When Did You Start Thinking You Could Stay Out of This?! (Please Follow! Please Vote Monthly!)

Whitebeard's captain?

Ivankov's jaw nearly hit the ground when he heard that.

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

That's right...

Even the now-famous World's Strongest Man had once been a certain man's crew member...

At that moment.

A blurry shadow suddenly flashed through Ivankov's mind.

Before Pirate King Gol D. Roger.

The captain of the Rocks Pirates, the supreme ruler of the sea who had come closest to becoming the Pirate King!

Rocks D. Zebek!

Edward Newgate, Golden Lion Shiki, Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, Beasts Kaido...

Every one of these legendary Great Pirates who had become famous throughout the world had once been a member of the Rocks Pirates.

And that was without even mentioning Captain John, Silver Axe, Ochoku, Buckingham Stussy, the Empress of Kuja from three generations ago, and others.

Aboard the Rocks Pirates' ship.

Even Ochoku, who had been unknown back then.

Was now a tyrant of the New World who had controlled Hachinosu Island for many years!

I really must be losing my head...

Ivankov lowered his head and rubbed his forehead, concealing his overly exposed emotions.

I actually compared a young man to Rocks D. Zebek back then...

When Ivankov raised his head again, he looked toward Whitebeard the Third.

"Teach, is what he said true?"

"Yes."

Whitebeard the Third nodded heavily.

"Storm isn't just my partner. He's also my captain."

The sight before him was simply too unbelievable.

Even Ivankov, who was usually thick-skinned, found it difficult to accept for a moment.

But Whitebeard the Third had personally nodded in confirmation, leaving the Okama King no room to question it.

"Vongola Storm, who exactly are you?"

Ivankov could only look toward Storm. One question after another poured from his mouth.

"Why did you come to Impel Down? What exactly is your purpose? Could it be that you're after the prisoners in Infinite Hell—"

"You ask too many questions, Ivankov."

Storm interrupted the Okama King directly.

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

Ivankov couldn't help rubbing his face, trying to ease his current excitement.

And just then.

On the other side, Lightning, who had been injected with Healing Hormone, slowly awoke from unconsciousness.

"Your Majesty!"

Lightning's cry immediately caught the Okama King's attention.

Ivankov instantly moved to his subordinate's side and gently raised Lightning's arm.

"Be careful of Vongola Storm!"

Lightning forced himself to stay conscious and warned his queen.

"He came to Extreme Cold Hell!"

After saying this, Lightning fell unconscious once more.

The atmosphere within Newkama Land suddenly grew tense.

Ivankov had just lowered his guard, but now he had no choice but to raise it again.

"Vongola Storm, were you the one who did this to Lightning?"

"It was me."

Storm unexpectedly gave him a definite answer.

The grief and fury on Ivankov's face flashed past.

Then Storm continued.

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

"Grateful for what?"

Ivankov replied coldly.

"Grateful that Lightning wasn't killed by you?"

"Precisely."

Storm answered sharply.

"At least I didn't kill that okama just now. I left him alive and let Teach bring him to you!"

Ivankov's expression froze.

Although he was displeased and furious that Vongola Storm had seriously injured Lightning.

He had to admit that Storm's words did make some sense.

As Impel Down's Jailer Chief, Vongola Storm also had the authority to execute prisoners.

Even if Vongola Storm had truly killed Lightning, it would have been part of his duty.

Even taking the worst-case scenario.

Vongola Storm had seriously injured Lightning.

If he had simply left Lightning in the forest of Extreme Cold Hell.

The unconscious Lightning would certainly have been devoured by the crazed army wolves.

If that had happened.

Ivankov would have lost this precious subordinate all the same!

At that moment, a trace of gratitude actually welled up in Ivankov's heart.

Fortunately, Lightning's enemy had been Storm rather than Shiryu of the Rain.

Otherwise, Lightning would have been doomed!

After sorting out his thoughts completely.

The anger in Ivankov's heart had mostly vanished.

Lightning was injured, but he was only injured. As long as he was alive, that was enough!

As for how Vongola Storm had escaped from the prison in Extreme Cold Hell and encountered Lightning...

Ivankov had no intention of investigating that.

After all.

Vongola Storm's identity was "Jailer Chief," not "prisoner."

His punishment was merely "confinement," not "imprisonment."

The man probably had ten thousand ways to leave his cell...

Ivankov stopped dwelling on this minor matter.

The tense atmosphere in Newkama Land gradually eased as well.

"Vongola Storm."

Ivankov brought up the old matter again.

"You and Teach... really intend to recruit subordinates from Infinite Hell?"

"Our target is indeed the prisoners in Infinite Hell."

Storm answered honestly.

"However, I had no intention of coming to find you in the first place."

"Newkama Land... Hah!"

Although the other man's attitude was infuriating, Ivankov was more than happy for him to act that way.

Because he had no desire to get involved in the "Infinite Hell recruitment plan" either!

Cherish your life. Stay away from lunatics.

"If that's the case, then please leave, both of you!"

Ivankov eagerly issued his dismissal.

"I wish you both success in advance!"

"Okama King."

Storm tilted his head and glanced sideways at Ivankov.

"When did you start thinking you could stay out of this?"

Ivankov was instantly startled.

"What!?"

Storm waved his hand, and Whitebeard the Third obediently retreated to the side.

Then he began walking slowly toward Ivankov.

"Newkama Land, an ungoverned area located in Impel Down's blind spot."

As Storm advanced step by step, the ground beneath his feet continuously sprayed out clay like a fountain.

"The moment I appeared here, your fate was already decided!

"Okama King.

"Do you want to come with me to Infinite Hell?

"Or do you want me to send you into Infinite Hell?!"

The atmosphere, which had just eased, abruptly became tense.

Ivankov's eyes widened, his gaze almost tearing apart.

But in the next instant, he suddenly blinked.

A powerful shock wave erupted from his eyelid and blasted toward the approaching Storm like a storm.

"DEATH WINK!"

Boom!

The shock wave created by Ivankov's "Death Wink" exploded the instant it struck Storm's body.

A deafening roar rang out through Newkama Land.

Storm, struck by the explosive wave of Ivankov's "Death Wink," was left battered and broken.

But what flowed from his wounds wasn't blood. It was white clay!

At the same time.

The ground beneath Storm's feet was transformed by the power of the Clay Fruit into an enormous mass of clay.

"Flowing Clay!"

Storm manipulated the clay beneath his feet, shaping it into undulating waves.

One enormous palm after another grew from the clay ground and attacked all the okamas in Newkama Land.

"Ah! The ground turned into clay!"

"I can barely keep my footing!"

"So many hands! There's no way to dodge them all!"

The members of Newkama Land were prisoners Ivankov had gathered from the first five levels. Their strength varied greatly.

Faced with Flowing Clay's widespread attack, not one of the okamas managed to escape!

In the span of only a few breaths.

The vast majority of Newkama Land's members were restrained by Storm using the Clay Fruit.

Even Lightning, who had fallen unconscious again, was no exception.

Only Ivankov continued dodging Flowing Clay's attacks.

With his extensive experience, he saw the essence of this widespread attack at a glance—

Vongola Storm's Clay Fruit had awakened!

The Okama King instantly felt his scalp go numb.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

Ivankov nimbly dodged the clay's attacks while shouting repeatedly.

"I surrender, all right? Stop it!

"If you keep attacking, you'll destroy all of Newkama Land!"

"Surrender?"

Storm glanced at the motionless Big Trophy and sneered coldly.

"Since you're worried about Newkama Land being destroyed, then let's take this outside!

"It's perfect. I'm very interested in your abilities."

Storm had recently been thinking about how to make the Clay Fruit more "artistic."

After all, everyone knew—

Art was explosion!

Human muscles and eyelids could actually unleash explosive waves of that magnitude.

Storm was extremely interested in Ivankov's "Death Wink"!

"Huh? What did you say!?"

Ivankov was so shocked by Storm's words that he even forgot to dodge the clay's attacks.

"You want to become a New Human too?! I can help you evolve!"

New Human.

In other words, a Newkama.

After hearing Ivankov's words, Storm's face instantly darkened.

He controlled the white clay, shaping it into an enormous palm, and slammed it down hard on Ivankov.

Smack!

Storm swatted Ivankov into the ground beneath Newkama Land as if he were a fly.

"Ah! I'm going to be sent to Infinite Hell—like I'd let that happen!"

Ivankov's shout came from inside the clay.

"HELL WINK!"

Boom!

A violent shock wave slammed into the white clay, and the ground formed from it immediately burst apart.

Amid the clay fragments flying everywhere,

Ivankov leaped high into the air. At some point, he had transformed into a woman.

The Queen beckoned Storm with a finger.

"Vongola, let's go have some fun outside!"

The second update, delivered right on time.

Rainy days make the road up the mountain so hard to walk...