The Extreme Cold Hell was bitterly cold, with freezing winds cutting to the bone.
Storm sat cross-legged in his solitary cell, his exhaled breath quickly turning into puffs of white mist.
"Just as cold as the rumors say."
He raised his right hand, flexing his fingers a few times, feeling no stiffness whatsoever.
"Good thing I previously boosted my [Endurance] attribute to five stars."
"Otherwise, a four-star physique wouldn't withstand the chill of Extreme Cold Hell."
Storm looked outside.
His gaze passed through the frost-covered bars, landing on the solitary cell opposite his.
The prisoner inside, with a bounty exceeding a hundred million, was completely encased in ice, devoid of any signs of life.
This prisoner had been frozen to death by the extreme conditions of Extreme Cold Hell! "What a waste of a Golden Trophy..."
Storm's regret was fleeting.
He expanded his [Observation Haki], probing the world beyond.
In Storm's perception.
A shivering Hannyabal had already left Extreme Cold Hell with a group of wardens clad in protective suits.
Hmm, the rumors say the Chief Warden "fears neither extreme cold nor heat"...
Seems that was just a "rumor" after all.
"At any rate, Hannyabal is finally gone!"
Storm felt a weight lift off his shoulders.
He hadn't entered Extreme Cold Hell to actually serve time! He was here for the [Grand Prize Trophy]! Compared to the upper levels of hell.
Extreme Cold Hell not only held stronger prisoners but also lacked Surveillance Den Den Mushi.
The vitality of Den Den Mushi wasn't as robust as one might think—it couldn't endure the terrifying cold of Extreme Cold Hell.
Excluding the yet-undiscovered Level 5.5—New Transvestite Paradise.
Extreme Cold Hell was one of the few "blind spots" in Impel Down's surveillance! Which meant—
Storm's time for free action had finally arrived!
Sharpening the axe won't delay the cutting of firewood.
Storm didn't immediately begin trophy hunting. Instead, he first summoned his [Grand Prize Trophy].
Of the Platinum Trophies obtained from defeating the four Warden Beasts.
Storm had only used one, leaving him with three to spare! Now was the perfect time for upgrades!
Taking a deep breath, Storm invested one [Platinum Trophy] into the [Clay-Clay Fruit].
[Clay-Clay Fruit: ★★★★★★]
Two Platinum Trophies remained.
Storm had originally planned to invest them into his [Physique] attribute.
But resources were scarce in Extreme Cold Hell.
If he upgraded [Physique] now, he'd likely starve for days.
"I'll boost [Endurance] once solitary confinement ends!"
Putting away the two [Platinum Trophies], Storm turned his attention to the now six-star [Clay-Clay Fruit].
A seemingly endless stream of inspiration exploded in his mind.
In an instant.
Storm grasped the difference between "five-and-a-half stars" and "six stars"!
He pressed his right hand against the cell floor and activated the power of the [Clay-Clay Fruit].
Under the influence of the Devil Fruit's power.
The frozen ground of Extreme Cold Hell, solidified for who knows how many years, instantly softened.
Storm's right arm sank downward, plunging straight into the depths of Extreme Cold Hell's foundation.
From the gap between his arm and the ground, an endless stream of white clay gushed forth like a fountain.
"Six stars!"
With just a thought from Storm, the power of the [Clay-Clay Fruit] spread throughout the entire cell, instantly softening the frozen ground into loose clay.
"Awakening level!"
The hallmark of an Awakened Zoan-type Devil Fruit is granting the user unparalleled regenerative abilities and vitality.
For Paramecia-type Devil Fruits, the Awakening characteristic is the ability to affect things beyond the user themselves!
The moment Storm elevated the [Clay-Clay Fruit] to six stars—
It Awakened!
Storm unleashed the power of the [Clay-Clay Fruit], transforming the cell floor into a soft clay bed.
He bounced and rolled on the clay bed, his expression now as excited as if infected by the "Nika virus."
After initially adapting to the Awakened abilities of the [Clay-Clay Fruit]—
Storm wasted no time and sprang into action.
"Golden Grand Prize, here I come!"
Since this was "solitary confinement" rather than "imprisonment,"
Storm wasn't shackled with the Seastone Shackles that symbolized a prisoner's status.
But even if he had been, he wouldn't have been worried.
Storm could use the [Clay-Clay Fruit]'s abilities through the power of the [Devil Ring].
Seastone suppresses Devil Fruit users—what did that have to do with him, a non-user? Storm had already tested this himself.
Back when he obtained the [Sea Stone Baton] from the Navy's Equipment Division,
Storm had tested the effects of Seastone on him.
The conclusion was clear—
Seastone was just a useless hunk of rock, utterly ineffective.
From that moment on, a vague "prison infiltration plan" had formed in Storm's mind.
Now that he had been sent to the Extreme Cold Hell, Seastone couldn't hinder his movements.
Storm stood before the cell door and strode confidently toward the Seastone-infused bars.
The moment his body touched the Seastone bars, it softened into clumps of white clay.
Seastone couldn't restrain Storm! A cold wind blew past.
Storm calmly stepped out of his cell.
The next phase of his plan was obvious—harvesting the Golden Trophies within the Extreme Cold Hell! The quality of the [Grand Prize Trophy] was primarily tied to the opponent's strength. And in the pirate world, bounty values were undoubtedly the best indicator of power.
Just as Storm had predicted,
Every pirate with a bounty exceeding 100 million could grant him a [Golden Trophy]! Starting from his solitary cell, Storm systematically plundered the Grand Prizes from the surrounding prisoners.
One by one, the [Golden Trophies] fell into his possession.
By the time Storm had cleared out his section of the prison,
He had amassed a total of fifteen Golden Grand Prizes!
"This number is... acceptable."
Storm's footsteps finally halted before a snow-covered dense forest.
"But it's fine. Besides prisoners, the Extreme Cold Hell has its own guards.
"The Army Wolves!"
Before setting off to find the Army Wolves—
Storm was the first to summon his [Grand Prize Trophy], intending to allocate another round of points.
One by one, the golden trophies vanished like bubbles.
Five-star abilities promptly appeared in Storm's skill list.
[Armament Haki/Observation Haki: ★★★★★]
[Iron Body/Paper Drawing/Shave/Finger Pistol: ★★★★★]
In the blink of an eye, Storm had used up twelve [Golden Trophies].
Uncertain of the Army Wolves' strength level, he deliberately kept three Golden Trophies in reserve.
He had previously upgraded his [Endurance] attribute to five stars, but the other two [Physique] attributes remained at four stars.
These three Golden Trophies were reserved for the [Strength] and [Speed] attributes.
Everything was ready—all that was left was—
"Army Wolves!"
A sharp red glint flashed in Storm's eyes as his [Observation Haki] swept through the dense forest ahead like a gust of wind.
"Found them!"
Storm raised his right hand, creating a towering [Clay Clone], which he then commanded to charge into the forest.
The forest's inhabitants quickly sensed the disturbance.
Amidst a rustling sound, Army Wolves draped in snow-white fur emerged before the [Clay Clones].
The Army Wolves weren't as massive as the Prison Guard Beasts from Beast Hell, but their blood-red glowing eyes made them look exceptionally fierce.
"Awooo—"
With an eerie howl, the seven or eight surrounding Army Wolves seemed to receive a command and simultaneously dashed toward the [Clay Clone].
Their speed was astonishing, almost rivaling that of Minozebra.
But no matter how fast the wolves were, they couldn't outpace the [Clay Clone]'s clay.
Under Storm's control, the [Clay Clone] swung its massive arm forward like a cannonball, splitting into seven equal-sized clay tendrils.
The tips of these tendrils were shaped into fists, striking the Army Wolves with pinpoint accuracy.
"Clay Barrage!"
The Army Wolves' speed was no match for the awakened [Clay-Clay Fruit].
They charged like lightning—only to be instantly knocked out by the storm of clay fists.
Thud! Thud! Thud!—
Eight crisp head-thumping sounds echoed as all eight attacking Army Wolves collapsed unconscious.
[Golden Trophy: Army Wolf] X8
"Golden Trophies, as expected!"
A faint glimmer of satisfaction flashed in Storm's eyes.
But just then, a hidden figure suddenly appeared.
A streak of orange-yellow light flickered in midair.
The [Clay Clone], which had just been dominating the battlefield, was instantly decapitated.
Thump! The headless [Clay Clone] toppled like a fallen mountain, crashing onto the forest floor.
"Got it?!"
The orange-yellow figure halted, revealing his true form.
His hair and clothes were split—orange on the left, white on the right—with a massive lightning-shaped scar stretching from his forehead to his right eye.
Notably, his arms weren't human but enormous pairs of scissors.
Revolutionary Army Senior Officer, Inazuma.
Before Inazuma could step forward to confirm the situation, the "corpse" of the [Clay Clone] suddenly emitted a peculiar sound.
Squelch—squelch—
The clay suddenly softened as if under some unseen force.
The body of the [Clay Clone], along with its severed head, began reforming before Inazuma's shocked gaze.
"Hey..."
The [Clay Clone]'s emotionless white eyes fixed on Inazuma, its lips curling into a mocking smirk.
"That hurt..."