Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

Hearing Donley's words, Sett paid no attention, placing his right hand on his left arm. His left arm swung wildly in the air.

"Because the spoils weren't divided equally!"

"Unequal distribution of spoils? That's a big problem!"

Upon hearing this, Dorry, who was once the captain of the Giant Warrior Pirates, crossed his arms and nodded seriously, saying, "Good captain, we can't have conflicts over the division of spoils... But speaking of which, what did you divide up?"

"You two."

"……Clam?"

Upon hearing this, Donley, wearing a helmet, also showed a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "The two of us?"

Not only Dorry, but even Brogy, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but lean in and ask with a grin, "Hehehe, so how are you planning to divide it?"

Hawkeye casually tossed his sword to the ground. Even from a distance, a clear scratch remained. Like a line segment marking the start of a match, crossing it signified the beginning of the game.

"Whoever wins will fight both of you."

As they spoke, Hawkeye and Sett walked to opposite sides of the line, less than fifty centimeters apart. Although they didn't say much, the fighting spirit in their eyes was unmistakable.

Upon hearing Sett and Hawkeye's battle objective, Dorry and Brogy exchanged a glance and burst into laughter. Then, with a thud, accompanied by the sound of an avalanche, the two sat cross-legged behind Sett and Hawkeye, saying:

"Then it's settled! We'll be the referees! In the name of the War God of Elbaf! We will absolutely not favor any of you!!"

As they talked, each grabbed a keg of beer and clinked glasses—though the fight wasn't going to happen today, the current situation was far more interesting than a brawl. After all, in the past eighty years, they had fought over seven thousand matches without a clear winner. And now… watching others fight was far more satisfying than fighting yourself.

Especially since both sides in the fight are strong individuals, observing such a battle between strong individuals is highly beneficial even for them!

For two giants over twenty meters tall, the wine glasses in their hands are just ordinary wine glasses. But for ordinary people, the wine glasses in their hands could easily be mistaken for wine barrels.

And so, in the instant of their collision, the liquor splashed everywhere. And just as the droplets were about to touch Hawkeye and Sett—*whoosh!*

The sound of shaving rang out at that moment, and immediately the two figures began close combat.

The rusty velvet knife is four feet long, and logically speaking, fighting it while trembling is not a good choice. However, it is clear that Sett also knows that close combat is not a good thing for Hawkeye, so from the beginning he had no intention of letting Hawkeye create distance—Sett knew Hawkeye's strength.

Sett never took Hawkeye's frequent talk of becoming the world's greatest swordsman as a joke—because he knew that Hawkeye's pride was not just empty talk.

Having reached the level of the Black Blade, Hawkeye is now a renowned swordsman even in the New World. Sett has no intention of holding back against such an enemy—he might be willing to go easy on others, but to face Hawkeye would be an insult to himself!

As Sett raised his fist, a red light rose from the depths of his eyes. The moment Hawkeye saw this red light, he narrowed his eyes, thinking, "It's begun!"

Hawkeye has lost count of how many times he's watched Sett fight. Although he talks a lot about how crude he is, Hawkeye knows better than anyone Sett's terrifying endurance and explosive power—especially in the very first moment, when the red light flashes and that's when Sett's attack is at its most rapid.

And this swift moment, if interpreted in a more accurate way, is—the Conqueror's Blade!

boom!!!

The fist struck with a deafening roar. The sudden, sharp gust of wind ripped across Hawkeye's face, leaving a gash as if cut by a knife. Along with this mark, Hawkeye could clearly feel a strange surge of energy within his body—a powerful attack!

Having observed this more than once, Hawkeye knew better than anyone that when this energy reached its third level, it would erupt violently, directly impacting Sett's enemy's organs from within. Coupled with Sett's swift pre-battle offensive, anyone slightly weaker than Sett would lose half their life in a single exchange!

But there was no other way. Gritting his teeth, he endured the three consecutive, incredibly swift punches. Even with Hawkeye's speed, he could only barely block one of them with the blade. The steel edge gave Sett a hard and sharp sensation. In that instant of bloodshed, he subdued his opponent's power, the force penetrating his body!

With the passive enhancement from Ragnarok, Sett's physique and bone strength have reached a new level. Although it hasn't completely alleviated the negative effects of his bones lagging behind his muscles and organs in growth, his strength is still far beyond what ordinary people can imagine.

With a 1000-point economic lead at the start, you'll be crushed from the start, both online and in team fights!

The penetrating force struck him head-on, and at the moment of injury, Hawkeye could feel three streams of energy erupting within him. In reality, the damage wasn't as immense as he had imagined. While swordsmen may not be as physically trained as pure body-cultivators like Sett, it depends on the comparison. Compared to ordinary people, Hawkeye's physical strength is still monstrous.

The powerful burst of energy caused three bursts of energy to vibrate within Hawkeye's body. His organs were slightly affected, and Hawkeye could feel a sharp pain in his abdomen. If it were just pain, Hawkeye wouldn't have cared much even if an arm were twisted off. What truly made Hawkeye frown was the impact of the violent energy from the inside out on the hardening of his Armament Haki throughout his body.

Although black wasn't explicitly visible, Hawkeye's body was constantly hardened with Armament Haki. It's just that because he needed to maintain the black blade, its intensity wasn't as concentrated in his body as Sett's.

Now, affected by the strong attack, Hawkeye can clearly feel that the intensity of his Armament Haki hardening has decreased by at least 10%!

Is this the damage increase Sett mentioned?

Hawkeye could sense that the energy within his body hadn't actually dissipated. Connected to Sett's energy, as Sett continued his attacks, the energy within Hawkeye would also be impacted by this energy!

The combined effect of the two forces increases the destructive power by at least 15%!

With this thought in mind, Hawkeye's gaze sharpened. The instant Sett launched his fierce attack, a cold glint appeared in his eyes.

"One-Sword Style, Eagle Cleave!"

With a tremor in the blade, the sharp longsword emitted a piercing whistle in an instant. Then, the horizontal slash, like an incredibly sharp razor, struck Sett's fist squarely.

Even with his Armament Haki hardened, Hawkeye's longsword was far superior to those guys Sett had previously considered trash.

Just like now, the thick, hard knuckles, dulled by constant training, were directly sliced ​​open. The long-lost stinging sensation jolted Sett's mind clear. Blood splattered, but the calluses on his knuckles were far from useless. With the first layer of resistance, the blade's power rapidly diminished. In the end, it was even harder, pressed down hard by Sett's knuckles—

"Indeed, if it weren't for Ragnarok, this finger bone would have been cut off by at least two-tenths!"

Through constant training, Armament Haki had practically seeped into Sett's very bones. Having withstood the blade's edge, Sett spun around and unleashed a powerful kick. A whooshing sound filled the air, and a few golden rays lingered around his toes—Armament Haki of Mighty Will, Kick!

His gaze shifted, Hawkeye held his longsword close to his body, his left arm braced against the blade. But even in this way, resisting Sett's kick, he was still sent flying like a black soccer ball the instant his Armament Haki erupted.

Seeing this, a glint of golden light flickered in Sett's eyes. The long-awaited bloodshed had stirred even his dormant pride, causing it to boil over like hot water!

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That's it for today's 8k post... I'll see how it goes tomorrow. Damn it, I got home late last night to write, and by the time I finished, it was past midnight. My perfect attendance bonus for this month is gone...

164. Fierce Battle with Hawkeye

"Here we go, Pheasant!!!"

With a roar, Sett's face was filled with restless fighting spirit. In Hawkeye's view, standing in mid-air, Sett's body suddenly trembled, and then—

Highland bloodline, Ragnarok, conqueror, deadly rhythm!

His eyes flashed with golden light, leaving a dazzling trail of light in their wake. His veins bulged, pumping massive amounts of oxygen with each surge of blood. His heart pounded violently, as if it were about to burst from his body, the continuous beatings sounding like the beating of a war drum.

Then, muscles bulged one after another, and on the twisted muscles, blood vessels stretched out like ropes, and the whole body turned a sickly red.

The combination of Highland Bloodline and Ragnarok, both techniques that enhance physical efficiency by strengthening organ function, caused crimson steam to surge and roll out from within Sett's body. The instant Ragnarok activated, along with the disappearance of defensive and magical resistance buffs, Sett's muscles almost instantly and tightly coiled around his bones and joints. A series of searches resulted in a series of cracking sounds from his bones. They didn't break, but the pressure on his bones and the intense pain further stimulated Sett's central nervous system.

Pain was transformed into excitement in equal measure, and the already churning steam surged even more rapidly. Along with it, a touch of golden grandeur rose into the air along with the rising blood mist. In a daze, one felt as if they were a demon burning their life force in battle.

Even from a great distance, Hawkeye could clearly sense Sett's physical abilities, which had almost doubled.

Knowing better than anyone what a terrifying war monster Sett was, Hawkeye's mind became even more focused the moment he sensed the threat.

A powerful swordsman can create intense illusions for his enemies with just killing intent, much like Zoro's Ashura Nine-Sword Style in later generations. Although still young, Hawkeye's talent is undeniable. The path he has chosen is completely different from Zoro's in later generations. In moments of intense mental concentration, the entire world seems to consist only of those sharp eyes.

It was incredibly sharp, as if it could pierce through someone's soul with just a glance.

That indescribable sharpness—even though they were just watching from the sidelines, merely catching a glimpse of Hawkeye's gaze from the side, Dorry and Brogy involuntarily narrowed their eyes. When they realized what was happening, they abruptly looked up at each other, their eyes meeting. The two giants could clearly feel the same shock in each other's hearts—for the instant they saw Hawkeye, they even had the illusion of being pierced through.

And this was only after they saw Hawkeye's eyes, even though Hawkeye wasn't looking at them. It's unimaginable what it would be like to feel that gaze during a direct confrontation… that sharp look would probably make it difficult for the person being stared at to maintain their focus.

He could clearly feel the intense, sharp fighting spirit emanating from Hawkeye's gaze. His highland bloodline and Ragnarok greatly enhanced Sett's sensory abilities. This was a good thing, but sometimes, it was a bad thing. Just like now, because of his overly acute senses, the moment he was met with that sharp gaze, his sensitive body led his brain to make a strong misjudgment. Before he was even harmed, a little blood had already trickled from the corner of Sett's eye—

The brain mistakenly believes the eyes are damaged and issues a repair command. However, the undamaged eyes receive extra blood and energy, which they can only channel into the flowing crimson blood.

An ordinary person would at least close their eyes and wipe away the bloodstains. But Sett didn't care at all. Because immediately afterward, with the rising steam, the blood was completely evaporated!

With a loud bang, a burst of energy erupted beneath Sett's feet. He held his breath, and golden light shimmered on his rapidly healing arm.

The moment Hawkeye saw Sett's actions, even with his composure, he couldn't help but change his expression instantly. If there was one technique that Hawkeye feared most about Sett, besides his deliberate, powerful punches and breathtaking skill, it was this: giving up breathing and unleashing a continuous barrage of blows for five minutes straight!

The destructive power of a deliberate punch is undeniable; even Shanks could only evade it by using Conqueror's Haki to disrupt Sett's concentration. The "Amazing" aspect allows Sett to forcibly move objects too heavy for human handling. Given something large enough, Hawkeye has no doubt that Sett could even smash the Red Line to pieces!

However, neither of these is something Sett can use casually—according to Hawkeye's observation, the former requires Sett to reach his peak fighting spirit, while the latter requires a sufficiently large target. In comparison, this continuous five-minute barrage of attacks, though seemingly ineffective, is merely a series of blows within five minutes.

But in reality, Hawkeye had no doubt that Sett was virtually invincible for those five minutes. Even the naval hero Garp could only be at a disadvantage against this barrage of attacks, relying on his brute strength to withstand the onslaught—and that was the body of the naval hero Garp!!

Despite his pride, Hawkeye isn't arrogant. He's well aware of the gap between his physical abilities and Garp's.

You must dodge!

Hawkeye knew that within these five minutes, no matter what he did, Sett held the initiative.

Since that's the case, then there's only one thing I can utilize—the range of continuous fire without breathing!

As Sett closed in, Hawkeye didn't hesitate to use Moonwalk to create distance between himself and Shave. Then, his black blade flashed through the air, its sharp edge capable of cutting through iron and rock. One flying slash after another tore through the sky.

Sword-wielding dog!!!

Before the flying slash could even reach him, Sett shattered the sword energy with a punch. Although the shattered sword energy did cut Sett's palm, the thick calluses on his fist weren't due to the Ragnarok buff.

The wounds were merely superficial; Sett's arms, like pile drivers, shattered all the slashes with lightning speed. Then, he slammed his feet into the ground. Normally, a Shave only requires thirteen stomps in 0.36 seconds. But now, Sett increased that to twenty-five stomps. The violent recoil caused even Sett's calves to swell.

However, the speed of this improvement was also evident—the "shave," which exceeded physiological limits and was almost self-destructive, was beyond Hawkeye's tactical expectations. Before he could make a further move, Sett had already appeared in front of Hawkeye.

In other words, Hawkeye has entered the range of firing continuously for five minutes without breathing.

Oh no!

Hawkeye narrowed his eyes, clearly understanding the consequences of being brought close by Sett—especially when Sett was in Berserker mode. Even a monster like Garp would have a thick layer of skin torn off!

The punch pierced the air, and before Hawkeye could react, his abdomen, chest, and right ribs were struck again by heavy blows. His soft internal organs were subjected to a powerful impact, and intense pain accompanied by gushing blood. His sternum cracked, and his ribs were broken.

And this is only the damage suffered at the moment of contact—less than a second!

We must get out of Sett's range!

With his gaze fixed on her, Hawkeye knew that if things continued like this, Sett could instantly turn him into a fish ball.

A surge of jet-black Armament Haki erupted, instantly coating the already dark rust with a layer of steel. Just as Sett threw his punch, Hawkeye's longsword sliced ​​through the air without a sound, piercing straight towards Sett's arm.

It was like piercing through tough leather, or penetrating a non-Newtonian fluid. The light longsword suddenly became incredibly heavy, but even so, facing Sett's punch, the longsword still pierced through him, the crimson blood splattering and instantly enveloped in scalding red steam, rising into the air. Seeing this, Hawkeye tightened his wrist and twisted his waist. He used the force to throw Sett away.

Even so, Hawkeye's wrist cracked as he swung it—Sett's strength was simply too overwhelming; even with Hawkeye's skill, he couldn't completely neutralize it. Although he managed to throw it, Hawkeye had to bear the remaining force alone!

Moreover, this was just a flick of the wrist. The puncture wound pierced the arm from the forearm all the way to the triceps, with scalding blood gushing out continuously. However, with the enhancement of physiological functions, the wound stopped bleeding at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The bones were not damaged; under Sett's precise manipulation, only a few muscle fibers were pierced and severed.

After a series of somersaults, settling into his center of gravity and Hawkeye's location, Sett's feet struck the air with a peculiar sound. Then, he shot out once again like an arrow.

The continuous high-speed maneuvers were dazzling, and Hawkeye could clearly sense that Sett's current speed was somewhat outrageous—it was 120 percent faster!

This doubling speed, when the difference is not significant, has an absolutely overwhelming impact on the course of the battle!

Just like now, the extra time was only enough for Hawkeye to barely recover his arm joints. He then raised his sword to parry. But this time, he failed. Because in the next instant, that golden-glowing toe struck Hawkeye squarely in the abdomen with a piercing shriek!

"print!!!"

Kicked away, Hawkeye gritted his teeth. Hearing Sett's use of the word "mark," Hawkeye hesitated for a moment. This kick seemed not much different from the previous one. In fact, it was slightly less destructive—

But soon, Hawkeye noticed something was wrong. A strange golden light was inexplicably swirling around the spot where he had been hit.

Looking at the pale golden area radiating a soft golden light, Hawkeye was first slightly stunned, and then his whole expression changed drastically.