After a moment of stalemate, Marco took action instantly, and the green flames in his hands continued to condense into a large number of phoenix tail feathers. Then the huge number of phoenix tail feathers formed a flaming fist in mid-air and attacked Atlas on the ground!
"Fire fist, I can do it too!"
Bakuhatsu Ken (Explosive fist)
Atlas swiftly enveloped his fist in a fiery cluster, the formidable explosive power momentarily held in check. His armament skillfully adjusted, and with a retreat of his right leg, a swift rotation of the hips ensued, culminating in a powerful punch unleashed!
Boom!
As the two explosive forces collided, the air rippled like waves on water. The intense impact crashed into Atlas's body like a forceful wave, yet Atlas's feet held firm to the ground, and his form remained steadfast, unmoved.
"It's becoming more and more frightening..."
As he concluded his words, Marco swiftly bent forward, diving down with a whirl of his wings, delivering a direct leg whip to Atlas's face.
Remaining composed, Atlas raised his right hand covered in haki, intercepting Marco's attack trajectory in advance. The two attacks collided with force.
Clang!
"It seems like this guy's Haki has strengthened again..."
Marco felt like a piece of ordinary steel colliding with refined steel, and the strong counter-shock force made his legs and feet hurt.
Observing Marco's movement, Atlas calmly adjusted his posture. As Marco's clawed foot approached, Atlas sidestepped with swift agility, avoiding the direct hit to his chest.
Fushichō no Tsume (Phoenix Claw)
Tekkai Kurosuhantingu (Iron body Cross Hunting)
Boom!
The clash between Marco's haki-infused claws and Atlas's crossed arms resulted in a brief standoff. After a few moments, they both slid back, maintaining a tense distance.
Atlas remained composed, taking only a few steps back, while Marco, affected by the clash, slid backward for dozens of meters, highlighting the apparent difference in their strengths.
"Not bad, it seems that your strength has improved recently, Marco!"
Atlas couldn't help but feel a bit surprised, and upon reflection, it made sense. Marco was currently experiencing rapid growth in strength. After enduring Atlas's continuous challenges for such a long period, it would be unreasonable if he didn't make any progress. Furthermore, considering the peak strength per capita in the pirate world is generally reached in one's fifties, Marco, being relatively young, still has considerable room for growth.
"Well, I'm not a lazy either..."
Marco scratched his head and chuckled.
Over the past six months, Atlas has engaged in numerous battles with Marco, giving him an intimate understanding of Marco's abilities. While the regenerative blue flames bestowed upon Marco by his Phoenix Fruit lack the typical damaging properties of ordinary flames and primarily serve a healing function, when employed against an enemy, they still possess the capacity to burn away the opponent's vitality.
Healing the opponent is an impractical notion, and Marco, being a mythical Zoan user, boasts typical features of it—sturdy skin, thick flesh, an extensive health pool, and the formidable regenerative prowess derived from his blue flames. While his attack methods may be somewhat limited, his resilience is truly remarkable!
Hence, Marco primarily relies on physical prowess in combat, akin to Atlas prior to obtaining the Dragon Talisman. He embodies the style of a rogue player.
After numerous skirmishes, despite both appearing somewhat disheveled, their auras remained unscathed, and neither exhibited any signs of exhaustion.
"Marco...try this trick of mine!"
Upon uttering those words, Atlas's pupils quivered, and a potent aura erupted from his body. The surrounding vegetation cowered and exhibited signs of cracking under the overwhelming force.
Conqueror's Haki!
In the original, the only individual acknowledged for wielding Conqueror's Haki to inflict physical harm is none other than the red-haired Shanks!
And now, Atlas can achieve the same effect with the blessing of the Sheep Talisman. Yes, the Sheep Talisman is the talisman that he has only recently activated. As he anticipated, the primary function of the Sheep Talisman is to enhance the soul. For him, the most significant effect of using the Sheep Talisman is the noticeable expansion of the range of Observation haki, along with the strengthening of Conqueror's Haki.
After the battle with Katakuri, Atlas was already on the verge of predicting the future, and the Sheep Talisman just helped him open that door.
The main ability of the Sheep Talisman in the original work is that it can separate the user's spirit from their body, similar to the memories from Atlas's previous life. The capability to separate the spirit indicates a potent soul, involving mysterious and arcane spiritual power.
In the pirate's power system, Conqueror's Haki represents one's will, and Observation Haki is an extension of the spirit, often referred to as the sixth sense. However, neither the spirit nor the will can be separated from the fundamental soul. (A/N: This is nonsense from me, just treat it as my second guess)
Marco's mind was struck by lightning. If Atlas's previous use of Conqueror's Haki was like a wooden hammer, this time it felt more like an iron hammer!
But Marco, being the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, quickly shook off the momentary stupor and regained his focus.
However, that momentary lapse in concentration proved to be Atlas's biggest vulnerability!
Bakuhatsu Ken Kudaku (Explosive Fist Shatter)
The punch, swift to the point of almost becoming a blur, struck Marco's body forcefully. Rapidly forming burnt black fist marks, the powerful impact propelled Marco even higher into the sky!
The intense pain instantly heightened Marco's spirit, and the robust regenerative blue flames enveloped his body. The previously searing wounds healed in an instant, and simultaneously, his entire form shifted into a beast, transforming into a mythical creature, a phoenix!
Phew!
A piercing cry resonated from the beak of Marco's beastly form, and the regenerative blue flames on his body burned even more intensely!
Fushichō no Kizashi (Phoenix Brand)
After healing from his injuries, Marco reverted to his human-animal form, unleashing a shock wave of potent energy that hit Atlas. The entire process unfolded seamlessly, leaving Atlas with no opportunity to react.
"Emission"
Atlas stood his ground, and the blood-red armament Haki clashed with Marco's Phoenix Brand, creating a shockwave in the process!
Boom!
It's unclear whether this is a unique ability of Marco's Phoenix Fruit. After Atlas's armament Haki dispersed most of the shockwave, the remaining force still struck Atlas!
Seimei Kikan Bushintai (Life Return Martial God Body)
Atlas's body expanded rapidly, and the five-meter-tall warrior god's form surged forward. With his formidable physique, he forcefully thrust his face into the 'Phoenix Brand'. The potent kinetic energy enabled him to maintain high speed and collide with Marco!
Bang bang bang!
Fist to fist, palm to palm!
The two engaged in a fierce battle without holding back. Atlas's high-quality armor, enveloping his entire body, provided him with the means to withstand direct attacks. On the other hand, Marco's body was continually engulfed in regenerative blue flames, healing the damage he sustained. While possessing the exceptional endurance of the phoenix beast species, it still couldn't match the resilience displayed by Atlas.
"Marco, if that's the extent of your abilities, your journey ends here!"
After they parted ways, Atlas leisurely unsheathed the Sandai Kitetsu from his waist...
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Bonus chapter for reaching power stone goal. The next chapter will be exiting, so come on readers, reach the other goals.
Read 35 chapters in advance in Patr*on: patr*on.com/Cosmic_Kaminari