"Zoan: Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Deidara Form" (Please keep reading! Please vote!)

After his battle with the Okama King, Ivankov,

Storm had completely mastered the power of the awakened [Clay Fruit].

After awakening, the [Clay Fruit] could forcibly assimilate its surroundings.

Combined with the seemingly inexhaustible "Natural Energy" of the [Demon Ring],

as long as Storm had enough time to prepare,

he could now assimilate an entire island and turn it into a "Clay Island"!

By rounding up a little,

Storm could now be considered to have "Island Destruction Level Combat Power"!

"It'd be best if I developed a few more 'Awakened Skills'—single-target, group, and area-of-effect attacks..."

"The models for developing Awakened Skills are those who've awakened their Paramecia Fruits..."

"Doflamingo, Katakuri, Tesoro, and Douglas Bullet..."

Storm pulled his wandering thoughts back and looked at the six-star Big Trophy he'd just obtained.

[Diamond Trophy]!

After confirming that "six stars meant Awakening," Storm had gained a new understanding of the strength associated with six-star abilities.

Based on his past experience,

a four-star [Golden Trophy] corresponded to a bounty of roughly one hundred million Beli.

Put simply,

four stars roughly corresponded to the "Supernovas" among pirate crews.

Then six stars probably corresponded to the "Shichibukai"!

"If there's no mistake in this ranking, then eight stars would be the level of an admiral or a Yonko?"

Storm gently rubbed the [Demon Ring] on his finger.

"Looks like the [Demon Ring] is even more powerful than I expected!

"Nine stars must be on the level of an 'Ancient Weapon,' right?

"No wonder—it's a crystallization of the wisdom of the Ancient Kingdom!"

With the [Demon Ring] at his disposal, raising the development level of his [Devil Fruit] as high as possible

was definitely a choice with no downside.

Storm looked at the dazzling [Diamond Trophy] floating in the air.

In the past,

he would have invested this [Diamond Trophy] in the [Clay Fruit] without a second thought!

But now,

Storm had quietly changed his mind.

[Big Trophies] had the powerful ability to grant wishes.

His greatest trump card—the [Demon Ring]—

had come from a wish granted by a [Big Trophy]!

If one [Demon Ring] was already this powerful,

wouldn't two [Demon Rings] take him to the next level?

Storm had ten fingers.

He didn't want just one [Demon Ring], or two, or three...

In all honesty,

as a "Special Paramecia," the [Clay Fruit] was fairly powerful, but it certainly wasn't top-tier!

Setting aside the [Nika Fruit], a "superpowered, absurdly evolved Mythical Zoan,"

there was the [Sui Sui no Mi], which could transform its user into Nika, and the [Op-Op Fruit], which could perform the Immortality Surgery...

The [Nikyu Nikyu no Mi], which could manipulate concepts at will, and the [Hobby-Hobby Fruit], whose effects were practically bound by causality...

Compared to these Paramecia Devil Fruits,

the [Clay Fruit] was just too "weak."

In Storm's view, there were roughly two ways to increase the [Clay Fruit]'s strength.

The first was to diligently develop its own abilities, all the way to "nine stars."

The second was to hunt down other powerful Devil Fruits and use them alongside the [Clay Fruit] to increase its strength!

For example, the two "explosive Devil Fruits" that could make the [Clay Fruit] even more "artistic."

There was the [Baku Baku no Mi] used by Mr. 5 of Baroque Works;

and the [Bari Bari no Mi] used by Gladius of the Donquixote Family.

Both could help Storm's [Clay Fruit] "evolve" into—

"Zoan: Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Deidara Form"!

Even if those two "explosive Devil Fruits" were left out,

there were other Devil Fruits that could help increase the [Clay Fruit]'s strength.

But no matter which Devil Fruit it was,

if Storm wanted its power,

if he wanted to become a "Multiple Devil Fruit User,"

he'd need more [Demon Rings] to help him!

After going around in circles,

it still came back to the [Demon Ring]!

"The only question now is..."

"Can a six-star [Diamond Trophy] grant a wish for a [Demon Ring]?"

"Even a weakened, six-star [Demon Ring]?"

The wish-granting power of a [Big Trophy] wasn't omnipotent.

For example, when Storm had defeated that Devil Fruit User with the Color Change ability, he'd used the opponent's [Big Trophy] to make a wish.

At the time, he'd also fantasized about using a [Silver Trophy] to wish for a [Demon Ring].

But he'd only obtained a three-star [Color Change] ability...

The [Diamond Trophy] was far more powerful than the [Silver Trophy].

But could the [Diamond Trophy] really grant a wish for a [Demon Ring]?

Storm had no way of knowing.

He only had one [Diamond Trophy], and the risk of trial and error was too high.

If his wish failed,

not getting a [Demon Ring] would be one thing.

But if he accidentally obtained something like "Newkama Kenpo" or the ability to "freely change gender"...

That would be a complete waste!

After pondering for a long while, Storm ultimately decided to put the [Diamond Trophy] away.

"If only I had a second six-star trophy..."

Storm made up his mind to leave this one-of-a-kind [Diamond Trophy] unused for the time being.

If he simply "added points" to an ability, one [Diamond Trophy] wouldn't bring about a qualitative leap.

But if his wish succeeded,

two [Demon Rings] could definitely bring about a qualitative change in Storm's strength!

"Among the six-star fighters in Impel Down, Ivankov in Newkama Land counts. There are also some in Infinite Hell."

"The others... Shiryu of the Rain?"

A thought crossed Storm's mind, and he immediately buried it deep down.

He summoned his [Big Trophy] again and checked the ability list.

Earlier, when Storm had disguised himself as "Edward Teach" and declared his dream alongside Ivankov and the others,

he'd clearly sensed a sudden burst of "aura" from within himself.

"Could it be... [Conqueror's Haki]?"

Storm checked his [Haki] attributes, but still saw only his five-star [Armament Haki] and [Observation Haki].

Beside [Conqueror's Haki], it still said "Not Awakened."

"Could that burst of aura earlier have just been my imagination?"

Storm's brows furrowed slightly.

"No way! That feeling definitely wasn't my imagination!"

Storm closed his eyes and tried to recapture the sensation of that burst of aura, but he felt nothing.

"Or could it be that awakening [Conqueror's Haki] requires more buildup, as well as a more special moment?"

Storm wrestled with the question for a while, but still couldn't figure it out.

"A little frustrating!"

Storm looked at Extreme Cold Hell, which had returned to normal.

Suddenly, he stretched out his right hand, assimilated the ground into clay again, then controlled the clay to grab the Okama King from underground and pull him out.

He'd been beaten head-on and buried in a lightless hole underground.

Even someone like Ivankov, a "miracle worker," now looked pretty miserable.

But Storm couldn't worry about that.

He controlled the clay to wrap around Ivankov's right foot and shook him rapidly, dangling him like some kind of small animal.

Ivankov, who'd passed out, was jolted "back online" by this utterly inhumane treatment.

He opened his unfocused eyes, still unable to make sense of anything.

"Who am I? Where am I? Why's my head spinning?"

Just then, Storm's voice came from below.

"Okama King, are you ready?"

Ivankov looked toward the voice and saw Storm standing on the ground below, looking displeased.

"Eh? Vongola Storm! Why are you standing upside down in the sky?"

The moment he said this, Ivankov finally came to his senses.

It wasn't "Vongola Storm standing upside down in the sky"!

It was him, Emporio Ivankov, being dangled upside down!

"Hey! W-wait a minute!"

Ivankov clasped his hands together and repeatedly begged for mercy.

"I'm already badly injured! I can't keep fighting!"

"Is that so?"

Storm glanced at the Okama King without much interest.

"You still seem pretty lively to me.

"Clay Rain!"

One strip of clay after another shot into the sky,

stuffing the rest of Ivankov's words right back into his mouth.

[Platinum Trophy: Ivankov]

[Trophy Star Rating: ★★★★★]

"Hmm. Its quality drops after one defeat, but a Platinum Trophy is still pretty good!"

Storm controlled his Clay Arm to grab Ivankov, who'd passed out again, and returned to Newkama Land.

When he arrived on Level 5.5,

not a single okama who'd just been restrained by the giant clay hand had managed to escape.

Leaving Whitebeard the Third, who'd been standing in the corner the whole time, out of it,

these okamas really didn't have an ounce of courage!

Storm glanced at them and controlled the surrounding clay, knocking them all unconscious!

For a time,

Big Trophies appeared one after another before Storm's eyes.

But he took a close look. Almost all of them were Silver Trophies.

There was only one Golden Trophy.

"Okama King, what have you even been working on?"

Storm tossed Ivankov beside Lightning.

"Couldn't you have recruited a few more powerful subordinates?"

Ivankov, who still hadn't regained consciousness, naturally couldn't hear Storm's complaint.

Silver Trophies and Golden Trophies couldn't add points to Storm's abilities anymore.

Since that was the case,

"Let's make a wish!"

The Golden Big Trophy in the air quietly melted at Storm's will.

But to his disappointment, the four-star Big Trophy still didn't grant him a [Demon Ring].

"Another new ability!"

Storm looked at his ability list.

[Name: Death Blink]

[Star Level: ★★★★]

[Effect: Releases a powerful explosion wind through rapid blinking.]

[Review: So explosively cute!]

"Eek! The art is here!"

Most of the household chores had been taken care of.

Well, in the end, I still hadn't managed to keep the updates on schedule.

I'm a little late... Sorry.