Chapter 39: Titan's Progress and the Kingdom's Changes
This lion was also one of the beast kings on the Island, its entire body wreathed in fire, like a king in flames, yet its fur remained unharmed.
This was a variant species on the Island, possessing the ability to generate fire.
Its pair of front claws were incredibly sharp, capable of easily piercing steel.
On the other side was Titan, who had also transformed into a ferocious beast, with a massive and robust physique, exuding a terrifying Malevolent Aura throughout its body.
Its hideous head featured pupils as deep as black holes, with two other eyes growing beneath its armpits.
A pair of thick horns, resembling both ox and sheep horns, curved backward.
Its massive mouth was wide open, revealing jagged, sharp teeth, faintly emitting a terrifying Devouring Power like a bottomless pit.
It had tiger claws and a bone tail, with a pair of fleshy wings on either side shaped like ears, and strange patterns covering its body.
Compared to the giant lion, Titan's body was even more massive, like a small mountain.
In the primitive struggle, it was completely immune to the giant lion's fire and held an absolute advantage.
With a larger body, a stronger physique, and greater strength, possessing a powerful physical foundation, Titan's Armament Haki quality was not inferior to the giant lion's at all.
Its application of technique was also stronger.
This outcome was predetermined from the very beginning.
Titan's strength improved extremely quickly. The development of his Devil Fruit, intense pressure, and continuous combat allowed him to improve in all aspects.
In the beginning, Titan spent his time constantly getting beaten, repeatedly being taught a lesson, then counterattacking, challenging, being defeated, and escaping.
This cycle repeated endlessly.
During this process, with the assistance of the Taotie Fruit, Titan's physical potential further erupted with age. Titan's physical strength increased, and his Armament Haki improved at a speed far surpassing Hades' progress.
His powerful recovery ability made Titan seem like an unkillable cockroach.
In battles between his complete beast transformation and the beast kings, he was brutally beaten from the start.
However, he rarely faced life danger, which also made Titan more reckless.
After being defeated, Titan would often lie motionless, allowing the beast kings to brutally beat him.
Yet, these beast kings couldn't kill Titan because his defense power and recovery ability were too terrifying.
The final result was often that they would exhaust themselves from fighting and then leave, grumbling and cursing.
The next day, Titan would return fully recovered to challenge them again.
In this way, Titan challenged basically all the beast kings on the entire Island. Later, these beast kings came to recognize Titan and sometimes even teamed up to deal with him.
But Titan remained as before, because his strength had grown stronger. With the development of his ability, Titan's defense power further increased, his physique strengthened, and his Haki quality rapidly enhanced.
His increasing strength allowed Titan to gradually begin counterattacking, defeating these beast kings on the Island earlier than Hades did.
During this process, Titan did not use the Taotie Fruit's Poison Mist or the Malevolent Aura he had already mastered.
Similarly, Hades did not use the power of the Death-Death Fruit or the Ferocious God Aura he had also mastered, which could be combined with Haki.
When combined with Armament Haki, it can enhance defense power and destructive power. When combined with Conqueror's Haki, it can make the Conqueror's Haki's mental impact more intimidating.
The Conqueror's Haki of "Devil's Heir" Douglas Bullet, which resembled that of an Asura, was the effect produced by combining it with Demonic Aura.
This was a crushing battle, and soon the giant lion was defeated, lowering its proud head to Titan.
Titan quickly changed back into human form. Looking at his height, he had already grown to over six meters, with thick, shoulder-length black hair draped behind his head, exuding a terrifying Malevolent Aura.
Hades looked on with satisfaction. Titan's strength was greater than his, and as a future top-tier combatant, it was naturally better for Titan to be as strong as possible.
At the same time, he had absolute confidence that he would soon be able to catch up and surpass him.
Moreover, if they were to truly fight, who would win was still unknown.
Two years were enough for Hades to develop the Death-Death Fruit's ability to a very deep level.
Unlike others who fumbled their way through, Hades knew exactly how to develop it and what direction to take, never feeling lost.
Although he didn't use his ability in combat, countless wild beasts died by his hand during the process of developing the Fruit.
In a corner of the Island, a Forbidden Land appeared where not a blade of grass grew and life was extinct.
Hades looked at the intelligence in his hand, which had been sent from the Kronos Kingdom.
It contained information about the internal development progress of the kingdom, the situation of the World Government Rebel Army, and some intelligence from the Great Sea, specifically concerning the Rocks Pirates and the Marines.
Every so often, these materials would appear in the small hut where Hades often rested.
Hades had a target in mind regarding who sent them. In the Kronos Kingdom, currently, only that one person could do this.
The kingdom's development was very smooth. Whether it was agricultural reform or the building of the transportation network, initial results had already been achieved.
Mechanized automation production in agriculture was very smooth.
Originating from the agricultural production methods of Beautiful Country, building that machinery was not difficult for the Kronos Kingdom.
They had even built a batch before Hades left.
And Fairy Tale Country, with its small Land, could occupy a large share of the World's pork market.
This "trinity" of production, processing, and marketing, a unique cooperative management system, operated at high speed.
This method was what Hades truly wanted.
However, it required sufficient knowledge accumulation. Just the knowledge in various aspects of pig farming could fill thousands of books.
Cultivating the most advanced pig breeds and fully automated production required sufficient technical support.
It looked pretty good now, but it was far from reaching Hades' expectation.
The completion of the entire technical system would require at least over ten years. If it could reach one-tenth of Fairy Tale Country's standard, he would be very satisfied.
About three months after he left, the Rebel Army within the Kronos Kingdom launched a counterattack.
Without surprise, this counterattack was easily suppressed and couldn't break through at all.
Even possessing sufficient strength, the Kronos Kingdom still had no intention of directly eliminating them, much like a boiling frog strategy, consuming the strength of the World Government.
This was the strategy the kingdom had adhered to for years.
It was also to avoid directly antagonizing the World Government.
Between nations, there has never been eternal hatred, only interest.
Just as they guessed, the World Government was struggling to hold on.
It wasn't that they didn't have such strength, but they were facing pressure from all sides.
Whether internal or external, even within the Celestial Dragons, there were people who opposed.
Don't underestimate the influence of a superpower nation. It also has connections with the World Nobles and the Tartaros Royal Family.
(end of chapter)