Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

Upon hearing this, the little boy beside him opened his mouth, then hesitated before saying, "So... you're tomb raiders too?"

"No! We're here to stop grave robbers!" Sett said matter-of-factly. "So we just moved the stuff away beforehand... We don't need it anyway, so it's better for us to carry out justice."

"..."

Hearing Sett's words, Hawkeye glanced at Sett beside him, then silently shook his head. The girl beside him, having also heard these words, tilted her head, then jumped up excitedly: "Yay!"

"I've wanted to visit my great-great-grandfather's grave for so long!!"

"..."

Sett always considered himself the most eccentric one, but now, after hearing the girl's words, even Sett couldn't help but fall silent.

That's so filial! Everyone burst into laughter, brothers.

However, compared to filial piety, there was clearly more important information in the girl's words. For example, "Are you royalty from Alabasta?"

Upon hearing Hawkeye's words, the blue-haired girl beside him nodded, then said with a grin, "You can call me Vivi~"

"My name is Kou Sha!" The boy next to him stepped forward and said, "I'm the leader of the Sand Sand Gang! I'm very powerful!"

Upon hearing their introductions, Sett and Hawkeye simply nodded. Then, without concealing their purpose, Sett asked directly, "Do you know how to get to the royal tombs?"

"Of course!"

Upon hearing the question, Weiwei nodded enthusiastically, then said excitedly, "Come with me! I'll take you there! Let's go on an adventure! You don't know, my father always forbids me from going in, even though he goes in there all the time!"

"I suspect there are some little secrets involved."

Sett paid no attention to Vivi's words, and even seemed to understand his father's actions perfectly—as far as Sett knew, there was a Poneglyph inside the royal tomb. Being caught taking something was no small matter. If Sett remembered correctly, according to Garp and Zephyr, even the great pirates of the New World were collecting these Poneglyphs…

Unlike the pirates of the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line, the great pirates of the New World are far more experienced than ordinary pirates.

As beings who once clashed with the Pirate King Roger, their collection of these historical texts clearly indicates a deeper, more unspeakable secret.

The World Government was aware of this, but it was powerless to deal with such a powerful pirate. Although the great pirates in the New World were currently fighting each other, each of them knew very well who their real enemy was.

In other words, the current World Government has not invaded the New World. Otherwise, regardless of their previous disputes, they would have united to fight against the foreign invaders when facing the World Government and the Navy.

Moreover, according to Garp, the most famous pirates now were all members of the same giant pirate crew... With such a connection, the New World will likely remain a chaotic area that the World Government cannot touch for a long time to come.

Following the girl's steps, Sett and his party arrived at the tomb. Like other parts of Alabasta, the royal tombs were predominantly bright yellow. At first glance, they resembled a blend of Egyptian and Middle Eastern styles. While ornate, they weren't as ostentatious as the Egyptian pharaohs' pyramids…

One thing to note is that the security was somewhat inadequate. However, this can't really be blamed on the Alabasta garrison. After all, given their strength, trying to stop Sett and Hawkeye was asking too much.

They continued on their journey and soon arrived at the innermost burial chamber.

Compared to other tombs, this one is undoubtedly more ancient. From the decoration of the tomb door to everything else, it is far behind the aesthetics of the time, exuding an overall rustic charm.

In the center of the tomb chamber, on the cross-shaped stone platform, lay a long sword as black as the dead of night.

"night."

Upon seeing the knife, Sett could clearly sense a violent fluctuation in Hawkeye's aura.

Upon hearing this, Sett carefully examined the black sword before him—its jet-black blade showed no signs of decay despite the passage of time. The jewel-like surface drew the attention of those around him. It was incredibly hard.

The moment Sett saw the knife, he was certain that it was incredibly hard.

Seemingly sensing Sett's thoughts, Hawkeye stepped forward and picked up the massive black sword, which was as tall as a man.

"The only distinctive feature of the Black Blade is its hardness," Hawkeye said. "Even the weakest Black Blade wouldn't bend in the slightest when trampled by a Sea King. And the Black Blade, Night, is undoubtedly the strongest and most resilient Black Blade in the world!"

As he spoke, Hawkeye tried to swing his sword, and in an instant, a sharp sword aura swept over Sett's scalp, causing it to fly wildly.

This was only an unconscious attack; if it were a focused, all-out strike, even Sett in his current state would probably have half of his bones severed...

This may not seem like much, but keep in mind that when Hawkeye used the Fine Blade Rusty before, he could only cut through about 20% of it at most. Now, Sett's skeleton has been further strengthened, yet Hawkeye is able to cut through 50% of it…

Clearly, a good sword can almost double a swordsman's improvement...

Especially now, that Black Blade Night seems to have been forged specifically for Hawkeye! Just standing there, its awe-inspiring presence rises uncontrollably.

"Not bad~"

Sett glanced at Hawkeye in front of him, stroking his chin with curiosity in his eyes.

Hawkeye glanced at Sett, pondered for a moment, and then his aura quickly subsided. A sense of relief appeared in his eyes as he sheathed the black blade behind his back.

That posture, honed through countless trials, seemed to have been repeated endlessly. Only Sett knew that Hawkeye was indeed touching the sword for the first time; otherwise, anyone else would have assumed Hawkeye was setting a trap for something.

Sett didn't seem to care. He only knew one thing: Hawkeye and the knife were a perfect match.

"It seems the news leaked out. I didn't expect that someone would beat us to it!"

Just as Hawkeye and Sett were about to leave, a shrill voice suddenly rang out from the side. Looking in the direction of the voice, they saw a tall, thin person. In terms of height, he was even a head taller than Sett. Although very tall, he didn't give off a particularly intimidating feeling. The reason for this was undoubtedly his appearance and physique.

Both his facial features and physique were extremely thin. He looked as if he had been forcibly elongated; his bamboo-like body, no matter how tall, didn't give the impression of being as sturdy as a tree. Tall trees catch the wind, and this small bamboo-like body clearly only gave the impression of being powerless, as if it could be blown over at any moment.

Beside the tall, thin man was a pit in the ground, and as the man spoke, a round, sturdy figure emerged from the soil. If the skinny man was so thin and frail that he seemed like he could be blown over at any moment, then this round, sturdy woman gave off a completely different impression.

Just looking at it gives me a sense of peace...

"Someone beat us to it? How is that possible! Are those guards at the gate all incompetent?"

Upon hearing the woman's words, Sett couldn't help but grin, saying nonchalantly:

"If you want to rely on those frail guards to capture us... eating shit would be much easier."

When Sett heard Hawkeye say that the Alabasta royal family was descended from the Twenty Kings, he was somewhat surprised, even cautious. After all, there were just too many powerful figures on this sea. And the Celestial Dragons, as world nobles, no matter how despicable their character, as the masters of this world, even with many pirates out of control, undeniably included many formidable figures among them.

I thought that as fellow members of the same lineage, the guards of Alabasta would have it tough. But I never expected... their strength was no different from that of a gust of wind that could blow them over.

It can only be said that Sett has encountered some overpowered individuals, leading him to mistakenly believe that the Grand Line is full of monsters like Garp and Zeff.

Upon hearing Sett's words, the woman sneered and said, "Since you're here, that's fine! Hand over your things obediently! It'll save us the trouble of doing it ourselves!"

"To tell you the truth, I'm a notorious pirate with a bounty of seventy million!!"

"That's right! In a place like this, even if you ask the navy for help, no one will come to your rescue!"

He nodded fiercely, staring at Sett and Hawkeye in front of him. Because of the dim light in the basement, they didn't recognize the two men before them. Or perhaps, blinded by greed, even if they did recognize them, they wouldn't care.

In response, he cracked his neck a couple of times. In Vivi and Kosha's wary gaze, Sett's figure flashed by, and when he reappeared, the two who had been standing at the gate were like saplings broken by a storm, struck hard, their bodies flying uncontrollably to either side of the gate.

Holding a longsword in his hand, Kosha's eyes widened in disbelief at the scene before him. Along the way, although he could sense that Hawkeye and Sett were very powerful, Kosha didn't have a precise idea of ​​just how strong they were.

I thought that the guards of the royal tomb might not be as strong as I had imagined, but now it seems that they might just be too lazy to bother.

In reality, it's only Sett who's avoiding trouble—if Sett really wanted to force his way in, no one could stop him. But what he'll likely face next is a barrage of phone calls from Tina, Zephyr, Garp, and even all the Navy personnel he knows…

"These two guys are yours to handle," Sett said nonchalantly. "Thanks to you guys for leading the way, it's saved us a lot of trouble. Consider this money for the knife, and don't forget to tell your old man~"

As he spoke, Sett waved his hand and prepared to leave with Hawkeye. Hawkeye nodded in agreement. Feeling the black blade behind him, a rare hint of relaxation appeared in his usually sharp eyes.

"I owe you a favor for this knife."

Vivi and Kosa, standing nearby, were somewhat puzzled by Hawkeye's words. In their view, Hawkeye was even a bit stingy. After all, Sett had directly given them two pirates worth over 70 million each. And Hawkeye had only given them a favor in return... Just hearing that made him seem stingy.

Of course, this is just a child's opinion. If we're really going to calculate it, Hawkeye's favor carries far more weight than two pirates worth 70 million each.

"So where do we go next?"

Sett glanced at Hawkeye beside him. Back on the ship, thanks to the smooth journey so far, supplies hadn't been depleted much. The only problem was the coal shortage from the high-speed travel.

After purchasing new coal for the steam engine, Hawkeye nodded and said, "Next... let's follow the permanent compass given by Judge and go find some Sky Island Shells."

Everything is in order. According to intelligence, Shanks should be around the Sabaody Archipelago right now... and may even have already arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago to coat his ships.

Using a steam engine is definitely not fast enough, so... we'll have to use an Impact Shell. That way, at least we still have a chance to reach Sabaody Archipelago before Shanks enters the New World!

----------

I feel inexplicably tired today. Let's start with 4K. The next part of the story involves a transition to the Skypiea arc, followed by the Sabaody Archipelago event. That's a major climax and will significantly impact the plot.

174·Baihai

"So, have the items been made into rubbings?"

On the ship, Sett glanced at Hawkeye beside him. Hawkeye nodded silently in response.

Sett has a very flamboyant personality; wherever he goes, his sheer presence draws everyone's attention. In contrast, Hawkeye is quite quiet and independent, the kind of person who does things that never surprise anyone.

If it were anyone else, it wouldn't be a problem, but Vivi is a princess of the Alabasta Kingdom. If the Poneglyphs were copied in front of him, and Vivi told her father or a minister of the kingdom, the problem would be extremely serious. Especially if it reached the Navy and the World Government, it wouldn't matter to others, but Zeff knows about Nico Robin. Plus, copying the Poneglyphs…

At that point, it probably won't just be a matter of making phone calls... The Void Century has always been something the World Government has tried its best to cover up. Once someone is discovered collecting, researching, or copying it without permission, and once the World Government finds out, they will ultimately face death... Of course, this doesn't apply to great pirates like Whitebeard and Kaido.

Those kinds of guys are local tyrants on the sea; they can only be kept in check, not directly confronted… A single move could have far-reaching consequences. If this situation were to provoke a united front among the pirates during this period, it would only do harm to the World Government.

The Alabasta royal family's Poneglyphs are located in the passageways of the Alabasta royal tombs; ordinary people wouldn't pay any attention to them even if they saw them. Only those who truly understand the Poneglyphs can discover their secrets—coincidentally, Robin and Sett have some knowledge of them.

Although it's undecipherable, it's still quite easy to identify. Just like now, after seeing it, Sett had Mihawk make a copy for him before leaving.

Hawkeye pulled out a pre-printed copy of the Poneglyph from his robes and handed it to Sett, his gaze unwavering. Accustomed to his carefree nature, Hawkeye considered the existence or destruction of the World Government less important than the black blade behind him… He disliked chaos, but similarly, he didn't dislike conflict.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that swordsmen are honed through constant combat—reinventing oneself in isolation is a grave taboo in any era. When the times abandon someone, they show no mercy.

After carefully storing the rubbings of the Poneglyphs, Hawkeye and Sett then started the engines of the assault boat. With a roar, the steam engines began to run. The assault boat, already moving at a much faster speed than other warships, departed the port of Alabasta.

Nothing legendary was left behind; if one had to say anything, it was that the Alabasta royal family became aware that these two people had entered their royal tombs...

But what can they do? Alabasta's national strength is quite average; the only thing they can boast about is their shared ancestry with the Celestial Dragons. However, it's been established for five hundred years, and whether the Celestial Dragons still recognize them is another matter entirely.

On the high seas, only strength matters. Perhaps for Alabasta, exchanging a useless burial knife for over a hundred million in funds is actually a good thing, at least it can alleviate the administrative pressure on their kingdom to some extent.

Ultimately, while the Supreme Grade Swords sound powerful and precious, only a true master of swordsmanship can unleash their full potential… Indeed, even someone with no knowledge of swordsmanship could easily slice through ten human bodies with a Supreme Grade Sword. But swordsmanship is not simply about sharpness.

In comparison, a bounty of 100 million could buy a decent Devil Fruit. Unlike swordsmanship, which requires personal training, the enhancement from a Devil Fruit can turn an ordinary person into a master—at least enough to make a name for oneself in the first half of the Grand Line.

Accompanied by splashing waves, Sett and Hawkeye quickly left the waters of Alabasta. Following the permanent compass left by Judge, Sett and Hawkeye sped towards the legendary Skypiea.

"strangeness."

As they were running, Hawkeye suddenly spoke with some hesitation. Looking in the direction of the voice, Hawkeye, holding the Log Pose, turned his gaze to Sett beside him: "The Log Pose is pointing to the sky... Looks like Judge wasn't lying."

As he said this, Hawkeye shook his head in surprise.

As we drew closer to the legendary Sky Island, the pointer, which had initially been pointing directly at it, began to tilt. Following the angle, it now pointed towards a vast, pristine sea of ​​clouds. So thick and dense that even sunlight could not penetrate it.

“According to Judge, the Sky Island is 10,000 meters above this sea.” Looking at the sky, Hawkeye’s face showed a hint of helplessness: “10,000 meters, how are we supposed to get up there?”

"Ten thousand meters? It's just a mere ten kilometers!"

Hearing Hawkeye's words, Sett's lips curled into a slight smile, then he flipped into the water. Before Hawkeye could react, a violent tremor came from beneath his feet. Then, the boat, which had been sailing steadily, was suddenly hoisted onto Sett's shoulder. With a series of booming sounds, the heavy assault boat was forcefully pulled from the water and began to rise into the sky.

Holding onto the handle beside him, Hawkeye shook his head with a touch of emotion after a brief moment of adjustment.