September 20, 1498, Age of the Sea Circle
The children had finished their training and began to leave in groups of two or three. Only little Alpha left alone, as she had just arrived at this place and didn't know anyone yet. Additionally, she belonged to the main branch of the family, and the other children were afraid to get too close to her.
Outside the core of the family, members of the secondary branches were not raised as strictly as those of the main branch. This had started as a way to limit the development of the family's side branches and prevent them from threatening the main branch. However, over time, it simply became the norm, while only the Medici core maintained their Spartan training methods.
Both Kalifa and Alpha belonged to the main branch, and as such, the training they received was always much more intense and rigid than that of the rest of the family members.
Orion saw Alpha walking away alone and immediately decided to act. Even though he wasn't as reckless as he had been in previous years, his childish personality was still quite impatient.
He jumped from his hiding spot and used Soru to approach Alpha. However, before he could reach her, he felt a breeze behind him and was struck head-on by a Tempest Kick launched by Laskey.
Fortunately, his Observation Haki had reacted in time, allowing him to use Tekkai to avoid a more serious injury, although he still took some damage.
Orion rolled across the ground and sprang up into a fighting stance, ready to confront the man who had just appeared before him like a specter.
"Oh? You withstood that attack? I suppose you're not a complete rookie," said Laskey, looking at Orion with interest.
Orion quickly analyzed the situation and knew the man before him was an opponent he couldn't defeat with his current power. Even though he had regained the use of his special abilities, it was clear that this time, his enemy was an elite agent. He could tell right away from the Tempest Kick Laskey had launched—which had caused internal damage despite him using Tekkai and his passive abilities.
Orion opened his inventory and pulled out a bag full of small stones. This was a pouch of projectiles modified with his Art Coating ability, always prepared for emergencies. In fact, the small rocks in the bag were once large boulders he had painstakingly compressed to use as a surprise element in battle.
Laskey looked on with interest but made no move to eliminate the boy in front of him. He wanted to see what kind of methods Orion would try to save himself, though he was convinced that whatever the boy tried would ultimately be useless. From the moment Laskey had revealed himself, Orion's only possible fate was death.
Orion hurled five stones at high speed, and they changed size in midair, surprising Laskey—not because of their danger, but because he recognized the technique!
He could never forget anything related to the mysterious recruit who had escaped from Guanhao, since that damned boy had kidnapped his daughter, and as a result, his own standing within the family core had weakened!
Having capable descendants was crucial for someone of Laskey's status, and now that Kalifa had vanished, he could only count on Alpha, who was far less talented. He had even started considering having another child to replace his missing daughter.
Now, seeing the person who had taken Kalifa and caused him so many problems, Laskey couldn't help but feel a surge of anger and immediately lunged at Orion, intending to capture and torture him until he revealed Kalifa's whereabouts.
The small stones expanded, crashing down on the agent, who simply used his flawless Soru to dodge them. Even so, Orion had thrown the stones in such a way that made it impossible to completely avoid them. Laskey had no choice but to use Shigan to destroy two of them and finally escape the "boring" attack.
However, when he was done, he was surprised to find Orion gone, leaving behind only an open door in the air. Laskey immediately dove into the Pocket Dimension, but just as he was about to cross the threshold, he froze in place. His long hair slipped through the doorway—and then the door slammed shut, slicing his hair clean off.
A vein throbbed on Laskey's forehead as rage surged through him. If his Observation Haki hadn't warned him at the last moment, it would have been his body that was sliced in half by the sudden door closure.
This was a strategy Orion had never used before but had long kept in mind. Now, little Orion had finally put it into practice, and although it hadn't taken down his enemy, at least he knew it could be an effective resource in a fight.
Orion sprinted through the Pocket Dimension, ignoring Robin, who was still glaring at Laskey with a deep hatred in her eyes. Right now, Orion had only one thought: grab Alpha and get out.
If he tried to fight Laskey head-on, he'd only get hurt pointlessly. And if he delayed too long, Alpha's security would be reinforced, making it harder to abduct her in the future.
Orion emerged from the Pocket Dimension and saw Alpha up ahead. Without hesitation, he grabbed her arm—startling her—and threw her into the Pocket Dimension before she could react, slamming the door behind them.
Just a tenth of a second later, a dagger flew through the exact spot where Orion had been standing, making cold sweat drip down his back.
"These Cipher Pol agents are no joke!" Orion thought with dread.
In reality, Laskey was one of the elite members of Cipher Pol, part of CP9, and one of its most powerful assets. It was no surprise his power was so overwhelming. Orion estimated Laskey's power was close to that of a Vice Admiral from Marine HQ!
That placed him well outside the range Orion could currently handle—especially with his adult mind (the one with the most battle experience) still dormant. That's why, once inside the Pocket Dimension, Orion made a firm decision: it was time to bunker down.
If he tried to leave the Pocket Dimension now, with Laskey nearby, he'd never escape. And since he couldn't win in a fight, the best move was to just wait inside the Pocket Dimension until Laskey gave up and left.
After all, Orion had plenty of supplies stored in his pocket realm. Staying inside until it was safe would be no problem at all.
"Who are you?! What do you want?! Daddy! Help! A pervert has kidnapped me!" Alpha screamed, kicking and calling for her father, who was now just outside the red membrane separating the two spatial planes.
"Alpha, calm down! I'm not a pervert. I came to get you on Kalifa's request," Orion said, holding her shoulders gently.
The moment she heard Kalifa's name, Alpha stopped making a scene and stared closely at Orion, who had returned to his original form to conserve energy. When not in battle, he preferred this state, as it didn't tire him out. Besides, staying in adult form constantly felt uncomfortable for his eight-year-old mind.
"You... how do you know that name?" Alpha asked, a flicker of hope in her voice.
In truth, Alpha didn't care much for her family, since they all treated her like an object and never gave her any affection. That was typical of the infamous Medici family. However, there was one exception: her sister Kalifa.
From her earliest memories, Kalifa had been her only companion and source of love. So when Kalifa disappeared a year ago after being sent to Guanhao, Alpha had been left in a state of despair.
Without her sister's presence, the central base of the Medici became a gray and unbearable place. When she turned four a few months ago, the family decided to begin her training earlier than scheduled. Kalifa's disappearance had made Laskey place all his hopes on his younger daughter—though Alpha didn't know that.
Unfortunately, Alpha didn't possess the same natural talent Kalifa did and hadn't qualified for training at Guanhao, where the most gifted children were trained. With no better option, her parents had sent her to the Medici branch in the West Blue. After finishing her training, she was to serve in the Cipher Pol branch in that Blue.
The plan was for Alpha to consolidate power there and eventually control all Cipher Pol operations in the West Blue. That way, even if she wasn't as talented, she could still be useful to Laskey's political ambitions within the Medici family and Cipher Pol.
"Hi Alpha, my name is Orion. Kalifa spoke a lot about you, and I promised her I'd come to get you so you could be with her again," Orion said with a warm smile.
Alpha visibly trembled, and a huge smile lit up her adorable face. She grabbed Orion's arm with both hands and shook it excitedly, saying:
"Is it true? My sister really sent you? She was worried about me?!"
Orion placed a hand on her head and gently explained everything. He told her how he and Kalifa had met in Guanhao, how they'd escaped together and crossed the Calm Belt, how they'd traveled the South Blue until reaching Pacific Town.
He then told her about the kingdom they had founded and Kalifa's daily life over the past year. Finally, he shared how her older sister had asked him to come find her and how Kalifa would have joined him if she'd known he'd be meeting her little sister on this trip to West Blue.
After nearly an hour of stories—filled with personal details only Kalifa and Orion could know—Alpha was completely convinced, and her attitude changed drastically.
Still, she wasn't entirely sure about leaving her current life behind. As much as she loved Kalifa, Alpha had also been indoctrinated to follow the path of an agent, albeit to a lesser degree than Kalifa, since her parents had had little hope for her and never planned to raise her as an elite agent.
Only in recent months, after Kalifa's disappearance was confirmed, had Alpha begun to undergo conditioning. So her desire to serve the Medici was far weaker than Kalifa's had been when Orion first met her.
Once Orion finished his tale and calmed her down, he began preparing a delicious meal to welcome the newest member of the group. Even though Alpha wasn't completely convinced yet, he had no intention of letting her go back to the Medici and was fully committed to his "kidnapper" role.
Robin, who had been quiet, approached to help with the cooking. But the moment Orion saw her face, he immediately sensed something was wrong. She usually kept a calm, kind expression, but now her eyes were full of hatred.
Orion paused the meal and asked what was wrong.
Robin hesitated, but finally looked him in the eyes and said seriously:
"That man... your friend's father... he was one of the people who attacked Ohara. My mother's death…"
She couldn't finish. A lump formed in her throat. Orion stepped forward and hugged her tightly. Normally, Robin didn't enjoy direct affection, but this time she didn't pull away. She even wrapped her arms around him, listening to his heartbeat to calm down.
After a few minutes, Robin gently pushed him back, her cheeks flushed.
"Thank you, Orion. I feel better now."
Orion nodded with a smile and returned to the half-cooked meal. But in the back of his mind, he knew he'd have to speak with Kalifa soon. He wanted to help Robin get revenge for her mother—but Laskey was Kalifa's father. Even if she didn't care much for him, acting without considering her feelings might create a rift between them.
He didn't want to hurt either Robin or Kalifa. So, if he ever decided to move against Laskey, he'd first need a serious conversation with both girls.
Orion finished preparing a great feast, and together with Robin and Perona, they celebrated Alpha's arrival. The little girl, caught up in the mood, joined the celebration with great enthusiasm. When it was over, the three girls fell asleep in the big bed, along with the fluffy ball of fur, Nibble.
Meanwhile, Orion scanned the surroundings for any sign of Laskey. He couldn't sense him with Observation Haki since they were in a different dimension, but the red marker on his system map told him the agent was still nearby.
Laskey was likely waiting to see if Orion was still around or had truly fled. The good news was that the agent didn't understand how Orion's powers worked. If Orion remained still, the cautious man would likely assume he'd left and eventually go away. Then, Orion could safely escape from the Medici base, mission accomplished.
But things didn't go as smoothly. For reasons unknown, Laskey stayed put for ten days without moving! Orion was tempted several times to peek outside, but the red marker warned him not to make any sudden moves.
Whether it was elite agent instinct or something else, Laskey's persistence almost pushed Orion to the brink—his food supplies were nearly depleted!
Finally, on the tenth day, Laskey appeared again, scanning the area thoughtfully. Then he shook his head bitterly and vanished without a trace. The marker on the system screen moved farther and farther away until it was out of range.
Orion sighed with relief. They could finally return to the real world after being locked away for so long.
During their confinement, Orion had successfully convinced Alpha to follow him back to Pacific Kingdom and reunite with her sister, so his objectives in this place were nearly complete.
All that was left was to steal the records kept by the Medici at the base—valuable intel for both himself and the Revolutionary Army.
Once again, Orion opened a portal in the air and stepped out of the Pocket Dimension, breathing the fresh outside air. Without drawing attention, he infiltrated the central area of the base and stole every file he could find.
Grinning at a job well done, Orion sailed away from the Medici base on his small ship, along with Robin, Perona, and the newly rescued Alpha, intent on retracing the path he took after being launched by Kuma to Ohara—and locating the only Named Character who had appeared on the map at that time.
This Named Character was currently out of range, but Orion hoped that once he got close enough to her location, her marker would reappear.
Staring at the horizon, Orion wondered what kind of person this Named Character would be—someone named…
Hina.
...
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