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"Your graduation trial will take place at G-8 Fortress. The commanding officer there is Vice Admiral Jonathan."
"Though the outside world often says, 'G-8 is an oversized fortress with no real purpose,' don't underestimate Jonathan. Once you're there, make sure to learn as much as you can from him."
—Near Marineford, in the open sea—
A small Marine motorboat flew across the waters bearing the Marine emblem.
Steering it with visible boredom was Kanos Atlas, en route to G-8 Fortress — his assigned location for a three-month graduation trial.
Ordinarily, recruits participating in trials would be assigned to warships and transported in batches. But Atlas's case was special.
Since he had applied for early graduation on his own, the Marines wouldn't dispatch an entire vessel just for him.
Fortunately, Sengoku had full confidence in Atlas's strength and simply approved the use of a decommissioned Marine speedboat for his travel.
"Ugh! When the hell is this rust bucket getting to G-8 Fortress?!" Atlas groaned. Even if it was decommissioned, a Marine vessel shouldn't be this terrible, right?
With nothing else to do, Atlas casually picked up a nearby sea chart and began examining it.
It was drawn by the Marine mapping division — far more detailed than anything available on the civilian market.
After all, every Marine risked their life in the name of justice, and dangerous waters, an accurate sea chart could be a literal lifesaver.
"Hm… Water 7 is just past Enies Lobby. I might as well swing by and upgrade this junker," he thought to himself, pulling out the Eternal Pose to Water 7 that Zephyr had given him before departure.
Water 7 — the Marines' shipbuilding hub — was home to the world's greatest shipwrights.
Even many infamous pirate ships were built there. Though Atlas wasn't sure if the Sea Train had been completed yet, he was excited to find out.
Days passed slowly. Eventually, the outline of Water 7 began to come into view.
The city's main structure resembled a circular fortress, its architecture carrying a hint of Islamic design.
At the top sat a massive fountain, powered by unique sea currents that kept it in constant motion.
Seven huge waterways extended from the upper structure, allowing vessels of all kinds to sail in. Adjacent ports along each waterway offered places to dock.
Due to its importance, Water 7 was bustling, full of all sorts of people, honest and shady alike. Even wearing a Marine uniform here didn't make Atlas stand out much.
Of course, if any pirate was dumb enough to pick a fight, Atlas wouldn't mind adding a few more accomplishments to his service record.
But instead of entering through the main channels, Atlas followed Zephyr's advice and circled to Ship Scrap Island on the city's outskirts.
It was far more rundown than Atlas remembered. Piles of discarded materials and debris were everywhere, giving the place an abandoned, disorganised feel.
The infamous shipyard once known as Tom's Workers had been located here, but after Tom was exposed as the craftsman who built the Pirate King Gol D. Roger's ship, he was sentenced to death by the World Government.
Tom, however, had requested time to complete the Sea Train first, and the government agreed, even promising to revoke the sentence if the job was finished on time.
As Atlas stepped onto Ship Scrap Island, he was greeted by a shirtless teenager with spiky blue hair wearing only red briefs.
The boy, who looked to be about the same age, eyed Atlas's uniform warily.
"What do you want? We're not offering ship repair services right now," said Franky (formerly going by the name Cutty Flam), who didn't exactly have a favourable opinion of the World Government — Marines included.
"Oh? You calling the shots around here, kid? I'm looking for Tom." Atlas looked the boy up and down.
He had considered buying a new ship elsewhere, but he was broke. Maybe if Tom liked him, he'd help out.
"What do you want with Tom? He's not here," Franky replied, a flicker of panic on his face.
He was careful not to expose his identity as Tom's apprentice and hoped to send this Marine away.
"Well, I was hoping Tom could help me modify my ship. His apprentice would be fine too," Atlas replied, giving Franky a meaningful glance that made the latter stiffen.
"…Alright, fine! I'm Tom's proud disciple — Franky!" Seeing through his disguise, Franky dropped the act. "But we don't have time to upgrade your ship!"
Franky wasn't trying to be difficult. Tom was currently busy building the Sea Train, and Franky was helping him. It was a matter of life and death — Tom's life — and while Tom himself didn't seem to care, his apprentices certainly did.
"Ahhh, alright then. Sorry to bother you, kid." Atlas shrugged. He wasn't the type to push others into doing something they didn't want.
Since Franky had refused him directly, he'd try another way. Maybe some generous pirate would be willing to help fund his repairs, he mused with a dry chuckle.
"Wait a minute, Marine boy. I'll upgrade your ship."
Just as Atlas turned to leave, a deep voice called out from behind Franky.
Atlas narrowed his eyes and examined the newcomer — a blue-purple-haired man with a stubbled chin and a dirtied shipwright's uniform.
Peeking from his pocket was a stark white mouse-shaped emblem — an odd contrast to the rest of his rugged look. What a weird combo, Atlas thought.
"Iceburg…" Franky muttered, confused about why Iceburg had shown up. He had almost successfully sent this Marine packing.
"Hello. I'm Iceburg, Tom's apprentice." Without waiting for questions, Iceburg extended his rough, calloused hand toward Atlas.
"I'm Kanos Atlas, Captain of the Marine Headquarters," Atlas replied, shaking Iceburg's hand without hesitation.
He waited for an explanation, curious about this man's sudden offer.
"Tch," Franky scoffed from the side, unimpressed by the "Captain" rank.
Atlas didn't mind. He figured his official promotion would come after he completed this mission and reported back to HQ.
"Captain Atlas, I'll upgrade your ship for free. But I want one thing in return," Iceburg said plainly, ignoring Franky's scowl.
"Oh? Do tell." Atlas raised an eyebrow. What could a Marine Captain possibly do for them?
People like Tom usually dealt with top-tier clients like the World Government or Pirate King Roger.
"If… one day, we're no longer around, I want you to look after Franky." Iceburg's voice was calm but resolute.
"Hey! What the hell, Iceburg?! What are you even talking about?!" Franky protested, clearly annoyed.
"Why entrust that kind of thing to a low-ranking Marine like me?" Atlas was impressed by Iceburg's foresight and caution.
Even though the government had pardoned Tom, Iceburg didn't trust them completely.
"Because you carry the aura of a true warrior."
"Oh? That so? Then I'll leave the ship to you. I'll be back in three days to pick it up.
But let me say this now — I'm a Marine."
Without waiting for a response, Atlas turned and walked away. He needed to find a place to stay while his ship was being worked on.
"Like I need a self-important guy like you looking after me!!" Franky's flustered voice trailed off behind him.
—Three days later—
Back at Ship Scrap Island, Atlas returned as promised. Franky wasn't there, and neither he nor Iceburg brought up that past conversation.
It was a man's agreement — and Iceburg trusted Atlas to honour it.
"Come on. Your ship's in the same spot as before," Iceburg said, getting straight to the point.
When Atlas saw the finished product, he was stunned. It looked nothing like the old wreck. Painted pure white, the newly-upgraded ship resembled a mini-yacht.
Its layout hadn't changed — one bedroom and a storage area — but the exterior was worlds apart from the original.
Still, Atlas didn't notice any major change in the propulsion system, so he turned and gave Iceburg a questioning look.
"Your ship is too small for a new engine. So I installed a few Impact Dials on the rear,"
Iceburg explained.
"But keep in mind, the ship's materials aren't sturdy enough to withstand prolonged use of the dials."
Noticing Atlas's puzzled look, Iceburg continued, "Impact Dials come from the White Sea of Skypiea. They're rare down here in the Blue Sea and quite expensive."
"No problem. I only need the ship to get me to G-8 Fortress anyway," Atlas waved it off. If the thing broke down after that, it didn't matter.
"Oh, right. What's the top speed?"
"It can reach up to seventy knots per hour."
"So fast?!" Atlas was genuinely surprised.
Seventy knots per hour was equivalent to roughly 129 kilometres per hour, which meant this small speedboat could reach speeds of 129 km/h.
That was insanely fast for a vessel of its size. With a boat like this, he'd arrive at G-8 in no time.
Just as expected, sharpening the blade doesn't delay the chopping of wood. Spending a few days in Water 7 had paid off.
"Iron Fortress G-8!~"
"Pirates better not even think about approaching it!~"
"188 cannons aimed straight at you!~"
"The peacekeeping porcupine!~"
"Our proud G-8!~"
After several days at sea, Kanos Atlas finally arrived at G-8 Fortress. He had to admit — the modifications on his boat were truly excellent.
He reached his destination far sooner than expected. Even before entering the fortress, he could hear loud singing echoing across the waters.
What a… unique base this is, Atlas thought with amusement. From the front, G-8 truly lived up to the name fortress.
It was built upon a circular island, with steel watchtowers and military structures dotting the landscape.
The ringed structure had only one entrance — a massive iron gate that sealed the passage. Once you entered, there was no getting out easily.
In the original story, Luffy only escaped thanks to a hefty dose of the protagonist's luck.
Aside from its near-impenetrable terrain, the entire fortress was tightly secured, with military personnel stationed at almost every corner.
Over a hundred cannons were mounted on its iron-clad walls, emitting an intimidating aura.
Atlas couldn't confirm if the song lyrics were accurate about exactly 188 cannons, but it fit the reputation of a Marine branch starting with a "G".
"Hey! I'm Kanos Atlas, a recruit from Marine Headquarters! Fleet Admiral Sengoku sent me here to undergo my graduation trial from the recruit training camp!"
Atlas stood on the speedboat and shouted up to the patrolling Marines above.
"Huh? I'll go report it right away!"
The sentry Marine, hearing Sengoku's name, didn't dare delay. He rushed off to inform his superiors, though he didn't immediately open the gate.
This was a direct-command base under Marine HQ — they weren't about to throw open their defences just because someone said a few names.
Before long, a large man with a rugged face appeared at the top of the fortress. He wore a Marine cap and a white coat of justice draped over his shoulders.
He looked slightly flustered, rushing up to the edge of the fortress until half of his body nearly leaned over the barrier — Atlas half-worried the guy might fall.
"Hey! Are you Captain Kanos Atlas?!"
"That's me. Please open the gate and allow me in," Atlas replied coolly.
Rumble!
Creeeeak—!
The giant steel gate slowly rose out of the seawater, creating a path just wide enough for Atlas's speedboat to pass through.
"Welcome, Captain Atlas! I'm Drake, a Lieutenant stationed here at the fortress. If you need anything, feel free to come to me — Zephyr-sensei gave me personal instructions to assist you."
Drake studied the young man in front of him with a mix of admiration and disbelief. Is this the same 'monster' Zephyr said could rival a Vice Admiral?
Thinking of himself in comparison, Drake couldn't help but feel like all his years had been wasted, like he'd lived his entire life for nothing.
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