"Hahahaha! Kid, you can't break through my defense!"
Jozi observed Atlas, who stood shirtless, clad in black and red haki, and slowly rose from the ground, shouting.
Atlas was left speechless. Despite surpassing Jozi in power with the Ox Talisman's blessing, it seemed like breaking through his diamond defense was as challenging as trying to dig through a stone pit—tough and unyielding.
"Yeah?"
Atlas formed gun-like shapes with his hands, a mocking smile playing on his lips, flames dancing on his fingertips.
Tobu Shigan Bakuhatsu(Flying Finger Gun Explosion)
Under Jozi's horrified gaze, Atlas's fingertips unleashed a potent wave of energy, striking Jozi's shimmering diamond body with force!
"puff!"
Jozu felt a sweet sensation in his throat, and his entire body was sent flying backward. A burst of scarlet appeared in his somewhat parched mouth, and the once gleaming diamonds on his body were suddenly shattered, covered in dense cracks.
"Hey hey hey! What the hell is this??! Are you possessed by Borsalino?"
Jozu was a bit bewildered. Everyone was engaged in a spirited fight, and then you suddenly dealt me such a blow. This left Jozu, who considered himself an honest individual, feeling deceived.
In the distance, Whitebeard's cloud cutter collided with Garp's iron fist once more, the tremendous impact continuing to erupt. It caused massive waves intermittently, rolling up countless fish and shrimp in its wake.
"Is Shigan so powerful?"
Garp, engrossed in his battle with Whitebeard, naturally took note of Atlas's actions. Observing the frightening explosive power, he wondered whether he had not mastered the Shigan technique.
"Gurarara... it's actually a hidden Devil Fruit power!"
Upon witnessing Jozi's sorry state, Whitebeard swiftly deduced that Atlas must possess Devil Fruit powers. After all, how could mere physical skills inflict this kind of damage?
"Hahahaha, Whitebeard, it appears your captain isn't doing too well!"
"What a good kid! It's a pity he doesn't want to be my son!" Whitebeard laughed. "Jozu, go find Thatch and teach that kid a lesson!"(T/N: He is the 4th Captain, the one who was killed by Blackbeard)
"No need! Dad, I was just a little careless just now! I'll never lose again this time!" Jozu suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. He had actually suffered consecutive losses at the hands of a kid.
"That's not necessarily true ~ Brother Jozu!"
At this moment, Atlas appeared as if possessed by Borsalino, the corners of his mouth upturned in a mocking grin!
"Marine brat! Enough with the nonsense!"
"Is that so? Yata no Kaga... Oops, my bad, just kidding! Tobu Shigan Bakuhatsu!"
Atlas leaped into the air, holding a gun in his hand, as countless bursts of explosive flames shot out in Jozu's direction.
I must say, this Dragon Talisman is quite user-friendly. It bears some resemblance to Borsalion's Glint-Glint Fruit ability, though it manifests as flames instead of lasers. However, its formidable explosive capability grants Atlas a broad range of area-of-effect abilities. Even though its activation time is short, its power is not to be underestimated.
As for breaking Jozu's defense, it was purely accidental. Firstly, Jozu didn't anticipate Atlas launching a sudden attack, and secondly, the Armament Haki wasn't fully covered, catching him off guard.
"Do you think I'm afraid of you! Marine brat!"
Jozu uttered harsh words while adding a layer of diamond defense to himself. He then employed Armament Haki to reinforce it, feeling reassured.
Boom boom boom!
Continuous explosions reverberated in Jozi's ears. In the end, he opted not to resist head-on. Instead, he relied on his agility to dodge the majority of the explosive flames, while a small portion employed his robust defense to directly withstand the onslaught.
"Ah ra ra, it's so scary! Brother Jozu!" Atlas mocked, imitating Borsalion's tone.
Jozu's forehead suddenly twitched, and he struggled to contain the anger welling up within him. He genuinely wanted to land a punch on that kid's face, deserving of a beating.
"Kid! I can't tolerate you any longer! Die!"
...
Borsalino, dressed in a suit with yellow and white stripes, sat in the office, occupying a chair. He held a pair of nail clippers, gazing intently at the nails on his fingers with a serious expression. Occasionally, he lifted his head to glance at the clock positioned on the nearby wall.
"Ah~choo~!"
Out of nowhere, Borsalino, sporting a wretched expression, let out a colossal sneeze. He couldn't help but scratch his itchy nose and grumbled to himself, "Seriously, who's talking about me? It's scaring me... Ah..."
...
"Well done! Take my iron fist!"
Atlas glanced at Jozu, who charged directly at him, and let out a menacing laugh. He elevated his toughened fist, colliding it with Jozu's chest!
Boom!
Another powerful explosion resonated from Atlas's hand. The immense force, coupled with the explosive impact, proved too overwhelming for Jozu to endure. His diamond-infused form, a product of his devil fruit ability, underwent a sudden transformation, turning pitch black. On his broad right arm, the clear imprint of Atlas's fist was unmistakably etched.
Fortunately, Jozu's proficiency in Armament Haki training proved effective, preventing a direct breach of his defense. While some cracks appeared on the surface, the influence of his devil fruit ability swiftly restored them to their original state.
Jozu couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened. The Marine kid facing him seemed to possess an array of formidable devil fruit abilities, capable of inflicting significant damage on his diamond-infused body. Without the protection of Armament Haki, the explosive power unleashed would have been truly terrifying. Enough to make anyone wary!
"Hey, Thatch! Get over here and lend a hand in restraining this Marine!"
Ultimately, Jozu couldn't evade the grasp of the Law of True Fragrance. Faced with the intimidating force of Atlas's explosive ability, those wary of it had no alternative but to seek assistance from Thatch, the captain of the squad.(T/N: Law of True Fragrance-catchphrase to mock someone who changes their opinion quickly.)
Thatch, who had been keeping an eye on Blackbeard on the opposite side, hesitated upon hearing Jozu's plea for assistance. After issuing a caution to Blackbeard, he swiftly made his way to Jozu.
While the Whitebeard Pirates don't officially rank teams based on strength, it's undeniable that Thatch's power falls significantly below that of Jozu.
"Hey, Marine kid, don't underestimate the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates!"
Thatch serves as a cook aboard Whitebeard's ship. He wields two swords, although it's unclear if he is officially recognized as a two-sword swordsman. Sporting a pompadour hairstyle, Thatch is often seen in a pristine white chef's uniform, and his stature appears to be on the shorter side.
"Hey, Thatch! I'll take care of the fight with him. You wait for the opportunity to strike!"
Jozu and Sachi exchanged a few words of strategy before engaging Atlas in combat. Their assessment of Atlas's formidable prowess heightened even further. Although his pure defense was not as good as his own, his attack, strength, and physique were all faintly overpowering him.
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