Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

Sure enough, their reputation was too small, resulting in inconsistent skill levels among both their officers and underlings. Two bounty hunters had already kept them occupied for so long, but there was nothing they could do about it.

Crocodile thought to himself. Although his subordinates were relatively weak, Crocodile only cared about his own strength. Once he found Pluton and possessed the power to challenge the World Government and even those great pirates with the title of Emperor, all kinds of crew members would flock to him.

My current forbearance is merely a buildup for a future outburst.

And most importantly, Daz is already there. With Daz's strength, he probably wouldn't have to worry about dealing with those small-time bounty hunters in a small place like the East Blue for long, right?

Thinking this, a whiff of blood reached Crocodile's nose. He twitched his nose slightly, then said with a hint of exasperation, "Darz, I told you, from now on, wipe the blade clean after you see blood, otherwise it'll stick to your body when you revert to human form!"

The ability to transform his body into sharp blades—if Daz killed someone and didn't clean up before reverting to human form, the stench of blood in the summer would be unbearable. Crocodile has mentioned this more than once, and Daz has always done a good job of it. Why the sudden change today?

Just then, Sett's voice came from the side: "Haha, you must be Crocodile?"

"Um?!"

Upon hearing the unfamiliar voice, Crocodile instinctively turned his head. But what met his face was a powerful iron fist that shattered his head into a cloud of flying sand!

Absolute violence.

The moment the iron fist slammed down, Crocodile could even feel the deafening roar. Under such immense force, the flying sand felt more like shotgun ammunition than actual gravel.

The once somewhat dark house was instantly transformed by the splashes of yellow sand, creating numerous small holes that reflected the sunlight.

Ultimately, he came from the New World. Although he has never learned Haki and has no Haki of all three types, that doesn't mean Crocodile is weak. Well, he is weak.

At least in Sett's view, he was no different from the weak.

Even as a weakling, Crocodile was capable of contending with Bullet, the descendant of a demon. The powerful Sand-Sand Fruit's abilities could even somewhat compensate for the impact of not mastering Haki on Crocodile!

Because in the very next moment, driven by his keen combat instincts, Crocodile's first choice after his head was blasted apart was not to immediately regenerate it, but to control his arm, which instantly transformed into a scimitar of quicksand.

Crescent-shaped dunes!!!

Wherever it passed, the moisture in the air visibly decreased. And upon contact with Sett's body, the quicksand's scimitar caused no external damage, not even a slit in the flesh. But terrifyingly, a dry, cracked line appeared on Sett's skin at a visible speed.

The answer is water!

The Sand-Sand Fruit's power is absolutely superficial, merely the ability to turn sand into dust and control sand. Unlike the training methods of those Admiral candidates who combine Haki with their Devil Fruit abilities, Crocodile is well aware that the Sand-Sand Fruit's power is as comprehensive as those of top-tier Logia-type Devil Fruits, so he focuses more on developing the fruit's potential.

Just like now, thanks to Crocodile's development, the Sand-Sand Fruit has acquired the property of absorbing water. And without having to sever the opponent's body, Crocodile, coming from the New World, knows better than anyone how tough the bodies of those body-cultivating monsters are.

Therefore, thanks to Crocodile's development, it is possible to continuously absorb the water from the other's body simply by making contact. But that's not right now!

Crocodile's eyes narrowed, and he could clearly feel that his water intake was not as fast as he had expected.

If it were an ordinary person, Crocodile could have instantly dried them out, turning them into a mummy covered in desiccated marks. But now, while he was indeed absorbing moisture from the other's body, the process was far too slow. It was less about directly drying them out and turning them into a desiccated corpse, and more about slowly causing parts of the torso to dry out and crack due to the resulting skin cracking!

Just as Crocodile was still thinking, a sudden, intense feeling of suffocation surged from his throat. A large hand, gleaming with the luster of steel and wreathed in Armament Haki, had somehow already gripped his neck.

"So this is all you're capable of? That's really disappointing!"

As he spoke, it was as if he had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Sett grabbed Crocodile and threw him to the ground.

Using the Sand-Sand Fruit, Crocodile transformed into a streak of sand and dodged to the side the moment he touched the ground.

As he regained his physical form, Crocodile clutched his throat with his right arm, panting heavily. His slicked-back hair and face were filled with astonishment and Armament Haki!

Is this the Four Seas? Is this the weakest of the Four Seas, the East Sea? Why does even a bounty hunter have Armament Haki?

Thinking this, Crocodile raised his head and looked at Sett's face. Upon seeing Sett's malicious expression, Crocodile quickly realized where the problem lay.

"Sett, Sett?!"

Crocodile, his face grim, stood up and asked gravely, "Why are you here?!"

"Do I need to tell you where your father is?" Hearing Crocodile's words, Sett cracked his neck with a malicious grin and said, "But you actually know me? Looks like you've been keeping an eye on me!"

While Sett may be lazy in his thinking, it doesn't mean he's slow-witted. Crocodile calls him Sett the Undead, not Sett the Fallen Kingdom. The implications of this are far more complex than simply a difference in wording.

"Sett of the Fallen Kingdom" is the name given to him by the newspapers, something that even those hearing the name for the first time know. "Sett," on the other hand, is a identity known only to a select few.

Especially considering this is the East Blue, the fact that they know the name "Sett" suggests that Crocodile has paid some attention to the West Blue.

Upon hearing Sett's words, Crocodile narrowed his eyes, clearly having paid attention.

The target is the Ancient Weapon Pluton. According to the information Crocodile possesses, the Alabasta Kingdom should have a history about Pluton. In this world, apart from some Celestial Dragon scholars who may exist in the Holy Land Mary Geoise, there is also the Omniscient Tree Ohara, the island of scholars in the West Blue.

Ohara was destroyed in the Buster Call six years ago. Only the demon children Nico and Robin survived. Through relentless investigation, Crocodile's only knowledge was that Nico and Robin's existence might be related to the Casino of the Arms.

Sett is the casino's behind-the-scenes owner, but his identity is far too special. The Navy, the World Government, and even some of the most powerful pirates in the New World are all watching him closely. Acting rashly could make him a target of everyone's attention.

Crocodile, being naturally patient, temporarily abandoned his plans for the Armor Casino and instead went to the West Blue to search for other useful information to find his own answers.

And now

Is it by chance?

Crocodile was somewhat unsure about judging others by his own standards. As far as Crocodile was concerned, he didn't think that someone who could run such a large casino and had close ties with the Navy would be the reckless person he was rumored to be.

Think back to the most valuable thing you possess: the Ancient Weapon, Hades!

"Always trying to take my fruits?" Thinking this, Crocodile's eyes also revealed a serious look. Doflamingo, who knew about this in Impel Down, would probably say he was an expert.

Not knowing what Crocodile was thinking, Sett nodded in satisfaction after seeing the determination in Crocodile's eyes.

"Not bad, at least your eyesight is good, little sandworm."

I'll get some rest early tonight. I'll see if I can write more tomorrow, it's the weekend. And I'm never drinking coffee again. Damn it, long live sparkling water!!!

Also, considering insomnia and getting up early, this is already the third update today, my friends! You're welcome! Serving the readers!

159. Consequences of a failed trade...

Crocodile's gaze was heavy as he stared at Sett. There was no doubt that Sett had come prepared; this was evident in his battle-ready eyes.

Unfortunately, Crocodile was overthinking things—judging others by his own standards. While Crocodile's heart wasn't exactly despicable, it was certainly no saint. Even with Daz, who was utterly loyal to him, Crocodile had doubts about him more than once. Even now, his trust in Daz was only slightly higher than that in his other subordinates.

He's a complex individual who trusts no one. In Crocodile's mind, Sett, as the mastermind behind the Sett casino, is definitely not as ruthless as he appears. At the very least, he's certainly not as barbaric as the newspapers portray him!

As it turns out, Crocodile was really overthinking things... Sett's goal from the beginning has always been the same.

Beat him up!!

With this pure thought in mind, Sett stretched his shoulders, his eyes filled with madness, and suddenly lifted his thigh, the sand and gravel flying everywhere as he hit the ground was like a cannonball exploding.

boom!!!

With the howling wind rushing past his ears, and seeing Sett appear before him almost in a flash, Crocodile's arms instinctively transformed into a cloud of yellow sand, connecting with the ground to form a sturdy shield. This heavy sand shield, connected to the ley lines beneath his feet, made him confident he could defend against not only Sett's attacks but even Whitebeard's powerful slashes!

Or perhaps, this was a move he had prepared to save for Whitebeard!

While his battle with the demon descendant Bullet ended in a draw, Crocodile's fame spread far and wide. In the original storyline, Crocodile should now be considered a candidate for the Seven Warlords of the Sea. However, the situation is different now. The Seven Warlord plan has been greatly delayed due to Sett's influence, forcing Crocodile to continue to bide his time instead of directly challenging Whitebeard as he did in the original storyline to further solidify his position as a Warlord.

Although they hadn't faced the battle yet, Crocodile had already undertaken a series of preparations beforehand. Like now, the heavy sand shield could redirect all impacts to the ground. This even included Whitebeard's shockwave—the power to shatter internal organs was no joke! It was far safer to transfer the impact to the ground than to bear it with one's own body!

With a single punch, the shield of yellow sand, now infused with moisture, channeled its force to the ground through its stable mechanical structure—even without studying physics, as is often the case now, people unconsciously learn some strange and unusual knowledge in the process of diligently studying.

To this, Sett's face broke into a smile: "Poor and weak!!"

"Um?!"

While Crocodile was still wondering, Sett, to Crocodile's incredulous gaze, rapidly began waving his arms. He didn't stop breathing; instead, he unleashed a deadly six-second burst of energy!

It didn't even last six seconds. The Sand Shield, which Crocodile believed could withstand at least one fatal blow from Whitebeard, only lasted two seconds. After two seconds, the heavy Sand Shield cracked at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Then, perhaps having grown tired of the game, or perhaps because his bones had fully stretched, a faint but undeniable golden light flashed on the tip of Sett's right fist.

Armament Haki of Heroic Spirit – Penetrating Power!

In Crocodile's suddenly fixed gaze, the erupting power was like a river bursting its banks. The sturdy mechanical structure of the Sand Shield began to crumble at a visible speed. Not only the shield itself, but also the ground it was connected to was shattered. It collapsed with a deafening roar, the shaking ley lines resembling a small earthquake.

Crocodile dodged away, realizing Sett's terrifying power, and quickly said, "Let's make a deal!"

"A deal? What kind of deal?"

Upon hearing Crocodile's words, Sett raised an eyebrow in confusion. Why bring up trading? Had he ever said he was there to drum up business?

Faced with Sett's doubts, Crocodile thought to himself, "What a show-off," and then looked up and said, "About Nico and Robin."

Upon hearing this, Sett's eyes narrowed slightly: "Robin...you seem to know quite a lot?"

"Not much, just some information." Looking at Sett's expression, Crocodile became even more certain that Sett definitely had information about Robin. At the same time, he became even more certain that Sett was definitely like him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have such a serious expression...

Seemingly to gain Sett's trust, or perhaps for future cooperation, Crocodile proactively stated, "I am very interested in the Poneglyphs, but I cannot decipher them. Therefore, I once went to the West Blue to search for scholars who could decipher the Poneglyphs."

“But you know, Ohara is destroyed, so I could only look for the legendary Devil Child… I found the Capone family, and they told me that the Devil Child was connected to the Armstrong Casino.”

"So I went to the Wrist Casino, but no matter what the price, they didn't give me any response... You're the owner of the Wrist Casino, and you should know everything, right?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Sett didn't speak—but his expression was somewhat strange.

Sett wasn't surprised that the Casino of the Sett hadn't responded—because this guy named Crocodile clearly didn't know that the paper fan at the Casino of the Sett was Robin.

In his mind, Robin is probably being held captive by the Armstrong Casino and hidden somewhere...

Unfortunately, Sett never cared about Robin's identity from the beginning. He couldn't be bothered with the idea of ​​her being the child of a demon, and he couldn't even comprehend what kind of cowardly government would be afraid of such a little girl and give her the name of a demon.

And thinking about it carefully, Crocodile contacted the Armor Casino hoping they would betray their boss... Once Crocodile learns of Robin's true identity at the Armor Casino, even if Robin doesn't say anything, given Crocodile's pride, he'll probably kill her to silence her...

There's no way around it, just thinking about it is just too embarrassing.

"So what is your purpose?" Sett didn't rush to refute Crocodile's words; he was still somewhat curious. After all, the World Government strictly forbade the study of the Poneglyphs. Like now... He was actually proactively saying he wanted to find someone who could decipher the Poneglyphs... Sett didn't believe he didn't have some ulterior motive.

Although he considered Sett to be like himself, the matter of Hades was of great importance, and being naturally suspicious, Crocodile did not intend to reveal everything so easily. He simply said, "I'm just curious about what happened during the Void Century... Let's talk about Nico and Robin."

Crocodile said, "Obviously, you know Nico and Robin. Judging from your close relationship with the Marines, you must be plotting something... But none of that matters. What matters is that you have Nico and Robin, and that's enough."

"With Nico and Robin under our control, we'll have the power to make the World Government wary. At that point, once we've completed my plan, we can even withstand the pursuit of a Marine Admiral if we unite!"

"Stop talking nonsense." Hearing Crocodile's words, Sett shook his head indifferently: "I'm asking you what your purpose is."

"...I can't tell you that."

Realizing that Sett seemed unaware of Pluto's existence, Crocodile was even less inclined to reveal more information—from birth, Crocodile had never been one to share. Especially information about Pluto; once he obtained the true Pluto, Crocodile wouldn't need to remain confined to the Four Seas or the Paradise in the first half of the Grand Line.

With that terrifying destructive power, they can even find a foothold in the New World!

On this point, Crocodile and Sett are in complete agreement—being the eldest brother feels much better than not being one!

Upon hearing that Crocodile wasn't going to tell him, Sett's face broke into a sinister grin: "You're keeping quiet while yelling that you want to take my little Robin away? You're dreaming, aren't you, you little sandworm!"

"So it seems there's no room for negotiation?"

Upon hearing this, Crocodile narrowed his eyes—he wasn't surprised by the outcome. That's how pirates are, even bounty hunters. On the high seas, whether it's the Navy or anything else, the final outcome usually involves a battle.