking Observation Haki, but rather the instinct for danger inherent in his half-beast bloodline. However, under the mechanics of this world, once the instinct for danger was triggered, Observation Haki would also be released.

Unbeknownst to the dragon, Sett's consciousness has once again infiltrated the League of Legends system.

This time, however, it wasn't because of completing any mission—but rather because of fulfilling some special hidden conditions.

[Ding! Wuji Sword Saint Yi has observed the duel between the world's greatest swordsmen and gained some insights from what he saw. The gift has been added to your inventory and is awaiting verification.]

[Ding! Yasuo, the Unforgiven, has observed the duel between the world's greatest swordsmen and gained some insights. The gift has been added to your inventory and is awaiting verification.]

What the hell?

Upon seeing the two notifications, Sett was completely stunned. Instead of immediately checking his gifts, he opened the system window and asked, "How did they see these things?"

[Battle recording.]

Hearing the system's concise words, Sett didn't bother with further beating around the bush and asked directly, "If that's the case, can I still recruit them?"

The draft system has been closed due to an insufficient number of heroes responding.

"...Then what's the deal with these gifts?"

[A gift to heroes.]

'...'

After hearing the system's explanation, Sett stroked his chin and then opened the system inventory. The previously empty inventory now contained two badges resembling hard pens. The badges depicted the poses of Master Yi, the Wuju Bladesman, and Yasuo, the Unforgiven, respectively.

Seeing these two champions, Sett suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia. Master Yi, needless to say, was the champion with which Sett first achieved a pentakill. All four of his abilities and his passive were insane, it's just a pity his mechanics were somewhat outdated and couldn't be used in competitive play. But in solo queue, once he gained an advantage, it was a one-sided massacre; if you timed your engagements well and kept refreshing your abilities, killing five opponents at once was no problem.

至于0-21-0就更不用说了。作为整个游戏秀起来最眼花缭乱的英雄，剑豪可以说是让人又爱又恨。当然，最气人的是，亚索这个英雄只有在自己这边的时候是0-21-0的快乐E族。如果实在对面，那就是21-0-1的通天大代（代练）……

In short, picking Yasuo instills a sense of fear in both opponents and teammates—like Schrödinger's cat, you never know before the game starts whether it's a bad player or a skilled one.

Click to receive a gift from Yi Master. This is accompanied by a CD spinning.

"Congratulations, Summoner! You have acquired the skills: Double Strike and Highland Bloodline."

Double strike? Does Master Yi have that skill?

Startled, Sett clicked on the skill description, and then it dawned on him—Master Yi's passive ability.

Skill: Double Strike

Skill Description: Every fourth attack you make will trigger a Double Strike. Double Strike will deal 50% of your attack damage and apply on-hit effects.

This skill seems ordinary at first glance, with the effect being simply that the next attack after every four attacks deals 50 more damage. However, this is not actually the case—because the Double Strike effect can be inherited.

Especially in the game, with Guinsoo's Rageblade and other skills and items, there's no such thing as a tank against Master Yi. Blade of the Ruined King, Ender Blade, Guinsoo's Rageblade, Siren... even with a full tank build, the damage is still astonishing. Combined with the true damage effect of his E skill, Wuju Path, even a fully equipped Ornn can't withstand more than a few seconds before collapsing. And with a crit build, it's even more of a different story. His Q skill, Alpha Strike, is untargetable during its trial period; landing and instantly killing a double-wielding ADC leaves them no room to maneuver.

It's fair to say that, aside from his W skill becoming somewhat lackluster in the late game, Master Yi's other skills are entirely designed for a "mad dog" playstyle. Countless strategies have been developed around him. From the early days of League of Legends with AP Master Yi and Lantern Master Yi, to more recent examples like Taric Master Yi, a well-farmed Master Yi with Taric provides increased tankiness and crowd control, allowing a normally farmed Master Yi to easily eliminate squishy backline champions—however, after these strategies were nerfed, they're only still viable in lower-ranked games.