Watching Roger's Execution at the Start

On the Moby Dick.

"Pops, it looks like we were never the Navy's real target. The whole thing was a show. They split the battlefield in two, but their main target was the Pirate Alliance. Hitting us, Kaido's crew, and the Big Mom Pirates was just a bonus."

Marco leaned against the rail, his eyelids drooping as he spoke coldly.

"Gurararara! Linlin must be furious. After all, the Pirate Alliance was after her!"

Whitebeard burst out laughing. He and Linlin had once sailed on the same ship, but they had never been close. He knew she would gladly take a bite out of his territory if the Navy wiped out the Whitebeard Pirates.

Whitebeard knew perfectly well that Linlin had long coveted Fish-Man Island, which was under his protection.

"But this might be a good thing. The seas have reached the balance the World Government wants. At least the Navy probably won't make any major moves for a while."

"Besides, Pops, the whole world recognizes you as an emperor of the sea now!"

"Gurararara! I don't care about being an emperor of the sea. You're what matters!"

Whitebeard picked up a brimming cup, tipped it to his lips, and drained it in one gulp...

Wano Country, Onigashima.

"Boss Kaido, today's paper is out. Morgans from the World Economy News Paper came to pay you a visit, but you were drunk at the time, so he didn't get to see you."

King wore his usual black outfit, wrapped tightly from head to toe.

"An emperor of the sea, huh? Hahahaha! My ambitions don't stop there!"

Kaido snatched the paper, gave it a cursory glance, then broke into laughter that sounded almost like sobbing.

"Right. How's the crackdown on the samurai who followed Oden going?"

"Most have been imprisoned and sent to Udon to mine Seastone. But young master Yamato..."

"Yamato? What has that damn kid done now?"

The mention of Yamato gave Kaido a headache. As his son—no, his daughter—he could put up with all her faults except her constant declarations that she would become that bastard Kozuki Oden and drive out her own father.

Yamato had become obsessed with Oden after witnessing his death at eight years old. Ever since she found that bastard's logbook, her fixation had only grown worse.

If Yamato had been useless, Kaido could have written her off. But she had awakened Conqueror's Haki at eight and recently eaten a Mythical Zoan Fruit by accident. As a Mythical Zoan user himself, he knew exactly how powerful one could be.

Kaido had planned to make his disobedient daughter the shogun and have her govern Wano Country for him. But these days, all she probably thought about was driving him, the invader of Wano Country, out for good...

"Young master Yamato tried to sneak out again while you were away. Bao Huang caught her, and she's being held in Onigashima's prison."

"Damn brat. Leave her there to think about what she's done. And replace her Seastone Handcuffs with a stronger pair."

"Yes!"

North Blue, Donquixote Family headquarters.

"Fuffuffuffuffu! Three emperors of the sea? Things are getting livelier out there..."

A man in a pink feather coat and sunglasses reclined in a wicker chair. He reached a bronze hand toward the sun and clenched his fist, as though he meant to crush all the world's light within it.

"Don't you agree, Rosinante, my dear little brother? Fuffuffuffuffu!"

The pink-feathered man turned toward the man beside him, whose face was painted like a clown's. Arrogance and ambition filled his eyes.

Observation Haki at Its Peak

October, Sea Circle Calendar 1506. Rhone Island, in waters controlled by the Whitebeard Pirates.

It was not a particularly large island by New World standards. A huge skull flag with a white crescent mustache flew from its tallest building, declaring it under Whitebeard's protection. Its residents only had to pay a certain sum each year, far less than the Heavenly Tribute.

In a tavern, Atlas raised a mug of beer and poured the crisp ale down her throat. She was twenty that year, an adult in both body and mind.

Atlas was the only customer in the tavern. It was not because the island was poor. She had made no attempt to hide who she was: she wore a pure white suit and a coat of justice, and a shining star on her epaulet marked her as a Navy Rear Admiral!

Indeed, she had been promoted to Rear Admiral at Navy Headquarters soon after the war in the New World ended.

This was Whitebeard Pirates territory. Even though Whitebeard was generally lenient with the islanders, they did not dare get too friendly with a Navy officer.

On the Moby Dick.

Marco emerged from the cabin with a helpless look. He fixed his drooping, dead-fish eyes on Whitebeard and spread his hands. "Pops, that woman's in our territory again. Why not send Jozu to deal with her this time?"

"Gurararara! Jozu's no match for her, Marco. You can take more of a beating, so off you go!"

Whitebeard knew at once that the Navy brat who kept threatening to challenge him had returned. He could not resist teasing Marco.

As an emperor of the sea, Whitebeard could hardly go deal with Atlas himself, so he could only send a division commander. Marco had stopped being her match a year ago. Only his regenerative flames let him fight the brat to a standstill, and the terrifying speed of her growth surprised even Whitebeard.

Another one like Garp...

"Boss! The bill! Damn it, where's that pineapple head?"

Atlas glanced at the empty beer barrels piled on the table. She did not look drunk in the slightest; her eyes were perfectly clear. She rose and called to the cowering owner, then grumbled in annoyance.

"Hey! Talking about people behind their backs is a nasty habit, you irritating Navy officer!"

The voice came from the tavern entrance.

Atlas turned. A man in a purple jacket stood in the doorway, the Whitebeard Pirates' emblem tattooed on his chest and pineapple-shaped hair atop his head. His face was full of impatience.

"Hey, Marco! You finally made it. I was starting to think the Whitebeard Pirates were on their last legs, with nobody to teach a Navy officer trespassing on your turf a lesson."

Atlas smiled faintly, her tone mocking.

Marco tilted his head back and yawned. "Why are you always looking for trouble? I heard you went to provoke Katakuri of the Big Mom Pirates a while back, and Linlin herself chased you all the way to a Navy base."

Atlas's face darkened at once. "That old hag Linlin fought dirty. She's an emperor of the sea, and she came after me herself!"

Give me a break. Atlas had only dropped by the Totto Land Waters now and then—once, twice, three, four, five, six... times, perhaps. She had mainly wanted a "friendly" spar with Katakuri. If she wanted to leave, no one could stop her, and she might even pick up Future Sight from his Observation Haki. Wasn't that how Luffy learned it?

Who knew Linlin would be so violent? She had chased Atlas with Zeus and Prometheus at her side. Luckily, Atlas had become as hard to kill as a cockroach. She had ended up a little worse for wear, but Linlin could not do much else to her.

"Well, you were asking for it..."

The aggrieved look on Atlas's face only irritated Marco more. Ever since the New World had been reshuffled, she had spent every spare moment making trouble in Whitebeard Pirates and Big Mom Pirates territory. Both crews were practically ready to blacklist her.

Yet her vitality and ability to heal were almost on par with his own, despite his Mythical Zoan being famous for regeneration. If he had not seen her moving freely in the sea several times, Marco would have suspected she had secretly eaten some Zoan Devil Fruit.

"Come on. You don't want the islanders caught up in this either. Let's find an uninhabited island and fight there."

Atlas did not bother explaining. With practiced ease, she motioned for Marco to clear the way and walked straight out of the tavern.

Outside, Atlas stretched. A red gleam flashed in her eyes, and a powerful wave of perception spread outward from her!

Observation Haki!

"Her Observation Haki...!"

Marco's expression shifted. Her perception swept over Rhone Island, then kept expanding across the boundless sea without slowing. He had almost never seen Observation Haki with such a terrifying range.

"Found one!"

A smile touched Atlas's lips. She stepped into the air with Geppo and headed toward a direction where nothing was visible.

"Can Observation Haki really reach this far...?"

Marco stared at the deserted island before him and silently gauged its distance from Rhone Island. He could not stay calm. He had never seen a range of perception like it.

"Marco, don't lose focus. Slip up, and today might be your last day breathing fresh air!"

Atlas could see that Marco was distracted and could not help warning him. She had no interest in fighting an opponent who could not keep his head.

"Big talk, damn Navy officer!"

Marco forced himself to calm down. He knew how ruthless Atlas could be. She might usually wear a grin, but if he lost here today, she would either kill him on the spot or lock him up in Impel Down. Her methods were no less brutal than Akainu's.

"Crane Claw!"

As soon as he spoke, Marco spread wings of blue flame and swiftly shifted into his hybrid form. He dropped from above, driving a kick toward Atlas!

"Left!"

Atlas remained perfectly calm, her Observation Haki locked on Marco. At almost the same instant, she shifted slightly and dodged his kick outright!

Future Sight!!

Shock flashed through Marco. He forced his momentum to a halt, then beat his wings and soared upward. He looked down at Atlas, stopping only once he had put a safe distance between them.

Marco could not have mistaken it. As the Whitebeard Pirates' First Division Commander, he had fought the Big Mom Pirates for years and faced Katakuri many times. He knew what Future Sight looked like. Atlas had begun to dodge before he even launched his attack!

What the Sheep Talisman Could Do

"Azure Flame Goose!"

After only a moment's standoff, Marco struck. Blue flames gathered in his hands, condensing into countless phoenix tail feathers. They joined together in midair to form a flaming fist that hurtled toward Atlas on the ground!

"Fire Fist? I can do that too!"

"Explosive Fist: Armament!"

Flames swiftly wrapped around Atlas's fist, explosive power held in check as Armament Haki flowed over it. She drew back her right leg, twisted her hips, and punched!

Boom!

The two explosive forces collided. Ripples spread through the air like waves across water, and a fierce shockwave crashed into Atlas. But her feet gripped the ground, and she did not budge an inch.

"You're getting scarier by the day..."

As the words left his mouth, Marco suddenly dived. He swept his wings around and whipped a kick straight at Atlas's face.

Unhurried, Atlas raised her right hand. Armament Haki coated it as she placed it in the path of Marco's strike. Their Haki collided head-on.

Clang!

Her Haki has gotten stronger again...

To Marco, it felt like ordinary steel striking steel that had been forged a hundred times. The recoil sent pain through his leg.

When the blow failed, Marco beat his wings and pulled away. He rolled through the air, transformed his left foot into a claw, and used his momentum to drive it toward Atlas's chest!

Crane Claw!

"Iron Body: Armament Cross Hunt!"

Bang!

Marco's Armament-coated claw struck Atlas's crossed forearms. They held against each other for a few seconds before both slid backward.

Atlas retreated only a few steps. Marco slid more than ten meters. The difference was clear!

"Not bad, Marco. Looks like you've gotten stronger lately!"

Atlas was a little surprised, but it made sense. Marco was still growing stronger rapidly. After all the times she had pestered him, it would have been strange if he had made no progress. Besides, people in this world generally seemed to reach their peak in their fifties. Marco had a long way to go.

"Well, I haven't been sitting around doing nothing..."

Marco scratched his head and chuckled.

Atlas and Marco had fought dozens of times over the past six months, so she knew his abilities inside out. The regenerative blue flames granted by his Phoenix Fruit did not burn like ordinary fire; their main purpose was healing. But when used against an enemy, they could burn away that enemy's vitality.

They certainly were not going to heal his opponents. Marco also had the usual Mythical Zoan traits: tough skin and tremendous stamina. Add his flames' terrifying regenerative power, and though his attacks were somewhat limited, he could take one hell of a beating!

That made hand-to-hand combat Marco's main approach. It was rather like Atlas's style before she had obtained the Dragon Talisman: a downright infuriating way to fight.

After several exchanges, both looked somewhat battered, but their breathing remained steady. Neither showed the slightest sign of fatigue.

"Marco... try this!"

As soon as she spoke, Atlas's eyes sharpened. An overwhelming force burst from her body. The surrounding plants buckled beneath it and began to split!

Conqueror's Haki!

In the original story, the only person known to deal physical damage with Conqueror's Haki was Shanks!

Now, with the Sheep Talisman's help, Atlas could achieve the same effect. She had only recently activated it. As she had expected, the talisman's primary function was to strengthen the soul. Its most obvious effects on her were a wider range for her Observation Haki and a boost to her Conqueror's Haki.

After fighting Katakuri, Atlas had already been one step away from mastering Future Sight. The Sheep Talisman had pushed that door open for her.

In the original work, the Sheep Talisman's main ability was to let the soul leave the body. From the memories of Atlas's previous life, she knew that such a feat required a powerful soul—which brought her into the mysterious realm of spiritual power.