April 26, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
The portal opened in the central plaza of Pacific Kingdom, and the people passing by turned their heads curiously, knowing that their king—or someone he had sent—had arrived.
Carrying Ginny in his arms, Orion appeared before the eyes of his subjects. Although he was utterly exhausted and suffering from several internal injuries, outwardly he appeared completely fine, so the citizens in the square noticed nothing strange and simply waved their hands cheerfully to greet their monarch.
Even so, Orion didn't have the presence of mind to interact with anyone right now, as he was struggling to remain conscious. For that reason, he merely nodded at the crowd and disappeared without a trace, rushing straight to the royal mansion and entering Ginny's chambers.
Once there, Orion let out a sigh of relief. Approaching the large, comfortable bed of the beautiful revolutionary, he collapsed heavily onto it with her still in his arms. Then, as the world faded into darkness, he glanced at the system screen, which remained frozen and lifeless.
Curiously, Orion drifted into a magnificent dream, one in which he and Ginny spent hours in a marathon of passionate lovemaking. The sensations felt so real that more than once he believed he was actually awake, though some odd dreamlike event would always break that illusion and remind him that he was still dreaming.
Enjoying the soft curves of his beloved revolutionary, Orion sank into a deep slumber—without a doubt, one of the best rests he had ever experienced.
…
April 27, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
The next morning, Ginny slowly opened her eyes, her mind still a bit clouded. However, little by little, the memories of everything that had happened the day before returned to her.
She had been with her subordinates, planning a revolution in a nearby kingdom where a newly crowned king had quickly turned into a tyrant ruling with an iron fist. Such situations were far from unusual in this world, and the Revolutionary Army often seized these opportunities to act, inspiring the oppressed to rise up and defend their rights.
Unfortunately, while she had been leading her troops with enthusiasm, helping to rebuild one of the coastal villages, she was suddenly ambushed by a large group of powerful enemies.
Although she had grown considerably stronger over the past few years, she had been unable to overcome so many foes at once and was captured without being able to resist.
Once captured, she had been presented as a prize before that disgusting Celestial Dragon, who began uttering all sorts of vile words—claiming he would impregnate her with his children against her will, among other hateful things.
She had tried to fight back, but the despicable noble had drawn a syringe and injected her with a strange liquid. After that… her mind grew foggy, and she couldn't remember what had happened next.
Feeling a faint ache between her legs and the soft touch of the sheets against her bare skin, Ginny's face turned pale, and her body began to tremble. For a moment, she feared the worst had happened, and a dark urge to end her own life briefly crossed her mind.
However, those dreadful thoughts quickly faded when she realized something didn't match the terrifying scene she had imagined: the place she was in right now seemed to be her own bedroom in the Pacific Kingdom's palace!
Even the familiar scent of her sheets reached her nose, helping to calm her agitated emotions. Taking a deep breath to gather courage, she sat up in bed and looked at the figure lying beside her, praying it wasn't that hateful Celestial Dragon.
And thankfully—it wasn't!
To her great surprise, Ginny saw Orion sleeping peacefully beside her. Seeing that handsome face she had so often pictured in her nightly fantasies, and his toned muscles completely exposed in his nakedness, her cheeks flushed bright red, and she smiled joyfully, wearing a somewhat dazed expression.
Finally, she leaned closer to his face, gazing at him with fascination. Then, in a moment of weakness, she moved in even closer and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips, feeling electricity run through her entire body.
But it wasn't a metaphorical sensation—she had literally been electrocuted!
Ginny immediately pulled back after the electric jolt coursed through her, staring at Orion anxiously, thinking he had done it on purpose after sensing her taking advantage of his sleep to kiss him.
Feeling her heart pounding as if it might burst from her chest, Ginny looked at Orion nervously, but after confirming that he was still completely asleep, she let out a relieved sigh. Sticking her tongue out playfully, she got out of bed, intending to head to the bathroom for a shower.
Feeling the slight soreness between her thighs and noticing the bloodstain on the sheets, Ginny smiled softly, thinking it was a blessing that her first time hadn't been taken by that disgusting Celestial Dragon.
As she thought about the fact that she had finally been intimate with Orion, she covered her flushed cheeks with her hands in embarrassed delight, wondering how their relationship would change now that they had taken that final step. Could they finally be considered an official couple?
The beautiful revolutionary entered the bathroom and took a shower while the hazy memories of the previous day slowly began resurfacing in her mind, though in a rather blurry and incomplete way. She remembered that Orion had appeared and saved her from her captors, although she couldn't recall the process clearly.
Finally, her cheeks flushed once again—for what felt like the hundredth time that morning—when she vaguely remembered that she had been intimate with Orion, but he… hadn't seemed conscious at that moment.
Under the warm flow of the shower, she once again covered her face in embarrassment, realizing she had acted quite "liberally" the previous night and fearing that Orion might react negatively. However, she soon recovered her good mood, thinking there was no way Orion would reject her now that they had crossed the final barrier between them.
She wasn't so oblivious as to have missed the ambiguity that had always existed between them, and she knew that both of them had wanted to break through that thin paper window separating them before, even if they had never found the right chance to do it.
Now, they had finally taken that last step—thanks, ironically, to the "help" of that horrid Celestial Dragon—and they could finally be a real couple.
Thinking about her future alongside Orion, and about the possibility of fulfilling her deepest wish of becoming a mother and starting a family, Ginny enjoyed a long shower that lasted much longer than she had planned.
Unfortunately, the situation would not be as happy as she had imagined, for Orion was currently in a rather delicate state.
…
May 1, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and throughout that entire time, Orion had remained asleep in Ginny's room. At first, she had assumed he was simply exhausted—which was, in fact, true—so she had decided to let him rest until he recovered, trying not to disturb him and limiting herself to informing the others in the kingdom of his return and what had happened with the Celestial Dragon.
However, as the days went by, both Ginny and those closest to Orion realized that something wasn't right, so they immediately ordered the best doctor in the kingdom to examine his condition.
Unfortunately, this doctor's abilities weren't particularly impressive—in terms of the system's ranking, his Medicine level would have been around Level 4—so he was unable to determine what was wrong with Orion or why he wouldn't wake up.
Furthermore, it was impossible to fully examine him, since anyone who touched his body was struck by a burst of energy. For Ginny, whose body was much stronger than that of an ordinary person, the discharge felt like a "light touch," but for the doctor who had attempted to examine Orion, it had been nearly a death sentence.
Now, several of the people closest to Orion were gathered in Ginny's room, their expressions filled with worry as they tried to deduce what his current condition could be.
Robin, who was now twelve years old and just beginning the abrupt changes of puberty, approached the bed and studied Orion carefully, thinking about possible explanations for his condition.
Of all those present, she was the one who knew Orion and his secrets best. After all, while his wives knew parts of his secrets and could speculate about the rest, Orion had never explicitly told them about the existence of the system—and only Robin was aware of this enormous secret.
Looking at Orion's body, which remained in its adult form despite his unconsciousness, the girl began to form hypotheses in her mind. After all, Orion was normally unable to maintain his adult state while asleep, unless he was merely in a light slumber.
Considering all the knowledge in her brilliant mind—the mind of a young genius who was undoubtedly the most intelligent person in the world, second only to Vegapunk, whose Devil Fruit granted him even greater intellect—Robin analyzed the situation, factoring in every variable she could imagine, and eventually reached a conclusion: Orion's problem was not physical, but rather connected to the mysterious system that was the source of his powers.
Once she determined that, she felt both relieved and troubled. Her relief came from knowing that Orion's physical health was fine and that his life was not in danger; her worry stemmed from the fact that she had no idea how Orion's system worked or how to fix the malfunction that was affecting it.
In their current situation, all they could do was wait and hope the issue would resolve itself with time—a thought that was deeply discouraging for the young genius, Robin.
In truth, Robin's analysis was entirely correct. Orion had forcibly activated "Berserk Mode" in order to save Ginny, and in doing so, he had caused serious damage to his system. The current problem wasn't as simple as a reboot—the very structure of the system had been damaged, though it was now trying to repair itself as quickly as possible.
As a result of that damage, the multiple energies normally contained within the system had entered a state of chaotic interaction, coating Orion's body with a thin layer of invisible energy—this was what caused the "electric shocks" to anyone who tried to touch him.
Moreover, it was this chaotic storm of energy that was limiting Orion's consciousness, and although his body remained healthy, it was impossible for him to awaken until the system stabilized.
Even so, even if Orion had known beforehand that this would be the outcome, he would not have changed his actions in the slightest. In that moment, his only thought had been to save Ginny, and he had been fully prepared to die or be completely destroyed if that was what it took.
Some might call him a fool for thinking that way—and perhaps they would be right—but he was simply the kind of person willing to risk everything for someone he loved. That had always been the case, and it was probably something that would never change, no matter how pragmatic he might become.
Curiously, the only reason Orion had been able to defeat the CP0 agent who possessed the Yami Yami no Mi was because that man hadn't been in peak condition—he had suffered a mortal wound at the hands of Rayleigh a few months earlier.
Had the agent been able to fight at full strength, he would never have been so passive, nor would he have been taken by surprise by Orion's spatial ability, "Door Collapse." After all, that was one of the most powerful Logia-type Devil Fruits in existence.
Orion would never know this, since he had never seen One Piece in his previous life, but by eliminating the user of the Yami Yami no Mi prematurely, he had unknowingly set off a chain of events that would change the course of history in the near future.
The gears of fate were already turning, paving the way for the true destined owner of that power to claim the Devil Fruit in question.
…
"What do you think, Robin? Do you have any solution?" Giolla asked from one side, her face filled with concern for her beloved husband, who was sleeping peacefully on the bed before her.
Robin slowly shook her head, a faint look of disappointment crossing her face, and replied,
"I don't think there's anything we can do right now, except wait." She paused for a moment, then added,
"Even so, I don't think Orion will have any health problems. He just needs a little time to return to normal."
Of course, she had no irrefutable proof of this, but she was almost certain it was true. It was a conclusion derived from all her data and her intuition, and she didn't believe there was any major danger.
Hearing the young genius's words, the other women in the room sighed bitterly, realizing there was nothing they could do to help their beloved, and that they couldn't even touch his body without receiving a violent surge of energy.
Still, with Giolla taking the initiative, they decided to stay positive and organized a care system for Orion during the time he remained unconscious. They didn't know how long it would last—and in truth, Orion didn't require any care at all, since his current condition was quite peculiar, similar to Toki's situation.
He didn't need to eat or drink, and it seemed as though he was being nourished by the very same energies that were running rampant around him.
And so, the days continued to pass, and the moment when Orion would awaken seemed to stretch endlessly, especially for those who loved him.
…
November 17, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
Nearly seven months passed with no change in Orion's condition, as he remained with his eyes closed the entire time, peacefully immersed in a deep sleep.
At last, today, a change finally occurred within him—the system he had willingly destroyed to use its energy as raw power had finally finished repairing itself!
Once the restoration was complete, the chaotic energies of various attributes that had been clashing around him as their epicenter seemed to find equilibrium, and they were swiftly absorbed back into the structure of the system, which returned to its normal operational state.
*Ding*
*System repair has been successfully completed.*
The system interface, which had been frozen for over half a year, finally returned to normal, displaying a new notification. Then, one after another, new messages began to appear, filling the entire screen.
These were the notifications that had accumulated during the time the system had been frozen—records that had been registered all along, even if they hadn't been displayed until now.
Helsing, who was sitting beside Orion's bed with her eyes closed, training her Observation Haki, immediately sensed the change within him. Opening her eyes in excitement, she quickly reached out her hand, intending to test whether she would still receive the familiar electric shock they had grown used to.
However, her hand rested on Orion's shoulder without issue, proving that the situation had truly changed dramatically!
Overjoyed, she pulled out her Den Den Mushi and made a call to Giolla to inform her of what had happened, while gently trying to wake Orion by shaking him slightly.
Orion, who had been sleeping peacefully, felt the girl shaking him and finally opened his eyes once more, finding himself face-to-face with Helsing's tearful expression, her face barely a centimeter from his own.
His mind cleared in an instant, and upon seeing the tears brimming in Helsing's eyes, he immediately realized something was wrong.
"What happened, Helsing? Why are you crying?" Orion asked softly, reaching out his hand to wipe her tears with tender care.
To Orion, Helsing was like a little sister—someone he felt instinctively protective of and could never bear to see cry. She was twelve years old and had been recruited many years ago, during his journey back to Pacific Kingdom, after his escape from Guanhao with Kalifa.
Back then, she had been a completely timid and terrified child, silent to the point of seeming mute. But after years of living with the Lysanders as their adoptive daughter, she had become a cheerful and somewhat more social girl, though she still retained a tendency to be introverted and even a little gloomy, enjoying the company of girls with similar personalities, like Shyarly or little Perona.
"Orion, you're finally awake!" Helsing cried, throwing herself into his arms. Orion, completely confused and unable to grasp her words, instinctively held her and gently patted her back to comfort her—though in truth, she wasn't sad at all, but overflowing with happiness at his sudden awakening.
Before Orion could even begin to understand what was happening, a loud rush of footsteps echoed from the hallway outside, and the door burst open, revealing a crowd of people who had hurried over the moment they heard he was awake.
"My love! You finally woke up! Uwaaa!" Giolla exclaimed, leaping onto Orion and Helsing without hesitation, wrapping them both in a tight embrace.
The other women present immediately followed Giolla's example, and within moments, Orion was buried under a mountain of women throwing themselves on top of him, nearly suffocating him in a scene that was both chaotic and strangely heartwarming.
After a few moments, the girls finally began to calm down, and Robin stepped forward to explain what had happened.
When Orion heard that he had been in a strange coma for nearly seven months, his mind almost shut down from the shock, and he immediately asked if anything bad had happened during his absence.
Fortunately, the kingdom had continued to prosper normally, and none of his loved ones had suffered any accidents during those months—a blessing beyond measure.
Even so, Orion finally recalled the last scene in his memory: the moment he had used the mysterious power that made up the system to temporarily boost his abilities. He now understood just how reckless his actions had been.
This time, he had won the gamble—he had successfully saved Ginny, and although he had remained unconscious for a long period, nothing terrible had happened while he was gone. However, he knew perfectly well that this wasn't the kind of gamble one could win every time. More likely than not, repeating it would end fatally.
For that reason, Orion decided that he would never attempt anything similar again—or at least not until he could properly understand the true nature of the system and the mysterious energy that powered it.
Thinking of the system, Orion opened the notification screen and saw an overwhelming number of unread alerts. He was just about to review them when a distinct set of hurried—but not running—footsteps echoed in the hallway outside.
The girls in the room exchanged knowing glances and quickly slipped out, saying they would return later to speak with him. Only Giolla remained, and as Orion looked at her with curiosity, she said,
"My love, actually… something quite important has happened while you were asleep."
Orion's heart immediately began to race in worry, but when he noticed the mischievous smile playing on the beautiful artist's lips, he realized she was teasing him—and that the big news wasn't bad at all.
"Oh yeah? What happened?" Orion asked, playing along, already much calmer.
"Well, it's better if you see it with your own eyes," Giolla replied, turning toward the door to look at the person who had come as quickly as her current condition allowed after hearing the news of Orion's awakening.
Orion followed her gaze toward the doorway—and in the next instant, his eyes widened in astonishment, his heart pounding once again.
Standing there was the beautiful revolutionary Ginny, smiling radiantly at him, her eyes shimmering with tears of joy. Yet the most striking thing about her wasn't her lovely face, which he had seen countless times before—but rather the large, round belly that now protruded dramatically from her slender figure!