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"Phoenix Fist!"
After a brief stalemate, Marco launched his attack. His blue flames condensed into countless phoenix feathers, which merged in mid-air to form a blazing fist that hurtled toward Atlas on the ground!
"A Fire Fist, huh? I can do that too!"
"Armament: Blast Fist!"
Flames wreathed Atlas's fist, the terrifying explosive power compressed and restrained. He infused it with Armament Haki, pulled his right leg back, twisted his hips, and unleashed a devastating punch!
Boom!
The two explosive forces collided, sending ripples through the air like waves across water. The shockwave crashed into Atlas with tidal force, yet with his feet planted firmly, he didn't budge an inch.
He's becoming more terrifying… Just as the thought flashed through Marco's mind, he dove downward, his wings spinning as he whipped a vicious kick at Atlas's face.
Unfazed, Atlas raised his right hand, coated it in Armament Haki, and intercepted the strike head-on. Their Haki clashed in a violent spark.
Clang!
This guy's Haki… It's gotten stronger again! Marco felt as though he had struck master-forged steel. The rebound sent pain jolting through his leg. Realising the attack had failed, Marco flapped his wings to retreat, flipped in mid-air, and morphed his left foot into a talon.
Harnessing momentum, he accelerated and struck at Atlas's chest.
"Crane's Claw!"
"Iron Cross Guard!"
Bang!
Marco's talon clashed with Atlas's crossed arms. After a brief deadlock, both were blasted backwards. But while Atlas slid back only a few steps, Marco was hurled dozens of meters away. The gap in strength was unmistakable.
"Not bad! Looks like you've grown stronger, Marco," Atlas remarked, genuinely surprised. On second thought, it was only natural.
Marco was in a stage of rapid growth. After being pressured by Atlas time and again, it would've been strange if he hadn't improved. Besides, most pirates only reached their peak in their fifties—Marco still had plenty of room to grow.
"Well, I haven't exactly been slacking…" Marco scratched his head with a chuckle.
Over the past six months, they had clashed dozens of times, so Atlas understood Marco's powers thoroughly. His regenerative blue flames from the Phoenix fruit weren't typical—they didn't leave lasting damage, but instead healed. Yet in battle, they could burn away an enemy's very life force.
They certainly weren't meant to heal opponents.
As a Mythical Zoan user, Marco was naturally tough, with immense vitality and self-healing. His offensive options were limited, but his durability was overwhelming. His fighting style was raw, physical combat—much like Atlas before he had obtained the Dragon Talisman.
After several fierce exchanges, both looked a little battered, but their breathing remained steady, showing no signs of exhaustion.
"Marco… try this!"
Atlas's pupils constricted as an immense aura exploded outward. The ground cracked, and trees splintered under the overwhelming pressure.
Conqueror's Haki!
In the original tale, only Red-Haired Shanks was known to deal physical damage with Conqueror's Haki. But now, thanks to the Sheep Talisman, Atlas could do the same.
The Sheep Talisman—his latest acquisition—was as he had expected: a soul-strengthening relic. For him, its effects were clear. His Observation Haki extended farther than ever, and his Conqueror's Haki surged to terrifying new heights.
After his battle with Katakuri, Atlas had been a step away from glimpsing the future. The talisman had given him that final push. In the original material, its main power was astral projection—implying a powerful spirit rooted in profound soul energy.
Within One Piece's system, Conqueror's Haki was the manifestation of will, while Observation Haki was an extension of the spirit, a sixth sense. But whether spirit or will, both required the foundation of a soul. (Just my theory—treat it as headcanon.)
Marco's mind reeled as if struck by lightning. If Atlas's Conqueror's Haki had once been a mallet, now it was a sledgehammer! Yet, as the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Marco steadied himself after only a moment.
But for Atlas, that single moment of distraction was enough.
"Blast Fist: Armament: Shatter!"
His fist blurred as it smashed into Marco's body. Blackened fist marks spread across Marco's form, and the crushing impact sent him flying skyward.
Agony sharpened Marco's focus. Blue regenerative flames engulfed his body, sealing wounds instantly as he fully transformed into his Phoenix form!
SCREE!
A piercing cry echoed across the battlefield as his regenerative flames flared even brighter.
"Phoenix Brand!"
Restored, Marco shifted back into his hybrid form, releasing a devastating shockwave toward Atlas. His movements flowed seamlessly, leaving no chance to counter.
"Armament: Emission!"
Atlas projected a blood-red shockwave of Armament Haki, clashing with Marco's Phoenix Brand.
Boom!
But this was no ordinary attack. Even after most of its force was dispersed, the residual shockwave tore forward toward Atlas.
"Life Return: Armament: War God Body!"
Atlas's frame expanded into a towering five-meter War God form. He charged head-on, tanking the rest of the Phoenix Brand through sheer physical might, never slowing as he closed the distance.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fist met fist, palm struck palm. The two hammered each other without pause, fighting like brawlers stripped of defence.
Atlas's full-body Armament Haki let him absorb the punishment, while Marco's regenerative flames healed his every wound. But while Marco's Mythical Zoan granted incredible stamina, it couldn't match Atlas's absurdly overpowered Horse Talisman.
"Marco, if that's all you've got, then you're not leaving today!"
Atlas drew the Sandai Kitetsu from his waist, its sinister aura gleaming in his hand…
In his War God form, Atlas stood nearly five meters tall, his hands enormous and intimidating.
The seemingly petite Sandai Kitetsu looked like nothing more than a child's toy in his grasp, creating a bizarre and almost laughable image.
But Marco wasn't smiling. He felt an overwhelming sharpness radiating from Atlas, so intense it seemed to slice across his very skin.
"One Sword Style Secret Art: Flash of Samsara!"
"This move…" A primal sense of danger jolted through Marco. Every instinct screamed at him, and he rapidly beat his wings to retreat!
"The moment of destruction!"
The Sandai Kitetsu in Atlas's hand seemed to transcend time and space itself, its ultimate speed slashing straight through Marco's body!
Clang!
Atlas calmly sheathed his blade. Marco blinked in confusion—he was uninjured. But his gut screamed otherwise.
"Can't you hear it? The wail of your flesh…"
At Atlas's words, countless cuts suddenly appeared all over Marco's body.
Blood sprayed out, turning him into a gruesome fountain!
Bang!
Marco's body trembled as a massive surge of blue regenerative flames burst from him. But more and more cuts appeared with every passing second!
Sizzle!
The flames poured endlessly from his wounds as his flesh was destroyed and restored over and over again…
Marco clutched his chest, heart racing. "What terrifying swordsmanship… for a moment, I thought I was going to die."
His body was fully healed now, without a scar in sight, but cold sweat drenched his brow. His flames could restore him endlessly—but if an attack ever exceeded his regeneration, he would die.
"Quit acting. You're the Phoenix—one of the rarest Mythical Zoans, rarer even than a Logia," Atlas said with a dismissive wave, unimpressed.
"Hey, hey! Why don't we call it here? It's not like you can finish me off if we keep this up!"
"I wouldn't be so sure. Right, Sandai Kitetsu?" Atlas said, patting the sword at his waist.
That last technique was his creation, fusing the Rabbit Talisman's super-speed with his swordsmanship. It embodied pure, ultimate speed, warping space-time itself, making it impossible to evade.
"You can use that move again?!" Marco was aghast, every hair on his body standing on end as a crushing sense of crisis overwhelmed him. "You've got to be kidding me!"
"Rankyaku: Impact!"
Exploiting Marco's distraction, Atlas suddenly appeared before him and swung a brutal hook at his face!
Pfft!
The blow landed squarely, Marco's cheek ballooning from the impact.
He spat out blood and several teeth, but flames instantly surged across his face, healing the injury in moments!
"Hm?" Atlas, preparing another strike, froze.
His Observation Haki had sensed a powerful presence entering his range. Reinforcements—the Whitebeard Pirates had sent help.
"I'll let you off for today. Next time, you won't be so lucky, Marco!" Atlas said coldly, then turned to leave.
Marco didn't try to stop him. Judging from Atlas's reaction, he knew Pops had sent someone. But even with backup, they couldn't pin this man down. Atlas was someone who could escape from the Emperor of the Sea himself.
And then, under Marco's stunned gaze, Atlas… ran. Yes, he ran.
With his monstrous physique and the Rabbit Talisman's speed, sprinting across the surface of the sea was child's play.
A long while later, after Atlas had vanished beyond the horizon, a tall, powerfully built, dark-skinned man arrived by boat.
He wore a dark blue top hat, his twin curled moustaches framing a grin. His open blue shirt revealed a hairy chest, a sword hung from each hip, and a black cape flowed behind him.
It was the Whitebeard Pirates' Fifth Division Commander—Flower Sword Vista!
"Oi! Marco, you look like hell! Hahahaha!" Vista laughed heartily at Marco's bloodstained clothes.
But his Observation Haki told him Marco's life force was still strong, so he laughed without worry. That was simply the Whitebeard Pirates' way.
"Don't even bring it up. That damned Marine keeps getting stronger. What are you even doing here?" Marco muttered, glancing at his ruined clothes. His wounds were gone, but the bloodstains lingered, some singed away by his flames.
"Pops noticed you'd been gone too long and got worried, so he sent me," Vista replied, recalling Whitebeard's words before leaving.
"That arrogant Marine's talent is even greater than Garp's was in his prime. Vista, go check on them. I'm worried something might happen to that foolish boy, Marco."
Marco scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Good thing you showed up when you did. Atlas backed off because of it. Otherwise, I might have died here."
"No way. I know how busted your ability is. He pushed you that far?" Vista was stunned. Marco's fruit made him even tougher than most Mythical Zoans.
Every Mythical Zoan carried the usual Zoan traits—immense stamina, high defence, rapid recovery—but each also held something special.
Sengoku's Daibutsu form wielded destructive shockwaves. Kaido's Azure Dragon commanded flame and lightning. Marco's Phoenix gifted him regenerative flames, granting near-limitless recovery so long as no attack surpassed his healing threshold.
"I couldn't help it. That guy's physique and healing… he's a monster beyond monsters. I don't even know if he has a limit. And…"
Marco trailed off, shuddering as he recalled Atlas's final, dreadful slash. "…and his swordsmanship… terrifying. In that moment, I couldn't even move. I couldn't even see his blade."
At the mention of swordsmanship, Vista licked his lips, eyes gleaming with excitement. He murmured, "A great swordsman, you say…?"
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach top 100)
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