Strength / Promotion

Then he turned to Shiryu and introduced them. "These two are Rear Admiral Tokikake and Navy Supernova Atlas..."

"A swordswoman?" Before Magellan could finish, Shiryu of the Rain glanced at the Sandai Kitetsu at Atlas's waist. A flicker crossed his cold eyes, and he raised a sharp brow.

"Care for a spar?"

"Hm?"

Atlas looked at Shiryu, surprised by the trace of killing intent he was showing. Was he already struggling to keep his bloodlust in check? It seemed the environment in Impel Down had twisted his mind somewhat.

"Shiryu, what are you doing?!"

Magellan could no longer hold back and shouted at him.

"Tch. It was a joke. Why so tense?" Shiryu muttered, knowing he was in the wrong.

As he turned to leave, Shiryu glanced at Hannyabal in the crowd and sneered. "Useless."

"Hey! I'm still your superior!"

Hannyabal kicked up a fuss, but Shiryu had already disappeared back into the darkness and ignored him.

"Sorry you had to see that," Magellan said awkwardly, his face reddening as he looked from the noisy Hannyabal to the murderous Shiryu of the Rain.

"Hahaha! I understand. Working with criminals all day in Impel Down is bound to produce a few unusual personalities!" Tokikake chimed in smoothly, saying exactly what Magellan wanted to hear.

"This giant elevator is unique to Impel Down. It lets us travel easily between floors. Our destination today is Infinite Hell on Level 6."

Before long, they took the giant elevator down to Level 6.

Unlike the prisoners above, those here did not scream or beg for mercy. They simply watched Atlas and the others with half-lidded eyes. An ordinary person might have trembled beneath the weight of their gazes.

But Atlas had the will to become the World's Strongest Man. Even without awakening Conqueror's Haki, her sheer spirit was no weaker than anyone else present.

As for the others, Magellan would one day become an admiral-level chief warden of Impel Down, and Tokikake would become a Candidate Admiral. Hannyabal, meanwhile, already had trembling legs.

"I... I'm the chief warden of Impel Down!"

Hannyabal tried to sound tough, then hastily added, "Ah! I accidentally let my ambition slip again..."

Atlas and the others paid him no mind. They had more or less grown immune to his strange behavior.

After Crocodile was locked up, Tokikake hurried Atlas out of Impel Down. They politely declined Magellan's dinner invitation and set course for Marineford.

Marineford, Impel Down, and Enies Lobby formed a triangle, with no great distance between them. The warship soon reached Marine Headquarters.

Knock, knock, knock...

"Come in!"

Tokikake and Atlas paused as they opened the door. Sengoku was still behind his desk, wearing his frog-shaped glasses and braided beard, but a tall man with a cigar between his teeth and a Marine cap on his head now occupied a chair across from him.

"Admiral Sengoku!" they said together.

"Vice Admiral Akainu!" they added together.

"Has Crocodile been secured in Impel Down?" Sengoku ended his conversation with Akainu when he saw them and asked about the mission.

"Reporting to Admiral Sengoku! Crocodile has been successfully imprisoned in Impel Down!"

"Good. But do you know how much trouble you've caused me, Atlas, you little brat?" Sengoku gave Tokikake an approving look, then turned a stern face on Atlas.

The World Government had only just established the Seven Warlords of the Sea system, and the Navy had arrested Crocodile without conclusive evidence. It was a slap in the World Government's face. Only Sengoku knew how much pressure the Five Elders had put on him.

"But you did well, Atlas!" Sengoku's gloomy expression vanished in an instant, replaced by hearty praise. The sudden reversal left Atlas blinking.

"You're too kind, sir. I only did what I should," Atlas said modestly.

"Exactly. Bringing down pirates is the Navy's duty in the name of Justice," Akainu said from his chair. Then his brow furrowed, and a ruthless air swept over them. "Your biggest mistake was failing to kill Crocodile when you had the chance."

Atlas merely smiled without arguing. If she had killed him, Sengoku would have been the least of her troubles.

"All right, Atlas. Your performance in the Graduation Assessment was outstanding. Marine Headquarters has decided to honor you at a Medal Ceremony in the next few days. Be ready."

"And where would you like to be posted after graduation?"

"Reporting to Admiral Sengoku! I'll follow whatever orders you give!"

"Good. Once the ceremony is over, you'll go to the New World with Akainu." Sengoku nodded, laying out the assignment he had already planned.

"Are you sure you want to come with me to the New World? Powerful fighters are everywhere there. It's nothing like your little skirmishes in Paradise. One careless move, and you'll never come back."

Akainu's face remained impassive as he warned Atlas.

"Heh. The pirates in Paradise are too weak. I'm going to become the World's Strongest Man! So of course I have to let Whitebeard live long enough for me to knock him off that throne! Hahaha!"

Atlas grinned boldly, utterly unconcerned.

Appreciation flashed through Akainu's eyes. "That's some conviction. I hear you're strong. I'd like to see whether you're fit to board my ship!"

Strength

Marineford, Training Ground.

Atlas and Akainu stood facing each other, their coats of Justice set aside. No other Marines were watching; only Sengoku and Tokikake stood on a viewing platform nearby.

When Akainu had proposed testing Atlas's strength in Sengoku's office, everyone had agreed at once. Sengoku wanted to see how far she had come, while Tokikake simply wanted to enjoy the show. One fighter was a monstrous Navy vice admiral; the other was a Navy Supernova whom Teacher Zephyr believed might surpass the three monsters.

"You're a swordswoman?" Akainu asked, glancing at the Sandai Kitetsu at Atlas's waist.

"Yeah, more or less." Atlas shrugged, her reply casual.

"As it happens, I know a little Swordsmanship myself. We can put it to the test."

"But..." Atlas looked Akainu over. Seeing no weapon on him, she frowned in confusion.

Akainu's expression did not change. "A sword needn't be so inconvenient to carry."

Smoke rolled from his hand. Scalding magma dripped onto the Training Ground, pitting the earth, and a broad blade nearly two meters long formed in his grip. Made entirely of molten rock, it seared the air around it.

Damn it. He got to show off.

Atlas stared at the stone-faced Akainu and his giant magma sword, the corner of her mouth twitching.

Clang!

Atlas slowly drew the Sandai Kitetsu. Black-and-red Armament Haki wound around the blade, making the Cursed Sword look more sinister than ever.

"Admiral Sengoku, get ready to rebuild the Training Ground!" Atlas called toward the viewing platform. Sengoku, who had been about to grab some Senbei and watch the show, bristled.

Before Atlas could settle into a stance, Akainu charged and swung his blade at her!

What the hell, Akainu? No fair play at all?

Bang!

Atlas blocked in haste. When the blades met, there was no clear ring of metal on metal, only a heavy thud.

"Good strength," Akainu remarked.

They remained locked together for a moment before Atlas was forced back several steps.

"Dragon Tail!"

Atlas steadied herself and drew her left leg back. A blood-red slash flew from her blade toward Akainu.

Whoosh!

A huge gash opened across Akainu's chest, spilling hot magma. His upper body turned to molten rock and collapsed to the ground.

"A powerful slash." Akainu's form slowly re-formed without so much as a wound. Atlas had always been curious about Logia elementalization. It even transformed their clothes—no wonder Kizaru's clothes had only gotten a little dirty during the Paramount War.

"You flatter me, Vice Admiral Akainu!"

The moment Atlas finished speaking, Akainu's hands became enormous magma fists. Power erupted from his body, driving both fists straight at her.

Great Eruption!

What the hell? Weren't we supposed to be dueling with swords?

Startled, Atlas swept the Sandai Kitetsu upward.

One Sword Style: Cicada Rain: Climbing the Tower!

A dense storm of slashes crashed into the two massive magma fists.

Boom!

Atlas's slashes blew both fists apart, but countless volcanic bombs kept raining down. Akainu had held back, really; he had only launched two magma fists. He must have had some sympathy for Sengoku. Otherwise, the cost of repairing the Training Ground alone would have given Sengoku a headache.

Atlas took a deep breath and sheathed the Sandai Kitetsu. Dense Armament Haki spread rapidly over her body, turning her chest, shoulders, back, legs, and arms black and red. Two dark lines traced from the corners of her eyes down to her neck. Her presence grew both razor-sharp and weighty.

"Come on!"

Atlas shouted and eased one foot back. Power surged from her core, the muscles of her back shifting like mice beneath her skin. Her fists swelled, flushed red.

Iron Body Fist: Martial God Arm: Smash!

With powerful Observation Haki guiding her, Atlas sent a blizzard of punches into every falling volcanic bomb.

Akainu's volcanic bombs packed a punch. Beyond the force of an eruption, they sent a fierce burning sensation through Atlas's fists. Even her current Armament Haki could not completely shut out the magma's heat.

Whoosh!

While Atlas focused on the bombs filling the sky, Akainu closed in fast. His speed was every bit as terrifying as his strength.

He had truly woven the Magma-Magma Fruit into his Hand-to-Hand Combat. Every punch, every strike of his body, carried some measure of an eruption's dreadful force.

"Speed is power! Have you... ever been kicked by me?"

Atlas made a snap decision. She abandoned the few remaining volcanic bombs and kicked at the charging Akainu.

Her legs were now the strongest part of her body. The Ox Talisman had already made her muscles extraordinarily dense, and the Rabbit Talisman had transformed her lower body further.

Her build differed from that of most powerful fighters in the pirate world. Even Garp had a tremendously strong torso but comparatively weaker legs. Atlas was far more balanced, with even greater power in her lower body.

Boom!

Fist met leg. Atlas slid back only one step.

Bang! Bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang!

They clashed several more times, and Atlas began to struggle. Her Armament Haki absorbed some of the punishment, but she had to admit that Akainu's was far stronger than hers.

At thirty-eight, Akainu was in his prime and still improving. He had trained for far longer than Atlas. She had awakened Armament Haki only recently; holding her own against him for this long was already impressive.

Atlas knew exactly where she fell short: she lacked a truly devastating attack, or the kind of wide-area destruction a Logia could unleash.

"Iron Body Fist: Martial God Arm: Hundred Pierces!"

Atlas suddenly stepped back, turned sideways, twisted her hips, and punched. A strange penetrating force surged from her fist.

Bang!

Their Armament Haki-coated fists collided head-on.

Akainu felt Atlas's force pass straight through his Armament Haki and strike his body, like a bare fist hitting steel.

Atlas staggered backward, leaving a string of deep footprints in the solid Training Ground. The sleeve on her arm tore away...

Awarding the Rank

"Not bad." Akainu shook out his fist and nodded approvingly. He had praised Atlas so many times that he had lost count. His subordinates would have been astonished; the normally stern vice admiral rarely praised anyone so freely.

"Hell Hound!"

Akainu's attacks were always explosive and sudden. Both his arms turned to magma and shot forward.

Atlas did not dare take this lightly. In the original anime, that move had blown away half of an elderly Whitebeard's face. Akainu might not yet be as strong as he would be a decade or more later, but the attack was still fearsome.

Tekkai: Martial God Arm: Cross Hunt!

Atlas crossed her arms before her. Using Life Return, she rapidly enlarged them, drawing the Armament Haki from the rest of her body and compressing it around her arms until it was almost solid. The black and red grew vivid and eerie. Her arms, now like those of the Giant Tribe, shielded nearly her entire body.

Bang!

Scorching magma struck Atlas's black-and-red arms. Molten rock splashed outward, tearing up the ground as thick smoke rose.

The tremendous impact nearly broke Atlas's stance. She was sent flying backward.

"Hey, hey! That's enough, Vice Admiral Akainu!"

Seeing that Akainu seemed to be preparing another move, Atlas hurried to stop him.