Alabasta / Fishing ...

Sandai Kitetsu slid into its sheath, the crisp ring of metal carrying through the somewhat noisy night.

"Whew!"

Atlas released the Armament Haki on her hands and undid Life Return, slowly descending onto the warship's deck with Geppo. The Marines, still shaken by what had happened, immediately crowded around her, exclaiming in amazement and admiration.

"No wonder Vice Admiral Jonathan appointed Ms. Atlas as captain..."

"You're incredible, Captain!"

"To think I wasn't happy about Ms. Atlas's appointment before. I'm ashamed of myself..."

Alabasta

A few minutes later, the crew's excitement finally subsided. Under the aide-de-camp's direction, they began handling the aftermath in an orderly fashion, cutting up and hauling aboard the Tiger-Striped Sea King's carcass.

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

The night deepened, making the stars hanging high above shine all the brighter.

The sea breeze gently caressed the ocean beneath the night sky, stirring its waters into a playful dance. Atlas gazed contentedly into the darkness ahead, idly picking strands of Sea King meat from between her teeth with a toothpick.

"Burp~"

She let out a satisfied belch. Honestly, the cooks who had come along were pretty good. Head Chef Jessica certainly knew how to train her staff. Atlas would definitely have to poach a few cooks for her future missions.

Watching the Marines bustling about in orderly fashion, Atlas inexplicably thought of Smoker and the others. We only just parted ways. Come to think of it, Colonel Randall asked me to look after that brat Smoker. I haven't done a very good job, have I? I wonder what they're all doing now.

"Rosinante..."

Atlas suddenly remembered that this was around the time Rosinante would go undercover at Doflamingo's side.

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

She had no idea what went on in his head. Rosinante might usually seem clumsy and scatterbrained, but deep down, he was an exceptionally gentle, kindhearted man.

Atlas decided to visit the North Blue when she had the time. She couldn't let Rosinante die like that. Otherwise, that brat Smoker would be heartbroken!

Yes! That's right, it's for Smoker. Nothing to do with me.

Several days later

An enormous sea beast with a cat's upper body and a fish's lower body entered the Marines' view, signaling to Atlas and her crew that they had reached Alabasta!

At last, Atlas's group successfully landed on Lodestar Island, where Alabasta lay. The warship docked at Nanohana's harbor. After leaving some Marines aboard to guard it, Atlas took her aide-de-camp Luslan to seek an audience with Cobra, the king of Alabasta.

Alabasta's climate really was harsh. Windblown sand filled the air everywhere, practically making the country Crocodile's natural home turf. With a Poneglyph containing clues to Pluton hidden here as well, it was no wonder he had set his sights on the place.

The port city of Nanohana was a fair distance from Alabasta's capital, Alubarna. However, Alabasta's royal house, the Nefertari Family, descended from the Twenty Kings and held a special standing among the World Government's affiliated nations.

Otherwise, Atlas would hardly have wanted to trek all the way to their capital to meet Cobra, even if he could provide her with some information.

As someone who had transmigrated into this world, though, Atlas had already decided that Crocodile was behind everything, even without any evidence for the moment.

Before long, Atlas and Luslan reached Alubarna and met Cobra in the Royal Palace's conference hall.

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

He lacked the imposing air of a king, looking instead like a cheerful neighbor. Atlas wasn't sure whether that was thanks to the short, blue-haired infant in his arms or because Alabasta had yet to be torn apart by the rebellions that would leave him overwhelmed a dozen or so years later.

"Hehe, my apologies, Marines. My daughter Vivi is rather clingy and can't bear to leave my side. Please forgive me," Cobra said apologetically.

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

"Thank you for receiving us, Your Majesty. We're Marines from the G-8 fortress. We received a request for assistance from a nearby Marine base, so we've come to your country," Atlas said, getting straight to the point. She trusted that Cobra would understand what she meant and offer some useful intelligence.

"Do you mean the pirates who keep harassing the area around Eruma?" Cobra paused, then seemed to recall something and asked uncertainly.

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

Alabasta was hardly a weak nation. Its standing army alone numbered six hundred thousand ordinary soldiers. Common pirates wouldn't dare invade, and its two guardian deities could deal with the stronger ones. How could they be helpless against a bunch of pirates?

Of course, those two guardian deities weren't actual gods, merely two relatively powerful Zoan Devil Fruits. Atlas didn't know how Alabasta had managed to keep both fruits all this time. After all, once a user died, their Devil Fruit ability would be reborn somewhere random in the world. It was only later that Vegapunk discovered some of the patterns behind Devil Fruit reincarnation.

"Yes, I've sent Pell, the deputy commander of my royal guard, several times. But whenever he reaches Eruma, the pirates have already fled, as though they've been tipped off. Pell is the user of the Zoan Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Falcon, so he certainly doesn't lack mobility. Yet he comes up empty every time."

Cobra spoke with a troubled expression, his brows unconsciously drawing together. Just then, a chubby little hand reached up from his arms, seemingly trying to smooth his furrowed brow. Unfortunately, the arm was too short and could only reach his stubbly chin...

Looking down at his wonderfully "understanding" daughter, Cobra felt his heart nearly melt. He couldn't resist gently kissing Vivi's soft forehead, making the little angel burst into laughter and dispelling much of the gloom in his heart.

Suddenly, a lightly armored soldier jogged up to Cobra, bent down, and whispered some freshly received news into his ear.

"We'll have to end our meeting here today. I've just received word that those pirate crews have returned to the waters around Alabasta. If there's anything you need, I'll do everything in my power to help!" Cobra's expression changed, and he immediately stood to address Atlas.

With his discerning eye, Cobra could naturally tell that Atlas was in charge of this relief mission.

"Understood, Your Majesty. We'll take our leave, then."

Fishing

"Well, that's unfortunate timing!"

After leaving the capital, Alubarna, Atlas really couldn't face another trek, so she found two spot-billed ducks to ride. They certainly deserved their reputation as Alabasta's fastest creatures, cutting their travel time nearly in half.

The city where the pirates were operating lay on the other side of Alabasta. A vast strait almost split Lodestar Island in two. Alabasta's capital and port city stood on one side, while cities such as Eruma and Rainbase—the city Crocodile would occupy in the future—lay on the other.

Because of Alabasta's climate, its major cities were built around oases, leaving them scattered without any particular pattern.

For now, Atlas needed to return to the warship and sail to Eruma. With luck, they might run into those marauding pirates.

"Helmsman, stand by! Set sail for Eruma!"

The moment they returned to the warship, Luslan began directing its movements in an orderly fashion. Lulans wasn't a combat specialist, but his coordination and command of the ship were impeccable. Thanks to him, Atlas could retreat to the training room and work out in peace during their voyage.

Atlas didn't know how strong Vice Admiral Jonathan was, but in terms of strategy, he was undoubtedly a notable figure even among Marine Headquarters' officers. She was very pleased with everyone he had assigned to this mission.

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

Yet just as the warship left Nanohana, something happened that left Atlas unsure whether to laugh or cry. They ran straight into some pirates—and according to their intelligence, these were none other than the Vasili Pirates and the Antolich Pirates who had been plundering Alabasta!

Atlas figured their earlier move toward Eruma had merely been a diversion. Their true target was the port city of Nanohana, which, with its heavy flow of travelers, was undoubtedly wealthier than Eruma.

"Well, I'll go wipe them out. It'll be a nice chance to stretch my legs. Maybe... hehe!"

Atlas's lips curled as though something amusing had occurred to her. As they drew close to the leading pirate ship, she used Shave to flash aboard. The warship suffered no damage whatsoever, partly thanks to its sturdy construction and partly because Atlas had become thoroughly proficient with the Six Powers, refining her control over her strength.

She casually removed the justice cloak from her shoulders and tossed it to Lulans. Wearing a Justice Coat looked impressive, but she didn't want to dirty or ruin another cloak. She wondered where the characters in the anime bought clothes that survived even earth-shattering battles. These days, tearing her clothes apart in a fight had become routine.

"Hey, Marine! Just you? You really think that little of me?"

A sallow-faced man snarled at Atlas's youthful face. As a pirate who frequently dealt with Marines, he naturally recognized the G-8 fortress's warship. He had initially been frightened, but upon seeing Atlas's captain insignia, his fear turned to anger at what felt like a mockery.

"Yeah! You look like you haven't even been weaned yet! Hahahaha..."

"Go home, you little brat!"

Abuse poured in from every direction, as though it could cover up their earlier panic.

"How ridiculous. A bunch of scum..."

Atlas couldn't even be bothered to make a face at this human refuse. The small fry before her had bounties too low to be worth remembering, so she didn't bother matching them to their wanted posters.

Finger Pistol: Gatling!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

A barrage of vacuum bullets engulfed the pirates, piercing their bodies amid terrified screams. Those lucky enough to escape fatal wounds lay on the deck howling, their arrogance of a moment ago utterly gone.

Atlas wasn't heartless, so she decided to give them a quick end. She stepped into the air with Geppo, held her hand edge-on, and gently swept it forward!

Swordless Style: Tornado!

A chaotic storm of vacuum slashes instantly sank the pirate ship. As for the pirates too wounded to move, they could only pray that no fish would eat them and that they would at least die with their bodies intact.

The other pirate crew following behind witnessed the whole thing. Every one of them began trembling like a leaf.

"Elias! Hurry! Turn around! Toward—yes, toward Eruma!"

As though clutching at a lifeline, Antolich frantically barked orders at the helmsman, his voice tinged with tears. Then he rushed into the captain's cabin, picked up the Den Den Mushi beside his bed, and dialed a number from memory.

"Hello?"

A long horizontal scar soon appeared across the Den Den Mushi's face, and a large cigar hung from its mouth. Its eyes were gloomy, its low voice hoarse. Antolich shuddered and unconsciously adopted a deferential bearing.

"Lord Crocodile..."

"Call me Mr. 0!"

"Yes! Lord Mr. 0, a Marine is hunting us down! Please save us!" Antolich practically begged the Den Den Mushi, though a ruthless glint flashed through his eyes. He had been working for Crocodile all this time, after all. If he exposed that, Crocodile's position among the Shichibukai... hehe...

He didn't know why Crocodile wanted them to harass Alabasta, but losing his Shichibukai status should cause him considerable trouble.

"..."

"Fine. Come to Eruma."

Crocodile fell silent for a moment before answering in a low voice. He betrayed no emotion, leaving Antolich unable to guess what he was thinking.

Click!

After hanging up, Crocodile's expression grew even darker. His original plan had been to wait a while, then kill Antolich and his men in front of Alabasta's citizens during one of their raids. That would make him a "hero" in the people's eyes while silencing the witnesses—two birds with one stone. He hadn't expected a Marine to appear out of nowhere and disrupt his plans.

Meanwhile, having sent the entire Vasili Pirates crew to hell, Atlas did not press her advantage and pursue the Antolich Pirates. Instead, she returned straight to the warship, calmly took her justice cloak from her aide-de-camp, and draped it over her shoulders.

"Captain! Why didn't you wipe them all out at once...?" Luslan asked, puzzled. He wasn't naive enough to think Atlas had run out of stamina. That little bit of exertion barely counted as a warm-up.

"If you want to catch a fish, you have to put out some bait..."

For some reason, Atlas thought of Vice Admiral Jonathan.

Shichibukai

The Grand Line, in the waters off Alabasta.

The sun blazed in a cloudless blue sky.

A pirate ship fled frantically across the sea as though it had encountered its natural predator. Behind it, a Marine warship followed at a leisurely pace, like... a cat toying with a mouse!

"Ma'am, it looks like they're heading toward... Eruma?" Luslan asked uncertainly. He wasn't a navigator, after all, and wasn't particularly familiar with the routes around Alabasta.

"Yep~"

Atlas nodded. She had already used Observation Haki to "hear" Antolich's conversation with the mysterious Mr. Crocodile, so this came as no surprise. Her Observation Haki now covered an exceptionally wide area. Though she still fell short of Fujitora Issho, she was only slightly behind Enel after he acquired the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Her precision still needed work, however, and she had some way to go before attaining Future Sight.

She occasionally sent a few vacuum slashes their way with Tempest Kick to scare them. Even if these pirates knew she was using them to lure out their backer, there was nothing they could do. This was their only chance of survival, and Antolich knew that the man behind them was one of the Shichibukai!

Flying Finger Pistol: Barrett!

An enormous vacuum bullet shot forward at terrifying speed and struck the Antolich Pirates' lookout as he poked his head out. Red and white matter burst in all directions, splattering the already terrified pirates below. Though they had always delighted in slaughtering ordinary civilians, they proved just as helpless before the terror of death. Death treated everyone equally!

"What incredible mastery of Shigan!" Lulans exclaimed beside her. Even after witnessing Atlas's monstrous hand-to-hand combat skills, seeing that tremendously powerful Flying Finger Pistol again still left him awestruck.

"Just a little demonstration." Atlas pursed her lips indifferently. "I'll leave things to you. Call me when we reach Eruma, Lulans." As she spoke, she headed toward the dining hall. After fighting for so long, she was getting hungry.

"Yes, ma'am!" Lulans answered firmly. Atlas was a fine commanding officer in every respect, except that she wasn't particularly interested in running things.

Before long, the Antolich Pirates successfully landed at Eruma, their faces lighting up with the joy of having survived. They didn't know who their secret employer was, but judging from their captain's expression, they should now be able to escape that devil of a Marine.

Yes, a devil. In these pirates' eyes, Atlas was a devil! She clearly had the power to finish them all off at once, yet she had chosen to pick off one or two of them at a time, subjecting them to agonizing mental torment.

Desert Sunflower!

Suddenly, the dunes beneath the pirates began flowing rapidly as though alive. An immense pulling force dragged them steadily downward, and cries of alarm broke out.

"What's happening, Captain?"

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

"Do something, Captain!"

Despair covered Antolich's face as well. Plunging from heaven into hell was unbearable. He could only keep reaching out, trying to grab anything that might slow his descent.

Suddenly, a tall figure in a fur coat appeared before him, accompanied by swirling sand and howling winds.

"Lord Crocodile, wh—"