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Soon, Atlas laid eyes on the completely transformed Thriller Bark.
The overall shape of the hull hadn't changed much, but a propulsion system had been added to the stern.
After all, Atlas couldn't be controlling the ship's direction at all times, so the power system and the bridge had been appropriately adjusted.
The most eye-catching feature was undoubtedly the ship's figurehead: a giant mythical beast, the 'Hou', sculpted in a triumphant roar towards the heavens.
It had the antlers of a deer, the head of a camel, the ears of a cat, the mane of a lion, the front claws of an eagle, and the hind claws of a tiger.
It looked magnificent, forged entirely from an unknown silvery-white alloy, possessing both beauty and majesty.
As per Atlas's request, all the buildings on the ship had been demolished and rebuilt.
The original Thriller Bark had a Gothic castle aesthetic, a style he naturally wanted to change.
It was likely Moria's personal taste, which would explain why Perona, whom he raised, always dressed in a Gothic style.
The reconstruction followed the standards of a typical Marine base.
In addition to Atlas's personal villa, there was a training room made entirely of a special alloy for his own cultivation, as well as a spacious drill ground for the routine training of the soldiers under his command.
Sengoku had even used the occasion of this new warship to expand Atlas's troop allocation.
While a typical Vice Admiral commanded a force of about a thousand regular Marine soldiers, Atlas was given a quota of over two thousand.
It was as if Sengoku wanted him to create a flying Marine legion.
"Your Excellency, Byakko, allow me to show you around the new vessel personally."
The man in charge of the ship's modification was a middle-aged administrator from the Marines' science unit.
Not a pure researcher, his duties were administrative, and liaising with Atlas was part of his job.
"There's no need. I participated in some of the modification work myself, after all."
Atlas waved his hand dismissively. A project of this scale would have been impossible for the science unit alone, but for Atlas, who possessed the power of the Rooster Talisman, it was a different story.
With a single thought, mountains and seas were his to command.
Moreover, with his powerful Observation Haki, it was incredibly easy for Atlas to familiarise himself with the new ship quickly.
"Well then... perhaps Vice Admiral Byakko would like to rename her? 'Thriller Bark' is a bit unpleasant."
"Let's name it after my codename. Byakko. Simple and clear."
...
The New World.
High in the sky, the once-majestic azure dragon now looked rather wretched.
Its flowing whiskers were tattered, and its massive body was covered in dents of various sizes that were slowly healing.
Traces of blood still stained its savage jaw. As its great mouth opened and closed, faint curses could be heard.
"Damn you, Garp... and that bastard Francis, daring to betray the Beasts Pirates!"
Kaido was filled with a rage he couldn't vent. He had been drunk when Bao Huang suddenly reported that Francis had defected.
Fueled by alcohol, he had bellowed that he would personally hunt down the traitor.
But he hadn't expected to be intercepted by Garp, who proceeded to beat him senseless.
While his tough hide prevented any serious injury... that old geezer Garp's fists really hurt!
Although Bao Huang had long been suspicious of Francis's activities and had reported it to Kaido, Kaido was a pirate who cherished talent.
As long as Francis hadn't explicitly betrayed him, he wouldn't have acted. This served as a testament to the World Government's thorough indoctrination of its agents.
Even while deep within a pirate stronghold, Francis never once considered betraying the World Government. He was truly worthy of being chosen for CP0.
However...
A cruel smile spread across Kaido's face. "You can't escape the New World, Francis!"
Kaido's Observation Haki had already "seen" Francis's fleeing figure. A quick calculation told him that at his speed, he would soon catch up to the traitor.
Damn it! Damn it! How did he catch up so fast? Are the Marines useless?
Francis was in no better state of mind. He was the one being hunted by an Emperor of the Sea! If he was lucky enough to survive this, he might never want to set foot in the New World again.
Wouldn't it be more comfortable being a dog in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise? he thought bitterly.
I'd still be serving someone, but at least around the World Nobles, I could occasionally enjoy some privileges, even if it was just basking in their reflected glory.
"I'm almost at the G-5 base! If someone can hold that maniac Kaido off for a little while, I can escape the New World. No matter how crazy he is, he wouldn't chase me all the way to Paradise!"
Francis's eyes were bloodshot. However, he hadn't rested properly for days while on the run, and his mind was sharp.
Paradise was the domain of Marine Headquarters; even if Kaido went berserk and pursued him there, the full might of the Marines could bring him down.
But of course, Francis didn't know that the G-5 base's stationed Vice Admiral, White Hou, wasn't actually there. If he knew, he would probably lose all will to escape.
"Hmm~ I should be getting close, right?"
Aboard The White Hou, Atlas scanned the horizon. He hadn't been travelling long from Marineford, but he wasn't taking a conventional route.
He didn't pass through Fish-Man Island, nor did he need permission to cross over Mary Geoise. He flew the island ship directly across the Red Line—the fastest way to reach the New World.
What a spectacular view, he thought, looking down from above. He had seen it more than once, but the Red Line, a continent spanning the entire world, was still a marvel of creation.
The Red Line and the Grand Line were two rings that encircled the planet, with the continent splitting the Grand Line into its first and second halves: Paradise and the New World.
"However..."
"A fight with Kaido? Just thinking about it is exciting!"
Kaido was the youngest of the current three Emperors. In terms of strength, he was a fraction weaker than the other two, but he was undoubtedly the best training partner.
He didn't have Whitebeard's world-destroying power, nor did he have Big Mom's nigh-impenetrable defence. He was just incredibly durable.
Atlas wanted to compare notes with Kaido—a lesson in the self-cultivation of a thick-skinned tank.
At the thought, the battle-hungry cells in his body flared to life. He had never been one to sit still.
After all, on the path to becoming the strongest in the world, aren't the bodies of the powerful necessary stepping stones?
"FRANCIS!"
The colossal azure dragon Kaido coiled above the G-5 base, letting out an enraged roar.
His whiskers and scales bristled as his enormous, bell-like eyes stared coldly at the Marine base below, his Observation Haki locked onto Francis, who was hiding among the soldiers.
This bastard... Kaido gritted his teeth. "You dare betray me!"
A savage glint appeared in his tyrannical eyes. His fanged mouth gaped open, and a scorching torrent of dragon breath poured out.
The searing heatwave and distorted air threw the entire G-5 base into a panic. The all-consuming blast was about to descend upon Smoker and the others.
"You've got to be kidding me! Why is Kaido here all of a sudden? Where's Vice Admiral Byakko? He should be here any second, right?"
"Damn it, is this the power of an Emperor? I can smell death..."
Smoker, however, wasn't panicking like the others. He clenched his fists tightly. Big Brother Atlas, where are you...
"Lion: Earth Coiling!"
ROAR—!
Before the Heat Breath could land, the sea itself surged across the island. A massive, lifelike sea lion made of water materialised from thin air.
It opened its cavernous mouth, casting a giant shadow over the G-5 base, and swallowed the entire torrent of fire in an instant.
Immediately, a thick white mist blanketed the G-5 base.
"Phew—!"
"That's... the Vice Admiral's technique! Thank goodness, we're alive! For a second there, I thought I was a goner..."
Having survived the close call, every Marine on the base, including Francis, breathed a sigh of relief.
An Admiral Candidate might not be able to defeat Kaido, but he could certainly stall him, which was more than enough time for the base personnel to evacuate.
"Huh? Since when?"
Kaido snapped his head up, his eyes wide with disbelief. A massive island ship had materialised out of thin air, its form slowly becoming visible.
The majestic mythical beast 'Hou' was now fully exposed to Kaido's view. He... hadn't seen such a massive ship approach!
"Kaido..."
Atlas, levitating with the power of the Rooster Talisman, stood directly in front of Kaido's enormous dragon head.
He fearlessly met the azure dragon's gaze, his own eyes burning with fighting spirit.
"Allow me to be your opponent!"
A few years ago, he had needed Akainu to run interference to land a glancing blow on Kaido.
But now... his physical prowess, swordsmanship, and Haki were on a completely different level. It was... time to measure the true strength of this Emperor of the Sea!
"Kid! So it's you. You think taking that old geezer Golden Lion's head puts you on my level?" Kaido sneered. "He was just a washed-up old relic clinging to life!"
Kaido remembered Atlas quite well. It was hard to forget someone whose hide was nearly as tough as his own. He didn't know how this kid had managed to sneak up on him, but it didn't matter anymore.
"Heat Breath!"
Without warning, Kaido unleashed another scorching blast of dragon fire, even larger than the last.
Snap!
Undaunted, Atlas snapped his fingers. An equally massive pillar of fire erupted from below, taking the form of a roaring mythical Hou.
"Blast: Flame of the Mythical Beast!"
The searing dragon breath and the explosive flames collided violently.
In just a moment, he gained an overwhelming advantage and pushed forward.
For the Dragon Talisman, which specialised in explosive power, fire was merely a secondary effect. Naturally, Kaido's Heat Breath couldn't win.
Seeing the explosive flames closing in, Kaido opened his mouth again and spat out a barrage of wind blades, each as sharp and ferocious as a scythe weasel's slash.
"Kaifu!"
Fire feeds on wind. The once-retreating Heat Breath instantly roared back to life, regrouping and surging toward Atlas.
Calmly, Atlas raised a single hand. The heavens and earth seemed to flip as the sea itself was drawn upward, a massive wave rising into the air and crashing toward the terrifying dragon fire.
Ssssss—!
As the Kaifu met the sky-flung seawater, water and fire sang their violent duet. High-temperature steam billowed upwards, and a dense fog instantly spread, drastically reducing visibility.
For the two combatants with Observation Haki, however, it was no obstacle.
This kid... Kaido narrowed his eyes, amazed by Atlas's complex and varied abilities. Could he be a Mythical Zoan user like me?
Although they had fought once before, Kaido's impression of Atlas was simply that he was tough and talented, not that he possessed so many different powers.
"Marine kid..."
Through the thick white fog, Kaido stared coldly at Atlas. Hot air steamed from his snout, and his booming voice vibrated through the air.
"Hand over the traitor Francis, or this Marine base will cease to exist. You know you can't stop me!"
"Tch—!" Atlas shot back, his face a mask of scorn.
"Did you get kicked in the head by a donkey? Oh, right, I forgot. Old Man Garp just gave you a beating. You're probably still dazed."
"You little brat..." As if struck a fatal blow, a dark shadow fell over Kaido's face. "Don't talk so big. I'd like to see if your skills... have improved as much as your mouth!"
ROAR—!
The moment he finished speaking, Kaido's fanged mouth opened again in a deafening, thunderous roar.
His colossal body began to spin like a top, rapidly closing in on Atlas while generating countless wind blades that seemed capable of shredding space itself!
"Tatsumaki Kaifu!"
Atlas grinned ferociously. With a grand gesture, the weather changed.
In an instant, dark clouds rolled in and lightning flashed. He drew upon the heavens, pulling down a thick bolt of lightning from the sky.
One thought, clouds gather. One thought, thunder strikes!
His left hand was wreathed in the fire of the Dragon, its explosive power coiled and ready.
His right hand channelled the lightning, the majestic, mythical beast roaring as the terrifying energy, nearly plasma, fluctuated wildly. He met the attack head-on with both fists!
"Telekinesis Fist: Lightning Fire!"
BOOM!
The force of lightning and fire collided with the Tornado Wicked Wind. Atlas punched through the eye of the storm.
Amidst a deafening roar, his two iron fists slammed viciously into Kaido's jaw. The smell of scorched flesh filled the air as immense power was unleashed.
The impact sent a massive ripple through space, and the terrifying shockwave reached the sea below, creating monstrous, surging waves!
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach the top 100)
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