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"I won't give you another chance! Starfall!"
Kanos Atlas had no intention of letting Yermak catch his breath. His body rapidly grew to its giant size, the patterns on his face curling up to converge on his forehead.
The distinct muscles on his back coalesced to form a demonic face, and steaming heat radiated from his body.
The battered Yermak slowly pushed himself up from the thick layer of clouds. Suddenly, his Observation Haki detected a black object plummeting at high speed.
Before he could get a clear look, the immense acceleration smashed a hole straight through the cloud layer. A water spout tens of meters high erupted, slamming into Yermak.
He had dodged it! But Yermak felt no joy, only a cold sweat beading on his forehead. While he hadn't taken a direct hit from Atlas… his left arm was useless!
Yermak could feel that his left arm had suffered a compound fracture, rendering it completely useless for combat.
Isn't this guy a user of the Devil Fruit? Yermak was stunned.
Atlas's explosive abilities had led him to believe he was one, but the current situation proved his judgment wrong.
At the same time, Atlas, now lurking beneath the sea, was certain his attack had inflicted significant damage.
Bang!
A massive splash erupted as Atlas shot out of the water like a charging tiger shark. He aimed his Armament-hardened head straight for the spot where Yermak stood!
"Cloud Shield: Armament!" Yermak hadn't expected the attack to be so swift, one blow following another, giving him no time to breathe.
A profound sense of crisis made him instinctively throw up an Armament-covered cloud shield!
Boom!
A violent collision rocked the area. This time, Yermak was unable to defend against it entirely.
The powerful explosive flame, combined with the headbutt, struck his body with undiminished force.
The resulting shockwave scattered the surrounding clouds into irregular, tattered pieces that floated slowly on the churning sea.
Yermak stood on one of the larger fragments, a growing sense of dread in his heart.
After this short exchange, he realized he was no match for this Marine… even if he had been worn down by Big Mom earlier.
"Cloud Mist: Domain!"
As Atlas steadied himself, his vision was instantly obscured by a spreading mist.
It was similar to Smoker's Smoke-Smoke Fruit, but the substance was different.
Smoker's smoke was made of fine solid particles, while Yermak's mist was composed of water vapor and tiny ice crystals.
Which meant… it had a cooling effect!
Sure enough, as Atlas was thinking, the ambient temperature began to drop. But… this was nothing compared to Aokiji's Ice-Ice Fruit!
"Hm? Trying to run?" Yermak was not the type of pirate to fight to the death when outmatched.
Fleeing when the odds were against them was the norm for pirates like him. Cruelty, cunning, greed—all the classic pirate traits were perfectly embodied in Yermak.
Atlas's Observation Haki had long since locked onto his position. He pushed off with his leg muscles, his figure becoming a blur as he rapidly closed in.
Yermak, of course, sensed Atlas's movement. His heart tightened as he activated his ability, solidifying a large amount of cloud mist and infusing it with Armament Haki before hurling it at Atlas!
"Cloud Shield: Armament: Spear!"
The sharp spear tip glinted with a black luster, its terrifying sharpness making Atlas's cheeks ache.
Just how much Armament Haki did he infuse into that? Atlas was taken aback, but his forward momentum didn't slow in the slightest.
Don't forget, I'm also a swordsman! Atlas smoothly drew the Sandai Kitetsu from his waist, his arm muscles bulging as he swung it forward.
"One Sword Style: Armament: Raikiri!"
A blood-red slash wreathed in black-and-red Armament Haki flew forward, more powerful than ever before. This was a technique Atlas had only recently grasped.
As his mastery of Armament deepened, he had become more adept at applying it, now able to infuse it into his slashes. The powerful cutting force instantly cleared the path before him.
Sensing the attack coming from behind, Yermak panicked, his limbs freezing for a split second.
At almost the same instant, Atlas's pupils constricted, and an intense aura erupted from his body. Like a roaring king of the jungle, he lunged straight for Yermak!
"This is… Conqueror's Haki!"
For a moment, Yermak's mind went blank. It felt as if a giant sledgehammer had struck his head.
A wave of intense dizziness washed over him, and his body froze for an instant!
Perfect! Atlas seized the opportunity, appearing behind Yermak in a flash. Before his opponent could turn, the bright blade of the Sandai Kitetsu flashed.
Blood sprayed everywhere, and a head, its face frozen in shock, fell into the sea with a splash.
Yermak, beheaded!
"Tch~ All flash and no substance," Atlas sneered, slowly lifting Yermak's head from the water with the tip of his sword.
As the surrounding mist dissipated, a massive warship sailed quickly toward Atlas.
Yermak's fruit had not been Awakened; though Atlas felt it was on the verge, it could not still alter the environment permanently.
"Commodore Atlas! Mission complete. Requesting permission to return!" Soon, the warship led by Aokiji rendezvoused with Atlas.
An officer who looked like an adjutant stepped off the ship and reported to Atlas.
"Good. Let's meet up with my warship first. I had them pull back a ways during the battle," Atlas nodded.
He then scanned the area, his brow furrowing. "Where is Vice Admiral Aokiji? Why hasn't he returned?" Atlas didn't believe for a second that Aokiji had died at Big Mom's hands or fled.
While Aokiji wasn't yet at his peak, he possessed the power of an Admiral.
It was just that the World Government, for some unknown reason, had yet to hold the ceremony to make Sengoku the Fleet Admiral.
As long as Sengoku, a Marine of the old generation, wasn't promoted, the three "Monster" Vice Admirals could not officially become Admirals.
"Vice Admiral Aokiji is covering our retreat! He should be here soon!"
"Alright, I understand."
--New World, an unnamed sea.--
The roar of cannons was deafening as two clearly defined fleets faced off.
"Gurararara! Are you here to cause trouble for me again? Haven't enough of your soldiers died yet, Garp?"
Whitebeard's captain's coat billowed in the sea breeze. Wielding his bisento, Murakumogiri, his figure was immense, his eyes filled with absolute confidence.
"Hahahaha! Newgate, you should be more worried about yourself! Your head might be staying here today. If that happens, I'll have to apologize to that kid Atlas!"
Garp said, cracking his tough knuckles, his face alight with excitement. An emotion called 'belligerence' radiated from his body.
"Gurararara! Let's see if you have what it takes, Garp!"
As he spoke, Whitebeard stood tall, raised his left hand, bent it at a ninety-degree angle, and a white, spherical aura formed around his fist!
Quake!
The very air seemed to shatter like a mirror, and the immense power was transmitted to the sea below.
The entire world seemed to shake. At almost the same time, Garp leaped high into the air, his fist instantly coated in Armament Haki!
Galaxy Impact!
Boom!
The ultimate collision instantly created a massive storm. To the shock of the surrounding Marines and pirates, the sky… cracked open!
"Is this a battle between the top tiers? It's incredible…"
"Hahaha! That's our Pops for you! They don't call him the World's Strongest Man for nothing!"
"Mr. Garp is amazing! He truly is the Hero of the Marines!"
The Marines and pirates erupted. The sight of a battle that could shatter the heavens was an unparalleled visual shock.
"Gurararara! Enough with the pointless probing. War isn't a game of house between pirates and Marines, Garp!"
Whitebeard raised Murakumogiri, its gleaming tip aimed at the Marine fleet. A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki washed over the battlefield.
The war… had officially begun!
.....
Not far from the Totto Land archipelago, two Marine warships, one large and one small, sailed swiftly across the sea.
On the deck of the larger ship, a tall, lazy-looking man lay with a green sleep mask over his eyes, letting the sun beat down on his white suit.
"Vice Admiral Aokiji, are we heading straight to support Vice Admiral Garp's fleet?"
From the adjacent medium-sized ship, Atlas asked, crouching on the railing and looking at the nearly asleep Aokiji.
"Arara~ We'll see. The war will probably be in its final stages by the time we get there," Aokiji replied listlessly, slowly lifting a corner of his eye mask to glance at Atlas.
"Our operation was a success, though, right? Our results should be pretty good, heh heh heh…"
"Arara, it was alright. The most powerful pirate crews in the New World now are just Big Mom, the Beasts, and Whitebeard."
"The Beasts Pirates are the most intact, but their influence is limited to the Wano region."
"The Whitebeard Pirates are still the strongest. As for Big Mom… her losses were severe. Quite a few of her younger, undeveloped children died."
"Hahahaha! How could I miss out on a top-tier battle like this?"
Right in the middle of the sea where the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates were fighting, a massive azure dragon fell from the sky with a wild laugh, instantly inserting itself into the fight between Garp and Whitebeard!
Beasts Kaido! Azure Dragon form! Kaido's intervention forced Garp and Whitebeard apart. They exchanged a look, then one threw a punch while the other swung his blade!
"ROOOOAR!"
Instantly, two wounds that pierced his dragon scales appeared on Kaido's massive body. Kaido roared in pain, but the wounds began to heal at a visible rate.
Garp and Whitebeard ignored the trouble-making Kaido and went back to clashing with each other.
"You two… you're getting me excited!" Kaido quickly shifted into his hybrid form. While his full dragon form was larger and had more powerful techniques, it was far less agile.
"Tch~ Kaido is such a damn troublemaker. He shows up wherever there's a commotion," Marco, who was busy fighting Akainu, commented with disdain.
In his eyes, either Garp or Whitebeard could beat Kaido to a pulp. It was only because Kaido was so ridiculously tough that he could last.
Boom!
Just as Marco was distracted, a giant magma fist slammed into him, instantly leaving a bleeding, scorched hole in his chest!
"You dare to get distracted while fighting me? First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Marco!"
"Hey, hey, Vista, couldn't you have watched my back?" Marco said with frustration, looking at the hole in his chest.
At the same time, his blue flames of regeneration surged, and the flesh in his chest rapidly grew back, leaving only a faint scar moments later!
"I'm not as tough as you are. A hit like that would have hurt me!" Vista replied earnestly, expertly wielding his swords.
Even though Garp, Whitebeard, and Kaido were fighting far above the sea, the shockwaves from their occasional clashes constantly kicked up gale-force winds and tsunamis, and the sonic booms were nearly deafening to any Marines or pirates who got too close.
When Atlas and Aokiji arrived to provide support, they saw a classic case of two-on-one—or rather, Whitebeard and Garp ganging up on Kaido.
By now, Whitebeard had figured it out. Although the Marines had deployed most of their forces here, his crew was not their true target.
With Kaido stirring things up, the Whitebeard Pirates, who had been on the back foot, were able to catch their breath.
Kaido's random heat breaths forced both sides to be constantly on guard, unable to fight at full strength.
"Ice Time Capsule!" Aokiji immediately joined the fray upon arrival. An intense cold rapidly spread across the battlefield.
The pirates, who had been holding their own, were instantly routed under Aokiji's pressure.
"Gurararara! All members of the Whitebeard Pirates, begin the retreat!"
Seeing his chance, Whitebeard roared. He clawed at the air with his left hand, and a massive crack spread from the sky to the sea.
The ocean… was split in two, creating a clear path for the Whitebeard Pirates to withdraw.
"Hahaha, you're running away pathetically, Whitebeard!" Garp stopped fighting, knowing he couldn't stop Whitebeard if he wanted to leave.
Besides, the Marines' goal was never to eradicate the Whitebeard Pirates this time.
"Hey, hey, hey! You're not fighting anymore? I'm not done yet!" Kaido complained.
In response, the newly arrived Aokiji and the now-free Akainu joined Garp to give him a sound thrashing.
Only then, "satisfied" and covered in lumps, did Kaido shakily fly away on a flame cloud.
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach top 100)
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