Entering the Prison System Navy!

Aokiji truly loved that oath: "Dark blade, watch over justice."

He deliberately took paper and pen from his desk drawer and bent over to copy it down.

The scratching sound echoed continuously within the Admiral's Office.

During this interval.

Storm stared at the [Clay-Clay Fruit] in his hand.

Several lines of text visible only to him materialized from the void.

[Name: Clay-Clay Fruit]

[Rating: None]

[Description: Paramecia Devil Fruit]

[Effect: The user can transform any part of their body into clay, and can also create clay from nothing.

Note: Devil Fruits symbolize an unnatural evolutionary path; users will be cursed by the natural sea as a result]

[Commentary: I'm playing in mud in the sea]

The specific effects of the [Clay-Clay Fruit] did not surprise Storm.

It was indeed a "Special Paramecia" Devil Fruit.

Just like Charlotte Katakuri's [Mochi-Mochi Fruit].

Not a Logia, yet surpassing one.

'Now, [Clay-Clay Fruit], lend me your power!'

Storm secretly used the [Demon Ring] to extract and seal the supernatural factors contained within the [Clay-Clay Fruit].

This process happened silently.

A Devil Fruit that still appeared intact on the outside had thus lost its original extraordinary ability.

Through [Big Trophy], Storm could continue to observe the current specific information of the [Clay-Clay Fruit].

[Name: Powerless Clay-Clay Fruit]

[Rating: None]

[Description: A bizarre-looking, foul-tasting demonic fruit]

[Effect: Besides being disgusting, it has nothing]

[Commentary: Eat shit!]

'The side effects are gone too... it's completely become an empty shell...'

Storm held up the [Clay-Clay Fruit].

Although he hadn't eaten this Special Paramecia Devil Fruit.

At this very moment, he could still clearly feel a new power appearing within him out of thin air.

As if with just a single thought.

He could instantly create some soft, white clay on the spot...

Just as Storm was carefully feeling this unfamiliar and novel supernatural power.

Aokiji finally finished copying the oath.

He looked up and saw Storm still holding the [Clay-Clay Fruit].

"Storm, eat it."

Aokiji's voice brought Storm's attention back.

"Huh?"

Seeing Storm's sluggish reaction, Aokiji slightly emphasized his tone.

"Storm, eat it!"

Storm snapped to, realizing Aokiji was signaling him to eat that now-useless [Clay-Clay Fruit].

He had originally wanted to keep observing whether the powerless [Clay-Clay Fruit] might undergo some special changes in the future.

But now, eat it he would!

Storm raised the oddly shaped [Powerless Clay-Clay Fruit] and took a fierce bite.

In an instant.

A nauseating sensation beyond words spread from his mouth to every nerve cell in his body.

It was like chewing wax—no!

It was like chewing "rubber"!

Could it be that all Devil Fruits were hand-crafted by the Sun God?

Storm found bitter humor in his misery.

He wolfed down the [Clay Fruit] in two or three bites, not even leaving a scrap of peel behind.

Aokiji watched the other man's ashen expression, as if recalling the scene when he himself had eaten the [Ice-Ice Fruit].

"Ah, la la."

Aokiji let out a light chuckle.

"The taste of a Devil Fruit is something you'll never forget for a lifetime.

"Want to try out your ability, Storm?"

"Of course!"

Storm followed the suggestion—or rather, he couldn't wait any longer!

A clump of white clay materialized in his palm out of thin air, then immediately began shifting into more complex forms.

From a head, to a torso, then a tail, and finally a pair of flat, broad wings...

Aokiji watched with keen interest as the plump, white clay creature took shape in Storm's hand.

"Is that a penguin? I actually really like penguins too."

"Penguin?"

The corner of Storm's mouth twitched, barely holding back the "Sleeping Dragon's Wrath."

"This is a dragon!"

Vongola Storm, also known as Stormborn, dreamed of raising a giant dragon.

For now, at least.

Storm couldn't raise a giant dragon yet.

But kneading a little white clay dragon by hand was no problem.

Even if this Little White Dragon was a bit small, its belly a bit round, and there were no visible Dragon Scales or Dragon Horns...

Still, how could it possibly be mistaken for a penguin?

Feeling as if he'd been openly mocked, a malicious thought stirred in Storm's heart.

Under his control, the fist-sized little white dragon slowly transformed into a small, fat chicken.

No!

This wasn't a fat chicken.

This was an "earth" pheasant, a "white" pheasant, an "ice" pheasant.

Definitely not "Aokiji."

"Ahem."

Aokiji glanced at the small, fat chicken that might have been pointedly symbolic, and gave a soft cough.

Storm knew when to quit.

He clapped his hands together, and "Little Aokiji" turned into "Little Bian Que," then vanished entirely.

"Officer! I'm willing to take on the undercover mission!"

Storm straightened his back and eagerly suggested.

"Right now, I need to become a pirate.

"So, should I just defect directly from Headquarters? With the charge of 'stealing a Devil Fruit'?"

Wait, why are you so eager?

Aokiji's eyes widened slightly.

And how can you say something like "defecting" so smoothly?

"No! There's no rush yet!"

Aokiji quickly called a halt, trying to dispel Storm's dangerous idea.

Marine Headquarters had established the Sword Unit, carefully selected promising recruits with clean backgrounds, and even willingly provided precious Devil Fruits.

It wasn't so they could go straight to the New World and die!

In Aokiji's view.

With Storm's current strength, heading to the New World in the latter half of the Grand Line would be nothing short of suicide!

"You've just eaten the [Clay Fruit], and your ability hasn't been developed at all."

Aokiji soothed him.

"Your task now is to stay in the Marines and improve your strength.

"Besides, a Marine falling from grace to become a pirate also needs the right timing.

"In short, everything should be done step by step."

What Aokiji meant by "step by step"...

...letting Storm temporarily ignore the fact that he had already joined the Blade Unit.

He only regarded himself as an ordinary naval soldier fresh out of boot camp.

For this reason, Aokiji specifically asked a question.

"Storm, in the future, do you want to stay at headquarters, go to a G-series branch, or the Four Seas?"

The standard "career paths" for naval soldiers were nothing more than these three.

Storm was equally aware of this.

His original idea was to go to an ordinary branch in the Four Outer Seas.

Marine Headquarters was a super-elite group within the naval organization.

The gap in strength between Marine Headquarters and outer sea branches was roughly three levels.

Storm could already become a "Marine Headquarters Warrant Officer."

This meant that if he chose to go to a Four Seas branch, he would immediately become a "Field Officer"-rank naval officer.

And in a Four Seas branch, a naval captain was almost the highest authority of that branch, holding the greatest power over the base.

Three words to sum it up—local tyrant.

Once Storm went to a Four Seas branch.

Not only could he gain maximum autonomy.

But it would also be convenient for his subsequent "money-making scheme"—a scheme aimed at purchasing a Devil Fruit.

But that was the plan from before.

Now Storm had changed his mind!

"Sir! I request to be transferred to Impel Down!"

[Grand Trophy] can only be obtained through slaughter.

Storm needed as many opponents as possible to improve his abilities in all aspects.

His current identity was a marine, so the most suitable opponents were naturally pirates.

Looking across the entire sea.

In terms of the two key indicators of pirate quantity and quality.

No place could compare to Impel Down!

Not even the New World, the stronghold of the Emperor pirate crews!

Prison stage, bring your rage.

"Impel Down?"

Aokiji frowned, having never considered this answer.

"Why do you want to go there?"

"Because the number of pirates in Impel Down is like fish swimming across a river."

Storm replied with a straight face.

"I want to observe as many pirates up close as possible, to prepare for future undercover plans.

"Also, Impel Down is 'boring' enough, making it suitable for focused training and improving strength."

Aokiji listened and nodded slightly.

He didn't agree with the first half of Storm's words.

But the second half did have some truth.

Impel Down was located in the Calm Belt, making entry and exit extremely difficult.

The jailers working inside Impel Down had no forms of leisure or entertainment on a daily basis.

If one ignored Impel Down's special nature.

It was indeed a decent place to improve one's strength.

However.

A thought suddenly crossed Aokiji's mind.

A prison.

And the world's greatest prison at that.

Was the difference between jailers and prisoners really that great?

"Although the Marines and Impel Down are both institutions under the government, they aren't in the same system."

Aokiji pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"Transferring you to Impel Down will take time.

"At least three days, at most no more than a week."

"Yes, Officer!"

Storm saluted and responded loudly.

"By the way, there's one more thing."

Aokiji suddenly remembered something.

"Besides you, another member of this year's Rookie Training Camp has received a recommendation to join the Sword Unit."

A suspect had already surfaced in Storm's mind.

Before he could ask, Aokiji volunteered the information.

"It's Vice Admiral Tsuru's granddaughter, Peacock."

So it was that woman!

Storm ground his teeth in secret.

No wonder Zephyr knew about his private remarks on the Celestial Dragons.

So there was a "little bird" snitching behind his back.

If only he hadn't gone stargazing and moon-watching with that woman Peacock that night!

What a disaster!

Aokiji was about to say something, probably telling Storm to get along with Peacock.

But just then.

With a thunderous bang.

The door to the Admiral's Office was violently kicked open from outside.

Before Storm could even make out the figure.

A roaring shout echoed through the office.

"You bastard!"

Storm focused his gaze.

A gray-haired old man had one hand gripping Aokiji's collar, spraying him with a torrent of words.

"My grandson says he's 'going to be a pirate' again! I absolutely won't allow it!"

That style, that tone, that look.

Storm immediately recognized him.

Wasn't this the famous Garp, Garp the Cannon?

Hey, Vice Admiral Garp, could you do that thing again?

You know, that one.

'Stop me right now, Sengoku! Or else, I'll kill Sakazuki!'

A little skit played out in Storm's mind, while on the surface he kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart.

Aokiji frowned deeply, his face glistening—whether from sweat or spit was unclear.

"I've heard this hundreds of times already!"

Aokiji replied, thoroughly irritated.

"Who wants to deal with your grandson anyway!"

In the middle of speaking, Aokiji waved a hand at Storm.

The latter took the hint and silently withdrew from the Admiral's Office.

Aokiji and Garp's "argument" continued.

But Storm had already left the "battlefield."

'This year is Marineford Calendar 1518.'

'The grandson Garp mentioned who wants to become a pirate must be Portgas D. Ace!'

Storm walked along the top-floor corridor of headquarters, his mind racing with thoughts.

'There's still one year until the Flame-Flame Man sets sail.'

'Four years until the Sun God sets sail.'

'The exit of the Old Era, the shift between old and new order, the awakening of the Sun God, the Great War that splits the sea in two...'

'Time waits for no one!'

Vice Admiral Tsuru's granddaughter, Peacock, first appeared in manga [Chapter 966].

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