Special Training / The Talismans' Mutation

"What! Pirate King Roger is his father! The Pirates who was chased and beaten by my grandfather?"

Luffy's voice rang out once again.

Bang!

"Ouch! That hurts! Why did you hit me again?!"

Luffy cried out in pain, rubbing the large bump on his head with a pitiful expression.

"Second," Atlas ignored Luffy's shouts and instead showed a hint of mockery on his face. He stretched out a finger, and a powerful Explosive Flame shot out, instantly reducing a towering tree in the distance to dust!

"With my strength, would I need so much nonsense to execute you?"

The three little ones didn't answer, they just stared blankly at the oncoming air currents and the billowing dust...

In just a moment... gone!!!?

Sabo was so shocked he was speechless. He didn't even bother to pick up his black top hat, which had been blown over by the blast wave. He just stared wide-eyed at the marine in front of him.

Glug...

Humans... can they really be this strong?

The two of them had been thinking about how to defeat this guy.

Ace didn't refute either. Even though he saw the disdain on Atlas's face, all words seemed so pale and powerless under such power. The vigilance in his eyes gradually faded, and his tense muscles gradually relaxed.

Actions speak louder than words. Even if Atlas had spoken eloquently before, it wouldn't have been as convincing as the demonstration of strength he had shown at this moment. I believe Ace understood this principle as well.

"Wow, you're really strong, uncle!"

Luffy, on the other hand, looked like a curious child, glancing at the explosion site one moment and then turning his head to look at Atlas the next, his little head bobbing back and forth between the two.

"So... do you believe me now, Ace?!"

Atlas smiled again as he looked at Sabo and Ace, who had not yet sworn brotherhood.

P. S. Another chapter posted. It's reasonable for a humble author to ask for a gift, right? (σ≧▽≦)σ

Chapter 137 Special Training

"Hmph! I'll just assume for now that you were sent by old man Garp."

Ace curled his lip, a hint of disdain on his face, but the wariness in his eyes gradually faded.

"You can't say that! You used to call me 'uncle' when you were little, so you can't turn your back on me now!"

Atlas feigned sadness, speaking with an exaggerated expression.

"What nonsense are you spouting, you bastard? Who called you 'uncle'?!"

"What a heartless brat..."

"Pfft~"

Seeing the group that was just moments ago on the verge of conflict now joking around so easily, the stark contrast made Sabo burst out laughing.

"Hmph~"

Ace turned his head away with an arrogant expression, but the unconscious upturn of his lips betrayed his true feelings.

"Hahaha! What an adorable little devil!"

Seeing Ace's arrogant expression, Atlas couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Huh?"

Although he was a little confused as to why everyone was laughing, Luffy, who always considered himself to be a good gregarious person, also burst into laughter.

For a moment, the laughter of the three echoed throughout the entire forest...

Mount Colubo is a vast mountain range that stretches almost across the entire Goa Kingdom, making it a very prominent landmark on the island.

The entire mountain range is covered with tall trees and various types of vegetation. Huge beasts often appear here, and apart from the Mountain Bandits who live here, almost no one sets foot in this place.

At this moment, on a flat area in the Mount Colubo, the area that should have been surrounded by dense forests looked as if it had been violently cleared. Huge trees had been uprooted, and fresh soil could be seen everywhere.

Four figures, one large and three small, appeared and disappeared in the shadows.

"What's wrong? Is this all you call going to sea as Pirates? You should know that I'm just a lowly Vice Admiral in the Navy. There are countless Vice Admiral like me. Pirates like you can be kicked one by one, can't you?"

Atlas looked at the three little ones lying on the ground, gasping for breath, and said with a mocking expression.

"I... I don't want to be Pirates, I want to be Fleet Admiral!"

Luffy was not happy to hear that. He was a man who was going to become the Fleet Admiral. How could this old man classify him as Pirates?

"Hateful!"

Upon hearing this, Ace was about to get up and fight Atlas again.

How could someone as sensitive as him tolerate Atlas's sarcastic remarks? In a moment of impulsiveness, he struggled to get up.

Bang!

It has to be said that although Luffy is the Child of the World, Ace, who is three years older than him, is also quite talented. However, since Luffy hasn't eaten the Gum-Gum Fruit, his fighting power is far inferior to Ace and Sabo, and he is basically just a follower who gets left in the dust.

However, none of the three had received any systematic training; they simply relied on their exceptional talent to grow wildly, which is what is known as unorthodox methods.

"Clap clap clap! Alright, I have a general understanding of your strengths. Next, I will create a training plan tailored to your physical conditions, but... you'll have to stick with it."

Atlas dusted off his hands, Devil smile spreading across his face. "I'm going to show you little brats what hell is like in a moment."

"Snort!"

Ace gritted his teeth and snorted coldly. He and Sabo were quite famous in the Gray Terminal. Even some adults were no match for them. If it weren't for Atlas being a burden, the two of them wouldn't have been in such a sorry state when Luffy Atlas.

Thinking of this, Ace couldn't help but glare fiercely at Luffy.

This guy who keeps saying he wants to be a navy officer!

"Ace, are your eyes bothering you? Should I ask the old man to take you to see a doctor?"

Luffy showed no sign of being blamed and looked at his 'good friend' with some concern.

"... idiot!"

Seeing Ace pouted and turned his head away, realizing that choosing to talk to this idiot was definitely not the right decision.

"Alright, we've arrived. See this mountainous area? Your first task today is to cross this forest and reach the summit. I've set up many traps and some wild beasts along the way. You can choose to avoid them or just charge through, as long as you reach the top! All three of you must be together!"

Atlas pointed to a high slope that was almost at a sixty-degree angle to the ground. He had carefully selected this spot from the entire Mount Colubo. It was a treacherous place, teeming with wild beasts, and he had also laid numerous traps along the way.

Of course, Atlas wasn't asking the three of them to their deaths. These traps were mostly non-lethal; at most, they'd lose an arm or a leg. The wild beasts that roamed around were mostly weak, more like food for the three little ones. And... even if they were unlucky enough to lose an arm, there were ways to deal with it.

Aside from Luffy, the three of them have a very keen sense of danger, so the probability of them Awakening Observation Haki at this stage is quite high.

Of course, Atlas didn't mean to Awakening them during this training. The goal was to help the three of them build a bond, so that they would truly understand and accept each other after going through life and death together.

"What? You're going to bring this burden along too?"

Ace looked at Luffy, who was picking his nose, with a look of disgust.

"I'm not a burden!"

"So that's you!"

"I'm not!"

"You are it."

"I don't..."

Bang!! x2

"Alright, you two, stop arguing."

Sabo, watching the two men with two steaming bumps on their heads, awkwardly offered some advice.

"I hope you can reach the summit before lunchtime. I'll be waiting for you up there!"

"Oh, right, and also, carry this thing on your back!"

Atlas kicked the pre-cut stones at the three of them with a gruff slap. They weren't very big, just big enough to cover their bodies when carried on his back, and they were all custom-made to fit the body perfectly.

The three of them didn't complain or tearfully accuse Atlas. Instead, they silently tied the stones to their bodies. Ace and Sabo had always wanted to go to sea and become Pirates, but they also understood that they didn't have the power to guarantee it. Atlas's teachings were an opportunity for them.

No matter how much Atlas boasts about the Navy, they are not like Luffy who doesn't think Luffy. Vice Admiral with Atlas's strength is definitely very rare in the Marine Headquarters.

"Go ahead and do whatever you want... As long as you're still breathing, I can bring you back to life!"

Atlas's Observation Haki had already locked onto the three of them; he would immediately sense if their lives were in danger.

And...

Looking at the shimmering green light emanating from his hand, Atlas's face revealed a confident expression.

Chapter 138 The Mutation of the Talisman

Darkness, a darkness that seemed capable of swallowing everything.

A chaotic void existed, with only six identical talismans, Talisman carved with different patterns, silently suspended in the air. Opposite them stood...

One-stop service!

No, to be precise, it's half a dragon!

Its single red eye flashed, but it showed no spirit. Its head was shaped like a flame, and the spikes on the sides of its face were like knife tips. Its mouth resembled a crocodile's mouth, and it had eight dragon horns similar to bull horns. Its face was ferocious, and its snake body was coiled together, much like the form of an Eastern dragon.

As for why it's said to be half a dragon?

This thing is only half dark green, while the other half is faintly visible, almost transparent, and elusive!

And this place... is Atlas's mental space!

Atlas was completely baffled by this scene. This strange change occurred after he activated the Tiger Talisman yesterday, and Atlas was quite familiar with this dragon!

Holy Shendu of Fire Demon!

The biggest villain in Jackie Chan Adventures, and the source of the power of the Twelve Talismans!

This change did not affect Atlas at all, and after careful observation, he found that the thing seemed to have no consciousness, just like a dead object, or more precisely, like an empty shell that held the Twelve Talismans!

Moreover, Atlas always felt that the Tiger Talisman was lit up but not fully lit up. The most direct effect it brought him was that the Horse Talisman could heal things outside of himself, but the physical exertion was greater than the effect on himself. This is why Atlas dared to say that Ace others could do whatever they wanted.

Moreover, Atlas felt that the Horse Talisman's power had not been fully unleashed, because the Horse Talisman was capable of eliminating all negative effects he believed it to have, manifested outwardly as healing and repair abilities, including but not limited to restoring items to their original state.

For example, if an island is shattered into pieces by Atlas, the Horse Talisman can restore it to its original state, but Atlas doesn't sense any such ability. It's as if... he's vying for control of the Horse Talisman, turning the Horse Talisman's 'belief' into his own 'belief'!

The Tiger Talisman's function in the original work can be simply summarized as 'balancing Yin and Yang,' which is indeed the case.

First of all, the physical body belongs to Yang and the soul belongs to Yin. Atlas had some differences in physique and soul before, but the Tiger Talisman forcibly brought the two to the same level. Of course, it did not weaken one side, but rather enhanced the other. Although it did not greatly improve Atlas's strength, it made him feel much more comfortable.

Secondly, he felt that the Tiger Talisman seemed to integrate all the Talisman he had previously activated. This might be the reason why the phantom of the Shendu appeared. If the use of the Talisman before made him feel a kind of sluggishness, then the use of the Talisman now was like his instinct.

Furthermore, the Tiger Talisman did not seem to increase the burden on his physical body; instead, it 'expanded' his body, like a container that originally held 120 milliliters of water now expanding to 150 milliliters.

In other words, Atlas could now light up the next Talisman! However, Atlas wasn't in a hurry. After all, the Talisman was there and wouldn't run away, and he hadn't fully figured out the purpose of the Tiger Talisman yet.

Nevertheless, the Tiger Talisman's effects did not satisfy Atlas, because the most impressive duality of good and evil did not appear, and Atlas was unable to break the Tiger Talisman in two!

Although he didn't want to create two identical versions of himself, because that involved two issues: whether the two Atlas would also possess the power of other Talisman, and whether Atlas himself would have the means to control them.

Strictly speaking, the Atlas of good and evil separated by the Tiger Talisman is not entirely himself, so there is no such thing as one being the dominant entity.

And wow, it completely lost that ability.

After exploring the Tiger Talisman's abilities, he discovered something very strange: it seemed that he had only activated half of the Tiger Talisman!

This made him rethink the Tiger Talisman's position or importance among the twelve Talisman. If his guess was correct, the latter six Talisman would also need the other half of the Tiger Talisman to unify them!

At that time, the ability to manifest both good and evil will naturally emerge, but Atlas dares not be certain what kind of effect it will have. In any case, Atlas is currently making bold assumptions and carefully verifying them.

After all, Atlas didn't know what kind of chemical reaction would occur when the rules of the Pirates world collided with the Zodiac Talismans.

"Looks like Ace and the others are in trouble... But I'll head to the summit and wait for them."

Sensing the information conveyed through his Observation Haki, Atlas stood up and prepared to rush towards the mountaintop!