Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

"Baroque Studio".

Hawkeye, standing to the side, shook the wanted poster in his hand.

Unlike ordinary bounty hunters who only have access to pictures and bounty posters, these posters, coming from within the Navy, also record the pirates' actions and the strength of their fleets. Like now, besides some information about Crocodile himself, it also mentions the criminal organization called Baroque Works, led by Crocodile.

"They are all pirates, with bounties ranging from five million to thirty million. The lower-level members are the millionaires and millionaires, numbering around seven hundred. The officers are addressed by their agent code names, with smaller numbers indicating greater strength."

As he spoke, Hawkeye put away the wanted poster, his face showing little sign of seriousness, and his manner of speaking was even quite casual: "Crocodile's codename is MR. 0."

"Fancy and gaudy."

Hearing Hawkeye's words, Sett curled his lip in disdain, not bothering to hide his voice: "These trash dare to call themselves elders? I think they're tired of living. But that Crocodile codename is pretty good, because his bounty will be zero after today!"

Neither Hawkeye nor Sett concealed their voices during their conversation. Their open conspiracy was so blatant that several of the eyes that had been watching from the shadows quickly disappeared, clearly having run off to inform Sett and his group. The remaining eyes emerged from the shops surrounding the street, glaring at Sett and his companions with hostile expressions.

The streets were getting crowded, some even having come from other places. Their gazes were hostile, their long guns and pistols fixed on Sett and his group.

Despite the hostile stares, Sett and Hawkeye continued to stroll leisurely down the middle of the street.

Seemingly sensing Sett and the others' indifference, a burly man dressed like a low-ranking official stepped forward, carrying a steel knife: "Damn it, you just mentioned Baroque!"

Upon hearing this, Sett raised an eyebrow, and before the burly man could finish speaking, he spat a mouthful of saliva at him.

He didn't even bother to lift a finger, nor did he exert much force. The harmless spittle splattered onto his face, triggering his combat state and instantly activating the "Anxiety" talent within his minor ability. In an instant, the spittle seemed to transform into corrosive acid, and with a sizzling sound, the burly man collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony.

For powerful individuals, the damage from scorching, while negligible, would never cause the massive destruction seen here. More often than not, it would only inflict secondary damage on existing wounds. But for these lowly minions, even mere saliva, imbued with the effects of scorching, would transform into a corrosive and dangerous liquid.

As the first person fell, the other henchmen realized that a battle was inevitable, and they rushed towards Sett and Hawkeye as if they had been injected with hormones.

"Go ahead," Hawkeye said nonchalantly. "These guys aren't even interested in making me draw my sword."

"Don't talk like I'd get excited."

Hearing Hawkeye's words, Sett grinned unhappily: "It's not like I'm into anything."

Even so, the chaotic rush of people was quite annoying. So, I clenched my fist and then slammed it into the air!

The instant the hand was swung, a gust of wind surged forth. The explosive force of the energy roared outwards in all directions. The next moment, figures flew through the air, and the henchmen who were charging towards Sett and his group were blasted away at three times the speed. Even the surrounding buildings and signs swayed precariously in the powerful wind.

A force that penetrates the body!

Through continuous development, Sett's mastery of skills is no longer as rigid and inflexible as it was at the beginning. The penetrating force that could only cause damage in a cone-shaped area in front of the fist has, after Sett's development, been able to unleash a radiating shockwave from the fist as it is now.

While it's not very useful in evenly matched battles, it's more than twice as effective against these grunts!

Meanwhile, Crocodile raised his eyebrows in annoyance upon hearing his subordinate's report.

"Bounty hunters? They've come looking for me? Looks like they're tired of living!!"

Upon hearing that they were two bounty hunters, Crocodile's eyes showed little seriousness, but rather disdain. Having come from the New World and having fought a draw against the legendary demon descendant Barrett, Crocodile considered the New World to be nothing more than a beginner's pit of easy prey.

“Looks like a bounty of fifty million is still too low, attracting a bunch of fools to come looking for trouble,” Crocodile said, stretching his neck. “Number One, go and take care of your former colleagues.”

Upon hearing Crocodile's words, Daz and Bones, both in their early teens, nodded silently.

Despite his young age, Daz was once a renowned bounty hunter in the West Blue. He had been training since childhood, possessing a muscular physique, a buzz cut, and a scar over his right eye, giving him an incredibly tough and wiry appearance.

Besides these, there's also Daz's Paramecia-type Devil Fruit, the Quick-Slash Fruit. Daz can transform any part of his body into an incredibly sharp steel blade. While it might not seem impressive, it actually gives Daz a body and internal organs with steel-like strength. It's not a matter of blade or back; it's the steel-like strength of every part of his body.

It can be said that the Quick-Cut Fruit makes Daz virtually invincible within the Four Seas. While there are many different types of Devil Fruit users in the Grand Line, most battles in the Four Seas involve long-range artillery fire and troop-to-troop executions. Furthermore, the steel-like strength of his body allows Daz to completely ignore the threats of muskets and cannons.

Aside from the problem of being unable to attack Logia-type entities, from other people's perspectives, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Daz has directly mastered Armament Haki hardening.

Moreover, unlike those useless people who rely solely on Devil Fruit abilities, even after acquiring a Devil Fruit, Daz never gave up on training his body; his bulging muscles are proof of his hard work!

"A bounty hunter too? Never mind." Daz's eyes were filled with a cold glint. Initially, Daz had only started hunting Crocodile because of his bounty. However, after the actual battle, Daz could clearly feel Crocodile's strength. Later, he was even more captivated by Crocodile's charisma and became his loyal subordinate.

Just like now, upon hearing that they were two former colleagues, Daz didn't show the disdain that others might have, after all, he himself was a bounty hunter. If the opportunity arose, perhaps he could even be crafted into a subordinate member of Baroque Works.

While bounty hunters vary in skill level, one thing is certain: the vast majority who dare to become bounty hunters have some confidence in their own strength. Otherwise, they wouldn't dare to hunt pirates. If their strength is decent...

Thinking this, Daz strode outside. He strolled leisurely along, feeling little challenge. The Baroque Works was essentially a slightly larger underground organization—yes, an underground organization, like a mafia. Although they carried a pirate flag, unlike those arrogant and domineering great pirates, Crocodile knew how to quietly amass wealth.

While this was safer and avoided attracting a large-scale naval crackdown, it also resulted in fewer people joining the Baroque Works.

Those who have a large number of Devil Fruit users as executives, like in the future, only achieved this after becoming Shichibukai and securing their strength and influence.

As things stand, Crocodile has no more than three subordinates with Devil Fruit powers, including Daz, and their skill levels vary greatly. Aside from Daz, the others are all useless individuals who rely solely on their Devil Fruit abilities and neglect training.

If they encounter Sett, a single basic attack with Armament Haki can send them to their doom.

Perhaps because they saw Settina's strength far exceeded their ability to handle it, after a group of the surrounding henchmen were blasted away, the remaining ones also shrank back and stood there waiting for the officers to deal with them.

A moment later, at the end of the road, a black-clad, towering man appeared before Sett and the others.

“Your journey ends here, bounty hunter.” As he spoke, Daz tore off his clothes, revealing his muscular chest.

"Baroque Works is not as simple as you think."

Upon hearing this, Sett curled his lip in disdain.

Standing in front of Daz, looking down at the little bald boy in front of him, his eyes were full of disdain: "Why don't you go back and drink a few glasses of milk to grow taller?"

Sett is certainly qualified to say that now.

Previously, Sett kept his height around 2.34 meters. However, with a new round of training, Sett's height has increased again, especially in terms of bone development.

His tough bones kept cracking and healing. Even if Sett wanted to control it, the bone growth during the healing process inevitably increased Sett's size and height.

After a month and a half of continuous growth, Sett's bones had become nearly one-seventh thicker than before. They were much harder and larger. As a result, Sett's height had also increased to 2.94 meters. If it weren't for the increase in length, Sett would definitely look extremely bulky now.

In his previous life, this would definitely be considered gigantism; a normal person would have great difficulty even standing. But in this world, it doesn't matter. While three-meter-tall strongmen aren't rare, they're not exactly uncommon either. Like the current general candidates, the average height is just over three meters. Those long legs, in Sett's previous life, would have been considered the epitome of leggy prowess. Just one shot at the basket while playing ball would be enough to show the opponent what despair is, and what an insurmountable wall truly means.

Hawkeye is two meters tall, and when they walk together, it looks like a father taking his son for a stroll.

Hearing Sett's words, Daz wasn't angry. He was naturally somewhat aloof, and simply held out his palm, saying, "I've killed more than one tall guy."

As he spoke, Daz's hand, in Sett's sight, slightly curved his fingers, but that was all; he didn't continue to bend and clench his fist. Instead, it reached out towards Sett like an eagle's claw.

In that instant, a sound like blades slicing through the air rang out. Almost in a flash, a cold light flashed across Sett's vision as the inside of Daz's rootless fingers transformed into incredibly sharp blades. Reflecting a sharp and cold gleam in the sunlight, they resembled five eagle-claw daggers!

"Roar"

Seeing this, Sett's brow furrowed slightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes. Judging from that physique, so strong, he'd assumed the man was a martial arts practitioner. But now it seemed he also possessed a Devil Fruit ability.

Despite possessing a Devil Fruit, he hasn't given up on his training. This battle might not be as boring as one might expect.

Thinking this, before Sett could make a move, suddenly, the sound of clashing swords rang out. Accompanying the crisp sound was a spark.

Holding a knife in one hand, Hawkeye positioned his Sharp Blade Rusty Velvet in front of Sett and Daz.

"I want this guy."

Although he didn't say anything more, it was clear that Hawkeye was very interested in Daz's abilities.

Upon hearing this, before Sett could say anything, Daz, standing to the side, gripped the sharp blade of Rusty Velvet with a menacing expression: "A swordsman, huh? To others, your swift blade might be dangerous. But now? Give up. Because no swordsman has ever been able to harm me!!"

It wasn't arrogance or overbearing, but rather a long-standing confidence; every corner of his body possessed the strength of steel. In a game like Four Seas, where it was a weak and unfavorable matchup, Daz's offensive power aside, his defensive capabilities alone made him virtually invincible.

Upon hearing Daz's words, Hawkeye merely raised an eyebrow slightly. Then, a sharp glint flashed across his face. By the time Daz reacted, the longsword that had been positioned between Sett and Daz had already been sheathed by Hawkeye.

At the same time, there was a piercing pain in his ten fingers, which were connected to his heart. Along with the rusty velvet that had been sheathed, three fingers rose into the air, scattering scarlet blood as they fell to the ground.

With a slight tilt of his head, Hawkeye's gaze showed no excitement, only his usual calm and innate sharpness.

Like a pool of flashing blades, "It's just cutting iron, is it that difficult?"

Today's 8k is over, time to go exercise. My back is a little sore from sitting all day.

158. Judging others by oneself

Looking at Daz before him, Hawkeye's gaze was calm. Indeed, there were many enemies in this world that Hawkeye could not defeat. But one thing was certain: Daz was definitely not among them.

Although Daz didn't give up his training despite the power of his Devil Fruit, a commendable trait in a small place like the Four Seas, he was still not considered a formidable opponent by Hawkeye.

Hawkeye, the master of Iron-Cutting Realm, had already mastered the ability to listen to the breath of all things long before he met Sett, and then unleashed his essence and spirit along the blade in an instant.

For ordinary people, this might be a level they could never comprehend or reach in their entire lives. But for Hawkeye, it was a technique he had easily mastered years ago. Yes, what is an unattainable level in the eyes of ordinary people is just a swordsman's skill in Hawkeye's eyes.

Moreover, Sett wasn't the only one who had been training. During his time recuperating at Isshin Dojo, Hawkeye had been sparring and exchanging techniques with Koushirou almost every day. As a result, his black sword, which wasn't very stable at first, had been honed to perfection and was ready to be drawn at any time to strike.

but now

Looking at Daz in front of him, Hawkeye simply wiped the blade calmly: "You're just a whetstone, nothing more."

For a swordsman, combat is a necessary form of training—that's true for any warrior. However, there's a subtle difference for swordsmen. Beyond their physical abilities, swordsmen also need to become familiar with the blade in their hands. In other words, swordsmen must cultivate a deep connection and understanding between themselves and their weapon.

While he might not be good enough as an enemy, he's certainly good enough as a whetstone, given Daz's physical strength.

Sensing Hawkeye's indifference, Daz dared not show the slightest disrespect. Instead, a grave expression crossed his face. Three severed fingers lay on the ground, but Daz had no time to pick them up. Blood gushed uncontrollably; thankfully, it was only his fingers. If it had been his arm, Daz would likely already be suffering from numerous symptoms of excessive blood loss. Not everyone is like Sett and Garp, able to directly manipulate their muscles to compress blood vessels and stop bleeding.

"Then I'll leave him to you. I'm going to check on that guy named Crocodile."

As he spoke, Sett ignored Daz, waved to Hawkeye, and started walking away.

Seeing this, out of admiration for Crocodile, Daz instinctively reached out to stop him. But as soon as Daz reached out, Sett grabbed his wrist.

His gaze turned cold, devoid of any melancholy. Daz's arm was like a giant, activated cutting machine; rows of circular saw blades appeared on his already thick, hard arm, constantly rotating. An ordinary person would likely have their hand sliced ​​to pieces the instant it made contact.

Unfortunately, just as Daz was still thinking, a strong resistance came from his arm. Like thick leather, the sharp blades slowed down visibly the moment they touched Sett's palm, and eventually, no matter how hard Daz tried, he couldn't make the saw blades turn even an inch.

In the past, even with Sett's physical strength, he would probably have been cut by such a high-speed rotating saw blade. But now it's different. Through continuous training, calluses have formed on Sett's palms, between his fingers, at the tips of his fists, and at every point of contact with his hands!

As bones harden, calluses form on the knuckles, and the pain receptors in the arms become dulled and numb.

With a slight exertion, it produced the sound of metal clashing and bones cracking.

Dazna's arm, possessing the strength of steel, was twisted grotesquely under Settna's terrifying brute force. Sharp bones pierced flesh, blood gushing out, and the intense pain, along with the severed fingers of his other arm, surged into his heart. Even with Dazna's resilient spirit, he couldn't help but pale with shock for a moment.

"Well!!"

But it was just a quick pinch, and then Sett threw Daz's arm aside.

"Then they're yours."

"Ah."

Upon hearing this, he nodded silently and stood in the middle of the street, arms crossed, calmly watching the scene unfold before him.

Unlike Sett's indiscriminate nature, Hawkeye is much more selective about his opponents. And now, although Daz's strength is only average, his unique Devil Fruit ability still attracts Hawkeye's attention—a rather intriguing humanoid giant sword.

Meanwhile, Sett walked arrogantly into the town, in the direction Daz had come from.

Meanwhile, Crocodile was organizing the information he had found, preparing to go back and analyze it properly. He didn't take Sett and the others seriously at all; in fact, he didn't even know the visitors were Sett. He just assumed they were petty thieves, bounty hunters eyeing his money.

Based on this, Crocodile was even somewhat dissatisfied that it was necessary to waste so much time on just two bounty hunters.