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"…Man, you're something, Vice Admiral Garp…" Atlas muttered helplessly as he drew the Sandai Kitetsu from his waist, the tip of the blade hanging low.
"Ittō-ryū: Ryūshō – Divine Fall!"
A blood-red slash soared down from above, crashing into the massive Sea King with overwhelming power.
In an instant, the surrounding seawater was stained crimson. The Sea King's colossal body slowly floated to the surface, motionless.
"Hissss…"
A single slash had nearly cleaved the beast in half, leaving everyone on the warship stunned and gasping.
"Ah—my bad. Guess I went a little overboard. Looks like we're having extra rations for dinner tonight." Atlas sheathed his sword slowly and turned around with a smile.
"Atlas, we should spar sometime," said Bogard from the side, visibly surprised. The last time he'd seen Atlas, the young man hadn't yet reached the level of cutting steel.
While Atlas's swordsmanship wasn't refined yet, the sheer power of his slash had left Bogard at a loss for words.
"Haha, I'd be happy to!" Atlas nodded in response.
He was, after all, still in the phase of developing his skills behind closed doors, having yet to cross blades with other top swordsmen truly.
Although Bogard was only Garp's adjutant, Atlas didn't underestimate him in the slightest. Because Bogard even participated in the God Valley Event
Of course, they weren't about to spar aboard the ship. Everyone knew just how destructive a swordsman's clash could be. One fight could very well sink the entire vessel.
The dog-headed warship continued sailing for several days before finally reaching its destination—Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Atlas had seen Marineford in the anime in his past life and hadn't thought much of it. But now, seeing the towering structure with his own eyes was a completely different experience.
The crashing waves pounded the crescent-shaped harbor, where rows of elite warships stood guard alongside formidable fortifications.
Marine soldiers stood at attention, expressions solemn, as the seagull-flag billowed proudly in the sea breeze, radiating unmatched authority.
This was Marine Headquarters—Marineford! A place that had instilled fear into countless pirates.
Both Golden Lion, the tyrant of the old era, and Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King who ushered in a new age, had fallen here.
Even though the seas had grown more chaotic after Roger's execution in Loguetown five years ago, the Marines' influence had simultaneously reached its peak!
And this… this was the beginning of Kanos Atlas's rise to the world stage. It would be he who would bring the Great Pirate Era to an end!
Garp's warship slowly docked at Marineford's harbor, instantly drawing attention.
The ship's distinctive dog-head design was far too recognizable—almost everyone stationed at Headquarters knew it belonged to the Hero of the Marines.
Before long, a Marine Captain on duty came running over, saluting sharply in front of Garp. "Vice Admiral Garp! Captain Haze from HQ reporting for orders!"
"Take these two rookies and show them around," Garp said with a booming laugh, clapping Haze heavily on the shoulder before pointing at Atlas and Smoker.
Haze paused for a second. Who are these guys? Anyone who could get picked up personally by Vice Admiral Garp must be someone of significance.
"Yes, sir!" Captain Haze replied, hiding his confusion. He decided to gather more information from the two recruits later.
"Come with me. I'll show you around Marineford. You're here for the rookie training program, right?" he asked them casually.
"Yes, Captain Haze!" Atlas and Smoker responded quickly and respectfully.
Even though Atlas and Smoker held the rank of Commander in the East Blue, by Marine protocol, Headquarters ranks outrank equivalent ones in the four Blues by three grades.
So here, Atlas was effectively a Lieutenant.
"Hahaha, I'm leaving these two in your hands then. I'm off to see that old man Sengoku." Garp laughed as he wandered toward Sengoku's office.
"Come on, let's head to the boot camp registration first," Haze said once Garp was out of sight.
—
In Sengoku's office, he was in the middle of discussing the Marines' next strategic steps with Vice Admiral Tsuru.
Nearby, a laid-back man with curly hair and an eyepatch sat slouched on the couch, seemingly ready to fall asleep at any moment—Vice Admiral Aokiji.
BANG!
Suddenly, the door flew open with a loud slam, interrupting their meeting. Sengoku frowned instantly when he saw who it was.
"GAARP!! You remember how to come back?!"
But Garp ignored him completely, chuckling as he said, "I just went on vacation to visit my grandson. I'm going to train him into a great Marine."
"You've got some nerve. There's not a single member of the Monkey family that doesn't give me a headache!" Sengoku growled.
He had just received intelligence that Dragon, Garp's son, had founded a Revolutionary Army, which had caught the World Government's serious attention.
The Five Elders had even questioned Sengoku directly.
"Ah—Kuzan, you're here too?" Garp quickly deflected the conversation, pretending not to hear Sengoku's rant and pointing to Aokiji instead.
"Ah… Garp-san," Aokiji sighed, reluctantly lifting his eyepatch to respond.
"Hahahaha! I found someone in the East Blue whose talent is even more terrifying than yours, Kuzan!" Garp declared proudly, already unable to contain himself as he bragged about Atlas.
"Oh? Is that so? If he's got your endorsement, Vice Admiral Garp, I'd like to meet him sometime," Aokiji responded with real interest.
The next generation of Admirals was practically set—himself, Akainu, and Kizaru. But after them, there was a noticeable talent gap.
"Kanos Atlas, huh?" Sengoku muttered, pulling a report from the top of a tall pile of papers. On the cover was a photo of none other than Atlas.
—
Meanwhile, under Captain Haze's guidance, Atlas and Smoker had completed their boot camp registration and were about to head to the training hall cafeteria for a quick tour.
"Lieutenant Atlas," a Marine suddenly stopped them, panting heavily. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku wants to see you. Please come with me."
The three of them were momentarily stunned. Smoker and Haze looked at Atlas with clear envy—meeting the Fleet Admiral on your very first day at HQ? That spoke volumes about his prospects.
After all, Sengoku was the only active Admiral at the moment. Kong had already handed over all Marine operations to him.
It was practically a done deal that Sengoku would become the next Fleet Admiral—only a matter of time.
"Yes, sir!" Atlas was startled but quickly composed himself.
Knock knock…
Standing before the office door, Atlas knocked politely. After all, he wasn't in Loguetown anymore—he couldn't just barge in like he used to.
Randall: I swear… You call that polite?
"Enter," came a deep voice from inside—one that exuded authority and maturity.
When Atlas stepped in, he found the office surprisingly filled with Marine top brass. His expression instantly became more serious.
Even though Garp was winking at him playfully, Atlas saluted the room with precision and respect.
"Recruit Kanos Atlas, reporting to Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
"…Not bad. Atlas, the future of the Marines lies in the hands of young people like you," Sengoku said, studying the youth's firm build and earnest face.
After hearing Garp's glowing appraisal, he was even more impressed.
"Hahahaha! Sengoku, I found your stash of rice crackers!" Garp suddenly interrupted gleefully, just as Sengoku was about to say something meaningful to Atlas.
"I ate them all, by the way!" Garp added, thoroughly enjoying himself as Sengoku's temple veins bulged with rage.
"You bastard, shut up!" Sengoku growled, clenching his fists, barely containing his fury. Then, with a forced calm, he turned to Atlas and asked:
"Well then, Lieutenant Atlas, let me ask you—what is your definition of justice?"
All eyes in the room turned to him. Even Aokiji, who had been half-asleep, opened his eyes slightly, interest gleaming within.
"My justice… is Strength! I believe in the justice of the strongest!" Atlas replied after a moment of silence, looking straight at the bold inscription behind Sengoku that read "Justice Reigns Supreme."
"Peace gained through struggle will endure; peace gained through compromise is doomed! Only power can bring an end to this chaotic era," Atlas declared, every word resolute.
He didn't care what the bigwigs thought. The Marines were known for their tolerance—as long as you believed in justice, your vision would be accepted.
"I see. I understand," Sengoku nodded. "You're dismissed. Go tidy up and settle in."
"Yes, sir!" Atlas responded crisply, turning on his heel and closing the door tightly behind him.
Inside the room, Sengoku turned to the others.
"What do you two think of this kid, Tsuru? Kuzan?"
"Atlas? No doubt about it—his convictions are unwavering. His faith in strength and pursuit of justice are on par with anyone in this room. And given Garp's validation of his potential…"
Tsuru paused before adding, "His future may be even brighter than that of Kuzan and the others."
"Maybe, just maybe… he really could be the one to end the Great Pirate Era," she added with a half-joking tone.
"And you, Kuzan?" Sengoku asked.
"Well… he's a Marine with a strong sense of conviction. His justice isn't as extreme as Sakazuki's. Honestly, I'd like him to serve under me once he graduates," Aokiji replied, eyes still half-lidded but filled with thought.
"That won't do! I was planning to have him come aboard my ship for personal training!" Garp, who had been quietly listening, immediately protested.
"It's hard to believe," Sengoku said as he casually picked up Kanos Atlas's file from the desk, sounding genuinely astonished.
"Atlas is only 17, yet his physical strength already rivals that of an average Rear Admiral in Marine Headquarters."
"Judging by this report, even his Observation Haki seems quite developed. With that kind of talent, once he finishes the training camp, he'll be a significant force within the Marines."
Even Kuzan, Akainu, and Kizaru hadn't shown such monstrous strength at that age.
As far as physical prowess went, Sengoku could only compare him to one other being—Big Mom, that monstrous woman.
Meanwhile, Kanos Atlas himself was completely unaware of how highly the Marine top brass were speaking of him.
He was leisurely heading toward his assigned dormitory. He still hadn't unpacked the supplies he'd just received.
"Hmmm hmmm~" Atlas hummed a tune under his breath—one unintelligible to anyone else—as he searched for his room.
When he finally spotted the correct number on the door, he confirmed it was the right place.
He had already been to the dorm once right after registering, but he and Smoker had just dropped off their belongings and left. He hadn't looked around at the time.
As he pushed open the door, Atlas started to wonder if he had gone into the wrong room.
The entire place was a mess, cluttered with junk scattered everywhere—and oddly enough, some of it looked familiar.
The whole dorm looked like a war zone. To make matters worse, there was someone arrogantly lounging on the very bed where Atlas had left his things.
It was a brash-looking young man, probably around twenty-five or twenty-six, wearing a defiant smirk on his face.
Smoker was nowhere to be seen—probably off wandering somewhere.
The other bunk, near the door, had its top bed empty. On the lower bed knelt a blond-haired boy, who had delicate, almost handsome features.
But there was a lingering gloom between his brows that cast a shadow over his appearance, and his frame looked rather frail.
"Hey, nice to meet you—bam!"
The blond boy, noticing Atlas entering, seemed to want to greet him.
But perhaps he forgot he was on the lower bunk and stood up too quickly, smacking his head hard enough almost to knock the upper bunk loose.
Meanwhile, the arrogant young man who had taken Atlas's bed acted like neither Atlas nor the blond boy existed.
He leaned against the headboard with a smug, indifferent expression.
"Hey! That's my bed. And I'm guessing you're the one who threw my stuff on the floor?" Atlas walked straight over and questioned the man coldly, not one to tolerate nonsense.
"Huh? So what if it was? It's mine now." The guy didn't even bother to look at Atlas, brushing him off completely.
"Tch… Blondie, you over there," Atlas said, ignoring the punk as he rolled up his sleeves. "I'm about to teach this clown a lesson. Mind helping me cover it up a bit?"
He wasn't interested in arguing with fools—actions spoke louder than words. And as for why he asked the blond kid to assist?
Well, Atlas knew full well the boy's Devil Fruit ability could completely mask the signs of a fight.
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