17.

Sett stood in the empty arena, his muscles tensed and his fists clenched tightly. The bright overhead lights cast a harsh glare over the empty seats, a stark reminder of the crowds soon filling them. He had fought before, but never like this. This was different. This was a chance to prove himself to Stone and Fox, showing them he was worth their investment.

"Are you ready?" Fox's voice echoed through the arena as she stepped onto the floor. Sett nodded, his eyes locked onto hers. "Good," she continued, "because this is just the beginning. Stone has big plans for you, Sett. But first, we must ensure you can handle yourself in the ring."

Sett took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He knew he had trained hard, but still, his heart raced. The sound of footsteps on the metal ramp signaled the arrival of his opponent, a hulking brute with arms as thick as tree trunks. He could hear the crowd starting to fill the arena, their excited chatter and cheers adding to the already overwhelming noise. Sett could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins as the two fighters circled each other. And then it began.

His opponent went down, his body crumpling to the ground with a thud. The crowd erupted into cheers, the noise almost deafening. Sett's fight had been too easy. He had knocked out his opponent, barely breaking a sweat. Sett couldn't help but feel disappointed. He had expected a challenge to test his skills and push him to his limits. But this fight had been a walk in the park.

Stone watched as Sett walked out of the arena, his muscles still bulging from the intense fight he had just won, his face still flushed with the excitement of his victory. The crowd had cheered him on as he had fought, his punches landing heavy on his opponent's face. He had to admit; Sett was impressive. But Stone didn't care about that. He only cared about the money he could make off of him.

"Well yeah, he is ready," Stone said, watching Sett's retreating figure. "But we can't have him getting cocky. We need to keep him on a tight leash."

He turned to Fox, a smug look on her face, and nodded approvingly.

"Pleased, are we?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Fox grinned back at him, knowing she had played a pivotal role in Sett's success. "Of course, boss. I trained him myself," she said, her tone confident. Stone rolled his eyes and looked back at Sett, walking towards them.

"Good job out there," he said, his voice barely hiding his excitement. "You're ready for the next step." Sett's eyes lit up at the mention of the next step. He had been training hard for weeks, waiting for the moment he would finally be given a mission. "What do you want me to do, boss?" he asked eagerly.

Stone leaned back in his chair and studied Sett for a moment. The kid had potential, he thought to himself. He was young, strong, and hungry for success and money. But Stone knew that he needed to be careful. He couldn't just throw Sett into the deep end without knowing if he could swim.

"Take a week off," he said, his voice low. Sett's face fell, but he knew better than to argue with Stone. "Then, we'll give you your first mission. And you'll be tagging along with Fox." Sett nodded, his eyes filled with determination. "I won't let you down, boss," he said firmly. Stone nodded back, a small smile on his lips. As Sett left the room, Stone looked at Fox and said: "You know what to do." She nodded and went to look for Sett.

Sett couldn't believe how much stronger he had become as he walked out. His opponent had been no match for him, and his punches had felt like weak jabs. Sett's hits, on the other hand, had landed with enough force to send his opponent to the ground in seconds.

He couldn't help but smile at the thought of his newfound strength. It had been a long journey to get here. But now, it had all paid off.

As he returned to the locker room, he heard the crowd cheering for him. The sound was like music to his ears, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride wash over him. He had come so far and knew this was only the beginning.

Sett couldn't wait to see what the future held for him. He had proven himself in the ring, and he knew there were bigger and better fights ahead of him. As he walked into the locker room, he took a deep breath and smiled. This was only the beginning.

As he left the arena, he spotted Fox waiting for him outside. She grinned when she saw him, clearly pleased with his performance. "Well done," she said, patting him. "You made it look easy."

Sett couldn't help but feel a little resentful. "That was too easy," he grumbled. "I wanted a real challenge."

Fox's grin widened. "Don't worry; there'll be plenty of challenges ahead," she said. "You're just getting started."

Sett sighed, knowing she was right. He had to start somewhere, and this was just the beginning. He was determined to prove himself, to show everyone that he was a force to be reckoned with.

Fox had led Sett to a nearby PUB to celebrate his victory in the ring. Sett felt invincible after his win, and he couldn't wait to let loose and have a few drinks with his trainer. Fox offered to buy him a round, and Sett eagerly accepted. But after a few drinks, Sett began to feel uneasy. Something wasn't right.

He looked at his glass and then glanced at the bartender, who smiled back at him knowingly. "Maybe you want something stronger?" the bartender suggested, his voice laced with a sinister tone. Sett didn't understand what he meant, but before he could ask, he lost consciousness.

Sett found himself tied up on a railroad track. Panic surged through his veins as he looked around frantically, trying to figure out where he was and how he got there. The bartender stood before him, wielding a knife and a soft smile on his lips.

"Who the fuck are you? Where am I?" Sett demanded, fear and anger mingling in his voice.

The bartender chuckled softly. "This thin knife can save your life," he said cryptically. Sett had no idea what he meant until he heard the sound of an approaching train. It was coming closer by the second, and Sett realized with horror that he was handcuffed to the railroad tracks by Sea Stone handcuffs - even if he didn't eat an evil fruit, the material was nearly impossible to break free from.

"My boss has a few questions for you," the bartender continued casually as if they were having a normal conversation. "Where can I find The Stone, and where is his base of operations? You see, he took something from us, and we need it back."

"I don't have any fucking idea," Sett screamed, his voice hoarse with desperation.

The bartender's smile disappeared, and his expression turned dark. "I just killed a woman for giving me the same fucking answer," he said coldly. "Is it worth dying like this, half-beast boy?"

Sett looked up and saw the train hurtling towards him at a breakneck speed. He knew he had to act fast if he wanted to survive. "Just cut the ropes, please!" he begged, hoping that the bartender would have a change of heart.

But the bartender just laughed. "Hey, it's your funeral," he said casually. "Good luck, half-beast boy."

Sett's heart was pounding in his chest as the train drew closer and closer. He could hear the screech of the brakes, and he knew he was running out of time. With a surge of adrenaline, Sett screamed, "Fuck you!" After a second of hesitation, he added, "Tell Ma... they started it..." and closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact.