Chapter 28: The Fourth Awakening

"You?"
"You think you can do it?"
A look of utter disdain fell upon Chu Yi. With just a single glance, Qingzhi saw through Chu Yi's limits and said coldly, "How much time do you think you can buy for your companions? Five seconds? Or ten seconds? I can tell you, once I get past you, it will only take a second!"
"Frozen Moment!"
Whoosh!
Though Qingzhi secretly admired a child like Chu Yi—one who, in the face of danger, would risk his life to cover for his friends—he could not ignore the severity of the incident involving the murder of a Celestial Dragon. Qingzhi had to deliver a perfect lesson to the Navy, or rather, to the terrifying hands of the Celestial Dragons.
Thus, even when faced with Chu Yi’s utmost resolve, Qingzhi showed not a hint of mercy!
The power of the Ice-Ice Fruit erupted!
Frozen Moment!
With a sharp exhale, a gleaming chill surged from Qingzhi, sweeping toward Chu Yi in an instant.
As for Chu Yi?
Had Qingzhi continued to use the Navy's Six Powers or relied solely on physical technique, Chu Yi was confident he could, even in this extreme state, use his monstrous body to delay with "Paper Drawing" for a little longer.
But if Qingzhi used his Devil Fruit abilities, as he did now...
Just as Qingzhi said, it would truly only take a second to deal with Chu Yi!
The next moment...
Facing that crystalline chill, even as Chu Yi tried to burst out with "Shave" to dodge, the attack was a wide-range technique. Chu Yi couldn't even successfully use "Shave"; under the assault of the cold, he was instantly frozen into an ice sculpture by Qingzhi's Ice-Ice Fruit!
It was over...
Qingzhi glanced indifferently at the frozen Chu Yi, then turned to leave.
This wasn't arrogance, but confidence!
Without exaggeration, Qingzhi's mastery of the Ice-Ice Fruit was nearly at its peak—only a step away from awakening into a new stage. With just his Devil Fruit abilities, Qingzhi already matched the level of an admiral; add his formidable physical prowess and mastery of Haki, and regardless of his official rank as vice admiral, Qingzhi's strength was assuredly that of an admiral.
In the original pirate story, why did Qingzhi only use his Devil Fruit abilities to fight?
Because there was no need!
Just as now, facing Chu Yi, using only the Fruit's power left Chu Yi utterly unable to resist; in the original tale, aside from a handful of opponents on the seas, Qingzhi never needed to employ Haki or advanced physical techniques.

But just as Qingzhi turned away...
Huh?
With a hint of surprise in his eyes, Qingzhi turned again to Chu Yi and found that his Frozen Moment had not managed to resolve Chu Yi as expected!
Crack... crack...
A crisp sound echoed; with each tremor of Chu Yi's body, shards of ice fell away bit by bit!
What was that?
The answer: Tang Grass Tile Shock Fist!
With a battle sense like a demon’s, Chu Yi—despite lacking any experience—could instantly conjure solutions in the face of adversity.
So, when Qingzhi froze him, Chu Yi's mind surged with the idea to shatter the ice!
But how could he use the Tang Grass Tile Shock Fist without even being able to throw a punch?
Thinking this through, Chu Yi suddenly had a bold idea: using every muscle in his body to execute the Shock Fist, he would send tremors through himself to pulverize the ice Qingzhi had formed!
Yet, to harm the enemy a thousand, one must wound oneself eight hundred!
The human body is a marvel; any misstep inflicts damage.
Chu Yi possessed a body as robust as a demon’s, and after three awakenings, his physical strength had greatly increased. But at the edge of his limits, injury was almost inevitable. Now, forcing his muscles to shatter the ice, he managed to break free.
Yet, as he emerged, not a single patch of flesh remained intact; every muscle was torn, blood oozing from every pore!
"If only I wasn’t at my limit, I could use Almighty Push!"
He smiled bitterly to himself, thinking that if he hadn’t needed to maintain the Anti-Gravity Field to help Tiger escape, or the Gravity Field on Lucci to protect Hancock, he could have easily countered Qingzhi’s attack with a small-scale Almighty Push.
But now...
What power did he have left to stop Qingzhi?
What ability remained to fulfill the system’s task?
Yes.
When Qingzhi appeared, blocking Chu Yi and Tiger’s escape with a "Tempest Kick," the system immediately issued a task: collect awakening materials, since Qingzhi was an Ice-Ice Fruit user.
The task was named Ten Minutes of Life and Death!

As the name implied, to succeed and obtain the Ice-Ice Fruit material, Chu Yi had to fight Qingzhi for a full ten minutes!
But even lasting a single second before Qingzhi was nearly impossible; ten minutes seemed beyond his reach.
Especially when facing Qingzhi's increasingly solemn gaze, Chu Yi could guess Qingzhi’s thoughts: Qingzhi clearly did not want him to delay even five seconds!
If so... then fight with everything!
Bathed in blood, riddled with wounds, Chu Yi—once desperate—suddenly smiled faintly before Qingzhi and, as if asking, said, "Do you really think you can finish me in the next second?"
"Oh?"
Qingzhi raised his brows and retorted, "Do you think, in your current state, you have any strength to fight me?"
"Of course I do!"
His smile grew more confident. Silently communicating with the system, Chu Yi said quickly, "System, use the Leopard Form material from the Cat-Cat Fruit! I want to awaken four times!"
Boom!
No sooner had Chu Yi spoken than the system responded, and the four awakenings began!
Almost instantly, new power surged into Chu Yi’s body; the sudden murderous intent even made Qingzhi feel a touch of awe!
Then, under Qingzhi’s astonished gaze, Chu Yi’s aura rose sharply, and his wounds healed in an instant!
Damn it, I can't let him use his trump card!
Heart tightening, Qingzhi—experienced in battle—quickly unleashed the Navy Six Powers’ "Finger Gun," aiming to pierce Chu Yi’s heart!
But as Qingzhi's fingertip hovered a mere centimeter from Chu Yi’s chest...
Whoosh!
With agile movement, Chu Yi used "Paper Drawing" to dodge Qingzhi’s "Finger Gun," and as the system worked wonders, the Leopard Form material of the Cat-Cat Fruit merged into his veins. Chu Yi flashed behind Qingzhi with a "Shave," then unleashed a fierce claw, raking into Qingzhi’s back!
"You’re so slow!"