(T/N: Please consider reviewing this Fanfic, Thanks and appreciate all who support me)
(T/N: Enjoy!!)
<><><><><><>
The morning sun was gentle, not blinding, and the crashing waves tirelessly beat against the shore.
On a large boulder by the coast, Atlas sat shirtless, silently staring into the distance with a vacant gaze. His thoughts, however, were entirely consumed by his recent training.
Atlas had been practicing the Rokushiki for a while now. Though he had achieved a high level of proficiency, he had hit a bottleneck.
He had the techniques down, but his understanding of them was shallow.
No matter how much he trained, he couldn't unlock any of the advanced variations of the Rokushiki.
"What's the matter? Hit a wall with your Rokushiki training?"
Zephyr's office was far from luxurious—some might even call it austere. A plaque with the words Justice Without Killing hung on the wall behind him.
An old, worn-out couch stood off to the side, where Juzuo sat relaxed, his rugged face thoughtful, likely troubled by something related to the training camp.
Atlas sat upright across from Zephyr's desk, patiently waiting for an answer.
"Hmm... I see. Let's spar for a bit—let me gauge where you're at," Zephyr said after a moment's thought.
After all, there was no better way to evaluate one's progress than through actual combat.
"Understood. Thank you for the opportunity, Instructor Zephyr."
Atlas wouldn't dream of turning down a chance like this. To be coached directly by one of the Marine legends was something others could only dream of.
Juzuo, observing the situation from the side, raised an intrigued brow. He had been curious about Atlas's growth.
Just a few months ago, he couldn't defeat Atlas without using Armament Haki. The kid's monstrous strength and physique had left quite an impression.
"Instructor Zephyr, be careful!" Atlas warned as they squared off on the training grounds.
"Hahaha! You brat, hit me with everything you've got!" Zephyr bellowed, tossing his "Justice" cloak to Juzuo and revealing a body of rippling muscles.
Shave! Iron Fist!
With a sudden burst, Atlas charged forward, his right fist flying straight toward Zephyr's chest.
The power in his punch was so immense it seemed to roar through the air.
"Good!" Zephyr responded without flinching, meeting fist with fist. A thunderous boom erupted from their clash, kicking up dust around them.
"Again!" Atlas shook his slightly numb arm and charged again, full of fighting spirit.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Their ferocious exchanges rang out across the training grounds. The onlooking recruits could only gape in awe.
Though they knew Atlas was strong, witnessing him go toe-to-toe with Zephyr gave them a true sense of his power.
After all, Zephyr was the Black Arm Admiral! Even though he had retired early, his strength remained at its peak.
The recruits couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Was the gap between people this massive? (っ°Д °;)っ
Juzuo, watching their reactions, had a sudden realization. "Hahaha! That's the spirit!"
"Finger Gun!"
"Iron Body!"
Indeed, not all Iron Bodies were the same. Atlas's Finger Gun landed on Zephyr's body, but it felt like stabbing a sword into steel, barely breaking the skin.
"My turn, brat! Hahaha!" Zephyr chuckled as he playfully mocked Atlas, though his movements didn't pause for a second.
Life Return – Paper Art ! Shave!
Zephyr's towering 3.48-meter frame rapidly shrank, his muscles compressing like they had been forged by a hydraulic press—refined, dense, like tempered steel.
He became compact and powerful, then vanished before Atlas's eyes. He moved so fast that even Atlas's Observation Haki at full focus couldn't keep up.
Danger! Danger!
A shadow loomed behind Atlas. His Haki screamed at him to move, but before he could react, a massive iron fist came crashing down on his back.
Iron Fist: Warhammer!
Boom!
The blow slammed Atlas into the ground, carving a crater in the training yard shaped exactly like his body.
"Ow! Instructor Zephyr, you didn't hold back!" Atlas groaned as he pulled himself out of the pit.
To everyone's shock, he had only suffered minor tears in his clothes. The scratches on his face were already healing visibly, leaving pale scars behind.
What kind of terrifying body was this? Was he not a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user?
"I knew your body was tough, kid, but this is insane!" Zephyr laughed heartily, patting Atlas on the shoulder.
Atlas could only offer a helpless smile as the old man continued. "Instructor Zephyr, just now... was that your transformed state—"
"That's right. It's one application of Life Return."
"I also noticed your mastery of the Rokushiki is impressive. Your only limitation is a lack of time."
"If you want to grow faster, you'll need more real combat experience. That's how you'll internalize the Rokushiki."
"Ehhh, that's a problem..." Atlas looked troubled.
Though Zephyr was technically retired, he was still busy as the head instructor of the Marine recruit camp. He didn't have the time to train with him constantly.
As for the others in the camp... Atlas sighed to himself. They were just too weak—no challenge at all.
"Instructor Zephyr, I can spar with Kanos." Juzuo suddenly volunteered.
"Hmm?" Atlas was surprised. He had considered asking Juzuo, but figured the man would be too busy. Unexpected…
"But I need a favor in return, Kanos," Juzuo said, face darkening slightly with embarrassment.
So that's your plan, huh? Atlas inwardly chuckled. You big softie, acting all innocent when you're scheming like this? You've changed, Juzuo!
"I want you to help knock some sense into the Elite Class." Juzuo hesitated before continuing.
"Huh?" Atlas blinked in disbelief. Zephyr leaned in curiously.
"It's Smoker and the others. They've become too arrogant, thinking they can master all Juzou right away. I want you to 'teach' them a lesson."
Ah. Now it all made sense. Smoker and his group had ignored Juzuo's early warnings. But with no better way to handle them, this was Juzuo's last resort.
"Everyone, gather up! Today, I've arranged a sparring session to test your recent progress."
Juzuo said with a grin, his usual stern face wearing a surprisingly friendly smile. But to those who knew him, it looked ominous.
"Boss!" Of course, that was Grus.
"Big bro Atlas!?"
"Atlas?"
His three roommates were surprised. They hadn't seen much of him lately.
He was always the first to train and the last to return to the dorm—constantly busy. They barely had a chance to talk.
"No way, Instructor Juzuo! Are we just here to get beaten up?" Grus groaned.
As Atlas's roommate, he knew better than anyone how hard Atlas trained—and with his insane talent, his strength now must be far beyond their imagination.
Everyone else nodded in agreement—except for Hina. Her eyes gleamed with excitement. She'd been dying to test how far behind she was.
"No, you've misunderstood." Atlas shook his head. Smoker and the others paused. Misunderstood?
"The seven of you will challenge me. I'll only use two of the Rokushiki."
This was a bit of a trick—Atlas had only mastered Shave and Iron Body to perfection. The rest were still pretty average.
"What?"
Everyone's expression turned sour. Was he looking down on them? Sure, they might not beat him one-on-one, but seven against one? And he's still holding back?
They weren't stupid—they understood Juzuo's intent—but that didn't mean they liked it.
Looks like I'll need to let my fists do the talking, Atlas thought, getting into a battle stance.
Smoker and the others had no choice but to follow, their bodies tensed. If they lost this—even with a numbers advantage—it would not be very comfortable.
"Black Cage!"
Hina attacked first, her arms extending into black iron bars that quickly formed a prison around Atlas.
"White Blow!"
Smoker followed up, releasing dense smoke into the cage, trying to trap Atlas further.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Of course, Atlas wasn't going to sit there. His massive fists shattered Hina's black cage with ease.
But just as he broke free, a minotaur-like figure with bull horns and a nose appeared above him.
"Horn Thrust!"
The massive hoof came crashing down, slicing through the air with terrifying force. Even Juzuo, watching from the side, had to admit: their coordination was flawless.
"Devil Fruit user?" Atlas hadn't expected that among the eight of them, one would turn out to be a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user.
But Atlas wasn't someone to be underestimated either.
"Tekkai"
Clang! Herbert felt as though his sturdy hooves hadn't hit flesh, but an enormous bronze bell. A powerful recoil shot up his legs, sending a shiver down his spine.
He was a user of the Ox-Ox Fruit, Yak Model, a Zoan-type Devil Fruit that gave him immense physical strength and toughness—yet even in his half-beast form, he still couldn't match Atlas's raw power.
Atlas wasn't about to waste the brief opening Herbert gave him, even if it was just for a second.
"Tekkai Kenpo!"
A devastating punch erupted against Herbert's body, sending his beast-human form flying as if he were made of paper.
The others were stunned by the sight, but it wasn't enough to crush their morale.
Thankfully, with the Zoan-type's enhanced recovery, Herbert wasn't completely out of the fight—but he'd been forced to retreat, now only able to harass from the sidelines.
Another punch like that and he'd be done for.
"Iron Bind!"
Hina attempted to trap Atlas again using the same move, but Atlas wouldn't fall for it a second time. A red gleam flashed across his eyes—Observation Haki, activated!
Soru!
With precise movement, he dodged Hina's iron bars and Smoker's twin White Fists, instantly appearing beside Rosinante and two other unfamiliar recruits.
It couldn't be helped—among the seven of them, those three were the weakest.
Even if Rosinante had a Devil Fruit, his Calm-Calm Fruit was more suited for stealth and assassination, not frontal combat.
"Hehehe, Boss, don't blame me for this!"
Grus, grinning shamelessly, suddenly darted in front of Rosinante. From a logical standpoint, Rosinante's ability was crucial for defense and stealth.
From an emotional one, he was also Grus's roommate—of course, he'd prioritize saving him. As for the other two? Sorry, no time.
Atlas had no trouble dealing with the three of them. Two quick punches, and two opponents were eliminated instantly.
"Damn it!"
The fight had barely started, and already two were down, and one was nearly finished. The pressure on the rest of the team spiked dramatically.
"Time for my counterattack!"
Atlas grinned, flashing a row of pearly white teeth. In the sunlight, Smoker and the others almost felt blinded.
Soru! Tekkai Kenpo!
His target was once again Rosinante, but this time Smoker reacted in time.
"Smoke Snake!"
Several serpent-like tendrils of white smoke coiled around Atlas's limbs and torso.
"Too weak!"
Atlas didn't even bother to struggle. Relying purely on his monstrous physique, he broke through the smoke restraints with brute force.
Soru: Tekkai Spiral Jade!
Atlas's tall body suddenly began spinning at high speed—and this time, his target was Grus!
Fighting is an art. It's not just about charging in blindly; it's about timing and reading the battlefield.
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach top 100)
If you want to support me, join my patr**on. Have 20 advanced Chapters for you guys.
patr**n.com/saitamablast > OP:SJ NOVEL TIER