One Piece: From Marine to Legend

Storm obtained Ivankov's Death Wink skill, but he had no intention of personally testing the skill by himself.

Although he had encountered a wide variety of special techniques throughout his life, attacking by winking was an idea that pushed his tolerance.

"Let's use the Clay-Clay Fruit to test the effect of Death Wink instead," Storm muttered.

He raised his right hand, gathering clay in his palm. In moments, the clay reshaped itself, forming a vivid face. The features were eerily similar to Ivankov's, though lacking his exaggerated makeup.

"Death Wink!"

Under Storm's control, the clay face suddenly winked its right eye. The thick, molded eyelids collided heavily.

The next moment, it released a pale-white shockwave, visible to the naked eye.

Boom!

An explosion erupted in the Newkama Paradise. The shockwave struck Storm's chest, creating a palm-sized hole in his clothes.

"Not bad for a start," Storm remarked.

With a slight ripple of clay, the damaged portions of his outfit quickly mended themselves.

"But this skill needs improvement…"

He casually pressed his palm against the clay face, flattening it into an amorphous mass. Then, instead of directing the next Death Wink outward, he compressed the energy inward.

The clay rapidly contracted, squeezing violently from all sides.

Boom!

A fierce shockwave detonated inside the compressed clay ball. Though it appeared smooth on the surface, it was now undulated with irregular bulges.

The next moment—

Snap!

The clay sphere exploded like a bomb. Fragments shot outward like a rain of shrapnel, scattering in every direction.

Since Storm was closest, he bore the brunt of the blast. Multiple sharp shards of hardened clay embedded themselves into his skin.

"Hmm?" Storm frowned.

He plucked a jagged clay fragment from a shallow wound and examined it closely.

"This… its rigidity is different."

A sudden realization struck him.

'Could this method be used to enhance the properties of my Clay-Clay Fruit?'

Hard clay, soft clay, heat-resistant clay, ceramic clay… the possibilities were endless.

Storm made a mental note to explore these variations later. He had no intention of continuing his skill tests within Newkama Paradise.

Instead, he turned his gaze toward the unconscious Newkama sprawled across the cavern floor.

After one final sweep of the area, he discovered several hidden entrances leading to other floors of Impel Down.

"With this many hidden passages, I might need a map," Storm mused.

He called forth one of the silver trophies he had obtained after defeating the Newkamas and used it in the system forge.

The silver trophy shimmered before transforming into an aged, yellow-brown piece of parchment.

[Name: Map of Impel Down]

[Star Rating: ★★★]

[Effect: Contains a complete map of all seven levels of Impel Down, including hidden passages.]

[Remark: "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."]

"Perfect."

With the Impel Down Map in hand, Storm turned toward Whitebeard III, who had been watching silently from the sidelines.

"Let's go."

The two disappeared into the nearest hidden tunnel.

Starting from Newkama Paradise on Level 5.5, Storm quickly navigated the secret passages connecting the various floors of Impel Down.

The Fourth Level: Burning Hell – A furnace-like inferno raged within.

The Third Level: Starvation Hell – A wasteland of starvation, littered with skeletal prisoners.

The Second Level: Wild Beast Hell – A foul-smelling lair filled with monstrous creatures.

The First Level: Crimson Hell – A bloodstained nightmare of spiked torture fields.

Storm's footprints were now scattered throughout the underground prison.

Not once did a jailer detect his movements.

These hidden tunnels were the lifeline of Newkama Paradise.

Storm moved seamlessly from Level 5.5 to Level 1, then retraced his steps back to Level 4.

Finally, he halted in front of the Food Storage Warehouse within Burning Hell.

This warehouse contained most of Impel Down's food reserves.

Avoiding the Den Den Mushi surveillance cameras, Storm infiltrated the storage facility undetected.

Using Clay-Clay Fruit, he silently assimilated the warehouse floor into malleable clay.

A massive portion of food supplies sank into the softened ground—and then dropped straight through to Level 5.5.

The entire process was executed with extreme precision.

By the time Storm had emptied a significant portion of the food reserves, not a single alarm had been triggered.

Storm quickly made his way back to Newkama Paradise with a mountain of stolen provisions.

Meanwhile, within Newkama Paradise, those who had been defeated by Storm were slowly regaining consciousness.

Ivankov was the first to wake up, shaking off his injuries before assisting his fallen comrades.

By the time Storm arrived with the food, the Newkama were already back on their feet.

Seeing the massive pile of provisions, Ivankov's eyes twitched uncontrollably.

"Storm!" he gritted his teeth.

Storm pushed the mountain of ingredients forward and cut him off.

"Cook."

"…Hah?" Ivankov blinked.

Storm crossed his arms.

"Cook all of this, as fast as you can. I'm hungry."

Ivankov's mouth twitched violently.

He was the one who had been beaten senseless.

Yet the guy who beat him up was the one complaining about hunger?

The absurdity of the situation left him momentarily speechless.

"Didn't you hear me?" Storm narrowed his eyes.

Ivankov let out a sigh, then turned toward his people.

"…You heard the man. Start cooking!"

After several minutes..

Portion after portion of delicious food was brought before Storm, the tantalizing aroma making his stomach growl in anticipation. Without hesitation, he grabbed a plate and started eating.

As he devoured the food, Storm called forth the two high-star trophies he had just earned. Their radiant glow reflected in his eyes, signifying the immense value they contained.

Without delay, he first invested the platinum trophy into his speed attribute. Immediately, a rush of energy coursed through his veins, refining his movements and increasing his agility.

Next, he allocated the diamond trophy to his strength attribute, feeling a surge of raw power strengthening every muscle in his body.

Compared to the wishful thinking of obtaining a 'Second Devil's Ring', Storm prioritized enhancing his fundamental abilities. Personal strength mattered more to him than any external equipment, no matter how tempting it seemed.

The reason he hadn't rushed to use the diamond trophy earlier wasn't just because of the Devil's Ring—it was mainly due to the overwhelming hunger that followed after improving his physique attribute. Now that he had "borrowed" ample food from the food warehouse, he had no reason to hold back.

His first priority was, of course, to enhance his physique!

[Strength: ★★★★★★]

[Speed: ★★★★★★]

With the investment of two high-tier trophies, both Storm's strength and speed attributes soared to six stars. And since his endurance attribute had already reached six stars earlier, his overall physique attribute underwent a fundamental upgrade:

[Physique: ★★★★★★]

At this moment, Storm's physical prowess had reached an entirely new level.

A powerful sense of hunger gnawed at his stomach as his body adapted to the sudden surge in strength. Realizing he needed more energy, Storm temporarily put away the system and shifted his focus entirely toward replenishing his strength.

The vast amount of food he had transported from the food warehouse rapidly disappeared, plate after plate was being emptied in record time.

Finally, when his hunger was satisfied, he exhaled deeply, feeling the vitality overflowing within him. His body, now more refined than ever, brimmed with power.

With a satisfied expression, he glanced at Ivankov, who stood nearby, his expression guarded.

After a full meal and ample energy recovery, Storm naturally wanted to find someone to test his newly strengthened body.

And who better than Ivankov?

Sensing the malicious intent radiating from Storm's gaze, Ivankov instinctively coughed and clutched his chest.

"Ahem! My injuries are… so serious..." Ivankov wheezed dramatically, staggering a bit for added effect.

Storm narrowed his eyes, unimpressed.

"Do you really think I'll believe that nonsense?"

Ivankov kept up the act, putting a hand to his forehead as if light-headed.

But Storm wasn't fooled.

"Besides," Storm continued, his voice tinged with amusement, "aren't you the user of the Hormone-Hormone Fruit?" He crossed his arms. "The so-called Miracle Man who allegedly saved an entire country? And yet, you can't even heal your own injuries?"

Ivankov, still holding onto his wounded pride, scoffed and adjusted his signature crown.

"Storm boy, haven't you heard a famous saying?" he asked with exaggerated seriousness.

"Even a doctor cannot cure himself."

[T/N: How about Trafalgar D. Water Law?"]

Storm blinked before letting out a dry chuckle. "Then I guess you should continue to keep your injuries, huh?"

Seeing that Ivankov wouldn't be much fun to spar with in his current state, Storm simply shook his head, stood up, and waved his hand.

"I'll come find you later, Okama King. Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you claim to be severely injured!"

Ivankov watched him cautiously. His gut told him that Storm was not joking.

But before Storm could leave, Ivankov finally couldn't hold back the question that had been on his mind.

"Storm BOY! That thing you mentioned before… about going to Infinite Hell..." Ivankov hesitated, his tone more serious than before. "Are you really planning to go down there?"

Storm didn't even blink.

"Of course, it's true," he replied. "But now is not the time to act."

Ivankov remained silent, listening carefully.

"When the time comes, I'll let you know," Storm continued. "All I need from you is your cooperation."

Ivankov frowned.

"Cooperate…?" he echoed, a sinking feeling forming in his chest.

If Storm intended to challenge Magellan, did that mean he had to go along with him?

The idea of directly confronting Magellan—the terrifying Chief Warden of Impel Down—sent chills down Ivankov's spine.

Storm, noticing the shift in Ivankov's expression, smirked.

"You don't have a choice, Okama King."

Ivankov clenched his fists.

He knew that better than anyone.

The outcome of their earlier battle had been decisive. No matter how much he wanted to resist, he simply wasn't a match for Storm.

At this moment, Ivankov was fully aware—his fate, and the fate of every Newkama in the Newkama Paradise, rested entirely in Storm's hands.

If Storm demanded his cooperation, what else could he do but comply?

Ivankov's heart pounded as the reality of the situation set in.

He had no choice.

And that realization alone sent a deep sense of unease through his core.

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