Move! The Edward Teach! (Seeking reads! Seeking monthly votes at the start of the month!)

Chapter 21: Move! Edward Teach! (Begging for Follows! Early Month Begging for Monthly Tickets!)

Seeing the [Clay Clone] completely unharmed before him, Lightning immediately sensed something was wrong and instinctively retreated a few steps.

As far as he knew, there was only one person in Impel Down with the ability to manipulate clay—

The new Jailer Chief of the Deep Sea Prison, who had just been sent into the Extreme Cold Hell this morning!

Lightning stared at the [Clay Clone] and softly uttered that name.

"Vongola Storm?"

"You know me?"

Storm's voice exploded like thunder in Lightning's ears.

The latter instantly felt a chill run down his spine.

Because he could almost feel the breath drifting from behind him!

Lightning burst forth at the fastest speed of his life, fleeing the spot instantly.

Only after escaping over ten meters away did he dare turn his head to look at where he had just stood.

Storm stood there, calm and composed, gazing in his direction.

'When did this bastard appear?'

Lightning's heart pounded wildly like a drum, still shaken.

'Was he standing there watching the whole time I was attacking!?'

"Half-yellow, half-white special appearance, enormous dual-wielded scissors."

Storm took a step forward, walking toward Lightning one pace at a time.

"You were originally a prisoner locked in the Extreme Cold Hell—

"A senior cadre of the Revolutionary Army, Scissors Man, Lightning."

With his identity exposed in one breath by the enemy, Lightning's face hardened with extreme gravity.

Before he could speak, the Jailer Chief continued his verbal pressure.

"I'm curious."

Storm kept closing in on Lightning, asking one fatal question after another in the calmest tone.

"Why is a prisoner already on the death list bouncing around alive in front of me?

"Why is there not a single trace of frostbite on your body, and even the aura you emit is so healthy?

"Why do you know my name, when I only arrived at Impel Down not long ago—"

Fearing that Storm would push the deduction even further, Lightning instinctively raised his hands to interrupt him.

"Rotating Flying Scissors!"

Lightning swung his arms with force.

The giant scissors his arms had transformed into flew out directly with his motion.

Two enormous scissors spun at super speed in midair, turning into two gleaming, cold discs.

Woo—

The two large scissors tore through the air with a howl, carrying a powerful momentum that could split metal and break jade, as if to cut Storm in two.

Storm stood still, motionless, letting the scissors strike him.

Chi— Chi—

The two scissors hit Storm's body almost simultaneously, leaving two wounds so deep the bone was visible.

Lightning could almost see the winter scenery of the distant forest through Storm's wounds.

Yet what made him despair was—

Despite being so severely injured, the other party didn't bleed a single drop!

"You should have realized by now."

Storm's clay-like body healed instantly.

"Your attacks are useless against me!"

The moment the words fell—

[Shave]!

Storm's feet stomped heavily on the ground, the powerful reaction force propelling him forward at astonishing speed, instantly appearing before Lightning.

His right fist had been raised at some point, the knuckles coated in pitch-black [Armament Haki], the fist driving forward like a nail.

[Tekkai: Serious Punch]!

Just at this critical moment.

Lightning timely unleashed the power of the Bari Bari no Mi, transforming the surface of his body into the sturdy blade of a pair of scissors.

Clang--

Storm's Cannon Fist slammed into Lightning's body, instantly erupting with a crisp metallic clash like iron striking iron.

Lightning was sent flying backward on impact, hurtling dozens of meters away and snapping several large trees before finally stopping.

Dust mingled with scattered snow, swirling through the air.

Within the haze.

Lightning knelt on one knee, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, a distinct fist imprint still visible on his body.

Although the special ability of the Bari Bari no Mi had mitigated some of the damage.

The restraining effect of Armament Haki on Devil Fruit Users still held true.

Storm's iron fist had dealt Lightning no small injury.

'No wonder he's a monster who can trade blows evenly with Shiryu of the Rain!'

Lightning coughed up a mouthful of clotted blood, his gaze firm as he stared ahead.

'But no matter what, I absolutely cannot let him discover the existence of the paradise!'

Impel Down, Level 5.5, Newkama Land.

This was the "paradise" meticulously crafted by the Okama King, Emporio Ivankov.

As one of Ivankov's loyal followers.

Lightning would never allow anyone to interfere with the Okama King's grand plan!

Especially the jailers of Impel Down!

The lapdogs of the World Government!

Lightning once again transformed both hands into large scissors and drove them into the ground beneath his feet.

As a user of the Bari Bari no Mi.

Lightning could not only turn every part of his body into scissors.

But he could also cut through any hard object and manipulate the severed pieces as if they were sheets of paper.

In just a brief moment.

Lightning had sliced the ground beneath him into countless "Frozen Soil Fragments."

Under the influence of the Bari Bari no Mi's power, these Frozen Soil Fragments stacked together like paper.

Lightning manipulated these fragments, flinging them out like paper airplanes.

Though seemingly light and thin, the Frozen Soil Fragments were still solid, hard, and icy earth at their core.

Under Lightning's control, the offensive power of these fragments was no less than that of ordinary cannonballs.

"KEEP OUT!"

A barrage of Frozen Soil Fragments rained down on Storm, as if trying to bury him completely.

Facing this assault, Storm advanced instead of retreating.

[Kami-e: Clay]!

Storm strolled casually through the dense storm of Frozen Soil Fragments, his body continuously shifting shape with the flow of the air.

Boom! Boom! Boom!--

Each Frozen Soil Fragment that struck the ground erupted with a deafening roar, shaking the earth itself.

Yet when Storm emerged from this "deadly web of fire," he remained completely unscathed.

Not even a speck of dust had dirtied his clothes!

"Is this all the strength of a high-ranking Revolutionary Army officer?"

Storm spread his fingers, and white clay surged forth, instantly forming several thick Clay Strips.

The tip of each Clay Strip was coated with a thin layer of Armament Haki to enhance its destructive power.

"Then, the tables turn!

"Clay Rain!"

Storm manipulated the Clay Strips, unleashing a tempestuous assault on Lightning.

Each Clay Strip that struck the ground easily blasted a massive crater.

Lightning dodged one, then another.

But he couldn't dodge the third, the fourth...

Bam!

Lightning's body was struck by a clay bar, and the clay attack wrapped in [Armament Haki] instantly made him freeze.

Immediately after, an endless stream of clay bars swarmed in from all sides, directly burying Lightning within.

Boom boom boom—

Accompanied by a continuous chain of thunderous roars.

A new [Big Trophy] appeared before Storm.

[Platinum Trophy: Lightning]

[Trophy Star Rating: ★★★★★]

"Another Platinum Trophy in hand!"

Storm put away the trophy and retrieved the clay.

On the pockmarked earth, Lightning lay battered and bruised deep inside the largest crater.

If not for the rise and fall of his chest, he would have looked as good as dead.

Staring at Lightning, who was thoroughly down for the count, Storm's brow furrowed slightly.

He was happy to have obtained a Platinum Trophy.

But how to deal with Lightning had become a small problem.

Although Storm had long known that Impel Down had a hidden "Level 5.5,"

he hadn't previously considered doing anything to that bunch of twisted "New Humans" in Newkama Land.

The trophies provided by the okama and those provided by the prisoners were all the same.

Since that was the case, why would Storm go out of his way to mess around in Newkama Land?

Arriving at Extreme Cold Hell for the first time, Storm hadn't expected to run into someone from Newkama Land so quickly.

And he'd even encountered the "second-in-command" of Newkama Land!

"The commotion from the fight just now was a bit loud."

"If the entrance to Newkama Land is near this forest, the people inside should have already sensed something."

"In that case..."

Storm thought for a moment, then glanced at the [Clay Clone] watching from the sidelines, and a sudden idea emerged in his mind.

A few seconds later.

A tall, imposing human appeared in the forest of Extreme Cold Hell.

His stature was abnormally large, over six meters tall, with long golden hair flowing behind him like a lion's mane.

But what drew the most attention was the huge, crescent-shaped white mustache curling upward on his face!

Whitebeard the Third.

Edward Teach, back in the game!

Storm's [Clay Fruit] ability had already awakened, combined with the [Color Change] ability he'd obtained earlier.

The "Whitebeard the Third" he created was no longer as crude and ridiculous as before.

At this moment, the "Whitebeard the Third" standing proudly in Extreme Cold Hell bore an image incredibly close to Whitebeard in his forties!

Even if the real Whitebeard appeared here, and saw "Whitebeard the Third,"

he couldn't help but wonder if he'd actually fathered an illegitimate child with Miss Buckingham back in the day!

Storm looked at the [Clay Clone] before him—

No!

Now he should be called "Edward Teach"!

Storm looked at Edward Teach and couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.

The next moment.

Storm stepped forward and collided with Edward Teach.

His entire body seemed to merge into Edward Teach's form like a drop of water.

"Move, Edward Teach unit!"

Storm concealed himself inside the "Whitebeard the Third humanoid mecha."

Like a novice Gundam pilot, he kept familiarizing himself with the abilities of this new body.

Once he'd more or less adapted to the new body, Storm began tentatively imitating the real Whitebeard.

"Gunara—pah!

"Cooler! Cooler—

"Gurararara—

"I am Whitebeard the Third!!"

A new month, a new beginning.

Follows!

Monthly tickets!

Recommendation tickets!

I want them all!!

Please please please please please!!!

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