November 17, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
The moment Orion saw Ginny's appearance, his mind exploded, going completely blank. The last time he had seen the beautiful revolutionary was seven months earlier, when he had saved her at the very last moment from the Celestial Dragon's clutches.
Now, seeing her with a pregnant belly, Orion's mind simply couldn't grasp what was happening. It was already hard enough for him to accept that he had been in a coma for seven months, so Ginny's sudden appearance in such a state only made everything feel more unreal.
Yet what struck Orion the most was that he obviously had never been intimate with Ginny, so the baby growing inside her couldn't possibly be his. He had been planning to confess his love to her and take her as his wife so they could build a happy family together, but now he was faced with the idea that she had chosen another path while he lay unconscious.
Of course, all of this was merely a misunderstanding on Orion's part. He didn't know that after he had fallen into a coma, the beautiful revolutionary had shared an intense night of passion with him—while he was still deeply asleep!
That had happened because Ginny had been in a terrible state, her body overwhelmed by the aphrodisiacs the Celestial Dragon had forced on her. Nearly delirious and unable to think clearly, she had thrown herself upon Orion, completing their first union in a rather unorthodox way.
She had even endured the electrical discharges of the chaotic energy surrounding Orion, which, however, stopped affecting her the instant she completed their physical union.
What neither of them knew was that if Ginny hadn't acted as aggressively as she had, Orion might have met a tragic fate. That night with her had stabilized the chaotic energies within him to a tolerable level, preventing the system from collapsing completely.
Even a portion of that energy had been transferred to Ginny during that night, subtly affecting her future baby…
Having reached the wrong conclusion, the light in Orion's eyes dimmed slightly, but trying not to appear too negative, he smiled kindly at her and said,
"Ginny, it's good to see that you're safe."
Beyond the shock of seeing her pregnant, what mattered most to Orion was that she had survived her encounter with the Celestial Dragon unscathed.
Hearing his words, Ginny's eyes welled up with tears, and she hurried forward to wrap her arms tightly around him. Several long minutes passed before she finally calmed her emotions and stopped clutching him as if she feared he might disappear.
Then, with her cheeks flushed, she said softly,
"Orion, I'm so glad you've finally awakened… I was afraid you'd miss the birth of our baby."
Ginny's words hit Orion like a hammer to the chest. His eyes widened in shock as he asked in disbelief,
"Our baby…?"
Ginny blinked in surprise, not expecting that reaction, but she immediately realized what was happening. Her memories of that night were hazy—she hadn't been in her right mind—but from what she could recall, Orion had been unconscious during the entire encounter. It was only natural that he had no idea he was the father of the child growing in her womb.
Fearing that he might think something terrible—which, in fact, he already had—she quickly explained the situation, her cheeks burning red as she avoided his eyes. After all, her actions that night had been far from modest.
Orion, on the other hand, felt as if his soul had just returned to his body. Ginny hadn't been with anyone else—everything had simply been a misunderstanding!
However, another emotion soon took over. Looking at the beautiful revolutionary's swollen belly, he extended his hand and placed his palm gently upon it, trying to sense the presence of his firstborn.
In truth, Orion had never intended to become a father so soon; he had wanted to wait at least another five years before considering it. That was why, even though he never used protection during his intimate encounters, he always made sure to have contraceptive medicines prepared for his partners.
That was the only reason none of his companions had become pregnant until now. But in Ginny's case, he obviously hadn't been conscious to give her the medicine, which had resulted in this unexpected pregnancy.
Still, now that it had happened, Orion wasn't displeased—in fact, he was overjoyed. The thought of having a child with Ginny filled him with happiness, and even though it had come earlier than planned, he would cherish it fully.
The baby inside the revolutionary's womb suddenly moved, almost as if sensing the presence of its father reaching out to it, and Orion trembled with emotion. This tiny life growing within Ginny was his precious child, and he would protect it always.
In that instant, a great surge of power welled up inside him, and he felt as though his spirit had been sublimated, rising to a new height.
*Ding*
*Your skill "Conqueror's Haki (Level 2)" has increased by one (1) Level*
A notification appeared on the system's screen, but Orion paid it no mind, as his entire being was focused solely on the beautiful Ginny and the fruit of their love growing inside her.
From the side, Giolla watched the tender scene with joy, though she couldn't help but feel a flicker of envy toward Ginny. She, too, longed to have a baby that would symbolize the culmination of her love with Orion, though she knew that wouldn't happen just yet. Still, she was certain that when the time came, Orion wouldn't deny her that small wish.
She even thought with a hint of humor that when that day arrived, the royal family of Pacific Kingdom would expand exponentially!
…
November 18, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
After spending an entire day catching up on everything that had happened during his absence, Orion finally felt that everything was once again under control. As his companions had mentioned, aside from the explosive news concerning Ginny, nothing major had occurred, and all ongoing plans continued to progress smoothly.
Feeling relieved, Orion lay down beside Ginny, ready to finally check the notifications he had been ignoring until now. After all, during the time he had been unconscious, even though the system had been inactive, it had still managed to record events and issue notifications about them.
He didn't fully understand what strange mechanisms allowed the system to perform such a feat, nor did he have any intention of dwelling on something so complex and abstract at the moment.
Beside him, Ginny was sleeping soundly after an exhausting day. Now that she was approaching the final stage of her pregnancy, she often ended her days drained of energy, even when her duties were limited to analyzing data and making decisions.
That was why Orion planned to speak with her tomorrow and persuade her to begin her maternity leave. Although she could still carry out her duties as the leader of the southern branch of the Revolutionary Army without much trouble, Orion didn't want her to overwork herself, as it was still a mentally taxing job.
With their first child on the way, it would be best for her to take things easy for a few months, and she could return to work a short while after the baby's birth.
Moreover, Orion had agreed with her that he would start living in her quarters to be by her side at all times in case she needed anything. Now that she was about to become the mother of his child, Orion had grown far more attentive than usual, showering her with care and affection. This, in turn, brought Ginny an unusual yet delightful sense of warmth and tenderness.
Opening the system's notification panel, Orion reviewed all the information that had accumulated over the past months. Even though he had been asleep, his SP earnings had not stopped, as he could gain points from his companions' actions—except those labeled as "Lovers" by the system.
In total, over the past seven months, he had accumulated 12,540 SP, which, although not much compared to his usual income, was still quite significant considering he hadn't lifted a finger to earn them.
After glancing through those minor notifications, Orion reached the final one, which mentioned the increase in his Conqueror's Haki. He had already noticed the change when it happened, so it came as no surprise.
Still, upon reading it, he suddenly remembered the King Cobra Egg he hadn't infused with Haki in months. With a single thought, he opened the Pocket Dimension and retrieved the egg, which looked slightly duller than the last time he had seen it.
Somewhat concerned, Orion placed his hand on the egg's shell and could feel the creature's movements within—even its emotions. It seemed that the little being was… offended.
Perhaps it was slightly indignant that Orion had vanished for so long, though given their connection through the system, it had probably realized immediately that something was wrong with its master.
Orion simply focused his enhanced Conqueror's Haki and poured it continuously into the egg, which quickly made the creature within abandon its earlier indignation and begin to move joyfully as it absorbed the massive surge of energy.
After a few moments, Orion began to feel slightly tired and stopped the flow of Haki. Still, the creature inside the egg seemed completely content and happy—though moments later, he sensed it had "fallen asleep." Curiously, the egg suddenly grew larger, and its shell began to shine with faint flickers of silver and golden energy.
Orion had previously estimated that the egg would take another year to hatch, but given his Haki's recent increase in quality and power, it might now take less time. Even so, his recent coma had likely delayed the final date somewhat
Shaking his head with quiet amusement at the gluttonous behavior of the creature inside the egg, Orion reopened the Pocket Dimension and placed it upon the massive bed resting within.
Then, he turned his attention to the most important unread notifications. The first ones were related to the emergency mission to rescue Ginny.
*You have completed the special mission – Save Ginny*
*You have obtained 10,000 SP*
*A new Main Wife slot has been unlocked. Total slots available: 4*
*You have obtained one (1) Character Improving Card*
Obviously, the most important thing was that he had managed to save Ginny from the Celestial Dragon's clutches, but it was still nice to have received those extra rewards. Since he had just consumed a huge amount of SP all at once, this gain was more than welcome.
Moreover, the Character Improving Card was an amazing reward, allowing him to enhance the abilities of any of his close loved ones. Still, since he had obtained that card thanks to Ginny, he intended to use it on her, helping her take a step forward in her power level.
Finally, Orion had received a new slot to register one more companion as a Main Wife, meaning he could now register four companions under that title within the system.
However, upon checking the second set of important notifications, he realized that the number currently available for registering Main Wives was only three—because Ginny had already been registered as one!
After they had been together seven months earlier, she had been automatically registered by the system as a Main Wife, since she already met all the other requirements to be listed that way.
On the notification screen, Orion saw the related information:
*You have registered the Named Character Ginny as Main Wife*
*You have obtained 100,000 SP*
*You have obtained the skill "Sniper (Level 1)"*
*Your skills "Soothing Aura (Level 2)," "Armament Haki (Level 1)," and "Charisma Halo (Level 2)" have each increased by one (1) level*
*Your skill "Squirrel Cheeks (Level 1)" has increased by five (5) levels*
Orion looked happily at the SP gain, then saw the new "Sniper" skill—which allowed him to use firearms with great precision—and his mood improved even more; finally, he noticed that several of his abilities had risen by one level, making him feel that registering a companion as a Main Wife was truly worthwhile.
Especially the increase in his Armament Haki—that was fantastic!
However, when he saw the last of the upgraded skills, the one that had clearly improved far more than the others, Orion couldn't help feeling a bit frustrated, letting out a bitter sigh.
It was the first time he had registered a companion as a Main Wife, but judging from the benefits obtained, he could deduce that the rewards were not random.
The "Sniper" skill had appeared because it was Ginny's main ability, and that was probably also the reason for the major increase in the "Squirrel Cheeks" skill. After all, despite the passage of years, the beautiful revolutionary still enjoyed affectionately squeezing his cheeks—it had practically become a ritual between them.
Shaking his head slightly, Orion decided not to worry too much about the improvement of that particular skill and continued reading the notifications related to the registration of his first Main Wife.
*Your wife Ginny has obtained the skill "Healthy Body (Level 7)"*
*Your wife Ginny's skills "Armament Haki (Level 2)," "Observation Haki (Level 2)," and "Haki Talent (Level 4)" have each been increased by three levels*
*A new anchor point has been established for your skill Space Gate, fixed to your Main Wife Ginny*
Orion read these last notifications with far more joy than he had felt upon seeing the upgrades to his own abilities. After all, the rewards Ginny had received meant she would be much safer in the future.
Not only had her current combat strength increased, but even her talent in Haki had improved, meaning that her progression in combat power would be much faster from now on.
But above all, what made him happiest was that a new anchor point had been established for his Space Gate skill. Until now, he had only been able to transport himself to the point he had previously fixed at the center of Pacific Kingdom, but that greatly limited the use of his ability, and Orion had long wished for an upgrade to Space Gate.
Now, with this new return point added, even though he still couldn't use the ability as flexibly as he desired, its usefulness had improved tremendously. Most importantly, he could now return to Ginny's side no matter how far away he was—and almost instantly—which meant that a situation like the one from seven months ago could easily be avoided without having to spend a massive amount of SP to reach her position.
Quickly, Orion's mind turned to the three remaining slots for registering Main Wives, and he concluded that it would be highly beneficial to fill them as soon as possible. If he could obtain a new transport point for his Space Gate skill for each of his Main Wives, that would mean having far greater freedom to move around the world without worry.
Still, there weren't enough candidates at the moment to fill those empty slots, since, although he knew four women capable of occupying the three remaining places, it was currently impossible to take them as wives.
Toki was in a state outside of time and had been asleep for two years, so he hadn't even had a single conversation with her—let alone consider marrying her.
Robin, on the other hand, was only a twelve-year-old girl at the moment, making it impossible for him to take her as a wife yet; he would have to wait at least five more years.
Boa Hancock was also just a thirteen-year-old girl, and they didn't share such a close relationship, although it was true that Orion had rescued her from Mary Geoise, and she had been the first VIP Named Character to reach the maximum favorability score toward him. Even so, it would still be a long time before he could meet her again and take her as his wife.
For that very reason, the only other woman who could be registered immediately was his fiancée, Scarlett, the crown princess of Dressrosa. With that in mind, Orion thought about how only a few months remained until the date set for their wedding—March 21st of the following year.
In any case, that was something to think about later, since now all he wanted was to focus on being by Ginny's side during the final months of her pregnancy and witness the birth of his first child.
Even so, Orion felt completely satisfied after receiving such great rewards, and with a broad smile, he hugged Ginny, who was sleeping beside him, and allowed himself to drift into the world of dreams as well. The days ahead would be filled with special events, and he was eager for the day his baby would be born.
Orion was so happy that he didn't notice the system had issued no notification about having altered Ginny's future. And even if he had noticed, he wouldn't have known whether that was because her being kidnapped by a Celestial Dragon had been a side effect of his appearance in this world—or if, perhaps, she was still not entirely out of danger in that regard.
…
While Orion was thinking about the birth of his future child, little Ace was up to some mischief, displaying his naturally restless nature. He had slipped away from his mother Rouge's watchful eyes and sneaked out of the royal residence, heading toward the central district of Pacific Kingdom.
Feeling as though he were embarking on a great adventure like his father, the great pirate Roger, he entered a bar packed with customers. Looking around with wide-eyed curiosity, he approached one of the tables where a few rough-looking men were cheerfully drinking rum.
"Hey kid, what are you doing here? Where are your parents?" one of the men asked, his face flushed from the effects of alcohol.
Ace flashed a big grin and replied,
"My mom's taking a shower! I took the chance to go on an adventure!"
The little Ace had grown up surrounded by love and didn't understand the dangers of the world—something that had clearly been a blind spot in the adults' approach to raising him. Even so, he was fortunate that Pacific Kingdom was a very safe place, so even a small child like him wandering around alone at night wouldn't face any real danger.
At most, he would be handed over to a guard, who would immediately take him back to the palace upon learning his identity.
With his eyes shining brightly, Ace looked at the slightly drunk men and asked what had been on his mind for some time.
"Do you guys know Gold Roger?" he said in his childlike voice, full of hope—though sadly, he wouldn't find the answers he was hoping for.
The men were taken aback by the boy's words but quickly understood that he had probably heard some pirate story and dreamed of being like Roger. Such fancies weren't uncommon among rowdy children, and considering the gleam in Ace's eyes, that was likely the case.
For that reason, the men exchanged a glance and nodded knowingly. Clearly, it was their duty to educate this kid so that he wouldn't follow the wrong path in the future!
Wearing an expression of disdain, one of the drunkards spat to the side of the table and said,
"Gold Roger? That good-for-nothing?!"
The conversation between the drunk men in the bar and Ace didn't last long. After only a few minutes, the little boy was already running back home. However, the smile that had brightened his face moments earlier was gone—replaced instead by confusion and a hint of sadness.