"Aramaki?"
Admiral Atlas struggled to recall this name.
The answer was no!
How could such a powerful individual be unknown? In his limited memory, this man had never appeared.
"You are strong."
It didn't matter if they hadn't met before. After a fight, the truth would be revealed. Atlas's eyes were filled with fighting spirit, eager to test his mettle.
A trace of malevolence flashed across Aramaki's face as he bit off the cigarette in his mouth, "You are also very strong!"
In an instant, the air and energy clashed, creating invisible waves around them.
Atlas moved swiftly, the ground rippling like tank tracks. He relocated the fallen people to safety and ordered the Marines hiding nearby to take care of them.
Controlling precise Conqueror's Haki strikes was a skill he had mastered long ago.
These guys are in a coma now. If they got caught in the aftermath of the battle and died in their sleep, Fleet Admiral Sengoku would be furious.
Aramaki silently observed Atlas's actions, speculating on his fruit ability.
Although he had been watching this man for a while, what he admired most was Atlas's ruthless behavior towards pirates. He hadn't put much effort into studying Atlas's complex abilities.
crash!!
After completing everything, Atlas finally focused on Aramaki again.
"Are you ready..."
Boom!!
The ground suddenly sank, fire burst out, and Atlas's figure vanished, reappearing behind Aramaki as an afterimage.
"You're fast, but...my Observation Haki is everywhere."
Without looking back, Aramaki slowly lit another cigarette.
Bang!!
With a heavy blow, a large foot stamped hard on Aramaki's back, making a dull impact.
The immense force penetrated his entire body, sending him flying.
"Is this what you're talking about?"
Atlas raised his foot and pulled off the blackened vines wrapped around it.
Clearly, this was Aramaki's doing.
As soon as he made his move, Atlas felt a strong pull but activated his Dragon Talisman, the resulting flames burning everything.
Although the explosion was its essence, the form was still flame, possessing all its properties.
Steadying himself, Aramaki's eyes narrowed, "You are indeed worthy of my recognition. Continue!"
As a plant-based fruit user, Aramaki could use plants to absorb nutrients and strengthen himself, but he couldn't change the nature of plants—they burned in fire.
But Aramaki didn't care. He had recognized Atlas as a worthy opponent and wasn't going to be deterred by small tricks.
Seeing this, Atlas was convinced.
The man before him was definitely the future Admiral Ryokugyu, the mysterious Admiral who hadn't been announced until after the time skip.
"Um?"
Suddenly, Atlas felt a soft touch under his feet as countless plants began to grow wildly. Flowers, plants, and vines instantly covered the area, creating a green ocean.
"What an interesting fruit ability..."
Lowering his eyebrows, the air suddenly became tense, and the temperature increased exponentially.
Boom!!
Flames erupted, and the explosion centered on Atlas, quickly engulfing the surroundings. A small mushroom cloud rose instantly, turning the entire island bright red.
The ability is indeed very powerful, but it is restrained by Atlas's Dragon Talisman. Unless Aramaki's strength is much higher, there's really nothing he can do against him.
In addition to him, Akainu's ability also restrains Aramaki.
Devil Fruits, the secret treasures of the sea, have a relationship of superiority and inferiority, as well as mutual restraint.
Of course, this restraint isn't absolute.
Powerful Haki can make up for this gap to a certain extent, and fruit development varies horizontally and vertically, so battles are ever-changing, and no one can win all the time.
"Since the fruit ability is useless, let's use pure physical skills!"
Aramaki wasn't angry at all, and a large number of vines began to wrap around his arms, like iron armor, shining with a cold light.
Setting aside his fruit abilities, his physical skills and swordsmanship are not lacking at all.
And when it comes to fruit development, he prefers auxiliary abilities, like blood recovery and control, which can yield good results.
Whoosh!!
Like an arrow from a bow, Aramaki's figure rushed towards Atlas instantly, creating huge air explosions under his feet.
It's somewhat similar to Soru, but rougher, with an extremely powerful burst of speed.
The strong men on the sea use the most direct physical skills, all learned through bloodshed.
Atlas dynamically captured what he saw and heard, and the world in his eyes slowed down. He raised his hand, clenched his fist, and hammered forward.
Boom!!
The terrifying release of power blasted the iron-like vines above Aramaki's fist into debris.
At the touch of a button, Armament Haki once again covered his fists as he aimed for Aramaki's face.
Boom!!
Clang! Clang! Clang!!
The sounds echoed like weapons being forged, as invisible air waves carried grass clippings and dust, spreading in all directions and leaving the area bare.
Wham!!
Muscles pulsating, veins popping in his arms, Atlas stepped forward, pulled his arms back, stretched his fascia to the limit, and punched.
The immense force traveled along his arm, directly hitting Aramaki's fist until the flesh flew, exposing dense white bones, and sending him flying backward.
"It hurts."
Aramaki bared his teeth at Atlas, and his fingers suddenly turned into five thick vines that penetrated the ground, seeking replenishing nutrients.
Although he had stored a large amount of nutrients in his body, they were only to maintain daily activities or cope with critical moments.
Soon, a large amount of vitality came from the vines, and the wounds on his fists healed rapidly.
In the forest not far away, beast corpses lay on the ground. In hidden corners, emerald green vines were inserted into the bodies, acting like transportation tubes, constantly stirring.
The animals' bodies shriveled up instantly, leaving only a layer of sebum wrapping the bones.
Atlas frowned slightly at Aramaki's actions.
This guy's fruit ability is a bit weird...
But it doesn't matter. When judging a person's character, it's never about whether their ability is evil or not.
In other words, power has never been divided into evil and justice; only people can be divided into good and evil.
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