December 31, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
Deep within the territory of the beasts, in the part of the island where Pacific Kingdom had yet to expand, Orion and Ace were hunting gigantic birds, as requested by the little troublemaker.
Focusing his Observation Haki on his surroundings, Orion identified their prey, and by releasing a wave of Conqueror's Haki, he caused it to freeze in terror.
"Ace, there's one over there!" Orion said, pointing at the terrified bird, which couldn't move as the small Ace hurled a spear at incredible speed toward it, ending its life.
Normally, a bird of that size would have had no problem fending off such an attack, no matter how strong the five-year-old child was. But with Orion's intervention assisting in the matter, there was absolutely no hope for the creature to survive this fateful encounter.
"I hit it! I hit it!" Ace said joyfully, raising his arms and running toward his prey.
Orion shook his head and followed closely behind, keeping watch to ensure nothing went wrong. After all, they were deep in the heart of the beasts' territory, and a child like Ace would be devoured in an instant without Orion's presence to fend off the monsters that lurked nearby.
Watching the little rascal lift the massive bird—twice his size—above his head without much difficulty, Orion once again marveled at the powerful genes of his master, Roger. It was clear that Ace was no ordinary child and was destined to become one of the strongest people in the world in the not-so-distant future.
"Ready to head back?" Orion asked, looking at Ace and reaching out his hand, intending to store the large bird inside his Pocket Dimension for easier transport.
However, Ace took a quick step back to dodge his hand and said,
"Orion, I want to carry this bird back home! When I show my mom what I caught with my own hands, she'll be totally amazed!"
The little boy smiled brightly, but Orion began to sweat a little. If Rouge found out that he had taken Ace back into the mountains to hunt dangerous beasts again, she would probably scold him once more.
Rouge had already complained before about these kinds of activities, saying that Ace was becoming more mischievous because of his secret hunting trips and other similar adventures. For that reason, Orion only took Ace hunting in secret, as he didn't want to face the "fist of love" that even the Pirate King himself had feared.
"Mmm, that's a good idea, but first we have to make a little stop. Let me store that bird for you," Orion said as he suddenly appeared in front of the boy using Soru, and with a swift motion of his hand, tossed the bird into the Pocket Dimension.
Ace immediately protested indignantly,
"Orion! You're lying! Last time you said the same thing, and you never gave me back the prey I caught!"
Clearly, this situation had happened before, but Orion had no intention of arguing about it now, as he actually had something important to discuss with Ace today—and he planned to do so before returning home for the New Year's celebration.
He had already called Rouge to let her know that Ace was with him and that they would be returning a little late, though he hadn't given many details. Still, upon hearing the serious tone of his voice, Rouge simply smiled and told him to be careful and return in time for the party.
Ignoring Ace's protests, Orion lifted him onto his shoulder and soared into the sky, heading toward the tallest mountain on the island. This was the mountain where he often came to relax and the same place he had visited months ago to invest his accumulated SP.
After a few minutes, they reached the top of the mountain. Looking out over the panoramic view of the entire island, where the steadily growing capital city of Pacific Kingdom could be seen, Orion sighed in wonder at everything he had accomplished over the years.
"What do you think of the view, Ace? This is the first time I've brought you here. Maybe you don't know, but this is one of my favorite places on the whole island!" Orion said cheerfully.
Ace immediately calmed down upon hearing Orion's words and looked around with curiosity and interest. The fact that this was a "special place" for Orion meant it was special for him too! After all, little Ace greatly admired Orion and was interested in everything related to him.
Fortunately for the boy, he would never know which of Orion's favorite places ranked even higher than this one—and consisted mostly of the beds of his many companions.
Orion sat down at the edge of the cliff and gestured for Ace to sit beside him. Once the boy obediently did so, he finally began the conversation he had wanted to have with him for the past few hours.
"Ace, what were you doing in the alleys earlier?"
The smile on Ace's face faded slightly, and avoiding Orion's gaze, he answered evasively.
"Nothing… I just wanted to play with the kids there…"
Orion sighed once again, finally placing his hand on Ace's head. Looking into the boy's eyes, he said,
"Ace, there's no need to hide it. I heard part of what you were talking about. Don't worry—if you have something on your mind, just tell me."
Ace hesitated for a moment, but in the end, his curiosity won, and he asked in a low voice,
"Is… is my father a bad person, like the people in the city say?"
"So, it's finally time to have this talk with Ace," thought Orion, feeling as if it had only been yesterday when he had helped Rouge successfully bring her little baby into the world.
However, some things simply couldn't be avoided, and for Ace, it was important that he learned the truth about his father, Roger. Even though he was only five years old and wouldn't be able to fully understand everything, Orion had no intention of evading the matter. As Roger's disciple, he intended to give his master's son the best answer he could.
"Was your father a bad person?... Maybe," Orion said, looking thoughtful.
Ace lowered his gaze, a little sad, thinking that perhaps the townspeople were right after all—but Orion's words were far from over.
"Let me tell you something, Ace. In this world, good and evil depend on which side you stand. Your father Roger was a pirate, and although pirates are generally heartless criminals, he fell into the category of what could be called a 'good pirate.'"
Orion paused and looked at Ace, who had lifted his head again, his eyes filled with hope.
"Even so, a pirate is still a pirate, and those who suffered because of him will naturally hate him and think he was bad.
Let me give you an example. For the family of the bird we just hunted, we are definitely terrible enemies—and it's normal for them to feel that way, because our actions are what caused it.
Of course, it's not quite the same situation, since in one case we're talking about an animal and in the other a human being. Still, what I want you to understand is that just by existing, we will always be causing some kind of inconvenience to someone else.
What if you and another kid both want the same toy, but there's only one? If you take it, you'll instantly become hateful to that other kid in that moment, right?"
Orion was doing his best to simplify fairly complex philosophical and moral concepts so that even a child like Ace could grasp them, at least a little.
Seeing Ace nodding with a convinced expression, Orion continued his explanation.
"And the more powerful a person is, the greater the effect they have on others. For example, someone living a normal life in the city can only affect a small group of people in their neighborhood or family, so if they're hated, they'll only be hated by a few.
However, someone very powerful has the ability to affect the lives of countless people—so they'll be hated by countless people as well."
Ace placed his small hand on his chin, as if carefully thinking over Orion's words, and nodded slightly without interrupting.
"Your father Roger was without a doubt one of the most powerful people in the world, and he changed the lives of everyone in it forever.
Whether his actions were right or wrong, and whether he was good or bad… that's something you'll have to decide once you understand what he did and why he did it.
Whatever answer you come to will be the right one, because your father can be good or bad depending on where you're standing."
Orion gently ruffled Ace's hair with his hand, and looking into his eyes with a smile, he concluded,
"However, to me, Roger wasn't bad. Even though I understand that his actions might make people hate him, I'll never think he was evil.
So, don't worry too much about what others think. When you're older, you'll find your own answer without anyone having to give it to you."
Orion finished speaking and smiled kindly as he looked out over the horizon from the top of the mountain. The summer sun had already set, and the distant lights of Pacific Kingdom's capital shone in the night like fireflies.
The inhabitants of the kingdom were busy making the final preparations for the New Year's celebration, and Orion felt a deep sense of peace.
He had told little Ace what he needed to say. Although it was still too early for a complex explanation about Roger's motives for starting the Pirate Era or the political intricacies of the world, Orion believed that, for now, this would be enough to help Ace resolve the emotional conflict that had begun to grow within him.
Unlike his canonical self in the original timeline, the current Ace wasn't as affected by the people's rejection of his father, since he had his mother—who loved him and had spoken to him about his father from a perspective completely different from the negative versions he'd been hearing lately.
In the original timeline, Ace's biggest problem had been that he had no one who truly loved him—or at least, that was how he felt—and for that reason, the hatred toward his father and the "cursed blood" running through his veins had affected him much more deeply.
It could be said that the Ace from the original story had been searching for a reason for his existence, yet never managed to find it. But the Ace who was now with Orion was completely different. He had grown up surrounded by love and people who cherished him in the Lysander household, and he had his mother by his side to give him all the support he needed.
His search and curiosity for information about Roger and his roots stemmed simply from his inability to understand the vast difference between what his mother told him and what the townspeople said.
For that reason, Orion's words had not been intended to "defend Roger" but merely to reconcile those two versions that seemed to have no connection whatsoever. Orion had built a bridge between both conceptions while at the same time soothing the boy by saying that, personally, he believed Roger had been a good man.
What Ace would think of Roger in the future was no longer something Orion could control, and even if he ended up hating his father, Orion would not intervene—as long as Ace reached that conclusion on his own, without the weight of the world influencing his judgment.
All Orion had to do was make sure Ace would not have to carry the heavy burden of being "the son of the Pirate King Roger," at least not during his childhood years.
Although Ace was undoubtedly destined to become one of the strongest people in the world, Orion had no interest in his power; he only wanted the boy to grow up healthy and happy so that he could fulfill the promise he had made to his master Roger—to protect his family.
As for whether Roger's nature was good or evil, Orion had no time to dwell on something so irrelevant. The world would not change no matter his opinion. Even so, he did not believe Roger was a bad person, for he knew part of the man's true intentions when unleashing the Great Pirate Era.
Roger had shared some of that with him, though not everything, telling him that if he wished to know the entire truth, he would have to embark on his own adventure and find out for himself—a typically Roger-like attitude.
Still, Orion believed that if he could see Roger right now through his Prism Eyes, the man would not appear morally corrupted. Even if Orion were to kill him with his own hands, the system would not grant him any SP for "improving the world," which already said a lot about Roger's true nature.
To common people, Roger was indeed an unforgivable criminal who had unleashed thousands of pirates upon the world to spread chaos. But in the greater scheme of things, his actions had been far more complex.
It could only be said that the topic was quite difficult to analyze—and even harder to explain to a small child—so Orion felt rather satisfied with how his talk with Ace had turned out.
…
Orion did not speak again, and Ace remained silent as well, lost in thought about the words Orion had said regarding his father, Roger.
Thus, they stayed in silence until night completely covered the sky, and the New Year's celebrations began in the distance. Finally, close to midnight, Ace suddenly stood up with a bright smile and said,
"Orion, I want meat on a bone! And chocolate cake!"
Orion smiled, nodded, and rose to his feet. Then, placing little Ace on his shoulders, he began running through the skies on their way home, while fireworks started blooming in the distance. The celebrations were reaching their peak, and they would probably arrive just in time to join in.
"Happy birthday, Ace," Orion suddenly said.
Without realizing it, they had stayed outside until the very first moments of the following day.
Ace grinned from ear to ear and replied,
"Where's my present, Orion?"
Seeing the mischievous smile of the boy, who had clearly returned to his normal self once again, Orion felt relieved. Accelerating his pace toward home, he said,
"Present? My presence at your birthday is the best gift you could ask for!"
"Eeeh?! You're stingy! A poor king!" Ace protested, flailing his arms and legs while still sitting on Orion's shoulders.
Suddenly, he felt a rush of emptiness and realized he was flying through the air—Orion had thrown him with great strength.
"AAAhhh! Orion, I was just joking! You're the best king ever!" Ace shouted immediately, contradicting his earlier words.
Orion smiled craftily and dashed through the skies at full speed, catching the small boy again and setting him back onto his shoulders.
"You really are the pettiest king," Ace muttered from above Orion's head.
"What did you say?" Orion asked with a dangerous smile, pretending he hadn't heard him.
"I said you're definitely the best king! The coolest one!" Ace replied dramatically, not wanting to be tossed into the air again, even though he had to admit it was quite thrilling.
Orion let out a small laugh and continued his journey home.
Of course, he had prepared a gift for Ace's birthday party, but he couldn't let this mischievous child become too spoiled—or there would be no way to satisfy him in the future.
Even so, Orion was like a doting parent with little Ace. For a moment he wondered if his relationship with the child he was about to have would be the same, and whether his son would have to go through the same things Ace would face when he grew up.
After all, Orion's actions made him the enemy of many people, and to those people he was undoubtedly as detestable as Roger. In the future, when his power reached that of his master Roger, he intended to face the World Government head-on — an act that would likely plunge the world into an even greater chaos than the Pirate Era Roger had started.
Sighing, Orion decided not to overthink it and simply focused on the New Year's celebrations. A mass festival like this wasn't an everyday occurrence in the kingdom, and he wanted to enjoy it while he could.
Soon his first child would be born, and shortly after he would have to travel to Dressrosa to marry Scarlett. He also needed to go to the West Blue to investigate the whereabouts of the all-important Ope Ope no Mi, and to look for his two subordinates Lucky Roux and Gab, who were traveling with Shanks across the Grand Line.
A new year full of adventures was about to begin, and Orion felt energized and ready to see what the future would bring this year!
…
Meanwhile, in the second half of the Grand Line — the New World — a ship emerged from the depths after passing through the island of the mermaids. The bubble that had enveloped the vessel disappeared without a trace, and the pirates on board raised their hands in joy, having finally reached the ultimate sea every pirate dreamed of.
But that joy didn't last long, because it was interrupted by an irritated shout.
"What are you standing there like idiots for? Get sailing! Full speed to the next island! If you don't hurry I'll throw you overboard!"
The pirates looked toward the beautiful pink-haired girl who had climbed aboard their ship without permission and taken control of the crew with her terrifying, superhuman strength.
Of course, that girl was none other than the young Gloriosa, who, after meeting Rayleigh, had been sent to find Shanks — the man who might know Orion's whereabouts.
It's worth noting that Rayleigh had called Shanks to ask, but the pirate had said he knew nothing about Orion and had refused to cooperate in Gloriosa's search. For that reason, the Kuja girl had decided to go to sea herself, find Shanks, and beat him until he spat out the information about her fiancé Orion.
Because of that, she had forcibly joined a pirate crew that already had the coating done for its voyage through the mermaid island.
Now, after a couple of weeks, she was finally on the same sea as Shanks and only one step away from reuniting with Orion, so she couldn't tolerate these pirates loafing around at this moment.
If they didn't start working obediently, she had no problem beating them again; and if they still refused to sail seriously, she would use her hypnotism powers — which she claimed had been a gift from her beloved Orion — although that wasn't true at all: Gloriosa had simply eaten the mushroom Orion had been about to consume, thus obtaining the hypnotism ability.
The pirates stared at the irritated red-haired girl who watched them with an eagle's gaze and folded arms, and after exchanging looks among themselves they began operating the sails, steering at full speed toward the next island.
"Wait for me, Orion. As soon as I find that stupid Shanks, I'll beat him up and make him tell me where you are. Then I'll come get you so we can get married!"
A little less irritated now, Gloriosa smiled in satisfaction as the ship sped away. Meanwhile, Orion had no idea that she was searching for him so desperately on the other side of the world.