"What do you mean by that?"
Issho was stunned. He had no intention of joining the Marines at this time. He had been about to refuse Atlas politely, but Shanks and Blackbeard interrupted him.
He couldn't believe Atlas hadn't understood his implication.
The high-ranking positions in the Marines were already full. Even this young Admiral candidate might not get his wish of becoming a full Admiral.
Let alone an outsider like him, joining midway. As for other Marine positions, they were irrelevant to him.
They wouldn't give him the power to do what he wanted. To enact true justice, one needs status as well as strength.
"This guy..."
Atlas grinned, pointed at the unconscious Blackbeard on the ground, and slowly explained his idea:
"He's been a crewman on Whitebeard's ship for decades. If we capture him and take him to Marine Headquarters, no matter the reason, Whitebeard's personality guarantees he will attack Marine Headquarters to save him."
"Whitebeard is still in his prime right now. He has absolute confidence in himself. And as a man who prides himself on protecting his family, he would never sit by and watch the Marines execute one of his 'sons'."
Unlike the Whitebeard of nine years from now, the current Whitebeard—although his condition is starting to decline and old wounds are flaring up—is still in his prime, his fighting spirit high.
He wouldn't hesitate to charge anyone who dares harm his family, even the Marines.
"You mean to..." Issho's brow furrowed, his voice hesitant.
"That's right. War. As long as we capture this man, the conflict between Whitebeard and the Marines will escalate. War will be inevitable."
"Unless..."
"We let him go. And that is clearly not an option!"
Blackbeard's only use is to draw out the Whitebeard Pirates. A large-scale war will be the inevitable result.
"And war... means opportunity. If you perform well...When I am promoted to Admiral, your position as an Admiral candidate will be all but guaranteed."
Even the Marines wouldn't want to lose a top-tier fighter like you.
"As for Shanks, he's just a bonus." Since I ran into him, I figured I'd grab him as well.
But what was he doing at the Pleasure District? Ah, forget it. I'm too lazy to think about it.
Meanwhile...
Having watched their captain disappear before their very eyes, vanishing into the city of lights...
Beckman and the others had followed him onto the Pleasure District, splitting up to find him.
Although the fight involving Atlas had been intense, it was deliberately contained, so it hadn't caused a major commotion.
But the Pleasure District was only so big. Eventually, Beckman and the others found the battle site.
But... Atlas and Issho were long gone.
The ground was cratered and covered in cracks of various sizes. Two conspicuous, human-shaped craters were imprinted in the ground.
"This... It's the captain!" Beckman's expression grew grim.
Having spent day and night with Shanks, they recognised the distinct outline at a glance.
One of the craters was unmistakably his. Looking at the remnants of the battle, the mess was far too small for a fight involving Shanks.
Unless... the enemy's strength far surpassed his, and he was captured within just a few moves.
Beckman carefully examined the traces and quickly deduced what had happened.
As for who the enemy was... Beckman already had a guess. They were in big trouble.
In front of the great undersea prison.
The massive island-ship slowly materialised. Blackbeard and Shanks, covered in shackles, walked out, followed by a casually strolling Atlas and the cane-sword-wielding Issho.
After Atlas's repeated persuasions, Issho had finally accepted his invitation.
The glimpse of the future Atlas had shown him was too appealing, or perhaps the promise of an Admiral candidate position was too tempting.
In the end, Issho had boarded Atlas's "pirate ship."
"So... this is the legendary great undersea prison?"
Issho's Observation Haki spread out, sensing the air. An overwhelming wave of malice almost drowned him.
He couldn't help but sigh. "This is a level of wickedness I can hardly describe."
"That's normal. A prison is, by its nature, a collection point for filth and evil."
Atlas waved his hand dismissively.
Although his Observation Haki couldn't sense emotions like Issho's, it was the world's number one prison. It went without saying what kind of people were locked up inside.
He stepped off the ship, materialising as if from a dream, causing the surrounding guards to stare.
Blackbeard and Shanks were shoved toward the main gate of Impel Down. The Impel Down staff, having already been notified, were waiting.
"Vice Admiral Byakko! Welcome to my Impel Down! Ah, whoops, I let it slip again."
Hannyabal immediately dropped his weapon and clapped his hands over his mouth.
"Oh, it's you, Hannyabal. Where's Magellan?"
Atlas and Hannyabal were no strangers. While the pirates who fell into his hands usually ended up dead or maimed, he had personally transported a large number of Devil Fruit users here.
Of everyone at Marine Headquarters, he made the trip to Impel Down most often.
"That guy? He's still on the toilet. He was supposed to come and greet you personally."
Hannyabal explained, bending over to pick up his weapon.
"Fair enough. I heard he's about to be promoted to Warden. I wanted to congratulate him in person."
The current Warden is getting too old; he's from Kong's era. Magellan has matured enough to safely hand Impel Down over to him, allowing the old man to retire.
"Nonsense! That Warden position is clearly mine!"
The moment he heard the word "Warden," Hannyabal shot up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his voice turning shrill.
"...Alright. Let's get these two inside. You have much work to do, right?"
He had dealt with Hannyabal more than once, but the man's bizarre personality was hard to get used to.
Processing prisoners into Impel Down isn't simple, especially for pirates at the level of Blackbeard and Shanks.
Not a single detail can be overlooked. The first step is to strip them naked and scald them in boiling water. This serves to disinfect them and check for any hidden escape tools.
After all, if people like this were to escape, the casualties at Impel Down would be immeasurable!
Shiki the Golden Lion was a prime example.
"Right! I'll get to work then. These two are to be imprisoned on Level 6, correct?" When it came to work, Hannyabal's expression immediately turned serious.
He might have his quirks, but he still upheld his own brand of justice!
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"You brat! I told you to find the Pure Gold! What are you doing dragging two pirates back here?"
Sengoku slammed the newly arrived newspaper onto his desk, and the entire office seemed to shake for a moment.
To him, Atlas getting the Pure Gold and becoming the fourth Marine Admiral—thereby increasing the Marines' deterrent power—was more important than anything.
After all, ever since Roger started the Great Pirate Era, the quality of Marine recruits had been getting worse and worse.
Aside from Atlas, he hadn't seen a single other monstrously talented recruit join the Marines.
Decades later, it felt like a new generation of talent was failing to emerge. Anyone with a bit of talent was thinking of becoming a pirate!
Roger's final words were like a key, unlocking and magnifying to infinity the worst parts of human nature.
After all, indulgence is far easier than restraint.
"Pure Gold? I forgot."
Atlas replied with a blank expression, leaning back in the chair opposite him.
"As for those two pirates, I just happened to run into them, so I brought them back...Then what about your Admiral position?"
Veins bulged on Sengoku's forehead. He forcibly suppressed the urge to beat the man.
"The Five Elders have already signed the documents. There is no spot for you among the three Admirals."
"That's fine. But... your promotion ceremony might have to be postponed." Atlas shrugged, an infuriatingly relaxed look on his face.
"...That pirate from Whitebeard's crew?!"Sengoku's brow furrowed deeply.
He was reluctant to go to war with Whitebeard right now. His promotion to Fleet Admiral was imminent, and the powers on the sea were in a delicate balance.
The Marines, the Three Emperors, and the Seven Warlords. A three-way deadlock.
The World Government, like an emperor on a throne, was sitting back, letting things rot to maintain a temporary, fragile peace.
"That's right. I'm sure you know Whitebeard's personality better than I do."
Atlas knew very well. In the old days, much as Garp and Roger did, Sengoku often chased Whitebeard around the world. They were rivals, almost friends.
He naturally understood that, compared to dreams or freedom, family and homeland were far more important to Whitebeard.
"You damn brat. You only cause me trouble."
Mary Geoise, Pangea Castle, the Room of Authority.
The five old men were gathered again. Some stood with folded arms, others sat with eyes closed, seemingly always in the same, unchanging poses.
The one with the black hat and white hair, Saint Topman Warcury, broke the silence: "The Admiral promotion documents have been sent to the Marines, correct?"
"Sengoku has received the news. The joint promotion ceremony will be held in three months."
"The positions of Fleet Admiral and the three Admirals have been vacant for too long. We've suppressed the Marines long enough.
Going too far is as bad as not going far enough," the one with the shiny bald head and thick beard, Saint Marcus Mars, said in a deep voice.
"As for the Byakko..."
At the mention of this name, the other four fell silent.
They had complicated feelings about him. They had naturally investigated his background.
From his ancestors to the present, they had ruled out the possibility that he was a "D," so he posed no inherent threat.
Therefore, the five of them still had a certain degree of trust in him, despite his absurdly strong talent.
However, given Byakko's style, his loyalty to the World Government was clearly low. Of course, the Five Elders knew this was true for many high-ranking Marine officers.
Even Sakazuki, who seemed the most zealous, was loyal to the Marines and his own justice before the World Government.
Atlas's small flaws just made him a junior Garp. He failed in small matters but was sound in major ones.
So they were willing to give him a chance. They just needed a sign of his attitude, regardless of whether the Pure Gold was actually brought back.
But the man actually prioritised capturing pirates over a direct order from the World Government.
"We gave him his chance. Since he didn't treasure it, the Admiral position is no longer his to claim."
The one holding the longsword, Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro, snorted, clearly displeased with Atlas's actions.
Each of the Five Elders had a different personality. Saint Nusjuro was a complete hawk; one could tell from the cursed sword he always carried (possibly the Shodai Kitetsu) that his methods were extremely unyielding.
"Correct. An Admiral is the Marines' highest level of combat power, but strength is not the only criterion. And..."
"Sakazuki and the other two are no weaker than the Byakko!!" Saint Topman Warcury nodded in agreement.
The Marines are, in the end, just the public face of the World Government. Power they cannot control is power they would rather not have.
"Then it is settled. Prepare for the ceremony in three months."
It must be said that the Five Elders' political skill is top-tier. They constantly seek balance on the seas and never stop suppressing the Marines.
They suppressed the Marines for years, leaving the Fleet Admiral position and two Admiral positions vacant and severely weakening the Marines' public-facing power.
This, during the Great Pirate Era. The New World had Three Emperors, the Four Seas had their own heroes, and the Grand Line pirates were watching.
But in the end, the pirates were a scattered mess. Even the "Emperors" title was likely something they instructed Morgans to release, to make the pirates fight amongst themselves for the "throne."
While suppressing the Marines, they sought a new balancing force: the Seven Warlords system.
Once the Warlords were mostly in place, they picked the Marines back up, knowing many would be grateful.
Later, their seemingly idiotic move of making Whitebeard Jr. a Warlord, which seemed to force Zephyr out of the Marines, was full of political intrigue.
At that time, Akainu and Aokiji's fight removed one; the Admirals were Kizaru, Fujitora, and Greenbull.
Akainu was aggressively pushing into the New World. The Marines' strength was at an unprecedented peak, and weakening them became necessary.
Zephyr was just a sacrifice to these political games.
If Zephyr, who had dedicated decades to the Marines, could be sacrificed, so could Atlas.
Buru Buru Buru—!!
On the wide desk, the silent Den Den Mushi suddenly rang, interrupting their conversation.
Click—!!
One of them picked up the receiver. The Den Den Mushi's face changed, taking on the appearance of a man with round glasses and a braided beard.
A deep voice came through: "Hello. This is Sengoku."