Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

Why are you yelling so loudly...?

Upon hearing Sengoku's words, Garp couldn't help but rub his ears, which had almost been deafened. Just as Garp was about to say something, a somewhat aged female voice suddenly rang out from the doorway beside him.

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing,” said Vice Admiral Tsuru, dressed in a vice admiral’s coat, as he and Zephyr, along with the three future admiral candidates, filed in—although Zephyr was semi-retired, he still had to attend these meetings. Of course, attendance wasn’t mandatory, but when it came to Sett, Zephyr always thought about things more…like Nico Robin.

"The matter of family members still needs to be made public. If this continues to drag on..." Zeff thought with mixed feelings; he was extremely disgusted by the Ohara massacre.

Feeling Sengoku's puzzled gaze, and glaring at Garp's unserious, grinning face, Vice Admiral Tsuru coughed lightly and said, "That little guy Sett, while talented, is indeed a bit too... well, too free."

He rubbed his forehead. Although he thought highly of Sett, there was no denying that Sett had done things that even the Navy found frustrating—such as capturing the Celestial Dragon Doflamingo alive.

These Celestial Dragons, even if captured, cannot be executed. They are currently imprisoned in Impel Down, but they are well-fed and clothed—it's all for show. The Navy and the World Government have also had their share of squabbles over this matter.

Thinking this through, Vice Admiral Tsuru said, "If we can make Sett realize that there are always people more capable than him in the Navy, then perhaps we can take this opportunity to change his attitude towards the Navy. And then, get him to join the Navy completely! To become a true Navy soldier... no, rather than a soldier, he's more like a rising star."

As he spoke, Vice Admiral Tsuru turned his gaze to Kizaru and Borsalino: "You seem to think highly of Sett?"

"Huh? Me? I'm alright, I do have high hopes for me."

Borsalino, who had been lost in thought, quickly snapped back to reality after hearing Vice Admiral Tsuru's words, and nodded, saying, "I met him once before in the North Sea. How should I put it, his talent is indeed very high. Although we didn't have a formal fight, he guessed many of my ability limitations and fighting style just from a few interactions."

As he spoke, Borsalino scratched his head, still somewhat puzzled. "I also went to see what happened to the homeship... It was indeed smashed, that much is certain. But its power shouldn't have been that great, at least not when I came into contact with it. It's probably related to the Devil Fruit's power."

"Anyway, he's very talented~"

As he said this, Borsalino shrugged nonchalantly—he rarely spoke so much, and the reason he spoke so much this time was not only because Sett had indeed impressed him, but also because Borsalino wished the Navy would have more capable leaders.

Other naval officers hoped for a stronger navy to bring peace to the seas, to world peace, and to uphold absolute justice. But Borsalino was different; his thinking was simple—if the navy as a whole became stronger, he would have more opportunities to slack off.

Working is so tiring, and the housing prices in downtown Chambord are so high. Wouldn't it be better to just relax? Having to work is really exhausting…

Seeing this group of people spouting nonsense, Zephyr's hard-won idea of ​​confessing vanished again... Perhaps, once Sett joins the Navy, Robin's situation will take a turn for the better?

After some hesitation, Garp finally couldn't help but burst into laughter and said, "Hahaha! It's so funny to see you guys saying these things here!!"

Having held back for a while, and watching them expand their thinking about this matter, Garp couldn't help but say, "Contrary to what you think, Sett's talent... might be even more terrifying than you imagine."

"..."

Upon hearing Zephyr's words, he remained silent at first, then Sengoku narrowed his eyes; "What do you mean?"

“He thinks it’s too slow.” Karp said with some emotion, leaning back in his chair and drinking juice. “Bone fracture technique is a technique that strengthens bones by cracking and healing them, resulting in bone spurs that are unique to bones and increase their hardness. I know this better than anyone. After all, my fist bones were honed in this way.”

As he spoke, Garp stretched out his palm. His broad palm was covered with calluses as rough as sandpaper, covering every joint, giving the impression of wearing heavy-duty combat gauntlets with a full-coverage structure.

On this vast ocean, no one dares to underestimate these rough fists. Through constant training, Garp's every punch is comparable to a cannon shot! In fact, he can unleash destructive power far exceeding that of ordinary cannons with just his palms.

Even so, Garp was still somewhat shocked: "Sett's regenerative ability is the best I've ever seen in my life... No matter what kind of food it is, it can be completely digested within an hour after eating. Then it directly affects the body... digestion, detoxification, recovery, endocrine system... The capabilities of his organs have probably surpassed the limits of ordinary creatures."

"When I was training, the recovery period for my fractured bones was initially once every two months. Later, it became once every two weeks. But Sett, from day one, trained every day. In the end, after his fist bones shattered, he released his strength and slammed into the mountain wall, forcing his torso bones to fracture. But even so, the frequency of his recovery did not decrease at all. The only change was his increasingly strong appetite!!"

As he spoke, Karp recalled Sett's terrifying eating habits. He remarked with a touch of melancholy, "And I've never seen that guy defecate... I even suspect that given enough time, he could swallow the entire world whole!!"

Runes are the root of destruction.

Although Sett hasn't mastered all the runes yet, what he has already mastered is already beyond Karp's comprehension... because everything Sett has shown is beyond what people can understand.

However, only a few people know this...

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Happy National Day!

Hopefully, this 4K chapter will make it into the perfect attendance record...

169. Headache

To others, Garp was simply exaggerating Sett's talent—of course, it can't be denied that this at least shows that Sett's talent did indeed surprise Garp. But even so, upon hearing Garp's assessment, Sengoku and the others simply took it as akin to the origin of Sett's "Sinking Country" title: it was factual, but exaggerated in some details.

Garp could guess what Sengoku and the others were thinking, but he didn't say anything more. He just shook his head, looking somewhat wistful... Without witnessing that scene firsthand, one simply couldn't understand. Based on this, saying anything more would be pointless and a waste of time.

“Sett’s talent is immense,” Garp said; “but what’s even more terrifying than that is his talent.”

"talent?"

Upon hearing Garp's words, a hint of doubt appeared on the faces of the group.

Seeing this, Garp explained, "Sett's body is somewhat special compared to ordinary people... According to my observation, sensations like pain that cause suffering are converted into excitement in equal amounts when they are transmitted to Sett."

"Pain is converted into excitement in equal measure..." Upon hearing this, Sengoku's eyes glazed over for a moment, then revealed a deep shock; "In other words, during battle, Sett doesn't feel tired, but rather becomes increasingly excited as the pain accumulates?"

"It could be even more terrifying."

Upon hearing Sengoku's words, before Garp could say anything, Zephyr conducted an investigation into Sett for a while. Zephyr remarked with some emotion, "As far as I know, when Sett first started out in the casino, he seemed to have encountered a wandering blind swordsman named Isshin, who was a gambler. His Devil Fruit ability, based on calculations, should be the Paramecia-type Gravity Fruit."

Upon hearing this news, everyone perked up their ears—although Logia-type Devil Fruits are the most valuable in the Devil Fruit ranking system, some exceptional fruits surpass them in both rarity and power. For example, the Mythical Zoan type. And then there's the Gravity Fruit, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that harnesses the most universal force in nature.

Although gravity has no physical form, it is far more prevalent in this world than earth, water, wind, and fire.

It can be said that the fruit alone already represents something—for example, the bottom line of strength.

“That guy named Isshin is probably no weaker than an ordinary vice admiral,” Zephyr said. “In the fight with Sett, the blind swordsman initially had the upper hand, even leaving a huge, deadly penetrating wound on Sett. But after that… Sett recovered to his peak condition at an astonishing speed, and was even stronger.”

"If that's the case... Sett might not be an ordinary human."

Hearing all this complicated information, Lieutenant General Tsuru rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache: "I've been wondering about Sett's animal ears for a while now. It seems... perhaps Sett wasn't an ordinary human from the very beginning."

"Could it be a hybrid?" Sengoku tentatively asked. "Aren't the Mink Tribe said to be able to transform into Moon Lions? Perhaps Sett's father or mother might be a member of the Mink Tribe?"

“The Mink Tribe are all in the New World,” Vice Admiral Tsuru said. “Sett’s earliest traces were in the West Blue… Given his personality, if he were truly born in the New World, he wouldn’t have traveled to the West Blue so quietly. Moreover, even for the Mink Tribe, transforming requires the full moon at night. And after transforming, only their own strength is enhanced… The injuries they suffer will not be healed. At most, they can only be temporarily suppressed by the increased physical strength.”

“I only know that they have some connection with wolverines,” Zephyr said. “If I had to describe this animal in four words, it would be a fighting maniac.”

Out of concern for Sett, Zephyr had also conducted some research. Sensing the gazes of the others, Zephyr explained, "In the wild, any injury to an animal can be fatal, because a predator's sense of smell can reach several kilometers. This includes tigers and wolves; they deliberately avoid unnecessary harm. Wolverines, however, don't care about such things; they always fight to the death. Add to that their skeletal structure… the diameter of a wolverine's neck is even larger than that of a human skull. This makes the wolverine one of the few creatures in nature without natural predators."

After a pause, Zephyr said casually, "Of course, this does not include Sea Kings and ancient creatures."

If we include sea monsters and dinosaurs... that's a completely different story. Their physiological habits and living environments are different, so discussing them is like comparing apples and oranges.

Although it was said in a very general way, through Zeff's information, everyone understood why Sett was so arrogant—it seemed that Sett's desire for battle was ingrained in his genes.

“Let’s talk about the race issue later,” Sengoku said, somewhat annoyed. “When we have the chance, we can take some blood samples and let Vegapunk and the others study them slowly… What we need to discuss first is what to do with Sett.”

“Indeed, it’s best to hurry.” Karp, standing to the side, raised his hand with a relaxed expression and said, “That little guy Sett’s progress might be faster than you guess. Before, he had a weakness in bone strength, but now that the Bone Fracture Technique has been lifted, that weakness has been greatly reduced. You don’t know, in just one and a half months, Sett’s height has increased from two and a half meters to three meters just by the bone growth from the Bone Fracture Technique…”

Upon hearing Garp's words, Zephyr nearly spat out his water. His old face was contorted with disbelief. "Based on the strength of the Bone Fracture Technique, doesn't that mean Sett's bone weight has increased by at least 30%?"

Although it may seem like only a change from 2.5 meters to 3 meters, this process involves more than just skeletal dimensions. Because the body senses the continuous damage and cracking of the bones, the brain interprets this as a need for the fragile bones to grow faster and adapt to the external environment. Consequently, the density of the bones also changes.

And now...

"I'll go and see for myself then."

Sengoku was having a bit of a headache—it wasn't good to have a genius like Sett out there. He was afraid that the kid might slip up and become a pirate... If that happened, the entire Marine Headquarters would probably be shrouded in gloom.

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My relatives came today, and tonight my dad told me to get ready to study, to work for the port authority… I might have to rearrange my update schedule, but it won't be less than 4k words.

170·Barbarian King

Regarding Sett's next move, Sengoku decided to handle it personally—or rather, together with Vice Admiral Tsuru.

Through Garp and Zephyr's descriptions, Sett's strength lies not only in his future growth, but more importantly, in the numerous methods and powers he already possesses that cannot be ignored. Such a being, if an enemy, must be eliminated beforehand. Now, with the possibility of recruiting him, every effort must be made to truly integrate him into the Navy, rather than keeping him as a half-baked bounty hunter as he is now.

Based on this, Sett's minor flaws, such as his casinos, can be overlooked... After all, based on the existing intelligence, Sett's casinos almost never engage in human trafficking, and their clients are only the wealthy from all over the world, not loan sharks targeting the poor.

Furthermore, to create a suitable environment, they even proactively cooperated with the local navy in law enforcement. Although the name "Skullcrusher Gang" sounds somewhat brutal, their actions are far better than those of pirates. Even the locals of Antuo Island consider the 49th henchman of the Skullcrusher Gang to be more respectable than the navy... At least, the 49th henchman of the Skullcrusher Gang wouldn't collude with pirates for a little money, thus protecting their own power.

"That's it for Sett's matter. The rest will be handled privately by Tsuru and me... Then there are other matters."

Sengoku said, “Zefa and I will be leaving soon... probably in the middle of 1510. There’s still a year and a half left. After that, it will be your time.”

As he spoke, Sengoku glanced at Sakazuki, Borsalino, and the others standing to the side.

Upon hearing Sengoku's words, Aokiji Kuzan, after a moment of silence, raised his eyelids in surprise and said, "So fast? Judging from physical fitness, both Admiral Zephyr and Admiral Sengoku are still at their peak, right?"

"These are two different things, not just a matter of strength." Sengoku also seemed a bit troubled. Clearly, he wasn't very prepared for this sudden increase in value—or perhaps he was aware of it, but didn't expect it to happen so suddenly.

"As the Great Pirate Era intensifies, the Five Elders believe that if we, the Marines of the previous era, continue to hold important positions, it might give the impression that there is a lack of successors within the Marines. Therefore, they have decided to follow the Great Pirate Era and replace the three Marine Admirals..."

Just as many supernovas have emerged in the world of pirates, these supernovas have gradually made a name for themselves on the Grand Line as times change. Now, the Navy clearly needs to make some changes. Otherwise, having to send out veteran Navy heroes to deal with a group of new pirates is a recipe for disaster, a sign of the Navy's decline and a lack of successors.

Since that's the case, let's take this opportunity to reform the navy as well.

Putting aside other matters, the Warring States period had already begun to consider methods and means of reform...

"So what should we prepare to write?"

Sakazuki, standing to the side, scratched his head in exasperation.

After a moment's thought, Sengoku said, "The Fishman Pirates seem to have attracted a lot of attention lately."

"The Fishman Pirates? Oh, that one!" Upon hearing Sengoku's words, Garp thought for a moment and then said with a grin, "That pirate crew founded by that fishman named Tiger, right? I remember, I heard they specialize in attacking slave ships, and even the slave auction houses around Sabaody Archipelago have seen a lot of their business fail, hahaha~~"

Although they are a pirate crew, under Tiger's leadership, the Fish-Man Pirates primarily attack slave ships. And after each successful raid, they indiscriminately release all the slaves… Despite being a pirate crew, their reputation is even better than that of the Navy. Especially in the areas around the Sabaody Archipelago, which are ravaged by slave traders, more pirates like them are desperate for action.

It wasn't just Garp; he'd never had a good impression of slave auctions. When he encountered Fishman Pirates, even Marines like Aokiji would only give them a perfunctory chase before letting them go. But now, Sengoku's face was filled with seriousness and solemnity.

"These are two different things!" Sengoku took a deep breath and said, "The Celestial Dragons of Mary Geoise are extremely dissatisfied because of the lack of slave auctions. If the Fishman Pirates can be formally arrested, the process of appointing a new Marine Admiral will encounter much less resistance. Similarly, future internal reforms within the Navy will be much easier..."

After a pause, Sengoku continued, "For the next period of time, Zephyr, Garp, and I will be heading to the G5 branch in the New World to fight those so-called 'Emperors of the Sea,' ensuring that the New World doesn't experience too much turmoil during the power transition. As for you, your task during this time is to capture as many great pirates as possible from the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line."

As he was speaking, Sengoku seemed to notice the impatience on people's faces, and he sighed and said, "I know you all have strong dissatisfaction in your hearts, but there's nothing we can do... The Navy is an organization under the World Government. If we want to reform the Navy and face an even more magnificent era of pirates, we must pay some price."

Upon hearing Sengoku's words, Sakazuki and the others remained silent.

Arresting the Fish-Man Pirates will undoubtedly garner a lot of goodwill from the Celestial Dragons and gain the favor of the World Government's higher-ups. However, the price to pay is uncertain regarding public opinion... Of course, not everyone cares about public opinion, like Akainu.

However, Akainu has his own sense of justice. Although the Fishman Pirates are sinful as pirates, what they did... at least in Sakazuki's eyes, the Celestial Dragons, the World Nobles who cannot uphold the law and set a good example, are not good people either.

There are countless countries that have suffered devastation and people have been displaced because of the celestial gold...

"That's settled then." Sengoku, standing to the side, clearly didn't want the matter to drag on any longer. After saying this, he took a deep breath and then followed Vice Admiral Tsuru away from their seats to continue discussing Sett's matter.

Seeing this, Kuzan and the other three future admirals exchanged glances, said nothing, and followed them out. In just a moment, only Zeff and Garp remained in the original meeting room.

If it were anyone else, Zephyr might have remained silent for a long time. But facing Garp… after a moment's thought, Zephyr asked indirectly, “You say… Garp, if I allow a wanted criminal who could pose a huge threat to the World Government to go unpunished… but this wanted criminal exists because of some mistakes made by the World Government, then what I'm doing is right or wrong?”

If it were anyone else, Zephyr would never have asked such a question. But Garp was clearly no ordinary person—a Marine hero, not just a Marine Admiral. The mere fact that he arrested the Pirate King elevated Garp to an extraordinary level, beyond the bounds of prophecy. Even the Five Elders would have to give him face…

He remained silent for a long time, then swallowed the rice cracker in his hand in a few bites. Afterwards, he stared at Zephyr with a hesitant look in his eyes.

Garp said, "...You're asking me?"