One Piece: From Marine to Legend

The captain of Whitebeard III?

When Ivankov heard those words, his jaw nearly hit the floor.

A man like Edward Teach... was actually a member of someone else's crew?

That was hard to believe.

Then again, even the now-renowned "Strongest Man in the World" had once been under another's command.

At that moment, a vague shadow flashed through Ivankov's mind.

Before the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, another overlord had ruled the seas—the one closest to the throne of the Pirate King.

Rocks D. Xebec.

Edward Newgate, Shiki the Golden Lion, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido…

These now-legendary figures had all once been part of the Rocks Pirates.

Not to mention Captain John, Silver Axe, Wang Zhi, Buckingham Stussy, Shakky, and others.

Even Wang Zhi, an unknown name back then, had risen to power, ruling Beehive Island for years.

'I must be going crazy…'

Ivankov rubbed his forehead, trying to steady himself.

To compare a young man to Rocks D. Xebec…

When he raised his head again, his gaze locked onto Whitebeard III.

"Teach, is what he said true?"

"Yes."

Teach nodded without hesitation.

"Storm is not only my partner—he is also my captain."

The scene unfolding before him was surreal. Even someone as thick-skinned as Ivankov found it difficult to process.

Yet, Teach had acknowledged it himself. There was no room for doubt.

Ivankov turned his sharp gaze toward Storm.

"Who exactly are you, Chief Guard Storm?"

His voice carried a weight of suspicion and curiosity.

"What is your purpose here? Are you aiming for the Infinite Hell—"

"You ask too many questions, Ivankov."

Storm cut him off, his voice calm yet commanding.

"I have no obligation to explain anything to you."

Ivankov exhaled sharply, rubbing his face to regain composure. But before he could say more—

A groan broke through the tense atmosphere.

On the other side of the room, a figure stirred.

Inazuma, injected with healing hormones, was regaining consciousness.

"Your Majesty…!"

His voice was weak but urgent.

Ivankov's eyes widened. In an instant, he was by Inazuma's side, carefully supporting him.

"Inazuma! Are you alright?"

Inazuma barely managed to open his eyes.

"Be careful… of Chief Guard Storm…"

His warning came out in a ragged breath.

"He… came to the Freezing Hell…"

With those final words, Inazuma lost consciousness once again.

The air inside the Newkama Paradise grew cold.

Ivankov's expression darkened.

He had begun to let his guard down, but now, every instinct screamed for caution.

His sharp eyes snapped toward Storm.

"Was it you?"

"Yes."

Storm's answer was simple and direct.

Ivankov clenched his fists, anger flashing in his eyes.

"You should be thankful for that, Okama King."

Storm's words were unexpected.

"What?!" Ivankov hissed.

"Are you telling me to be grateful that Inazuma was nearly killed by you?"

"Exactly."

Storm's gaze didn't waver.

"At least I didn't kill him outright. Instead, I let Teach bring him here to you."

Ivankov froze.

For a moment, he couldn't respond.

He wanted to argue, to lash out—but he couldn't deny the logic behind those words.

As the Chief Guard of Impel Down, Storm had the authority to execute prisoners.

If he had chosen to kill Inazuma, no one would have questioned it.

And if he had left Inazuma unconscious in the Freezing Hell…

Then the wild, bloodthirsty wolves would have torn him apart.

Inazuma would have been lost forever.

Ivankov swallowed hard.

At this moment, he felt an unsettling sense of relief.

At least it was Storm… and not Shiryu.

If it had been Shiryu, Inazuma would be dead without a doubt.

Ivankov exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down.

Anger would not help now.

Inazuma was still alive. That was all that mattered.

As for how Storm had escaped his confinement and ended up in the Freezing Hell…

Ivankov chose not to dwell on it.

After all, Storm is a Chief Guard, not a prisoner.

His punishment had been mere confinement, not imprisonment.

A man like Storm could easily escape his cell if he wanted to.

Ivankov let out a slow breath.

The tension in the room began to ease.

But there was still one matter left unresolved.

Ivankov folded his arms.

"Storm…"

His voice was serious.

"You and Teach—are you really planning to enter Infinite Hell to recruit prisoners?"

"Our goal is indeed the prisoners of Infinite Hell," Storm admitted.

"But I never intended to come here first."

He scoffed.

"Newkama Paradise… Ha!"

Ivankov narrowed his eyes.

Even though Storm's words were laced with contempt, Ivankov found himself relieved.

He wanted nothing to do with this insane plan.

Cherish your life and stay away from lunatics.

"In that case, please leave now."

Ivankov made a dramatic gesture toward the exit.

"I wish you both the best of luck!"

Storm turned his head slightly, eyeing Ivankov.

"Okama King…"

Ivankov flinched at the ominous tone in Storm's voice.

"When did you develop the illusion that you could stay out of this?"

A shiver ran down Ivankov's spine.

"What…?"

Storm took a step forward.

Teach instinctively stepped aside, giving him space.

A strange phenomenon began to unfold.

With each step Storm took, the ground beneath him shifted—liquid clay bubbling up like a fountain.

Clay…?

Ivankov's pupils shrank.

Storm's voice carried an eerie certainty.

"The moment I appeared here, your fate was already sealed."

He took another step.

"You have two choices, Okama King."

His words were slow, deliberate.

"You come with me to Infinite Hell…"

He took one final step forward.

"Or I send you there myself."

The room grew heavy with tension.

Ivankov's eyes widened.

For the first time in a long time… he felt trapped.

His blood pounded in his ears.

But he was not a man to cower.

Ivankov clenched his fists.

His eyes sharpened—filling with resolve.

Then, in the blink of an eye—

His eyelids flickered.

A burst of immense force erupted from his eyes, directed straight at Storm!

"DEATH WINK!"

Boom! 

The shockwave created by Ivankov's Death Wink exploded the moment it touched Storm's body. 

A deafening roar echoed through Newkama Land, shaking its very foundations. The moment of impact was violent, seemingly tearing Storm apart into countless pieces. But instead of red blood, what flowed from his wounds was pure white clay. 

At the same time, the ground beneath his feet underwent a drastic transformation. The power of the Clay-Clay Fruit spread like a virus, warping the very foundation into a malleable, ever-shifting mass of flowing clay. 

"Liquid clay...?" Ivankov muttered, eyes narrowing in realization. 

Storm extended his hand, and the ground beneath him surged like the sea in a storm. Enormous clay arms erupted from the ground like giants rising from the depths, their massive palms reaching for everyone present. 

Screams erupted throughout the cavernous paradise. 

"Ahhh! The ground's turning into clay!" 

"I can't keep my footing—!" 

"Too many hands—there's nowhere to dodge!" 

The residents of Newkama Land were originally prisoners recruited by Ivankov from the first five levels of Impel Down. Their strengths varied wildly, but in the face of Storm's large-scale attack, none of them could properly react. 

It only took a few seconds. 

One after another, the members of Newkama Land were subdued, ensnared by the creeping Clay-Clay Fruit tendrils that bound them tightly. Even Inazuma, who had once again slipped into unconsciousness, was caught up in the attack. 

Only Ivankov managed to remain untouched. 

Jumping, twisting, dodging—his vast combat experience kicked in instantly. He analyzed the battlefield in an instant and understood the true nature of this attack. 

'This ability…' 

The Okama King's expression darkened. 

'Chief Guard Storm's fruit… has already awakened?!' 

A cold shiver ran down his spine. Awakening—an advanced state of Devil Fruit mastery—was something that only the truly strong could achieve. And here Storm was, using his abilities with casual ease, warping the battlefield itself into his domain. 

"Hey! Hey HEY HEY!" 

Ivankov nimbly dodged another sweeping clay hand while shouting, his voice carrying a mixture of alarm and frustration. 

"Can I just surrender?! STOP IT! If you keep going, you'll destroy all of Newkama Land!" 

"Surrender?" Storm tilted his head slightly, his gaze drifting toward the system panel that had yet to mark this battle as complete. His voice was cold, laced with amusement. 

"If you're worried about this place getting wrecked, then let's take this fight outside." 

His lips curled into a smirk. 

"It just so happens that I'm very interested in your abilities, Okama King." 

Ivankov's eyes twitched. 

'What the hell is this guy talking about now…?' 

Storm had been contemplating ways to make the Clay-Clay Fruit more artistic. After all, art is… 

Art is an EXPLOSION! 

And Ivankov's Death Wink—a move capable of unleashing powerful shockwave explosions using nothing but muscles and eyelids—was a unique phenomenon that intrigued him. 

'If I can figure out how to recreate that explosive force with clay…' 

His mind raced with ideas. 

Ivankov, however, had completely misunderstood the intent behind Storm's words. 

"Huh? What did you just say!?" Ivankov shouted, nearly tripping in midair. His expression twisted in sheer disbelief. 

"You… you wanna become a Newkama too?! I can help you evolve!" 

A moment of silence. 

Storm's entire face darkened in an instant. 

"…" 

Without a word, he raised one hand—and the clay battlefield responded immediately. A giant palm, large enough to crush a building, erupted from the ground and slapped Ivankov out of the air like a mosquito. 

PAAA!!! 

Ivankov was flattened into the ground of Newkama Land, the impact shaking the entire cavern. 

From beneath the thick clay, his muffled voice could be heard screaming in panic— 

"AHHH! I'M GONNA BE SENT TO INFINITE HELL—NO WAY!!!" 

Then— 

"HELL WINK!!!" 

BOOM!!! 

A powerful shockwave explosion erupted from underground, shattering the thick clay like fragile glass. Countless fragments of Storm's clay creation shot in all directions, tearing through the air. 

And then— 

With a graceful leap, Ivankov emerged from the debris, soaring high into the air. 

His body had changed. 

No longer a man—but a woman. 

The Queen had arrived. 

Ivankov landed effortlessly, hands on her hips, flashing a confident smirk at Storm. With a sassy flick of her wrist, she beckoned him forward. 

"Storm, my dear~" she purred. 

"Why don't we go outside and play?" 

The tension in the air thickened. 

Storm's gaze sharpened, his mind already anticipating the next phase of this battle. 

This wasn't over. 

Not by a long shot. 

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