Armament Haki! Awakening / Early Graduation

"Do you have any other intel on them, Teacher? Hahaha..."

Atlas was a little curious. Honestly, a pirate with a bounty like that held little appeal for her, but Zephyr must have had another reason for choosing this crew as their target.

"Hahaha, you'll have to discover that for yourself. After all, you can't expect your intel to be perfectly accurate on every future mission." Seeing the curiosity written all over Atlas's face, Zephyr couldn't help laughing.

"Hehehe, true enough." Atlas didn't press the matter. Whatever surprises a mere ninety-million-Beli pirate had in store, she had nothing to fear.

"Reporting to Chief Instructor Zephyr! The Mad Dog Pirates have been spotted ahead!" a Marine shouted from the lookout.

"Good! Keep moving!"

Meanwhile, aboard the Mad Dog Pirates' ship, the scar-faced Dias watched the rapidly approaching Marine warship. His eyes narrowed, revealing a glint of cruelty.

"Boys! The Marines are here! They've brought me a present to celebrate my entry into the New World! Hahahaha!"

He had been thinking his bounty was a little low. Perhaps slaughtering everyone aboard this warship would raise it!

Before long, the warship drew alongside the pirate ship, not far from the Sabaody Archipelago!

"Boys, kill every last one of these Marines!"

Dias grinned viciously at the Marines, a spiked club resting on his shoulder. Although he noticed Zephyr, the former Marine Admiral had long since retired from the front lines, so Dias didn't recognize him at first.

"Recruits, this battle is entirely yours!"

Divine Speed: Shave!

The moment Zephyr finished speaking, Atlas used Shave to rush Dias. As the strongest recruit, she naturally took responsibility for Captain Dias.

Smoker and the others could handle the first mate with a bounty of over fifty million.

Bang!

"Hm? Tekkai?"

Before Dias could react, Atlas's fist slammed into his body! Yet, to her surprise, it didn't feel like striking flesh. It was more like punching steel. Even if it was only a casual blow, it shouldn't have accomplished nothing!

"You little punk! I ate the Paramecia-type Steel-Steel Fruit! Hahaha..."

Although Dias was startled by Atlas's speed, he had complete confidence in his Devil Fruit. Ever since he obtained the Steel-Steel Fruit, no one had broken through his defenses!

"Iron Body Fist: Pierce!"

"Urgh!"

The enormous fist struck Dias again. Atlas didn't understand why people in the pirate world liked revealing their abilities to their enemies, but she wasn't one to waste words. She simply taught him a lesson with her Iron Body Fist.

Armament Haki! Awakening

"Huh? The Steel-Steel Fruit? I thought it was the Tofu-Tofu Fruit..."

Atlas looked down at Dias's corpse and sneered.

Soon, the battle between hunters and prey ended. Lines of Marines moved back and forth, tallying the spoils. Unfortunately, they found nothing valuable, such as Devil Fruits or famous swords. The latter were one thing, but anyone who got their hands on the former generally ate it immediately. A Devil Fruit could quickly translate into fighting power. Although they were priced at a hundred million Beli on the black market, finding one for sale was another matter entirely.

"Well, Atlas? Your Armament Haki..."

Aboard the warship, Zephyr questioned the calm-looking Atlas. She wasn't particularly surprised or excited. This was a natural development. With her current physique and conviction, awakening Armament Haki had only been a matter of time.

"Yeah... it just suddenly awakened..." As Atlas spoke, she raised her arm. Black-and-red Haki swiftly coiled around it, forming what looked like a bloodstained gauntlet...

"Armament Haki this strong... right after awakening..." Zephyr was astonished. The quality of Atlas's Armament Haki was nothing like that of a beginner. But once he considered her monstrous physique, it made sense.

"Come on. There's an uninhabited island up ahead. Let's test your Armament Haki."

Atlas was eager as well. If Zephyr could offer guidance right after her awakening, she would have a much clearer direction for her future training.

But they couldn't simply fight aboard the warship. With their current physical strength, even if they hadn't reached the absurd level of destroying an island in a single blow, one little warship couldn't withstand their rampage.

Soon, the warship docked at the uninhabited island. The other Marines stayed aboard and watched from a distance. None of them wanted to be caught in the crossfire.

"Teacher Zephyr, I'm going all out! Watch yourself!" Atlas grinned. Armament Haki covered both her hands, her leg muscles tensed, and the fascia throughout her body stretched to its limit!

Razor! Life Return: Tekkai: Martial God Arm!

"Hahahaha! Come on, kid! Don't underestimate this old man!" Zephyr laughed heartily, his smile brimming with absolute confidence. After all, he was one of the Marines' greatest fighting forces—"Black Arm" Zephyr!

Bang! Atlas's black-and-red, giant-sized fist collided with Zephyr's comparatively "tiny" fist, which gleamed black and purple. Waves of air erupted, and jagged cracks instantly spread across the ground from beneath them.

"Hahahaha! Now this is satisfying!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

They exchanged several more crushing blows, but Atlas only retreated a little. Her body showed no sign of strain.

"What a kid! That's some formidable Armament Haki. Come on, let this old man see your limits!" Excited by such a promising opponent, Zephyr raised his fist and swung at Atlas.

Then something strange happened. Before Zephyr's fist touched her, Atlas felt a surge of energy rushing toward her.

"Armament Haki Emission?!"

Atlas's expression darkened. No matter how powerful her newly awakened Armament Haki was, her technique was still limited to hardening.

"Hahaha, that's right. Experience the second stage of Armament Haki."

Without a word, Atlas swiftly crossed her arms in front of her body and coated them in a thick layer of Armament Haki. Her feet gripped the ground as she lowered her stance slightly...

Boom!

The tremendous force drove Atlas back more than ten meters, but her stance remained unchanged. Her feet merely plowed a deep furrow through the ground!

Shave!

Atlas didn't pause for an instant. A large crater appeared where she kicked off, and a moment later, she was back in front of Zephyr!

"Iron Body Fist: Hundred Pierces!"

Atlas had developed this move specifically to deal with Haki users. Although it couldn't compare to Ryuo's terrifying penetrating power, it could still cause Zephyr a little trouble.

When Zephyr met Atlas's fist again, he noticed something unusual. A force seemed to penetrate his Armament Haki defenses and act directly on his fist. Still, that degree of penetration barely affected him. It was like a mosquito bite.

"An excellent move!" Zephyr couldn't understand how Atlas came up with these strange techniques, but they often proved remarkably effective. This Hundred Pierces, for example, might have given someone else quite a nasty surprise.

In a battle between powerful fighters, even a second's distraction could tip the scales of victory.

"Teacher Zephyr, try this one!"

Atlas's lips curved upward. Dense Armament Haki swiftly covered every inch of her body like a suit of black-and-red armor. Two black markings extended from the corners of her eyes toward her neck, lending her an eerie beauty. Meanwhile, her body rapidly compressed until she stood just two and a half meters tall!

"Teacher Zephyr! I haven't finished developing this move yet. I'd appreciate your guidance."

"A combination of Haki and Life Return?"

Zephyr murmured as he studied the "little figure" before him—he himself stood 3.48 meters tall.

Whoosh!

In this form, Atlas seemed completely unaffected by gravity. With the terrifying speed granted by the Rabbit Talisman, even light seemed unable to catch her figure. She moved like a phantom in the night.

Zephyr's heart tightened. His body immediately tensed, and his Observation Haki locked onto Atlas, but it was already too late!

"Armament: Iron Body Fist: Heavy Hammer!"

Atlas's fist abruptly swelled and swung down at Zephyr like a warhammer. The friction between her arm and the air was so intense that tiny flames sprang to life.

Zephyr felt an oppressive shadow settle over his chest, but he forced down his discomfort and braced himself with Haki!

Boom!!!

The deafening sound spread outward from the island. Even the Marines aboard the warship suffered ringing ears and a wave of dizziness.

When the dust cleared, two figures, one large and one small, stood facing each other. An even match!

"Cough, cough... huff... huff... huff..."

Suddenly, Zephyr's upright frame slowly bent over. He began gasping violently, his face gradually turning red.

"Hm?" Atlas realized something was wrong. Their brief clash shouldn't have exhausted Zephyr. Then she abruptly frowned, as though remembering something.

Lightning Speed: Razor!

Atlas swiftly returned to the warship. Ignoring everyone's startled looks, she rushed straight into Zephyr's room, smashing through the door rather than opening it!

Early Graduation

Sea Circle Calendar, year 1504. An unnamed island in the waters near the Sabaody Archipelago.

Atlas helped Zephyr take the asthma medicine she had fetched, gently patting his broad back.

At last, the color of Zephyr's face returned to normal, and his breathing gradually steadied. He had suffered a sudden asthma attack, leaving him unable to keep fighting. Fortunately, Atlas vaguely remembered hearing about his asthma and had immediately fetched the medicine from the ship. Zephyr usually carried medicine on him, but he had lost it during their fight...

Zephyr's office, Recruit Camp, Marine Headquarters.

"Teacher Zephyr, about the other day..." Atlas asked worriedly. A week had passed since their field training. Although her final attack had matched Zephyr's, she wasn't arrogant enough to believe she was already on par with Marine Headquarters' strongest fighters.

"It's nothing. An old condition..." Zephyr didn't seem concerned. He had consulted doctors about his asthma, but the accumulated hidden injuries from his younger years had left the condition beyond treatment.

Atlas said no more. After all, Zephyr was a former Marine Admiral and the current chief instructor of the Recruit Camp. The medical resources available to him were far beyond anything she could imagine.

Dropping the subject, Zephyr recalled their last battle and asked:

"How long can you maintain that form you used last time?"

"Hm? Probably... quite a while," Atlas answered uncertainly.

"If I'm not mistaken, that move you developed combines Life Return with Haki. It should consume a great deal of Haki and stamina."

"Right. And I still haven't fully mastered Life Return, so its power might be somewhat lacking. As for the stamina and Haki consumption, I'm not too worried. I think my Haki reserves are... much greater than most people's."

As she spoke, Atlas covered her entire body in Haki and continued, "I feel like I could fight for days and nights with my whole body coated like this."

Zephyr's pupils contracted. He couldn't keep the shock from his face.

"You remind me of someone. A pirate with extraordinary talent."

"Oh? Who?"

"Douglas Bullet!"

"Bullet?" The name felt unfamiliar to Atlas. She didn't remember anyone like that in the original story!

"Bullet, known as the Demon Heir, was a member of Roger's crew. In the year 1499 of the Sea Circle Calendar, when he was twenty-two, the Marines launched a Buster Call against him. He was only defeated after exhausting his stamina. Garp and Sengoku both participated in his capture. He's currently imprisoned on Level Six of Impel Down. His physical gifts are much like yours, and he possesses terrifying reserves of Haki!"

Zephyr's expression was grave. Although he hadn't participated in that battle, hearing the outcome from Sengoku and Garp had shocked him. The man truly deserved the title "Successor of the Devil."

Atlas was surprised, but she felt no fear. People like that were merely stepping stones on her path to becoming the strongest.

"So never underestimate anyone. This sea has no shortage of monsters!" Zephyr warned sternly.

"Yes, Teacher Zephyr!" Atlas wasn't the sort to carelessly underestimate an enemy. She understood that even a lion should use its full strength when hunting a rabbit.

"Teacher Zephyr, there's something else I'd like to report..."

Knock, knock, knock... knock, knock, knock...

"Come in!"

"Recruit Atlas, reporting to Admiral Sengoku!" Atlas walked up to Sengoku's desk and gave a crisp military salute.

Only upon hearing her voice did Sengoku reluctantly lift his head from his documents. He adjusted his round glasses, still sporting the same fluffy hair and braided beard.

"What is it, Captain Atlas?"

Sengoku was puzzled. Atlas should still have been undergoing recruit training, so there shouldn't have been any reason for her to deal with him directly yet.

"Admiral Sengoku! Recruit Atlas requests permission to graduate early after the New Year!"

"Oh? Would you mind telling me why?"

"I believe the Recruit Camp can no longer do much to improve my strength. For me, combat is the best way to grow now, and I'm ready to step onto the world stage!"

After a pause, Atlas continued with a smile, "Besides, I'm sure the pirates are looking forward to terror's arrival!"

Tap... tap... tap...

Sengoku slowly tapped the desk, shrewd light flickering in his eyes. He was considering what variables Atlas's debut would introduce into his plans. As the Marines' "Tactician," Sengoku couldn't issue any order lightly. His every move was closely tied to countless lives across the world.