**Chapter 2: Shackles, Sass, and System Shenanigans**
I woke up stiff, sore, and drooling a little on the cold stone floor of Wano Prison Cell No. 7. Definitely not how I imagined my second day in a new world would start. Then again, when you wake up next to a horned oni beauty in a jail cell, things could be worse.
> **[Daily Sign-In Complete!]**
> **[Location: Wano Prison - Shackles Severed Event]**
> **[Reward: Ice Element Fragment - Partial Logia Awakening Unlocked]**
A chill ran through me—literal and metaphorical. My skin tingled like I'd just swallowed a snowstorm, and when I raised my hands, wisps of cold danced off my fingers.
"You're grinning like an idiot," Yamato muttered from her corner, stretching out. Her kimono loosened in all the right ways, and I valiantly fought the temptation to stare.
"I smile when I wake up next to beautiful women," I said smoothly, sitting up. "It's a healthy habit."
She rolled her eyes. "You're weird."
"Thanks. I try."
My cuffs shattered with a sharp *crack*, thin sheets of ice racing along the metal before breaking them apart.
Yamato blinked. "...What did you just do?"
"Freed myself. It's rude to stay chained when you've got a lady to impress."
I stood up—tall, toned, and not too bulky. I had the kind of build that looked good in motion, not one made for bodybuilder contests. Lean muscle, clean lines, and the kind of presence that made people turn their heads. Or gulp nervously.
I turned to her. "May I?"
"If you try anything weird, I'll headbutt you into the wall."
"Noted." I grinned, placing my hands on her shackles. Cold surged from my palms, and with a quick snap, her cuffs shattered like brittle candy.
She massaged her wrists. "You're full of surprises."
"I'm like a sexy snowstorm. Dangerous, but aesthetically pleasing."
She snorted.
> **[Lust Resistance Level 1 Acquired - Mild Nosebleed Prevention]**
Thank god.
The alarm blared before I could enjoy the moment.
> **WEEEOO WEEEOO**
Yamato grabbed a nearby pipe. I summoned a jagged blade of ice, forming in my hand like it belonged there.
"You good at fighting?" she asked.
"Only when it's cool."
She groaned. "That was terrible."
"But effective."
The guards burst in. Yamato lunged. I followed, ice coating the floor beneath their feet, making them trip like cartoon characters. She swung her pipe like a wrecking ball, and I froze the entrance.
We fought our way to a shadowed side corridor.
"We could break out," Yamato said. "You've got powers now. I know a path."
I hesitated. The system pinged again.
> **[Teleport Function Available: Next Sign-In Location - East Blue Detected]**
> **[Warning: Kaido Proximity - Current power insufficient]**
That last part made me stop.
"I'm not strong enough yet," I said quietly. "Kaido's too close. Too dangerous."
Yamato nodded slowly. "Then we wait. Get stronger."
I looked around at the grim cell walls. "We train here. We prepare. We wait for the right time."
> **[New Goal Set: Bond and Grow Stronger - Countdown to Escape: 90 Days]**
She grinned, almost excited. "You better not get lazy."
"With you around? Impossible."
We returned to the cell, sharing stolen food and stolen glances. The guards didn't know what we were planning.
But I did.
And for now, Yamato and I would turn this prison into a forge. One that would sharpen us both.
Three months to grow stronger. Three months until Kaido would tremble.
Let the countdown begin.