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East Blue, Marine Base at Loguetown – Outside the Captain's Office
Atlas stood outside the office door, his expression conflicted as he tightly gripped a bounty poster in his hand.
["Mad Gentleman" Philok – Bounty: 15,000,000 Berries!]
"Kid, what I'm about to tell you concerns you—or rather, your parents." Captain Randall spoke solemnly, pushing a worn bounty notice across the desk toward Atlas.
Atlas was stunned. As his eyes settled on the somewhat familiar face on the poster, a sudden wave of fury surged within him.
Unbidden, flashes of crimson and shrill screams filled his mind. No… these aren't my emotions. They were remnants—memories of the body's former self.
Real pain from a past life is now attacking me.
"Hey! Atlas! Calm down!" Randall quickly called out when he noticed the twisted expression forming on Atlas's face.
Atlas exhaled slowly, forcing the unfamiliar anguish back into the depths of his mind. He studied the aged bounty poster again.
Philok—Captain of the Philok Pirates. Bounty: 15 million Berries.
Three years ago, he led a raid on a merchant ship. Aboard that ship were Kanos and his wife, along with Atlas.
The Kanos couple died tragically. Atlas was the only known survivor.
According to his fragmented memories, the only reason the younger Atlas survived was because his parents hid him in a wine barrel.
The barrel drifted with the current until it eventually washed ashore at Loguetown.
After months of struggling alone, the boy reunited with the Kanos couple who had adopted him…
"We've received intel. Philok and his crew were spotted within our jurisdiction. I was originally going to take care of them myself, but I figured… this is something you should end yourself."
Randall's voice was calm but firm.
Atlas left the Marine base, resolve burning in his heart. This was not just revenge—it was closure—the final wish of the body he now inhabited.
After gathering all intelligence reports on the Philok Pirates from the strategy department, Atlas set out immediately.
At the Docks
"Atlas! Please take me with you! I want to fight pirates too!" Smoker had heard the news and had been waiting impatiently at the dock.
"You're still too weak, kid," Atlas replied without looking back, waving him off as he stepped onto his small boat.
He added quietly, "This is something I need to do myself."
"I…" Smoker tried to protest, but the resolve in Atlas's voice silenced him. All he could do was watch his figure grow smaller in the distance.
Meanwhile, aboard the Philok Pirates' ship…
"Hey Mitchell! How much longer until we reach the next island? This sea voyage is driving me crazy!"
Jim, the Philok Pirates' vice-captain, groaned in frustration. "Skullcrusher" Jim – Bounty: 12,000,000 Berries.
A brutal monster who loved to shatter enemies' heads to admire the scattered brain matter. A true sadist.
"Several more days, sir," the navigator Mitchell replied nervously.
He'd witnessed Jim's cruelty firsthand. Who wouldn't be scared of ending up with their brains splattered?
"Alright, Jim. If you're bored, find something to do. Don't scare our navigator to death." Philok spoke up, smiling politely at Mitchell.
But Mitchell felt no warmth from that smile. Philok—the "Mad Gentleman"—was the most terrifying person on this ship.
A sadistic killer who tortured enemies both physically and mentally, he delighted in watching them fall from hope into despair.
"Tch…" Jim, though annoyed, didn't dare talk back. He was still sore about getting chewed out for smashing a civilian's head last time.
Elsewhere, Atlas studied the intelligence files and deduced that the Philok Pirates were headed to Mien Island for supplies. He decided to intercept them before they could harm another village.
"Captain! There's a small boat up ahead! Looks like a Marine!"
The lookout spotted Atlas and immediately reported it.
"Hahahahaha! A Marine? Finally, something fun!" Jim leapt up, excited and ready for a fight.
Philok said nothing, but his eyes glinted with caution. Let Jim test the waters first. After all, staying alive this long required one thing: prudence.
Atlas, realizing he'd been spotted, didn't hesitate. He launched himself from his boat and landed directly on the pirates' ship.
He stood tall at the bow, gazing down at the scum below—some calm, some excited, others anxious.
"Hey, brat! Are you a Marine?" Jim taunted.
Atlas didn't reply. Instead, he calmly flipped through the bounty posters, pulling out Jim's and comparing it to his face, treating him as already dead.
"Bastard! Cut it out! Don't you dare look down on me like that!" Enraged, Jim charged.
Atlas quietly tucked the bounty poster away and leapt down. His fist met Jim's face with terrifying force.
Boom.
Bones crunched. Jim's arm bent grotesquely as he was blasted straight through the deck, spitting up fragments of his organs.
The remaining pirates were stunned—but quickly roared and charged, weapons drawn.
Atlas moved fluidly, dodging with ease, drawing his standard-issue Marine saber.
Slash! Cut! Sweep! He tore through the crew like slicing through fruit.
Philok didn't rush in. Instead, he quietly drew his cane sword and began retreating.
Moments later, most of the pirates were dead.
Atlas stood calmly, not a speck of blood on his Marine uniform, like he had taken a walk. The survivors hesitated, fear gripping their hearts.
Suddenly, a glint of steel slashed toward Atlas's blind spot, accompanied by a sinister smile—Philok.
Murderous intent filled the air.
"My name is Philok, captain of the Philok Pirates. I long for the elegance of nobility, and I despise crude people, especially my vice-captain, Jim. But this uninvited guest… he's about to die."
"As for my dear crew, your sacrifices will not be in vain."
"I've been waiting for you, Philok!" Atlas dodged easily, as if he had anticipated the ambush.
He drove a fully charged punch into Philok's chest. But the man only staggered slightly. A clear fist-shaped dent marked his coat.
"What!?" For the first time, Atlas's composed expression cracked. How could someone with a bounty of 15 million Berries take a punch like that head-on?
"Fufufufufu… I'm a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user: the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Mane Dog!"
Philok's deep laughter rang out.
He wasn't too surprised Atlas had survived the ambush, but he was certain the fight was already won.
He deliberately revealed his Devil Fruit to instill despair. After all, in the East Blue, Devil Fruits were the stuff of legends.
He had obtained the fruit just two months ago during a raid, and even though it was a relatively low-tier Zoan type, it drastically boosted his strength.
He hadn't even told his crew about it. Caution kept him alive. Due to limited mastery, Philok could only maintain the hybrid form, but that was the most powerful form anyway.
Because of his hat, Atlas hadn't noticed the two canine ears poking up before.
"Whatever reason you came here for, Marine brat, you're not leaving alive!" Philok dropped his cane blade and licked his exposed claws.
"Is a mere Devil Fruit enough to make you this arrogant!?" Atlas shook off his shock. The twisted look of sadistic anticipation on Philok's face only fueled his focus.
The few surviving pirates unconsciously backed away at the sight of their captain's deranged expression, creating a wide open space for the duel.
Philok crouched into a beastlike stance. His muscles tensed, and his already-strained pants tore at the seams.
As cloth scraps fluttered through the air, Philok pounced too fast for the naked eye.
But Atlas didn't panic. Though Philok's speed pushed the limits of his visual tracking, Atlas had trained relentlessly for a year. He wasn't superhuman—yet—but he was ready.
Although Atlas hadn't yet reached the level of swordsmanship that could cut steel, his experience in countless battles had brought him to the brink of awakening Observation Haki.
His nearly beast-like combat instincts had always carried him through—perhaps after this battle, he'd finally cross that threshold.
Closing his eyes slowly, Atlas tried to sense Philock's presence using only his perception.
"You little brat—you've pissed me off now!" Philock growled. Seeing Atlas shut his eyes enraged him even more.
A frog at the bottom of the well, like him, had no understanding of high-level techniques like Observation Haki. In his mind, Atlas was looking down on him.
In Atlas's perception, a shadow was rapidly approaching. He quickly ducked to evade it, but Philock's claws still managed to graze his back, leaving three shallow wounds.
However, under the effect of the Horse Talisman, the injuries healed right before their eyes, without even a scar.
"—What?!" Philock was visibly shaken by what he saw. Atlas's astonishing regenerative power had unsettled him.
The Horse Talisman's mark in Atlas's mind was now nearly faded—just a little more time, and it would be fully absorbed.
When that happened, he'd likely gain another surprise. For now, though, a scratch like that was nothing to Atlas, whose vitality bordered on monstrous.
"Who the hell are you, brat?" Phylock asked, his voice cracking slightly. Doubt and fear had begun creeping into his heart.
"The one who's going to kill you," Atlas replied coldly.
Without wasting another word, he gripped his sword with both hands, eyes sharp, and took a proper stance.
One-Sword Style: Iris Slash!
Philock met the strike head-on with his claws. Though he blocked it, it wasn't without cost—he subtly shook out his arm, which had gone numb from the impact.
A faint throb of pain hinted at a minor fracture. In terms of raw power, Phylock was no match for Atlas.
Part of this was due to Atlas's brutal training, which had pushed his physical strength to terrifying levels.
The other reason was that Philock had only recently consumed his Zoan-type Devil Fruit—the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Mane Dog—which wasn't particularly known for its strength-enhancing capabilities.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
After several intense exchanges, Phylock started to lose steam. Though the Zoan fruit granted him great durability and stamina, the tide of battle was turning against him.
Damn it! Philock cursed inwardly, realizing he needed to change tactics. He couldn't let this continue. His eyes darted toward the remaining members of his crew.
"Boss Philock…" Some of the pirates felt a chill run down their spines as their captain turned toward them, followed closely by Atlas.
Desperate, they raised their weapons to face Atlas. But it was no different than insects trying to stop a warship.
"Damn you, brat! Please! Spare me! I—I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"
Cries of rage, pleas for mercy, and sobbing apologies rang in Atlas's ears, but he showed no mercy. Every one of these pirates was guilty.
Not a single one was innocent. In no time at all, the remaining pirates were cut down, though the effort barely cost Atlas a fraction of his stamina.
Still, it bought Philock a little time to catch his breath—and more importantly, helped him identify where his true advantage lay:
Speed.
With the agility granted by the Mane Dog Fruit, he could outmaneuver Atlas.
If he could prolong the fight and strike at just the right moment, there was still a chance, however slim, that he could win.
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