One Piece: Strongest Justice

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Early morning. The gentle sunlight draped over the vast blue sea, with the occasional crisp cry of seagulls echoing in the sky…

East Blue, Shimotsuki Village.

A simple sailboat was docked along the irregular curve of the coastline. Standing at the shore was a tall, clean-cut teenage boy—Kanos Atlas, currently training in Shimotsuki Village. 

At 2.5 meters tall, his powerful frame stretched his clothes taut, with well-defined muscles exuding a raw, aesthetic strength.

Across from him stood Koushirou, his wife, and a tearful Kuina. Madam Heidi, Kuina's mother, now looked far more vibrant than when Atlas had first met her.

Atlas had previously heard, in his past life, that Kuina's mother passed away when Kuina was very young. 

So he had subtly brought it up to Koushirou, pretending to know a bit about medicine. 

He expressed concern that Madam Heidi's health might be in trouble and suggested Koushirou find a skilled doctor to check on her.

Atlas originally planned to use the Horse Talisman's healing power, but unfortunately, its effect only worked on him for now.

Whether that ability would evolve depended on the strength he achieved in the future.

By some unknown means, Koushirou managed to find a doctor, mysteriously avoiding Atlas in the process. 

Luckily, after the doctor's treatment, Heidi's condition significantly improved.

That event had brought Atlas and the Koushirou family much closer, easing the awkwardness that had been present since they first met. 

So when they heard Atlas was leaving, they all felt a twinge of sadness, especially Kuina, who ended up crying.

It was understandable. Even with her strong-willed nature, Kuina was still a young girl with a sensitive side.

A few days ago, after Atlas mastered the ability to cut steel, he decided it was time to say farewell to Koushirou and his family. 

He paid handsomely to have a simple sailboat built within days, just sturdy enough to make it to Loguetown, and chose this sunny, wind-blessed day to set sail.

"Let's end it here. Farewell, Master Koushirou… and Kuina. Next time I visit, I hope I'll see you all grown up," Atlas said with a warm smile, teasing Kuina a bit.

"Sniff… I will! Next time we meet, I'm going to beat you, Kanos!" Kuina replied, sniffling but full of determination.

Atlas laughed heartily. "Hahaha! Then I'll be waiting, Kuina!"

With that, he leapt aboard, drew his blade, and sliced the mooring rope. The sail caught the wind, and the boat drifted steadily into the distance…

It had been two days since Atlas left Shimotsuki Village and set sail. During that time, his training consisted of swimming to build stamina, daily sword practice, and deep meditation.

He wasn't in a hurry to eat a Devil Fruit yet. He hadn't encountered any suitable abilities, and while he could still swim, he wanted to enjoy the freedom of the sea. 

Swimming was also great for strengthening the body. Someday, he hoped to swim across the Calm Belt barehanded like Silvers Rayleigh—just thinking about it pumped his adrenaline. 

That's the romance of a man of the sea!

As for meditation, Koushirou had taught him the proper method. Previously, he'd only relied on crude self-developed techniques, which paled in comparison. 

Now, after over a year of training, Atlas's Observation Haki could cover nearly half an island—a testament either to his incredibly strong spirit or the effectiveness of the technique.

Sailing the open sea was dull and repetitive, so Atlas often trained. 

Once finished, a crimson gleam flashed in his eyes, and his Observation Haki swept outward without restraint. Instantly, the world around him became much clearer.

Suddenly, a pirate ship entered the range of his Haki. What a coincidence—he was getting bored. 

They'd make great sparring partners. And maybe, a nice gift for Captain Randall, who was showing up about a year late.

After warming up and stretching, Atlas decided to take this seriously, for the pirates' sake. Soon, the enemy ship approached his small sailboat. 

Its black flag bore the symbol of a hammer placed diagonally across a skull.

The ship's design was plain, suggesting they weren't a well-known crew. But Atlas knew better—pirates didn't invest in their ships. 

They lived for indulgence and spent their plunder quickly. As long as the boat floated, it was good enough.

As the ships neared, the pirates from the Hammer Pirates spotted the lone boy aboard and immediately thought to rob him.

"Hey there, kid! Want a ride from the great me? Hahaha!" their captain shouted mockingly, sticking his head out like a clown.

"Sure! Mind taking me to the Marine base in Loguetown?" Atlas replied, as if completely unaware of their intent, and hopped aboard with a friendly smile.

"Hey! Stop screwing around! Do you even know who I am, brat!?" the pirate captain, Howkuro, growled in disbelief. He'd never seen anyone so fearless. He was a pirate—murderous, ruthless! And this kid dared to ignore him?

Suddenly—slash!

A crimson sword slash burst from the blade in Atlas's hand, slicing Howkuro cleanly in half before he even knew what happened. The cut was clean, and the remaining force swept through the deck, taking out a few unfortunate pirates in its wake.

"W-What was that!? The captain didn't even get touched… and he's dead!"

The remaining pirates panicked, terrified of the unknown. Swordmasters were extremely rare in the Four Seas, especially in the weakest sea, East Blue.

Without another word, Atlas leveled his blade and, without even needing a formal technique, cut down the rest like weeds.

Once finished, he casually wiped his sword on a fallen pirate's clothes, and just like that, Atlas took over the now-ownerless pirate ship and looted its supplies. 

After a quick test in the helm, he confirmed what he suspected: a big ship was far faster than his little sailboat. With this, he'd reach Loguetown in just one day.

"Heh… guess it's true what they say—no one gets rich without luck, and no horse grows fat without night grass. Not bad at all."

"Woooo-wooo-wooo!"

An urgent alarm rang out over the Marine base in Loguetown. Marines quickly formed ranks under a tense atmosphere as Captain Randall arrived at the training yard.

"Report, Captain! A pirate ship has been spotted at the harbor—it's the Hammer Pirates, all members with bounties totaling 30 million Berries!"

Randall furrowed his brows. The Hammer Pirates—he remembered them. 

Their captain, Howkuro, alone had a bounty of 20 million Berries—already enough to be considered a major pirate in East Blue.

"All units! Mobilize to the harbor! Intercept the Hammer Pirates and prevent them from making landfall. Protect the civilians at all costs!" Randall roared.

A 20-million bounty was no small matter for him. After all, he was just a branch captain—not someone like Smoker, who had a Logia Fruit and could dominate most pirates with ease. 

One mistake could lead to disaster, and in combat, disaster meant death. That's why Randall's eyes sharpened with focus. Meanwhile, aboard the pirate ship…

"Yo! Captain Randall, how'd you know I was coming back? Going through all this trouble to welcome me—it's too much! I'm almost embarrassed," 

Atlas said with a grin, casually sitting at the ship's bow, basking in his "grand return."

His Observation Haki had already picked up the Marines charging toward the harbor, with Randall at the lead. He assumed this was a welcome party.

When Randall arrived at the port, what he saw was confusing: a lone, well-built teenage boy sitting at the bow of the Hammer Pirates' ship. 

The rest of the crew was nowhere in sight. Suspecting a trap, he grew even more alert. But something about the boy seemed familiar…

"Captain Randall, what's wrong? Don't recognize me?" Atlas called out, now realizing something was off. Randall didn't even greet him, let alone give a welcome hug. 

He just stood there, confused and wary, along with the bloodthirsty stares from all the Marines behind him. This didn't look like a welcome at all!

"You… are you that brat, Atlas?" Randall asked, squinting and trying to reconcile the muscular teenager before him with the slim boy he remembered.

It wasn't his fault—Atlas had grown a lot. He'd filled out, with defined muscles, a powerful frame, and a much more mature face. 

His entire presence radiated sharpness and strength now.

"Ah?! Captain Randall doesn't remember me? I'm heartbroken!" Atlas said dramatically, though he found it amusing.

The surrounding Marines, realizing he wasn't an enemy, collectively exhaled in relief. Some who recognized Atlas even wanted to greet him, but restrained themselves due to discipline.

"So what's with the pirate ship?" Randall finally asked.

"Oh, that? I ran into them on the way here. My boat was too slow, so I took care of them and figured it'd be a nice welcome gift for you," Atlas answered casually.

"Then why didn't you take down the pirate flag?!" Captain Randall's forehead throbbed with anger as veins bulged visibly—his tone was agitated.

Kanos Atlas froze for a moment, glanced at the pirate ship, then looked back at the furious Randall. A second later, realization dawned on him.

"Ah... don't be so worked up. I just forgot," he said nonchalantly.

With that, he drew his standard longsword and sent a crimson slash flying through the air. 

The powerful strike sliced through the pirate ship's mast, severing the Jolly Roger and sending it tumbling into the sea.

"See? It's gone now."

Randall and the surrounding Marines were visibly stunned by what they'd just witnessed. 

Randall managed to keep his composure—after all, he had experience on the Grand Line and had encountered swordsmen before. 

What truly astonished him was the speed of Atlas's growth. As for the other Marines, they were utterly overwhelmed by the sheer display of strength.

"Hahaha! Good kid. Come on, let's have a proper chat in my office."

"Marines! Dismissed!"

Captain Randall laughed heartily as he clapped Atlas on the shoulder, then eagerly led him toward his office.

Inside, Randall leaned back comfortably in his chair, a cheap cigar dangling from his lips as smoke drifted lazily into the air. 

The cigar wasn't anything fancy—just standard issue—but despite his average strength, Randall had always stood firmly behind the word "Justice" emblazoned on his coat.

"Alright, tell me everything that's happened since you left," Randall said, clearly pleased to see Atlas again.

"Ah, it's nothing much," Atlas replied casually. 

"I chased the Philock Pirates for a while, got lost... then happened to run into Vice Admiral Garp. The rest… well, Vice Admiral Garp should've filled you in."

Atlas gave a quick rundown of recent events, though in truth, he wasn't entirely sure whether Garp, being as unreliable as ever, had reported anything back.

Randall, taking on the tone of a concerned elder, asked for more details about Atlas's time "wandering out there." Atlas answered every question honestly and in detail.

A long while later, Atlas quietly closed the door to the captain's office behind him. He was planning to visit Lieutenant Wright next.

Oh—almost forgot to mention: Kanos Atlas was now a Lieutenant of the Marine branch himself, the same rank as Wright.

At Wright's home, Atlas stood there with a mildly constipated expression as he stared at the man before him. 

Because on Wright's shoulder… was the insignia of a Marine Major at the Loguetown base. So much for bragging.

Atlas had fully intended to show off a little. But that rank insignia stopped the words dead in his throat.

Truth be told, Atlas had more than enough strength and accomplishments to be promoted to the rank of Major.

But a simple branch captain couldn't appoint officer-level ranks like that—they had to be reported to Marine Headquarters, processed through official channels, and approved with formal orders. 

That sort of thing took time. After catching up over drinks and exchanging updates on each other's lives, the visit was nearly over.

"Oh, by the way! When you get the chance, you should go see that kid Smoker," said Wright—no, Major Wright—his tone meaningful and slightly amused. 

"He's been dying to see you."

"Huh? Oh… sure. I'll go when I get the chance," Atlas replied, a little confused but going along with it nonetheless.

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