Leaving Devil Island

"Hahaha! I'm glad to have such powerful companions too, and I've gotten stronger! Hahaha!"

The Ant King threw back his head and laughed freely, his laughter deep and powerful, as though it could pierce the clouds.

At that moment, an awe-inspiring aura radiated from the Ant King.

With his extraordinary intelligence and the wondrous power granted by his Devil Fruit, the Ant King could already speak clearly and fluently.

This change surprised and delighted the companions around him.

"You can even talk now! That's the Ant King for you!" Kakarot's eyes widened with admiration, and a sincere smile spread across his face.

"I thought you were extraordinary from the start. Looks like I was right."

"Exactly! You're incredible!"

Lilith, Vian, and Emily gathered around. Lilith clenched both fists, a fierce eagerness for battle shining in her eyes.

Vian and Emily kept nodding beside her, their faces brimming with excitement.

Lina, Yingyue, Iris, Simba, Ailik, and the others gathered around as well, happy for their new companion.

"Ant King, you've really changed a lot!" Lina said with a smile.

"Ant King, now that you have a humanoid form, I think you need a person's name. How about Hellfire Hades?

"Hellfire represents your species, and Hades is your given name. Hades also represents the king of the underworld. I feel it suits you."

Kakarot spoke earnestly after a moment's thought.

Hades froze briefly, then a flicker of delighted surprise crossed his eyes. He declared in a ringing voice, "Hellfire Hades! That's a great name. I like it.

"From today on, I'm Hellfire Hades!" There was a trace of pride in his voice, as though the name had given him a new identity and mission.

"Hades, what type of fruit did you eat, exactly? An Ancient Zoan or a Mythical Zoan? You don't seem as tall as a real giant!"

Lilith tilted her head and asked curiously.

Although Hades had killed a great deal before, he was not bloodthirsty. He loved fighting, but he was rational.

Moreover, during his battle with Kakarot, he had swallowed a few drops of Kakarot's blood. Although the effect was not very strong,

it still made him feel very favorably toward Kakarot and his group, not to mention that they had given him the ability to keep growing stronger.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "After eating this fruit, I learned that it was a Mythical Zoan, Titan Giant Form!

"My current height is just my normal form. My full form can reach over fifty meters, and it'll get even bigger as I grow stronger!" A confident smile appeared on his face as he said this.

"And I feel much stronger than before. Not only has my strength increased, but there's also a lot of potential waiting for me to uncover!"

His eyes shone, as though he could see his stronger future self.

"It's actually a Mythical Zoan!" Simba and Ailik gaped with envy.

"Don't you have any other abilities? A Mythical Zoan Fruit should have other abilities too!" Kakarot asked, rubbing his chin.

After Kakarot finished speaking, Hades frowned slightly, concentrated, and placed his hand on the ship's deck.

The hull shuddered slightly, then slowly floated up from the sea. Everyone's eyes widened at once, their faces filled with shock.

However, the ship dropped back down after rising only a few meters, and a sheen of sweat appeared on Hades's forehead.

"I can also control gravity, but I'm not very practiced yet. The effect isn't very good, and it uses up a lot of stamina."

Hades spoke somewhat helplessly, a trace of frustration flashing in his eyes.

"That's an excellent ability. Once you're more practiced, we can train under increased gravity for better results!"

Kakarot rubbed his hands excitedly, his eyes shining with anticipation.

"We should give the big mantis a name too. She's our companion as well!" Yingyue suddenly said, her eyes full of tenderness.

Kakarot nodded.

"Are you male or female?" Yingyue asked, looking gently at the Golden Blade Mantis.

The Golden Blade Mantis was highly intelligent, and with her Observation Haki perception, she could already roughly understand what Yingyue and the others were saying.

She pointed one of her mantis blades at Yingyue, then nodded, indicating that she was the same sex as Yingyue.

Yingyue clapped happily and said, "So you're a female mantis! Let me think of a name!"

She frowned slightly and sank into thought.

"Kakarot, Lilith, have you thought of any good names?"

Lilith's eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, "I've got it! Didn't my brother tell us a story about a goddess of war named Athena?

"I think Athena would be a good name for the Golden Blade Mantis. What do you think?"

Hearing this, Yingyue remembered too. She nodded slightly, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.

"It really does suit her. That name sounds imposing."

Yingyue then looked at the Golden Blade Mantis, who nodded too, her antennae swaying as she radiated happiness.

"Wonderful! Then from now on, your name will be Athena! I believe you'll become as powerful as that goddess of war someday!"

Yingyue stroked Athena's head and spoke gently.

Afterward, they held a welcoming banquet together for Hades and Athena.

The ship was laden with all kinds of delicious food and fine wine. Everyone sat together amid constant chatter and laughter.

Hades sampled the food and wine, a satisfied smile on his face;

Athena also ate the delicious food and happily played with Yingyue and the others; they felt the warmth and friendliness of this big family.

Afterward, Kakarot contacted Shu Laibao through his Den Den Mushi and told him to spare no effort collecting Zoan Human-Human Fruits, regardless of the variety.

Although puzzled, Shu Laibao agreed.

A few days later, sunlight spilled over the coast, bathing it in gold.

Vian moved nimbly as she and Yingyue traded blows, sharp blades in hand.

Beside them, Athena swung her sharp mantis blades, imitating their movements and occasionally adding a few unique attacks of her own.

Over on the other side, Hades was fighting fiercely against Lilith, Lina, Simba, Ailik, and the others.

Hades deftly countered everyone's attacks, putting enough pressure on them to push them to improve while continually familiarizing himself with human fighting methods and learning more combat techniques.

Nasha walked lightly over to Kakarot, who was watching from the sidelines, and bowed slightly.

"Captain, the Eternal Pose has finished recording Devil Island's magnetic field. We can leave and set off for Dressrosa."

Kakarot's eyes lit up, and a delighted smile appeared on his face. "Great! Then we can set off this afternoon!"

Kakarot cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted to those who were fighting.

Hearing his call, everyone stopped what they were doing, put away their weapons, and returned to the ship, still looking eager for more, to begin preparing for that afternoon's departure.

Over the past few days, Hades, Kakarot, and the others had beaten all the other Beast Kings on Devil Island, establishing absolute authority.

With the strength of the Hellfire Demon Ants, they had little to worry about on the island even after their king, Hades, left.

Athena had no kin. She was the only Golden Blade Mantis on the island, and now, accompanying everyone, she had found a new place to belong.

That afternoon, they finished replenishing their fresh water and food. Looking at their plentiful supplies, they all beamed and happily put out to sea, heading for Dressrosa.