Storm reached out and grasped the silver-gray ring that floated quietly in the air, his excitement beyond words.
"With a six-star diamond trophy, the system was able to manifest my desire using the System Forge and obtain a six-star Devil's Ring (Replica)!"
Holding his breath, Storm carefully examined the effects of the second Devil's Ring.
Generally speaking, the six-star version of the Devil's Ring retained the most basic function of the real thing— it allowed the user to harness a Devil Fruit's power without needing to eat the fruit itself!
That alone was enough to make Storm feel that this wish had been worth it!
However, the replica was only six stars, far from the genuine Devil's Ring, which was a nine-star treasure.
The most obvious drawback of the replica was its limited energy supply.
Unlike the original, which had nearly infinite natural energy at its disposal, the Devil's Ring replica could only provide energy up to the awakening level.
This meant that while the ring could unleash the full power of a Devil Fruit up to six stars, it could not support abilities that exceeded that level.
If a Devil Fruit's power surpassed six stars, the second ring would be at risk of breaking.
It lacked the unbreakable effect of the original Devil's Ring, making it less durable than the real thing.
However, as a six-star artifact, the replica was still exceptionally durable compared to other items. It was akin to the 'Slippers' of a certain Sun God— resilient, but not invincible.
Overall, Storm was very satisfied with the Devil's Ring replica.
After all, it was obtained using only a six-star trophy, yet it granted the ability to fully utilize Devil Fruits at their Awakening level.
Across the vast seas, many powerful individuals struggled for years just to break through to Awakening.
The fact that Storm could now instantly access that level with any Devil Fruit made him superior to 99% of the fighters in the ocean!
Without hesitation, he slipped on the second Devil's ring and then turned his gaze toward the three Devil Fruits before him.
Now, a dilemma presented itself.
Including the original Devil's Ring, Storm now owned two rings.
But the number of Devil Fruits in his possession had reached four!
Clay-Clay Fruit
Zoan-type Chameleon Fruit
Mythical Zoan-type Nine-Tailed Fox Fruit
More-More Fruit
Even if he excluded the Chameleon Fruit, he still had three Devil Fruits to deal with.
There was no way he would give up his Clay-Clay Fruit, which had already been developed to seven stars.
But what about the Nine-Tailed Fox Fruit and the More-More Fruit?
Both were extremely powerful, and Storm was unwilling to give up either of them.
Of course, from a purely economical standpoint, Storm could simply eat one of the Devil Fruits himself.
With the help of the two Devil's Rings, he could wield the powers of three different Devil Fruits simultaneously.
But if it could be avoided, why would he willingly give himself a fatal weakness?
"So, only weak people make choices... strong people take everything!"
Taking a deep breath, Storm called out the diamond trophy of Sanjuan Wolf.
He had already used up the Blood Diamond Trophy from Catarina Devon.
The remaining two diamond trophies were originally meant to boost his endurance attribute.
But now...
"If I lose one Diamond Trophy, I can always earn another later!"
Storm immediately used the diamond trophy of Sanjuan Wolf in the System Forge to manifest another desire.
A third Devil's Ring appeared out of thin air.
Just like before, it was a six-star Devil's Ring.
Storm put on the third ring and absorbed the power of his two chosen Devil Fruits.
In a matter of moments, his skill list updated:
[More-More Fruit: ☆]
[Nine-Tailed Fox Fruit: ☆]
"This is insane! Absolutely insane!"
Excited, Storm immediately called forth several five-star platinum trophies.
"System! Add points— now!"
Using one platinum trophy per fruit, he pushed both to five stars.
Then, using two more trophies per fruit, he raised them straight to awakening!
His skill list now displayed:
[More-More Fruit: ★★★★★★]
[Nine-Tailed Fox Fruit: ★★★★★★]
Storm wasn't done yet.
With one diamond trophy remaining, he reserved it for the endurance attribute.
Since he didn't have enough food reserves, he put that on hold.
But other skills? Those could be leveled up immediately!
Storm then invested four platinum trophies into his Haki:
[Armament Haki/Observation Haki: ★★★★★★]
Next, he turned to his combat skills.
[Six Styles: ★★★★★★]
At this point, Storm had already burned through twenty-two platinum trophies in one go!
But looking at his status panel, he still wasn't done.
With his final four platinum trophies, he boosted:
[Life Return: ★★★★★★]
[Swordsmanship: ★★★★★★]
After all these upgrades, every single one of Storm's core abilities had reached six stars!
Before, his abilities were imbalanced—a fighter with some strong points and weak areas.
But now?
No weaknesses. No blind spots.
His Physical Strength, Devil Fruit Abilities, Combat Skills, and Haki were all six stars!
...Except for one thing.
He glanced at Conqueror's Haki, which still showed no signs of awakening.
"Well… I guess I still to awaken Conqueror's Haki."
Having completely upgraded his abilities, Storm didn't immediately start testing them.
After the intense battle in Impel Down, he had barely escaped and needed to rest.
"Let's find a habitable island first!"
Looking around, he saw nothing but an endless blue sea stretching in every direction.
"Wait a second... Where even am I?!"
Just as Storm was lost in the air, trying to get his bearings, the consequences of the riot at Impel Down had already begun to ripple across the world.
At Marineford, the headquarters of the Marines, an urgent message had just reached the highest authority.
Inside the Admiral's Office, hurried knocks sounded on the door, sharp and urgent.
"Come in," said Fleet Admiral Sengoku, his expression still composed as he handed a confidential document to the goat beside him.
The door swung open, revealing a Marine officer with a green afro, panting slightly from his haste.
"Brannew?" Sengoku recognized the man immediately and acknowledged him with a brief nod.
"Are you on duty today?" he asked casually, though his keen eyes noted the urgency in Brannew's face.
"Report, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" Brannew saluted sharply before speaking in a hurried tone. "We received an urgent transmission from Impel Down! A catastrophic incident has occurred in the prison!"
Sengoku's previously relaxed demeanor vanished instantly, his features hardening into a sharp, focused look.
"Impel Down?!" he repeated, the weight of those words settling in his mind. "What happened? Did another prisoner escape from Level Six?"
Even though Impel Down was regarded as an iron fortress, history had already proven otherwise. Officially, no one had ever escaped. But behind closed doors, Sengoku knew the truth.
There had been one successful escape in recent memory—Shiki the Golden Lion, over a decade ago.
Not even the Infinite Hell could contain him.
And yet, despite his escape, the world had barely heard from Shiki since. Reports indicated that immediately after his breakout, he had gone to the New World to meet with Whitebeard.
After that... nothing. It was as if he had vanished from existence.
But now, there was a new crisis unfolding within Impel Down.
Could it be another Level Six prisoner?
Was it Douglas Bullet, the Demon Heir?
Or worse... Patrick Redfield the Aloof Red?
Most of the other prisoners would have had little chance of overwhelming Magellan, the fearsome warden of Impel Down.
"No prisoners escaped from Level Six, Admiral!" Brannew reported meticulously. "However, the current state of Infinite Hell is... disastrous."
Sengoku frowned.
"Disastrous?"
"From the reports, most of the prisoners in Level Six have been killed." Brannew's words were grim. "According to the official count from Impel Down, fewer than ten prisoners from Infinite Hell survived the carnage."
A sharp silence filled the room.
Sengoku's first instinct was disbelief.
"That's impossible..." he muttered. "Magellan wouldn't slaughter the entire Infinite Hell. Was there a riot? Did he lose control?"
Brannew shook his head.
"Magellan did deploy his forbidden technique the 'Venom Demon' in an attempt to quell the situation." He paused. "Some prisoners were indeed killed by his poison, and Magellan has taken full responsibility. He has even expressed his willingness to commit seppuku if the government deems it necessary."
"Don't let him do anything foolish!" Sengoku said quickly, alarm flashing in his eyes. "He's one of our strongest assets—we can't afford to lose him!"
But his concern only deepened.
If Magellan wasn't the cause of the massacre...
"Then who was responsible for the slaughter?"
Brannew took a deep breath before delivering the name.
"It was Storm."
For a moment, Sengoku didn't react.
Then, his eyes narrowed as he processed the name.
"...Storm?"
He racked his memory, trying to place the name, and suddenly—like a bolt of lightning—it clicked.
A member of SWORD.
Aokiji had personally arranged for him to infiltrate the pirates in the New World as an undercover agent.
But now, he was the one responsible for the massacre in Level Six?
Sengoku felt a sense of unease settles over him.
Who exactly had given him orders to go this far?
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