Chapter Fifteen: The Special Awakening Mission

Newborn calves are fearless, and this was Tiger’s only thought after being frightened to the point of wetting himself. Escaping from the Celestial Dragons meant provoking an enormous force, and now Chu Yi had actually killed a powers user with potential to become an Admiral—someone esteemed even by Marine Headquarters. This was practically a death wish!

But then, seeing Chu Yi’s dejected expression, Tiger sighed deeply. He must not even realize the trouble he’s caused! With a silent lament, Tiger made his decision: he would bear the burden alone and not reveal the truth to Chu Yi. Besides, seeing that kid so defeated was oddly satisfying.

Smiling and shaking his head, Tiger moved past the earlier topic and fixed his gaze on Hammock’s corpse. “Kid, since you’ve run into the Marines here, this is no longer a place we can stay. I noticed your Fishman Karate has become rather interesting; once we’ve rested, we’ll prepare to rescue that young girl’s sisters.”

“Alright,” Chu Yi nodded, then recalled Tiger’s encyclopedic knowledge—like a living compendium of all things—and asked tentatively, “Tiger, do you know what the abilities of the Imagination Fruit really are?”

“The Imagination Fruit?” Tiger was momentarily taken aback by the question, then shook his head. “Aside from a select few, no one knows what powers the Imagination Fruit truly holds. Most people only know it as a mysterious Paramecia-type Devil Fruit.”

Even Tiger, the so-called all-knowing, didn’t know the fruit’s abilities. It seemed this platinum material would just have to sit in storage. Chu Yi sighed in disappointment, but after a moment, Tiger paused and declared proudly, “But I, adventurer Fisher Tiger, just happen to be one of those few!”

“Kid, you want to know the powers of the Imagination Fruit? Let me tell you!”

You nearly scared the life out of me—I thought you didn’t know! Please, could you not be so dramatic?

Chu Yi grumbled silently at Tiger’s theatrics and made a show of listening attentively, waiting for Tiger to explain the wonders of the Imagination Fruit. As Tiger spoke, Chu Yi grew increasingly excited, for he was finally learning of the fruit’s terrifying potential. Yet, once the explanation was finished, the excitement faded, replaced by a grave expression.

What were the Imagination Fruit’s abilities? They were undeniably powerful, which was what first excited Chu Yi. Unlike ordinary Devil Fruits, whose abilities manifest immediately upon consumption, the Imagination Fruit required cultivation—only through training could its power gradually be revealed.

By imagining different things, the fruit’s user could obtain different abilities. For instance, Hammock, whom Chu Yi had fought earlier, imagined the mythical beast Black Tortoise, and with considerable mastery. That Hammock could visualize such a creature and acquire its unique absolute defense showed that, when used properly, the Imagination Fruit was among the most formidable Paramecia fruits in the pirate world.

Yet the weight in Chu Yi’s gaze stemmed from the fruit’s shortcomings. Not everyone could imagine a divine beast and smoothly acquire its powers. As Tiger explained, several previous Imagination Fruit users before Hammock, after eating the fruit and being cursed by the sea, spent years trying to cultivate their abilities but never succeeded—wasting their chance and ultimately meeting tragic ends.

So, the Imagination Fruit was truly a double-edged sword. If not for its enduring legend throughout the seas, a fruit that couldn’t become immediate combat power would long have been abandoned.

“Ah, platinum material is excellent, but it requires a stroke of fortune to fully display its power.”

“I wonder what luck Hammock had to imagine the Black Tortoise’s might. It’s a pity my strike was too heavy—had I not killed him, I could have asked how he harnessed the fruit to gain those powers. Then I could use this platinum material for a second awakening!”

Though he regretted killing Hammock and losing a chance to learn more, Chu Yi felt no remorse—after all, Hammock had murderous intent first. Even if given ten thousand chances, Chu Yi would still choose to kill Hammock in their confrontation. If the roles were reversed, would Hammock ever spare Chu Yi?

So, deciding to continue accumulating awakening materials and wait for the right opportunity, Chu Yi quietly planned his future training: refining his Fishman Karate and improving his compatibility with the fruit. He prepared to follow Tiger’s instructions and, with Tiger and Hancock, leave Snapper Island, ready to rescue Hancock’s two sisters.

But just as Chu Yi turned to follow Tiger, he suddenly stopped. To his astonishment, a small map appeared before his eyes, marked with a red dot. Puzzled, Chu Yi wondered if his system was “upgrading,” when a cold system prompt echoed in his mind, announcing a special mission.

“Ding!”

“Host, you have triggered a Special Awakening Quest. Would you like to accept?”

A special awakening quest? What was that?

Chu Yi communicated with the system, “System, can you explain what a Special Awakening Quest is?”

“A Special Awakening Quest is a rare event. If you complete it, you can awaken your fruit’s abilities—once or multiple times—instantly, without any awakening materials.”

Hmm? That sounded like a fantastic reward!

A faint smile touched Chu Yi’s lips—he couldn’t possibly pass up such a chance for a free awakening. Without hesitation, he chose “yes,” silently anticipating what changes would come to his fruit’s powers after the quest.

But as the system’s prompt echoed again, revealing the mission's details...

Chu Yi suddenly realized the difficulty of the Special Awakening Quest might far exceed his expectations.

Because the system required him to complete the quest in the Hundredfold Gravity Zone—a place that even Tiger regarded with lingering fear.