The surging wave of Conqueror’s Haki crashed forward like a tsunami.
Atmos, who was descending with both blades raised, froze for a moment before letting out a scornful snort.
"Kid, don’t tell me you don’t even know what Conqueror’s Haki is."
"That’s just naïve."
BOOM!
The moment the words left his mouth...
Atmos felt as if he’d slammed headfirst into an invisible wall of steel.
Before his twin swords could even fall...
The overwhelming Haki shockwave crashed into him with unstoppable force.
It was as though an enormous invisible hand had swatted him away.
Right before everyone’s eyes...
He was blasted backward.
His body shot through the air like a cannonball.
Over a hundred meters away...
The pirates aboard another ship stared in horror.
Was this really the Conqueror’s Haki they knew?
Before they could even rush to save him...
Their pirate ship was overturned by the shockwave as well.
Only after they managed to steady themselves did they discover...
Atmos had been hurled straight into the sea.
Had this happened on land...
A Division Commander like Atmos wouldn’t have cared.
But this...
Was the ocean.
For a Devil Fruit user...
It was a nightmare.
Seeing Atmos disappear beneath the waves...
Every pirate immediately tensed.
Hale’s expression changed dramatically as he shouted,
"Hurry!"
"Save Commander Atmos!"
"I’ll hold off the Marine Admiral!"
Hundreds of pirates instantly snapped out of their daze.
Everything that had just happened...
Had taken barely a minute or two.
They had assumed this so-called paper tiger of a Marine Admiral...
Would be crushed the instant Atmos made his move.
Instead...
Their understanding of reality had been completely overturned.
Their highly respected commander...
Had been blown away in a single exchange.
If they hadn’t witnessed it themselves...
No one would have believed it.
More importantly...
That Haki...
It had produced actual physical destructive force.
Was that really Conqueror’s Haki?
Could someone still call him a paper tiger after this?
"You should stop staring at me."
Lucas dispersed the Haki surrounding him before taking another sip of his liquor.
"Hurry up and save him."
"If he drowns..."
"Who’s going to take me to Whitebeard?"
The gathered pirates froze.
They had thought he was joking earlier.
They hadn’t expected him to be completely serious.
Was he really trying to deliver himself to Whitebeard?
Still...
With Atmos sinking beneath the sea...
None of them dared waste any more time.
Since Lucas wasn’t pursuing the attack...
They immediately plunged into the water to rescue their commander.
A minute or two later...
Atmos, now back in his human form, was hauled onto the deck.
Soaked from head to toe...
He no longer looked like the dignified Thirteenth Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Instead...
He lay sprawled across the deck, gasping desperately for breath.
The helplessness he’d experienced beneath the sea...
Had been nothing short of a nightmare.
Looking at Lucas...
Who still stood calmly at the bow, leisurely drinking his liquor...
Without having personally thrown a single punch from beginning to end...
Atmos’ expression changed repeatedly before he finally spoke through gritted teeth.
"Fine..."
"So you’re the Marines’ new Admiral."
"This time..."
"I believed the rumors and underestimated you."
"That’s why I suffered such a humiliating defeat..."
"And got blasted straight into the sea."
"I, Atmos, carry Whitebeard’s honor upon my shoulders."
"I don’t know why you’re so determined to see Pops..."
"But since you’ve won..."
"I’ll make an exception and take you to him."
"However..."
"I have to warn you."
"I’m only responsible for leading you there."
"Whether you live or die is your own business."
"If Pops decides to kill you..."
"I won’t hesitate to fight you myself."
"Your warship can remain no closer than one nautical mile."
"You still have the chance to leave."
"Once you stand before Pops..."
"If you dare insult the dignity of a Yonko..."
"Death will be your only outcome."
Gion and Chaton immediately became anxious.
Before either of them could speak...
Lucas smiled and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses.
"Don’t worry."
"Since I came here to meet Whitebeard..."
"I’ve already prepared myself."
"As for offending a Yonko..."
"This isn’t my first time."
"I’ve got a little experience."
Not his first time offending a Yonko?
Atmos blinked.
His subordinate Hale hurriedly poked him in the back and stammered,
"Commander Atmos..."
"L-look over there!"
"Behind the Marine warship..."
"There’s another, smaller pirate ship."
"The flag they’ve taken down..."
"Looks like the Beast Pirates’ flag."
"Don’t tell me..."
"This new Admiral went out on his very first mission..."
"And already stirred up trouble with another Yonko crew?"
Atmos quickly looked over.
The moment he spotted Sheepshead, tightly bound like a rice dumpling on the deck...
His pupils contracted sharply.
Only now did he understand...
Why Lucas had been bold enough to demand an audience with Whitebeard from the very beginning.
Because...
He had already kidnapped someone from another Yonko crew.
Compared to that...
Meeting a Yonko personally wasn’t nearly as outrageous.
Thinking back over everything that had happened...
An absurd thought suddenly surfaced in Atmos’ mind.
If I refuse...
Will he tie me up too?
Looking at Lucas’s harmless smile...
Atmos couldn’t help shivering.
"Alright."
"It’s getting late."
"I’m still in a hurry to get off work."
"I’ll ride your ship over."
"Gion..."
"You stay one nautical mile behind."
"If anything happens..."
"You’ll have an easier time running."
Lucas smiled, took another sip of liquor, and casually leapt onto Atmos’ ship.
He landed steadily only a short distance away from Atmos.
That single action instantly put every pirate and Marine on edge.
Yet...
Seeing Lucas strolling leisurely across the deck...
Drinking his liquor as though he had no intention of attacking...
Everyone secretly let out a sigh of relief.
"As expected of a Marine Admiral."
Atmos finally recovered himself.
"That courage alone is worthy of respect."
On these seas...
Where the strong ruled over the weak...
Strength always earned respect.
After hesitating for a moment...
Atmos couldn’t help asking,
"But there’s something I still don’t understand."
"Why are you willing to risk your life just to meet Pops?"
"Is this some critically important Marine mission?"
In Atmos’ eyes...
Marines and pirates stood on opposite sides.
But both fought for the ideals they believed in.
That was why...
Lucas’s willingness to risk his life to meet Whitebeard...
Had earned his respect.
Lucas shook his head.
"No."
"A mission by itself isn’t worth wasting my time on."
"I’m doing all of this..."
"For a 10-million-Berry performance bonus."
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus Chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus Chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 Chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789