Watching Roger's Execution at the Start

A muffled thud rang out. Akainu's Armament Haki punched straight through Kaido's defenses and struck his eyeball. Even a Mythical Zoan's formidable toughness couldn't protect something so fragile. Pain stung Kaido's eye, his right eye went black, and he nearly lost his balance and fell into the sea!

"You damned Marine!"

Furious, Kaido shifted into his hybrid form. His Azure Dragon Form was powerful and let him fly, but its enormous size made him an easy target for opponents of his caliber.

"Thunder Bagua!"

Kaido drew the spiked club he carried. Fierce lightning instantly wrapped around it, and he swung it so fast it barely left an afterimage.

"Hell Hound!"

Akainu's molten arms shot forward and slammed into Kaido's club!

BZZZT!

A violent shock wave spread outward from the point of impact!

"Akainu! Come on! Kill me! Hahahaha!"

Kaido bared his teeth in a wild grin and taunted Akainu.

"Hmph! Filthy pirate!"

Akainu refused to back down. He raised his fists and attacked again. Both men were monsters among monsters, but Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Azure Dragon Form was practically a bug in this world. He wouldn't even drown if he fell into the sea! Worse, his hide was absurdly tough. Akainu had the worse end of this fight.

Meanwhile, Atlas had steered the warship clear of their battlefield. He quietly used Geppo to circle behind Kaido...

Iron Body Fist: Armament: Chaos Unleashed ### "Iron Body Fist: Armament: Chaos!"

Atlas had already shifted into his two-meter combat form. Dense Armament Haki covered his body, and mysterious patterns wound across his skin. As his mastery of Life Return and Haki deepened, he had developed this form to an impressive degree.

A storm of fists flew toward Kaido's back. Kaido didn't care. His Observation Haki had already spotted Atlas behind him, but compared with Akainu's attacks, those punches would barely tickle.

Thud, thud, thud!

Atlas's Haki-coated fists hammered Kaido's back in a rapid series of dull impacts.

"Brat! Nice massage! You've loosened me right up! Hahahaha!"

Kaido turned and gave Atlas a savage, mocking grin.

"Is that so?"

Atlas curled his lip, drew Sandai Kitetsu, and coated it in Armament Haki.

One Sword Style: Martial God Arm: Dragon-Slaying!

Two slashes crossed into an X and hurtled toward Kaido. Akainu didn't waste the opening. He sent a Hell Hound straight for Kaido's face.

Kaido was as reckless as ever, but he had no intention of taking Hell Hound to the face. He might not make a living off his looks, but he didn't want to be disfigured. He ignored Atlas's slashes and focused on Akainu.

Slash!

The huge blood-red slashes cut through Kaido's dense scales and left two shallow lines of blood. They vanished almost at once. It seemed his defenses had yet to reach the terrifying level they would attain more than a decade later. After all, this was a living shield so tough that the Fifth Emperor, going all out, could barely sober him up!

"You damned ant!"

Atlas's attack had done little damage, but Kaido, an overlord of the New World, had just been wounded by a Marine brat. For a man who prized his reputation, that was infuriating.

Kaido twisted around and swung his club at Atlas. The force behind it was immense, its speed so terrifying it seemed ready to burst the air apart!

"Whoa, whoa! Isn't that a bit much?!"

Atlas gripped Sandai Kitetsu with both hands and held it across his body in a defensive stance.

BANG!

Sandai Kitetsu blocked Kaido's massive fist. Veins bulged on Atlas's neck as he clenched his teeth, but he still flew backward!

After that blow, Kaido looked toward the airborne Atlas, ready to follow up. Akainu gave him no chance. A giant magma fist thundered toward Kaido, its rising heat nearly boiling the air.

BAM!

Kaido had no choice but to coat himself in Armament Haki and take Akainu's punch with his body. At the same time, his head transformed into a massive dragon's head. He opened his jaws and blasted out several streams of Bolo Breath.

HISSS!

Akainu turned elemental. Bolo Breath clashed fiercely with magma, and flames and molten rock rained into the sea, heating the surrounding waters.

Whoosh!

Atlas, whom Kaido had sent flying, raced back from the distance. A battle at this level could do wonders for his growth. When else would he get a chance like this, with one top-tier fighter tying down another? All Atlas had to do was harass Kaido now and then.

"Kaido!!"

Life Return: War God Body!

Atlas's body swelled in midair. He shot upward into a five-meter-tall giant, the patterns on his face growing clearer as power surged through him, almost too much to contain.

"Wahahaha! What an interesting brat!"

Kaido turned at the sound of Atlas's voice. The drastic change in his appearance made Kaido pause before he burst into laughter.

"Marine brat, why not work for me? I'll save the Drought position for you! Hahahaha!"

"Tempting. Unfortunately, I refuse!"

"Ah, what a shame. Then I'll just have to... kill you!"

Thunder Bagua!

Wind and thunder roared as savage lightning wrapped around the club. The pressure rolling off it warned Atlas just how devastating this strike would be!

BANG!

Fist met club. For an instant, Atlas held his ground against Kaido's Thunder Bagua. Then the force hurled him away. He felt like a cannonball, flying toward the distant sea in an almost perfect arc.

Of course, that left Kaido open to a righteous strike from behind courtesy of Akainu. Akainu had never worried about fighting pirates fairly. If a tactic brought victory, there was nothing underhanded about it.

Kaido might look bold, spending every day either seeking death or on his way to seek it, but that was because he knew no one could kill him. If they could, he would run faster than anyone. Kozuki Oden was proof enough.

"What an annoying little pest!"

Kaido grew irritated. Akainu kept him occupied while the Marine brat stuck to him like glue. No matter how hard he hit the brat, he wouldn't stay down, and Akainu kept seizing the chance to land more punches.

"Gundari: Ryuseigun!"

Kaido suddenly rose into the air, spinning his huge club at high speed. Conqueror's Haki wrapped around it, black-and-red lightning flashing as he brought the blow down on Akainu from above.

"Dog Biting Crimson Lotus!"

A ferocious magma dog's head appeared in an instant. It opened jaws like the mouth of an abyss and lunged at Kaido's club. Mist burst outward from the two combatants, as though fleeing something dreadful.

BOOM!!

The thunderous impact carried far and wide. Even Atlas, still recovering in the distance from Kaido's Thunder Bagua, was shaken by its sheer force.

BAM, BAM, BAM!!

The sounds of brutal hand-to-hand combat rang out. Akainu and Kaido abandoned their Devil Fruit abilities and fought body against body, trading solid blows. The two physical monsters battled in the air for a full day and night. Atlas joined in from time to time to land a few hits on Kaido, only to be knocked away by his club each time.

But with the power of three Talismans behind him, Atlas came back as if nothing had happened and kept hammering Kaido. At first, Kaido had been astonished by the Marine brat's terrifying recovery and stamina. By now, he was numb to it.

As Atlas continued trading blows with Kaido, he felt his physique improving rapidly, along with his assimilation of the Rabbit Talisman. He was like a sponge, soaking up everything and expanding without pause. Best of all—

He could now project his Armament Haki beyond his body!

Flight in Defeat ### Bam, bam!

Slash!

Mist shrouded the sea, lending everything an air of mystery. A towering, hulking figure fought against two others, one large and one small.

Scorch marks covered Kaido's body, and purple lightning coiled around him. His massive dragon head spat Bolo Breath from time to time. Hassaikai was coated in Armament Haki and bolstered by Conqueror's Haki; every swing carried terrifying force. Anyone with a weak will would have foamed at the mouth from the pressure alone and fallen headfirst into the sea.

Akainu and Atlas boxed Kaido in from front and back. Both of Akainu's arms remained transformed into giant masses of magma, as though his body held explosive power ready to erupt. Every so often, he drove another Hell Hound at Kaido.

Atlas, meanwhile, was covered head to toe in Armament Haki and had shrunk back to roughly two meters tall. His Haki had grown deeper and denser. The black markings at the corners of his eyes curled toward his forehead, and his arms had swollen to an uncanny size. His punches came so fast they struck sparks from the air.

Fed up with Atlas's harassment, Kaido roared and spun to swing his club. It struck only an afterimage. Atlas's two-meter frame moved at incredible speed, darting and twisting through the air with remarkable agility.

Atlas had every nerve stretched taut, his Observation Haki pushed to its limit. Even with Akainu occupying Kaido, he didn't dare let his guard down against the man's fondness for swinging Hassaikai.

Kaido still seemed somewhat unpracticed at coating his attacks in Conqueror's Haki, but the occasional hit was enough to leave Atlas's head spinning.

"Hell Hound!"

Another Hell Hound struck Kaido's chest, tearing flesh and skin apart. The wound began healing visibly almost at once. That scene had played out countless times over the past day and night. Zoan Awakening already granted terrifying resilience, and Kaido's Fish-Fish Fruit was an even stronger Mythical Zoan Awakening.

What drove Kaido mad was Atlas. The man seemed like an awakened Zoan user himself, with monstrous healing and stamina that had no apparent limit.

"Brat! I'll give you one more chance. Become my subordinate!"

Kaido was practically a model of someone who valued talent in this world. Whenever he spotted a promising fighter, he tried to recruit them. What, they refused? One Thunder Bagua would knock them out, and off they went to the mines.

"Kaido!! You think you're worthy? I'm going to become the World's Strongest man!"

Atlas met Kaido's gaze without flinching. A mighty presence surged from him and shot toward the heavens!

"Whitebeard?"

Kaido froze, then broke into a broad grin. "Hahahaha! Now that... is some powerful spirit!"

"Great Eruption!"

A giant magma fist surged toward Kaido once more, its heat almost warping the air. A wave of heat struck his face. Not daring to take it lightly, Kaido swept Hassaikai across his body.

"Vajra Arrow!"

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

The violent impact drove both men back!

As soon as Kaido steadied himself, Atlas's fist landed squarely against him. Before it fully touched Kaido, a blood-red burst of Haki erupted from it. Kaido lost his balance and nearly fell into the sea.

Falling in wouldn't drown him like other Devil Fruit users, but he would barely be able to move his limbs on the seafloor. Fighting would be impossible.

"Not enough, brat! You think a punch like that will knock Whitebeard off the World's Strongest throne?"

Kaido wasn't afraid of Whitebeard, but Whitebeard currently had the power to truly kill him. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit's destructive might was something Kaido feared. Of course, escaping Whitebeard would be easy enough.

Soon, Akainu and Kaido were locked in combat again. Battles between the world's strongest fighters came down to who could outlast whom. Akainu and Kaido might differ in strength, but neither could defeat the other in an instant. The gap between them was simply too small.

Huff, huff, huff...

After several hundred more exchanges, Kaido and Akainu were gradually showing signs of strain, though neither was anywhere near exhaustion. Repeatedly unleashing their strongest attacks drained stamina fast, but both were seasoned fighters who knew how to pace themselves.

What surprised them was how relaxed Atlas still looked. He might not have been the main fighter, but he had taken countless hits from Kaido throughout the battle. His stamina expenditure should have been no less than theirs. It was strange enough that his presence kept growing stronger. If he had barely used any stamina, that was downright frightening.

"Fist Bone Meteor!"

Suddenly, a massive cannonball came flying up from below the three of them. Its target was Kaido, standing in midair!

"Garp?!"

Kaido was startled. He hadn't expected Garp to arrive as backup. Akainu's soldiers had probably called him for help through a Den Den Mushi. Kaido transformed into his enormous Azure Dragon Form, riding the clouds on four claws. He blasted Bolo Breath downward, then soared into the sky and vanished into the clouds.

Kaido knew exactly when to leave. If Garp joined the battle, the fight would become hopelessly one-sided, and he might actually end up in Marine hands. This was a crucial period in the struggle for control of the New World. Being captured now would be disastrous. By the time he escaped, someone might have taken his territory.

Akainu and Atlas made no attempt to stop him. Once Kaido took his Azure Dragon Form and decided to flee, no one could hold him back.

"Hahahaha! Atlas, you brat! I haven't seen you in a few years, and you've gotten this strong?"

After Akainu and Atlas descended onto Garp's ship using Geppo, Garp strode over and slapped Atlas's shoulder again and again. He kept chewing on a Donut, smearing grease from his hand across Atlas's tattered coat of justice.

"Heh, you flatter me, Vice Admiral Garp. I only lasted this long thanks to Vice Admiral Akainu."

Beside him, the wounded Akainu's mouth twitched.

With so many outsiders present, Atlas gave Garp the courtesy of addressing him as "Vice Admiral Garp." At the same time, he quietly shifted aside to avoid Garp's greasy hand.

"Sakazuki! Let's return to G-5 Base and discuss this battle. Oh, Tsuru is there too!"

Garp turned to Akainu as he spoke.

Garp was now the commander of G-5 Base and, in effect, the overall commander of this New World operation. Of course, he was only responsible for fighting. Vice Admiral Tsuru handled the thinking.

A Clash of Wills! Conqueror's Haki Awakens