<p>From the manga/anime, we do not know how Brooke learned which devil fruit he had eaten, but we can safely speculate on different possible scenarios.</p>

<p>As the answer in the possible <a href="https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/5919/how-is-the-ability-of-a-devil-fruit-discovered">duplicate</a> says, there is a "Devil Fruit Encyclopedia" which lists the names and abilities of the known devil fruits (the encyclopedia is not complete). Some devil fruits come with illustrations. This is how Blackbeard was able to identify the Yami Yami no Mi fruit and steal it from his nakama Thatch. </p>

<p>It is possible that the entry for Brook's  Yomi Yomi no Mi fruit was illustrated and therefore he knew what the fruit was before he ate it. However, note that this fruit is rather peculiar in that it does not grant any abilities while the user is still alive. Even though this is speculation, this may be the <strong>ONLY</strong> fruit with that characteristic. Therefore, even if there were no illustrations, one could have identified his fruit by the ability it came with, or lack thereof. </p>

<p><strong>EDIT:</strong> (After Kaine's comment)</p>

<p>In chapter 676, when the salamender Slime dies and turns into gas, the powers of the artificial devil fruit he had eaten are re-introduced in a nearby apple. That means that if a devil fruit user dies near another fruit, and that fruit changes shape, one can know which type of devil fruit it is based on the deceased user's powers.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-21T14:26:49.243Z
I am pretty sure the existence of such a book is canon. Sanji read it too.  That is were he learnt of his favorite Pervert Pervert Fruit (fine invisibility fruit). At very least, the fruit resurrection process (moving to another regular fruit when a user dies) means that people who find the fruit might know the fruit's powers as they know who died in the vicinity of that fruit.
kaine
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-21T14:46:51.053Z
@kaine I never said the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia was not canon. And yes your second point is correct, that's another possible way of knowing a fruit's ability before someone eats it.
solalito
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-21T14:51:33.590Z
Ah, rereading it again I see I misread that.  You meant that he knew from the book was confirmed; not that such a book was unconfirmed.  Sorry.
kaine
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-22T21:51:18.797Z
This would explain how they knew which fruit was Ace's Mero Mero no Mi fruit after he died, and then use it as bait in the coliseum.
Cyberson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-21T12:22:31.883Z
2015-12-21T14:53:32.650Z
2017-04-13T12:54:49.117Z
solalito
<p>I think Brook did not know about the Devil Fruit and its powers. He ate it and was surprised at no apparent changes, so he accepted his fate as the hammer. (Couldn't swim for no apparent power gain)</p>

<p>Once he was dead, his soul return to this world from the underworld and that was when he realized his Devil Fruit's abilities. So he return back to his body but he couldn't find it and his body was turned to skeleton.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-22T14:23:38.570Z
2016-03-22T14:23:38.570Z
Sorrel Vesper
<p>What I'm wondering is...is it possible to know what devil fruit power a devil fruit holds before a character eats it? Don't devil fruit eaters find out what their devil fruit powers are by experiencing the powers first hand.</p>

<p>I'm asking this because how on earth would Brook know that he ate the revive-revive fruit if he hasn't died yet? (For reference, in a flash back before he became a skeleton, the crew members ask him how his revive-revive devil fruit power works, to which he replies "I'm not exactly sure, I haven't died yet, so I wouldn't know." -I'm paraphrasing of course)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-21T10:44:55.007Z
I think Shanks knew what Luffy's Devil Fruit would do before he ate it. at least that was the impression i got
Memor-X
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-21T11:11:39.760Z
Possible duplicate :http://anime.stackexchange.com/q/5919/6345
mirroroftruth
<one-piece>
How did Brook know what his devil fruit was?
# How did Brook know what his devil fruit was?
Posted by: username_0 on 2015-12-21
What I'm wondering is...is it possible to know what devil fruit power a devil fruit holds before a character eats it? Don't devil fruit eaters find out what their devil fruit powers are by experiencing the powers first hand.

I'm asking this because how on earth would Brook know that he ate the revive-revive fruit if he hasn't died yet? (For reference, in a flash back before he became a skeleton, the crew members ask him how his revive-revive devil fruit power works, to which he replies "I'm not exactly sure, I haven't died yet, so I wouldn't know." -I'm paraphrasing of course)
**Tags:** one-piece
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I think Shanks knew what Luffy's Devil Fruit would do before he ate it. at least that was the impression i got  
> **username_2**: Possible duplicate :http://anime.stackexchange.com/q/5919/6345  
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_3 on 2015-12-21. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
From the manga/anime, we do not know how Brooke learned which devil fruit he had eaten, but we can safely speculate on different possible scenarios.

As the answer in the possible [duplicate](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/5919/how-is-the-ability-of-a-devil-fruit-discovered) says, there is a "Devil Fruit Encyclopedia" which lists the names and abilities of the known devil fruits (the encyclopedia is not complete). Some devil fruits come with illustrations. This is how Blackbeard was able to identify the Yami Yami no Mi fruit and steal it from his nakama Thatch.

It is possible that the entry for Brook's Yomi Yomi no Mi fruit was illustrated and therefore he knew what the fruit was before he ate it. However, note that this fruit is rather peculiar in that it does not grant any abilities while the user is still alive. Even though this is speculation, this may be the **ONLY** fruit with that characteristic. Therefore, even if there were no illustrations, one could have identified his fruit by the ability it came with, or lack thereof.

**EDIT:** (After Kaine's comment)

In chapter 676, when the salamender Slime dies and turns into gas, the powers of the artificial devil fruit he had eaten are re-introduced in a nearby apple. That means that if a devil fruit user dies near another fruit, and that fruit changes shape, one can know which type of devil fruit it is based on the deceased user's powers.
> **Comments:**
> **username_4** (2015-12-21): I am pretty sure the existence of such a book is canon. Sanji read it too.  That is were he learnt of his favorite Pervert Pervert Fruit (fine invisibility fruit). At very least, the fruit resurrection process (moving to another regular fruit when a user dies) means that people who find the fruit might know the fruit's powers as they know who died in the vicinity of that fruit.  
> **username_3** (2015-12-21): @kaine I never said the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia was not canon. And yes your second point is correct, that's another possible way of knowing a fruit's ability before someone eats it.  
> **username_4** (2015-12-21): Ah, rereading it again I see I misread that.  You meant that he knew from the book was confirmed; not that such a book was unconfirmed.  Sorry.  
> **username_5** (2015-12-22): This would explain how they knew which fruit was Ace's Mero Mero no Mi fruit after he died, and then use it as bait in the coliseum.  
---
### Answer by username_6 on 2016-03-22. Score: 0
I think Brook did not know about the Devil Fruit and its powers. He ate it and was surprised at no apparent changes, so he accepted his fate as the hammer. (Couldn't swim for no apparent power gain)

Once he was dead, his soul return to this world from the underworld and that was when he realized his Devil Fruit's abilities. So he return back to his body but he couldn't find it and his body was turned to skeleton.
---
