Watching Roger's Execution at the Start

His muscles matched his looks. They weren't bulky, but perfectly proportioned and powerful. Thick deltoids sat like armor over broad back muscles that made his waist look narrow. From behind, his body formed a perfect inverted triangle. His upper and lower halves were in harmony, and his body fat was so low that the muscle fibers beneath his skin looked like steel cables. Every muscle promised explosive strength!

Boom!

The steel Atlas had been battering finally cracked where it stood. He felt as though he had caught hold of something, but he was still just short. With his strength, knocking the steel away and shattering it would have been easy. Breaking it without moving it was the hard part. He had been training this way to give his punches more penetrating force, but he wasn't strong enough yet.

"Captain Atlas! Vice Admiral Jonathan wants to see you!"

A Marine soldier entered the training room to deliver Jonathan's message. Seeing the steel shattered across the floor, he couldn't hide his admiration. Atlas had become a legend at the G-8 fortress.

In just three months, he had wiped out the Ekrum Pirates on their return from the New World, fought and captured a pirate as formidable as the Shichibukai Crocodile, then stationed himself along the Grand Line route past G-8. Almost no rookie pirates made it through. Pirates had begun calling it the Death Route!

"All right. I'll be there shortly." Atlas nodded. He had noticed the soldier's overflowing admiration, but he was used to it by now. For three months, he had done little besides train and take missions. Every day, he was either carrying one out or heading off to accept another.

Veteran pirates and newcomers alike had fallen to him along that route. Even a Supernova captain with a bounty over a hundred million had met his end at Atlas's hands. Few pirates now chose that route into the Grand Line, and those who feared him called him the "Devil" Captain!

Jonathan's office.

Atlas pushed the door open. After three months of coming to Jonathan for missions, the two knew each other so well that Atlas rarely bothered knocking. Jonathan was easygoing and didn't mind.

"Vice Admiral Jonathan! Did you need me? Is there another mission?"

Atlas found Jonathan tinkering with his fishing rod again and asked with some exasperation.

"Atlas, there you are. Your trial is over. A ship from Headquarters will arrive at G-8 in a couple of days. You can go back with them," Jonathan explained.

"A Headquarters warship? For me?" Atlas was baffled. He hadn't earned a ship sent specially for him, had he? Had that old man Sengoku suddenly grown a conscience?

"Hahaha! Don't misunderstand. It isn't coming just for you." Jonathan couldn't resist teasing him.

"It's Crocodile. Headquarters has decided to lock him up in Impel Down. They couldn't spare anyone to collect him before, but a Rear Admiral happened to be at Headquarters, so they've sent him to pick Crocodile up."

Atlas sighed. So he was just tagging along. He was surprised Crocodile was still eating prison food at G-8, though. He had been so busy catching pirates that he hadn't kept track of the man.

He understood Headquarters' position. They couldn't send just anyone to escort a pirate of Crocodile's caliber. Someone too weak wouldn't be up to the job. That made Atlas curious about the Rear Admiral.

"Which Rear Admiral is it, Vice Admiral Jonathan?"

Atlas had never been one to hide his curiosity, so he asked outright.

"Well... I think I'll keep you guessing. Hahaha!"

Atlas liked Jonathan well enough, but the man's fondness for withholding answers and speaking in riddles always left him at a loss.

"Tch. Keep it to yourself, then. I'll see him in a few days anyway." Atlas curled his lip. Whoever the Rear Admiral was, a ride beat drifting across the sea alone.

"Anything else? If not, I'm leaving." Atlas started toward the door.

"Hey! Not yet!" Jonathan hurriedly called him back.

"A friend asked me to find out which base you'd like to join after graduation."

"I honestly haven't decided. I'll go wherever Admiral Sengoku assigns me." Atlas wasn't brushing him off; he truly hadn't chosen a base. Personally, he leaned toward the New World. Paradise was too tame for him.

He could only grow stronger by fighting strong opponents. Of the Twelve Talismans, he had awakened only the Horse Talisman, Ox Talisman, and Rabbit Talisman. His current physique could bear another, but he knew better than to bite off more than he could chew. He wanted to fully absorb the Rabbit Talisman first.

After using it so often lately, he felt he was close. With those three Talismans, the growth potential of his physique had risen beyond anything he could measure.

He's Here, the Man Compared to Kizaru ### Three days passed quickly.

G-8 fortress harbor.

A huge Marine warship lay at anchor as soldiers moved about maintaining it. At the front of the harbor, a man in a coat bearing the word Justice smiled at Atlas.

Beside Atlas stood Crocodile, now a prisoner but still wearing that infuriating expression. People in this world were absurdly resilient. Atlas had beaten Crocodile to a pulp, yet the man had recovered so quickly that Atlas could almost believe he had never hit him.

"Hello there, young Atlas! I'm Tokikake, a Rear Admiral from Headquarters!"

Atlas looked expressionlessly at the Rear Admiral. His eyes were so narrow they were almost slits, giving him a shifty air. A hexagonal face, protruding ears, and features crowded close together framed a wide mouth with a cigarette hanging from it.

Instead of the neat suit other Marine officers wore, he had on a brown, tunic-like top and matching casual trousers. His slight stoop made his age hard to guess. Atlas's impression came down to two words: sleazy and ugly.

If Borsalino's sleaziness seemed to radiate from within, Rear Admiral Tokikake achieved much the same effect on looks alone.

No wonder Headquarters says he can hold his own against Vice Admiral Kizaru!

Atlas marveled inwardly.

"Hello, Rear Admiral Tokikake. Kanos Atlas. I've heard a great deal about you."

Atlas smiled and nodded, generous with his praise. Whether that reputation was good or bad was another matter.

From the little Atlas knew of Tokikake, the man cared about civilians' safety. Beneath that appearance, he had a kind heart.

"No, no, you're the famous one, young Atlas! I've wanted to meet the Marines' rising star for ages!"

Tokikake clearly knew how to handle people. Unlike the rigid Akainu, he didn't care when people called him sleazy. He was famous for relentlessly pursuing Gion while still visiting pleasure boats. Gion would have to be out of her mind to accept him!

"Well, enough pleasantries. Let's get Crocodile aboard the warship first."

After their exchange of compliments, Tokikake turned serious and proposed securing Crocodile on the ship.

"Hey! About time. What are you two babbling about? Hypocritical Marine brats!" Crocodile, impatient from waiting beside them, couldn't resist a jab.

Neither Tokikake nor Atlas answered. They personally escorted him to the warship's temporary brig.

At Marine Headquarters in Marineford, inside Sengoku's office.

Sengoku sat behind his desk, his thick black hair loose and his bushy beard braided beneath his frog-shaped glasses. A white goat silently chewed discarded documents beside the broad desk. Today, instead of bending over the usual mountain of paperwork, Sengoku watched the man opposite him with a grave expression.

Smoke obscured the man's face, though the hard, resolute lines showed through. Part of a tattoo was visible above his thick neck. He wore an ordinary Marine cap and a dark red suit, with a dark red rose pinned to his chest. The effect was strangely striking.

"Sakazuki, how are things in the New World?"

Sengoku was asking Akainu, who had just returned to Headquarters to recuperate after campaigning there. The Marines' grip was strongest over the first half of the Grand Line, but expanding their presence in the New World was difficult. Too many powerful figures fought amid too much chaos for the Marines to gain a foothold.

"Much the same. Those wicked pirates keep slaughtering one another. The three strongest forces are the Whitebeard Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, and the Beasts Pirates. The Yermak Pirates, Kraus Pirates, Blood Scythe Pirates, and Francis Pirates have also formed an alliance."

"Those four allied?" Sengoku sounded surprised.

"Tch. Pirates turn on each other by nature. And however vast the New World is, it can't hold that many pirate overlords. None of those crews can stand alone against Whitebeard's, Big Mom's, or the Beasts Pirates. A temporary alliance was their only choice!"

Akainu paused and narrowed his eyes. "But they'll fight again sooner or later. Those four crews won't stay allied and huddle in one corner of the New World forever. Greed is humanity's greatest enemy, and pirates are worse than most."

For all Akainu's extreme ideals, his strategic judgment was exceptional. He had laid out the New World's situation plainly.

"Exactly. We Marines need to profit from their struggle. Destroying any one of those three major pirate crews would cost us dearly. But once chaos breaks out in the New World, we can wait for our opportunity."

Sengoku nodded in agreement.

"We've already deployed most of our fighting strength to the New World. Once those pirate crews go to war, we can weaken the three major powers, push farther into the New World, and tighten our control."

Garp, Akainu, and Gion were among the Marines' main forces stationed in the New World. Kizaru and Kuzan were another story. One had gone to the holy land of Mary Geoise to put in his hours; the other was cycling aimlessly across the sea. Both gave Sengoku a headache.

Borsalino was one thing; he had always been like that. Sengoku had high hopes for Kuzan, but after the Ohara Incident, his burning justice had become lazy justice. He was almost as adept at shirking work as Borsalino.

Sengoku had a thankless job. The Five Elders pressed him from above, while Garp did as he pleased below. Kizaru showed up without putting in the effort, and Kuzan spent his days wandering, occasionally dropping by to frighten Robin. Akainu worked hard, but his ideals were too extreme, and Sengoku disapproved of some of his actions.

At the thought, Sengoku felt his whole life turn bleak.

Impel Down ### "By the way, Sakazuki, while you're at Headquarters recuperating, there's a recruit I'd like to recommend." Sengoku suddenly remembered that Atlas's graduation trial was nearly over. He could assign the young man to Akainu's ship.

"Kanos Atlas?"

"You know him?" Sengoku was puzzled. Akainu had only just returned. When had he had time to hear the gossip? Had the kid's reputation spread that far?

"Yes. Jonathan mentioned him." Akainu's answer was brief. He had even asked Jonathan to find out which base Atlas wanted after graduation. Everything he knew about Atlas had come from those calls. He had to admit, the young man's way of handling things suited him.

Pirates deserved no mercy!

"Good. I was hoping he could spend some time aboard your ship after graduation."

"No problem."

"You'll be at Headquarters for a while, so you can take him straight to the New World."

The setting sun stained the sky blood-red as a standard Marine warship sailed across the open sea. Its shadow stretched beneath the slanting light, spreading over the blue water...

"Achoo!"

Atlas sneezed mid-conversation with Tokikake. Was someone plotting against me? Tokikake was certainly a smooth talker. After barely knowing each other, they were already calling each other brothers. They were one step away from swearing a blood oath.

"Hey, little brother Atlas, maybe you're not as sturdy as you look. I was going to take you to a pleasure boat." Tokikake leered as he teased him. Paired with his ugly face, the expression was almost unbearable.

"Aren't you courting Rear Admiral Gion? Why do you keep going to pleasure boats? At this rate, you won't win her over in a hundred years." Atlas was speechless. Looking sleazy was one thing; did the man have to act sleazy too?

"Does that lessen my deep love for Gion?" Tokikake asked as though the answer were obvious.

"Uh... Do what you think is best, brother Tokikake."

"Anyway, are we heading straight back to Marineford?"

"Huh? No. We're stopping at Impel Down to hand over Crocodile first."

Impel Down was a gigantic tower-like structure sunk into the sea, its lowest levels deep underwater. Built in the Calm Belt, it was surrounded by enormous Sea Kings. Large amounts of Seastone powder had been mixed into its walls, warding off Sea Kings and somewhat restricting Devil Fruit Users.

Its highest official was the Chief Warden, theoretically equal in rank to the Fleet Admiral. After all, Impel Down and the Marines were two of the World Government's three major institutions. Marine Headquarters inspired fear in countless pirates, but Impel Down was a place they hardly dared mention.

For pirates who pursued so-called freedom, being imprisoned there until death was more terrifying than death itself.

At present, its Chief Warden was not yet Magellan, the Venom-Venom Fruit user who would nearly bring Blackbeard's ambitions to an end. Magellan was still the Vice Chief Warden.

Tokikake and Atlas brought Crocodile off the warship. Ahead stood Impel Down's heavily guarded gates.

"Don't underestimate this place. Almost no pirate sent inside has ever escaped," Tokikake explained with a note of pride. The Marines and Impel Down were separate institutions, but their relationship was good.

"Heh. Didn't a great pirate escape a few years ago? That myth was broken long ago!" Crocodile broke in, eager to make himself heard.

"You think you're the Golden Lion? Even a pirate who once contended with Roger had to cut off both legs to escape." This time, Tokikake snapped back.

"Welcome to my Impel Down!" As they reached the gate, a potbellied man wearing an Egyptian pharaoh-style headdress and holding an ordinary trident called out to them. Then he gave a startled yelp.

"Ah! I let that slip! I nearly exposed my ambition!"

Beside him, a man who looked rather like Satan clutched his stomach with a pained expression. "I'm Magellan, Vice Chief Warden of Impel Down. This is Chief Warden Hannyabal. Welcome."

"Hello. I'm Tokikake, and this is our rising Marine star, Kanos Atlas." Tokikake took over the introductions, making sure to give Atlas a proper one.

"Please follow me. We'll place Crocodile in Infinite Hell first. The Chief Warden is tied up with official business, so we'll receive you in his stead."

Infinite Hell? Which level was that again? Atlas fell into thought.

"Infinite Hell is Level 6 of Impel Down. Only the most vicious great pirates are locked up there. Mr. Crocodile ought to feel honored." Noticing Atlas's uncertainty, the attentive Tokikake supplied the answer.

Inside Impel Down, Atlas studied his surroundings. The prison was dim, with visual Den Den Mushi in nearly every corner. Someone was always watching. As they descended, cries of agony rang out from almost every level.

"Is anyone there? Let me out!"

"I'll tell you where I hid my treasure! Get me out and I'll give you half! No, all of it!"

"Let me out! I was framed!"

"They may claim they're innocent, but every one of them was a vicious pirate outside," Magellan told Atlas, frowning. He feared the young Marine might let his compassion get the better of him and try to help them.

"Don't worry. I'm not softhearted." Atlas smiled. Hardly any pirates survived an encounter with him. Did he look merciful?

"Ah!"

A scream suddenly rang out from the shadows nearby. Then a tall man with a broad jaw and a cigar between his lips emerged from the darkness...

Akainu ### "Shiryu! Have you been killing prisoners again?" Magellan frowned at the man slowly wiping his blade. This was hardly the first time Shiryu had killed prisoners for sport, and Magellan was deeply displeased.

"Hm? I only killed a few pieces of trash. No need to get worked up, Magellan," Shiryu said indifferently. Killing a few lowlifes had never troubled him. Taking lives weighed on him not at all.

"You..." Anger flashed across Magellan's face, but with Marine colleagues present, he held it back. He turned to Atlas and the others with a helpless look. "Shiryu of the Rain, Vice Warden of Impel Down."