Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

148. Ace

Through his conversation with Makino, Sett quickly learned who the guy in front of him was—the Mountain Bandit King (as he called himself), Sigurd!

Ultimately, he's just a small-time bandit entrenched in the Goa Kingdom. He's not particularly skilled, and his bounty is unclear, but based on observation, his strength comes entirely from his numbers. At most, he'd dare kidnap minor nobles from the Goa Kingdom and extort money from them. The Goa Kingdom only bothered with bandits because they considered their existence an insult to the nation's dignity, and they needed a bounty hunter to help them eliminate him. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't even bother with a bounty…

"Actually, it's nothing."

Makino, standing nearby, quietly moved closer to Sett—having traveled with Garp, even without much experience, Makino was certain that this man named Sett was no ordinary person. Considering Sett might actually seduce the bandits, Makino explained:

"Although Sig often kidnaps the families of nobles, he has never harmed anyone from Windmill Village."

"..." Upon hearing this, Sett stroked his chin and nodded in understanding: "Indeed, it's a bit absurd that the hometown of a naval hero could be destroyed by a group of bandits."

"That's right!" Seeing that Sett understood, Makino breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Besides, they are big customers of my little tavern. They accept all kinds of drinks, no matter what quality they are~"

As she said this, a mischievous smile crept onto Makino's face. Sett was speechless, glancing at Makino; it was hard to imagine such a seemingly virtuous and gentle girl showing such a devilish expression.

However, Sett didn't delve deeper into the matter—to think that a girl is interested in you just because she smiles at you is a level of delusion that goes beyond what a typical otaku would do.

Having stayed in Windmill Village for so long, it's impossible for Makino not to have any curiosity about the outside world. Seeing Sett's slightly amused eyes, Makino simply continued, "Besides, there's a reason why Sig is here."

"Reason? What reason?" Sett asked curiously after hearing Makino's words. Seeing this, Makino continued, "Because Vice Admiral Garp felt that too much peace wasn't a good thing, and Luffy needed to be given something to do."

"...That's definitely his personality."

Hearing Makino's words, Sett was speechless. Who would deliberately let a band of bandits roam around their hometown, saying it was so that Luffy could practice on them in the future?

If it were anyone else, Sett would have thought they were bragging. But Garp is different. Yesterday, while drunk, Garp confessed how he trained Luffy—or rather, tortured him. Although he hasn't met Luffy yet, Sett is certain that Luffy has some degree of post-traumatic stress disorder.

But just as Sett was still thinking, Sieg, who was standing next to him, saw Sett having an "intimate" conversation with the landlady and immediately raised his eyebrows - in the surrounding area of ​​Windmill Village, who doesn't know Makino, the young and beautiful hotel landlady?

Not only is she outstanding in appearance and speaks with a gentle manner, but she also has a household registration in Windmill Village, where she can receive a monthly subsidy without paying taxes—this thing is more valuable than a city household registration in the Kingdom of Goa!

As a bandit, Sig naturally wouldn't dare provoke the people of Windmill Village, since there were countless Marines eager to curry favor with Garp. However, this didn't stop Sig from having a heart that yearned for love.

As a renowned beauty in the surrounding area, Makino naturally had many suitors. Sig was one of them—glancing at Sett and then at Makino whispering in his ear, Sig instinctively felt as if he had been cuckolded.

After careful recollection, confirming that there was no such person as Sett in Windmill Village, and glancing at Sett's hair to confirm it was the red he loathed most, Siegfried immediately.

"Where did you come from? Don't you know I'm Sig?"

"Sigma?" Sett was taken aback when he heard the name—that's no ordinary name, bro.

Upon noticing Sett's surprised expression, Sieg nodded in satisfaction. Even the small mustache on his chin twitched slightly with the upturn of his lips.

"You're smart enough to know I'm the Bandit King, Sig! Take a good look!" He pulled out a wanted poster from his pocket; it was folded and worn, clearly treasured for many years. "I'm a notorious bandit with an eight million bounty!! Even the nobles of the Goa Kingdom wouldn't dare defy me!!!"

He stared at the eight million reward and remained silent for a moment. He had to admit, it really felt like he'd found it for free.

Sett sighed inwardly, then looked at Makino, who was in Anping, and said, "Um, why don't you go and tell Mr. Garp that I might deal with these guys first..."

Just as Makino was listening and about to agree, Sigurd, seeing Sett's nonchalant attitude, flew into a rage. Without a word, he grabbed a nearby bottle and smashed it over Sett's head.

With a splash, the liquor splattered everywhere. Garp had gone out to visit old friends with the village chief, so he wasn't in the tavern. Sett glanced silently at Sig in front of him, raising an eyebrow—Sett never expected that his first headshot would be lost so inexplicably in a place like this!

Sig's face was filled with a cold smile: "Damn it, can't you see that Lord Sig is asking you a question?"

“…Eh.”

Hearing this, Sett stood up somewhat helplessly. It was then that Sieg realized Sett was far stronger than he had imagined—but that didn't matter, he had a couple of underlings. Even ants can kill an elephant if there are enough of them; this would be a good opportunity to show this guy who was the boss here!

He smoothed his hair, revealing a smooth forehead. His rugged face was covered in amber-colored liquor, and in the sunlight, Sett seemed to be enveloped in an unusual halo.

"Tell Garp to find someone else."

As he spoke, Sett stretched his shoulders, his brows furrowed with impatience—the bounty was just a bonus for Sett; compared to money and Berries, what truly excited Sett from beginning to end was only the battle.

To be honest, a guy like Sieg is like free money to Sett... He used to be too lazy to bend over, but now it's different.

Kind words are hard to persuade a damned devil; great compassion cannot save someone who has severed ties with himself.

If someone is looking for death, there's no way to stop them!

Before Sig could react, he felt a tremendous force pull his head down, slamming it against the bar counter and creating a deep dent.

Looking at Makino, who had a slightly surprised expression on her face, Seti said, "Deduct the cost of the drinks and renovations from this eight million. I'm going out to clean up the trash."

After saying that, before Makino could say anything, Seti grabbed Sig and walked out.

As they walked, Sett said, "Let's talk outside. I don't want to make a mess here!"

Upon hearing Sett's words, the surrounding bandits exchanged glances, nodded, and then followed him menacingly, ready to teach Sett a lesson.

Makino, still mechanically wiping her wine glass, was somewhat surprised—in Windmill Village, neither pirates nor marines dared to do anything outrageous. As the hometown of a marine hero, it wasn't without its share of idiots eager to make a name for themselves and rise to the top. But the final outcome was often cruel.

Because neither Garp himself, nor the Navy, the World Government, nor even some great pirates could tolerate the destruction of the homeland of a Navy hero by such a minor character.

In this environment of prolonged peace, even if Makino harbored some curiosity about the outside world, she had become more conservative under the influence of the group. This applied to her personality and other aspects of her being. Now, witnessing Sett's brutal approach, after the initial surprise, Makino's heart was now filled with mostly curiosity.

Perhaps it was for Sett, but more so, it stemmed from curiosity about the world outside Windmill Village.

Even under these circumstances, Makino's long-standing conservatism prevented her from going out to see for herself—a decision that was undoubtedly correct. After all, Makino's interest in the outside world was largely based on curiosity, with little understanding of its harsh realities. And now, in the mountains, a cruel scene was undoubtedly unfolding.

"Trash always likes to come looking for trouble with me in droves..." With a casual smash, he crushed a head, accompanied by splattering blood. Sett had no intention of showing any mercy to these bandits—you're kidding, the bottle was already smashed in his face, how could you expect Sett to suppress his murderous intent?

Don't be ridiculous. Sett has never known what forbearance is—and more importantly, even if he did, he would never play that game with these bandits.

Upon seeing Sieg's head explode instantly in Sett's hands, the bandits, after a brief moment of shock, quickly realized that this man was no ordinary opponent. Overwhelmed by fear, they instinctively fled. Unfortunately for them, their speed was far too slow in Sett's eyes.

Accompanied by the distinctive sound of shaving, Sett's figure flickered continuously in the space.

On the other side, holding a steel pipe, Ace's eyes were fixed on the little wild boar running in front of him.

He'd only gotten up to take a quick pee in the morning, but unexpectedly stumbled upon a wounded wild boar. Ace was immediately overjoyed, as if he'd discovered a treasure—this would be his food for the next few days, along with Luffy and Sabo!

With this in mind, wanting to give his two sworn brothers a surprise, Ace grabbed a steel rod and chased after them.

But as he ran, Ace suddenly noticed that the wild boar ahead, which had been fleeing for its life, seemed to sense something. Its beastly face was filled with fear and terror.

But Ace didn't care about any of that. He leaped down from the tree branch, raised the steel pipe in his hand, and slammed it down on the wild boar's head.

Unfortunately, the force was too great, and the noise during the process woke up the wild boar. Before Ace could even land, he was hit and knocked to the ground.

If this were Sett's past life, falling from a tree and being hit by a wild boar like that would be fatal, let alone a child. Even Schwarzenegger would be half-dead.

However, the physical abilities of the people in this world cannot be measured by common sense; everyone's resilience is outrageous. Unless someone like Sett blows their head off at the slightest provocation, even with multiple fractures throughout their body, they can still survive on their last breath.

Falling to the ground, Ace scratched his head in frustration. But what he saw next left him speechless.

Corpses—corpses are everywhere!

Panic filled the faces of the fleeing people, yet they continued to die. A black shadow, moving at a speed far exceeding Ace's, pursued the fleeing souls. Each time the shadow swept past, the body of the attacked person was thrown into the air. When they landed back on the ground, they lay motionless like corpses.

Although he shouted since childhood that he must become a pirate in the future, it was ultimately an unrealistic fantasy of a teenager, and Ace never truly understood the cruelty of the sea.

Sett's cruelty was clearly beyond the common understanding of the sea—upon closer inspection, those who were thrown there did not suffer much harm; their limbs were intact, the only missing part being their empty Adam's apples... It looked as if they had been forcibly ripped off.

Swallowing hard, Ace instinctively ducked back into the bushes. In the shadows, the boy's trembling eyes stared at everything unfolding before him.

Even in death, the terror of their escape lingered on their faces. Piled up, they resembled small hills. Though none of them had been formally treated, their wounds were still on their necks. As the number of corpses increased, the blood gushing from their necks began to spread outwards, soon soaking the entire ground.

Catching wild boars was completely forgotten by Ace; all he wanted now was to get out of there as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, in the next instant, before Ace could even react, a sharp, suffocating sensation washed over him, and the world spun around him. When he regained his senses, he found himself being lifted into the air by a large hand, gripped by the neck.

"Hmm... a child?"

Seth glanced at the struggling Ace and loosened his grip: "You're from the bandits too?"

"I'm not a bandit!" Realizing Sett was chasing bandits, Ace quickly added with a sigh of relief, "Not a bandit, I'm a resident of Windmill Village! I just happened to end up here!!!"

----------

The Mid-Autumn Festival holiday is here, and I was planning to cook a feast for my parents today. But damn it, while I was caramelizing the sugar for braised pork, oil spilled onto my hand, and it instantly turned bright red. Even a gust of wind on the way to buy medicine was excruciatingly painful. I've applied burn ointment now, hoping it won't blister tomorrow…

149 Conqueror's Haki

"Not the bandits from around here?"

Upon hearing Ace's words, Sett stared at Ace's face, stroked his chin, and recalled that there seemed to be no kid among the bandits before. Sett nodded in satisfaction.

Once it was confirmed that Ace had no connection to this place, Sett's reaction became even more aggressive—"Where did this brat come from? Get lost, or you'll get in my way."

As he spoke, Sett waved his hand, ignoring Ace's gaze, and looked behind him, pondering how to dispose of the corpses—aside from this brat, no one else in Windmill Village had seen their bodies. Judging from what they'd seen before, the people of Windmill Village were clearly living in a paradise, completely unaware of the chaotic world outside.

Sett didn't consider himself a good person, but he felt a strong connection with Garp. After a hangover, the two could easily be considered close friends despite their age difference. Sett was quite tolerant of those around him—especially about small things like this.

Sure enough, we should just dig a hole and bury it.

As Sett pondered this, having made up his mind, he raised his fist, ready to unleash a powerful punch to soften the ground. Then he remembered that Garp should be nearby… Alerting Garp was a minor matter, but attracting too much unnecessary attention from others would be quite troublesome.

You can't use brute force to destroy the ground... does that mean you can just dig a hole little by little? Thinking this, Sett looked at Ace behind him.

"...What are you going to do?" Feeling Sett's gaze, Ace couldn't help but shiver. Through Sett's gaze, Ace could feel intense malice.

After stretching his shoulders, Sett said, "I need someone to dig a hole and bury the body."

"I won't do it!" Ace shouted, his neck stiff with arrogance. "Even though you're strong, I'm not afraid of you! I—yes, my grandfather is Garp!!!"

Although reluctant to mention his abusive grandfather, Ace had no choice but to reveal his grandfather's name—something he wouldn't have said with any other bandits. But Sett's mere presence was enough to suffocate Ace.

At first, it wasn't a big deal, but after hearing Ace's words, Sett's eyes lit up with a hint of amusement. Even so, Sett didn't immediately offer any kind words of advice. Instead, after hearing Ace introduce himself, Sett's expression grew even colder:

"Really...that's really lucky!"

"Um?!"

Before Ace could even react, Sett's figure suddenly vanished from his sight. Then, that familiar feeling of weightlessness returned. When he came to his senses, the pressure on his neck clearly told him that he had once again been lifted into the air by the neck.

Instinctively, he began to struggle, but then Ace's body suddenly froze in mid-air. A suffocating chill emanated from Sett and relentlessly pressed outwards. As it spread wildly, even the fearless Ace felt an unprecedented fear and panic.

In the end, he's just a little kid. He might be considered a leader among his peers, but in the hands of a monster like Sett who roams the seas, he's still completely at Sett's mercy.

"What a coincidence." Sett looked at Ace coldly; "I came to Windmill Village this time to find Garp's family... I thought his good-for-nothing son named Dragon had disappeared after running away, but I didn't expect you to deliver yourself to my door!"

"!!!"

He's here to get revenge on my grandfather!

Hearing Ace's words and keenly realizing this, Ace's expression grew even more terrified—not all children are like that bastard Judge, who uses human modification to rid themselves of fear. More often than not, no matter how powerful they may become in the future, young minds inevitably reveal despair when faced with the fear called "death."

Just like now, he gritted his teeth and struggled desperately. But even so, Sett's hand was as solid as steel and could not be moved an inch—for Ace at his age, trying to move Sett was nothing short of a pipe dream.

"Who else is connected to Garp? Tell me!!!"

Hearing Sett's vicious words, Ace shut his mouth tightly—though young and still a child, those who achieve great things in the future, regardless of their character, all possess a strong sense of conviction from a young age. Having grown up without a father, Ace considered Luffy and his crew his family. No matter what, even with death looming before him, Ace stubbornly gritted his teeth.