"Please come in!"
"Headquarters Major Smoker! Reporting!"
"Captain Vergo Reporting!!"
"Haha~ It seems there's no need for further introductions. You can acquaint yourself with the subordinates I've specifically chosen for you."
Kachak
After saying that, Sengoku unilaterally ended the call, leaving Atlas looking at the two individuals in front of him with a peculiar expression.
'Old man Sengoku, are you sure you're not playing tricks on me? Why did you send this guy to me?'
Wearing a coat with a plaid-like pattern, black sunglasses shielding his eyes, sideburns shaped like lightning, short hair, and a hint of stubble on his chin. He holds a bamboo stick in his hand, likely his weapon. The oddest detail is that this guy actually has a piece of beef patty stuck to his face!
'By the way, do you happen to know that there's a sizable piece of beef patty stuck to your face?'
Atlas seethed with complaints inwardly.
Demon Bamboo Vergo.
Of course, Atlas knows this guy. The most classic example of attempting to use Armament Haki ended in failure. Haki covered his entire body, appearing impressive, but was instantly slashed by Law. Atlas wasn't sure if it was because the Op-Op Fruit was too overpowered or if this guy's Haki was just too weak.
'The crucial point is! This guy is an undercover agent sent to the Marines by Doflamingo. Are you certain Sengoku isn't playing me?'
"Ahem~ Please introduce yourselves."
Atlas said without altering his expression, gazing at the two individuals with a serious demeanor.
"You don't need to. I'm already aware of all your bad habits."
Observing that Smoker appeared eager to speak first, Atlas shot him a stern glare, signaling him to hold back his words.
"Vergo, Marine Captain, enlisted for 5 months. Enjoys hamburgers and excels in physical combat."
The words were brief and to the point. Despite sensing a somewhat peculiar gaze from Atlas, Vergo still provided a straightforward introduction of himself. After all, Atlas was now his direct superior.
As a loyal member of the Donquixote Family dedicated to Doflamingo, Vergo undoubtedly possessed the qualifications. It took this individual fifteen years to rise to the rank of Marine Vice Admiral. If not for his limited strength, he might have even become the Marine Admiral.
It can be said that, after three years, he has become the most successful undercover agent.
Moreover, it was Vergo's fault that Rosinante's identity as an undercover agent was later exposed. It remains unclear why Rosinante wasn't aware of Vergo's undercover status as a Marine.
It appears that Doflamingo, who is reputed to value his family, was suspicious of Rosinante from the very start!
"Alright, go ahead and report to the Majors. From now on, you'll be a part of my crew on the warship."
"Yes!"
Vergo replied loudly.
"Hey! Hold on, let's remove that big beef patty from your face first."
Seeing that Vergo was about to turn around and leave, Atlas couldn't hold back any longer.
Click.
"Hey! Brother Atlas, I didn't expect you to get promoted to Vice Admiral so quickly."
Smoker immediately cut through the act as soon as he spoke. Upon seeing this guy's attire today, Atlas thought he had become much more composed.
It's strikingly similar to how he dressed more than ten years later, except he has a younger face, a silver mane, goggles hanging around his neck, a forehead scar occupying most of the area, and black leather gloves.
"You, kid! I heard you often contradict your superiors. Hina's current position is higher than yours. You're in the same training camp, and it seems your grades are even better than hers, right?"
Atlas shook his head and chuckled, but he still enjoyed referring to Smoker as a kid as always.
"I am challenging their beliefs. This is what Brother Atlas taught me. The commitment to justice must be upheld to the end!"
"Oh? What is your belief?"
"Protecting civilians and combat crime!"
Smoker spoke slowly, but his expression was brimming with seriousness.
"That's it..."
Atlas was in a daze, as if he recalled Captain Wright asking the same question when he first arrived in this world.
"What a splendid sense of justice."
Sometimes, the simplest things are the hardest to do...
"Let's go! Head outside and spar together to gauge your current strength."
After snapping back to reality, Atlas rose from behind the desk, towering at a height of 2.8 meters, and advanced towards Smoker.
"Eh? That's not necessary, Brother Atlas."
Smoker's mouth twitched, and he waved his hands in refusal.
He had already heard about Atlas's formidable reputation, and he would never win against him.
"Alright, alright, I'll control my strength."
Seemingly sensing Smoker's apprehension, Atlas approached him, embraced his not-so-broad shoulders, ushered him out of the door, and spoke reassuring words.
...
Base training room.
It possesses a highly unified style, with walls enveloped in iron sheets, and the entire room exudes a distinctive heaviness characteristic of metal.
Atlas casually removed the suit from his body, and the movement of his shoulder blades produced a loud noise. He had changed clothes frequently that month. Even though sparring with Smoker wouldn't soil his attire, he still needed to be cautious.
"Brother Atlas, you have to be careful. I haven't been slacking off these past few years."
Seeing that there was nothing he could do, Smoker simply went with the flow, eager to gauge if the gap between him and Atlas' brother had widened.
After all, that's how life is. Since you can't resist, just enjoy the ride.
Shiroi Ken (White Fist)
Smoker took the lead in attacking. His limbs swiftly transformed into smoke, and his legs acted like a launcher, propelling his body directly towards Atlas.
Smoker is well aware that he's definitely no match for Atlas. Over the years, he has been honing the combination of physical skills and Devil Fruit abilities. Compared to the Logue town days, Smoker's physique is visibly more robust.
Atlas observed Smoker charging forward, stood firm, and assumed a punching posture. There was nothing elaborate, just an ordinary punch!
Boom!
The fist didn't connect with Smoker's chest; this guy actually dodged it using his elemental abilities!
"I didn't expect you, Smoker, to have awakened Observation Haki, although it's still quite basic."
Atlas was a bit surprised. After all, Smoker had no knowledge of Haki when Luffy first encountered him. It wasn't due to poor talent but rather because he heavily relied on the power of Logia and had been residing in Logue town. Awakening Haki without the stimulus of a formidable adversary, especially Observation Haki, was quite unlikely.
"Hehe, Teacher Zephyr mentioned that Observation Haki is more crucial for Logia users than Armament Haki. Over the past few years, I've been consciously working on unlocking Observation Haki. Fortunately, I only managed to awaken it recently," Smoker explained.
Smoker looked a bit proud.
Bang!
As soon as he finished speaking, Atlas' palms made contact with Smoker's neck, and a powerful force pushed his entire body into the ground.
A chuckle emanated from behind Smoker.
"Then... Did Mr. Zephyr ever teach you to stay calm when using Haki?"
"Don't get too cocky, you brat!"
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Read 35 chapters in advance in Patr*on: patr*on.com/Cosmic_Kaminari