(120 Power Stone Bonus)
Chapter 47: This Devil Fruit Is Too Powerful
Natsume suddenly began to stammer.
The root cause of his sudden speech impediment was a single Devil Fruit that Kazuma Yumesaki had just pulled out and placed on the table.
It was precisely the sight of this Devil Fruit that threw Natsume into a state of complete disbelief.
"Ah, this... wait... me... what exactly is going on here?"
Natsume stared at the Devil Fruit resting on the table, which almost looked like a living entity. Confusion overwhelmed him, leaving him completely unable to comprehend how such an object could actually exist. Wasn't this supposed to be a fictional item from a manga? Why was it appearing right before his eyes?
Wait, could it be a model? Because it was crafted so realistically, maybe it was just being used to pull his leg.
"Am I allowed to touch it?"
"Of course you can."
Faced with Natsume's hesitant question, Yumesaki made a welcoming hand gesture, giving him free rein. Natsume reached out, lifting the Devil Fruit into his palm and giving it a few gentle squeezes.
The texture was nothing like a model. It didn't feel like plastic, nor did it feel like stone; it truly felt remarkably like real fruit.
He brought it closer to sniff it, but there was no strange odor.
"So, this is really a Devil Fruit?" Natsume turned the fruit over and over, yet he couldn't find a single flaw or sign of fakery.
"It's as real as it gets."
"Do Devil Fruits actually exist?"
"You can think of it as my ability—the power to manifest Devil Fruits into reality." Yumesaki chose not to disclose to Natsume that he was a transmigrator, opting instead to fabricate a random excuse.
"An ability like that actually exists?" Natsume found the concept incredibly magical and couldn't help but look toward Nyanko-sensei for validation.
"Don't look at me." Nyanko-sensei found it bizarre as well, but he still chimed in: "Even though I am a yokai, I wouldn't dare claim to know every single ability in this world. It's not unheard of for certain humans to possess utterly absurd powers."
After all, the world was vast, and anything could happen.
Natsume let out an understanding sound, reluctantly accepting the explanation, and asked with deep curiosity: "What kind of fruit is this?"
"A Zoan type. The Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Great Buddha."
"Isn't that the fruit belonging to Fleet Admiral Sengoku?!"
Natsume blurted out in pure shock. Anyone who had ever read One Piece knew that Marine Fleet Admiral Sengoku had eaten that exact fruit.
"That's right." Yumesaki nodded. "Aside from this one, I also have the Azure Dragon, Okuchi no Makami, Nine-Tailed Fox, Kirin, and various other models. Do you want one?"
Natsume felt his interest piqued quite a bit. This was a Devil Fruit—a legendary fruit that granted miraculous powers to anyone who consumed it.
"Are there only Zoan types available?"
"Of course, there are Paramecia types too. The Magnet-Magnet Fruit, Op-Op Fruit, Snip-Snip Fruit, Arms-Arms Fruit, Shadow-Shadow Fruit, Warp-Warp Fruit, Strong-Strong Fruit, Clear-Clear Fruit... As long as the fruit has appeared in the anime, I basically have it."
Yumesaki stated calmly: "However, in my opinion, you are much better suited for a Mythical Zoan type. On one hand, it grants formidable combat prowess, and on the other, it bestows a remarkably robust physique along with immense vitality."
"When you're in a fight, you won't end up dying from a single punch from a yokai."
"In fact, I have an exceptionally powerful Devil Fruit right here that would suit you perfectly."
Nyanko-sensei also observed Natsume's growing intrigue, finally breaking his silence to ask: "What fruit is that?"
"The Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Heracles."
"Heracles, the god of strength from Greek mythology?" Natsume's eyes instantly widened, his pupils trembling violently.
"Exactly."
"But as far as I can remember from the One Piece manga, I don't think that Devil Fruit ever existed."
Yumesaki naturally had no intention of telling Natsume that this fruit had been engineered by Vegapunk using the blood of Heracles, so he simply spun another random excuse.
"Just because it didn't appear doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Besides, I have it right here. Do you want it?"
I want it, I absolutely want it.
Even though Natsume's heart was screaming those words repeatedly, his lips remained tightly sealed, and he didn't utter a sound from beginning to end.
He was acutely aware that the price of a Devil Fruit would not be cheap. As a regular countryside teenager, he didn't possess any extra money to purchase such a priceless artifact from Yumesaki.
As for opening his mouth to beg Yumesaki to give him the Devil Fruit for free...
Natsume simply couldn't bring himself to do it. Just how thick-skinned would someone have to be to voice such shameless words?
Yumesaki picked up on Natsume's inner conflict, once again marveling at how incredibly innocent and pure-hearted this countryside youth truly was.
Right at that moment, Nyanko-sensei suddenly leaped onto the table, and with a swift swipe of his paw, he batted the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Great Buddha straight into Natsume's arms.
"Forget about the Model: Heracles. This Great Buddha model is a perfect match for Natsume."
"Nyanko-sensei?!"
Natsume was caught completely off guard, frantically scrambling to catch the Great Buddha fruit before it dropped.
Nyanko-sensei looked up to meet Yumesaki's gaze. "Let's consider this as me owing you a favor, Master Yumesaki. In the future, if Master Yumesaki has any commands whatsoever, I am willing to go through fire and water to ease your burdens."
"I wonder if Master Yumesaki would be willing to accept that?"
Yumesaki looked down at the serious expression on Nyanko-sensei's face, then turned his gaze toward Natsume. "What do you think, Natsume?"
Natsume desperately wanted to return the Great Buddha fruit; he hated the idea of Nyanko-sensei binding himself to a debt of gratitude with Yumesaki because of this.
Yet, if he didn't acquire this Devil Fruit, he would remain nothing but a burden whenever they encountered formidable enemies in the future.
Natsume was deeply torn.
Hearing Yumesaki's question, and vividly recalling the earlier incident where Nyanko-sensei had been beaten by Tsuchigumo until his entire body was bloodied, Natsume finally steeled his resolve.
He rose swiftly to his feet, then bowed deeply and formally toward Yumesaki.
"I am also willing to owe Master Yumesaki a favor. If Master Yumesaki has any needs in the future, I too am prepared to go through fire and water. Please, ensure that this Devil Fruit is bestowed upon me."
"Very well."
Yumesaki agreed with a relaxed smile. "One fruit exchanged for two favors, I'll take that deal. You may consume the Devil Fruit now."
Hearing those words, Natsume felt a mixture of shock and sheer joy. Under Nyanko-sensei's urgent prompting, he abandoned all hesitation, raised the Devil Fruit, and took a bite.
Crunch!
In the very next second, Natsume's facial features contorted entirely, his expression morphing into something utterly abstract.
"It's so..." His face continued to twitch uncontrollably.
"So what?" Nyanko-sensei failed to grasp his meaning. So what? Could it be so delicious that he felt like he was floating to heaven?
"It's so bad! This thing tastes absolutely horrendous!" Natsume fought back the intense urge to vomit, forcing the piece of fruit down his throat with everything he had. "It tastes like eating food that has been rotting away for days—foul and incredibly fishy."
"No wonder the manga mentioned that Devil Fruits taste terrible to a horrifying degree. Every single word of it is true."
Just moments ago, he had been entirely focused on his excitement and had completely forgotten about this notorious detail. Lacking any form of mental preparation, the taste genuinely made him feel terribly nauseous.
Nyanko-sensei: "..."
Yumesaki offered guidance with a grin: "Now, you can try out the power of the fruit."
Natsume nodded, closing his eyes as he slowly felt the profound changes spreading through his body.
In an instant, his form erupted with a brilliant golden light. His entire silhouette began to expand rapidly, and within the blink of an eye, he transformed into a towering, four-meter-tall golden manifestation of the Buddha.
Fortunately, the living room of Yumesaki's apartment boasted a ceiling height of six meters; otherwise, it wouldn't have been spacious enough to accommodate this golden entity.
At the exact same time, Natsume, now manifested as the golden Buddha, felt a surging, tumultuous power within him, as if a mere gentle pat of his hand could unleash an unimaginable force of destruction.
However, he refrained from doing anything of the sort. This was Yumesaki's home, after all—how could he possibly wreck the place?
Seeing this, Yumesaki turned to cast a significant glance at Nero.
Nero understood immediately, declaring in a resounding voice: "Rise, my theater! Display the supreme light right here!"
In a flash, a surging wave of Magical Energy erupted violently from Nero's body.
Aestus Domus Aurea manifested once more.
Yumesaki summoned Huodou, pointing directly toward the golden Buddha that Natsume had become. "Go on, test him out."
Huodou nodded, his gaze locking onto Natsume, and shot forward with a sharp rushing sound, his speed matching that of a sudden streak of black lightning.
Yet Natsume actually managed to react, his eyes easily tracking Huodou's lightning-fast movements.
The Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Great Buddha granted its user the immense strength, profound wisdom, and serene mindset of a Buddha.
Tracking Huodou's movements was no longer a difficult task.
Within the golden Buddha form, Natsume remained perfectly composed. Any trace of negative emotions—thoughts of fear, trembling, or panic—completely failed to surface in his mind.
Huodou opened his jaws and unleashed a torrent of roaring flames, slamming directly into Natsume's body and producing a resonant clanging sound.
The impact forced Natsume to take a single step backward.
But it didn't go any further than that. The golden form of the Great Buddha fused offense and defense into one, possessing not only immense offensive power but also an astonishing level of durability at the same time.
Huodou's flames were completely incapable of leaving a mark on Natsume's golden Buddha form.
Once Natsume realized this, he casually swung a single punch forward.
Buddha Punch!
A cataclysmic wave of power erupted violently from Natsume's fist, sweeping across the entire area within a radius of dozens of meters. The terrifying shockwave surged outward like a massive landslide and a towering tsunami.
Huodou was instantly struck, sent flying through the air.
Nyanko-sensei, witnessing this scene, couldn't help but narrow his eyes. As a Daiyokai, he was fully aware of the sheer weight behind Natsume's strike.
Even he himself or Tsuchigumo wouldn't dare to take such a punch head-on.
This was undeniably an attack on the level of a Daiyokai; the only uncertainty was how long Natsume could maintain this state.
Despite being hurled through the air, Huodou remained uninjured. After touching down, he began circling Natsume continuously, scouting for an opening to counterattack while simultaneously manipulating his flames to form fire spears, fire fists, and fire whips to rain an unrelenting barrage upon Natsume.
Every single strike carried a powerful, explosive force.
Yet, from beginning to end, his efforts remained utterly futile against Natsume, because the defensive prowess of the golden Buddha form was simply too formidable.
Meanwhile, Natsume, drawing upon the inherent wisdom of the Buddha, gradually patched up his own tactical shortcomings mid-combat, rendering himself increasingly difficult to deal with.
Huodou found the battle becoming progressively uphill.
"Sufficient. Let's call it a day." Right then, Yumesaki suddenly spoke up, putting an end to the clash.
After all, this was meant to be a sparring session from the very start, intended to familiarize Natsume with the capabilities of the Great Buddha fruit.
Now that Natsume had successfully achieved that, the combat could be brought to a halt.
Huodou nodded, ceasing his assault before melting back into Yumesaki's shadow.
Natsume stopped as well. The golden Buddha form began to shrink and condense, the golden radiance fading away as the Buddha reverted back into Natsume's regular self.
"How does it feel, Natsume?" Nyanko-sensei leaped up onto Natsume's shoulder, inquiring eagerly.
"Incredibly strong." Natsume recalled the sensations from when he was manifested as the golden Buddha just moments ago. "An absolute, unrivaled power. This fruit is honestly far too powerful."
Yumesaki shook his head, countering: "In that regard, you are mistaken. The Great Buddha fruit actually isn't as strong as you imagine it to be."
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
70 Power Stone = 1 Bonus Chapter (Up to 5 bonus chapters per week).
Join my Patreon to get access to more chapters from Webnovel here:
patreon.com/FaaanzKun