August 21, 1503, Age of the Sea Circle
After sending Suzanne, Isaac, and Jeanne to Pacific Kingdom, Orion hurried to relocate the rest of the scientists he had recruited, all of whom were already prepared for the journey under Suzanne's prior instructions.
It took him only a few minutes to transport them using his Space Gate, and once that was done, he was finally able to focus entirely on the last part of his plan: his confrontation with Cipher Pol.
Orion knew very well that even though the two heavyweights, Kizaru and Zephyr, were no longer present on the island to intervene, there were still many powerful enemies who could cause him serious trouble. In addition to the two rising stars, Rob Lucci and Jabra, Laskey and Kamaya were also present, as well as Vice Admiral Prodi and his subordinates.
Moreover, although they were not as powerful as the CP9 agents, there were also many agents from the other Cipher Pol divisions, all of whom were under Spandine's command.
For that reason, Orion could not simply charge in blindly, since doing so could land him in serious trouble if his enemies managed to coordinate their forces.
Forced to make a decision about whom to focus his attack on, Orion chose Rob Lucci and Jabra.
Jabra did not represent a true threat to him, since although his potential was decent, it was nothing particularly remarkable, and he was only on par with Orion's mid-level subordinates.
Rob Lucci, however, was another matter entirely. Even though the young man had not yet fully developed, his potential made him extremely dangerous for Orion and his plans to eliminate the World Government.
If allowed to reach his full potential, Rob Lucci could unquestionably become a major headache for Orion, and it was precisely for that reason that he had decided to focus on him as his primary target on this occasion, though he was not his only target.
After the Dyna Stones deposit underwent an unexpected and drastic change, leaving nothing but a massive crater in the ground, great turmoil spread across Jewel Island. The marines under Prodi's command went on high alert, while the scientists who had not been recruited by Orion struggled to comprehend the mysterious phenomenon unfolding before them.
Amid all this confusion, Rob Lucci and Jabra sprang into action immediately. Jabra headed toward the location where the meeting of the group of scientists Orion had just transported to Pacific Kingdom had been taking place, while Rob Lucci went straight to the house of Suzanne, the island's leader.
Rob Lucci's excuse was to report the emergency situation, but his true objective was to secure the most important scientist on the island. If something as strange as the sudden disappearance of the Dyna Stones deposit had occurred, someone had to be responsible for it, and Suzanne's behavior over the past week had drawn Lucci's attention.
Jabra arrived at the meeting place for the scientists, only to find that no one was there. Because of that, he immediately ran to their houses to see if he could find them there, only to discover that the homes were empty, with clear signs that the people who lived there had left in a deliberate and planned manner.
Just seeing the empty wardrobes and the absence of any important documents related to the research conducted on the island was enough for Jabra to realize that something was very wrong. He took out his Den Den Mushi and called Rob Lucci while making his way toward the island leader's residence to meet up with him.
Despite the fact that Jabra did not get along with Rob Lucci and considered him his greatest rival, he was capable of setting aside his negative feelings when the situation demanded it. Even so, curiously enough, he never once thought of informing his superior, Spandine, since he subconsciously regarded him as useless.
Instead, Jabra contacted Rob Lucci to exchange information and better coordinate their next moves, though the call never connected.
…
After separating from Jabra, Rob Lucci went straight to Suzanne's house, only to find it completely empty, with no trace of the family that had lived there. Just like the homes of the other scientists, all valuable items had been removed, leaving the house as nothing more than an empty shell.
Rob Lucci knew something was wrong, but before he could report it to Spandine, his senses reacted violently, and he moved at full speed using Soru, just in time to evade Orion's Shigan.
"You're quite a bit faster than I remember," Orion said, emerging from the shadows like a specter.
Rob Lucci's muscles tensed as he immediately realized just how dangerous the enemy before him was. Even so, he made no attempt to speak with Orion, simply using Soru to move at high speed and launch an attack.
Bang!
Orion dodged the barrage of Shigan Lucci unleashed like a rainstorm, then struck him hard in the stomach, coating his knee with Armament Haki. Lucci felt his organs rupture and was unable to breathe as all the air was forced from his lungs.
Orion did not waste the opportunity and immediately fired several Shigan of his own, easily piercing Rob Lucci's body until the young spy finally reacted and used Tekkai to protect himself.
Seeing that Rob Lucci's defenses had suddenly improved thanks to his defensive technique, Orion displayed an aggressive smile and drew the cutlass at his waist, which was obviously Ace, though it had been camouflaged with Art Coating to avoid any trouble.
Although Orion intended to eliminate Rob Lucci and leave no trace of his presence in this place, he did not want to risk using his special abilities and being recognized, just in case he was discovered by someone, which could lead to unnecessary complications.
For that reason, Orion planned to fight without using his known special abilities, and even without them he was more than strong enough to eliminate both Rob Lucci and Jabra without any problems. Although Lucci was undoubtedly very talented, at this point in his life he had already been left far behind by Orion in terms of power.
"Who are you…?" Rob Lucci asked, breathing heavily after enduring Orion's intense barrage of Shigan reinforced with Armament Haki.
"There's no need for you to know. After all, you won't be living much longer," Orion replied before launching himself into the attack once more.
Rob Lucci did not dare to continue fighting without using his full power, so he immediately activated his Devil Fruit, transforming into a leopard-man and enormously increasing his physical abilities. This was the Devil Fruit that Cipher Pol had granted him for being the most talented recruit in their ranks.
The young spy vanished without a trace, using his maximum speed in the hope of catching Orion by surprise, though it was impossible for him to succeed through speed alone. Orion had faced Kizaru a month earlier and had been able to keep up with him, despite the vice admiral being incredibly fast.
By comparison, Rob Lucci's speed was child's play to Orion, who merely deployed his Observation Haki to assist him in combat and did not even need to activate his Prism Eyes.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Orion and Lucci collided several times within a brief span of time, and it was the young spy who was forced back by the tremendous power of Orion's blows. Even though he had consumed a high-grade Zoan Devil Fruit that exponentially increased his strength, he still could not compete with Orion when the latter coated his attacks with Armament Haki.
Rob Lucci had also developed the use of Armament Haki in his combat techniques, but he was far less proficient than Orion, and his abilities were likely at Level 0 according to the system's classification, or at most Level 1.
On the other hand, Orion's Armament Haki was at Level Four, which even allowed him to coat his sword with Armament Haki. Although Orion was still far from reaching the level of a true master in the use of Armament Haki, his level was entirely superior to that of a novice like Rob Lucci, who had spent almost all of his time perfecting the Rokushiki techniques.
Orion's sword traced a beautiful arc through the air, descending with force toward Lucci, who was forced to use both Tekkai and Armament Haki to defend himself. Even so, the young prodigy overestimated his physical capabilities and suffered the consequences for it.
"AAAArrrrghhh!"
Rob Lucci let out a horrific scream of pain as his right arm flew through the air, landing some distance away. Orion had just severed his arm at the elbow with a single sword strike, without even using one of his techniques.
Lucci tried to put distance between himself and Orion, but it was impossible, as Orion used Un Fleur to create a hand behind him and then employed Electro to shock the young spy.
After extensive training with this technique, Orion had been able to increase its level, finally leaving the novice category and entering Level 1. This technique was quite difficult to use and to level up—mainly because it was not designed for human physiology, though Orion did not know that—which was why he had been quite pleased when, after much training, he finally achieved a qualitative change in its application.
Rob Lucci felt electricity surge through his entire body, his muscles tensing against his will and preventing him from continuing to flee. With his eyes wide open, the arrogant CP9 agent watched as Orion lunged toward him, brandishing his sword like a god of death, and for the first time in his life, he felt fear of dying.
However, before Orion could decapitate the terrified Rob Lucci, Jabra appeared at full speed, interposing himself in the way with a Tempest Kick.
Jabra had been trying to contact Rob Lucci, but when he was unable to do so, he had no choice but to call Spandine to inform him of the situation in the northern city, all while running to find his mission partner.
Fortunately, he arrived just in time to prevent Lucci's death, though unfortunately for him, he made the same mistake as his companion: overestimating his own power, or underestimating Orion's.
The attack that had been meant to decapitate Lucci was a normal strike, without any particular technique from Orion, but that did not mean it was weak, and when it collided head-on with Jabra's Tempest Kick, it shattered it completely, continuing forward with almost no loss of momentum and severing the young spy's right leg nearly at the knee.
Jabra, who in this timeline had not yet obtained a Devil Fruit, did not possess a body as strong as Lucci's, and was therefore immediately crushed by Orion's overwhelming force in a direct confrontation.
Orion sensed that a large number of people were approaching the area, likely drawn by the noise of the battle, and immediately realized that he could not afford to delay any longer. Using Soru, he suddenly accelerated, appearing in front of the stunned Jabra, and with a single swing of his sword, sent the young spy's head flying through the air.
One of the most talented youths of this generation of spies died with such simplicity during what should have been a routine mission, never once having the chance to reach his full potential.
A notification emerged on the system screen following Jabra's death, but Orion paid it no attention and instead lunged at Lucci, who had already recovered from the previous attack thanks to Jabra's intervention and was now boiling with rage and humiliation.
For a capricious genius like him, Orion's actions were nothing more than an open act of humiliation. He could not allow his enemy to toy with him while he was unable to do anything to defend himself, and so he immediately resolved to use his secret technique.
Instead of retreating from Orion, Lucci charged straight at him, and by making crude use of his Observation Haki, managed to evade Orion's attack through sheer luck.
It had all been a gamble, and he had won. Now was the moment to counterattack and show Orion who the real threat in this place was.
Wearing a macabre smile, Lucci skillfully moved his leopard tail, wrapping it around Orion's body; then, taking two aggressive steps forward, he pressed his fist against Orion's torso and declared, "Rokuogan!"
Orion felt his entire body struck by a tremendous force, and blood spilled from the corners of his mouth.
Lucci, on the other hand, displayed an expression of delight, believing that he had finally defeated Orion. However, his victorious expression did not last long, for only an instant after Orion endured his most powerful secret technique, his eyes changed completely, revealing a profusion of colors.
Forming a smile, his mouth and gums filled with blood, Orion said, "You're still green," and extending his fists, pressed them against Rob Lucci's body, who stared back at him in shock and terror as Orion spoke the familiar words:
"Rokuogan."
Lucci's body convulsed violently from the overwhelming impact of the Rokuogan used by Orion, and blood began to pour from every orifice in his face.
Although Rob Lucci was acknowledged as the greatest genius in the history of Cipher Pol, and his mastery of Rokushiki truly surpassed Orion's, the same could not be said of the final technique, "Rokuogan."
This technique was something Rob Lucci himself had discovered on his own by pushing the Rokushiki techniques to their limits. No one had taught him how to use or develop it, and since it was a technique that placed considerable strain on his own body, it was not something he trained with regularly.
Rokuogan was his most powerful finishing technique, yet he was still inexperienced in controlling it. Orion, on the other hand, had been using this technique for years, and his current level with it was far superior to that of Rob Lucci, the genius of Cipher Pol.
Pain flooded Lucci's body, and his mind began to fill with all kinds of negative thoughts. The confusion brought about by Orion's use of this secret technique stirred within him an irresistible urge to flee from this place and avoid facing the mysterious enemy who seemed like a monster wearing human skin.
Even so, Orion would not allow him to escape now that he had him in the palm of his hand. He was determined to put an end to this psychopathic genius in the service of the World Government, sparing himself a massive headache in the future.
Orion once again swung his sword, intending to decapitate Rob Lucci, but at that very moment a figure stepped in his path yet again, and this time it was Vice Admiral Prodi, who had arrived at the battlefield together with his subordinates.
Orion cursed under his breath, thinking it was as though the universe itself were doing everything in its power to prevent Rob Lucci's death, which only fueled his desire to eliminate him even further.
Meanwhile, Prodi felt numbness spreading through his right hand after using it to stop Orion's attack. Blocking the strike of Orion's Haki-coated blade with nothing but his fist indicated that this vice admiral possessed superior control over Armament Haki, and Orion's expression immediately grew more solemn.
"Stop right there, villain! I will not allow you to continue your misdeeds!" Prodi declared in a heroic tone, though he was merely spouting clichéd words to make an impression on the surrounding marines and perhaps earn himself greater merit in the future.
Prodi's philosophy when it came to justice was quite simple: he was pragmatic and wanted to climb the ranks of power.
Orion clicked his tongue in irritation at the vice admiral's arrival and, extending his hand, used his Age Change ability on him, causing Prodi to grow older and more decrepit, thereby reducing his physical capabilities.
Then, using Soru, he avoided further confrontation with the vice admiral and simply grabbed Rob Lucci by the neck, while Prodi's subordinate marines opened fire on him.
Without a second thought, Orion used Tekkai to protect his body from the enemy's bullets, though even without employing that technique, the projectiles likely would not have been able to pierce his steel-like skin, which was one of his passive abilities.
As the rain of bullets fell over his body, bouncing off without harming him, Orion used Armament Haki and tightened his grip around Rob Lucci's neck, intending to snap it quickly and eliminate him.
However, the young genius of Cipher Pol was no easy prey, and he focused all his power on reinforcing his neck with Tekkai, making it impossible to pierce his defenses immediately.
Orion had caught Prodi by surprise with his Age Change ability, but the effect of this skill would not last very long on the vice admiral, since Prodi was quite powerful despite what his appearance suggested, and he possessed solid control over his Haki.
Orion knew he did not have much time, as he had no desire to enter into a direct conflict with the vice admiral, which was why he had tried to dispose of Rob Lucci using the simplest assassination method possible.
However, Rob Lucci's tenacity and will to live had defended him against Orion's ruthless attack, once again placing Orion in a predicament. With his Prism Eyes enhanced by his Observation Haki, Orion was able to see the Cipher Pol agents approaching in the distance, commanded by Laskey and another man who also seemed to be quite capable.
If Orion remained here any longer, he would only end up engaging in a fight to the death against all the soldiers present, and that was something he did not want to do, especially since he had no intention of exposing too many of his abilities.
In an instant, Orion made a decision, and without releasing his grip on Lucci's neck, he used "Electro" once again.
Rob Lucci's body began to go numb, but even so, the young genius kept his defenses firmly concentrated around his vital points.
Just as Laskey and Kamaya were about to arrive with the rest of the Cipher Pol agents, Orion turned sharply, shielding himself from the rain of gunfire from the marines with Rob Lucci's body.
The young spy was focusing his entire being on protecting his vital areas, which meant he could not defend himself against the hail of bullets that struck his back, piercing his skin and damaging his internal organs!
Prodi's body returned to its normal age just in time for him to witness Rob Lucci being riddled with bullets by the gunfire of his own subordinates. The sight of the young spy's body jerking violently as it was struck by the shots, while Orion held him by the neck, was truly horrifying.
At that very moment, Orion turned to look at him, and Prodi felt as though his legs were nailed to the ground when he saw Orion's multicolored eyes, which, far from being something beautiful, were utterly terrifying.
That single second of hesitation from Prodi was all Orion needed. After making sure that Rob Lucci was thoroughly riddled by the rain of bullets, he tossed the young genius aside like a worthless piece of trash, and with a movement of his hand, he used his new technique.
"Room."
Orion's voice was so low that no one other than Prodi could hear it, and in the very next instant, he vanished without leaving a trace. In the place where he had been standing moments before, there was now only a large rock that had appeared suddenly.
"It's a shame I can't use Room to transport two people," Orion said with a hint of resignation.
This new ability still had quite a few limitations—as was often the case with his special skills in their initial stages—and he could only use it to exchange the positions of two objects or people.
For that reason, he had been able to use the ability to escape the battlefield successfully, but he had not been able to take Rob Lucci with him to ensure his death. Even so, Orion believed there was a strong chance that the young prodigy would not survive the injuries he had sustained, although, considering the almost miraculous chain of events that had saved Rob Lucci's life on this occasion… he could not be certain of anything.
Orion disappeared from the area without leaving a trace, while the marines and the Cipher Pol agents remained behind in complete confusion, with no idea where their enemy had gone.
…
Meanwhile, Spandine and Spandam had boarded a ship and were fleeing Jewel Island at full speed. The father-and-son duo were absolute cowards, so when they received reports that a powerful enemy had appeared, they decided to run without looking back.
In any case, they did not need to be present on site to give orders to their subordinates.
"Damn it! This time everything went wrong with the mission!" Spandine said irritably, as he kicked a bucket of water sitting on the deck of the ship.
However, the bucket was reinforced with metal, so Spandine failed to move it at all and simply ended up breaking his big toe.
"Fuck! Who put this bucket here?! I'll have you executed!" Spandine shouted, trying to vent some of his indignation.
Normally, one of his subordinates would have already stepped forward to beg for his life and try to appease him somehow, but strangely, no one approached to calm him down, and the atmosphere felt unusually silent.
Spandine looked around, and a chill ran down his spine. All of his subordinates were unconscious on the ground, foam coming from their mouths, and even his son and his pet elephant were passed out.
Spandine's legs began to tremble as if he had seen a ghost, and just as he was about to wet his pants, a voice sounded behind him.
"Spandine, right?"
Spandine turned around in terror and saw an unfamiliar man standing there, staring at him with an aggressive gaze.
"Y-You… who are you?"
Orion broke into a wide smile and extended his hand toward the leader of CP9 as he said,
"I am your executioner."
On this clear August day, near Jewel Island, the leader of CP9, Spandine, disappeared without leaving a single trace, with not a single witness having seen what happened.