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"Gurararara… The Marines are truly fortunate. After the three monster admirals, they've cultivated yet another monstrous rookie."
Whitebeard glanced around at his carefree crew, and a hint of worry flickered in his eyes. Lately, he had begun to feel his body deteriorating.
He wondered if Marco and the others could still laugh so freely after he was gone… In the end, even he couldn't escape old age.
He had thought about grooming a successor for the Whitebeard Pirates, but Marco's lazy nature and lack of drive for power made him unfit to carry the crew on his shoulders after Whitebeard's death.
"Pops…" Marco noticed Whitebeard suddenly fall silent, and a trace of unease rose in his heart.
"Gurararara… Alright, let's have a feast!"
"Pops…"
--New World, G-5 Base--
The expansive training field was packed to the brim with off-duty Marines, forming a dense wall of bodies. At the centre stood only two men: Garp and Kanos Atlas.
Ever since witnessing Atlas's "Flying Finger Gun: Detonation," Garp had been obsessed.
He was certain Atlas wasn't a Devil Fruit user, which only made him more interested in the matter. So he pestered Atlas for a match, eventually dragging him out to the training field.
"Hey, who do you think would win? Vice Admiral Garp or Commodore Atlas?"
"Are you stupid? This is the Marine Hero we're talking about! He even cornered Gol D. Roger!"
"Still, Commodore Atlas is no slouch. He beat Whitebeard's Jozu at such a young age."
"Whatever the case, most of our forces have already been deployed to the New World. War might break out soon…"
The Marines watching gradually shifted the topic from the sparring match to the rising tensions in the New World.
They didn't know the true objective, only that the Marine forces seemed to be targeting emperors like Whitebeard.
"Hahahaha! Atlas! Let me see that special finger technique of yours!"
Garp charged in without hesitation, both fists swinging with overwhelming force.
"Armament!"
Atlas's blood surged, and his fists turned jet black with hardened Haki, the ominous red-black energy giving off a crushing aura.
Boom!
The impact split the ground with visible cracks. Though both men held back, the sheer force still damaged the terrain.
"Looks like your strength and Haki have grown a lot."
Garp grinned, clearly thrilled. He had always admired body-technique prodigies like Atlas. To the old generation, Devil Fruits were merely tools—true strength came from within.
Of course, they didn't reject Devil Fruits either. After all, they were treasures of the sea that could change a man's fate. However, not everyone was born with a physique like Atlas's, a monster's.
"Everyone grows, old man Garp."
Atlas grinned confidently. His arms bulged with strength as black and red Haki engulfed them.
Iron Fist: Consecutive Punches! A barrage of punches rained down on Garp with suffocating intensity.
"Hahahaha! Good one!"
Garp roared with laughter and met each strike head-on. When Atlas's momentum began to fade, Garp lunged forward and smashed a powerful fist into his chest.
Though Atlas had reinforced his chest with Haki, the blow still sent him flying dozens of meters across the field.
His Haki was terrifying in both quantity and quality, but fully coating his body still diluted its defensive power. Partial armament remained the most efficient method.
"Hahahaha! Come on, show me that weird ability of yours!" Garp didn't wait for him to recover. Using "Soru," he closed the gap in a flash.
"Ararara… Finger Gun: Detonation!"
Explosive fire surged toward the incoming Garp, but he didn't dodge. His body glowed with Haki, and an unshakable aura erupted from him.
Boom!
The explosion echoed, and Garp emerged from the flames and smoke. His uniform was reduced to rags, and his once-black hair curled from the heat.
He looked dishevelled, but completely uninjured. Atlas's use of the Dragon Talisman was still limited. Against a top-tier fighter like Garp, it lacked the decisive edge.
Garp's Haki was on a level few in the world could rival.
"Not bad at all, kid! Now feel the love of my fists!"
Garp grinned wickedly as he charged again, fists howling through the air. The sheer wind pressure stung Atlas's face.
"Ah!"
A painful scream echoed. Atlas rubbed his swollen cheek and used the Horse Talisman's healing to erase all bruises instantly.
"Garp, are you punishing me for ruining your clothes?" Atlas muttered.
"Hahahaha! No way! This is just the love of an old man for a promising kid! After all, you've awakened Conqueror's Haki!"
Garp seemed both amused and surprised—Atlas's recovery speed had increased noticeably since their last spar.
"About that Conqueror's thing… I still don't get how to use it." Atlas scratched his head in frustration.
Since awakening it during the clash with Whitebeard, he had only managed a few unstable releases.
He could barely control its direction, let alone infuse it into his attacks.
"Hahaha! You'll have to ask Sengoku. I don't have Conqueror's Haki myself." Garp laughed like it didn't bother him at all.
"Vice Admiral Garp! Vice Admiral Tsuru needs to speak with you! And Commodore Atlas, too!" A Marine runner suddenly rushed in, interrupting the pair.
"Tsuru, huh? What does she want now? Is Whitebeard stirring up trouble again?"
Garp mumbled as he headed toward Tsuru's strategy room. Atlas quickly followed.
Bang!
"Tsuru! What's the matter?" Garp kicked open the door without hesitation, shouting into the room.
He and Tsuru had been comrades since their youth, so formalities like knocking were completely ignored. And frankly, Garp was never the type to knock anyway.
"Sit first." Vice Admiral Tsuru gave him a side glance, then asked, "What happened to you?"
"Ah, just gave that kid Atlas a little guidance. Didn't bother changing." Garp replied lazily, even picking his nose like it was no big deal.
Atlas followed behind awkwardly—after all, he was the one who destroyed Garp's clothes.
"Hello, Atlas-kun! We meet again!" Suddenly, a crisp and pleasant voice called out to him. From behind, Garp stepped on a familiar figure.
"Vice Admiral Gion?" Atlas blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected Gion to be sent to the New World so quickly. It looked like the war was about to erupt in full.
"You two know each other?" Tsuru turned to Gion, curious. As Gion's elder, she was always concerned about her personal affairs… though Atlas might be a bit young.
"I served as a sword instructor at the HQ recruit camp for a while. That's where I met Atlas—he left quite the impression." Gion said with a gentle smile.
"Hahaha, if you know each other, no need for introductions."
Tsuru continued, "I called you both here for two reasons. Sengoku called with new orders—there are updates to our deployment in the New World."
"Aokiji and Tokikake will be joining us soon. The war is accelerating, and we must prepare accordingly."
"Also, keep a close watch on Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido's movements. Be ready to respond at any time. As for that so-called Pirate Alliance—leave them alone for now. Let them preserve their strength."
Vice Admiral Tsuru casually lifted the steaming cup of tea from her desk, took a small sip, and continued,
"These past few months, our operations against the Whitebeard Pirates have made them believe we're determined to wipe them out. That's stirred up some very restless characters."
"Ah, I get it." Garp's expression gradually grew more serious. Though he often acted carefree, he knew exactly when to draw the line.
If the Marines suffered losses because of him, it would be a betrayal of the justice he stood behind.
"So, what's the second matter?" Garp asked at just the right moment.
Atlas, too, perked up at the question—since the first issue was for Garp, the second was likely about him.
"It's like this: King Riku of Dressrosa has requested aid from the Marines."
"Requested aid? But shouldn't Dressrosa's military be strong enough to handle ordinary pirate threats?"
Garp was a bit puzzled. After all, Dressrosa was a country rooted in the New World—it wouldn't have a weak standing army.
"According to King Riku's report, a high-ranking officer from the Big Mom Pirates wants to turn Dressrosa into a dessert production island—specifically to supply sweets for Big Mom."
"Since Dressrosa is a land of food and music, it's a prime target. The exact identity of the officer remains unknown for now."
Tsuru then turned to Atlas. "That's why I want you to head to Dressrosa and assess the situation."
"As a member nation of the World Government, the Marines are obligated to help them resist pirate invasions."
"Besides, we can't just allow the Big Mom Pirates to expand their territory unchecked."
"Alright, leave it to me. I've heard a lot about Dressrosa. I'll treat it like a mini vacation."
Atlas smiled calmly. Apart from Katakuri, the rest of the Big Mom commanders didn't worry him much. As for Big Mom herself, Atlas figured she was still busy giving birth.
Before sixty, Charlotte Linlin was either giving birth or on her way to giving birth. Her strength seemed to grow naturally with age.
She could be considered the most innately gifted pirate in the world.
"Oh, one more thing—I want Gion to accompany you to Dressrosa," Tsuru added.
"There likely won't be any major wars soon, but just in case you run into someone tricky, it's good to have backup."
--New World, Totto Land – Offshore of Toast Island---
The sea was peaceful and quiet, yet it had an oddly bizarre and whimsical atmosphere.
The air was filled with a sugary fragrance, and the island's buildings were shaped like various strange foods, looking as though they had been plucked straight out of a fairy tale.
At the port stood a man with hair fading from orange to crimson, styled like three jagged blades of fire.
He wore no shirt, exposing muscular abs, and a yellow cloak hung over his back. He wore gloves on both hands, and everything on him—from gloves to shoes—was a uniform orange tone.
This man was Charlotte Oven, Big Mom's fourth son, and a triplet alongside Katakuri and Daifuku. One had to admit, Big Mom's ability to give birth was truly terrifying—most of her children came in pairs or triplets.
Oven's target this time was Dressrosa.
He'd heard that its desserts were particularly famous, so he took it upon himself to seize the island to celebrate the upcoming birth of yet another sibling and to expand the family's domain.
As one of Big Mom's elder sons, Oven held deep loyalty to the family and valued kinship dearly—but only when that kinship remained loyal to the Charlotte name.
Though the Big Mom Pirates were one of the ruling powers of the New World, the region didn't belong solely to pirates. Besides Marine bases, several nations—both allied and unaffiliated with the World Government—held territory here.
Of course, non-affiliated nations couldn't survive in the New World without backing. Unless they were exceptionally powerful—like Elbaf, the Giant Kingdom—most had to seek protection under a great pirate's banner to survive.
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