The moment these words were spoken, Saturn, Topman, and Ethanbaron all looked up in unison.
"Could it be—"
After a brief moment of shock, Topman cautiously asked.
"Does Imu-sama intend... to form a Devil Contract with Orion?"
Imu remained silent, merely tilting her head slightly towards the direction of Zou.
Forced domination was clearly impossible.
Unless absolutely necessary, Imu had reached a conclusion after several covert observations of Orion, Orion had never revealed his true strength to the world.
No one knew the upper limits of his power!
Under such circumstances, Imu could never force him into a Devil Contract like she had done with others.
The cost of rashly attempting to do so might far exceed the price paid eight hundred years ago to defeat Joy Boy.
However, the more powerful Orion appeared, the more Imu desired him.
Even if she couldn't force him into a Devil Contract for domination, merging her consciousness with him would be a fine alternative.
...
*****
Time flew by, and two more days passed in the blink of an eye.
After leaving Zou, Orion didn't immediately rush back to the Holy Land.
Instead, he returned to Whole Cake Island.
The situation in Totto Land was excellent and the construction speed of the base had exceeded Orion's expectations.
With a massive influx of funds and the wealth surrendered by the Charlotte Family, Kuzan mobilized all the citizens of Totto Land to participate.
Using Whole Cake Island as the heart of the base, the project radiated outward to over thirty surrounding islands.
What surprised Orion the most, however, were the members of the Charlotte Family.
Under Katakuri's leadership, the Charlotte Family members, now without their mother, seemed to have cast off a heavy burden, throwing themselves wholeheartedly into the construction of the Marine base on Whole Cake Island.
Katakuri's transformation, in particular, was the most striking among them.
Not only did he hold great expectations for Totto Land's future, but he also developed a deep admiration for the new Marines during his interactions with officers of various ranks.
He even requested to join the Marines, submitting his appeal to Kuzan.
Kuzan didn't grant Katakuri's request immediately but instead reported the matter to Orion upon his return to Whole Cake Island.
"Join the Marines?"
Accompanied by Gion, Gunko, Morgans and others, Orion walked into the castle hall of Whole Cake Island, casting a surprised glance at Kuzan before shifting his gaze to Katakuri, who stood like a towering pillar at the center of the hall.
Personally, Orion had always held a favorable opinion of Katakuri, the former top commander of the Big Mom Pirates.
Setting aside his past as a pirate, Katakuri was undeniably a man of honor and integrity.
"Fleet Admiral Orion, please give Katakuri a chance!"
At that moment, a group of people filed into the castle hall.
Leading them were Smoothie and Cracker, former sweet commanders of the Big Mom Pirates, followed by Galette, Custard, Brûlée and over a dozen other Charlotte siblings.
The one who spoke wasn't Smoothie but Galette, dressed in a red gown.
Stopping beside Katakuri, Galette looked up at Orion, her tone carrying a note of pleading.
"Since you've already given us a chance at redemption, why not grant Katakuri the opportunity to do even better? I believe he won't disappoint you Fleet Admiral!"
Before Galette could finish speaking, Cracker immediately stepped forward and said earnestly.
"In the past, Katakuri had no choice but to follow Mama. Now that Mama is gone, please give Katakuri a chance to be himself Fleet Admiral!"
Before Orion could respond, all the Charlotte family members who had entered the hall knelt on one knee almost simultaneously, speaking in unison.
"Please give Katakuri a chance, Fleet Admiral."
Seeing this, Orion narrowed his eyes slightly, leaned back against the chair, and said calmly.
"This isn't a request—it's coercion."
At these words, the kneeling Charlotte family members all paled.
Smoothie quickly explained, "Fleet Admiral, you misunderstand. We would never dare to coerce you. It's just that Katakuri—"
Before Smoothie could finish, Orion waved his hand and said calmly.
"There's no need for you to plead on his behalf. Katakuri only needs to speak for himself! There's no denying that with his strength, if placed among the Marines, he may not rival an Admiral, but he would certainly be among the elite Vice Admirals. However, joining the Marines isn't just about strength—it requires undergoing full Marine training."
Here, Orion shifted his gaze to Katakuri.
"Now, you have two choices. First, stay on Whole Cake Island and become a trainee under Kuzan's command. Second, come with me to headquarters and enlist through the World Military Draft to become an official Marine!"
"The World Military Draft?" Katakuri slowly raised his head. "Has it already begun?"
Orion shook his head. "It will begin once I return to headquarters."
Without hesitation, Katakuri nodded slightly.
"I'm willing to accompany the Fleet Admiral to headquarters."
Orion stood and walked up to Katakuri, motioning for Smoothie and the others to rise before saying impassively.
"Katakuri, joining the Marines is actually quite simple. You don't need to carry such heavy thoughts. Even if you chose to stay on Whole Cake Island, as long as you perform well, I would still give you all opportunities."
Hearing this, Katakuri's pupils constricted slightly.
Clearly, Orion had heard the thoughts behind his decision—that he chose to go to headquarters and enlist in the draft to secure greater freedom for his siblings in exchange for his own service.
"Fleet Admiral, I—"
Feeling his face burn with embarrassment at having his intentions exposed, Katakuri tried to explain but found himself at a loss for words.
"No need to explain. Your thoughts are perfectly natural."
Orion waved his hand dismissively.
"After all, you were once pirates—members of the infamous Big Mom Pirates. Having witnessed the Marines' swift eradication of the Beasts Pirates, you worry that the remaining Charlotte family members might face the same fate. As the second son of the Charlotte family, it's only natural you'd want to protect your younger siblings."
"Setting that aside, the fact that you willingly sought to join the Marines is something I greatly appreciate."
Here, Orion suddenly changed his tone and smiled warmly.
"Let's go. This trip has already taken too much time. Since you've made your decision, go pack your things. We'll leave together."
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