Navy Vice Admiral / Fisher Tiger ...

Marine Vice Admiral

"Th-this has to be a joke, right?!"

"Is this Rear Admiral Atlas's strength? He pushed a warship with his bare hands!"

"Hey, we're at sea! He had nothing to brace against! That's even crazier than pushing a warship!"

"Sure, ours is only a medium-sized warship, but that was still ridiculous!"

With Atlas pushing it, the warship soon cleared the center of the storm. The Marines escaped being lost at sea, but they were still stunned by what he had done.

"All right, stop standing around gawking. Back to work!"

Tokikake dispersed the crowd. He looked at Atlas, who seemed completely at ease, forced a smile onto his homely face, and punched him lightly in the chest. "Impressive, Kanos! I can't keep up with you anymore. No wonder Teacher Zephyr calls you a monster among monsters!"

"Don't sell yourself short, Tokikake. I just have a few more flashy tricks."

Even that feat fell short of Whitebeard stopping the Moby Dick with one hand during the Paramount War more than a decade later. The Moby Dick was far larger than this standard-issue warship, and bringing it to a dead stop while it charged forward was far more shocking.

Oddly enough, Charlotte Oven, whom Atlas had killed earlier, had once tried the same one-handed ship-stopping stunt. Whether he had seen a broadcast of the Paramount War was anyone's guess. His attempt to show off had failed, and the ship had rolled right over him.

"All right, enough with the mutual modesty. Keep an eye on the warship. Let's hope we reach Marineford soon."

"It's been so long. I'm finally back in Marineford..."

Atlas gazed at the towering, imposing structure as white-capped waves beat tirelessly against the crescent-shaped harbor. Thinking back on his time in the New World, he felt as though everything had changed. Compared with when he had first gone there, both his physique and his Haki had grown by leaps and bounds.

As soon as the warship docked, the Marine on duty came over. To Atlas's surprise, he was an old acquaintance.

"Rear Admiral Gion, Rear Admiral Tokikake, Rear Admiral Atlas. Did headquarters recall you from the New World?"

Haze felt a little embarrassed. He had personally shown Atlas around the Recruit Camp years ago. After all this time, Haze was still a colonel at headquarters, while Atlas was already a rear admiral. For all he knew, Atlas would become a vice admiral next.

Rear admiral was only one rank above colonel, but the gulf between commissioned officers and flag officers was enormous. Even a rear admiral counted among the Marine leadership, and the achievements needed to make that leap were almost unimaginable.

"Colonel Haze, it's been a while. How have you been?"

Atlas remembered Haze and greeted him politely.

"Not bad, not bad. Are you back in Marineford to receive promotions?"

"Probably. Things are fairly stable in the New World now, so they called us back."

"I'm jealous. Atlas, you're about to become the youngest vice admiral in Marine history..." Haze made no attempt to hide his envy, but he felt no jealousy. He had long since outgrown the age when he thought himself extraordinary. He knew some people simply stood above others.

"We'd better get going. We have to report to Admiral Sengoku. I'll buy you a drink sometime!"

Atlas waved to Haze and followed Gion and Tokikake toward Sengoku's office.

Knock, knock... Knock, knock, knock!

"Come in!"

The three filed in, and Atlas instinctively looked around.

The layout was unchanged. Atlas had only visited Sengoku's office a few times, but he vividly remembered the calligraphy reading "Justice Reigns Supreme" hanging overhead—and the Goat constantly chewing on documents.

"You're finally back. Is the situation in the New World stable?"

Sengoku still wore his frog-shaped glasses and braided beard, but he seemed positively radiant. He had meticulously planned the campaign in the New World, and its success had raised his standing among the Marines. Surely the Five Elders would not hold up his appointment as Fleet Admiral much longer.

"Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp and the others are holding the New World. There shouldn't be any major problems. We've fully consolidated the territory we took, and construction of the Marine Bases is mostly complete."

Gion delivered the report. Of the three, she had the most seniority. Tokikake? Well, Gion was easier on the eyes.

"Good. Stay at Marine Headquarters for now. Your promotion ceremony will be held in a few days. Tsuru should be back soon too. We'll rotate personnel into the New World, and you'll receive your new orders in a few days."

Sengoku briefly explained the Marines' upcoming moves and the three officers' reassignment.

They had expected it, but hearing Sengoku confirm their promotions still gave them a thrill. Sengoku was currently the Marines' only Admiral, while Kong had long since stopped handling day-to-day Marine affairs. That put the three of them just one rank below the top.

Of course, Akainu and the other two were also vice admirals, but they had code names. (Onigumo and Momonga probably didn't; were those even their real names?) More precisely, the three were Admiral Candidates. That was not an official rank, but it placed them above ordinary vice admirals.

"Atlas, stay a moment. You two may go."

Sengoku slipped the document he had just finished reading into the Goat's mouth, then addressed Tokikake and Gion.

They turned and left without delay.

Click!

Once the door had closed behind them, Sengoku turned and stared straight at Atlas.

"Admiral Sengoku, please just tell me what's on your mind."

Atlas could not stand that strange look any longer. It made him feel like a scoundrel who had loved someone and then abandoned them.

"Ahem! I kept you here to discuss where you'll be stationed. Gion will probably serve aboard Tsuru's ship, and Tokikake will remain at headquarters. As for you..."

Fisher Tiger

Sea Circle Calendar, year 1507. Atop the Red Line stood the holy land of Mary Geoise.

It was the seat of the Five Elders, the World Government's highest authorities, and home to the most privileged people in the world. They possessed the world and the right to enslave it. Yet those so-called descendants of the Twenty Kings, those so-called Celestial Dragons, were nothing but fools and trash.

Mary Geoise was a holy land coveted by all. Everywhere the eye fell, lavish palaces gleamed with gold, and every attendant passing through was beautiful. It looked like a dream made real.

But beneath those magnificent palaces lay mountains of bones, filth, and more crimes than anyone could count.

Night fell, and the lamps came on.

The rows of palaces grew more mysterious and beautiful. Through shadowed alleys, groups of slaves were herded along by guards cracking whips. They were shoved like livestock, and anyone who lagged was beaten until they forced themselves up, however badly wounded.

Blood streamed from their wounds. Their vacant eyes seemed beyond pain. As for their fate—hah. The Celestial Dragons would never waste medicine on a slave.

In this holy land above the clouds, slaves were the cheapest of commodities. Commodities, not people. To the Celestial Dragons, they were a different species from everyone else. They were gods, descendants of the creators of the world, born to enslave all things!

The slaves were driven into a dim dungeon and huddled together in the cramped space. Dinner was a little cold leftover food, barely enough to keep them alive through their grueling labor. They had no right to complain.

As for praying for a savior? Perhaps they had entertained that fantasy during their first few years...

At the same time, three girls sat together in another dim cell. Unlike the others, it was not crowded. A hard-looking bun lay between them, and the flies that kept landing on it said plenty about its quality.

All three stomachs growled. They swallowed repeatedly, their hunger plain despite the bun's unappetizing appearance.

"Big sister, you eat it. We... we aren't that hungry."

The three girls were sisters. The younger one forced herself to stop swallowing and looked at their eldest sister.

Following her gaze, one saw a girl with long black hair. Even the grime covering her face could not hide her delicate beauty, and an intangible, irresistible allure seemed to surround her.

At her sister's offer, the eldest frowned. Her lips parted, and her voice rang out as sweetly as a songbird's.

"Marigold, what are you saying? I... I already ate."

Grrr...

No sooner had she spoken than three stomachs rumbled through the cell.

The sisters exchanged embarrassed looks, then burst into laughter through their tears.

"How about... we share it?"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sky was unusually oppressive that day. Clouds blotted it out, casting the sea into darkness. An occasional flash of lightning brought a moment's light, as though trying to break the gloom...

Suddenly, a red, webbed hand gripped the edge of the towering Red Line.

Boom!

Another thunderclap rang out. For an instant, white light illuminated the owner of the webbed hand: a sea bream Fish-Man!

Marineford, the Admiral's office.

"Headquarters has decided to station you in the Sabaody Archipelago. Normally, we'd assign a rear admiral there."

Atlas looked at Sengoku in confusion, searching his face for an explanation.

Sengoku did not keep him waiting. "The Sabaody Archipelago is essentially the only route pirates can take into the New World. Your job is to stop the vast majority of them at its gates and keep fresh recruits from reaching the Whitebeard Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates, or the Beasts Pirates!"

"We've weakened the Three Great Pirate Crews in the New World, but if pirates keep pouring in, most of our work will be undone—especially with those so-called Supernovas among them!"

Atlas had to admire Sengoku's cunning. He truly deserved his reputation as the Marines' great strategist.

It was a plan to starve the crews of recruits. The three dominant pirate crews of the New World fought not only the Marines but also one another. Without fresh blood, even crews that large might eventually be reduced to their captains alone.

Whitebeard and Kaido were both eager to bring other pirate crews into their ranks. Even Big Mom, brutal as she seemed, welcomed them in her own way.

Whitebeard liked to beat opponents until they respected him, then left joining up to them; his greatest draw was his charisma. Big Mom had a simpler method: marriage. If she wanted someone, she married one of her daughters off to him. A cold-blooded tyrant, she put her faith in family ties. No wonder her daughters later gave their hearts entirely to their husbands once married, even if it meant betraying the mother they feared most.

Kaido's method was simpler still. One swing of his club. Still refused? Off to the mines. Still refused? Keep digging until you changed your mind. Most people eventually joined the Beasts Pirates. Moria was the exception: because of what happened to his companions, he could never join Kaido.

Moria? Atlas suddenly remembered that he should be escaping Wano Country soon, after digging up its ancestral graves. He would likely have taken a few Famous Swords too. Atlas had long found Sandai Kitetsu awkward to use. Black Blade Shusui would suit him nicely.

Puru-puru... Puru-puru...

Just as Sengoku cleared his throat to begin a lengthy lecture, the Den Den Mushi on his desk rang.

"Hello, Sengoku speaking!"

Sengoku snatched it up, his voice steady as ever.

"This is Saint Nazzaro."

The Five Elders!

The thought flashed through Atlas's mind. Someone who called himself "Saint" and could contact Sengoku directly had to be one of the World Government's highest authorities—the Five Elders.

"What can I do for you?"

Sengoku unconsciously straightened in his chair.

"Mary Geoise has been attacked..."

Prelude

Drip... Drip...

The damp dungeon was steeped in darkness so deep it seemed to swallow everything.

"Stella... Stella..."

A young man in his twenties crouched in a corner of the dim cell, murmuring to himself. His stare was vacant, his face sallow, and his eyes sunken. His clothes hung in tatters from a body so gaunt a breeze might topple him. Only his gray-green hair stood out.

It was dinnertime. Rotten cabbage leaves and buns crawling with flies had been dumped in the middle of the cell. The young man ignored his hunger and repeated the name over and over. Now and then, tears slipped from his reddened eyes.

"Hey! Aren't you eating?"

Another slave in the cell grabbed the food off the floor and stuffed it into his mouth as he questioned the young man in the corner.

"New here?"

A hoarse male voice came from the darkness. A tall man stepped into the faint moonlight filtering through a crack in the wall. He looked nearly forty, and his eyes were calm, without the vacant despair of the other slaves.

"Yeah. I'm Kori. I was only captured recently."

Kori scratched his head awkwardly, then reluctantly offered him the food in his hand.

"Are you hungry? You can have all of this..."

"Hah. I can't stomach that garbage. Keep it."

The burly middle-aged man sneered and waved it away.

"What happened to him? He's so skinny, but he won't eat a thing."

Instead of eating, Kori pointed at the gray-green-haired young man in the corner and asked in confusion.

"Forget him." The burly man glanced at the young man, who was still murmuring to himself, and gave a mocking smile. "His name's Tesoro. He came in five years ago—no, six. When he first arrived, he spent every day shouting that he had to find a woman named Stella."

"Want to guess how that turned out?"

The man posed the question to Kori with a cruel grin.

"I don't know. She must have died. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up like this."