Mission Complete Reward: Hollow Mask

So Haku stared right at the Five Elders' Birthmark and said, with his usual foul-mouthed tone, "That's it?"

The Five Elders, who had been somewhat indifferent, all turned their gazes to Haku.

The Five Elders' Birthmark let out a cold snort, since he was the one currently pressing his intimidation down on Haku!

As Haku continued stepping up the stairs, the Five Elders' Birthmark silently intensified the pressure he was exerting. His intent was clear without words!

"That brat Haku!"

Sengoku, standing nearby, heard Haku's almost provocative words loud and clear! But what could he do about it? After all, Haku was about to fall under his jurisdiction.

Garp, meanwhile, laughed and said to Vice Admiral Tsuru, "Hey, Tsuru, see that? Haku really is my grandson, picking a fight with those five."

Tsuru covered her face with her hand, but still asked worriedly, "Will Haku be okay up there on the stage? Looks like the Five Elders are targeting him."

Garp laughed heartily. "Relax! Haku's strength isn't as simple as it looks on the surface."

As for Haku, he kept up his relaxed and carefree demeanor. With every step he took, the pressure on him grew heavier!

When he was still halfway there, the entire staircase finally gave way, shattering into pieces beneath his feet!

???

For a moment, the whole venue fell silent, because Haku wasn't using Geppo! Instead, he was stepping on empty air, walking upward toward the platform as if the stairs were still there!

The only sound was the constant click-clack of Morgans' camera.

"Big news! This is huge news!" Morgans screamed in his mind.

Akainu watched the scene and couldn't help but growl, "That brat was hiding his strength!" To someone as proud as him, this was an insult!

At the same time, spurred on by Haku, Akainu grew even more eager to boost his own power!

Down below, Kizaru couldn't help but remark, "My my, the youngsters these days are getting harder and harder to read, aren't they?"

While everyone's thoughts were scattered, Haku had already made it onto the platform.

"Hmph!"

Despite his immense displeasure, the Five Elders' Birthmark finally withdrew the pressure he had been applying to Haku.

A smile crept onto Haku's lips, and to the Five Elders' Birthmark, that smile was blindingly irritating!

Soon, the Five Elders draped the Marine coat over Haku's shoulders, then left without a word.

As far as the Five Elders were concerned, they had already tested Haku's strength. Even if they hadn't fully measured it, they had a rough idea, so the rest was none of their business!

After the Five Elders left, amid cheers and applause, Haku officially became the fourth Marine Admiral!

As for his Admiral title, Haku had already made up his mind. He chose the name "Purple Blade."

Originally, Haku had leaned more toward "Red Blade," but since Akainu had already taken the character "Red," there was no helping it!

So Haku combined the color of Ryujin Jakka's hilt with the blade's name to come up with this title.

Ding!

Mission complete!

Mission reward: Hollow Mask issued!

???

Haku was a bit surprised! He hadn't expected this mission to reward him with something as important as a Hollow Mask from the Shinigami world.

That meant Haku's strength had just taken another massive leap!

But getting the Hollow Mask came with both pros and cons. Haku knew that if he put it on without mastering the power of Hollows, he risked losing control entirely.

When Haku returned to his personal Admiral quarters, he couldn't wait to take the Hollow Mask out of the system's space.

Soon, a white mask resembling bone appeared in his hand. Its shape was highly irregular, with jagged edges that gave off a deeply unsettling and terrifying vibe. The surface had bumps and indentations, making it even more grotesque.

The eye sockets were two deep hollows, devoid of any pupils or whites, making the mask look even more mysterious and horrifying. The mouth was a wide gash, revealing sharp teeth that evoked a sense of cruelty and bloodshed.

On either side of the Hollow Mask were slender protrusions, possibly ears, horns, or other shapes. These too were irregular, adding to the mask's eerie and fearsome appearance.

Holding the mask in his hand, Haku could clearly feel a faint connection between it and himself.

Then Haku suddenly asked, "System! If I put on this mask, will I risk losing control?"

A mechanical voice, full of texture, sounded in Haku's ear: "Rest assured, host! The Hollow Mask produced by the system will not put the host at risk of losing control."

Haku breathed a sigh of relief at that!

But the system wasn't finished: "However! Since the host must master the power of Hollows on their own, until the host fully masters the Hollow Mask, there is a chance that wearing the mask will cause a drastic personality change."

Good. Haku had been worried about some bizarre restriction. A personality change was something he could accept!

Haku turned his gaze back to the Hollow Mask in his hand. Since there were no lingering worries, he wanted to try putting it on and see what changes would occur!

But just to be safe, Haku dragged both Sengoku and Garp out of their offices. After all, the system had said that until he fully mastered the Hollow Mask, wearing it could trigger a personality shift.

Haku figured that if he ended up wanting to do something bad, having Sengoku and Garp watching over him would let him cut his losses in time!

However, since Haku was the new Admiral, many eyes were on him. When word spread that Admiral Haku wanted to test out a new power he'd developed, a lot of people gathered in the plaza to watch the show!

Among them were two Vice Admiral candidates and all three Fleet Admirals!

When Fleet Admiral Sengoku was pulled into the plaza by Haku, he showed his displeasure.

He complained, "Haku, don't you know how busy my work is? If you want to test your new power, just go find Garp!..."

Haku couldn't help scratching his head at Sengoku's scolding.

He had to explain, "Well, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, please understand—you know how unreliable Old Man Garp is. What if I actually did something serious? That would be a disaster!"

Sengoku looked over at Garp, who was walking along eating a donut, and finally decided to stay put.