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"Hahahaha! Brat, there's no way you can break through my defence!"
Jozu taunted as he slowly rose to his feet, glaring at Atlas—bare-chested, his upper body wrapped entirely in a black-red coating of Armament Haki.
Atlas was speechless. Even with the Ox Talisman's strength boost putting him physically above Jozu, the man was still like a rock in a latrine—disgusting and impossibly stubborn.
Cracking his diamond defence was like trying to punch through a mountain.
"Is that so?"
Atlas formed finger guns with both hands, a mocking grin tugging at his lips as fire flickered at his fingertips.
"Shigan: Detonation!"
In the blink of an eye, fiery energy burst from Atlas's fingers, slamming into Jozu's diamond-coated body with explosive force.
"Urgh!"
A sharp pain surged in Jozu's throat as blood welled in his mouth. His once-glistening diamond armour was now riddled with cracks.
"Oi, oi, oi! What the hell was that?! Are you possessed by Kizaru or something?!"
Jozu was stunned. They'd been enjoying a good old-fashioned brawl, and now the brat had pulled a stunt like that—it felt like a betrayal of the fight's spirit.
Not far away, Whitebeard's Murakumogiri clashed again and again with Garp's Iron Fist, sending violent shockwaves across the sea and launching waves filled with fish and shrimp into the sky.
"Can a Finger Pistol be that strong? Gurararara… turns out he's a hidden Devil Fruit user!"
Whitebeard glanced at the battered Jozu and concluded that Atlas must have some Devil Fruit ability—no way pure martial arts could cause that kind of damage.
"Hahahaha! Whitebeard, looks like your division commander isn't as great as you thought!"
"What a shame, brat! You would've made a fine son of mine!" Whitebeard laughed heartily. "Jozu, get Thatch and give that kid a proper beating!"
"No need, Pops! I just got careless. I won't lose again this time!" Jozu gritted his teeth—being embarrassed by a kid twice was unacceptable.
"Oh really~ Brother Jozu?" Atlas smirked, channelling pure Kizaru sarcasm.
"Marine brat! Don't get cocky!"
"Is that so? Yasakani no Magatama—ah, sorry, wrong series! Shigan: Detonation!"
Atlas leapt high into the air, finger-guns ready, and unleashed a barrage of explosive flame blasts at Jozu.
The Dragon Talisman was proving immensely useful—similar to Kizaru's Glint-Glint Fruit, except instead of lasers, it fired explosive flames with devastating area impact.
Though newly awakened, the talisman's power was already formidable. As for cracking Jozu's defence earlier? That had been pure luck.
First, Jozu hadn't expected a sudden energy blast; second, his Armament Haki wasn't fully active at the time, leaving him open.
"You think I'm afraid of you, Marine brat?!" Jozu roared, reinforcing his diamond body with another layer before hardening it further with Armament Haki.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted around him, but with Observation Haki, Jozu evaded most of the blasts, tanking the rest with brute force.
"Oh my, how scary you are, Jozu-kun~" Atlas mocked in flawless Kizaru fashion.
Jozu's veins bulged—he was seconds away from tearing that smug face apart.
"You little punk! I've had it with you! Die!!" Jozu bellowed, diamondizing half his body and charging at Atlas like a raging beast.
Meanwhile, back at Marine Headquarters, Kizaru lounged in his chair, wearing his signature yellow-striped suit, clipping his nails as he glanced lazily at the wall clock.
"Achoo!" He sneezed, wiping his nose with a bored expression. "Man… who's thinking about me now? So scary…"
"Perfect! Eat my Iron Fist!" Atlas grinned savagely at the charging Jozu, coating his fist in Haki before slamming it forward.
Boom!
The impact, combined with a rear detonation, blasted Jozu backwards. His diamond armour was blackened with soot, his massive right arm bearing the imprint of Atlas's fist.
Though his defence wasn't fully broken—thanks to solid Haki training—cracks spread across the surface before quickly sealing under his fruit's power.
Jozu frowned. This Marine brat's Devil Fruit ability is far more dangerous than I thought. That blast power—if not for Haki, I'd be in real trouble…
"Oi! Thatch, help me pin this Marine down!" Finally, Jozu called for backup, uneasy about Atlas's explosive capabilities.
Across the battlefield, Thatch—keeping a wary eye on Blackbeard—hesitated, then nodded and rushed over.
While Whitebeard's commanders weren't strictly ranked by strength, Thatch was still a bit weaker than Jozu.
"Oi, Marine brat! Don't underestimate Whitebeard's division commanders!"
Thatch, the ship's chef and a flamboyant dual-wielding swordsman, sported a sharp pompadour and wore a spotless white chef's coat. He wasn't particularly tall but had a lively air.
"Thatch, I'll keep him busy. Look for an opening!" Jozu barked, charging back in with renewed caution.
Though Atlas lacked Jozu's raw defence, his offence, strength, and endurance seemed to outmatch him.
Jozu hurled his enormous diamondized body forward, attempting to smother Atlas in a "passionate" embrace.
Atlas wasn't into that kind of affection. Lowering his stance, he hardened his forehead with Armament Haki, activated the Dragon Talisman, and—
Tekkai: Armament!
I'll smash your guts, old man!
With a loud crack, Atlas slammed his head into Jozu's gut. The explosion made Jozu wince, but he gritted his teeth and managed to restrain Atlas.
Seeing the opening, Thatch rushed in, twin blades flashing.
Tekkai: Armament – Steel!
Atlas couldn't take the hit bare-skinned—no matter how strong the Horse Talisman's healing was, pain was still pain.
Clang!
Sparks flew as steel met steel, lightning flickering at the edge of Thatch's blade.
"Well? Am I hard enough for you?" Atlas grinned at Thatch's stunned expression.
"Explosion!"
Boom!
A fiery blast engulfed Thatch. The shockwave nearly knocked him unconscious, leaving him scorched and unable to move.
"Thatch!!" Jozu roared in fury. His muscles bulged as he tried to crush Atlas, but he had underestimated the gap in their raw strength.
In a single motion, Atlas broke free, stepped back, pivoted, and unleashed a devastating punch straight into Jozu's face.
Boom!
The impact thundered through the air as Jozu was sent flying like a rag doll. He crashed into the distance, blood dripping from his lips, shattered diamond fragments clinging to one side of his face.
"Commodore Atlas is the rising star of the Marines!"
"Hah! So what if it's the Whitebeard Pirates? Atlas is rock-solid reliable!"
"Looks like we've got another genius after the Monster Trio… Pirates! Witness the justice of the Marines!"
The watching Marines erupted in cheers, their morale soaring after witnessing Atlas's incredible display of strength. A wave of disbelief swept over the Whitebeard Pirates.
These were two of their division commanders—yet Thatch had been nearly taken out in one blow, and even "Diamond" Jozu, of all people, had been beaten into such a pitiful state by that young Marine.
"What terrifying growth…" From afar, Sakazuki also took note of the battle on Atlas's side.
Having personally fought Atlas not long ago, he was perhaps the most qualified to speak on the Marines' strength.
Back when Atlas was stationed at Marine Headquarters, his power had only slightly surpassed that of a Commodore.
Now, he was already on par with elite vice admirals—and perhaps even stronger. What puzzled Akainu the most was Atlas's explosive flame ability, a power he couldn't fully understand.
He couldn't say for certain whether Atlas was truly a Devil Fruit user—or whether he was even entirely human.
But the Marines never made it a habit to pry into the secrets of their soldiers. As long as justice was upheld, Sakazuki didn't care what Atlas was.
"Gurararara… Why don't we call it a draw here, Garp?" Whitebeard, sensing the shift in the tide of battle, finally made his move.
Earlier, Akainu's fight against Marco and Vista had been fierce, and they had given the magma-wielding admiral a fair amount of trouble.
Vista had yet to reach the level of a Supreme Grade swordsman, but his swordsmanship was already top-tier.
Combined with Marco's infuriating regenerative ability, Akainu felt as though all his attacks were striking nothing but air.
"Hahahaha! Whitebeard, you think a war ends just because you say so?" Garp wasn't that naïve.
With Atlas's explosive entrance turning the tide, this was the perfect chance to weaken the Whitebeard Pirates. That had been their mission from the start—there was no way he'd pull back now.
"Gurarara… Then I guess I have no choice." Whitebeard chuckled, then suddenly leapt backwards, confusing Garp. What was he planning now?
Whitebeard's towering figure straightened. He raised his right arm high, bending it slightly as a sphere of glowing white light condensed around his fist.
"Sea Quake!" The air cracked like shattered glass, and a monstrous shockwave exploded outward, transferring its force straight into the ocean.
A titanic wave, taller than anything before it, roared toward the Marine fleet.
"Gurararara… I doubt you'd want the entire Marine force to be wiped out here, Garp!"
Whitebeard didn't want to prolong the battle—not when his beloved sons could be seriously hurt. This was his way of forcing a ceasefire.
"Damn it! Sakazuki, stop that wave!" Garp had no choice but to retreat and order Akainu to disengage.
Akainu looked reluctant. In his eyes, sacrificing a few soldiers to deal a fatal blow to the Whitebeard Pirates was a fair trade in the name of justice.
But Garp was the commanding officer on the battlefield—defiance wasn't an option.
"What terrifying power…" Hidden in the crowd, Blackbeard couldn't conceal the greed flickering in his eyes. That kind of strength… it was overwhelming.
"Well, of course! Pops' power is like a natural disaster!"
Thatch stood beside him, pride on his face. Even with fresh wounds from Atlas's explosion, he showed no sign of weakness.
Before long, Garp led the Marines back to G-5 Base. They hadn't dealt catastrophic damage to the Whitebeard Pirates, but that was never the expectation.
This was only the beginning—there was still time.
Aboard the Moby Dick…
"Gurararara! Marco, let's throw a party!" Whitebeard laughed heartily, as if they had just come out of a glorious victory.
"Pops… you just want an excuse to drink, don't you?" Marco sighed. Though he enjoyed a celebration, his pockets were emptier than ever these days.
"Jozu, are you alright?" Whitebeard turned his attention to Jozu with genuine concern.
He had seen the earlier battle and knew just how badly the young Marine had shaken him.
"I'm fine," Jozu replied, his expression darkening. "That Marine kid… he's seriously strong—both in hand-to-hand combat and Devil Fruit power."
"He defeated no wonder Crocodile," Whitebeard muttered, rubbing his chin.
"That same Marine who took down that sand punk?"
"Yeah," Marco chimed in. "His name's Kanos Atlas. I heard from the Marines that he holds the rank of Commodore."
Marco had been the first among the Whitebeard Pirates to notice Atlas in the newspaper—and now, his instincts were proving correct.
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