The following morning, the sun had just risen.
A warship bearing the Logue town emblem, designed in the style of the Marines, gradually departed from the harbor.
"I once thought that this lad, Atlas, had the looks of a Vice Admiral, but I never anticipated... Haha!"
Observing the warship sailing off, Randall shook his head and chuckled.
While initially optimistic about young Atlas, Randall hadn't anticipated his rapid growth. It appeared he had underestimated the kid's potential.
"I never imagined that when I rescued him from the base's gate, I would end up bringing back a monster. It's truly astonishing!"
Major Wright, standing on the side, also displayed emotion upon hearing this. Perhaps, this is the reward of justice.
"By the way, how did we return last night? Why do I have absolutely no memory of it?"
Wright shook his head, feeling a bit dizzy from the hangover. It was evident that he had no recollection of the embarrassing events from the previous night.
"I had a few drinks too. I just can't figure out why the sailors gave me strange looks when I woke up this morning."
Randall, too, appeared a bit bewildered.
But soon, the two of them became too lazy to dwell on this issue, gradually fading away as they entered the port one after the other.
...
"Where are we headed, Brother Atlas?"
Observing Atlas lounging comfortably on the wicker chair, Smoker couldn't contain himself any longer.
Atlas had dragged him onto the warship early in the morning, and amid the influence of alcohol the previous night, he felt a bit disoriented. He likely didn't even realize that Atlas had sold him out.
"Vice Admiral Garp requested that I look after his grandson. Also we would visit Shimotsuki Village."
Atlas opted not to use the giant standard warship provided by the headquarters for this journey. Instead, he borrowed a warship equipped in Logue town from Colonel Randall.
The entourage is quite small, just sufficient to ensure the normal operation of the warship. The majority of the soldiers remain in Logue town, including the capable subordinate, Vergo.
This time, Atlas is heading to Garp's hometown. Let's not delve into Luffy's identity. Ace, being the bloodline of the Pirate King, is a major secret. How could such crucial information be known to a mole like Vergo? It's essential to be on guard against this individual. This is one of the reasons why Atlas borrowed the warship.
"Shimotsuki Village? Is that where you used to practice kendo, Brother Atlas?"
Smoker vaguely seemed to recall a fragment of memory. He had heard Colonel Randall mention it once during the year when Atlas disappeared.
"Yes."
Atlas nodded casually, then closed his eyes, savoring the rare sunbath without delving into too many details.
Only the world has such stable weather. On the Grand Line, one moment you might be sunbathing, and the next, you could be submerged.
Hence, skilled navigators are a rare talent everywhere.
...
"Sir, Vice Admiral, we have a problem. There's a Marine nearby requesting assistance!"
On the warship sailing at a leisurely pace, a Marine resembling a communication soldier shouted loudly to Atlas, holding a Den Den Mushi in his hand.
Pere~Pere~Pere~Pere~
The sound was highly urgent, quite distinct from the usual phone bug tones. Simultaneously, the device itself was visibly trembling.
"Emergency signal?"
This was the first time Atlas had encountered such a situation. He had heard it discussed by other Marines during the graduation trial at the G-8 base.
Some Marines seem to favor using this method to set traps for pirates. If the phone bug is inadvertently intercepted, the Marine becomes aware that the other party has entered the signal range. Typically, pirates will either seek to exploit the situation and ambush them in one stroke, or evade it altogether.
But regardless of the situation, there's essentially no way to escape the pursuit of the Marines.
But this is East Blue. There is indeed a certain gap in the overall quality between the Marines here and those in the Grand Line. I suppose they don't dare to employ such tricks in these waters.
In fact, very few individuals in the Marines employ tactics like this.
"Answer it."
Atlas issued the order. Regardless of the situation, it would be safer to go and assess the situation firsthand.
Kachak
The moment the microphone was picked up, a frantic voice echoed, "This is the warship of Marine 16 branch. No matter which branch you're from, please save us quickly. We can't hold on any longer!"
Atlas and Smoker exchanged glances, expressing determination as they declared, "Don't worry, we'll be there soon!"
"But..."
Nezumi glanced at the bustling Den Den Mushi with a perplexed expression. It appeared he hadn't disclosed their location yet, right? Why did the person on the other end hang up? Can't you be more reliable?
It's over!
Nezumi suddenly felt regretful for joining the Marines with such enthusiasm. Unexpectedly, on his first ship battle, he encountered such a formidable pirate. He must be doomed this time...
"Found it. The warship is at six o'clock. The enemy is a pirate ship. The pirate flag features a skull with a sword and hammer behind it."
After ending the call, Atlas swiftly surveyed the surroundings and pinpointed the precise location of the Marine calling for help.
Smoker quickly flipped through the bounty order left by Randall on the warship, while other Marines swiftly mobilized to change the direction of the ship.
"The opponents are the Warhammer Pirates, all members of whom have bounties exceeding 10 million. The captain carries a bounty of 8 million beli, and the vice-captain has a bounty of 5 million."
"Forget it, I better make a run for it on my own first. Otherwise, there might just be a pile of corpses waiting when the warship arrives."
After a quick assessment of the disparity between the two sides, he promptly resolved to take the initiative alone. The speed of the warship was still slower from his personal mobility.
As soon as he finished speaking, Atlas leaped directly from the deck, leaving everyone astonished!
...
The distinct fishy odor of blood permeated the sea area. The sea breeze blew gently, carrying waves of a nauseating smell into everyone's nostrils.
Corpses littered the scene, the situation too tragic to describe. Fish attracted by the fishy smell rushed to feast on the bodies floating in the sea.
However, the casualties kept mounting.
"Hey! Tom, you pirates actually dare to attack the Marines? Aren't you afraid of our Marine's collective encirclement and suppression?"
Green was a bit angry, but his ire was directed more towards the pirate in front of him for provoking the Marines.
He is a lieutenant colonel of the Marine 16 branch. Today, he is guiding some recruits who have just joined the Marines to familiarize themselves with the patrol waters of their 16 branch. The troop configuration on the warship is typically for routine patrols. Who would have anticipated the sudden appearance of the more active Warhammer Pirates?
"Hahahaha! Perfect timing! After taking down you Marines, my bounty is going to skyrocket, isn't it?"
Tom was incredibly arrogant, hurling insults at Green while swinging the massive hammer in his hand.
----------
Bonus chapters for reaching 50 powerstones.
Read 35 chapters in advance in Patr*on: patr*on.com/Cosmic_Kaminari