Kakarot gently closed his eyes, savoring the beauty of the moment with his whole being.
He could hear Vian, Lilith, Yingyue, Emily, and Yueli playing merrily with Viola, their laughter as clear and sweet as silver bells;
Lina, Iris, and Nasha were talking with Scarlet. Though he could not make out their words, he could still feel the relaxed, cheerful atmosphere;
There were also the steady, gentle breaths of Hades, Ailik, Simba, Slade, and the others, and the rustling of sunflower leaves in the soft breeze.
These sounds intertwined into a beautiful symphony of nature, leaving Kakarot utterly at ease.
In this peaceful atmosphere, Kakarot's Observation Haki unconsciously flowed out of his body, spreading outward from him like ripples on water.
The area covered by his Observation Haki gradually grew larger than before,
And his ability to sense and influence the emotions around him became more keen and nuanced, silently reaching into every corner.
After an unknown length of time, Lilith ran over like a cheerful little deer and called out:
"Brother, Hades, Simba, hurry up and get up! We're going to eat!"
Hearing her, Kakarot and the others got to their feet and headed toward the palace together.
As they followed Lilith along the path, a woman in splendid clothes approached respectfully, bowed, and said:
"Hello, Mr. Kakarot! I'm Viola's older sister, Scarlet."
Kakarot quickly waved a hand, a gentle smile on his face. "There's no need to be so formal. Just call me by my name. We're all friends!"
Scarlet's eyes were filled with gratitude, and her voice trembled slightly as she said:
"I really must thank you all for saving my sister. Without you, I don't dare imagine what terrible things might have happened to her."
There was still a trace of relief on her face, as though she were looking back on a great disaster she had just escaped.
"I'll inform my father. We'll be sure to thank you properly!" Scarlet said earnestly.
Kakarot smiled and waved a hand. "It was nothing, really. Viola is my friend.
"Of course I would save her. There's no need for any special thanks."
Seeing that Scarlet wanted to say more, Kakarot quickly changed the subject. "Let's leave that aside for now. I'm getting a little hungry. Let's go eat!"
Hearing this, Scarlet said no more and immediately headed to the dining room with Kakarot.
The moment they entered the dining room, a rich, mouthwatering aroma greeted them.
King Riku was holding Viola, his face showing both lingering fear and a hint of anger.
When he saw Kakarot enter, King Riku hurried over and clasped his hand tightly, so overwhelmed that his words became jumbled:
"Kakarot, I really don't know how to thank you... If it weren't for you, my daughter..."
Kakarot smiled and patted King Riku's hand. "King Riku, don't worry so much. All this delicious food you've prepared is already the best thanks!"
With that, they sat down together at a long dining table laden with a dazzling array of food and fine wine.
King Riku's expression grew serious as he said gratefully, "Kakarot, rescuing my daughter might have been a small effort for you.
"But only after the soldiers tortured and questioned them did I learn that the people who kidnapped Viola were the notorious Bloodthirsty Pirates.
"Their captain has a bounty of eighty million Beli. To us, they're extremely powerful enemies. We could never defeat them easily."
As King Riku spoke, he clapped his hands, and a guard approached, carefully carrying a box.
"This was why those pirates kidnapped Viola." King Riku opened the box, revealing a strangely shaped Devil Fruit.
"A Devil Fruit!"
The others' eyes lit up at the sight of the fruit, excitement appearing on their faces.
They had only seen two Devil Fruits before. This was the third they had ever seen.
"Kakarot, I know that with your strength, ordinary things are of no use to you.
"Please accept this Devil Fruit as my gift of thanks!" King Riku said solemnly, his eyes full of sincerity.
Kakarot looked at the Devil Fruit without showing much surprise.
He had originally thought it was the Stomp-Stomp Fruit that Viola would eat in the future.
But when he saw its grayish-yellow exterior, he knew it was not the fruit he had imagined.
"King Riku, do you know what fruit this is?" Kakarot asked.
King Riku shook his head with a wry smile. "We used to have a Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, but several decades ago, many things were stolen from the Royal Treasury,
"Including the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. We only obtained this fruit a few years ago, so we don't know what type it is either."
Lilith and the others looked at Kakarot with a trace of anticipation in their eyes, but they did not reveal his ability to identify fruits.
Kakarot gave them a reassuring look, then closed his eyes, focused his mind, and used his Observation Haki to sense the Devil Fruit.
A heavy, rocky presence came from it, as though he could sense a power that controlled stone.
Kakarot opened his eyes in delighted surprise, but it was not because this was the Stone-Stone Fruit.
Rather, he had discovered that after his Observation Haki broke through, his perception of Devil Fruits had grown stronger, allowing him to fully sense their specific abilities.
Kakarot thought to himself, So the Stone-Stone Fruit that Doflamingo's subordinate had was this one from Dressrosa!
No, if it weren't for me, Viola would have been kidnapped, so that pirate Bloodmad Fini should have eaten this fruit.
Then it would have been reborn somewhere out at sea and obtained by Doflamingo.
"This is a pretty good fruit. It's the Paramecia-type Stone-Stone Fruit!" Kakarot said with a smile.
Hearing this, Lilith and the others lost interest. Even Athena, the Golden Blade Mantis, who had been rather expectant, looked away and focused on enjoying the food.
Viola smiled. "Big Brother Kakarot, you should have a use for this fruit, right? Could you accept it?"
"Yes! Mr. Kakarot, please accept it!" Scarlet chimed in beside her.
Kakarot nodded. "I'll accept this fruit."
With that, he handed the fruit to Scarlet and continued:
"But I want you to give this fruit to Kyros. It can play a considerable role here in Dressrosa."
Kakarot gave King Riku a look, and King Riku immediately understood what he meant,
Saying, "Scarlet, let's do as Kakarot says!"
Scarlet had wanted to say something, but after hearing King Riku's words, she merely nodded.
Although Viola wondered a little why Kakarot wanted to give the fruit to Kyros,
She was still very happy to see that Kakarot had accepted their gift of thanks.
Then everyone began feasting on the various delicacies on the table.
The astonishing appetites of Kakarot and his companions stunned everyone else present.
Seeing this, King Riku hurriedly ordered the kitchen to keep cooking. He felt that even all the food on the table might not be enough for them.
In the end, Kakarot and his group of nineteen people-and insects-actually ate more than five hundred people's worth of food.
Amid cheerful conversation and laughter, the banquet filled with gratitude and warmth came to an end.
And in Kyros's hands, the Stone-Stone Fruit would fulfill its proper role, protecting the land of Dressrosa.
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