Chapter 16: A New Discovery

"How could you two fight in front of so many fellow guards?!"

Magellan's face turned purple—literally. His rage was palpable, and his Venom-Venom Fruit reacted accordingly. Dark purple venom oozed from his skin, dripping onto the floor and emitting a sharp sizzling sound upon contact. The sheer toxicity of the liquid was enough to silence the entire prison cafeteria.

No one dared to make a sound. Everyone stood frozen, intimidated by the furious Chief Warden.

Magellan's glare swept across the room. He didn't care whether Storm had beaten Shiryu or Shiryu had beaten Storm. It didn't matter. Fighting in public was unacceptable!

"You both need to be punished! Detention!" he bellowed, his voice reverberating through the cafeteria.

The judgment was swift.

Storm was sentenced to a 24-hour "special training" trip to the Burning Hell.

Shiryu received a seven-day "vacation" in the Freezing Hell.

Storm's expression stiffened. He hadn't expected to be punished too.

"Director! I was acting in self-defense!" he argued, his voice firm.

At some point, the small white dragon had returned to his shoulder, and it let out a sharp growl in support of its master.

"But you still caused a disturbance!" Magellan countered, his expression as rigid as stone. "Since this is only your first offense, I'm being lenient. You'll only be sent to the fourth level—Burning Hell."

Storm sighed. There was no room for negotiation.

As for Shiryu, he didn't argue. Whether it was because he knew he was at fault or simply didn't want to debate with Magellan, he remained silent. 

Without a word, he dispelled his Armament Haki, wiped the remaining clay residue off [Thunderstorm], and turned away.

"Hannyabal! Escort Storm to the fourth level!" Magellan ordered.

He personally took Shiryu to Level 5 – the Freezing Hell, leaving no room for disobedience.

The moment Magellan left, Hannyabal strolled up to Storm with a broad, fawning grin.

"My Lord Chief Guard, you're incredible! Even that bastard Shiryu couldn't defeat you!"

Storm shook his head dismissively. "There's still a long way to go."

To the onlookers, it had seemed like Storm had dominated the fight. And in terms of battle tempo—he did.

But in truth?

Storm had barely scratched Shiryu. Despite landing multiple blows, the damage was minimal. A mere trickle of blood wasn't enough to truly threaten someone like him.

Shiryu was a great swordsman, and his physical resilience was terrifying. He could withstand far more punishment than an ordinary fighter.

On the other hand, Storm was beginning to notice a problem—the Clay-Clay Fruit had insufficient attack power.

Even with his mastery, his clay techniques lacked lethal force. If his fruit had offensive potential comparable to Magellan's Venom-VenomFruit, then maybe…

Storm paused.

Wait. Could clay be modified?

A familiar image flashed in his mind—an artist with four mouths, someone who had turned clay into art and destruction.

Perhaps… there was a way.

Hannyabal, oblivious to Storm's thoughts, kept talking.

"Right, right! That bastard Shiryu doesn't stand a chance against you!"

Storm snapped back to reality, burying his ideas for later.

"Let's go."

"But first, I need to eat."

Hannyabal didn't hesitate. "I'll send food right away!"

After finishing his meal, Storm sat cross-legged in his assigned prison cell.

The fourth level of Impel Down—Burning Hell—was a blazing inferno. The heat was enough to roast weaker prisoners alive. Molten pits of fire surrounded the area, and the intense temperature was suffocating.

But for Storm?

The heat didn't affect him in the slightest.

His four-star physique was enough to completely negate the temperature.

Relaxing, Storm summoned his own trophy and examined a newly acquired ability:

[Armament Haki: ☆]

So, he really had awakened it.

Curious, Storm clenched his fist, attempting to activate the newfound power.

A transparent energy, invisible to the naked eye, formed around his knuckles.

"This doesn't look like the blackened Armament Haki I've seen before," he murmured. "Maybe because it's too weak?"

He dismissed it and took a moment to gauge his physical consumption.

"Haki uses up way more stamina than Six Styles."

Deciding to test it, he molded a human-sized clay statue in front of him.

Boom!

With a single punch wrapped in [Armament Haki], the statue shattered instantly.

"This is far stronger than a normal punch," Storm noted.

Dispersing his Haki, he created several clay clones.

Since [Iron Body] had helped him awaken Armament Haki, could [Paper Drawing] lead him to Observation Haki?

There was only one way to find out.

Under his control, the clay clones attacked simultaneously, their fists raining down at high speed.

Storm closed his eyes.

He focused.

Breathed.

Dodged.

Like a feather in the wind, he let the attacks brush past him, relying on instinct instead of sight.

Time blurred.

He lost track of how long he had been evading the attacks.

Then—something changed.

A new sensation surfaced in his mind.

When a clone's punch was about to land, he felt it before it happened.

Storm instinctively tilted his head, narrowly avoiding the attack.

For the first time, he wasn't reacting—he was anticipating.

A grin spread across his face.

A new line had appeared in his ability panel:

[Observation Haki: ☆]

He had awakened it.

The confinement period passed in a flash.

During this time, Storm had initially mastered the power of Armament Haki and Observation Haki. Not only that, but he had also fully assimilated the Six Styles abilities he had previously enhanced.

What truly surprised Storm, however, was that after mastering all four-star Six Styles, he had unlocked a new ability:

[Life Return: ☆]

The Six Styles already exceeded the physical limits of ordinary humans, but Life Return represented the pinnacle of physical control, allowing its user to manipulate their bodies at will—even internal organs and hair.

Storm could now freely regulate his bodily functions with precise control. He could slow his breathing, manipulate his muscle density, and even influence his metabolism, granting him greater endurance and flexibility in battle.

He knew that Life Return held immense potential waiting to be explored. However, his confinement period was limited, and he lacked the time or space to fully develop its capabilities inside a cell.

As his punishment ended, Storm stepped out of solitary confinement and was immediately escorted to the Director's Office, which was also located on the fourth level of Burning Hell.

This time, he finally met Magellan face-to-face—not in the bathroom.

Magellan sat behind his desk, looking somewhat uncomfortable. His usual grim expression softened slightly, and after a brief silence, he sighed.

"Storm, I'm sorry."

The words took Storm by surprise.

Magellan hesitated for a moment before continuing, his deep voice carrying a rare hint of regret.

"I put you in solitary confinement without fully understanding the situation."

Storm remained silent, watching the director carefully. If an apology was enough to resolve matters, then what was the purpose of laws and justice?

Magellan gestured with his hands as if to emphasize his point.

"I have thoroughly investigated what happened that day. Shiryu... well, Shiryu is a lunatic. Don't take his actions too seriously."

Storm's lips curled into a cold smile.

"Are you suggesting that when he tried to stab me with his sword, I should have calmly accepted it? That I should just laugh it off and forgive him?"

Magellan exhaled heavily, his brows furrowing.

"I know this is a difficult situation—"

"If you know it's difficult, then don't say anything."

Storm interrupted him sharply.

"Director, if there's nothing else, I'll return to my duties. I haven't inspected the prison for days, and my hands are getting itchy."

Magellan frowned at that last remark. His instincts told him that Storm's idea of an "inspection" wasn't a peaceful one.

As Storm turned to leave, Magellan's eyelids twitched. He had always worried that Shiryu would turn into a bloodthirsty executioner with no restraint. But looking at Storm now...

"Could he be another walking disaster in the making?"

Magellan shook his head vigorously, trying to push the thought away.

"No, no... It's just an illusion! An illusion!"

Then, as if his stomach was punishing him for his stress, Magellan abruptly clutched his abdomen.

"Damn it! The poison's acting up again!"

Without another word, the director rushed off—straight to the restroom.

Storm had barely taken a few steps when a familiar voice called out.

"Storm!"

Turning his head, he saw Sadi, fully recovered, standing nearby, twirling her whip.

She grinned mischievously.

"Don't forget to properly train those jailer beasts!"

Storm gave her a blank look.

"I don't have such questionable hobbies."

With that, he waved her off and stepped into the elevator, heading toward the first floor above the sea.

After a long shower, fresh clothes, and a full meal, Storm resumed his inspection duties.

Word of the "Chief Guard vs. Head Jailer" battle had spread rapidly through Impel Down.

The prisoners—many of whom had witnessed Shiryu's terrifying brutality firsthand—were utterly shocked to hear that Storm had fought him to a standstill. Even more incredible, Storm had overpowered him.

"He actually managed to suppress Shiryu?"

"That demon with the sword?! That's impossible!"

The fear that once belonged to Shiryu of the Rain had now been transferred onto Storm.

As a result, Storm's inspection tour throughout Impel Down was completely peaceful.

Not a single prisoner dared to stir up trouble while he was around.

Storm, however, wasn't satisfied.

While others feared and respected his strength, he was more focused on the trophy system.

And right now, he needed a gold trophy.

Storm roamed Burning Hell, seeking a high-value target.

His eyes landed on a particular prisoner—a pirate with a bounty of 91 million Berries.

A Zoan-type Chameleon Fruit User.

Even among Impel Down's countless prisoners, Devil Fruit users were rare—especially on the first four levels.

Storm wasn't particularly interested in the man himself. His only concern was whether the pirate would yield a Gold Trophy.

With swift precision, Storm tested the pirate's strength—and was immediately disappointed.

"Only a Silver Trophy?"

This further confirmed his previous theory.

"So, criminals with bounties over 100 million Berries are the ones who provide Gold Trophies."

A smirk crossed his face.

"That means I need to look in the Freezing Hell."

While he had originally planned to use the Silver Trophy to strengthen himself, a sudden thought crossed his mind.

"Why not use it for a draw?"

After all, the Chameleon Fruit was a three-star trophy. If he used it for the trophy system's first function, it might grant something useful.

Storm focused on the trophy, watching as the silver light melted away.

But when the glow finally faded—

Nothing appeared.

Instead, a new ability had been added to his status.

[Name: Color Change]

[Star rating: ★★★]

[Effect: Freely alter the color of one's body surface.]

[Remark: "Why did I change color?"]

Storm stared at the ability description, momentarily stunned.

His gaze fell on his hand. Channeling his will, his skin slowly shifted from its natural tone to a deep shade of green, then red, then black.

A small clay figure materialized in his palm, and he willed it to change colors as well.

"The ability to freely alter color..."

His lips pressed together.

"This is useful for disguises... but it's not what I was hoping for."

Storm had envisioned clay that could be turned into powerful explosive art—something far more destructive.

Instead, he got... an artist's color palette.

He sighed.

"This isn't the clay art I wanted."

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