He Has Arrived, the Man Who Stands Beside Kizaru in Renown / Impel Down ...

His muscles matched his appearance. They were not overly bulky, but instead displayed an extremely balanced sense of strength. His thick deltoids were like armor, while his broad back muscles made his waist appear somewhat slender. Viewed from behind, his body formed a perfect inverted triangle. The muscles in his upper and lower body were highly coordinated, and his extremely low body fat made his muscle fibers look like steel bars. Every muscle displayed terrifying explosive power!

Boom!

Suddenly, the steel that had endured Atlas's torment finally split apart on the spot. Atlas seemed to have grasped something, yet still felt that he was just short of success. In truth, with Atlas's strength, it would have been easy for him to send the steel flying and smash it apart. The difficult part was making it break in place. Atlas had been trying this kind of training all along. He felt that it could make his punches more penetrating, but he was still falling short.

"Captain Atlas! Vice Admiral Jonathan is looking for you!"

Just then, a Marine soldier suddenly entered the training room to deliver Jonathan's orders to Atlas. Seeing the steel shattered into pieces on the ground, the Marine could not help revealing an expression of worship. Atlas was now a legendary Marine of the G-8 Fortress.

In just three months, he had first annihilated the Ekrum Pirates after they returned from the New World, then fought the great pirate Crocodile, a Shichibukai, and captured him. After that, he had directly stationed himself along the route passing through the G-8 Fortress in the Grand Line. Almost no rookie pirate could pass through here safely, causing many pirates to call it the Death Route!

"Okay, I'll go over in a while." Atlas nodded slightly. He had naturally noticed the Marine's almost overflowing reverence, but he had long since grown used to it. Over the past three months, he had done little besides cultivate and crazily accept missions. Every day, he was either carrying out a mission or on his way to accept one.

Whether they were old pirates passing through or newly fledged pirates, almost all had died by his hand. Even a pirate captain who was a Supernova worth over a hundred million berries had fallen into his hands. As a result, very few pirates now chose this route to enter the Grand Line, while the pirates who feared Atlas had nicknamed him the "Devil" Captain!

Jonathan's office.

Atlas pushed open the office door directly. Over the past three months, he had constantly gone to Jonathan to accept missions, and the two had become extremely familiar with each other. As a result, Atlas no longer bothered knocking politely. Jonathan had always been even-tempered and did not quibble over such trivial matters.

"Vice Admiral Jonathan! Why did you call for me? Is there another new mission?"

The moment Atlas entered, he saw Jonathan fiddling with his fishing rod again and asked somewhat helplessly.

"Atlas, you're here. Your trial has ended. In a couple of days, a ship from Marine Headquarters will come to the G-8 Fortress. Go back to Headquarters with it then!" Jonathan explained.

"A Marine Headquarters warship? To pick me up?" Atlas was bewildered. He should not yet be important enough for Headquarters to send a ship specifically for him. Had that old man Sengoku suddenly developed a conscience?

"Hahahaha, don't misunderstand. It isn't coming specifically for you." Seeing Atlas's puzzled expression, Jonathan could not help teasing him.

"It's because of Crocodile. Headquarters has decided to imprison him in Impel Down. We haven't been able to spare anyone to come here and conduct the handover, but a Rear Admiral happens to be at Headquarters now, so we're specially sending him here to take Crocodile away."

Atlas wore a helpless expression. So he was merely an extra passenger. Still, he was somewhat surprised that Crocodile was still being held at the G-8 Fortress. After all, he had been busy capturing pirates and had not had the leisure to pay attention to Crocodile's situation.

Atlas actually understood Headquarters. A pirate of Crocodile's caliber could not be guarded by just anyone. Someone too weak would not qualify, so Atlas was rather curious about the approaching Rear Admiral.

"I wonder which Rear Admiral it is, Vice Admiral Jonathan?"

Atlas had never been one to hide his thoughts. Without concealing his curiosity in the slightest, he directly asked Jonathan.

"That? Allow me to keep you in suspense. Hahahaha!"

Atlas had a very favorable impression of Jonathan, but the one thing he criticized him for was his fondness for keeping people in suspense and speaking in riddles, always leaving Atlas confused.

"Tch, forget it if you won't tell me. I'll be able to see him in a few days anyway." Atlas curled his lips disdainfully. Whoever the Rear Admiral was, it did not matter. Wasn't it wonderful that he could hitch a ride instead of drifting alone across the sea?

"Anything else? If not, I'll leave first." Atlas made as if to walk out the door.

"Hey! Don't leave yet!" Jonathan hurriedly stopped him.

"Um, a friend of mine asked me to find out where you want to go after graduation."

"Well, I really haven't decided. I'll leave it to Fleet Admiral Sengoku to arrange!" Atlas was not brushing him off. He truly had not decided which base to go to. Of course, he personally leaned toward a base in the New World. Paradise was still too weak for him.

He could only grow stronger by constantly fighting powerful opponents. At present, he had only lit the Horse Talisman, Ox Talisman, and Rabbit Talisman among the Twelve Talismans. With his current physique, he could actually light up another Talisman, but he knew that spreading himself too thin would accomplish nothing. He would wait until he had truly digested the Rabbit Talisman before lighting the next one.

Moreover, after using it frequently during this period, Atlas felt that he was not far from completely digesting the Rabbit Talisman. With the help of these three Talismans, his physique's growth potential had been raised to an unimaginable level.

Chapter 60: He Has Arrived, the Man Who Stands Beside Kizaru in Renown

Three days passed quickly.

G-8 Fortress harbor.

A huge Marine warship was docked at the harbor. Marine soldiers came and went, constantly maintaining the ship. At the front of the harbor, a man wearing a coat of justice stood smiling at Atlas.

Beside Atlas stood Crocodile, who had become a prisoner yet still wore that irritating expression. One had to admit that the people of the pirate world had monstrous physiques. Crocodile had been beaten into such a state by Atlas, yet he had recovered completely in such a short time. He even made Atlas wonder whether he had ever beaten the man at all.

"Hello! Little Atlas, I'm Tokikake, a Rear Admiral of Marine Headquarters!"

Atlas stared expressionlessly at the Rear Admiral before him. His eyes were tiny, almost narrowed into slits, giving him a sleazy air. His hexagonal face and protruding ears were paired with tightly packed features, while a cigarette hung from his wide, grinning mouth.

Unlike the other Marine officers, he was not dressed in a neat suit. Instead, he wore a tea-colored jacket resembling a Chinese-style vest and casual trousers of the same color. His slightly stooped figure made his true age impossible to determine. Atlas's only impression of him was that he was sleazy and ugly.

If Borsalino exuded sleaziness from the inside out, then this Rear Admiral Tokikake made people feel the same way purely through his appearance.

As expected of the man at Marine Headquarters who was said to rival Vice Admiral Kizaru!

Atlas secretly sighed in his heart.

"Hello, Rear Admiral Tokikake. I'm Kanos Atlas. I've long admired your reputation."

Atlas also nodded with a smile, sparing no praise. Whether that reputation was good or bad was a matter of opinion.

Of course, based on Atlas's limited understanding of Tokikake, he was still an officer who cared rather deeply about the safety of civilians. He possessed a kind heart that did not match his appearance.

"No, no, Little Atlas, you're the truly famous one. I've wanted to meet you, the Navy Supernova, for a long time!"

Tokikake was clearly a man with extremely high emotional intelligence. Unlike Akainu's rigid personality, Tokikake, whose sleaziness was often criticized, had never cared about his dignity. Most famously, while he was passionately pursuing Gion, he still went to visit pleasure boats. Gion would have to be insane to agree to marry him!

"All right, enough with the pleasantries. Let's get Crocodile onto the warship first!"

After their bout of mutual flattery, Tokikake's expression turned serious as he suggested imprisoning Crocodile aboard the warship first.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! It's about time you did that! What are you two babbling about over there? What hypocritical little Marines!" Crocodile, who had long since grown impatient nearby, could not help mocking them.

Tokikake and Atlas ignored Crocodile's shouting and personally escorted him to the temporary prison aboard the warship.

Marine Headquarters, Marineford, Sengoku's office.

Sengoku, with tousled black hair, frog-shaped glasses, and thick whiskers braided into small plaits, sat upright in his office chair. Beside the broad desk, a white Goat silently chewed on discarded documents. Unlike usual, Sengoku was not hunched over the desk processing piles of paperwork. Instead, he stared solemnly at the man across from him.

The man's entire face was hidden in swirling smoke, but his iron-blooded, resolute features could still be vaguely made out. An indistinct tattoo emerged from his thick neck. He wore an ordinary Marine cap and a dark red suit, with a dark red rose pinned to his chest, giving him an eerie beauty.

"Sakazuki, how is the situation in the New World now?"

Sengoku looked at Akainu, who had just returned from campaigning in the New World to recuperate at Headquarters. The Marines currently had the strongest control over the first half of the Grand Line, but they found it difficult to establish themselves further in the New World. There were too many powerful figures there, and the situation was too chaotic for the Marines to gain a foothold.

"It's the same as before. Those evil pirates keep slaughtering one another, but the three strongest forces are the Whitebeard Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, and Beasts Pirates. There are also the allied Yermak Pirates, Kraus Pirates, Blood Scythe Pirates, and Francis Pirates."

"They formed an alliance?" Sengoku asked in surprise.

"Tch. A pirate's nature is to slaughter others. Besides, no matter how large the New World is, it cannot contain so many pirate overlords. Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Beasts are each beyond the ability of any other pirate crew to oppose alone. Forming a temporary alliance is their inevitable choice!"

Akainu paused, narrowing his eyes as he continued, "But they'll fight again sooner or later. These four pirate crews cannot remain allied forever, hiding in a corner of the New World. Greed is always humanity's greatest enemy, and that applies even more to these pirates."

Aside from his somewhat extreme ideology, Akainu undeniably possessed excellent strategic vision. He had analyzed the situation in the New World with exceptional clarity.

"Yes, exactly. What the Marines have to do is reap the benefits from the chaos. If the Marines destroy any one of the Whitebeard Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, or Beasts Pirates, we'll have to bear enormous risks and losses. But once the New World falls into chaos, the Marines can simply sit back and reap the rewards."

Sengoku nodded in agreement.

"Most of the Marines' strength has already been dispatched to the New World. We're just waiting for these major pirate crews to go to war. Then we can weaken the Three Great Pirate Crews while further devouring the New World and strengthening our control over it."

The Marines' main forces, including Garp, Akainu, and Gion, had all been stationed in the New World. As for Kizaru and Kuzan, one had gone to Mary Geoise to clock in at work, while the other rode a bicycle around the sea. Sengoku had a headache over both of them.

Borsalino was still manageable, since he had always been like that. As for Kuzan, Sengoku had held high hopes for him. However, ever since the Ohara Incident, Kuzan had changed from Lazy Justice to Slacking Justice, and his idleness was almost catching up with Borsalino's.

Sengoku had a miserable time as a leader. Above him were the Five Elders; below him, Garp's unreliability, Kizaru's lack of effort, and Kuzan's daily wandering. Kuzan even occasionally went to frighten Robin. Akainu worked diligently, but his ideology was too extreme, and Sengoku was dissatisfied with some of his actions.

Thinking of this, Sengoku suddenly felt that life was bleak.

Chapter 61: Impel Down

"By the way, Sakazuki, since you're returning to Headquarters to recuperate this time, I'll recommend a new recruit to you." Sengoku suddenly remembered that Atlas would soon be finishing his graduation trial, so he might as well assign him to Akainu's ship.

"Kanos Atlas?"

"You know him?" Sengoku asked doubtfully. Akainu had only just returned to Headquarters and should not have had time to hear any gossip. Could that kid's reputation already be so great?

"Yes. Jonathan mentioned him to me." Akainu's answer was concise. He had also asked Jonathan about Atlas's preferred base after graduation. His understanding of Atlas had come from his conversations with Jonathan. Atlas's way of doing things suited his tastes very well.

When dealing with pirates, one had to show no mercy!

"Good. I was thinking of having him spend some time aboard your ship after graduation."

"No problem!"

"Since you'll be at Headquarters during this period, take him to the New World directly."

The setting sun was as red as blood. A standard Marine warship sailed across the open sea, its shadow slowly stretching beneath the slanting sunlight as its enormous silhouette covered the blue waters...

"Achoo!"

Atlas, who was chatting animatedly with Big Brother Tokikake, suddenly sneezed hard, leaving him rather puzzled. Was someone plotting against him? Tokikake really was good at talking. In just a few sentences, the two men who had not known each other long had already become sworn brothers. They were practically ready to exchange blood and become blood brothers.

"Hey, hey, hey! Little Atlas, it seems your health isn't very good. I was planning to take you to visit a pleasure boat." Tokikake teased Atlas with a lecherous expression. His ugly face combined with that sleazy look was simply unbearable.

"Aren't you pursuing Rear Admiral Gion? How can you still visit pleasure boats all the time? At this rate, you won't win her over even in a hundred years." Atlas was speechless. Being sleazy-looking was one thing, but why were his actions so sleazy too?

"Well, does that interfere with my deep love for Gion?" Tokikake asked as though it were only natural.

"Uh... Forget it. Take care of yourself, Big Brother Tokikake."

"By the way, Big Brother Tokikake, are we heading straight back to Marineford?"

"Huh? No. We're going to Impel Down first to put Crocodile inside, then we'll return to Headquarters."

Impel Down was an enormous tower-shaped structure that sank into the sea. Its lowest levels lay deep beneath the ocean, and it had been built in the Calm Belt. The entire prison was surrounded by massive Sea Kings. Its walls were built with large quantities of Seastone powder mixed in, both to prevent Sea King attacks and to slightly restrict some Devil Fruit Users.

The highest-ranking official in Impel Down 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 Great Institutions. If Marine Headquarters was a place feared by countless pirates, then Impel Down was a place they did not even dare mention.

For pirates who pursued so-called "freedom," being imprisoned in Impel Down until death was more terrifying than dying.

It was worth mentioning that Impel Down's Chief Warden was not yet the Venom-Venom Fruit User Magellan, the man who would later nearly extinguish Blackbeard's ambitions. At present, he was only the Vice Chief Warden.

Tokikake and Atlas disembarked from the warship with Crocodile. The first thing they saw was the heavily guarded entrance to Impel Down.

"Don't underestimate Impel Down. Almost no pirate who enters this place ever escapes." Tokikake explained this to Atlas with a hint of pride. Although the Marines and Impel Down were separate institutions, their relationship was still quite good.

"Heh heh heh. I heard that a great pirate escaped from here a few years ago. Impel Down's legend was shattered long ago!"

Crocodile began looking for attention again.

"Do you think you're Golden Lion? Even that great pirate who once competed with Roger had to cut off his own legs to escape." This time, Tokikake did not ignore Crocodile and immediately shot back.

"Welcome! Welcome to my Impel Down!" As the three spoke, they unknowingly arrived at the prison entrance. A large-bellied man wearing an Egyptian pharaoh-style headdress and holding an ordinary standard trident shouted at them, then suddenly let out a strange cry.

"Ah! I accidentally let that slip! I almost exposed my ambitions!"

The man beside him, whose appearance somewhat resembled Satan's, looked troubled as he clutched his stomach. He introduced himself helplessly: "I am Magellan, Vice Chief Warden of Impel Down. This is Chief Warden Hannyabal. Welcome, everyone!"

"Hello! I'm Tokikake, and this here is our Navy Supernova, Kanos Atlas." Tokikake took over the conversation and gave Atlas a particularly detailed introduction.

"Please come with me. We'll first lock Crocodile in Infinite Hell. The Chief Warden is temporarily busy with official business and cannot get away, so we'll receive you two for now."

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

"Infinite Hell is Level 6 of Impel Down. Everyone imprisoned there is an extremely vicious great pirate. Crocodile should feel honored."

Seeing that Atlas seemed somewhat puzzled, Big Brother Tokikake considerately provided the answer.

After entering Impel Down, Atlas kept looking around at his surroundings. The entire prison was somewhat gloomy, and almost every corner was covered with visual Den Den Mushi. Someone was constantly monitoring every movement. As they continued deeper inside, people could be heard crying out in pain on nearly every level.

"Is anyone there? Can you let me out?"

"I'll tell you where I hid my treasure! Whoever saves me gets half of it—oh! No! You can have all of it!"

"Let me out! I was framed!"

"Don't be fooled by their cries of innocence. Every one of them was a vicious great pirate when they were outside." Magellan frowned and explained this to Atlas. He was afraid that Atlas, young and hot-blooded, might try to uphold justice for those men.

"Don't worry. I'm not the softhearted type." Atlas smiled as he explained. After all, only a few pirates had managed to stay alive in his hands. Did he look like a merciful person?

"Ah!"

Suddenly, a scream came from the shadows not far from Atlas. Immediately afterward, a tall man with a broad chin and a cigar between his teeth emerged from the darkness...

Chapter 62: Akainu

"Shiryu! Have you been casually torturing prisoners again?" Magellan frowned at the man before him, who was slowly wiping his blade. Clearly, this was not the first time Shiryu had tortured prisoners, and Magellan was deeply dissatisfied with his behavior.

"Oh? I merely killed a few worthless pieces of trash. There's no need to get so worked up, Magellan!" Shiryu said indifferently. He had never been troubled by slaughtering a few insignificant pieces of trash. Killing was a trivial matter to him and placed no burden on his conscience.

"You..." Magellan was somewhat furious, but with Marine colleagues present, he could not act out. He could only endure it for the moment and introduce the man to Atlas and the others with a helpless expression. "Shiryu of the Rain! Vice Chief Warden of Impel Down!"