Solving the Problem Is Impossible? Then Solve the Person Who Caused It! (Please Read! Please Vote!)

The next morning.

The arrival of a group of guards broke the silence in Extreme Cold Hell.

"S-Storm."

Hannyabal, his speech faltering in the cold wind, shakily took out a key and unlocked the cell door.

"Your confinement time is o-over!

"M-Magellan told me to bring you to see him."

Inside the cell.

Storm looked at Hannyabal, who was stumbling over his words, and shook his head helplessly.

Even if this guy wanted to build a powerful image as a "tough boss" in front of his subordinates,

he'd only been in Extreme Cold Hell for a little while, and he was already frozen into this sorry state...

There wasn't a shred of conviction in it!

"Hannyabal."

"Huh?"

"Did you offend the Warden, too?"

"N-No, I didn't!"

Hannyabal was baffled by Storm's sudden question.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because looking at you now, I can't tell whether you're the one being punished or I am."

Storm walked over to Hannyabal and raised a hand, releasing a lump of clay.

"Want me to make you some clothes? I can't guarantee they'll keep you warm, but they'll at least block the wind."

Hannyabal instinctively wanted to nod and accept Storm's suggestion.

But the moment he caught sight of the guards behind him, he "firmly" refused.

"N-No, I'm fine!"

Hannyabal shakily raised his right hand, trying to strike a bodybuilding pose to show off his muscles.

"I'm very strong—Achoo!"

Storm shook his head, then strode out of the cell ahead of the others.

Hannyabal hurriedly called for the other guards to follow.

As soon as they stepped outside,

the cold wind of Extreme Cold Hell hit them head-on.

Hannyabal shivered.

Trying to force his attention elsewhere, he started a conversation on his own.

"Storm, while you've been stuck in Extreme Cold Hell these past few days, things haven't been very peaceful up in Scorching Hell."

Scorching Hell?

Storm's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Over the past few days, he'd "borrowed" quite a lot of food from the ingredient storeroom to make up for the energy deficit caused by adding points to his [Physique].

Could someone have found out?

But from Hannyabal's tone, whatever he wanted to talk about didn't seem to involve Storm...

"What happened?"

Storm picked up the thread of the conversation, deliberately changing the subject.

"Don't tell me that bastard Shiryu caused another big scene?"

"Shiryu... This might actually have something to do with him!"

Hannyabal sidled up to Storm with a mysterious air, though in truth he was just using Storm's body to block the wind.

"Actually, a prisoner disappeared from Scorching Hell! And he was a Devil Fruit User!"

You mean the [Chameleon Fruit] User, don't you?

Storm said nothing, only glancing at Hannyabal.

"Everyone's saying..."

Hannyabal stopped keeping him in suspense and continued.

"That Devil Fruit User, the 'Chameleon Person'...

"He received an 'invitation from the devil,' which is why he mysteriously vanished.

"Even the Monitoring Den Den Mushi couldn't figure out how he disappeared. It was as if he'd vanished into thin air."

The so-called "invitation from the devil" was a "hellish legend" widely circulated among Impel Down's guards.

Over the past few years,

prisoners in Impel Down had occasionally disappeared for no apparent reason.

One day, a prisoner who'd been locked up without incident would suddenly vanish, leaving no trace behind.

These eerie, mysterious disappearances,

combined with Impel Down's hellish atmosphere,

had given rise to the rumor of the "invitation from the devil."

In fact,

the so-called "invitation from the devil" was simply Ivankov building up the ranks of Newkama Land...

Ahem.

Come to think of it,

there wasn't much difference between an invitation from the Okama King and an "invitation from the devil"...

Ahem.

The disappearance of the [Chameleon Fruit] User had been noticed by the guards of Impel Down.

Storm had expected this from the start.

After all, there were simply too many Surveillance Den Den Mushi in Impel Down.

And Scorching Hell was guarded personally by Magellan, with even tighter surveillance.

It was only natural that someone would notice a prisoner had disappeared.

Good thing I was careful before and didn't leave any clues. I even avoided all the Surveillance Den Den Mushi.

Storm thought silently to himself.

Otherwise, the one here to collect me might not be Hannyabal, but Magellan himself!

Just then, Hannyabal spoke again.

"But what you just said gave me an idea.

"That 'Chameleon Person' might have been killed by that bastard Shiryu! And he might've disposed of the body, too!"

The Chameleon Person had been killed? And the body disposed of?

At that, Storm's mouth twitched slightly.

He had to admit, Hannyabal's instincts could be pretty sharp sometimes...

How had he guessed that the [Chameleon Fruit] User's body had been disposed of?

That was right!

After successfully obtaining the [Chameleon Fruit],

Storm had also taken care of the original User's body—the prisoner with a bounty of more than ninety million—properly.

After all, he wasn't some kind of devil.

He couldn't stand leaving a corpse out in the wilderness.

So Storm had sent the man's body into the sea of fire in Scorching Hell.

A cremation!

There were surely countless pirates who'd fallen into the sea and ended up as fish food, wishing they could receive such treatment, but never got the chance!

Storm changed the subject without showing a hint of emotion.

"You mentioned Shiryu earlier. How's that bastard doing now?"

"Shiryu... He killed a lot of people again."

Hannyabal pursed his lips and lowered his voice.

"After we left Magellan's office that day, Shiryu was also sent to the infirmary to be detoxified.

"But later, I heard from the other guards...

"Shiryu took his Famous Sword, [Rain Shower], and killed his way from the infirmary on the First Sea Level all the way to Scorching Hell on the fourth level.

"If Magellan hadn't stopped him in time, he might've charged straight into Extreme Cold Hell to come looking for you..."

Storm blinked.

That reaction was pretty in character for Shiryu...

Even as Impel Down's Deputy Warden,

Shiryu didn't care much about his work or responsibilities.

The only thing that interested him was killing people.

At first, he'd only killed prisoners.

Later, he turned his blade on his fellow guards...

Eventually, he was locked up in Infinite Hell...

Storm asked with keen interest,

"How did Magellan deal with Shiryu? Did he lock him up in Infinite Hell on the lowest level?"

"Not quite..."

Hannyabal shook his head.

"But ever since that day, Magellan's insisted that Shiryu stay within his sight at all times."

"That sounds a little difficult, doesn't it?"

Storm sensed something was off.

"Magellan isn't exactly a normal person. He spends almost ten hours a day with diarrhea.

"Are you telling me Shiryu has to stand there and watch him for all ten of those hours?"

"Hahaha!"

Hannyabal couldn't help laughing.

"That's the real punishment that big bastard Magellan came up with for that super-bastard Shiryu!"

They chatted and laughed all the way out of Extreme Cold Hell.

Storm and Hannyabal got into the prison elevator together and headed for the fourth level, Scorching Hell, and the Warden's Office.

"Why does Magellan want to see me?"

Storm asked inside the elevator.

"Is he going to try another 'peace talk' like last time?"

Hannyabal gave Storm a strange look.

After what had happened last time,

unless Magellan's brain was stuffed full of poison,

why would he ever let Storm and Shiryu be in the same place again?

"That won't happen again."

Hannyabal shook his head and answered seriously.

"As for why Magellan wants to see you, maybe he wants to lecture you."

Hannyabal's understanding of Magellan was undeniably profound.

The moment Storm stepped into the Warden's Office,

he saw a thick, brick-like book on Magellan's desk—

Impel Down Guard Rules and Regulations

And inside the Warden's Office at that moment,

there was no one besides Magellan and Deputy Warden Domino.

Shiryu was nowhere to be seen.

"Warden!"

Before "Magellan's Little Lecture" could begin, Storm hurriedly cut in.

"Good morning! Have you purged your bowels today?"

"Good morning, Storm!"

Magellan kept a stern face, clearly not in the mood for jokes.

"You haven't been in Impel Down very long. You've done good work, but you've also made quite a few mistakes."

"Warden!"

Storm interrupted him again.

"If no one messes with me, I won't mess with them.

"Before I attacked Shiryu, he'd already attacked me!"

Magellan suddenly felt a headache coming on.

What Storm said was indeed the truth.

If Shiryu hadn't thrown that inexplicable slash at Storm in the cafeteria,

the relationship between Storm and Shiryu could never have deteriorated to its current state...

Just as Magellan was trying to figure out how to discipline his subordinate,

All Storm did was continue speaking.

"Lord Warden, I have a new way to solve the problem."

"Solve the problem?"

Magellan looked up at Storm.

"Solving the problem between you and Shiryu?"

"Of course!"

Storm nodded.

"The conflict between Shiryu and me is simply that neither of our first two duels produced a clear winner.

"If you let Shiryu and me fight one more time, and we truly settle who's stronger and who wins,

"then all the problems between us will be resolved!"

If you can't solve the problem,

then solve the person causing it!

You really are a clever little genius, Storm!

Magellan was at a loss for words.

He'd been stopping Shiryu and Storm from coming to blows.

Was he doing that to protect Shiryu from getting beaten up by Storm?!

Magellan had clearly been trying to protect Storm, the newcomer!

Before Lord Warden could offer an opinion,

a cold voice came from the toilet in his office.

"You're asking for a death wish!"

It was Friday today.

I should be getting a recommendation... right?!

I still hadn't gotten my first recommendation, and I'd been flying solo all this time.

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