"Hey! Are you ready to make a move now?"
World gazed at the youthful Marine before him with a serious expression, and a grin formed on his face, exposing his incomplete front teeth.
Very young—that was the initial impression.
The presence was undeniably potent, a fact World couldn't ignore.
Boom--! ! !
Atlas remained silent, but his robust thighs suddenly surged with strength, propelling World away. He came to a halt only when his back met the shattered cabin.
"Quite the strength."
World massaged his wrist and casually tossed aside the Byojack resting on his shoulder, a fierce expression etched on his face.
"But I'm not sure if you'll remain this strong later."
Facing Atlas, he hesitated to exert the same level of force as he had against Enel. The Byojack on his shoulders would only be a hindrance.
"World..."
Byojack was cast aside, staring at World's towering figure with vacant eyes.
"Do you truly want to fight? Have you forgotten our original dream? And the true purpose of constructing this ship..."
World didn't turn around. A sudden scene flashed in his mind, along with those words.
[It's better to retreat for now; we can't save World anymore...]
"Ha~~ Such a thing has never existed before, and—"
"Do you believe you can escape now if you wish?"
Having said that, World abandoned Byojack and advanced toward Atlas on the opposite side.
Atlas glanced at the pitiful Enel.
From the indentation on his chest, it was apparent that several ribs and the sternum were fractured. Despite that, his heart continued to beat vigorously, a clear result of his enhanced fruit ability. (T/N: He can keep his heart beating by doing Defibrillation, like providing jolts of current to start his heart.)
Considering the speed and force unleashed in that instant, merely surviving was an impressive feat.
Even though Enel had honed his skills, his body couldn't react in time, and he took the punch head-on.
"Now you understand the vastness of the sky?"(T/N: Power gap)
Atlas shook his head, chuckled, and numerous green light particles materialized, enveloping Enel.
Swish——! ! !
The injury healed instantaneously, and Enel rose energetically once more, fixing his gaze on the approaching World.
"Once more!"
"Bring it on. Your strength is just right for practicing my moves."
Atlas didn't leave him any room to resist. With a casual gesture, an unseen force lifted Enel effortlessly, sending him towards the White Feng without any opposition.
"——?!!"
World, witnessing the entire process of Enel's injury healing, stood there in shock, his expression one of disbelief.
What on earth just happened?
Wasn't Byojack adamant that this guy isn't an fruit user?
Initially, he had assumed that the peculiar ability mentioned by Byojack might be some kind of martial arts technique. However, observing the scene before him, World realized he was mistaken.
He was way off, and way off the mark.
Isn't this a fruit ability? ? !
"More More Hyakubai Soku (More More Hundredfold Speed)!!"
World was no stranger to combat. Despite being a tad surprised, he was only momentarily stunned before unleashing a fierce offensive against Atlas.
Stab! ! !
The obsidian fist sliced through the air violently, emitting a harsh sound reminiscent of tearing fabric. The punch's formidable wind struck Atlas hard across the face.
Then...
Pierced through! ! !
"Afterimage?!!"
World reacted instantly, ducked, and rolled to the side with the agility of a seasoned warrior.
Boom! !
A violent burst of air echoed, creating a vacuum where World had just been. Atlas's massive fist suddenly appeared in that vacant spot.
"Nice speed, but unfortunately... I'm not Enel."
Atlas slowly retracted his fists, undergoing a drastic transformation. He stood taller, his muscles contracting and swelling, while his beard and hair grew. The black and red Armament Haki enveloped his body, tracing out mysterious patterns.
Bushintai (Martial God body)
"Armament Haki covering the full body? What a foolish move."
World wore a look of disdain.
Is this guy so afraid of death? Resorting to covering his entire body with armament haki?
"I'm not like old folks like you, gasping for breath after just a few steps."
Atlas's eyes burned with intensity, giving his dark countenance a somewhat sinister appearance.
The formidable force brought by a hundred times the speed did make this guy somewhat arrogant, but the corresponding physical strain and energy consumption were immense.
In the original account, this guy ultimately succumbed when his physical strength ran out.
Clearly, employing the More-More Fruit equated to wielding a potent force not inherently yours, and it undeniably demanded a considerable toll.
"Kid, I heard you took down that Whitebeard guy. Was it thanks to your sharp tongue?"
World gradually rose to his feet, brushing off the dust. His gaze bore a sinister edge.
Yet, beneath the outward calm, his heart was anything but tranquil.
Despite using a hundredfold increase in speed, he still only managed to strike the opponent's afterimage. There were only two plausible explanations.
Either the other party's observation haki can predict the future, allowing him to evade the attack directly.
Or... he was faster than him.
If it were the former, it could be manageable, as even the ability to foresee the future required a calm execution, leaving room for flaws.
However, if it was the latter, that posed a more challenging situation.
"I'm surprised. With your strength, I could have apprehended you over twenty years ago without resorting to any tricks at all. I don't know why it took both Sengoku and Garp to defeat you?"
Atlas sneered, sensing the opponent's speed from a moment ago.
It was undoubtedly swift, though not extraordinary. It likely approached the speed of Kizaru.
Even with a hundredfold increase, it revealed that his inherent capabilities were just about average.
Moreover, the body's strength was intimately tied to Haki, indicating that this guy's proficiency in Haki wasn't particularly impressive either.
"Sengoku? Garp? Those two cunning fellows!"
Upon hearing these names, World clenched his teeth in frustration.
Over twenty years ago, during that conflict, his perception of the world underwent a complete overhaul.
Deceptive and deceitful.
Now, all he yearns for is to exact revenge on the world and make it comprehend his wrath—the fury of the [World Destroyer]!!
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