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"By the way, Sakazuki, now that you're back at headquarters for a break, I'd like to recommend a recruit to you."
Sengoku suddenly remembered that Kanos Atlas was nearing the end of his graduation trial. It was the perfect time to assign him to Akainu's ship.
"Kanos Atlas?"
"You know him?" Sengoku asked in surprise. Akainu had just returned—how did he already know about the kid? Was Atlas really that famous?
"Yeah. Jonathan mentioned him to me."
Akainu's reply was blunt and to the point. He'd already asked Vice Admiral Jonathan to check where Atlas wanted to be stationed after graduation.
Through those conversations, Akainu had learned more about the rising Marine. Truth be told, Atlas's methods suited his tastes well.
When it came to pirates, no mercy was the only answer!
"That's great. I was hoping you could take him aboard your ship for a while after graduation."
"No problem."
"Since you'll still be at HQ for a bit, just take him with you to the New World when you return."
The setting sun painted the horizon blood-red as a standard Marine warship sailed across the open sea.
The low sunlight cast a long shadow behind the ship, darkening the deep blue waters below...
"Achoo!"
Atlas suddenly sneezed in the middle of an animated chat with Rear Admiral Tokikake, causing him to look around in confusion.
Is someone talking about me behind my back?
Tokikake had a gift for conversation. In just a few short exchanges, the two were already calling each other "brother" and were a blood oath away from becoming sworn allies.
"Oi, oi, Atlas, my man, you sure your body's okay?" Tokikake teased him with a lascivious grin. "I was thinking of taking you to check out a pleasure ship, y'know?"
Atlas rolled his eyes. Not only does this guy look sleazy, but he acts the part, too.
"Aren't you still chasing after Rear Admiral Gion? And you're still visiting brothels? With that behaviour, you won't win her over in a hundred years."
"Eh? And how does that interfere with my deep, passionate love for Gion?" Tokikake replied, absolutely serious.
"Ugh… whatever, do what you want, Tokikake-nii."
"By the way, Tokikake-nii, are we heading straight back to Marineford?"
"Nah, not yet. First, we're stopping by Impel Down to drop Crocodile off. Then we'll return to HQ."
Impel Down stood like a colossal tower submerged into the sea, its base resting deep in the ocean floor.
Located in the Calm Belt, the prison was surrounded by massive Sea Kings.
Its walls were fortified with sea prism stone powder, both to ward off Sea King attacks and to suppress Devil Fruit users.
The Chief Warden of Impel Down held a rank equivalent to a Marine Fleet Admiral, as the prison was one of the three leading institutions of the World Government alongside the Marines and Enies Lobby.
If Marineford inspired fear in pirates, then Impel Down was something far worse.
It was a place pirates dared not even speak of for those who pursued so-called "freedom," being imprisoned here until death was far more terrifying than death itself.
Notably, the current chief warden was not yet Magellan, the future poison-based Devil Fruit user who would nearly shatter Blackbeard's ambitions.
At this point, Magellan was only the Deputy Warden. Tokikake and Atlas led Crocodile off the ship and approached the imposing prison gates, guarded heavily on all sides.
"Don't underestimate Impel Down," Tokikake said with a proud grin. "Once a pirate gets in here, they don't come out."
"Hehehe... funny," Crocodile sneered from the side. "I heard a certain big-name pirate escaped a few years back. That legendary record's already broken."
"You think you're Gold Lion Shiki?" Tokikake snapped back. "Even he had to cut off both his legs to get out of here—and he used to rival Roger himself."
Just then, the trio reached the main entrance.
"WELCOME! TO MY IMPEL DOWN - THE GRAND PRISON!"
A rotund man with a pharaoh-style headdress and a standard Marine trident shouted theatrically before suddenly clutching his head.
"Ah! Oops! I almost exposed my ambitions again!"
The man beside him—a devilish figure with horns and dark wings—covered his face in embarrassment.
"I'm Deputy Warden Magellan," he said. "And this is Chief Guard Hannyabal. Welcome to Impel Down."
"Pleasure," Tokikake nodded. "This here's our rising star—Kanos Atlas."
"Right this way. We'll secure Crocodile in Eternal Hell. The warden is tied up with other matters, so we'll be your hosts for now."
Eternal Hell? Atlas frowned slightly, trying to recall.
Magellan nodded. "Eternal Hell is Level 6 of Impel Down. Only the most heinous pirates are imprisoned there. Crocodile should feel honoured."
As they walked inside, Atlas scanned his surroundings. The prison was dimly lit, every corner under constant surveillance via Den Den Mushi. At every level, he could hear the screams and pleas of prisoners.
"Anyone there? Let me out! I'll tell you where I buried my treasure! All of it! Just get me out! I was framed! I swear!"
"Don't be fooled," Magellan said to Atlas, frowning. "They were all vicious criminals on the outside."
"Don't worry. I'm not the soft-hearted type," Atlas replied with a grin. "There's hardly a pirate who's survived a fight with me."
Suddenly, a scream echoed from a nearby shadow.
A tall man with a cigar clenched in his mouth and a wide jaw stepped out from the darkness, casually wiping blood from his blade.
"Hmph... Shiryu! You're murdering prisoners again?" Magellan glared at the man.
This wasn't the first time Shiryu had slaughtered inmates. Magellan was disgusted with his conduct.
"What? Just trash," Shiryu said flatly. "No need to get worked up, Magellan."
"You—!" Magellan clenched his fists, but couldn't lash out with Tokikake and Atlas present. Swallowing his anger, he introduced the man:
"This is Shiryu of the Rain, Deputy Chief Guard."
He then turned to Shiryu. "This is Rear Admiral Tokikake and our promising newcomer, Kanos Atlas."
"Swordsman?"
Before Magellan could continue, Shiryu's cold eyes locked onto Atlas's Sandai Kitetsu at his waist. His expression flickered, brows twitching slightly.
"Spar with me?"
"Hm?" Atlas narrowed his eyes. He could sense the bloodlust coming off Shiryu in waves. The environment of Impel Down warped this man's mind.
"Shiryu, ENOUGH!" Magellan roared.
"Tch—just a joke, no need to shout," Shiryu muttered, backing off.
Before vanishing into the shadows, he cast one last sneer at Hannyabal. "Useless."
"Oi! I'm your superior, dammit!" Hannyabal shrieked, but Shiryu was already gone.
Magellan, flustered and red-faced, turned to the others. "Apologies… that was embarrassing."
"Hahaha! It's fine, it's fine," Tokikake said smoothly. "Working in a place like this, it's no wonder personalities get... unique."
"This is our specialised lift system," Magellan continued, gesturing to a massive elevator. "It's how we reach the various levels. We're headed to Level 6: Eternal Hell."
Moments later, they descended to the prison's lowest floor.
Unlike the chaos above, Level 6 was eerily silent. The prisoners here didn't scream or beg. They sat in quiet stillness, eyes dull but fixed directly on the newcomers.
Their sheer presence would've made most people tremble.
But not Atlas.
He was a man striving to become the world's strongest, and even without awakened Conqueror's Haki, his sheer will radiated dominance.
Magellan stood tall—he'd one day become a Fleet Admiral-level force. Tokikake was a future Admiral candidate.
As for Hannyabal...
"I'm... I'm the Chief Warden of Impel Down!" he muttered, legs shaking. "Oops! I let my ambitions slip again!"
The others ignored him. They'd long become immune to his antics.
Once Crocodile was secured, Tokikake and Atlas declined Magellan's dinner invitation and departed swiftly, sailing back toward Marineford.
Marineford, Impel Down, and Enies Lobby formed a triangle of strategic defence.
.....
The distances between them weren't far, so it didn't take long for the Marine warship to return to Marine Headquarters.
Knock knock knock knock—
"Come in!"
As Tokikake and Atlas pushed open the door, they both paused.
Behind the desk sat the familiar figure of Fleet Admiral Sengoku—with his trademark frog-shaped glasses and braided beard—but today there was someone else as well.
Seated in the guest chair was a tall, imposing man, chewing on a cigar and wearing a Marine cap.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Vice Admiral Akainu!" Both Tokikake and Atlas saluted in unison.
"Crocodile has been successfully imprisoned in Impel Down?" Sengoku paused his conversation with Akainu and asked, turning his attention to the two officers.
"Reporting in, Fleet Admiral Sengoku! The prisoner, Crocodile, has been securely locked up in Impel Down!"
"Excellent. But do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused me, brat?"
After casting an approving glance toward Tokikake, Sengoku turned and sternly scolded Atlas.
The World Government had just established the Shichibukai system, and the Marines had already gone and arrested one, without solid evidence.
It was a blatant slap in the face to the Government. Sengoku had borne the full brunt of the Five Elders' fury.
"Still… well done, Atlas!"
Just as quickly as he'd turned cold, Sengoku's face brightened with a grin. He gave Atlas a generous nod of approval. The sudden mood shift left Atlas dumbfounded.
"You flatter me, sir. I was only doing my duty," Atlas said humbly.
"That's right," Akainu added, his voice low and iron-hard. "Striking down pirates is the justice of the Marines."
But then his expression darkened, and a wave of killing intent seemed to sweep through the room.
"Your greatest mistake this time… was not killing Crocodile when you had the chance!"
Atlas smiled and didn't argue. If he had killed Crocodile, Sengoku wouldn't have just been "troubled."
"Enough. Atlas, your performance in this graduation assessment was outstanding. Marine Headquarters has decided to award you with a medal of commendation. The ceremony will take place in the next few days—be ready."
"Yes, sir!"
"Now, about your post-graduation assignment—what's your preferred station?"
"Reporting in, Fleet Admiral Sengoku! I'll go wherever you need me most."
"Very good," Sengoku nodded. "Once the medal ceremony is complete, you'll join Akainu on his mission to the New World."
"You sure about that?" Akainu asked in a grim tone.
"The New World is filled with monsters. This won't be anything like the petty scraps you've faced in Paradise. If you slip up even once, you won't return."
"Heh… the pirates in Paradise are too weak," Atlas said, grinning confidently.
"I'm going to become the strongest man in the world, after all! First, I'll let Whitebeard live a little longer… until I'm strong enough to tear him off that throne!"
He laughed boldly, without a trace of fear. Akainu's eyes flashed with a glimmer of approval.
"Not bad… strong conviction and the right mindset. I've heard your skills aren't bad either. Let's see if you're truly worthy to serve on my ship!"
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach top 100)
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