Watching Roger's Execution in the World of One Piece

"Hahahaha! Brat, you'll never break through my defenses!"

Jozu slowly climbed to his feet, taunting Atlas, who stood before him bare-chested, black-and-red Armament Haki covering her entire body.

Atlas was at a loss for words. With the Ox Talisman boosting her strength, she was stronger than Jozu, but he was like a rock in a latrine—stubborn and impossible to crack. She simply couldn't break through his diamond defenses.

"Oh, really?"

Atlas shaped both hands into pistols, a mocking smile tugging at her lips as firelight flared at her fingertips.

"Flying Finger Pistol: Explosion!"

Under Jozu's horrified gaze, a powerful burst of energy shot from Atlas's fingertips and slammed into his glittering diamond body!

"Pfft!"

Jozu tasted blood. He flew backward, crimson filling his dry mouth as the diamonds covering his body fractured, countless cracks spreading across their surface.

"Hey, hey, hey! What the hell was that?! Did Kizaru possess you or something?"

Jozu was baffled. They'd been having a perfectly good fistfight, and then she'd pulled that on him out of nowhere. Jozu, who considered himself an honest man, felt cheated.

In the distance, Whitebeard's Murakumogiri collided with Garp's iron fist once more. Terrifying shockwaves erupted again and again, raising enormous waves and tossing countless fish and shrimp into the air.

"Could a Finger Pistol really be that powerful?"

Even while fighting Whitebeard, Garp had noticed Atlas's move. Seeing the terrifying explosive force, he began to wonder whether he'd ever truly mastered the Finger Pistol.

"Gurararara... So she's been hiding that she's a Devil Fruit User!"

The sight of Jozu convinced Whitebeard that Atlas had to be a Devil Fruit User. How could physical techniques alone cause damage like that?

"Hahahaha, Whitebeard, looks like your division commander isn't up to much!"

"She's an impressive brat! Too bad she won't become my daughter!" Whitebeard laughed. "Jozu, get Thatch to help you teach that brat a lesson!"

"No need, Pops! I was just careless! I won't lose again!" Jozu felt humiliated. He'd been caught out by a brat twice in a row.

"We'll see about that, Jozu!"

For a moment, Atlas might as well have been possessed by Kizaru. She curled her lips into a smile, laying the mockery on thick.

"Navy brat! Quit running your mouth!"

"Oh, really? Eight-Span Tracing Jewels... Ah, sorry, wrong move! Flying Finger Pistol: Explosion!"

Atlas sprang into the air and aimed her finger pistols. Countless bursts of blazing fire shot toward Jozu.

The Dragon Talisman was incredibly useful. Its power resembled Kizaru's Glint-Glint Fruit, except it fired explosive flames rather than lasers, giving Atlas a wide-area attack. She had only recently activated it, but its power was already formidable.

Breaking through Jozu's defenses had been a fluke, though. He hadn't expected Atlas to spring that attack on him, and his Armament Haki hadn't covered him completely. She'd caught him off guard.

"You think I'm afraid of you, Navy brat?"

Jozu talked tough while layering on his diamond defenses, then hardened himself with Armament Haki. Only then did he relax.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions rang out around Jozu. In the end, he chose not to take them head-on. He used Observation Haki to dodge most of the flaming blasts and relied on his formidable defenses to withstand the rest.

"My, how scary you are, Jozu!" Atlas mocked him in Kizaru's tone.

A vein throbbed on Jozu's forehead. He could barely hold back his anger. He wanted nothing more than to punch that infuriating grin off her face.

"Brat! I've had enough of you! Die!"

Looking thoroughly fed up, Jozu turned half his body to diamond and charged Atlas like a tiger descending a mountain, shouting threats as he came. Kizaru's gift for getting under people's skin really was unmatched!

Kizaru lounged in an office chair, dressed in a yellow-and-white striped suit. He studied his fingernails intently, nail clippers in hand, occasionally glancing up at the clock on the wall.

"Achoo!"

Kizaru suddenly sneezed. Rubbing his itchy nose, he muttered, "Honestly, who's thinking about me now? How frightening..."

"Come on, then! Have a taste of my iron fist!"

Atlas grinned fiercely at the oncoming Jozu. She raised an Armament Haki-hardened fist and met his charge head-on!

Bang!

Another violent explosion burst from Atlas's hand. The sheer strength of the blow, its explosive force, and the impact of their collision nearly overwhelmed Jozu. His diamond body was scorched black, and Atlas's fist had left a clear imprint on his broad right arm.

Fortunately, Jozu's Armament Haki was well trained. His defenses held, with only a few cracks appearing on the surface. His Devil Fruit power restored it to its original state in an instant.

Jozu grew frustrated. The Navy brat's Devil Fruit power was clearly well developed if she could do so much damage to his diamond body. Without Armament Haki to resist that terrifying explosive force, anyone would have been in trouble.

"Hey, Thatch! Get over here and help keep this Marine occupied!"

In the end, Jozu had to eat his words. Wary of Atlas's explosive power, he called on his fellow division commander for help.

Thatch was tending to Blackbeard nearby. When he heard Jozu's call, he hesitated, gave Blackbeard a quick instruction, then hurried over.

The Whitebeard Pirates didn't rank their divisions by strength, but Thatch was considerably weaker than Jozu.

"Hey, Navy brat! Don't underestimate the Whitebeard Pirates' division commanders!"

Thatch was a cook aboard Whitebeard's ship. He wielded two swords, though whether he was a true Two-Sword Style swordsman was another matter. He had a pompadour, wore a pure-white cook's uniform, and wasn't particularly tall or broad.

"Thatch, I'll keep her busy. Wait for an opening and cut her down!"

After giving Thatch his instructions, Jozu lunged into another brawl with Atlas. His estimation of her rose yet again. Her defenses might not match his, but her attacks, strength, and physical endurance all seemed to surpass his!

The Battle Ends

Jozu threw everything he had into teaching Atlas a lesson. His massive diamond body loomed over her as he moved to pull her into a rather "warm" embrace.

Atlas had no interest in that. She ducked low, hardened her head with Armament Haki, and readied the Dragon Talisman.

"Iron Body: Armament: Explosion!"

Take this, damn you! Her Armament Haki-hardened head slammed straight into Jozu's abdomen. The powerful blast made him grimace, but he endured the pain and forced himself to pin Atlas in place!

Thatch saw his chance. Knowing it wouldn't come again, he raised both swords and slashed at Atlas!

"Iron Body: Armament: Steel!"

Atlas wasn't about to take sharp blades on bare flesh. The Horse Talisman might heal her, but it couldn't spare her the pain.

Clang!

Steel rang out, and sparks danced along Thatch's blades!

"Well? Am I hard enough for you?" Atlas grinned at the stunned Thatch. "Explosion!"

Boom!

A burst of blazing fire struck Thatch. The impact nearly knocked him unconscious and left him unable to fight, with severe burns across much of his body.

"Thatch!"

Jozu cried out in shock and anger. The muscles in his arms bulged as he tried to crush Atlas in his grip, but he still hadn't grasped how far apart they were in raw strength.

A moment later, Atlas broke free, stepped back, turned, and threw a punch in one fluid motion. Her explosive fist slammed squarely into Jozu's face, sending him flying into the distance like a kite...

Bang!

Another heavy impact kicked up a cloud of dust. Blood ran from the corner of Jozu's mouth, and shattered diamond fragments clung to one side of his face. He looked miserable.

"Commodore Atlas really is the Navy's rising star! What strength..."

"Hey, so what if they're the Whitebeard Pirates? Commodore Atlas has our backs..."

"Looks like the Navy has another genius after those three monsters..."

"Pirates! Have you seen the Navy's justice now?"

The sight sent the Marines' morale soaring, and they broke into excited chatter. The Whitebeard Pirates, meanwhile, struggled to believe what they'd seen.

Those were two division commanders. Atlas had nearly taken Thatch out in a single blow, and "Diamond" Jozu was in a class of his own.

He'd sailed the seas with Pops since he was young, yet this young Marine had beaten him into such a sorry state.

"What terrifying progress..."

Sakazuki had also noticed Atlas's fight from a distance. Having fought her not long ago, he knew better than most how strong she had been.

Back at headquarters, Atlas had been only somewhat stronger than an ordinary Vice Admiral.

Now she could match an elite Vice Admiral from headquarters, perhaps even surpass one. Akainu was particularly puzzled by those explosive flames of hers.

He wasn't sure whether Atlas was a Devil Fruit User or perhaps not entirely human. But the Navy didn't pry into its soldiers' secrets, and Akainu had no intention of digging too deeply. As long as she upheld justice, nothing else mattered to him.

"Gurararara... Let's call it here, Garp!" Whitebeard could see that his side was beginning to lose ground.

The fight between Akainu, Marco, and Vista had been fierce. The two of them had given the magma-wielding brat plenty of trouble: one tied him up at close range while the other harried him from a distance.

Vista hadn't reached the level of a supreme swordsman, but his swordsmanship was already at the top tier. With Marco and his ability to take punishment alongside him, Akainu felt as though every Hell Hound he threw was striking empty air.

"Hahahaha, Whitebeard, you don't get to end a war just because you feel like it!"

Garp wasn't a fool. Atlas had changed the balance of the battle, giving them the perfect opportunity to strike at the Whitebeard Pirates. Their goal today had been to weaken the crew. Why would they withdraw now?

"Gurararara... Then I have no choice!"

At Garp's answer, Whitebeard immediately pulled back. As Garp wondered what he was planning, Whitebeard straightened and raised his bent right arm high. A sphere of white light formed around his fist.

"Seaquake!"

The air cracked like a smooth mirror, countless fractures spreading across it. A terrifying tremor traveled downward, and a wave a hundred meters taller than the last came roaring toward the Marines!

"Gurararara... You don't want every Marine here wiped out, do you, Garp?"

It was the only way Whitebeard could force the fighting to stop. He wouldn't let his beloved sons suffer losses here.

"Damn it! Sakazuki, stop that wave!"

Garp had no choice but to call Akainu away from the fight. Akainu was reluctant. In his eyes, if the soldiers' deaths weakened the Whitebeard Pirates, they would have given their lives for justice.

But Garp was the commander of this battle, and Akainu couldn't disobey an order from his superior.

"What terrifying power..." Blackbeard, hidden among the crowd, stared with envy. Greed crept into his eyes.

"Of course! Pops's power is a natural disaster!" Thatch said proudly. He failed to notice Blackbeard's expression, keeping a straight face even though speaking tugged at the injuries Atlas had just inflicted.

Before long, Garp led the Marines back to the G-5 base. They hadn't dealt the Whitebeard Pirates any serious damage, but they hadn't expected to achieve their goal in a single battle. After all... there was plenty of time.

Aboard the Moby Dick.

"Gurararara! Marco, let's have a banquet!"

Whitebeard laughed as though they'd won a great victory, having just come away from the Navy in one piece.

"Pops, you just want an excuse to drink again..."

Marco sighed helplessly. He enjoyed banquets too, but lately his pockets had been emptier than his plate.

"Jozu, are you all right?"

Whitebeard gave a sheepish laugh, then asked after Jozu's injuries. He'd seen the fight. That Navy brat had given Jozu a rough time.

"I'm fine. That Navy brat really is strong, both in physical combat and with her Devil Fruit power." Jozu's face darkened. "No wonder she defeated Crocodile."

"She's the Marine who beat that sand-wielding brat?" Whitebeard asked.

"Yeah. Her name's Kanos Atlas. From what the Marines said, she's a Commodore."

Marco picked up the conversation. He'd been the first among the Whitebeard Pirates to notice her in the newspaper.

Gathering Storm

"Gurararara! The Navy's got some luck. After those three monsters, they've raised another rookie like her!"

Whitebeard looked around at the carefree faces aboard his ship, and worry stirred in him. In recent years, he'd felt his body begin to weaken. He didn't know whether Marco and the others could go on living so freely after he died. He would grow old eventually...

Whitebeard had considered grooming a successor for the Whitebeard Pirates. But Marco was easygoing and lacked the drive to pursue greater strength. He wasn't quite ready to carry the crew after Whitebeard was gone.

"Pops..."