"You don't need to move. Leave this boy to me."
Atmos the Water Buffalo stepped forward. His massive frame loomed like a fortress, twin blades gleaming in his hands as he looked down at Ashveil. Though Ashveil wasn't small, his relaxed figure seemed almost insignificant beneath Atmos's towering presence.
The commotion drew the attention of the pirates scattered across the deck of the Moby Dick. Whispers spread quickly among them.
"Did you see that kid? That's the Zero Division Captain Pops always talks about."
"What?! That's him? He looks so weak!"
"No way… He must've tricked Pops somehow. I heard he lived in luxury while we bled out on the seas? What a joke!"
"Oi, what if I take him down? Maybe I'll be promoted to Captain too! Hahaha!"
"Captain Atmos is challenging him? This brat is about to be exposed for sure!"
The crowd erupted in laughter, convinced that Ashveil was about to be humiliated. In the world of pirates, words meant nothing. Only strength spoke. Age didn't matter — strength decided everything. Ace had become Second Division Commander young because he proved his worth. If you were weak, you were replaced. That was the law of the sea.
To them, Ashveil was a fraud, a useless slacker who somehow earned Whitebeard's favor. How could such a man carry the title of Zero Division Captain?
Ashveil finished the last bite of his burger, washed it down with cola, and tossed the empty bottle aside. He let out a satisfied burp and lazily turned to Atmos, sizing him up.
"Atmos, you're too weak. Beating you won't prove I'm the strongest Captain here, will it?" His words carried a half-smile, casual and sharp.
The deck burst into renewed laughter.
"This brat's arrogant!"
"Arrogant without power? That's just suicide!"
"Yeah, he's lighting a powder keg! Atmos will crush him."
"I'll bet a thousand to one this kid gets flattened!"
The odds stacked against Ashveil as laughter and wagers spread through the crowd.
Marco narrowed his eyes, activating his Observation Haki to its fullest, studying Ashveil closely. Jozu and Vista did the same. But to their surprise, they sensed nothing. Not even the faint trace of a strong aura.
Atmos's anger flared. To him, Ashveil's words weren't just arrogance, they were an insult.
"You scared, boy?" Atmos growled. "If you're afraid, give up your title. Resign from the Zero Division Captain's position and we'll still protect you as part of the crew. Otherwise…" He dragged his blades along the deck with a screech, glaring down at him.
Ashveil rubbed his temple, clearly annoyed. He hadn't planned on dealing with Atmos at all. He had wanted to crush Marco, Jozu, and Vista in one go to silence all doubts. But they weren't biting, and now this oaf stood in his way.
"Sorry, Atmos," Ashveil replied calmly. "The Zero Division Captain has its privileges. No way I'm giving those up."
Atmos sneered, baffled that Ashveil cared more about free food and wine than the challenge in front of him. "Then die where you stand!"
He swung his blade down in a devastating strike, the air itself trembling from the force. The crowd gasped — Atmos wasn't holding back.
Marco tensed, blue flames gathering around him as he prepared to intervene. Idiot, don't kill him! Even if he's a fraud, he doesn't deserve this!
But before he could move, Marco froze.
So did Jozu.
So did Vista.
Their eyes went wide, jaws dropping as the impossible unfolded before them.
The deck, which had moments ago been filled with noise and laughter, fell into stunned silence.
Atmos had dropped to one knee.
The massive Thirteenth Division Commander, Atmos the Water Buffalo, trembled violently before Ashveil. His blades clattered from his hands as his body buckled. A crushing weight bore down on him, heavier than anything he'd ever endured. His vision blurred, ears ringing as waves of dizziness and nausea overtook him.
The suffocating pressure forced him lower, sweat pouring down his face until both knees slammed into the deck. His body, once so towering, now seemed small, like a child before an insurmountable mountain.
"What is this…? A Devil Fruit ability?" he gasped. But even as the thought formed, he realized the truth.
No. This wasn't a Devil Fruit.
This was Haoshoku.
Conqueror's Haki.
The kind of overwhelming willpower said to appear in only one in a million people. And it wasn't just any Haoshoku — this was monstrous, refined, and absolute.
All around them, pirates collapsed, unconscious from the mere presence of Ashveil's aura. And yet, he had only released the smallest fraction of it. Had he unleashed his full Haoshoku, the entire deck would have been wiped out instantly.
Marco swallowed hard, the color draining from his face. "That's… Haoshoku… the legendary Conqueror's Haki…"
Vista's lips trembled. "And not just any Haoshoku. To suppress Atmos like this… Ashveil's will is already above Captain-class… No, it may even surpass Shanks himself!"
The realization spread like wildfire among the commanders.
They turned toward Whitebeard, who sat with a faint, knowing smile, watching silently.
Their "Pops" hadn't been deceived.
He had brought a monster onto the crew.
____
Send Power stones.