September 24, 1503, Age of the Sea Circle
While Orion was fighting Doflamingo and his subordinates in the center of Dressrosa's capital city, Kyros and his family were watching in shock as the flames consuming the kingdom rose in the distance.
They had been living for years in a small house secluded from the world, at the heart of Flower Hill, and although they maintained regular contact with the royal family, they had no idea what was happening in the capital at that very moment.
Clenching his fists tightly, Kyros recalled the gentle smile of his benefactor, King Riku, and immediately decided that he could not ignore what was happening. There were clearly grave troubles in the capital, and it was his duty, both as the former commander of the royal army and as the king's son-in-law, to go and offer his help.
After saying goodbye to his wife and his young daughter, Kyros headed toward the capital city at full speed, riding atop his powerful steed. Finally, after several hours, he arrived at a city plunged into absolute chaos, coming face to face with a heartbreaking reality.
Mountains of still-warm corpses flooded the streets, while flames devoured the buildings with ferocity. Kyros dismounted and ran to help some of the people who were agonizing there, unable to fend for themselves.
Even so, he was only one man and possessed no magical powers like those of Devil Fruit users, so the help he could offer was extremely limited.
Nevertheless, as he rescued several civilians from the fires, he learned what had happened in the capital, and his blood ran cold. According to the people he had saved, everything had been the work of King Riku and his soldiers.
Apparently, King Riku had gone mad, first demanding the payment of an enormous tribute, and then outright killing people and setting the capital ablaze. In the eyes of the kingdom's inhabitants, King Riku was now nothing more than a deranged pyromaniac, one who deserved to die a thousand times for what he had done.
Kyros bit his lips in irritation until they bled, struggling to contain his indignation. He knew better than anyone what kind of person King Riku was, and he knew very well that the king would never be capable of doing something like that.
Just as he was wondering what could have happened in the past few hours, a new name was spoken by the terrified citizens: Donquixote Doflamingo.
Doflamingo had arrived at the last moment to save the kingdom, and it was said that he had captured King Riku and eliminated all of his deranged soldiers.
Although the capital city was still in flames, the inhabitants clung to hope, believing that the worst was already over. As long as they could survive the aftermath of King Riku's attack, they would live to see a new day.
Kyros listened to this story and could not help but worry deeply for Riku. If what the people said was true, then something truly terrible had happened, and his king was in danger.
There was only one option for Kyros: he had to enter the castle and save King Riku with his own hands, uncovering what had truly happened in the kingdom. Running at full speed, the strongest warrior of the nation charged toward the royal castle, where he would come face to face with the Warlord Doflamingo, who was not in the best of moods—thanks to Orion.
…
Moving away from the capital, Orion reached the distant Flower Hill under the cover of darkness. The brief clash with Doflamingo had been quite exhausting, yet he was satisfied that he had at least managed to rescue his father-in-law, King Riku.
Although Orion would have liked to help the people of the kingdom as well and eliminate Doflamingo and his men, there was no chance he could do so on his own, as his current level of power was insufficient.
Orion was willing to die fighting to protect those he loved, but he was not virtuous enough to sacrifice his life for this kingdom. Perhaps if this had been the Dressrosa of his wife Scarlett, Orion would have fought valiantly to the very end, but he knew perfectly well that this was not that Dressrosa, but the Dressrosa of the Time Dungeon.
Before engaging Doflamingo, he had sensed Viola's presence in the royal palace, yet that Viola was not the one he knew, but an adult woman. In the real world, his sister-in-law was only twelve years old, so there was clearly a time discrepancy in this place, or perhaps it was an entirely different dimension.
Although the people here were real, and their suffering was real as well, Orion was no saint willing to give his life for strangers; that privilege was reserved solely for the people he loved, or for his subjects.
Orion waited only a few minutes at Flower Hill before Giolla arrived flying through the air like an angel, carrying Viola in her arms. The moment he saw that the beautiful artist was safe and sound, his emotions finally settled, and opening his arms, he welcomed her into a warm embrace.
"Honey! I completed my mission!" Giolla said, rubbing her cheek against Orion's chest as she breathed in his scent, which calmed her naturally.
"Yes, well done, Giolla," Orion replied, gently stroking the hair of his beautiful wife.
Orion could feel that Giolla's emotions were in turmoil, but he did not ask about it, knowing that if she wanted to talk about it, she would do so on her own initiative. They knew each other well, and understood each other's personalities perfectly.
After a brief moment of tenderness with his wife, Orion turned to look at Viola, who was watching him with curiosity and a hint of wariness. She had seen Orion fight Doflamingo and rescue her father, King Riku, thanks to her special abilities that allowed her to observe anything happening within the kingdom.
"Who are you? Why are you helping us?" Viola asked, and although she felt gratitude toward Orion, she could not help but be suspicious of him, as Monet's betrayal and Doflamingo's sudden appearance still weighed heavily on her mind.
Showing a gentle smile, Orion approached the princess of Dressrosa, and inclining his head slightly forward, he said,
"Perhaps it would be easier if you see it for yourself."
Orion knew perfectly well how his sister-in-law's Devil Fruit worked, and he knew this would be the quickest way to resolve her doubts. After all, it was difficult to ask Viola to trust the words of someone she had never seen before, whereas Orion's memories and thoughts could not be falsified and were far stronger proof that he harbored no ill intentions.
Viola immediately understood what Orion was suggesting, and placing her fingers around her eyes as if they were glasses, she activated her special ability, peering into Orion's memories.
A vast amount of information began to pour into her mind, and she saw a completely different reality, one in which she herself appeared on several occasions. In Orion's memories, he was the husband of her older sister Scarlett, and they had been married in a grand ceremony celebrated by the entire kingdom.
Viola was able to see Orion's memories from the other timeline, observing not only those related to Dressrosa and her sister Scarlett, but also Orion's entire life, filled with all kinds of adventures across the world.
However, just as her mind was delving into the very core of Orion's memories and she was about to glimpse the origin of his mysterious powers, she felt a tremendous surge of energy erupt from Orion, causing a rebound effect that immediately cut off her special ability, clouding her mind in the process.
Viola had gone too far in her exploration of Orion's memories, reaching the secrets of the System deep within his being, and as a result she had triggered a defensive mechanism that caused a backlash to strike her.
Coupled with the fact that she was witnessing memories from another timeline, which were impossible to reconcile with her own experiences, the result was that she collapsed unconscious into Orion's arms.
Orion sensed that something was wrong, and activating his Prism Eyes, he checked Viola's condition, only to find that she was in a situation very similar to what Toki had endured for years, though many times milder.
Inside Viola's head, a large amount of mysterious energy was forming chaotic whirlpools, unable to flow properly, which was what had caused her to lose consciousness. Clearly, the problem was that her Devil Fruit powers had come into conflict with the System, and as a result she had lost control of the mysterious energy that served as the fuel for her abilities.
Fortunately, unlike Toki, Viola was recovering on her own without Orion needing to do anything, and judging by the pace at which the energy was stabilizing, she would most likely awaken after resting for a day.
This was undoubtedly excellent news for Orion, since he had no way to manipulate the energy inside Viola, as it was of a strange attribute unfamiliar to him. The only reason he could even observe the chaos within her was because a small amount of energy from his System had entered Viola when the rebound occurred, and it was that energy which he could perceive interacting with the mysterious energy of the Giro Giro no Mi.
Once Orion determined that Viola was not in danger, he let out a relieved sigh, and opening a door in the air, he entered the Pocket Dimension together with Giolla, carrying the unconscious princess in his arms.
Once inside, they were immediately attacked by King Riku, who had been observing the situation from within the parallel dimension, witnessing the moment his beloved daughter collapsed unconscious after coming into contact with Orion.
Originally, Riku had been grateful to Orion for helping him and freeing him from Doflamingo's control, but now his heart was filled with doubt. That gratitude had faded, replaced by distrust toward Orion's true intentions.
Could this mysterious man be another of Doflamingo's subordinates? If that was the case, why was he pretending to be on their side? What was his objective?
All of these questions flooded King Riku's mind, and when Orion entered the Pocket Dimension carrying the unconscious Viola, Riku attacked without a second thought. No matter what else, the first priority was to keep his beloved daughter safe.
Orion easily dodged Riku's attack, since despite being stronger than an ordinary person, he still existed on a completely different level from Orion. With his current power, Orion could eliminate Riku in a second, so an attack from him posed no threat whatsoever.
"Father-in-law, please calm down, I have no ill intentions," Orion said, trying to soothe the agitated king.
However, the word "father-in-law" only made him far more agitated.
Riku had only two daughters. Scarlett was happily married to Kyros, while Viola had never had a partner. So why was this stranger calling him "father-in-law"?!
Riku's mind began to wander down very dark alleys, thinking that Orion was trying to take his daughters by force, which only made him resist with even greater vehemence.
With a bitter smile, Orion continued to evade his father-in-law's attacks, unaware that the involuntary words he had spoken were the root of the entire problem.
"Let go of my daughter, bastard!" Riku shouted, stretching out his hands to grab Viola, who was still in Orion's arms.
Knowing that he would not be able to calm him easily, Orion simply handed Viola over to Riku, and raising both hands, took a step back while trying to appear as harmless as possible.
"Father-in— no, King Riku, my intentions truly are not bad," Orion said, correcting the way he addressed his father-in-law after realizing his earlier mistake.
He was used to calling Riku that way, so he had done it involuntarily, but now he was forced to constantly remind himself that he was not in the Dressrosa he knew, but in a completely different one, inside the Time Dungeon.
The man in front of him was not his father-in-law, but simply the king of Dressrosa, and he had to get used to that. Even so, there was something he could not ignore, and that was the safety of his beloved Scarlett.
Even if this was another world, and Scarlett was not his wife and didn't even know him, he had to make sure she was safe; he had no intention of allowing Doflamingo to harm her.
Unfortunately for Orion, the system map was not functioning inside this Time Dungeon, so he could not easily determine Scarlett's location. His only hope of finding her quickly was the man standing in front of him, which meant he had to do everything possible to placate him.
Once Riku took his daughter Viola into his arms and saw Orion with his hands raised, he calmed down slightly, thinking that at least the mysterious man did not seem to pose an immediate threat to them. However, Orion's next words ended up making Riku lose his trust in him entirely.
"King Riku, I need you to tell me where your daughter Scarlett is. She is in danger now that Doflamingo is attacking the kingdom."
Orion was deeply worried, and did not stop to think that his words might agitate Riku once again, exactly as they did.
"I only have one daughter," Riku said solemnly, then pressed his lips together firmly, refusing to say another word.
Only then did Orion understand his mistake, but the damage had already been done. After that, no matter how much Orion asked or tried to explain the situation, Riku remained steadfast, refusing to give him any information about Scarlett's whereabouts.
Letting out a bitter sigh, Orion thought that everything would be resolved if Viola woke from her stupor, but judging by the state of the energy circulating within her, there were still many hours left before that would happen, and Orion did not have the luxury of waiting that long.
Right now, Doflamingo could already be attacking Scarlett, so he could not continue wasting time trying to convince Riku to give him the information. He would have to investigate on his own.
Resolute, Orion kissed Giolla tenderly, telling her to remain inside the Pocket Dimension together with Riku and Viola. Meanwhile, he would take care of finding Scarlett and ensuring her safety.
Orion had no clue where she might be, or even whether she existed in this timeline, but he concluded that the place where he was most likely to find information about her was the Riku royal castle, which meant plunging headfirst into enemy territory.
Even so, Orion did not hesitate for a single instant, and emerging from the Pocket Dimension, he ran toward the capital city once more, in search of any clue he could find about Scarlett, unaware that the woman he was searching for was only a few kilometers away from the spot where he had reunited with Giolla, on Flower Hill.
…
While Orion was traveling back toward Dressrosa Castle, Kyros was already there. After running through the streets of the capital, saving people from the flames, he made his way to the grand castle in search of King Riku.
However, he immediately realized that something was wrong, as the castle gates were wide open, and a strange symbol had been painted on the wall in red paint. It was Doflamingo's Jolly Roger, though Kyros did not know that.
Worried, Kyros entered the castle with his sword in hand, prepared for a fight to the death to save his king, yet he found no trace of his father-in-law. Inside the grand castle of Dressrosa, he did not find the usual soldiers of the royal guard, but only the members of Doflamingo's crew.
Upon reaching the throne room, he came face to face with the one responsible for all the chaos in the kingdom: the pirate Doflamingo.
"Oh? Someone interesting has made it all the way here," Doflamingo said with a mocking smile, seated upon the royal throne of Dressrosa.
"Who are you? Where is King Riku?" Kyros asked, his muscles tensing.
He was an excellent fighter, and he could sense it instinctively: the man in front of him was incredibly powerful.
Doflamingo's smile faded as the memories of his battle with Orion surfaced in his mind. That damned bastard had appeared out of nowhere to ruin his flawless plans, and he had even lost a member of his family—Giolla—because of him.
Veins bulged on Doflamingo's forehead, and extending one hand, he replied,
"I am the king of Dressrosa. As for Riku? He'll be dead soon. You can ask him what happened when you see him in hell."
"Bullet String."
Doflamingo fired several times, intending to severely injure Kyros and make him suffer as much as possible before killing him; only then would he be able to vent some of his irritation. However, Kyros was far more skilled than he had expected, and with a swift movement of his sword, he repelled every single attack.
Then, gathering all his strength, he leapt forward, appearing right in front of the startled Doflamingo, who had not expected to encounter someone so powerful in this kingdom.
Just as the Warlord was about to get serious to deal with Kyros, Sugar appeared in front of him, touching the strongest warrior of the kingdom with her small hand and instantly transforming him into a tiny toy soldier.
Kyros fell to the ground, confused by what was happening, while the pirates present looked on with curiosity and amusement at the small toy soldier before them. At that moment, they had completely forgotten Kyros's existence, knowing only that Sugar had used her powers to turn someone into a toy.
Sensing how dangerous the situation was, Kyros made a decision immediately and jumped out through one of the palace windows, fleeing at full speed from Doflamingo's crew. No matter what was happening to his body right now, his goal was to survive long enough to return to normal.
Moreover, considering that his wife and daughter were waiting for him on Flower Hill, he could not afford to be captured in this place. With a bit of luck, the mysterious power that had transformed him would wear off after a certain amount of time, or once he left the area of influence of the person whose power had affected him.
Kyros was being very optimistic in his thoughts, unaware that Sugar's power was far more terrifying than he could have imagined. Even so, he was fortunate to still be alive, and to have avoided being bound by a contract imposed by Sugar.
Had he hesitated for even an instant in his escape, he would have been enslaved by the orders of Doflamingo's pirates.
Just as the small toy soldier was leaving the royal castle of Dressrosa, a door opened in the air in one corner of the castle, and Orion emerged silently, prepared to find any information about Scarlett's whereabouts.