Settsetse! The Pirate Nemesis

Sett, standing to the side, stroked his chin—"That's why it's really hard to judge who's stronger in a swordsmanship. Even if one side is stronger on paper, if the other side is more focused during the battle, the one with stronger paper strength will still be at a disadvantage."

Mind, body, and skill—the mind comes first. The emphasis is on unleashing a single, unstoppable strike. In comparison, for swordsmen, simply relying on physical strength to wield the blade is considered inferior.

The two shook their heads almost simultaneously and said, "That's enough."

"?"

"If the fighting continues, this temple may not be able to hold out."

Seemingly sensing Sett's confusion, Yixiao said in a deep voice, "Every time I swing my gravity blade, it creates immense pressure on the surrounding environment. The scenery on the Sky Island is indeed beautiful, but on these cloud-covered islands, if the pressure becomes too great, I'm afraid everyone will fall into the White Sea."

It's not an exaggeration to say that Issho's Gravity Fruit is one of the most versatile Paramecia-type Devil Fruits, even among them—because gravity is everywhere. Similarly, the destructive power of gravity is unimaginable to ordinary people.

The load-bearing capacity of cloud islands is far less than that of land. If we were to use our full strength on such cloud islands and continue fighting, it would probably be a long time before everyone had to swim in the white sea for a while...

The same reasoning applies to Hawkeye: "I simply cannot unleash my slashes here."

The area is too small... whether it's a temple or an island. If it were the Little Garden Islands, then even with Hawkeye and Issho's strength, they would have to wreak havoc from beginning to end. It's like a little kid who got a straight stick; within a hundred meters of his house, there wouldn't be a single intact blade of grass.

"I knew it would turn out like this."

Upon hearing this, Sett curled his lip—he had already guessed what was happening before him.

Sky Islands are great in every way, except they're not very durable. These cloud-like islands would probably sink into the White Sea if Sett just smashed them a few times.

Looking at the crowd in front of him, Urouge opened his mouth, then looked at Sett: "Are all the people from Qinghai like this?"

"That's how it is? How is that possible? Hahaha~"

Faced with Urouge's naive idea, Sett said nonchalantly, "This damn sky island is far too small! The ocean below is the real spectacle. Your ability comes from a Devil Fruit... and so does that guy named Issho, both of them have Devil Fruits. And in the Blue Sea, there are countless Devil Fruit users! Among them, your ability can only be considered slightly above average. As for strength..."

Touching his chin and feeling Urouge's expectant gaze, Sett shrugged and said, "Your strength can only be considered... average? Let's hope so, it should be average."

178·Slashing Shell

"Hahahaha!!!" Hearing Yixiao's words, Sett's face was also full of amusement.

After their sparring session, Sett and Yixiao chatted about their recent experiences. Following his original life trajectory, Yixiao most likely wouldn't have entered the Skypiea... at least not during this period. However, because of Sett's appearance, this world had undergone too many upheavals and changes.

The Seven Warlords of the Sea Act, which should have been enacted much earlier, was never implemented. Crocodile, therefore, abandoned his challenge to Whitebeard and instead chose to arrive early in the first half of the Grand Line to lay the groundwork for the Ancient Weapon Pluton. The lives of Doflamingo, Moria, Issho, Mihawk, and even Shanks were all thrown into chaos by Sett's appearance.

Just like my encounter with Yixiao on the Sky Island: "I originally intended to ride the ocean current all the way back to the West Sea, but when I passed by this place, I happened to encounter a huge, towering current. I drifted along the direction of the current for a while, and when I came to my senses, I had already arrived at this island."

Holding a cup of tea in his hand, he smiled and said, "I even like it here... because there is no fighting or deceit here, it feels like a paradise. Everyone is so simple and honest... it's just a pity that I don't belong here."

As he said this, Yixiao shook his head with a hint of regret—he knew he ultimately didn't belong here. He also knew very well that this had always been his nature. Although he liked this place very much, he was destined not to stay here… He wanted to change.

Especially after witnessing the chaos of this new world, certain thoughts in Yixiao's heart became exceptionally strong. In comparison, the simple joys of solitude were utterly nonexistent on this vast sea teeming with powerful beings…

Upon hearing that he had been thrown into the air by a sudden shipwreck, Sett's face was filled with a joyful smile.

It's hard to imagine that Issho, who has always been mature, composed, and seemingly incredibly reliable, would end up like this. Someone as powerful as Issho, who would probably be promoted to officer in the navy without any special promotions, is forced to come to this place because of a shipwreck—a rather farcical event.

In short, it's outrageous.

"So, what are your thoughts?"

Sett turned his gaze to Urouge. Urouge's strength was only average in the current state of the Grand Line, but his potential was extraordinary. The Doubling-Reversal Fruit's open-dimensional potential was extremely broad, and it could significantly enhance his abilities in battle. With their return to the West Blue imminent, it wouldn't be long before such a promising talent was properly nurtured into a powerful officer to fight for them. Letting him languish in this small place would be a waste of his potential.

Seemingly after some thought, Urouge nodded seriously, but still said, "I will go with you, but let's make one thing clear first! If I don't want to join, you can't stop me from leaving!"

"Hahaha! Stopping you from leaving? You really underestimated me, hehe!!"

Sett's aura is quite rugged, but just like Sett himself, he is never one to hide his thoughts, much less to resort to underhanded tactics or backstabbing.

"A little guy like you? You're a hundred years away from defeating me! Do you think I'd be afraid of you? Don't be ridiculous! You, on the other hand, should be lucky if you don't wet your pants from being scared by the world down there!!!"

Hearing Sett's assurance, Urouge nodded in agreement: "Alright, I'll go with you! There's no point in staying here any longer... I want to become stronger!"

As he said this, he clenched his fist tightly. Urki's eyes shone with excitement as he gazed at the unknown blue sea beneath his feet.

Just like young people yearn for big cities, what good is being invincible in a small place like Sky Island for as long as you can? You just encountered three people from Qinghai, and you couldn't even beat one of them.

This feeling of being a frog in a well is undoubtedly painful for Urki... He has his own beliefs, and if he doesn't go down and fight, even Urki himself will look down on himself.

"And you, Yixiao, haven't made a decision yet?"

"Hmm." Nodding, Yixiao said, "I want to... see more."

While he acknowledges Sett, as mentioned before, Issho possesses his own mature thoughts and wouldn't sacrifice his life for any particular event or person—there's only one thing that could make Issho give his life for: conviction… convictions or actions that Issho agrees with!

Based on this, Yixiao would rather waste her own time than join any random, inexplicable organization...

But precisely because of this, once you gain Yixiao's approval, Yixiao will be the most trustworthy person.

Just as everyone was chatting and laughing, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the main gate.

"Who is it! Making so much noise!!"

Urouge, the weakest among them but also the strongest on Sky Island, walked out somewhat impatiently after hearing these voices.

Through the gate, Sett and the others could see that the courtyard outside had been filled with a group of people for who knows how long.

They weren't monks, nor were they worshippers—in fact, as an imported practice, the temples on the Sky Island now have virtually no worshippers. Standing there were a group of people dressed in light, standard combat uniforms. From their appearance, they resembled soldiers. However, unlike the people on the ground, the Sky Island soldiers didn't carry spears or muskets. Instead, they wore white, and upon closer inspection, one could only see a special seashell tied to each of their palms.

"The Divine Soldiers? What are you doing here? Are you asking for trouble?"

Others might feel fear upon seeing the Divine Soldiers, but Urki would feel absolutely no fear.

His face was filled with impatience. Even without using the power of his Devil Fruit, Urouge's powerful body could easily sweep away the armed soldiers of the Divine Army. In contrast, the other monks in the temple looked terrified. Only when they saw Urouge emerge did a hint of relief appear on their faces.

Looking at Ulki before him, the leader of the Divine Soldiers, though initially somewhat frightened, quickly regained his composure and said earnestly, "We heard there are people smuggling themselves here! So we've come to investigate. I advise you not to get involved. Although you're strong, our Divine Soldiers aren't pushovers!"

Upon hearing the words of the Divine Soldiers leader, Urouge remained silent for a moment before picking his nose. Before the leader could get angry, Urouge flicked his finger, and with an arc, the black booger flew off the leader's head and landed to the side.

Just as the leader of the Divine Soldiers was about to say something, Uroki, standing beside him, forcefully grabbed the leader's head and lifted him into the air, saying with a face full of disgust, "You people, I really can't be bothered to talk to you... Get out of here!!!"

As he spoke, Uroki threw the ball out viciously, like a baseball. The flying bodies landed in the crowd; at that moment, it was more like a bowling ball hitting the bullseye than a baseball. In an instant, everyone was sent flying with a clatter.

Emerging from inside, Sett's Lian Ahao asked with a mixture of sadness and curiosity, "What's wrong? It sounds quite interesting?"

As Sett spoke, Hawkeye and Smile peeked out from within. However, unlike Sett's eagerness, Hawkeye and Smile's faces remained largely calm. Hawkeye, in particular, despite being one of the stowaways, seemed completely indifferent, his expression radiating "it's none of my business."

Taking a deep breath, he got up from the ground—a sight that astonished Sett. Just moments ago, this captain of the elite troops had been dragged by the head and thrown out. In his past life, such an action would likely have snapped his neck as well. But now, aside from the bruises and scars on his face, he looked completely unharmed!

"You bastard, do you think the Divine Weapon Team is the same as it used to be? Let us teach you a lesson! Take this!!"

Enraged, the captain of the Divine Soldiers momentarily forgot his fear and leaped up. But when he was still some distance from Urki, he stretched out his palm.

Seeing this, they were stunned. The next moment, in everyone's sight, a sharp wave of air suddenly shot out from the shell in the palm of the Divine Weapon Team captain.

At first, Urki thought it was an Impact Beacon—the Impact Beacon was so powerful that Skypiea technology couldn't even be applied to civilians, and it was used as a weapon instead.

However, Urouge knew the power of the impact beam. With the energy stored up by the people on the Sky Island, it was impossible for them to hurt him. At most, they would just take two steps back and that would be the end of it.

Just as Uroki was preparing to tough it out and then use karma to show these guys from the Divine Soldier Team why Temple Island was independent of the Sky Island's "God" control, suddenly, as if sensing something, before Uroki could react, Yi Chang's broad and generous hand landed on Uroki's chest and pressed him back.

He was thrown backward uncontrollably, and then the violently surging energy struck Sett's body. In an instant, Sett's tough skin was torn apart, leaving... leaving a white mark.

With a slight click of his tongue, Sett wiped away the white mark with his thumb, then looked at the leader of the Divine Soldiers, whose eyes were once again filled with terror, and a hint of curiosity appeared in Sett's eyes.

"Throw that thing you're holding over here."

"what?"

"Otherwise, I'll break your arm."

There was no intention to bargain. Sett could tell that the attack just now was not due to the leader's strength, but purely due to the shell in his hand. It could be said that if it weren't for that shell, this so-called leader of the divine soldiers would be no different from an ordinary person.

Upon witnessing this, Urouge reacted immediately, walking over and forcefully snatching the seashell from the leader of the Divine Soldiers. The leader even cried out in pain due to a broken finger caused by the violent removal, but Urouge showed no remorse whatsoever, displaying only curiosity and surprise.

"I've never seen this kind of shellfish before... Isn't this a shock shell?!"

With a look of amazement in his voice, Urki, as a native of Sky Island and a powerful being who could exempt Temple Island from paying taxes, was very familiar with the standard equipment of the Divine Soldiers—usually Impact Shells with weakened power.

Yes, it's a weakened version of Impact Beam. Without the weakening, Impact Beam's power would still be difficult for ordinary people to withstand. Without training, it could even dislocate a joint instantly.

In response, the priest standing nearby said tremblingly, "This is the Divine Weapon Team's new weapon, the Slash Shell! Let me tell you, we have many more of these Slash Shells! Although you are strong, if you dare to hurt me, the Divine Weapon Team will not let you off!"

"And you, Urki! Even if you can withstand the Impact Beam, you can't withstand the Sharp Slash Beam! Surrender now!!"

They shouted with a bit of bluster, but neither Sett nor Urouge paid any attention. They were just curiously playing with the Slash Shell: "Not bad at all."

Sett said, "Judging from the force of that strike, even a slightly inferior shield could be cleaved in two! To be honest, even an ordinary swordsman couldn't do that without more than ten years of training!"

Upon hearing Sett's words, Hawkeye glanced at the Slash Shell. Indeed, the Slash Shell was extremely sharp, and judging from its power, ordinary swordsmanship apprentices would not be able to unleash such an attack.

But so what?

Hawkeye shook his head dismissively: "It's just a heretical approach... How could the way of the sword be shaken by such trivial things!"

Upon hearing this, Yi Xiao nodded and said, "However, its power is indeed considerable. If our soldiers were equipped with it, it would play a role in changing the course of battle in close combat."

Just as Yixiao said—only a few warriors can withstand the slashing spray. It has a short wind-up and great power. Moreover, it's easy to carry, requiring only a grip in the palm of the hand. Such a weapon, when used on the battlefield, could completely turn the tide of battle… it just can't have much of an effect on a physical monster like Sett.

"It would make a nice little toy!"

Sett nodded, then looked at the leader of the Divine Soldiers beside him: "Where is your boss?"

"What...what are you going to do?"

The leader keenly sensed that things weren't as easy as they seemed.

Grinning, Sett said menacingly, "Didn't you come looking for me? How could I not pay you a visit in person?!"

179·Bika

The greatest rulers of the Sky Islands are called "Gods." And their dwelling place is the sacred island of Gods, "Apayado."

On the way to Apayado, the Isle of Gods, Sett also took the opportunity to learn about the shellfish of the Sky Islands. Shellfish are a specialty of the Sky Islands. Because the White Sea lacks the seabed of the Blue Sea, the shellfish of the Sky Islands are distributed in shallow reefs. Although there are many types of shellfish, their main function is to store certain substances and then release them. Depending on the stored substances, the shellfish have various abilities and thus different uses.

In general, as long as the shell itself isn't damaged, it can be used indefinitely, essentially a semi-permanent existence—just like the previous impact boat, which ordinary people could use indefinitely without any problems. But who would have thought it would encounter a monster like Sett, who smashed it in no time, forcing Hawkeye and Sett to come to Skypiea to find a replacement impact shell.

"The 'Chop Clam' must be a newly emerging species; I had never heard of it before."

Urouge glanced at the strangely shaped seashell in his hand, a hint of curiosity on his face—just like the ever-changing ocean, new species of shellfish are discovered in the Sky Sea every so often. The current Divine Soldiers and the Sky Island Police White Berets use special weapons that primarily employ Impact Shells as their attack method.

"There are many kinds of shells, so if we're going to Qinghai, we can prepare some." Ulki had already started thinking about what he should bring into Qinghai—not to mention, wind shells were definitely needed.

The Wind Shell is widely used in the Skypiea, the motorcycles of the Sky Island, enabling them to travel at high speeds above the clouds. Building upon this, the Wind Shell has countless other uses, capable of spewing forth large quantities of stored wind. This is equivalent to lossless extra power, and it only requires fixing to a fixed location, unlike steam power which requires significant modifications and assembly of other components.

“We’ll need the seashells too.” Hawkeye looked at the book in his hand with amazement in his eyes—even though he was very knowledgeable, this was the first time he had ever seen such a large number of strange seashells.

Especially the water clam, although it looks small, only about 30 centimeters in diameter, it can store a large amount of water. Just how large? Firefighters on the Sky Island use water clams to extinguish fires. In other words, a single water clam can easily extinguish a fire.