August 28, 1501, Age of the Sea Circle
More than eight months had passed in the blink of an eye. During all that time, Orion had continued both the development of his kingdom and the honing of his own combat abilities.
Pacific Kingdom now had over fifty thousand inhabitants, which meant that in the past year alone its population had more than doubled. Obviously, that was not the only change that had taken place in the kingdom. With the arrival of more and more people bringing knowledge in specialized areas, Pacific Kingdom was beginning to emerge as a true power within the South Blue.
Even so, the kingdom remained in a semi-closed state to the outside world, since the strength of its defenses was still not great enough to simply throw its gates open and allow the mass migration of anyone who wished to join.
At the heart of the kingdom, which was now located a little closer to the center of the island in the territory that had once belonged to the beasts inhabiting the area, the new Tree of Knowledge—grown from the seed that contained the spirit of the great Ohara Tree—rose imposing and majestic, having already reached the size of the other trees in the region.
The speed at which this tree had grown was already abnormal in itself, but with the help of Orion's ability called "Water the Plants," it had grown even faster. Moreover, this great Tree possessed a consciousness of its own, and could communicate with Orion in a rudimentary way through the connection formed by the system.
Still, the consciousness of this sacred Tree did not seem very advanced yet, and it could only communicate very basic messages — things like "I'm thirsty" or "I'm hot." Orion was almost certain, however, that this was because the Tree was still in its infancy and needed more time to mature.
Another great event that had taken place in the kingdom during these last months had been the hatching of the mysterious egg Orion had obtained many years earlier after completing a system mission.
According to the system, the egg contained a beast destined to become the protector of his kingdom, and so Orion had often dreamed of acquiring a mighty dragon or something of that sort.
Yet reality had a tendency to follow far more mysterious paths. The creature that had finally emerged from the egg after years of waiting… turned out to be a penguin.
The penguin was pure white and absolutely adorable, but Orion could not help but feel a touch of disappointment, thinking that such a beast would hardly serve much purpose in defending the kingdom. However, it did not take long for him to discover the true value of this small creature.
Just like Nibble, this little white penguin possessed spatial abilities!
Perhaps that was the reason he had received this particular beast instead of the imposing dragon he had been expecting. Even so, at present the penguin had only two abilities. One of them was utterly useless, consisting of teleportation with a range of only two meters.
The second ability, however, was truly a pleasant surprise: the power to generate the same Mysterious Fog he had once used to conceal the entrance to the island.
The Mysterious Fog was an item Orion had originally obtained through the system, but in order to activate it he had needed to spend a great number of SP, and that amount had grown larger each time the effect was reused.
Maintaining the fog for extended periods had therefore become far too costly, and Orion had abandoned that kind of defense.
This adorable penguin, however, could produce that very same fog naturally and control it at will!
Though for now it could not create a quantity large enough to be used as a proper defense for the kingdom, that would become possible once the little creature grew somewhat larger. In the future, Orion would not only be able to cover the entire perimeter of his kingdom with the Mysterious Fog, but he could also entrust the penguin with managing it, deciding when to deploy or withdraw it depending on the situation.
What's more, Orion had finally confirmed one of his doubts about how the Mysterious Fog actually functioned. It did not simply confuse those who tried to cross it and make them lose their way. Rather, it seemed to affect the very space it occupied, causing distortions in the paths of those who ventured into it.
In the end, even if he had not received a mythical dragon, Orion was quite content with the outcome, and had grown deeply fond of the little penguin.
Beyond the affairs of the kingdom, he himself had also made considerable progress in his own abilities during the past months. Not only had he increased the level of nearly all his Rokushiki techniques, but he had also improved in skills unrelated to combat, such as "Drawing" and "Carving."
More significant than the expected increases in his Rokushiki—since those required only consistent physical training—were the main changes in his "Close Combat" skill, which had now reached Level 5, and in his Armament Haki, which had finally moved beyond its initial state to reach Level 1.
On top of that, Orion's level in "Titanic Semen" had also increased, though he had no idea why, since he clearly had not done anything to promote that change. Even more surprisingly, another skill he had never imagined could level up had done so as well… "Squirrel Cheeks."
This latest development had come about because of his daily contact with Ginny, who still delighted in pinching his cheeks whenever she had the chance. Even after the Southern Army had grown large enough to keep her busy most of the day, Ginny never lost the habit of taking a midday break to go see Orion… only as friends.
At this very moment, however, Orion was far from Pacific Kingdom, as he had set out on a new adventure. Everything had begun two months earlier, when Orion received a piece of information he had asked the Revolutionary Army to investigate: the whereabouts of Gloriosa, his roommate during his stay in Guanhao.
Gloriosa had been transported to a random location after passing through the Space Gate, and since then Orion had not heard any news of her. After Orion joined the Revolutionary Army as a founding partner, he had asked every branch, and even the headquarters itself, to remain vigilant for any information regarding Gloriosa.
Unfortunately, the Revolutionary Army did not possess a particularly powerful information network, especially in its early days, and so several years passed before Orion could finally obtain some clue about her whereabouts.
That was why, two months ago, when he at last received the long-awaited news, Orion felt immense joy and immediately began planning a journey to search for this extroverted roommate he had not seen in years.
Even if Gloriosa did not wish to return with him to Pacific Kingdom and join his forces, Orion still wanted to see her and make sure she was well. He owed her at least that much, after having failed to transport her safely with his Space Gate.
As for the place where Gloriosa had been sighted, according to information from the Grand Line branch of the Revolutionary Army under Ivankov's command, it was none other than in the first half of the Grand Line, also called Paradise. Apparently, the young woman was in the company of the Kuja pirates, who were world-renowned for their strength and beauty.
When he learned that Gloriosa was with the Kuja, Orion smiled in relief, thinking that her dream of returning to Amazon Lily had most likely been fulfilled during these past years. It was good that she was safe and had achieved her dream of going back to her homeland, yet even so, Orion intended to go see her and try to recruit her.
Besides… it would also be an excellent opportunity to behold the Kuja of Amazon Lily, which was something any true man of culture would aspire to.
Finally, after completing all the preparations, Orion called upon his beloved Olive, and with her help he crossed the Calm Belt and reached the Grand Line, where he now found himself.
With his current abilities, Orion could have crossed the Calm Belt just as he had done many years ago alongside Kalifa, but he did not consider it necessary to put himself once again through that stressful situation when he could simply count on his wife's help to travel across the skies without any trouble.
Moreover, during the voyage, Orion had taken the opportunity to enjoy some passionate nights with the sensual pirate, though he had needed to create a separate area with his "Canvas Realm" ability, since on this occasion he was not traveling alone on his visit to the Grand Line, and his companions were also inside the Pocket Dimension during those intimate moments with Olive.
Once Olive had successfully brought him to the Grand Line, she returned to her life as a pirate, at the helm of her small crew. She had become a well-known pirate in the South Blue, reaching a bounty of 80 million Berry on her head, without a doubt one of the highest bounties in all the South Blue at present.
The only reason her bounty was not higher was because she did not cause large-scale harm to civilians and was not as brutal as other pirates. Most of her charges stemmed from clashes with the Navy and from lesser crimes, such as theft or similar offenses.
Because Olive's crew was secretly working for Pacific Kingdom, their activities were far "cleaner" even than those of so-called benevolent pirates. Generally, they carried out raids against corrupt merchants or rulers to seize their loot, and the rest of the time they lived in complete freedom, sailing and celebrating each day.
In a sense, one could say that Olive's pirates were like a covert unit of the Pacific Kingdom Army, and they even often lent their support in matters concerning the Revolutionary Army.
Since Olive did not wish to disappoint her husband Orion and wanted to live up to her title as royal concubine, she was always ready to take part in Revolutionary Army operations whenever she was called upon. Yet Orion had asked Ginny not to request Olive's assistance unless it was strictly necessary, because he did not want to restrict the freedom of the sensual pirate.
After all, she was at her most beautiful when she was free, sailing across the seas, rather than being burdened with the concerns of Pacific Kingdom and the Revolutionary Army. It was good for her to help when needed, but the rest of the time it was better to let her live and act as she pleased.
Both Orion and Olive always acted with their beloved in mind, and perhaps that was why their relationship remained strong despite not spending the entire year together. They kept in constant contact through the Den Den Mushi, and they tried to meet at least once a month to surrender themselves to their passionate nightly activities.
Once Orion reached the Grand Line, he took out one of the ships stored in his system inventory and began sailing toward the area where the Kuja had recently been sighted, accompanied by his three companions.
On this occasion, Orion had brought along Lucky Roux, Gab, and Hototogisu. At first, Orion had only planned to bring Roux and Gab, since they were the ones best suited to sail the Grand Line at his side, considering their current level of power.
However, once she heard that Orion was setting out on a new journey, one that would probably take months before his return, Hototogisu firmly insisted on coming along, and so the final lineup turned out that way.
Some of his other top subordinates had also wished to accompany him this time, such as Kalifa, but Orion refused, since he did not want her to be in danger should they encounter one of the monsters that prowled the Grand Line's waters.
At present, Hototogisu was fifteen years old, and although she was not quite at the level of Lucky Roux and Gab, she was not that far behind either. She was perfectly capable of defending herself in the Grand Line, albeit precariously.
The only thing that gave Orion a headache was the girl's relentless insistence that Orion consummate his marriage with her, as she tried to "tempt" him whenever the chance arose.
To make matters worse, his beloved Giolla—who saw nothing wrong in taking a fifteen-year-old wife—had taught Hototogisu several "secret techniques" to seduce Orion, based on the preferences the beautiful artist knew he had.
For that reason, it was not unusual for Hototogisu to suddenly appear, eating an ice cream with great insistence, or to decide to start a squat session right in front of Orion. Fortunately for him, the girl's inability to make a sensual expression while performing these acts had kept him from losing control and making a misstep.
Although he had to admit, there was a different kind of allure in watching the deadpan Hototogisu eat a cream ice cream in front of him while staring with her expressionless face.
Most of the time, Orion's solution was simply to block out his adult mind and let little Orion take control, since that seemed to be the only way to make Hototogisu stop her seduction attempts.
...
Nearly two weeks had passed since Orion had begun sailing through the Grand Line, and they were just about to arrive in the area where the Kuja had last been sighted, according to the Revolutionary Army's reports.
Orion, who was training with his sword on the ship's deck, was suddenly interrupted by Lucky Roux, who appeared from the galley rubbing his stomach.
"Orion, can you give me 10 kilos of meat to cook? I'm starving," said the plump teenager, trying to draw Orion's pity so he would hand over the delicious meat stored in the system inventory.
Orion halted his sword movement and looked at Roux intently, causing the boy to suddenly start sweating. His nervousness was not because Orion was a tyrant, but simply because he feared his leader would refuse to grant the amount of meat he was asking for. After all, Roux was on a diet meant to slow his sideways growth.
At last, Orion sheathed his cutlass and, with a wave of his hand, pulled out a large quantity of meat and other ingredients from his inventory, handing them to Lucky Roux.
"Here you go, cook something good for everyone, and don't forget to do your daily training," Orion said seriously.
If there was one thing he had learned over time, it was that it was not wise to repress the natural traits of his subordinates, as long as they were not very harmful to them, because that could bring all sorts of unexpected problems.
It was as if there were some force in the world conditioning the movements of these Named Characters to a certain degree, and it was not worth trying to change certain aspects that brought no benefit to anyone.
For that reason, Orion did not try to stop Garride from constantly chewing a rose, or Roux from indulging in gluttony—though in the latter case, he did set certain limits that the boy could not cross, just to avoid endangering his health.
"Thanks, Orion! I'll make the best meal you've ever tasted!" Lucky Roux said with a big smile, turning around to return to the kitchen. However, he had barely taken two steps when he suddenly turned back, slapping his forehead with the palm of his hand.
"Ah, almost forgot. Orion, you've got a call from some guy named Shanks," said Lucky Roux, who had nearly forgotten his original purpose once food entered his thoughts.
The chubby boy pulled out a Den Den Mushi and handed it to Orion, who raised his eyebrows as he accepted it. It was unusual to receive a sudden call from Shanks, since normally they had no contact at all. The last time he had seen him was a year ago, in Windmill Village.
"Hello?" Orion said uncertainly, and the voice of the red-haired pirate rang out powerfully through the snail.
"Hey, Orion! I heard you're in the Grand Line, and I'm not too far from where you are right now. You should come see me, I need your help with something!" said Shanks in his trademark carefree tone.
Orion's expression, however, turned solemn, in stark contrast to that of the pirate. This was because Shanks had subtly indicated that he knew Orion's movements—or at least that he was aware Orion was in the Grand Line, and even knew his current location.
The feeling of being watched was not at all pleasant for Orion, especially because his relationship with Shanks was somewhat "special." It couldn't be said they were close, but they weren't enemies either. Orion tried to keep his distance from the pirate, yet held no grudge against him.
Still, it was true he wanted to be strong enough to beat him up, driven by the jealous feelings of little Orion, who hated that Shanks had been the crush of his beloved Makino.
Orion took a deep breath and calmed his emotions.
"Shanks. Where are you? If I have the time, I'll come see you," Orion replied in a tone that was neither servile nor hostile.
"Come on, Orion, don't be like that. I really do need your help with something. Come see me and I'll owe you one. That's a good deal, isn't it?" said Shanks, still in his carefree tone.
"Fine, fine. You're so annoying!" Orion finally said, showing a touch of involuntary irritation.
"Hahaha! Perfect, thanks! My crew and I are around Kolpi Island, it shouldn't take you long to get here. Once you're in the area, I'm sure you'll find me easily, right?" said the redhead in a mysterious tone, almost as if he were hinting at Orion's ability to see his position on the system's map.
The call ended before Orion could respond, cutting the conversation off abruptly.
Orion shook his head lightly and pulled out a map he had charted himself, using the information provided by Ivankov and his men. Then he opened the system map to check his current position, thinking about the best route to take toward his new destination.
With the help of the system map, Orion could navigate the Grand Line without needing to follow the Log Pose route, though the prerequisite was knowing the map of the area. Although it was a bit bothersome to have to stay constantly alert to avoid veering off course, it was still a far more efficient method of travel than the one pirates relied on.
However, just as Orion was planning the best route to Shanks's location, a bell rang in his mind, and new notifications appeared on the system's screen.
*Ding*
*A power source compatible with the Global improvement System has been detected nearby*