"To think she was still hiding a trump card like this..."
"As expected, no one who stands at the pinnacle of the New World is simple!"
Atlas watched Big Mom's injuries heal rapidly. His eyes narrowed slightly, and the Haki coiling around his body grew denser.
His bones and muscles rapidly expanded, mysterious patterns etched onto his skin, and two red lines traced to the centre of his forehead.
In an instant, his War God Body form was complete!
Atlas had mastered two fully developed forms. One was the Kami-e Martial Body, which combined Life Return, the Rabbit Talisman, and Armament Haki.
In this form, his speed and combat instincts were massively enhanced.
The other was the War God Body, which combined Life Return, the Ox Talisman, and Armament Haki.
It rapidly expanded his bones and muscles, granting him even greater strength. This was the form he used most often. His every strike's power was enough to numb even an Emperor's arm.
"Zeus!!"
Big Mom motioned with her hand, shouting to Zeus, who had recovered.
"Yes, Mama!"
Zeus understood, flying around Atlas toward Big Mom, who was standing on Ægir's head.
Ægir should have originally been a creation of Atlas's power.
However, Atlas had merely used the Rooster Talisman's power to consolidate it; in essence, it was an inanimate object without its own consciousness, controlled entirely by Atlas.
But Big Mom had split off a part of her soul, giving Ægir consciousness.
This Homie was very interesting. Although it could freely merge with the sea, its size was fixed to Atlas's original form.
After all, it was still a (Devil Fruit) power's creation and possessed the characteristic of being "hated by the sea."
It couldn't manipulate its own base element like Zeus and Prometheus could.
In truth, for any powerhouse who had developed their Devil Fruit to the point of Awakening...
The sea was no longer the forbidden zone they once feared!
"Ikoku Sovereignty!!"
Big Mom leapt onto the approaching Zeus. She swung Napoleon upward, and a powerful shockwave of sword energy shot toward the heavens!
"One Sword Style: Water Drop!"
Atlas did not dodge, meeting it head-on with his own downward slash. A Haki-wreathed strike flew forth!
It instantly and smoothly split the massive shockwave apart!
...
The Pleasure District
This was the largest red-light district in the world, with countless patrons coming and going every day. It was a world of dazzling lights, wine, and alluring courtesans.
Even though this was a place dominated by women, no one dared to try to claim the Pleasure District as their own private territory!
It was all because of that one woman, the "Queen of the Pleasure District" and an "Emperor of the Underworld"—Stussy.
To establish herself in the dark underworld with a group of women and maintain good relations with the Emperor Big Mom, her power was plain to see.
At this moment, inside a luxurious villa.
A beautiful and elegant woman with short blonde hair, blue eyes, and lipstick sat in the chair behind her office desk.
As the boss of the entire Pleasure Quarter, she naturally didn't need to greet guests personally, unless a truly significant figure arrived.
When free, she would sit in her villa, drink tea, and cultivate her mind and body. This was the secret to maintaining her youthful appearance to this day.
Of course, her mastery of Life Return also played a crucial role!
Buru Buru Buru—!!
Suddenly, a Den Den Mushi hidden in her clothes, one that had been silent for a long time, rang.
"Hmm—!!?"
Stussy quickly pulled out the Den Den Mushi. Her eyes flashed red as her Observation Haki covered the surrounding villa.
At the same time, she placed a white, anti-wiretapping Den Den Mushi beside it. The series of actions was as smooth as flowing water.
After confirming no more hidden dangers, she picked up the receiver to answer the call.
"Why did it take you so long to answer this time?" A deep voice came from the receiver.
"If you have something to say, say it quickly. If this takes too long, I might be exposed!" Stussy replied, intentionally lowering her own voice.
"Big Mom is fighting the Marines 'Byakko, Kanos Atlas. Akainu is currently on his way to support him. If Atlas stalls until Akainu arrives, Big Mom will be in danger!"
"I hear you have intel contacts with Big Mom. The Five Elders do not wish for the balance of the seas to be broken again!"
"So...You know what to do, don't you?"
The Byakko? That Marine rookie really knows how to stir up trouble. As expected of the younger generation. First, he fights Kaido, and now he's provoking Linlin...
"Hey! Stussy, do you understand what I'm saying?" Hearing no reply, the man on the other end pressed her with a heavier tone.
"Ah? My apologies, I was just lost in thought~" Stussy said, feigning an apology.
"I understand!"
...
Meanwhile.
The fierce clash continued. Longswords collided endlessly, and the roar of thunder and fire was incessant.
"Emperor Sword: Blade of Destruction!"
"One Sword Style: Iris!"
Another clash of steel rang out. An invisible shockwave blasted outward again, and the powerful tremor almost made Big Mom lose her grip on Napoleon.
"Hah... hah..."
Big Mom stood on Zeus, panting heavily. Six days had passed since the battle began.
Although this was common for top-tier fighters, this was a life-and-death battle, and the toll on their stamina was unimaginable.
Moreover, she had already used her Devil Fruit ability more than once to heal her injuries, and that move did not come without a cost.
"What's wrong, old hag?"
"Are you at your limit already?" Atlas taunted her mercilessly.
At this point, his clothes had long since vanished. The extensive wounds on his body were healing at a visible rate, not even leaving a single scar.
"Mama! We must retreat!"
Just then, Katakuri suddenly shot up from the sea below, forcibly interrupting Big Mom, who was about to fly into another rage.
"Mamamama! Do you know what you're saying, Katakuri!" Big Mom snapped her head around, staring at him with intense displeasure.
"I just received intel. Akainu is on his way here to provide support. If they corner you, even you won't be able to handle a two-on-one fight, Mama!"
Katakuri met Big Mom's gaze without flinching, careful not to reveal his source of information in front of Atlas.
"What did you say! I am an Emperor of the Sea!" Big Mom roared.
But she knew in her heart that Katakuri was right. Even she could not withstand a pincer attack from two top-tier fighters.
Although Big Mom's personality was explosive and quick to anger, it didn't mean she was stupid.
A woman who could come off Rocks's crew and build an Emperor-level pirate crew could hardly be simple-minded.
"..." Katakuri did not argue, staring silently at the madwoman before him.
"Mama! Smoothie is already dead. There's no point in fighting anymore!" Katakuri said, his face expressionless. But his left hand was quietly clenched, his body exuding a thick, sombre aura.
"Hmm!?"
"Smoothie? Mamamama! What a useless piece of trash!"
Big Mom was completely unfazed, her face growing even angrier. She clenched her jaw, glaring viciously at the composed Atlas, and reluctantly spat out a few words.
"Retreat, Zeus!!"
"Yes, Mama!"
Zeus, beneath her feet, replied loudly and turned to flee without hesitation. The other Homies saw this and quickly followed.
Clang—!!
Atlas sheathed his sword, making no move to pursue.
He couldn't stop Big Mom on his own. If Akainu were here, it might be possible, but that would also require Big Mom to be enraged enough to fight him to the death.
Otherwise, if she fought while retreating, even if he chased her back to Totto Land, he would not only be surrounded but might also trigger a chain reaction among the New World pirate crews.
The Whitebeard Pirates, for one, would not stand for it, even though they had frequent friction with the Big Mom Pirates.
Although most pirates were uneducated, they understood the principle of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold."
Once the balance of the Three Emperors was broken, there would be no place left for pirates in the New World!
Atlas stared momentarily at Big Mom's retreating figure, then turned and flew back toward Broccoli Island. With Big Mom driven off, his trip to Broccoli Island was coming to an end.
Smoker and Kyros were guarding the returned warship with a few Marines, busy coordinating personnel at the now-ruined port.
"Brother Atlas, how did it go?" Smoker walked up as Atlas slowly landed on the deck.
Although he hadn't seen Big Mom, he could guess who Atlas had been fighting from the massive disturbances in the distance.
"It's fine, but I let that hag Big Mom get away," Atlas said with a wave.
"However, that guy Katakuri somehow got intel that Akainu was on his way, so they retreated early."
When did the Charlotte Family's external intelligence network become so powerful?
By his calculations, even if Smoker had called Sengoku for help during the fight, that was an internal Marine communication.
An outside party could not learn of Akainu's movements without at least a week's notice.
"Vice Admiral Akainu?"
Smoker was taken aback. Although he had called Sengoku to report the situation, Sengoku hadn't explicitly told him which Vice Admiral was coming to help.
"Ah, forget it. No point getting hung up on it. Let's help Andrew stabilise this country first," Atlas said, clapping Smoker heavily on the shoulder as if it were nothing.
"Then..."
"Should we call and tell Vice Admiral Akainu to turn back? Since Big Mom has already retreated, they do not need to come all this way." Smoker slowly pulled out a cigar, stuck it in his mouth, and looked puzzled.
"No need. They're probably close by now. I'll explain it to them personally when they arrive." Atlas refused with a wave of his hand, a bold idea suddenly forming in his mind.
Perhaps... I can pin this on the World Government?
"I'm going to go change. I'll leave the cleanup to you. Don't leave any remaining pirates alive; it'll save me a trip to Impel Down."
Tossing out that last sentence, Atlas headed for his quarters on the warship.
After all, his clothes were destroyed in every fight, so he always kept several spare sets on the ship. He had no desire to run around half-naked.
He was a dignified Marine Admiral candidate, didn't he have an image to maintain?
Buru Buru Buru~
Suddenly, the sound of a Den Den Mushi came from nearby.
A Marine from the communications room burst out, holding a Den Den Mushi, and ran over, shouting, "Vice Admiral, sir! It's a call from Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
Atlas scratched his head, looked down at his rather battered upper body, and muttered impatiently.
"That old man Sengoku knows how to pick his moments to call!"
Kacha—!!
Though he complained, Atlas obediently picked up the receiver. He didn't want to get a half-hour lecture from Sengoku.
"Hello? This is Atlas."
"Atlas? Has Big Mom retreated?" Sengoku's deep, authoritative voice came through.
"That's right, but..." Atlas paused, then said, "I overheard Katakuri say he got the intel about Akainu from a woman named Stussy, which is why they retreated early."
Atlas didn't care if Sengoku believed him; he just started spouting nonsense. It's not like Sengoku could go to Totto Land and ask Katakuri for confirmation, right?
Atlas had only a vague impression of Stussy. He seemed to recall that she was a CP agent for the World Government and was on good terms with Big Mom. She was the perfect person to take the blame.
"Stussy? The Queen of the Pleasure District?"
Sengoku was stunned. As an active Fleet Admiral, he naturally had access to information that Atlas didn't.
He knew about some of the World Government's secret operations.
If he remembered correctly, wasn't Stussy an undercover agent the World Government had planted in the underworld?
"That's right. I heard it crystal clear," Atlas nodded, ignoring the confused look Smoker was giving him.
He was gambling. Gambling that Sengoku knew Stussy's true identity.
Even if he didn't, her identity would be exposed one day. And when that day came, Atlas's words today would become a thorn in Sengoku's heart that could never be removed!
"Alright, I understand. You stay in the Kris Kingdom for a while in case other pirates try to take advantage of the chaos."
Sengoku's voice remained steady, his tone unwavering, but a tidal wave had already erupted in his heart.
First Kaido! And now Charlotte Linlin! What does the World Government think the Marines' Justice is!
Click!
The call ended. Atlas handed the Den Den Mushi to a nearby Marine and walked nonchalantly toward his quarters.
Although Sengoku's tone had been calm, he knew... the more relaxed the surface of the water, the more dangerous the undercurrent.
Sengoku was probably furious right now. After the call, the Marines helped to reconstruct the Kris Kingdom in an orderly manner.