Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

Sett showed no approval; on the contrary, his expression became even more ferocious. He let out a sinister laugh, like the Grand Elder of the Soul Temple, and said maliciously, "Refusing to answer? So, you mean there are indeed other relatives of Garp in Windmill Village?"

"!!"

"It's fine if you don't talk, it's fine if you refuse to answer. It'll just mean a few more people die!"

As he spoke, Sett gradually lifted Ace higher. The intense pain of suffocation assaulted Ace's senses. But just then, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes.

The next moment, two more little kids popped out. One had black hair, and the other had blond hair. The black-haired kid was dressed simply, while the blond kid's clothes were made of much better fabric, but judging from the dirty marks on them, they were obviously not much better.

The two little brats, each holding a steel rod, charged at Sett from the left and right, their eyes filled with rage as they looked at him.

"Let Ace go!!"

The two children spoke in unison, but in contrast, Ace's eyes showed no emotion, only terror—he knew all too well how terrifying the man before him was. Terrifying enough that they were simply no match for him. If he had a choice, Ace would rather die here than have them come to his rescue!

Just then, Ace suddenly felt the hand gripping his neck loosen slightly. With a feeling of weightlessness, he landed on the ground, and Ace screamed at the top of his lungs, "Idiot! Run!!! Run!!!"

Unfortunately, it was too late. Just as Ace raised his head and shouted his first words, a violent afterimage flashed by. Immediately afterwards, the two who were still flying through the air were kicked in the waist and fell directly to the ground.

Appearing in the open space in the middle, Sett's face was expressionless, his eyes filled with indifference and boredom: "Luckily, they've all come... That saves me the trouble of searching for them one by one!"

"!!"

Upon hearing Sett's words, Ace's face was filled with panic—if he were to die, that would be one thing. But to have his sworn brother die before his eyes, as was the case, was something Ace absolutely could not accept.

Ace's father died before he was born, and his mother passed away shortly after giving birth to him. For Ace, the only people who could truly be considered family were Garp, Luffy, Sabo, and Dadan, who was like a foster mother to them in their bandit family.

It was precisely because he had no parents from the beginning that Ace cherished this family bond so much.

And now.

Sabo's hair color alone tells you he's definitely not Garp's grandson. Sett bent down, grabbed Luffy and Ace by the collar, and lifted them into the air. Then he said, "If I remember correctly, Garp only has one grandson... I'll give you a chance. Tell me, who is Garp's biological grandson?"

"it's me!"

Without hesitation, Ace replied, "It's me! I'm Garp's grandson!"

"Huh? Isn't it me? Ace, when did you become one?!"

"..."

Upon hearing Luffy's words, Ace, who had been excitedly trying to prove that he was Garp's grandson, fell silent.

In fact, not only Ace, but even Sett, who was lifting them both up, was somewhat silent—how to put it, one could only say that the power of bloodline is strong. From Sett's observation, this reaction wasn't particularly unusual, just very Garp-like. Dragon hadn't shown this condition in previous encounters; judging from the current situation, it's highly likely it's a case of inherited traits from a previous generation.

But it doesn't matter now, since the atmosphere has already been built up to this point.

With a slight exertion of force in his hands, Sett forced a smile onto his face: "So it was you... But it's alright, you'll all die anyway."

Ignoring Luffy's wide-eyed surprise upon hearing the news, Sett simply smiled and said, "Since you two are so close, you must have a special relationship with that Garp guy, right? Then let's all die together! I'll make that Garp guy utterly despair! I'll make him regret opposing me!!!"

"No! Kill me! Killing me is enough! It has nothing to do with them!!"

Upon hearing this, Ace roared excitedly. Sett's expression remained unchanged. Only a pair of hands appeared briefly on their necks, tightening their grip.

Sabo, who had just woken up and witnessed the scene, instinctively rushed forward. However, he was immediately knocked down by a flash and then trampled underfoot.

"Don't rush, one at a time... I am kind, you will not be alone."

As he spoke, he gradually increased his strength. Just then, he suddenly heard light footsteps from the side.

Wearing a headscarf and sporting long green hair, Makino finally couldn't resist her curiosity. She asked Hawkeye, who had been watching the show and tasting wine, to watch the shop while she ran out to see what Sett had done.

As soon as she arrived, she saw Sett lifting Ace and Luffy with both hands and stepping on Sabo. She was a little confused because Makino knew that Sett and Garp were good friends. Moreover, in the tavern, Garp had proudly said something about showing Sett his grandson, who would definitely become a powerful Marine in the future.

but now……

A mix of confusion and doubt lingered in Sett's mind, which also made him feel somewhat bored—with Makino's arrival, the rest of the storyline was likely doomed.

Just as Sett was contemplating letting go and figuring out how to conceal the corpses behind them without Makino seeing, Ace, caught in Sett's grip, saw Makino's arrival and realized his brothers were in grave danger. Intense fear relentlessly pounded into Ace's mind: "Let go... let them go!!!"

"Let go of me!!!"

In the midst of the struggle, the potential of life was unleashed, so much so that even Ace himself didn't realize it. Accompanied by his words, a powerful shockwave swept outwards. In an instant, the once bustling jungle fell silent. Insects, beasts, and even birds in the sky all seemed to have been struck on the head by an invisible hammer, losing consciousness and plummeting to the ground.

While Sett was still in shock, it seemed that Ace's awakening triggered a chain reaction, causing Luffy to also begin to struggle violently. The continuous impacts made the already silent jungle even more desolate. In the midst of this impact, Sabo, and Makino, who had just arrived and hadn't yet figured out what was happening, were directly knocked unconscious—just like the animals around them.

"Yo ho."

Seeing this, Sett was slightly surprised—if he wasn't mistaken, that was Conqueror's Haki?

He had personally experienced it through Shanks and Doflamingo. Especially Shanks, who had gone beyond a rough grasp to the point of actual control. Although he hadn't mastered it yet, one thing was undeniable: Sett had an extremely thorough understanding of the forms and fluctuations of Conqueror's Haki.

That was undoubtedly a burst of mental energy, albeit very simple and crude. But without a doubt, it was the aura of a domineering ruler.

However, it was clear that the two little ones in front of them were unaware that they had awakened Conqueror's Haki. In fact, they even assumed that Sett was responsible for knocking out the blond boy and Makino with Conqueror's Haki…

But seriously, why is Conqueror's Haki so common? How come two kids in this tiny village can awaken it? I've tried so hard, and I still haven't figured out how to develop it…

After thinking for a long time, Sett could only attribute the reason to one sentence—people are forced to do things.

Garp should be here soon.

Sett thought to himself—the range of Conqueror's Haki is very wide; it can be clearly felt even from a distance. However, for ordinary people, it's just a slight mental lapse or disorientation. But anyone who has actually come into contact with Conqueror's Haki can recognize it immediately.

Especially for a seasoned naval hero like Garp—according to that old man Zephyr, Pirate King Roger's Conqueror's Haki was one of the strongest on the entire sea.

As his arch-rival, it would be strange if Garp didn't know.

Sure enough, the flashing sound of a razor could be heard in the distance.

----------

The illness is basically cured. I applied burn ointment to my wrist and no blisters formed. I went back to my hometown for the Mid-Autumn Festival today, and will return to the city tomorrow. Depending on the situation, I expect to recover within two days. (8k updates daily...)

150. Defeat Sett

Just as Sett had imagined, with the awakening of Conqueror's Haki, the birds vanished, and an invisible spiritual shock swept across the land. Immediately afterward, as if sensing something, Garp, who had been chatting with an old friend, paused slightly, then raised his head with a solemn expression.

Conqueror's Haki—and it was an attack of two Conqueror's Haki!

Somewhat surprised, because even in the New World, only a select few can master Conqueror's Haki. Whether one possesses Conqueror's Haki depends entirely on innate talent. Although both are forms of Haki, they are completely different from Armament Haki and Observation Haki. If you have it, you either have it; you're born with it. If you don't, you don't; no amount of training will allow you to master it.

Like Garp, who is known as the Iron Fist and a Marine hero, one of the strongest beings on the seas. But even so, Garp hasn't awakened Conqueror's Haki... And now, in the small Windmill Village, two consecutive Conqueror's Haki attacks?

With a heavy heart, Garp didn't even have time to say goodbye to his old friends around him. Immediately afterward, his body transformed into afterimages and he rushed towards the direction from which the Conqueror's Haki was coming.

Was it Sett? On the way, Garp thought to himself—the foundation of awakening Conqueror's Haki is possessing absolute will and the aptitude to become king. In both aspects, Sett undoubtedly possessed the matching abilities. If it were Sett, then Garp wouldn't care. But just now, those were two bursts of Conqueror's Haki aura—had someone come seeking revenge on Sett?

While wondering what was going on, Garp had already arrived in the forest. But upon seeing the scene before him, Garp, who had been looking very serious, paused slightly.

"Uh... Sett? What are you doing?!"

If Garp saw anyone else holding their grandson by the neck like that, he would have rushed over without hesitation and delivered a fatal punch. But Sett was different—Garp knew from their brief encounter that Sett wouldn't stoop to such tricks. And more importantly, Garp's instincts told him that the Conqueror's Haki didn't come from Sett, but rather…from his own grandson?

Surprise and confusion coexisted as Garp was still pondering what was going on. Sett, standing to the side, curled his lip in disgust; "You two bastards are pretty tough, they can unleash their Conqueror's Haki with just a little scare... Damn, I've been working on this for over half a year and I still don't have a clue."

"Um?!"

Ace and Luffy initially felt a glimmer of hope upon seeing Garp's arrival. However, after overhearing their conversation, their hope was once again replaced by confusion and bewilderment.

Just then, Sett released his grip. The two boys were flung off with a whoosh, and before they could even cover their bottoms, the two little ones grabbed Sabo and ran behind Garp.

"Grandpa! He just tried to kill us!!!"

"That's right! He's already knocked Sabo and Makino unconscious! Using methods we can't see!!"

Hearing his two grandsons' words, Garp scratched his head, then looked up at Sett; "What's going on here?"

"I went out to kill a bunch of people, but I didn't expect to be seen by that curly-haired guy." Sett raised his chin at Ace, who had some naturally curly hair, and said nonchalantly, "He also said he was your grandson, so I thought I'd give it a try. I didn't expect to get two Conqueror's Haki... How annoying."

"He killed so many people!" Ace quickly added upon hearing this, "I saw it with my own eyes! Their throats were gone in an instant!"

“Bandits.” Sett pointed to the corpses behind him with his thumb, his face full of indifference. “I was just having a nice drink when they had to come looking for trouble. Might as well take care of them—an eight million bounty, and they were in the East Blue, so they probably didn’t do anything really bad. You’re welcome.”

Upon hearing this, before Ace could say anything, Garp said with a headache, "Ah! Is that so?... That's really a headache. It's good to let them practice on Luffy and the others!"

"Huh?" Ace didn't quite understand his grandfather's words, but after listening to the series of events, he realized that Sett and Garp seemed to have a close relationship. Even so, his doubts and hostility towards Sett didn't disappear; "No! That's not how it works! What about Makino and Sabo?! They just passed out!!"

Sett shrugged and remained silent. Just as Ace was gloating over finally finding evidence, Garp delivered a powerful punch to the top of his head.

"Don't talk! You brat! If it weren't for your Conqueror's Haki, they wouldn't have fainted!"

Adults are fine; a mature mind can still distinguish friend from foe to some extent, even in a moment of distraction. But for Ace and Luffy in their current state, expecting them to maintain this rationality in a desperate situation is clearly asking too much.

Even if the kids' Conqueror's Haki is weaker than others, it still can't withstand two consecutive attacks. If it were a monster like Sett, with his extremely strong physique and mind, it wouldn't matter—compared to Shanks' Conqueror's Haki, these two kids' Conqueror's Haki wouldn't even be a breeze to Sett. But Sabo and Makino… their resistance to Conqueror's Haki is basically negative.

Having traversed the seas for decades, even though he only heard a few words, Garp understood the problem. He nodded in understanding; "Let's clean up first... By the way, Makino, have you seen those corpses?"

“No,” Sett shrugged. “I encountered these bandits in the tavern, and I only came out to kill them so as not to affect Makino… who knew this little girl would follow me.”

"However, I was knocked unconscious by Conqueror's Haki as soon as I arrived, so I probably didn't see anything."

"That's good."

Hearing this, Garp nodded. Then, a smile suddenly appeared on his face. Standing there, his face filled with pride, he shouted, "Hahahaha!! Both of my grandsons have Conqueror's Haki! If Sengoku knew, his eyes would pop out of his head with envy!!!"

"Just you wait, Sett! My two grandsons will become the greatest Marines ever!!!"

"And, so vain."

Sett spat on the ground, annoyed by Garp's smug attitude, his eyes filled with disdain and irritation.

It's impossible for Sett not to have any thoughts about something he'd been trying to master being suddenly grasped by two noobs. At the same time, Sett was also extremely curious about the situation in Windmill Village. In the past, Sett had only encountered two people with Conqueror's Haki: Shanks, supposedly an apprentice crew member of the Pirate King, and Doflamingo, a Celestial Dragon in exile.

Each of them, taken individually, could shake the ocean to its core. But now? Two of them have suddenly appeared in this previously unknown windmill village.

While Sett was still puzzled and Garp was still feeling proud, Luffy, looking rather unhappy, ran out from behind Garp and shouted, "I don't want to be a Marine! I want to be a pirate!!"

"Oh ho~"

Upon hearing this, Sett raised an eyebrow. Although Garp didn't say it, Sett could guess—Dragon's departure had a significant impact on Garp. From the very beginning, Garp had been grooming Dragon as his successor. Who knew that in the end, his successor not only left the Navy but also joined the Revolutionary Army and went against the World Government.

This sense of uncertainty about who would succeed him made Garp pay extra attention to his grandsons—he began rigorous training them from a young age, hoping they would inherit his mantle and become a powerful navy.

And now, as expected, they have all demonstrated formidable talent. Two of the three have awakened the one-in-a-million Conqueror's Haki—a mark that guarantees their ascension to the ranks of the strong.

Just as I was feeling happy, he suddenly said he wanted to be a pirate...

Turning his head blankly, Garp saw the determination on Luffy's face and his gaze remained indifferent. Then, he raised his clenched fist; "What did you say?"

"I want to be a pirate!!!"

"Idiot! Don't say that in front of Grandpa!!!"

Hearing Luffy's words and noticing Garp's expression, Ace keenly sensed something was amiss—Luffy and Garp clearly looked like grandfather and grandson. While this might sound strange, they were indeed like Sett, incapable of lying. However, there was a difference: Sett didn't lie because he was too lazy to bother, arrogantly believing there was no need to use methods that lowered purity. Garp and Luffy, on the other hand, simply didn't even have the concept of deception in their minds—in short, they were a bit slow on the uptake. They'd probably be fooled from beginning to end in games like murder mystery or werewolf.