One Piece: From Marine to Legend

"What!?"

Shiryu's eyes widened in shock as he stared at Storm, who had just been cut in half yet remained eerily calm. The disbelief in his voice was evident.

"How is this possible? I just split him in two...!"

His gaze locked onto Storm's body, which had been sliced through by his sword, yet instead of collapsing, it reformed itself as if the wound never existed.

"You're a Devil Fruit user?!"

Until today, Shiryu hadn't paid much attention to the newly appointed Chief Guard who had volunteered to come to Impel Down. In his eyes, Storm was just another addition to the prison staff—someone beneath his concern.

He had never bothered to investigate what kind of abilities Storm possessed.

But now, watching Storm's body morph and regenerate, Shiryu instinctively assumed he had eaten a Logia-type Devil Fruit.

"What kind of fruit is this… mud? No... this is something else."

His momentary shock, however, did not delay Storm's next move.

Shiryu's blade, Thunderstorm, had undoubtedly severed Storm's torso, yet instead of collapsing, white clay flowed from the wound like liquid before solidifying.

The clay rapidly expanded and spread over his body, increasing his size significantly.

In mere moments, Storm's stature swelled, making him nearly as large as Shiryu himself.

And with that increase in size, the distance between them—already close—narrowed even further.

Shave!

Storm's figure vanished in an instant, only to reappear directly in front of Shiryu with blinding speed.

Before Shiryu could react, Storm's enlarged right fist, reinforced with the power of the Clay-Clay Fruit, came crashing toward him.

Boom!

A heavy impact shook the air as the clay fist smashed into Shiryu's abdomen, sending a powerful shockwave through his body.

Shiryu caught off guard, was hurled backward more than ten meters, his boots scraping the stone floor as he fought to regain balance.

"Bastard!"

Gritting his teeth, Shiryu twisted his body midair and landed skillfully with a controlled somersault.

He steadied himself, his fingers tightening around Thunderstorm's hilt. His expression darkened as he lifted his blood-red blade, ready to strike back.

"So, he's a Devil Fruit user... but that doesn't mean he's invincible."

Shiryu wasn't concerned.

He had dealt with Devil Fruit users many times before.

No matter how rare or powerful their abilities were, they all had one fatal weakness—Haki.

If Armament Haki was properly applied, even the intangibility of Logia users could be bypassed.

And Shiryu was more than confident in his Haki mastery.

However, the moment he raised Thunderstorm, an unsettling sensation crept into his hand.

Something felt off.

His eyes flickered down.

And that's when he saw it.

White clumps of clay had latched onto Thunderstorm's blade—so subtly that Shiryu hadn't even noticed.

In mere seconds, the clay multiplied, expanding several times over, encasing the once-glistening blade in a grotesque white shell.

The famed Thunderstorm, known for its razor-sharp edge, had been transformed into a blunt, misshapen club.

"What the—?!"

Shiryu instinctively tried to shake off the clay, but it had already hardened, effectively rendering his legendary sword useless.

The realization struck him like a brick wall.

Storm had anticipated this.

He had deliberately planted clay on Shiryu's weapon mid-fight, robbing him of his greatest advantage as a swordsman.

"Damn it!"

Storm smirked.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

For a swordsman, a blade was more than just a weapon—it was their very essence. If a swordsman lost control of their sword, their strength would immediately plummet.

And in all the seas, there was no such thing as a "swordless swordsman."

The plan had worked flawlessly.

While Shiryu struggled with his now useless sword, Storm seized the opportunity.

Shave!

With a flash of movement, he closed the distance again.

But Shiryu wasn't the type to stand idle.

Seeing Storm rushing toward him, he abandoned his attempt to free Thunderstorm and improvised.

If he couldn't use a sword, he'd turn it into a club.

With fierce determination, Shiryu swung his now clay-coated Thunderstorm, treating it like a heavy bludgeon instead of a blade.

Storm, however, was prepared.

Paper Art!

Sensing the airflow shift, his clay body subtly rippled, reacting to the incoming attack.

Shiryu's impromptu strike connected, smashing into Storm's head, and blowing half of it apart.

Clay splattered across the battlefield.

But before Shiryu could capitalize on it—

BOOM!

A second clay-infused punch slammed into his gut, sending him flying backward once more.

"Guh—!"

For the second time in less than a minute, Shiryu was sent skidding across the stone floor, coughing violently as a thin stream of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

The blow had winded him, but he refused to show weakness.

He wiped his lips and spat.

"Damn it!"

The gathered Impel Down jailers watched in stunned silence.

Whispers spread like wildfire.

"The Head Jailer… got knocked back again?"

"That new Chief Guard… is actually this strong?"

"Could he actually be winning… against Shiryu?"

Among them, Hannyabal stood frozen.

His mind raced.

"Storm… is strong. Ridiculously strong. But if he and Shiryu keep fighting like this—"

A battle between the two highest-ranking officers, in the middle of a prison, was the last thing Impel Down needed.

Without hesitation, Hannyabal turned and bolted, heading for the lower levels.

"Summon Magellan! Now!"

As emergency signals blared, the tension in the room rose sharply.

But neither combatant paid any attention.

Shiryu steadied himself, his grip on his clay-covered sword tightening.

"I can't fight properly without Armament Haki… but if I take the time to coat my sword, I'll leave myself open."

After this exchange of blows, Thunderstorm became even more entangled in the white clay.

By now, even if Shiryu wanted to loosen his grip on the hilt, he couldn't.

The clay hadn't just wrapped around his sword—it had spread over most of his right hand as well.

At this moment, Shiryu's right arm resembled a grotesque, oversized white hammer, its form completely unrecognizable.

"I can't let this damn clay spread any further..."

A thought flashed through Shiryu's mind.

Without hesitation, he unleashed his Armament Haki.

Dark, inky-black energy surged from his body, coating his right arm entirely from the inside out.

The legendary sword Thunderstorm, along with the thick layer of clay encasing it, was now enveloped in the deep black luster of Armament Haki.

Just moments ago, his right arm had looked like a mutated white hammer.

Now, it had transformed into a black hammer.

But while Armament Haki allowed a user to physically strike Logia Devil Fruit users, it did not negate their abilities like Seastone could.

And the Clay-Clay Fruit functioned just like real clay—meaning Haki alone couldn't erase it.

Even with his full power unleashed, Shiryu could only halt the clay's expansion—but he couldn't make it disappear entirely.

He flexed his newly modified weapon, getting used to its weight and feel.

Then, he grinned coldly.

"Brat," Shiryu growled at Storm, his voice carrying a dangerous edge.

"Game over!"

This time, Shiryu didn't wait for Storm to initiate the attack.

He charged forward, his blackened 'hammer' raised high.

Despite dragging a bulky, misshapen weapon, his speed did not diminish in the slightest.

Though his current form looked ridiculous, his movement was anything but slow.

Seeing that Shiryu had activated Armament Haki, Storm remained vigilant.

He had no intention of underestimating his opponent.

Before Shiryu could close the gap, Storm raised his right fist, and the white clay around it swelled.

In an instant, his right arm expanded drastically, rapidly growing in size.

In mere seconds, Storm's right arm had become comparable to a giant's.

Then—

He swung.

His massive clay fist came crashing down in a ferocious, earth-shaking attack.

"Giant Clay Fist!"

On the other side, Shiryu swung his right arm—his newly formed black hammer slamming forward.

Boom!

One black, one white.

Two weapons of opposite colors and forms collided in a monstrous impact.

The ground trembled, and a deafening shockwave erupted, sending violent gusts in all directions.

But Shiryu was no ordinary warrior.

Even without his sword, his mastery over Armament Haki remained formidable.

Storm's Giant Clay Fist, despite its size and power, began to crumble under Shiryu's unyielding force.

In less than a few seconds, his black hammer had shattered most of the giant clay fist, sending chunks of hardened clay scattering across the battlefield.

However—

The soft, malleable nature of the clay had absorbed a portion of the impact, dampening some of Shiryu's attack.

His momentum slowed.

His black hammer halted mid-swing.

It wasn't just because of the clay's cushioning effect.

A powerful force was pushing back against him from within the clay fist itself.

"Iron Body!"

Storm's true fist had remained hidden within the giant clay fist, and at this moment, its surface gleamed with a dark metallic sheen.

At this moment—

Storm's fist felt like an indestructible iron spike, acting as an unyielding defense.

Had Storm been able to check his Trophy System interface, he would have seen a new ability registered under his skills:

[Armament Haki: ☆]

Even without a system notification, he felt it.

This power...

This overwhelming sensation...

It's Haki!

Storm had first experienced a glimpse of this power when he was fending off the Sphinxes' combined assault.

Now, as he blocked Shiryu's attack head-on, that sensation became even clearer.

This was the power he had been searching for!

This is Haki!

His eyes flashed with determination.

He wanted to keep fighting.

He wanted to test his newfound strength.

But before he could launch his next strike—

A furious voice echoed from the entrance of the cafeteria.

"Enough!"

Storm barely registered the shout amid his battle.

The same could be said for Shiryu.

However—

"Hydra!"

Three massive serpentine blasts of purple poison shot toward them with terrifying speed.

Storm stood his ground, unfazed.

But Shiryu—

The moment he saw the incoming poison, his entire body tensed.

Like a mouse sensing a cat, he instantly reacted.

Without hesitation, he swung his black hammer at the first dragon, smashing its head apart in a single strike.

However—

As the corrosive poison splattered, he swiftly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly substance.

His eyes darted toward the prison cafeteria's entrance, where a towering figure now stood.

His expression darkened.

"Magellan..."

Meanwhile, Storm remained as calm as ever.

Seeing the new arrival, he casually raised a hand in greeting.

"Hey, Director!" he said nonchalantly.

Magellan's gaze swept across the room, first landing on Shiryu, who looked battered and bruised, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Then, he shifted his eyes to Storm—who stood completely composed and unscathed.

A flicker of doubt passed through Magellan's mind.

"Didn't Hannyabal report that Storm was the victim?"

"That Shiryu was the bloodthirsty executioner, mercilessly attacking his colleagues?"

But looking at this scene...

It seemed more like—

Storm was the one dominating Shiryu.

Magellan exhaled.

"I... probably shouldn't ask too many questions today."