Watching Roger's Execution at the Start of My Pirate Adventure

Sandai Kitetsu slid into its sheath, its crisp metallic ring cutting through the noisy night.

"Phew!"

Atlas released his Armament Haki and Life Return, then descended onto the warship's deck with Geppo. The Marines, still shaken, immediately crowded around him, crying out in awe and admiration.

"No wonder Vice Admiral Jonathan appointed Mr. Atlas captain..."

"You're incredible, Captain!"

"I can't believe I doubted Mr. Atlas before. I'm ashamed..."

Alabasta

A few minutes later, the crew's excitement finally died down. Under the adjutant's direction, they got back to work, cutting up and hauling aboard the Tiger-Striped Sea King's carcass.

Sea King meat was not only delicious but highly nutritious. Even Luslan, a fortress captain, had only eaten it a handful of times.

The night deepened, making the stars high above seem brighter still.

A light sea breeze brushed across the dark water, stirring up playful ripples. Atlas gazed into the depths ahead, idly using a toothpick to dislodge a strand of Sea King meat from between his teeth.

"Burp~"

He belched in satisfaction. Honestly, the cooks who had come aboard were quite good. Head Chef Jessica clearly knew how to train her staff. Next time he went on a mission, he would definitely bring a few cooks along.

Watching the Marines work around the ship, Atlas found himself thinking of Smoker and the others. They had only parted a little while ago. Colonel Randall had asked him to look after the kid, too, and he had hardly done a good job of that. He wondered what they were up to now.

"Rosinante..."

Atlas suddenly remembered that Rosinante would probably be going undercover with Doflamingo around this time.

Don't tell me he followed my lead and applied to graduate early, too?

Atlas had no idea what went through his head. Rosinante might seem clumsy and impulsive, but deep down, he was a gentle, kind person.

Atlas decided to make a trip to North Blue when he had time. He could not let Rosinante die like that. Smoker would be devastated!

Yeah. Smoker would. This has nothing to do with me.

... A few days later ...

A huge sea beast with a cat's upper body and a fish's lower half came into view of the Marines aboard the warship. It meant Atlas and his crew had arrived at Alabasta!

At last, they landed on Lodestar Island, where Alabasta lay. After docking at Nanohana and leaving some Marines to guard the warship, Atlas took his adjutant Luslan to seek an audience with King Cobra.

Alabasta's climate really was harsh. Windblown sand was everywhere, making the country Crocodile's natural playground. A Poneglyph containing clues to Pluton was hidden here as well. No wonder Crocodile had set his sights on it.

Nanohana was still some distance from the capital, Alubarna. If the Nefertari Family had not descended from the Twenty Kings and held a special standing among the World Government's Affiliated Nations, Atlas would not have wanted to trek all the way to the capital to see Cobra.

That was true even if Cobra might have useful information for him.

As someone who knew what was coming, Atlas had already decided Crocodile was behind it, though he had no evidence yet.

Before long, Atlas and Luslan reached Alubarna and met Cobra in the palace's council hall.

Cobra was nowhere near as old as he looked in the comics. His black hair was tied back, his face had few wrinkles, and his beard was not particularly thick.

Nor did he carry himself with the imposing air of a king. Smiling warmly, he looked more like a friendly uncle. Perhaps it was because of the blue-haired baby in his arms, or because Alabasta had yet to be torn apart by the rebellions that would plague him more than a decade later.

"Heh, forgive me, gentlemen. My daughter Vivi is very attached to me and doesn't like being apart. I hope you don't mind," Cobra said apologetically.

He certainly lived up to his reputation as a king who cared for his people. He even treated two Marine captains with courtesy.

"Sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty. We're Marines from the G-8 Fortress. We received a request for aid from a nearby Marine Base, so we came to your country," Atlas said, getting straight to the point. He was sure Cobra would understand what he wanted and offer some useful information.

"You mean the pirates who keep harassing Eruma?" Cobra paused, then asked with some uncertainty.

"The request said several pirate crews had been harassing your country. I'm not sure exactly where. But King Cobra, haven't you sent anyone to deal with them?" Atlas asked, puzzled.

Alabasta was hardly weak. It had a standing army of 600,000 soldiers, enough to deter ordinary pirates, and two guardians who could handle stronger ones. How could a handful of pirate crews be beyond its reach?

Of course, those guardians were not gods in any literal sense. They simply possessed two powerful Zoan Devil Fruits. Atlas had no idea how Alabasta had managed to keep those fruits for so long. When a user died, their Devil Fruit's power was reborn somewhere in the world at random. Only later would Vegapunk discover some of the rules behind that rebirth.

"I've sent my guard's deputy commander, Pell, several times," Cobra said. "But whenever he reaches Eruma, the pirates seem to have been warned and have already fled. Pell has the Bird-Bird Fruit, Falcon Model. He can move quickly, yet every time, he comes back empty-handed."

Cobra's brow furrowed with worry. A chubby little hand reached up from his arms as though to smooth away the crease, but it was too short and only brushed his stubbly chin...

Looking down at his considerate daughter, Cobra's heart nearly melted. He kissed Vivi's tender forehead, making the little angel burst into laughter. Much of the gloom in his heart lifted.

Just then, a soldier in light armor jogged up to Cobra, bent down, and whispered some newly arrived news in his ear.

"We'll have to end our meeting here. I've just received word that those pirate crews have returned to the waters near Alabasta," Cobra said, his expression changing as he rose. "If you need any help, I'll do everything I can!"

Cobra could tell at a glance that Atlas was in charge of the operation.

"Very well, Your Majesty. We'll take our leave."

Bait

"Well, that's unfortunate!"

Atlas had no desire to make the long journey back from Alubarna on foot, so he hired two Super Spot-Billed Ducks to carry them. They really were Alabasta's fastest creatures, cutting their travel time almost in half.

The pirates were active on the other side of Alabasta. A huge strait nearly divided Lodestar Island in two. The capital and port cities lay on one side; Eruma, Rainbase, and other cities lay on the other. Rainbase was the city Crocodile would occupy in the future.

Alabasta's climate forced its larger cities to grow around oases, so they were scattered without any clear pattern.

For now, Atlas needed to return to the warship and sail for Eruma. They might even run into the pirates along the way.

"Helmsman, get ready! Set sail for Eruma!"

As soon as they returned to the warship, Adjutant Luslan calmly directed its departure. Lulans was no fighter, but his command and coordination aboard the warship were excellent. Thanks to him, Atlas could train in peace while they sailed.

Atlas did not know how strong Vice Admiral Jonathan was, but the man was certainly a sharp strategist, even among the officers at Marine Headquarters. Atlas was pleased with everyone Jonathan had assigned to this mission.

Eruma was not far from Nanohana. At the warship's speed, they should arrive in about half an hour.

But just as the warship left Nanohana, something happened that left Atlas unsure whether to laugh or sigh. They ran straight into a group of pirates. According to their intelligence, these were the very Vasili Pirates and Antolich Pirates that had been raiding Alabasta!

Atlas guessed their trip toward Eruma had only been a diversion. Their real target was Nanohana. As a busy port city, it was undoubtedly wealthier than Eruma.

"I'll take care of them. I could use the exercise. Besides... heh!"

A grin tugged at Atlas's lips as an idea struck him. When they drew close to the lead pirate ship, he used Shave and appeared on its deck. The warship suffered no damage. It was sturdily built, and Atlas had grown skilled enough with the Six Powers to control his strength precisely.

Before leaving, he had tossed his Justice Coat to Luslan. It looked good on him, but he had no desire to dirty or ruin another one. He had no idea where people in the anime bought clothes that survived earth-shattering battles. These days, Atlas tore through his whenever he fought.

"Hey, Marine! You came alone? You're really looking down on me!"

A sallow-faced man glared at Atlas's young face. As a pirate who often crossed paths with Marines, he had recognized the G-8 warship and initially been terrified. Seeing Atlas's captain's insignia, though, made him feel mocked.

"Yeah! You look like you're still nursing! Hahaha..."

"Run home, you little brat!"

Insults flew from all sides, as if shouting could hide how frightened they had just been.

"What a joke. A pack of trash..."

Atlas could not even be bothered to react to such sea scum. Their bounties were too low to remember, and he had no interest in checking them one by one.

Finger Pistol: Gatling!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

A storm of compressed-air bullets swallowed the pirates. Their screams rang out as the shots punched through their bodies. Those lucky enough to avoid fatal wounds writhed on the deck, howling, all their swagger gone.

Atlas was not heartless. He decided to finish them quickly. Using Geppo, he stepped into the air, held his hand edge-on, and swept it forward.

Swordless Style: Tornado!

A chaotic barrage of slashes sank the pirate ship in an instant. As for the wounded pirates who could no longer move, they could only hope no fish came to eat them, leaving their bodies intact when they died.

The other pirate crew following behind had seen everything. Every one of them trembled.

"Elias! Hurry! Turn us around! Head for—yes, Eruma!"

Antolich clung to the idea like a lifeline, barking orders at the helmsman with a tremor in his voice. He rushed into the captain's cabin, picked up the Den Den Mushi beside his bed, and dialed the number from memory.

"Hello."

A long scar appeared across the Den Den Mushi's face. A large cigar jutted from its mouth, and its eyes turned gloomy. The low, raspy voice made Antolich shudder and straighten respectfully.

"Lord Crocodile..."

"Call me Mr. 0."

"Yes, Lord Mr. 0! A Marine is chasing us. Please save us!" Antolich begged into the Den Den Mushi. A hard glint flashed through his eyes. He had been working for Crocodile all this time. If he exposed that connection, Crocodile's position as a Shichibukai... heh...

Antolich did not know why Crocodile had ordered them to harass Alabasta, but losing his Shichibukai position would surely cause him plenty of trouble.

"..."

"Fine. Come to Eruma."

Crocodile fell silent for a moment before answering in a low, unreadable voice. Antolich could not tell what he was thinking.

Click!

After hanging up, Crocodile's expression darkened further. He had planned to wait until Antolich's crew raided again, then kill them in front of Alabasta's citizens. That would make him a "hero" in their eyes while silencing the pirates at the same time. But these Marines had disrupted his plan.

Meanwhile, after sending the entire Vasili Pirates crew to their deaths, Atlas made no move to pursue Antolich's ship. He simply returned to the warship and leisurely took his Justice Coat from his adjutant, draping it over his shoulders.

"Captain, why didn't you finish them all off?" Luslan asked, confused. He certainly did not think Atlas was tired. That little skirmish barely counted as a warm-up.

"If you want to catch a fish, you need bait..."

Atlas found himself thinking of Vice Admiral Jonathan.

Shichibukai

Grand Line, waters off Alabasta.

The sun blazed in a cloudless blue sky.

A pirate ship fled across the sea as if a predator were on its tail. Behind it, a Marine warship followed at an unhurried pace, like a cat toying with a mouse.

"Sir, it looks like they're heading... for Eruma?" Luslan sounded uncertain. He was not a navigator and did not know the routes around Alabasta well.

"Mm."

Atlas nodded. His Observation Haki had already let him "hear" Antolich's conversation with the secretive Mr. Crocodile, so this was no surprise. His Observation Haki now covered a vast area. It still fell short of Fujitora Issho's, but its range was only slightly less than Enel's with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Its precision needed work, though, and Future Sight was still some way off.

Every now and then, Atlas sent a compressed-air slash their way with a kick, just to frighten them. Even if the pirates knew he was using them to draw out whoever was behind them, they could do nothing about it. This was their only chance to live. Besides, Antolich knew the man waiting for them was a Shichibukai!

Flying Finger Pistol: Bullet!

A huge compressed-air bullet struck the head of the Antolich Pirates' lookout as he peered out. Red and white matter sprayed onto the already terrified pirates below. These men might have slaughtered civilians without a second thought, but they were no better at facing their own deaths. Death treated everyone equally!

"What incredible mastery of Finger Pistol!" Luslan exclaimed. He had already seen Atlas's monstrous physical prowess, yet the power of that Flying Finger Pistol still stunned him.

"Just a little demonstration," Atlas said with a shrug. "I'll leave the rest to you, Luslan. Call me when we reach Eruma." With that, he headed for the dining hall. After fighting for so long, he was getting hungry.

"Yes, sir!" Lulans answered. Atlas was a fine commander in every respect except one: he did not much like handling affairs himself.

Before long, the Antolich Pirates reached Eruma. Relief spread across their faces. They did not know who their captain's backer was, but judging by his expression, they might finally escape that Devil of a Marine.

Yes, a Devil. That was what Atlas was to them. He could have wiped them out at any moment, yet he had picked off one or two at a time, tormenting them throughout the voyage.

Desert Sunflower!

Suddenly, the sand beneath the pirates flowed as though it were alive. A tremendous pull dragged them down, and cries of alarm erupted across the crew.

"What's happening, Captain?"

"Waaah... I don't want to die!"

"Captain, do something!"

Despair filled Antolich's face as well. He had gone from Heaven to hell in an instant. He kept reaching out, desperately trying to grab something that might slow his descent.

Then a tall figure in a fur coat appeared before him, bringing a storm of sand and howling wind.

"Lord Crocodile, why..."