"Nani!?"
Shiryu couldn't help exclaiming in shock as he watched Storm remain composed despite being cleaved in half by his sword.
"You're a Logia-type user?!"
Before today.
Shiryu hadn't paid any attention to Storm, the new Warden Chief who had voluntarily requested transfer to Impel Down.
Thus, he had no idea Storm was a [Clay-Clay Fruit] user.
When Shiryu suddenly witnessed Storm's unique "Body Clay Transformation" ability.
He mistakenly assumed the man had eaten an extremely rare Logia-type Devil Fruit.
Something like the "Mud-Mud Fruit" perhaps...
But Shiryu's shock.
Didn't affect Storm's next move.
His body nearly split in half by [Thunderclap Rain], white clay poured out from the gap to cover his surface.
As the clay rapidly filled in.
Storm's physique swelled to match Shiryu's size in the blink of an eye.
The distance between them was already minimal.
Storm's enlarged form closed the gap even further.
[Shave]! Storm vanished from his original position, appearing directly before Shiryu.
His right fist—enhanced and enlarged by the [Clay-Clay Fruit]—swung forward with terrifying momentum.
Caught off guard, Shiryu took Storm's [Clay Heavy Blow] straight to the abdomen.
Belly Cross Punch! Thud! A dull, heavy impact echoed.
Shiryu of the Rain, who had been domineering moments ago, was sent flying over a dozen meters.
"Bastard!"
Mid-air, Shiryu stabilized himself and landed gracefully.
He glared venomously at Storm while raising his Named Sword [Thunderclap Rain] again.
Logia users weren't invincible.
At least, Shiryu had means to deal with them.
Haki was the bane of all ability users!
But as Shiryu lifted [Thunderclap Rain].
An unusual sensation completely different from normal gripped him.
Shiryu immediately examined his sword.
He discovered clusters of white clay had somehow wrapped around [Thunderclap Rain]'s crimson blade.
The white clay seemed capable of "asexual reproduction."
In mere moments.
The clay's volume multiplied several times over.
The gorgeous, demonic Named Sword [Thunderclap Rain] now wore this peculiar white clay "sheath."
Transforming into a ridiculous-looking white club! Shiryu completely lost his grip.
Storm had considerable combat experience.
He knew well.
A swordsman's strength lay primarily in their weapon, regardless of skill level.
Neutralizing a Sword Master's Named Sword would cause their power to plummet.
Surely no absurd creature like a "Great Sword Master without a sword" existed on the seas?
While Shiryu had been drawing his blade earlier.
Storm had stealthily attached clay clusters to the weapon.
Now, the results spoke for themselves!
With Shiryu's Named Sword temporarily "sealed."
Storm closed in rapidly as his opponent struggled to remove the clay.
[Shave]! The four-star [Shave] unleashed lightning speed, bringing Storm before Shiryu instantly.
But Shiryu of the Rain was, after all, Impel Down's Deputy Warden—his reflexes were just as sharp.
Seeing Storm approach, Shiryu no longer focused on clearing the clay from [Thunderclap Rain].
He swung the white clay rod in his hand like an incredibly sharp longsword, slashing toward the approaching figure.
[Paper Drawing]! Storm clearly sensed the airflow changes from Shiryu's attack, his clayified body rippling like waves.
Shiryu's "clay rod" smashed straight toward Storm's head.
Yet Storm neither dodged nor avoided it. As he allowed the attack to land, he simultaneously threw a [Clay Heavy Blow] forward!
Smack!
Shiryu's "clay rod" struck Storm's head directly, exploding half of it in an instant.
White clay splattered in all directions like water droplets.
Boom!
Storm's heavy fist slammed into Shiryu's abdomen again, sending him flying backward.
"Cough!"
With his soft abdomen taking repeated heavy blows, Shiryu couldn't withstand the damage and let out a cough.
A trickle of crimson blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, sliding down his chin.
Once might have been an accident.
But twice?
The surrounding Impel Down wardens, witnessing Shiryu being sent flying by Storm again, couldn't help but murmur among themselves.
"The Deputy Warden was actually knocked back..."
"The Warden Chief is so strong! He's actually overpowering the Deputy Warden!"
"Could the prison be in for a shake-up?"
Hannyabal, hidden among the crowd, quietly retreated at this moment.
He couldn't tell whether Storm was stronger or Shiryu was more formidable.
But with a prison riot unfolding—with the Warden Chief and Deputy Warden brawling in public—
Hannyabal sent out an emergency signal.
"Quick! Go to Level 4 and summon Magellan!!"
Neither of the two fighters on the field paid attention to the spectators' reactions.
Shiryu wiped the blood from his lips—he didn't care about minor injuries like this.
But seeing Storm's head rapidly reforming, he couldn't help but spit in frustration.
"Damn it!"
Without time to infuse Armament Haki, he couldn't deal effective damage to his enemy...
Shiryu's gaze flickered toward [Thunderclap Rain] in his right hand.
After this round of attacks,
the clay covering [Thunderclap Rain] had only grown thicker.
At this point, even if Shiryu wanted to release the hilt, he couldn't.
Because the clay wasn't just clinging to [Thunderclap Rain]—
it had also engulfed most of his right hand!
Shiryu's right hand now resembled a mutated, oversized white club.
'Can't let this mud grow any more...'
The thought flashed through Shiryu's mind.
Without hesitation, he unleashed his Armament Haki.
Dark Haki surged from within Shiryu's body, wrapping around his entire right arm from the inside out.
Even the Named Sword [Thunderclap Rain] and the outer "clay sheath" were entirely coated in Shiryu's Armament Haki.
A moment ago, Shiryu's right hand had looked like a white club.
Now, it was a black club!
Though Armament Haki could touch the physical form of a Logia user,
it couldn't nullify their abilities like Sea-stone could.
And as for the tangible clay created by the [Clay-Clay Fruit]—
Armament Haki had no way to "erase" it.
Shiryu's release of Armament Haki only suppressed the clay's further expansion—it couldn't make it disappear.
He casually flexed the club in his right hand, adjusting to this peculiar "weapon."
"Kid!"
Shiryu turned to Storm with an icy grin.
"Game over!"
This time, without waiting for Storm to attack first, Shiryu charged straight at him.
Even though the Deputy Warden was dragging along that bizarre black club—making his movements look somewhat comical—his speed wasn't the least bit slow!
Seeing Shiryu employ Armament Haki, Storm didn't underestimate him in the slightest.
Before Shiryu could close the distance, Storm swung his right fist.
White clay rapidly gathered, swelling and expanding.
In an instant, Storm's right arm ballooned to a size comparable to that of a giant's.
With a powerful swing, the colossal clay fist launched a ferocious attack.
Giant Clay Fist!
On the other side, Shiryu also swung his right arm—that grotesque, ugly black club.
BOOM!
Black met white.
Two weapons of vastly different shapes and colors collided violently.
A deafening explosion erupted, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
But Shiryu was still Shiryu.
One of the Twin Walls of Impel Down.
Even without his Named Sword, his mastery of Armament Haki was nothing to scoff at.
Against that Haki-infused club, Storm's Giant Clay Fist lasted mere seconds before crumbling apart.
Shiryu shattered most of the clay fist effortlessly, sending large chunks crashing to the ground.
Yet the inherent softness of the clay absorbed much of the impact.
In the end, Shiryu's black club came to a halt.
This wasn't solely due to the clay dampening his force.
Hidden deep within the clay fist was an unyielding resistance—something that stopped the black club's advance.
Iron Body!
Storm's right fist was buried deep inside the clay fist, its surface now gleaming with a dark sheen.
At this moment, his fist was like an iron nail, steadfast against the assault.
Had he spared a glance at his stats, he would've noticed a new ability appearing in his skill list:
[Armament Haki: ☆]
Even without seeing the Awakening of his Armament Haki, Storm could distinctly feel its presence.
He had sensed this power before—when fending off the Human-faced Lion's swarm attacks.
Now, using Iron Body to block Shiryu's strike, the sensation grew clearer than ever.
This was it!
Haki!
Just as Storm prepared to press the attack and test this newfound power—
"EVERYONE, STOP!"
A furious roar echoed from the prison cafeteria's entrance.
Engrossed in battle, Storm paid no heed to the outside noise.
Neither did Shiryu.
So—
"Poison Dragon!"
Two deep-purple Poison Dragons surged forth menacingly.
Storm stood his ground, unmoved.
But Shiryu reacted like a mouse spotting a cat.
He hastily swung his black club, smashing one of the Poison Dragon's heads to pieces before darting aside to avoid the splashing venom.
"Magellan..."
Shiryu stared warily at the man standing at the cafeteria entrance.
"Well, well... Warden!"
Storm calmly waved at Magellan with an air of composure.
Magellan glanced at Shiryu, who was disheveled and had blood at the corner of his mouth, then back at Storm, who appeared unhurried and completely at ease.
Didn't Hannyabal say Shiryu was cold-blooded and ruthless, that he had turned his blade against his fellow Impel Down comrades?
But the scene before him looked more like…
Storm was the one tormenting Shiryu?