Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

160·Discipline

He leaped off the ship, looking quite fierce, but the blue fat man had a simple, honest smile on his face.

His voice was rough, but it accurately conveyed the gratitude he felt.

Sett nodded casually and said, "It was nothing... By the way, how have you all been lately?"

"not bad!"

Nodding, Tiger said, "After traveling around the ocean, I have a general understanding of its conditions... You should already know this, right?"

Tiger laughed and said, "I've established the Fishman Pirates, and now, let's rescue some of my fellow Fishman who have been captured by slave traders..."

"He paused, then Tiger's face grew serious as he continued, "You know, merfolk slaves always fetch high prices at auctions, and even on Fishman Island, slave traders are a common sight. If you encounter any, Sett, please try to help them out if you can. Of course, I know you're a bounty hunter, so I won't skimp on the payment!"

As the leader of Fishman Island, Tiger knew better than anyone that there was no such thing as a free lunch. Although he had a pleasant conversation with Sett, they had only met once. This time, besides wanting to repay a debt of gratitude, he also came to the East Blue because he had learned of the influence of the Armstrong Casino across the seas and hoped they could provide some assistance in rescuing his fellow Fishman Islanders.

"Boss, why talk to him so much?"

Emerging from the side, the giant shark-man dragon with a serrated nose stared at Sett with eyes full of fear and hostility:

"He's the owner of the Wanhao Casino! How could a place like that not have slaves of our Fishman race? Instead of wasting time arguing with him, we should just tie him up and let the world know what the consequences are for messing with Fishman Island!!!"

"Ah Long!!!"

Before the dragon could finish speaking, Tiger's face filled with rage—although he already knew that the dragon was hostile to humans and believed that fish-men were the masters of the world, Tiger never expected that the dragon would speak to his benefactor and friend in such a manner.

If it were anyone else, Sett would probably have immediately given them a piece of his mind and asked them to explain what psychological trauma was. But Sett is always forgiving towards his friends. And more importantly, Sett is very interested in Arlong—to be fair, Sett is quite famous now. The mere mention of Arlong's title is enough to send most pirates sprawling to their deaths.

The itch to retaliate was incredibly frustrating for Sett. And now, with a villain finally appearing, Sett even found him somewhat endearing.

Stroking his chin, Sett said with amusement, "You mean... you want to kidnap me?"

"Kidnapping? Who knows?" Although that's what he thought, he glanced at Tiger beside him and didn't admit it. Instead, he said with a cold and displeased expression, "Even we fish-men who don't come to land often have heard of the Armstrong Casino. If so, do the rich go there without any slaves by their side?"

"You humans are the most despicable and vile. You are clearly inferior to us fish-men in every way, yet you occupy the land by virtue of your numbers—aren't fish-men inherently stronger than humans?"

As a fanatical racist, the dragon made no secret of his thoughts.

Even in Fishman Street on Fishman Island, quite a few fishmen held this view. Now that he knew Sett's identity in the West Blue, Arlong couldn't care less about the sinking kingdom—humans were masters of deception!

"If we can make this guy named Sett bow down here, then more fishmen, and even more humans, will agree with our ideals," the dragon said viciously. "Even without training, a fishman can easily defeat a human. And we are born swimmers; our strength increases even further in the water. Creatures as perfect as us are chosen by heaven! Humans rebelling against fishmen is defying the laws of nature!!!"

Upon hearing Arlong's words, not only the others, but even Jinbe, the blue-haired fishman, frowned in displeasure. Unlike Arlong, Jinbe, though also from Fishman Island, grew up in the Ryugu Kingdom and received a good education. Of course, even with this education and the extreme antagonism between Fishman Island and humans, Jinbe still harbors little affection for humans. However, this doesn't diminish Jinbe's admiration for Tiger—for example, he was originally an officer in the Ryugu army, but upon hearing that his boss had returned to form a pirate crew, he even gave up his military position to join.

He saved Tiger and was praised by Tiger as a true man, a friend worth having. Although it was their first meeting, Jinbe had long admired Sett. Especially considering Sett's act of saving Tiger's older brother, Jinbe didn't look down on Sett; on the contrary, he was filled with respect. In contrast, Jinbe had always looked down on Arlong.

Initially, Jinbe also harbored hatred for humans, and at that time, he could still communicate normally with Arlong. However, as Jinbe officially set sail with the Sun Pirates and frequently clashed with patrolling Marines, slave traders, and pirates, he initially, like Arlong, often indiscriminately killed attacking humans out of a desire for revenge. But as he witnessed more and more, and with some guidance from Tiger, Jinbe gradually changed his ways, and similarly, drifted further and further away from Arlong's ideals.

Tiger once spoke of the dragon, but the dragon never paid any attention and even became more vicious.

Of course, Jinbe knew he couldn't force someone to change their mind. So most of the time he just let things take their course... But now, to say such rude things in front of Tiger's benefactor and close friend?

Jinbe's pent-up resentment seemed to be turning into anger.

But just as Jinbe's dissatisfaction was building, Sett burst into laughter. He then patted Tiger on the shoulder and said, "Haha! Hahaha! I say, Tiger, how come you have all sorts of people on your ship?"

Somewhat helplessly, Tiger explained, "Ah Long... he's just a bit extreme in his thinking, I've been..."

"Let's not talk about it for now." Sett stretched his shoulders and said nonchalantly, "You're his older brother, and it's easy to hurt your brotherhood if you act recklessly. In that case, let me teach him a lesson for you."

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I didn't get home until 11:10, and after a little tidying up, there wasn't enough time left. I'm going to sleep now, and I'll make up for it by writing 10,000 words every day for five consecutive days starting tomorrow.

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161·Agreement (6k)

Looking at the dragon before him, Sett wore a relaxed smile.

In Sett's eyes, this fishman called Evil Dragon was almost too cute—heaven knows how miserable Sett had been ever since that damned white bird gave him the title of "Sinking Kingdom".

They finally encountered a group of pirates, but upon seeing them, they surrendered without a word. The speed of their surrender is reminiscent of the saying, "No one can conquer Paris before France surrenders! – A World War II version!"

In a game environment where villains are scarce, Sett finally encountered a dragon willing to draw its sword against the strong. He couldn't care less whether the dragon's actions were motivated by righteousness or some other form of racism. As long as his fists drew blood, that was all that mattered!

"But let's get this straight, Tiger."

Scratching his shoulders, Sett said with a cruel smile, "You should know my personality... We're friends, and I'm sparing his life for your sake, but don't blame me if he breaks a few bones!"

"..." Upon hearing Sett's words, Tiger opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something. However, considering Sett's temper, Tiger ultimately sighed helplessly.

He knew Sett's character well—their first encounter was because Sett saw him running away. Immediately afterward, Sett jumped into the sea and engaged him in a fight that, in retrospect, wasn't particularly intense.

It was precisely because of this experience of fighting that Tiger knew better than anyone how violent Sett would become once his fighting spirit was ignited.

In this situation, just as Sett said, he had already given himself a lot of face...

Finally, somewhat helplessly, Tiger nodded and said, "...Thank you."

Hearing Sett and Tiger's words, the dragon, who was already annoyed by Tiger's high regard for a random human, felt even more angry at being slighted—they were both fish-men, yet the older brother thought from the beginning that he would lose to a human.

Damn it, are you kidding me?!

With that thought in mind, the dragon resolved to make this guy die by his own hand. He also wanted his elder brother to truly see just how fragile and powerless humanity really was!

Sett wore a nonchalant smile – of course he had to be spared!

Many people are curious as to why Sett, a brutal brute who doesn't even bother to use his brain, would suddenly have the idea to spare the dragon's life.

The answer is actually quite obvious—just like I said before, Sett is just too, too, too boring!

With no one willing to fight Sett, the long, boring period led Sett to reflect on why no one dared to challenge him, and why the pirates would run away at the sight of him. Yes, in order to prepare for more battles, Sett had to use his brain to think.

Hawkeye was utterly shocked.

Ultimately, Sett concluded that there were far too many weak and cowardly creatures on this high seas. Having witnessed his defeat, they instinctively chose to surrender. If that were the case, he would inevitably have to leave a few alive. Especially those like the dragon, a renewable resource that would clearly incite others to attack him.

We must protect it, give it a good beating occasionally, and follow the path of sustainable development!

Thinking this, Sett couldn't help but stretch the bones in his hands as he faced this rare challenger. A series of cracking sounds rang out—after not exercising for a while, his bones felt a bit loose, and his muscles felt like they were rusting!

Taking the initiative to act as referee, Jinbe stood in the center and raised his broad, calloused hands high.

As a fish-man, Jinbe is well aware of the immense physical advantages fish-men possess. It's fair to say that whether it's muscle, bone structure, or the oxygen content of cells, fish-men are inherently stronger than humans. This is especially true given that Jinbe hasn't yet completely shaken off the prevailing racial superiority theory on Fish-Man Island and in Fish-Man Street.

Even on Fishman Island, Arlong was a notorious bully. Unlike humans, whose bloodlines are supposedly noble but ultimately useless, the Fishman bloodline provides real physical enhancement. Among them, Arlong, as a giant shark-man, possesses muscle and bone strength that far surpasses that of other Fishmen by nearly two to three times.

More importantly, because of its Megalodon bloodline, the dragon itself possesses a unique fighting style that far surpasses that of ordinary humans and fish-men.

In previous battles against the Marines, pirates, and slave traders, the corpses torn to pieces by Arlong could easily stain an entire sea red! That ferocious fighting style, combined with the skills of Fish-Man Karate... Even Jinbe now has to be extra careful when facing Arlong. Otherwise, being bitten by those serrated teeth would be no joke!

Jinbe glanced at Sett and found no fear on Sett's face. Recalling Tiger's words, Jinbe couldn't be sure whether Sett could survive the dragon's clutches.

"Prepare to die." The dragon stared intently at Sett, then drew a line across his neck with his thumb. "I won't hold back... You mere humans should obey the will of nature!"

"Really? Then I'd better be ready!" Hearing the dragon's words, Sett hesitated, wanting to laugh but afraid to. He was afraid of angering the villain who had finally managed to appear.

In reality, when this expression fell into the eyes of the dragon, all the dragon felt was intense anger.

Seeing this, Jinbe knew that if he continued to drag things out, it would only escalate the conflict. So, he stopped hesitating. He slammed his hand down, his deep voice coldly declaring, "The match begins!!"

The words had barely left his lips, and the echo of his voice hadn't even faded from Jinbe's ears when he saw a blur flash past his eyes.

The broad palm pressed directly onto Arlong's large face in a way that surpassed even Jinbe's ability to perceive it with his naked eye.

The serrated nose slipped through the fingers, and despite being human flesh, the dragon felt as tough as thick cowhide as it rubbed against it!

Ruthless Iron Hand!!!

With a hint of excitement, Sett unconsciously tightened his grip slightly. But even this slight exertion felt to the dragon as if someone were relentlessly drilling steel bars into his brain.

Instinctively, the dragon tried to pry Sett's fingers off. But those hard fingers seemed glued to his head. No matter how hard the dragon tried, the hand didn't tremble in the slightest.

Finally, as if realizing something, Sett abruptly released his grip. Looking at the dragon, he saw that five bloody, mangled gashes had appeared on the blue merman's face without him even noticing.

"Wow, I'm getting a little excited."

Sett said somewhat embarrassedly, "It's been a while since I've fought, and I've finally run into someone... I'm a little excited. Don't worry about it, let's start over. This time... you come, you attack me."

As he spoke, Sett took two steps back and stood there casually. His nonchalant demeanor gave the impression that he was vulnerable from head to toe.

In the past—or even just now, Jinbe would have thought Sett was being overconfident. But now, after witnessing Sett's attack, which was beyond the reach of his naked eye, all that remained for Jinbe was horror and unbelievable fear.

It was too fast... I couldn't even see how he made his move, or even how he exerted his strength.

Arlong is considered a formidable member of the Fishman Pirates. His battle record is impressive, and even Tiger, who harbors some resentment towards Arlong's racial prejudices, has to admit that Arlong is indeed quite skilled.

But now, after experiencing Sett's despairing speed, Jinbe suddenly has a new understanding of power.

Unlike Jinbe, Arlong's immediate reaction to his fear was not one of awe or reverence. Instead, he felt shame and anger at being able to fear the weak.

As an absolute racist, he raised his head again, the flames of shame and anger burning in the dragon's eyes—only after witnessing this did Sett breathe a sigh of relief.

Yes, that's it! That's right, that's the look in his eyes! Yes! Absolutely right, bro!!

Because he was somewhat excited, Sett had clearly exerted a bit too much force just now. Sett had initially thought that this guy called the Dragon would be scared to death, but now it seemed that this guy was indeed extraordinary. He didn't feel fear at first, but rather further anger and humiliation.

As expected of a major villain from Fishman Island in the New World, look at his professionalism! He's completely different from those lowly pirates who surrender to him at the mere sight of him!

Sett was still thinking about what he should do next, whether he should buy a few openings for him to exploit... but that didn't seem like a good idea.

If he exploits an opening and attacks, only to find he can't even break through the skin, wouldn't that be even more hopeless? Wouldn't surrendering because of this be a huge loss? After all, in the peaceful East Blue, this giant shark-man might very well be the last enemy Sett encounters who dares to provoke him…

Just as Sett was still racking his brains, Hawkeye shook his head helplessly: "Let's finish this quickly... We'll wander around the East Blue for a bit and then head to the Grand Line. There are plenty of opponents there."

Hearing Hawkeye's words, Sett nodded in agreement. Then, looking at the dragon, Sett raised his chin: "Yeah, let's finish this quickly... How about we try an attack? After all, we might not have another chance."

"Mere humans... despicable!!!"

Hearing Sett's words, the dragon gritted his teeth. He realized that these two humans had never considered him a true opponent. Especially Hawkeye; at least Sett would look at him with amusement. But that sharp-eyed fellow hadn't even glanced at him. He was just sitting there fishing towards the sea.

"Stop being disgusting!!!" The dragon removed its tooth and gripped it in its hand, the muscles in its arm bulging with rage. "I will tear you to pieces! I will utterly kill you!! You mere humans, I will make all your friends my slaves!!!"

Fierce words accompanied a ferocious face, and flames of hatred burned continuously in the dragon's eyes.

Upon hearing this, Sett raised an eyebrow. Tiger, on the other hand, glared angrily at the dragon.

The fish-men standing nearby were unaware of the chain reaction that those words would cause; they only gasped in surprise after seeing the dragon's actions.

"Ah Long is starting to show his power!"

"It's Iron Teeth Kung Fu! I personally witnessed Ah Long bite through a cannonball last time!!"

"That human may be strong, but he's still just a human. If he got bitten, his bones would probably be broken!"