The vast deck fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone stared in disbelief at the three ships approaching from afar.
Just moments before, they were boasting about how outstanding Water Buffalo Atmos's skills were, far surpassing those of the hyped-up newcomers.
Ace's rebuttal was met with considerable dissatisfaction.
However, the scene before one's eyes now feels like being slapped hard across the face by an invisible hand.
That's a real slap in the face!
" Pops, what if Atmos falls into the hands of the Navy? Should we intervene?"
Marco couldn't help but speak up.
The squad leaders present immediately tensed up.
At this critical juncture, if Whitebeard were to give the order, they would definitely launch a surprise attack and would not allow these marines to escape alive.
"No need."
The Whitebeard man spoke with a grim expression.
"Given the current situation, Atmos is not entirely destined to lose."
"Don't forget, its Zoan Devil Fruit possesses incredible healing abilities."
"It's hard to say; he might even have the upper hand by utilizing his powerful life force."
As the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, he is also the Pops to everyone here.
Whitebeard certainly didn't want to see his excellent son lose.
" Pops is right, Captain Atmos will definitely not lose. We shouldn't be prejudiced."
Teach spoke up quickly.
He waited so long just to find an opportunity to kill Bai Yu.
Now that Bai Yu has come to him of his own accord, he doesn't want any unnecessary complications.
"Alright, Pops and Teach are right. Let's not jump to conclusions too soon. Let's wait for Atmos to come back!"
Marco tried to smooth things over.
However, given the current situation, there is more urgency than anything else.
I'm eager to know what the outcome of this battle will be.
Even Ace was no exception.
The short flight of just a few minutes felt magnified in that moment, as if an invisible hand were gripping one's heart.
As Atmos's pirate ship drew near.
Teach was the first to lose his composure and rushed over.
"Captain Atmos, did you capture the Marine Fourth Admiral alive?"
"This is a great achievement!"
capture?
Atmos's steps froze on the spot.
Seeing the eager looks on everyone's faces, he gave a wry smile and said, " Pops, I'm sorry, Admiral Bai Yu and I did have a battle, but in the end, I was the one who lost."
"But before the battle, I promised him that if I lost, I would lead him to find Fire Fist Ace, so I brought them back."
What!
The captains, including Diamond Jozu, changed their expressions, their faces turning a deep purplish-red.
In particular, just a moment ago when Ace retorted, they were still full of murderous intent.
I completely disbelieve Ace's answer.
Now look what's happened; even Atmos, whom they strongly supported, has admitted it.
This is incredibly embarrassing.
"Ahem, Atmos, it seems you underestimated the Marine Fourth Admiral, which is why you were defeated."
Marco quickly coughed to defuse the situation.
"However, this is also a valuable experience. Everyone was just guessing whether you had won."
"Since you lost, it's not a big deal. Losing a move or two is normal unless it's a life-or-death battle."
"Haha, Marco is right too." Whitebeard also laughed heartily.
As the Pops of this ship, if even he doesn't support his own son, then who will?
" Atmos, consider this battle as a learning experience for you."
"However, you should share the details of the battle with everyone so they can gain some experience, know how many moves you lost, and better assess the gap between themselves and Admiral in the future."
"Yes, yes, Pops is right."
" Atmos, describe the entire battle so everyone can have a reference."
"Who knows? We've heard that if we encounter Admiral in the future, we might actually have a chance to win!"
"..."
The scene immediately erupted in excitement.
Teach, standing to the side, also looked eager.
In his eyes, the Dark-Dark Fruit had fallen into Bai Yu's hands.
To obtain this coveted Devil Fruit.
The only solution is to find a way to kill Bai Yu.
He asked himself, "All these years, I've been developing my reputation in a low-key and underhanded manner, perhaps without ever gaining fame."
However, in terms of strength, they are almost on par with Atmos.
If Atmos really loses by even a single move in his fight with Bai Yu, Teach is confident he can defeat Bai Yu head-on.
Everyone on Atmos's pirate ship froze.
Some people couldn't help it; even the muscles in their cheeks were twitching.
Recalling what had just happened, they wished they could disappear into a hole.
Atmos's expression also turned somewhat sour; this record was rather embarrassing to talk about.
However, facing Whitebeard and his crew, Atmos gritted his teeth and raised three fingers.
Three moves?
"You only lost by three moves?"
"It was only three moves. This must have been due to carelessness. Captain Atmos, don't take it to heart!"
Teach was the first to wake up, and was overjoyed.
Originally, they were still planning what methods to use to deal with Bai Yu.
Even now, this Marine Fourth Admiral only won by three moves against Atmos.
This undoubtedly gave Teach an urge to hunt him down head-on.
However, this surge of excitement and eagerness was quickly overshadowed by the words that reached his ears, causing his smile to gradually fade.
"I mean, he defeated me in three moves!"
What!
The captains present, and indeed all the pirate crew members, froze in shock.
Even the wine glass that Whitebeard was holding was crushed in his hand.
With the wine spilled all over the floor, the Whitebeard's face turned extremely grim, and he hurriedly spoke.
" Atmos, you should know very well that this is not the time for jokes."
"Tell me quickly, what happened!"
Whitebeard is the captain of this ship, and also their Pops.
He was perfectly aware of the capabilities of his group of foolish sons.
Atmos's abilities, among the sixteen captains, might not actually be considered outstanding.
However, his Zoan Devil Fruit ability makes him one of the most resilient beings.
But now this is the answer given.
Even Whitebeard couldn't accept it.
Atmos's face was full of bitterness. He chuckled and said, " Pops, I really can't even withstand three blows."
"We underestimated the Marine Fourth Admiral from the very beginning. His Admiral position is probably not something that was hyped up, but rather well-deserved."