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"Alright, today is the day you leave for your post in Sabaody," Sengoku said, looking at Kanos Atlas.
"Remember, do not let a single Supernova enter the New World. You can do whatever you want in Sabaody; I'll take the heat for it if anything happens!"
"No problem. I guarantee those pirates won't even get to touch the edge of the New World!" Atlas vowed, patting his chest.
"By the way, do not offend the Celestial Dragons. I know you can't stand them."
"No problem. If I can't afford to offend them, I can still afford to hide from them, can't I?" Atlas replied with a displeased look, seeing the doubt in Sengoku's eyes.
"Relax, relax. You know what kind of person I am, don't you?"
This statement only made Sengoku even more worried. If Atlas actually killed a Celestial Dragon, not even he could cover for it.
But Atlas wasn't lying to Sengoku. Although he despised the Celestial Dragons, at this stage, he lacked the absolute power to oppose the World Government.
He wasn't some brainless rebel.
"Alright, I'll be on my way. My warship is waiting for me at the port." Seeing that Sengoku looked ready to launch into another lecture, Atlas quickly excused himself.
The warship prepared for him was already docked at the port.
Due to the establishment of the new Marine bases in the New World, a large number of Marines had been dispatched there.
As a result, there weren't many warships docked at Headquarters, a far cry from the sight when Atlas first arrived in Marineford.
"Vice Admiral Atlas! Over here!"
Just as Atlas arrived at the port, Kyros's voice called out from a warship. It was a giant, standard-issue Marine vessel.
For now, Atlas had no plans to build his own custom ship. It wasn't about the money; the Marines would cover the cost, and Atlas felt no need to save them any.
The main reason was that he didn't need a custom ship at the moment, as his post at the Sabaody Archipelago was not far from Headquarters.
Besides, Atlas felt that even a custom-built warship would be too mediocre, so he would put off thinking about it.
"Yo! Kyros, you look sharp today."
Kyros, standing on the deck, wore a standard Marine uniform, a complete change from his appearance in Dressrosa.
His current rank was Private Third Class. With no merits to his name yet, Atlas couldn't promote him too excessively.
In any case, with Kyros's strength, capturing a few small-time pirates would be a piece of cake.
The warship's standard crew consisted of about a thousand regular Marines and a few hundred elite Marines.
His second-in-command was a Captain with a full beard and a forgettable face. The crew composition was balanced but not outstanding.
However, Atlas was certain he would find time to personally recruit a few confidants for his ship.
He had already earmarked Smoker, who had graduated from the recruit camp last year with the rank of Lietenant.
It should have been Lieutenant Commander, but he had openly disobeyed orders during his graduation trial, which resulted in a poor final evaluation and affected his starting rank.
"Vice Admiral Atlas, are we ready to depart?"
"Is everyone on board accounted for?"
"Reporting, Vice Admiral! All personnel and supplies have been accounted for! Awaiting your orders!"
"Good. Then let's set sail. Target: Sabaody Archipelago!" Atlas nodded slightly, then turned to the bearded man.
"You're Mejes, right?" Before setting off, Sengoku had already sent him the files on the ship's main officers, so he had some impression of the man.
"Yes, sir! Marine Headquarters Captain Mejes, reporting for duty!" Mejes snapped a salute, his expression serious.
He didn't know much about Atlas, this young Vice Admiral. His most vivid memory was of him capturing Crocodile, one of the newly appointed Seven Warlords, and sending him to Impel Down.
Hailed as a Marine rookie a year ago, his strength had grown even more formidable after being tempered by the New World, and he had risen to the rank of Vice Admiral through a mountain of military achievements!
He was, in a word, a monster. Upon learning he had been assigned to Atlas's command, Mejes had been a bit apprehensive; after all, most powerful people had some strange quirks.
Fortunately, after a brief period of contact, his impression of Atlas was very good.
The Sabaody Archipelago was not far from Marine Headquarters.
Its body was a single, massive tree, the "Yarukiman Mangrove," the largest in the world.
Its roots were constantly exposed above the water's surface, forming the islands of the archipelago.
Sabaody's most unique feature was the special natural resin secreted by the mangrove's roots, which created the unique bubble culture of the islands.
It was also the only route to the New World. Thus, it was known to pirates as both the "Island of Failure" and the "Island of New Beginnings."
The archipelago was composed of 79 numbered groves, which were clearly divided into distinct areas.
Atlas's destination was Groves 60 to 69, the primary station for the Marines and the gateway for the World Government.
--Groves 1-29: The lawless area, a gathering place for all criminals, including pirates. It was home to human trafficking shops and slave auctions.
--Groves 30-39: The heart of Sabaody's unique bubble culture and a must-see for tourists—Sabaody Park.
--Groves 40-49: The tourist and souvenir shop area, a relatively peaceful place suitable for sightseeing.
--Groves 50-59: The shipbuilding and coating artisan district.
While the craftsmanship might be slightly inferior to Water 7's, the unique coating process was key for pirates heading to the New World, making it a favorite spot for them.
--Groves 70-79: The hotel district. Whether it offered "other services," Atlas didn't know.
It could be said that Groves 1-29 would be Atlas's main area of focus. He would face the threat of slave-trading crews, as most pirates there feared nothing.
Although most pirates were ugly brutes, some Celestial Dragons had a penchant for collecting pirate captains, so… where there was a market, there was a demand.
"Sabaody looks quite peaceful…" Atlas remarked, looking at the giant Yarukiman Mangrove that was faintly visible in the distance.
He had half-expected to be greeted by a barrage of cannonballs.
"Vice Admiral, sir, you shouldn't just look at the surface," Mejes at his side explained, his mouth twitching.
"We are heading directly to the Marine station, which is quite far from the lawless area. The commotion there doesn't reach here."
Mejes was a veteran Marine and knew a little about Sabaody's situation; he wouldn't be fooled by the superficial tranquility.
"Is that so? Well, I think such a beautiful island should be kept quiet for a while…"
Hearing Atlas's "bold" statement, Mejes was confused, completely unaware of what his new commander was about to do.
"As I thought. Beneath the world's most beautiful things always lie countless layers of filth and sin."
Aboard the ship, Atlas had already quietly spread his Observation Haki over the entire archipelago.
This bright and beautiful island seemed to be the stage for all kinds of violent crimes and human trafficking at all hours, especially in the lawless zone of Groves 1-29.
"This is an eyesore. Let's start by cleansing some of this evil."
As he spoke, Mejes felt a powerful and intimidating aura erupt from Atlas.
Though it wasn't directed at him, the sheer pressure that radiated outwards was enough to make him lose focus for a moment!
Conqueror's Haki!
--In a tavern somewhere--
"Hahahahaha! I am a great pirate with a bounty of 70 million! It is your honor to serve me. How dare you ask me for money?"
A vicious-looking, bald brute with an indescribable face held a large, ringed broadsword, looking at the tavern owner with extreme arrogance.
Surrounding them was a circle of onlookers and a crew of equally ugly pirates, likely the bald man's subordinates.
"Hey! Old man, our captain is 'Demon' Nick! Are you tired of living?"
"Hahaha! How novel! Someone who actually asks pirates to pay for their drinks."
The crowd gasped. "Demon" Nick had made a name for himself recently, especially for his love of torturing his enemies to death.
He had even destroyed a Marine base in North Blue. For this tavern owner to run into such a notorious pirate was truly bad luck.
The onlookers couldn't help but cast pitying glances at the owner.
"Heh… A mere 70-million-berry pirate dares to call himself a great pirate?" The tavern owner was clearly not intimidated.
Anyone who could open a tavern in the lawless zone would not be afraid of a pirate with such a low bounty. This owner was clearly a tough character himself.
"How annoying!" Seeing the owner's mocking expression, veins bulged on Nick's arm. He raised his broadsword high, poised to cleave the owner in two.
"Heh… you're a pirate from North Blue, aren't you?" the owner asked, unperturbed, changing the subject completely.
"Hmm? So what if I am?" The descending blade stopped abruptly, the sharp edge drawing a line of blood on the owner's forehead.
"Joker! I work for Joker!" the owner said, standing his ground and smiling at Nick, as if he had complete faith in that name.
"Joker? Who's that? Have you guys heard of him?"
"Never. Maybe just some merchant from North Blue? Hahahaha…"
"Hey, hey! Look, the Demon Pirates seem to be really wary of this 'Joker'!"
The crowd started murmuring, but when they saw the expressions on the faces of "Demon" Nick and his crew, they were shocked.
It was clear that Nick knew who "Joker" was. Nick and his men were in a difficult position. He had, of course, heard of the great name "Joker."
He was a kingpin in the North Blue underworld. Although he hadn't expanded into the Grand Line, Nick had fought his men before.
As for the result… Nick's wary expression said it all.
"Let's just forget about it this time. Consider it on the house," the tavern owner, clearly a shrewd man, said.
He knew that no matter how famous "Joker" was in the North Blue, this was the Grand Line. The heavens were high, and the emperor was far away.
In the end, his own life was all that mattered. If this pirate became enraged and killed him on the spot, it would be a terrible waste.
Even if "Joker" avenged him later, what good would that do?
"Fine. I'll give 'Joker' some face today. First mate, bring the money for the drinks!"
Although Nick was known as "Demon," he was clearly not a brainless brute. Seeing the tavern owner offer him an easy way out, he immediately took it.
At his words, the crowd, which had been hoping for a show, was greatly disappointed. At the same time, they became immensely curious about this "Joker."
While a 70-million bounty wasn't rare on the Grand Line, to be able to intimidate someone just by dropping a name meant this "Joker" was no pushover.
Just as the disappointed crowd was about to leave, a terrifying aura enveloped them. The world seemed to turn into a colorless painting.
Thump! Thump!
The pirates in the tavern fell like dumplings into a pot.
"This…" The remaining onlookers were at a loss. They had only felt a gust of wind, and these pirates who had just been shouting defiantly were now foaming at the mouth, unconscious.
Some were even bleeding from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, completely lifeless.
--In Grove 2--
"Hey, hey, hey! Are you blind? Don't you see that person over there?" a pointy-mouthed, monkey-cheeked old man barked orders at a group of men in black suits. In front of them was a terrified girl of about 17 or 18.
"What a shame. To be targeted by him…"
"Who is that guy?"
"Shh! He's the man behind the biggest slave auction house in Sabaody. I heard he's backed by a Celestial Dragon."
"Tsk tsk~ Looks like this girl isn't escaping today…"
Hearing the whispers around her, the already terrified girl burst into tears, as if she could already see her future life as a slave.
"But, isn't she a tourist?" a burly man behind the pointy-mouthed man asked, seeming to feel a pang of conscience.
"Che-ha-ha-ha! Hatton, why the sudden burst of kindness? Think about your sick wife and daughter at home!"
The burly man seemed to have struck a sore spot. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"What a prime specimen… I'm sure the Celestial Dragons will love her. And Mary Geoise is in desperate need of a new batch of slaves right now, heh heh heh!"
"Urk!"
Before the pointy-mouthed man could take another step, he felt as if his head had been struck from behind. Warm liquid began to pour from his ears, nose, and throat.
Thump.
The same scene was playing out all across the Sabaody Archipelago.
It was as if a God's Eye was looking down on the islands, and all the evildoers were being struck by divine punishment at the exact same moment!
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach top 100)
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