Watching Roger's Execution at the Start

Before Randall could react, Atlas lunged forward again, pressing her advantage!

A simple shoulder check slammed into Randall. He felt a tremendous force hit him, and then he went flying.

Without the Six Powers, Randall was far behind Atlas in strength, speed, explosive power, reflexes, and everything else. He had lasted this long only because she had held back.

"You little brat. You're really not cute at all..."

Randall climbed to his feet and walked toward Atlas again, apparently unharmed.

"But I've still got one move you haven't seen!"

Atlas understood why Randall had asked to spar with her. He probably wanted to teach her the Six Powers through combat.

After all, unlike her swordsmanship, her unarmed fighting relied entirely on raw strength and explosive power. If she mastered the Six Powers, her combat ability would rise to another level.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Their fists collided several more times. Randall had abandoned his weapon.

For one thing, his swordsmanship had not reached the level of a Swordsman, so a blade gave him little advantage—and against Atlas, it put him at a disadvantage. For another, he was afraid she might break his sword. He couldn't bear that thought. So he decisively cast it aside and traded punches with her.

"Now this is a man's kind of fight—fists hitting flesh! Hahaha!"

Atlas laughed with delight, but her hands never slowed. Her fists rained down on Randall...

--Two hours later--

"Iron Body!"

Randall shouted and tensed every muscle, taking Atlas's punch head-on. His face flushed, and he slumped to the ground. He had blocked it, but not completely. Clearly, he had not mastered Iron Body well enough to withstand her fist.

Old man Randall, don't you know marines die using Iron Body? Can you even call yours Iron Body? Atlas grumbled inwardly.

"Atlas, you little brat, are you thinking something rude?"

Defeated, Colonel Randall fixed her with a hostile stare.

"Huh? Of course not! I have nothing but respect for you, Colonel Randall!"

Atlas laughed it off.

"Did you see the techniques I used just now, you little brat?"

Randall watched her brush him off, a vein throbbing on his forehead.

"Of course I did. Don't underestimate me, old man."

Within the range of Atlas's Observation Haki, Randall's every movement had been laid bare. As long as someone had the required physical ability and a decent aptitude, they could learn the basics of the Six Powers. Thanks to her Observation Haki and her ability to learn, Shave and Iron Body held no secrets for her after that fight.

Iron Body worked by accelerating blood flow and muscle movement, giving the body the hardness of steel. Its drawback was that the user could not move while using it. Of course, that only applied to those who had not mastered it; at an advanced level, movement was possible.

Shave involved kicking the ground dozens of times in an instant—0.36 seconds—to generate explosive force for high-speed movement. In battle, it could turn a fight into a one-sided affair.

Atlas considered how to use Shave, then drove power into her calves. Her pant legs burst into strips that hung from her legs, exposing sharply defined muscles that looked like forged steel. She kicked the ground dozens of times in quick succession, cracking it beneath her feet. Then she vanished from Randall's sight and plunged headfirst into a distant wall.

Boom!!!

A human-shaped hole appeared in the solid wall. Atlas emerged covered in dust and sheepishly said, "Ah, sorry. First time using it. I'm not very good at it yet."

"Atlas, you little brat! The repair costs are coming out of your pay!"

Randall roared at her. Her talent had scared him. It would be one thing if she had learned it after watching him several times, but she had used it on her first try—and somehow looked faster than he was!

"Oh! Oh! Awooo..."

The marines watching nearby were just as stunned and broke into a chorus of excited howls.

"Atlas, I want to spar with you! Please give me a chance!"

A white-haired kid, sweating heavily, squeezed out of the crowd and made his earnest request. It was Smoker.

The marines, who had been cheering a moment earlier, fell silent and turned toward him.

Who was bold enough to challenge Atlas now? He either had more nerve than sense or was supremely confident in his strength.

When they saw it was Smoker, anticipation lit up their faces...

Logia: Smoke-Smoke Fruit

"No problem. Come on, Smoker."

Atlas had noticed the marines' reaction. She was curious what Smoker had up his sleeve. Could it be...?

Smoker's face lit up when she agreed, but he gradually calmed himself. He leaned forward slightly and took a fighting stance.

Atlas watched his body tense and laughed. "Careful, Smoker!"

Atlas always gave her all in a fight, especially against Smoker. She had no reason to save the kid from embarrassment, and this was a chance to practice Shave. She unleashed her strength almost without restraint. As her feet struck the ground in quick succession, a tremendous roar erupted. Her use of Shave was still far too rough...

Boom!!

Another huge crater appeared in the Training Ground, and Colonel Randall's expression darkened further. Atlas paid him no mind. Money had never mattered much to her anyway.

Iron Fist: Bird Thorn!

Without a sword in hand, Atlas delivered the straight thrust with her fist. Its terrifying speed sent a roar through the air.

Danger!!!

The moment Atlas struck, every hair on Smoker's body stood on end. Death seemed to be bearing down on him.

I'll die! I'll die!

Instinct screamed a warning. At the last possible moment, Smoker turned into a cloud of smoke, and Atlas's punch passed through empty air.

"Oh? So you've already eaten a Devil Fruit, Smoker!"

Atlas understood at once. No wonder Captain Wright had made that face when he mentioned Smoker.

"Oh! There it is—the strongest type of Devil Fruit, a Logia!"

The marines watching from the sidelines shouted excitedly.

"I only ate it recently."

Smoker returned to solid form and scratched his head sheepishly.

He had found the Devil Fruit by chance on an uninhabited island six months earlier, while pursuing a band of pirates on a mission. If Atlas knew, she would have been furious. They had both chased pirates, but Smoker had picked up a Devil Fruit—a Logia, no less—while she had been left wandering the East Blue. Sometimes the gap between two people was bigger than the gap between a person and a pig!

"Be careful, Atlas. I'm a Logia Smoke-Smoke Fruit user."

Smoker gave her fair warning.

As far as Smoker was concerned, victory was certain. Since eating the Devil Fruit, no one had managed to hurt him—not even Colonel Randall!

Poor Randall would have cried himself unconscious in the bathroom. Two kids had written off the base's commanding officer.

Still, Smoker's confidence was understandable. In the East Blue, where people did not know Haki, a Logia user whose body could not be hit seemed invincible!

"Then I'm going all out, Smoker!"

Atlas looked at the faint excitement on his face as she spoke.

The moment she finished, she vanished. Shave was a tremendous advantage for Atlas now. With his half-baked fighting skills, Smoker could neither track her movements nor stand against her.

Iron Fist: Dragon Tail!

It was a hook thrown so quickly that Smoker's reflexes could not keep up. Unable to block it, he once again turned his entire body into smoke.

"That won't work, Smoker!"

A Logia's ability to turn into its element was absurdly powerful. Against opponents without Armament Haki, it was practically unbeatable.

But turning one's entire body into an element consumed stamina. For someone with a powerful physique, the cost might be negligible.

Smoker's physique, however, was still weak. He could not keep it up for long; he would only make himself a moving target for Atlas.

"Smoke: White Fist!"

Two plumes of white smoke formed into Smoker's fists and hurtled toward Atlas.

Atlas met them head-on, fist against fist. Flashy tricks meant nothing to her. Still, Smoker had not spent the past six months doing nothing. He had developed his Fruit's power a little.

Bang!!

Their fists collided again, and Smoker's two fists burst into smoke!

That left Smoker frustrated. He had lost the contest of physical skill completely. If he wanted to win, he would have to rely on his Fruit's power.

Time passed. Smoker turned his whole body into smoke several more times, but sweat had begun to bead on his forehead. His stamina was draining fast. Atlas, by contrast, remained calm and composed; even her breathing had barely changed. Smoker could not help feeling discouraged.

"What incredible kids!"

"Looks like Smoker's running out of steam."

"Hey, Smoker's power is unbeatable..."

The soldiers watching argued excitedly, almost ready to come to blows themselves.

They had never expected two kids so young to be this strong. Atlas in particular had pushed a legendary Logia Devil Fruit user this far with nothing but physical skill. Ever since word spread that the Navy's three monstrous Vice Admirals were all Logia Devil Fruit users, people had practically worshipped Logias.

To these soldiers, Atlas was the one who had shattered that myth through physical strength alone!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After several more clashes, Smoker clenched his trembling fists. Determination flashed in his eyes.

"Be careful, Atlas. I'm going to use an ability I just developed. I'm not very good at it yet."

"Smoke: White Domain!"

As soon as he spoke, Smoker turned his entire body into smoke. A vast cloud of white smoke swallowed Atlas, reducing visibility to almost nothing. The marines outside could no longer see the fight.

Inside the cloud, Atlas found that all her senses were dulled. The smoke stung her eyes so badly she could barely keep them open.

Fine particles of smoke even tried to enter her nose as she breathed. Atlas immediately grew alert. She slowed her breathing, shut her eyes, and used Observation Haki to sense Smoker's attacks.

Smoker could not maintain an attack covering such a large area for long. He would have to try to end the fight quickly. Atlas only needed to wait for him to come to her.

A fist silently appeared behind Atlas. Smoker clearly meant to catch her off guard, but her Observation Haki revealed everything.

When Smoker's fist came within reach, Atlas turned and seized it in a crushing grip. Smoker felt the pain and quickly turned to smoke.

His evasive fighting style left Atlas with few options. She did not know Armament Haki yet, so she could not hold on to Smoker's solid body. All she could do was wear down his stamina bit by bit...

The Importance of Physical Strength

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Their blows kept colliding, and Smoker attacked with growing urgency. Atlas calmly blocked every strike!

At last, his stamina ran out. Smoker was forced back into his solid form and collapsed, utterly drained. Atlas looked much the same as before, aside from a little sweat on her forehead. She was nowhere near as bedraggled as Smoker.

Smoker felt crushed. Ever since acquiring the Smoke-Smoke Fruit he was so proud of, he had completed nearly every pursuit mission with ease. With Atlas away from the base, none of the marines his age could beat him. Even Colonel Randall had sparred with him in private and failed to do anything to him. Smoker had grown overconfident, basking ever more deeply in the glory his Logia Devil Fruit brought him.

Smoker had always admired Atlas and envied her extraordinary talent, though he knew her strength came from grueling training. But he was her age, with a boy's pride and competitive spirit. The moment she returned, he challenged her, like a child eager to show his favorite new toy to someone he looked up to.

"Come on, Smoker. Pull yourself together. Your sense of justice isn't that shallow, is it?"

Atlas frowned at his dejected expression and tried to encourage him.

Smoker had real talent, and the Logia Smoke-Smoke Fruit was powerful. Developed properly, it could give him overwhelming strength. It was nowhere near as weak as the anime Atlas remembered from her previous life made it look; Smoker was simply doing a terrible job developing it. If he continued down this path, he might truly squander the Fruit's power. Atlas felt she had to make him see that.

Smoker's physical potential was good, too. But after eating the Devil Fruit, he had relied too heavily on his Logia powers and neglected to train his body, leaving both sides underdeveloped. Worst of all, even in his thirties, he had failed to master a single type of Haki. That had all but disqualified him from competing with the strongest.

"Listen, Smoker. You've gone down the wrong path!"

Smoker, who had been wallowing in defeat, snapped his head up. Indignation stirred inside him.

Yes, fine! You're much stronger than I am, Atlas, but that's only because I haven't had my Fruit for long. Once I develop its powers, I'll beat you!

Atlas met his indignant gaze calmly and said without mercy, "I know what you're thinking. You believe you can beat me once you've developed your Fruit's powers."

Smoker faltered, but his eyes remained stubborn.

"If you keep thinking that way, you'll never catch up to me. You need to understand: on these brutal seas, not one of the strongest has reached the top through Devil Fruit powers alone."

"Not one."

Smoker listened intently. The soldiers around them held their breath as well, afraid to miss a word.

"Look across the seas. Whether it's the mighty pirate overlords or the Navy's three monstrous Vice Admirals, they may have powerful Devil Fruit abilities, but their physical strength also stands at the very peak."