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By the time Aokiji and Kanos Atlas arrived in the Totto Land archipelago, the battle between the Big Mom Pirates and the Pirate Alliance was already in full, blazing swing.
The entire Totto Land archipelago echoed with the sounds of cannon fire and slaughter. The smoke-filled air hung above a sea stained red with blood.
Looking at the overall situation, however, the Pirate Alliance was being completely overwhelmed by the Big Mom Pirates.
Big Mom alone, even having just given birth, was more than they could handle. Yermak and Francis, who were tasked with fighting her, were suffering miserably.
They were nearly powerless against Big Mom; her "Iron Balloon" physique alone left them helpless, not to mention the wide-area-of-effect skills granted by her two great Homies.
What a crazy old hag! Yermak cursed inwardly. Big Mom paid no mind to the state of her own forces, wildly unleashing lightning and fire that not only caused massive casualties for the Pirate Alliance but also caught many of her own troops in the crossfire.
She didn't care in the slightest. To her, these so-called soldiers were just Homies that could be created at will, and besides, she never cared for human life to begin with.
"Arara~ It seems I've come at a bad time." Just as the battle was at its fiercest, Aokiji's warship suddenly sailed into the warzone.
"Um, you can all carry on. I won't disturb you!" Aokiji said with an awkward smile, standing on the deck with his arms crossed as he looked at the stunned pirates.
"Mamamama! The Marines are here too, how interesting! Now listen up, little bugs, accept my fists! Thunderfire Assault!"
Big Mom, completely bloodlusted, had no intention of stopping. Ignoring the solemn-faced Aokiji, she wreathed her fists in lightning and fire and, with a speed that betrayed her massive frame, flashed in front of Yermak and Francis!
Boom!
The terrifying power of thunder and fire was unleashed upon the two captains. Yermak barely had time to turn his body into its elemental form—no, to be precise, it wouldn't have mattered.
The range of Big Mom's attack was too vast to dodge. In a single blow, she had nearly beaten them half to death.
Francis, however, relying on the tough hide and incredible regenerative abilities of his Ancient Zoan fruit, was not seriously injured.
"Ice Age!" Aokiji, seeing his chance, swiftly activated his Devil Fruit ability.
He slowly exhaled a breath of cold air, and a vast section of the sea, along with all the pirates on its surface, was instantly frozen into solid ice sculptures.
Of course, Aokiji had no intention of just watching from the sidelines as he'd claimed. Both pirate forces were nearly exhausted. The time for the hunt had arrived!
"Hey, hey, hey! Marine! This is our war, are you looking to die?" Big Mom, her fun interrupted, was extremely displeased.
Her predatory eyes stared daggers at the nonchalant Aokiji, a creepy laugh escaping her lips.
"Arara, my sincerest apologies, ma'am. But this… is my justice! Ice Saber!"
A long, thin saber made of ice instantly formed in Aokiji's hand, and he viciously hurled it toward Big Mom's face!
This is our chance!
Yermak and Francis exchanged a look and, without a word, broke away from the battlefield.
Most of the pirates they had brought were already lost, and they had gravely misjudged Big Mom's strength.
Katakuri was completely overpowering Blood Scythe and would likely be defeated soon.
As for Klaus, he was being swarmed by several of Big Mom's other children; though he had the upper hand, escape seemed impossible.
The thought of retreat had already been on their minds, and now that Aokiji was taking the pressure from Big Mom, they knew if they didn't leave now, they would be leaving their bones in Totto Land forever.
"Arara, it looks like we Marines will be taking over the battlefield now," Aokiji said, glancing at the fleeing Yermak and Francis without moving to stop them.
"Ice Ball!"
"Sorry! No pirates allowed beyond this point!"
Atlas, leading a medium-sized Marine warship, intercepted the two escapees. His expansive Observation Haki had easily located them.
"A Marine? A Commodore?" Yermak looked at Atlas with contempt.
Even though they were fleeing in disgrace, he didn't think they could be pushed around by a mere Marine Commodore.
Francis also frowned, annoyed by the Marine deployment. Why would they send a Commodore to a battle of this level?
He had been looking for a chance to backstab Yermak, and this Marine's appearance was ruining his plans.
But Francis was not a soft-hearted person; the Marine before them would have to fend for himself.
"Blast Finger Pistol!"
Atlas didn't care what the two pirates were thinking. He immediately fired a burst of explosive flame at Yermak!
Boom!
The blast ray passed through Yermak's body and struck the sea in the distance, kicking up a massive spray of water.
Yermak, his expression now grim, reverted from his elemental form. The previous ease was gone from his face.
Although he had dodged the attack, he had felt its immense power and understood that this Marine was no ordinary fodder.
"How interesting. Francis, it seems we'll have to work together one more time! What are you do—!"
A sick smile spread across Yermak's face. He was just about to call Francis over to help him finish off this Marine, but what happened next made his jaw drop.
Francis was walking toward the Marine ship, completely lowering his guard! Even more shocking, the Marine didn't try to stop him, simply ignoring Francis completely.
Hey, hey, hey! Didn't you just say no pirates allowed? Are you damn blind? Don't you see this giant man walking right in front of you?
"Damn it, that bastard Francis is an undercover agent!" Seeing this bizarre behavior and recalling the role Francis had played in instigating this war, the now-calm Yermak finally understood.
"You brat! So this was all a Marine plot? Hmph-heh-ha! Sengoku truly lives up to his name as 'The Strategist'!"
Yermak's expression was a mixture of anger and helplessness, and a low laugh rumbled in his throat.
He felt like a mouse being toyed with by a cat, and an ugly smile twisted his face.
"My apologies, Mr. Yermak, pirate with a bounty of 700 million Berries… you piece of sea trash,"
Atlas said, his eyes devoid of emotion as he looked at the pathologically dressed gentleman pirate.
"You know too much, so I'm afraid you'll have to die."
At this time, bounties were not as inflated as they would be a decade later when Luffy set sail, a result of the Berri devaluing.
Yermak's 700 million bounty was a mark of genuine, formidable power.
"Hmph-heh-hahaha! Such a boastful little brat!"
Although Yermak had just seen a glimpse of Atlas's power, his pride as a great pirate would not allow him to surrender without a fight!
"Thundercloud: Descent!" Yermak let out a savage laugh.
A mass of dark clouds gathered in the sky, lightning brewing within. Suddenly, a pillar of lightning descended from above, aimed straight for Atlas's head!
Boom!
The massive electrical force instantly engulfed Atlas! But Yermak showed no signs of joy; he knew this man wouldn't die from such an attack.
"Hmm? That felt good. It's been a while since I had a nice stretch."
When the lightning dissipated, Atlas stood unharmed, his entire body now coated in a dense layer of Armament Haki.
The top half of his uniform had been incinerated by the intense heat, revealing armor-like muscles beneath.
Atlas twisted his neck, producing a series of loud cracks from his strong bones.
To his surprise, the baptism of lightning had improved his physique, even if the progress was almost negligible.
"My turn." Atlas flexed his muscles and unleashed the explosive power from his feet.
The sea beneath him caved in, and with terrifying speed, he appeared before Yermak in the blink of an eye.
"Armament: Shatter!"
His arm suddenly swelled, and an overwhelming sense of power radiated from it, the friction with the air igniting fiery sparks on his skin!
"Cloud Shield: Armament!"
Almost simultaneously, a giant wall of cloud hardened with Armament Haki materialized in front of Yermak!
Clang!
It was a strange sensation. The impact was hard yet soft, lacking the crisp sound of metal on metal that usually came from Haki clashes.
The shield's incredible flexibility seemed to absorb a third of Atlas's force, while his Armament Haki withstood the rest.
"Heh! I ate the Logia-type Cloud-Cloud Fruit. I'm a Cloud man! My Cloud Shield combines the softness of clouds with the hardness of Armament."
"You'll never break it!" Yermak laughed smugly.
To him, this Marine was a nuisance, but nothing more. In keeping with the proud tradition of the pirate world, he excitedly began explaining his own abilities.
"Is that so?" Atlas replied noncommittally, but he suddenly put more force into his fist while simultaneously activating the explosive power of the Dragon Talisman.
Intense flames erupted from his fist!
BOOM!
"Hah~ That's better." Atlas watched Yermak get sent flying and let out a long breath.
In the distance, Yermak forcibly stabilized himself. He looked down at his tattered gentleman's suit, and a nameless rage welled up within him.
"Hey, hey, hey! You've pissed me off now, Marine!"
As he spoke, a thick fog rose from the sea. A dense layer of clouds, like a white continent, lifted Yermak's body high into the air.
At the same time, massive tendrils of cloud began to envelop Atlas. He felt as if a giant hand had grabbed him and was squeezing tighter with each passing moment!
Bang!
An explosive flame burst forth, blasting a huge hole in the restraining clouds. But under Yermak's control, the hole repaired itself at a visible speed.
Seeing this, Atlas used Moon Walk and Razor to break free from the clouds' grasp swiftly.
"Blast Finger Pistol: Gatling!"
A fierce glint appeared in Atlas's eyes. He unleashed a torrent of fire from his index finger, sending a dense barrage of Haki-infused explosive bullets flying toward Yermak!
Yermak didn't hesitate. He quickly wrapped his arms in thick clouds, hardened them with Armament, and met the explosive flames with two giant, black fists.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of explosions rang out, and a white shockwave erupted with Yermak at its center.
Atlas took the opportunity to rush into the cloud of smoke, his body undergoing a drastic change.
He shrank to a height of two meters, his Armament Haki becoming even deeper.
Intricate patterns now adorned his chest and back, and two tear-like marks extended from the corners of his eyes down to his neck.
Life Return: Armament: Paper Arts Martial Body!
Unlike a "War God Body," which granted giant-like strength perfect for the Ox Talisman's power, the Paper Arts Martial Body made Atlas's reactions faster and his movements more agile.
"Serpent Dance!"
Yermak's Observation Haki had already detected Atlas charging in, and he launched a preemptive strike.
A swarm of giant serpents made of clouds surged forward, their bodies faintly coated in Armament Haki in a clear attempt to catch Atlas off guard.
Is my Observation Haki just for show? Atlas's eyes narrowed, and a deep red light spilled from them as he pushed his Observation Haki to its absolute limit!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Augmented by his Paper Arts Martial Body, Atlas dodged every single cloud serpent with perfect form.
Since his great battle with Katakuri, the range of his Observation Haki hadn't increased, but its precision had improved considerably.
"Blast Axe!"
In an instant, Atlas shot past the clouds and hovered high above Yermak's head.
He raised his right leg high, his body like a fully drawn bow, and brought it down in a vicious chop wreathed in explosive flames!
BANG!
Even though Yermak managed to erect a cloud wall in that split second, he was still smashed out of the sky by the terrifying force!
Thump!
A dull impact sound was heard. Yermak didn't fall into the sea, saved only by the layer of clouds he had created earlier to try and bind Atlas.
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach top 100)
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