Internal Sabotage / Headquarters' Transfer Order
Rayleigh suddenly felt a pang of regret. The Navy clearly didn't really want to hunt Fisher Tiger and his crew, yet he had impulsively stirred up such a huge mess. He feared his days ahead were numbered...
Thinking of this, Rayleigh asked tentatively, "Can't you give this retired old man some face?"
"Huh? Face?" Atlas sneered. "You didn't say you'd give me any face when you slashed me last time."
"And do you think you're also Devil Fruit User?"
Atlas was determined to test all his methods on Rayleigh, no matter how much Rayleigh begged and pleaded.
P. S. No need to wait, I'll update again this morning. I went out with friends and got back a bit late. Goodnight everyone! ヾ(≧▽≦*)o
Chapter 164 Internal Destruction
"..."
Although he couldn't understand what Atlas meant by the 'Face-Face Fruit,' it didn't stop him from deciphering the Navy's unwillingness to give up.
"Shishiwei· Imperial Scroll!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the weather changed drastically. The once peaceful sky turned dark and gloomy in an instant. Seawater surged in, sand and stones flew everywhere, sweeping in like a storm. Suddenly, heavy snow began to fall, and a biting wind arose.
"This is..." Rayleigh was startled by the sudden change and looked up.
A ferocious Lion appeared half-hidden in the clouds, its entire body pure white. Even from a distance, one could feel its bone-chilling coldness. Its sharp teeth and claws, gleaming with a chilling light, lashed out with a series of Kikoku.
The entire area of Sabaody 13 was shrouded in shadow at this moment!
"Hey! What the hell is that thing?"
"Could this giant be after the entire Sabaody Archipelago?"
"What kind of powerful beings are fighting that could trigger a cataclysmic event!"
"..."
People in other areas of Sabaody also saw the enormous Snow Lion. Sometimes, the most direct sense of oppression comes from the visual, especially since this Snow Lion was much larger than the Golden Lion's 'Imperial Scroll'. This caused panic among the unsuspecting residents of Sabaody.
Area 66, Naval Base.
"Was this celestial phenomenon caused by the Vice Admiral?"
Majors stared blankly at the ferocious Lion in the sky, then turned to Smoker and the others who had just returned and asked them a question.
"I guess... right..."
Smoker's lips twitched. Right now, only Sabaody Atlas Archipelago.
Upon hearing this, a hint of joy flashed across Majors' face. He turned to the group of marines and gave orders, "All personnel, patrol in squads and take this opportunity to capture all the criminal gangs and Pirates that have resurfaced. Also, send out ordinary marines to calm the panic among the island's residents. This is Vice Admiral engaging in battle with Pirates."
Majors is adept at leveraging opportunities. The time Atlas was away had caused him a lot of headaches. The remaining naval forces on the island were simply insufficient to completely contain the illegal trade and the Pirates who were landing one after another. Now, with Atlas creating momentum in front and Smoker and Vergo filling the gaps in his forces, he had more than enough power to unleash his full potential.
"Oh? Shiki's technique..." Rayleigh's eyes narrowed slightly, a look of nostalgia on his face, but his movements remained swift and precise.
Armament Haki instantly covered his body, the jet-black Armament Haki flowing like water across the blade. Veins bulged on his arms, and a powerful aura surged from his body. His curly golden hair fluttered with the airflow as he raised his long sword!
Sizzle!
The longsword slashed in, exuding Haki. The moment the blade made contact with the Snow Lion —no, to be precise, even before contact—a fierce, domineering Haki surged into the Snow Lion's massive body.
Boom!
It was as if it had been struck by thousands of sword energies. The enormous creature that Rayleigh had forcibly cleaved in two exploded and turned back into snowflakes fluttering in the sky!
Advanced Armament Haki, Internal Destruction!
"Not bad technique, but..." Atlas's right hand had already quietly reached for the Futsu-no-Mitama at his waist, and he said coldly, "So what?"
Swish!
In an instant, he drew his sword, and the entire space seemed to be sliced apart by the sharp sword energy. The sharpness was like a stinging pain on the skin, and the speed was indescribable. Rayleigh only felt the flash of the sword light, and the bright blade was already in front of him.
Lightning Cutter!
This is a sword-drawing slash, all about extreme speed and sharpness!
When!
Inazuma- fast slash descended, sending a shockwave surging up where the blades collided.
Sizzle!
Haki two Haki forces clashed, like two hunting beasts, relentlessly biting and slashing at each other.
Atlas moved his blade upwards, and with a flick of his wrist, the blade spun, Futsu-no-Mitama in his hand appeared strangely above Rayleigh's head. The intense cutting sensation pressed down on Rayleigh's connective tissue, and dozens of golden hairs instantly fell out.
When!
When!
Two clanging sounds rang out simultaneously, and sparks flew as they landed above Rayleigh's head and beneath Atlas's ribs.
The two stared at each other for a moment, then raised their legs in perfect unison and began to compete in kicking techniques. Back and forth, their bodies clashed, and their two equally powerful Haki locked in a fierce struggle.
Atlas sneered inwardly.
This old guy's Haki was in no way inferior to his, and he was even more shrewd in his application of it. Moreover, in terms of sheer numbers, he was far superior to that half-crippled Golden Lion.
It can be said that Rayleigh's strength in all aspects is the most comprehensive. His Hand-to-Hand Combat, Haki, and Swordsmanship have undoubtedly reached the world's top level. However, compared with the Four Emperors more than ten years later, he is slightly inferior in some aspects.
The reason why the Four Emperors are able to become the Four Emperors is mainly because, in addition to their strength being at the pinnacle of the world, they also possess a power that makes them proud. In other words, they are hexagonal warriors with a seventh side.
Whitebeard possesses the strongest offensive power, Charlotte Linlin has the strongest defense, Kaido has the strongest regeneration, and Red-Haired has the strongest Conqueror's Haki. This is why it's said that the strength of the Admiral is similar to that of the Four Emperors, but there are differences. However, this difference is not absolute, as the outcome of a battle is influenced by factors beyond just strength.
With this thought in mind, Atlas unleashed a frenzied attack with his Futsu-no-Mitama, employing a style of fighting that was entirely about exchanging blows and leaving Rayleigh defenseless. Rayleigh's body lacked both Kaido's regenerative abilities and Big Mom's defensive capabilities, and he was easily slashed by Atlas, sustaining several wounds of varying depths. However, thanks to the regenerative power of his Horse Talisman, Atlas only suffered minor damage to his clothing.
Bang!
Another exchange of kicks!
Rayleigh was sent flying, and he had no choice but to press the blade of his sword firmly against the ground to stop himself.
"Young people these days..."
Rayleigh smiled wryly, but his aura grew even stronger. He held back his Conqueror's Haki, black and red Inazuma danced across his weapon, and Armament Haki flowed equally powerfully over his longsword, generating immense wind pressure with its terrifying force.
In an instant, sand and stones flew and dust billowed, no less than Atlas's 'Imperial Scroll'!
"Flowing Haki and... Conqueror's Haki Infusion it?" Atlas narrowed his eyes, a surge of excitement unconsciously welling up within him.
As if responding to his call, the Futsu-no-Mitama in his hand emanated a rapidly flowing black and red Haki of dominance, which, combined with the leaping arcs of electricity, gave it a touch of the imposing aura of Conqueror's Haki Infusion being.
He certainly didn't know how to Conqueror's Haki Infusion, but he had only recently learned the Internal Destruction techniques of Armament Haki, and Rayleigh would be a good opportunity for him to practice...
Chapter 165 Marine Headquarters Transfer Order
When!
If you were to ask what the difference is between the attack power of Conqueror's Haki Infusion and non- Conqueror's Haki Infusion, then Rayleigh and Atlas in the arena would clearly answer that question.
Before the blades even clashed, the two powerful Armament Haki began to contend with each other. The surrounding trees and weeds were all uprooted by the strong wind pressure, and gravel and dust flew everywhere!
The distinctive black and red Inazuma of Conqueror's Haki Infusion constantly appeared around them, surging towards Atlas like a ferocious beast. At the same time, two streams of Armament Haki with Internal Destruction properties entered the two men's bodies through the long sword.
"Hmph!" ×2
Both of them groaned simultaneously; a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of Rayleigh's mouth, and Atlas swayed slightly.
Blank!
A moment of blankness in my mind!!
Bang!
Rayleigh's eyes were sharp, and in Lightning Flash, he kicked Atlas hard, leaving a huge slipper print on Atlas's tattered Suit.
"Old man!!"
Atlas's gaze sharpened, he braced himself, and was about to draw his sword to retaliate.
Swish!
Seeing that he had gained the upper hand, Rayleigh tightened his toes around his slippers and disappeared in a flash from Atlas's sight.
Sabaody Archipelago, 1509 (Sea Circle Calendar).
A small squad of naval officers patrolled the various areas of Sabaody in an orderly manner. The squad leader was a naval corporal, and the officers all looked serious and proud.
"Hey, speaking of which, why haven't we heard anything from area 13 today?"
A slightly chubby-faced marine asked the corporal in front of him with a gossipy look, "For the past month or two, there have been terrifying sounds coming from Area 13 of Sabaody every day, reportedly because their commander is fighting Rayleigh, the right-hand man of the Pirate King."
"I don't know, but I heard that the Vice Admiral will be transferred from Sabaody soon."
The corporal was a man with a square face and a strong, muscular build, but he was only about 1.6 meters tall. He lowered his voice and spoke to the chubby-cheeked navy man.
"Ah? The Vice Admiral has been transferred away from Sabaody?"
The chubby-cheeked man was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this. During the time that young Admiral Candidate stationed in Sabaody, the navy had been thriving, making Sabaody as secure as an ironclad fortress. In the past, even the Lawless Zone were places that the navy could not easily set foot in, and the island's residents dared not go out at night.
To be honest, most of the original Marines stationed in Sabaody are quite reluctant to leave the peaceful and tranquil Sabaody they know now.
"There's no other way. The New World needs someone with the combat power of Vice Admiral more. As for Sabaody..."
The short, stocky navy officer shook his head and sighed. As the gateway to the New World, Sabaody place the navy couldn't afford to ignore. However, the number of vice admirals at Marine Headquarters was already quite scarce. Moreover, he had heard that several Marine Base had been established in the New World Sabaody. Having Vice Admiral- level forces guarding Atlas for a few months was already the limit.
However, once the Vice Admiral General leaves Sabaody, it probably won't be long before crime reignites here...
Inside the base office.
Atlas narrowed his eyes and sat quietly behind his desk. It was unusual for him not to go to Shakky's Rip-off Bar to test his skills with Rayleigh today. He slowly and methodically organized his thoughts.
In the past few months, Atlas has frequently sought out Rayleigh to spar, and has basically mastered the use of Armament Haki for Internal Destruction. The old man has been trying to leave Sabaody, but Atlas uses Observation Haki to lock onto Area 13 almost around the clock.
Once he detects that Rayleigh's life force has disappeared from his Observation Haki range, he will immediately expand his senses, quickly lock onto Rayleigh's figure, and go to intercept him.
After a few such incidents, Rayleigh eventually resigned himself to his fate. Whenever he was about to run out of energy, he would rush off to other areas. This old guy was so fearless because he was a Marine and knew he couldn't do anything reckless without the lives of civilians to protect him.
However, Atlas was also well aware that it would be very difficult to truly kill a strongman like Rayleigh who had no weaknesses. As long as Rayleigh was determined to escape, even Atlas would be helpless against him unless he was willing to fight him to the death at any cost.
Blue Blue~ Blue~
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi on my desk rang.
Click!
Atlas casually picked up the receiver, Den Den Mushi instantly transformed, with a braided mustache and frog-like glasses appearing out of thin air, and its gaze gradually becoming more dignified.
"Atlas, Marine Headquarters has decided to send you to oversee G-5 base. Prepare yourself well; the official documents should be issued in three days."
The distribution of naval bases in the Grand Line is quite interesting. There are a total of ten Marine Base, all of which begin with the letter G, indicating that they are directly under the command of the Marine Headquarters.
Those with even numbers are the Marine Base of Paradise, such as G-8 base that Atlas once led. Paradise's bases are the earliest established and have the greatest naval control, representing the Marine Headquarters' absolute control over the first half of the Grand Line.
Odd-numbered bases represent Marine Base in the New World. G-5 is the oldest and closest to the Marine Base Marine Headquarters, located near Fish-Man Island. Other bases such as G-3, G-7, and G-9 are relatively new, representing the Navy's strategic deployment in the New World.
As for G-1 Base, it is the Marine Headquarters of Marineford, but it is not called G-1 Base yet. It was named after Akainu moved the Marine Headquarters to the New World after becoming Fleet Admiral.
As far as Atlas knew, Akainu and Kuzan were stationed at bases G-7 and G-9 respectively.
Atlas asked in confusion, "G-5 base, wasn't that where old man Garp used to be stationed?"
During the recent New World, the Navy used G-5 base as a bridgehead to gather a large force to reshape the New World. Garp was the base commander at the time.
Upon hearing this, Sengoku calmly explained, "Garp is currently guarding Base G-3, which is located deeper into the New World and has a more important geographical location."
Atlas understood that the G-5 base near Fish-Man Island could be considered the last line of defense in the New World, and it didn't bear as much pressure as other bases. It would be a bit of a waste to leave a force like Garp there.
"Alright, I'll prepare for a few days, and I'll head to the New World as soon as the official documents are issued."
Atlas understood that the location of G-5 base in the New World was similar to that of Sabaody in Paradise; the Pirates who arrived there were generally not very strong, but it was a relatively easy place to gain merit.
Now, he's in competition with Atlas, and the Akainu two. There are only three Admiral positions, and his seniority and level of trust are clearly far inferior to Akainu and the others.
Chapter 166 Vergo Asks for Leave
Snap!
The call ended.