One Piece: From Marine to Legend

The high-ranking Marine officers reacted immediately.

The shocking news of "Whitebeard attacking Marine Headquarters" turned out to be nothing more than a misunderstanding.

However, among this group of intelligent and composed figures, there was one who managed to "grasp" the situation in the most unexpected and bizarre way.

"Whitebeard III?!"

Garp's eyes widened in pure disbelief, his jaw nearly hitting the ground.

"That old guy Newgate has a grandson too?!"

He turned abruptly, pointing an accusatory finger at Zephyr.

"Zephyr! You killed Newgate's grandson!"

The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere turned strange.

Sengoku covered his face, Aokiji rubbed his temples, and Kizaru twisted his lips into an awkward smirk. Even the usually composed Tsuru let out a helpless sigh.

Storm cast a discreet glance at Zephyr, who stood beside him.

Just moments ago, Zephyr's face had been dark, as if shrouded in Armament Haki.

Now it had escalated into an even more intense glare, as if he were covered in Conqueror's Haki, with red mixed with black, pulsing with barely restrained fury.

Before Zephyr could retort, Sengoku took immediate action.

With a swift motion, the Marine Fleet Admiral wrapped his arm around Garp's neck, locking him in a powerful headlock, his bulging biceps pressing tightly against the Vice Admiral's throat.

"Wait... Whitebeard's... grandson..."

Ignoring Garp's muffled protests, Sengoku dragged him away.

The other Marine officers also began to disperse, their business at the training ground concluded.

If not for the sheer shock value of "Whitebeard appearing at Marine Headquarters," there was no way this many high-ranking officials would have gathered here in the first place.

Now that the situation was clarified, it was time for everyone to return to their respective duties.

The only officer who remained behind was Zephyr, currently crossing his arms in frustration.

"Storm! You fool!"

Zephyr's furious voice echoed across the training ground, his tone sharp and reprimanding.

"Disguising yourself as a pirate! Spreading false information! Undermining Marine morale!"

His words struck like cannonballs, unrelenting and explosive.

"How could you pull a stunt like that in front of so many fellow Marines?!"

Storm remained silent, but beside him, Kujaku—who had originally reported him—awkwardly stuck out her tongue.

"Instructor… um… actually, Storm and I were just joking around," she mumbled hesitantly.

"Joking?"

Zephyr let out a cold laugh. His sharp gaze immediately locked onto Kujaku, his tone turning even harsher.

"The sea is not a playground!"

"You think this is some kind of game?!"

"Fine. You want to play around? Then I'll play with you both."

Zephyr issued his verdict.

"Rest where you are for half an hour. After that, show me your progress."

With that, Zephyr turned and walked across the vast training ground.

As he moved, his keen eyes scanned the remaining soldiers, quickly identifying their weaknesses.

"Your forehand is weak!"

"Your backhand lacks power!"

"Your stance is unstable!"

"Your reaction speed is too slow!"

No one was spared from his critiques.

Storm and Kujaku exchanged looks from a distance.

"Instructor Zephyr means he's going to… spar with us later?" Kujaku asked nervously.

"Spar?" Storm shook his head. "You think too highly of yourself… and of me."

Without another word, he sat down cross-legged, conserving his energy.

Seeing this, Kujaku sighed and followed suit, rubbing her still-aching stomach from their previous clash.

A battle with Zephyr was no joke.

Storm closed his eyes and focused his mind, summoning his Trophy System.

A silver trophy shimmered into existence—the reward he had earned.

Unlike ordinary star trophies, which could either be used on the system forge or grant additional attribute points, this one was special.

A three-star silver trophy meant he could instantly upgrade any ability to three stars or obtain a new three-star skill or item.

Since it was his first official trophy reward—and considering the upcoming battle—Storm made his decision.

He would enhance a skill.

Currently, his ranked skills include:

Shave (★★★)

Iron Body (★★☆)

Paper Art (★★☆)

Moonwalk (★★)

Tempest Kick (★★)

Finger Pistol(★☆)

Swordsmanship (★☆)

Spearmanship (★)

And the newest addition:

Clay-Clay Fruit (☆)

Storm rubbed the Devil's Ring on his thumb, firming his resolve.

'My strength comes from hard work. I earn trophies and extra points due to my efforts!'

He used the silver trophy in his Clay-Clay Fruit ability!

Immediately, the stars behind the ability fluctuated and stabilized.

[Clay-Clay Fruit: ★★★]

At first, nothing seemed to change.

Then—

A flood of inspiration burst into his mind, overwhelming and exhilarating.

Without thinking, he activated his ability.

A lump of white clay flowed out from his palm.

Under his control, the clay twisted, stretched and molded itself with uncanny precision.

A majestic dragon head, meticulously crafted scales, perfectly symmetrical wings, and a tail that coiled with lifelike motion.

A miniature Blue-Eyes White Dragon emerged, standing proudly in his palm.

The sheer detail was breathtaking.

Compared to his crude "Whitebeard III" doll from before, this creation was a masterpiece.

However...

"Is this your so-called Whitebeard III?!"

Before Storm could marvel further, Zephyr swung his left fist, effortlessly smashing a headless clay figure to pieces.

"Is this 'Whitebeard III'?"

With a single sweep of his Battle Smasher mechanical arm, another huge piece was obliterated.

"And what about Edward Teach?"

Zephyr slammed his right arm into the ground, sending shockwaves through the training field.

The dozen clay remnants of Whitebeard III soared into the air.

He raised his left fist toward the sky—

BOOM!

A storm of Armament Haki erupted from his body, shredding the airborne clay to dust.

Zephyr turned his sharp gaze toward Storm.

"You rely too much on your Devil Fruit!"

BANG!

With a mighty swing, Zephyr's left arm shattered Storm—

Or rather, his clay body.

A few meters away, Storm reformed from the ground, panting heavily.

The difference in power was insurmountable.

Even with a three-star Clay-Clay Fruit, he was still completely outmatched.

Even after the increase in devil fruit proficiency, he couldn't even defend against Zephyr.

Instead, he found himself continually evading the situation.

The only reason he lasted this long… was because he could turn himself into clay.

Finally, Zephyr stopped attacking.

He looked up at the sky—it was already nightfall.

"This is enough for today," Zephyr said, his tone lighter.

"You have talent, Storm. Your devil fruit proficiency is impressive. Given your strength, there are likely few pirates in Paradise who can challenge you."

Storm's recent performance made Zephyr subconsciously think of someone: Charlotte Katakuri, the greatest masterpiece of the Charlotte family. 

Storm's Clay-Clay Fruit is classified as a "special paramecia type," just like Katakuri's Mochi-Mochi Fruit. Zefa hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided against using Charlotte Katakuri as an example to motivate Storm. 

Although he considered Katakuri to be relatively better than others in the pirate world, he still felt hesitant.

"But remember… on this sea, only physical strength is the foundation. Do not waste your talent!"

Storm straightened his posture, his voice firm.

"Yes, Instructor Zephyr!"

Zephyr gave a rare nod of approval.

As he walked away, he threw one last remark over his shoulder.

"Next time we meet… don't expect me to hold back."

Storm watched as Zephyr disappeared into the sunset.

He looked down at the unconscious Kujaku and exhaled.

This was only the beginning.

On the first day after obtaining the Clay-Clay Fruit, Storm battled Zephyr for nearly an entire day. The intense training allowed him to push the practical application of his Clay-Clay Fruit to fully match its three-star potential.

On the second day, Storm focused on refining his abilities. He experimented with shaping clay into intricate forms—flowers, trees, wolves, insects, tigers, leopards, rare birds, mythical beasts, and even lifelike replicas of pirates and Marines.

On the third day, Storm had a new goal.

He wanted to recreate Venus de Milo.

Unfortunately, before he could dive into the intricacies of his creation, a transfer order arrived from headquarters.

With no choice but to set aside his exploration of life's artistry, Storm made his way to the headquarters building, retrieved his transfer order, and collected his custom-made weapons.

Without delay, he rushed to the headquarters dock, boarded a prison battleship, and set off.

Riding the triangular current (Tub Current), he entered the World Government's exclusive route.

His destination—the Impel Down.