"???"
Hearing those words, Orin's head buzzed on the spot.
No way…
Old man, you too?
But right now he had no time to explain so much. He could only hurry to calm Roger down, keep him from getting too riled up.
He teleported to the Oro Jackson, and after much persuasion, finally prevented Roger and Keek from coming to blows.
It wasn't until Roger confirmed again and again that Orin hadn't joined the Rocks Pirates solely because of circumstance, but also out of his own will, that he reluctantly grunted an "Oh…"
Then stormed off to sulk in a corner.
How childish…
Orin had no choice, while Rayleigh only patted him on the shoulder.
"I know you have your own ideas, but… don't make your father worry too much."
With the tone of an elder, Rayleigh gave Orin a few reminders, making his eyelids twitch nonstop.
Watching Rayleigh's figure walking away, he nearly couldn't resist landing another black kick to knock him out.
With a light step, Orin instantly appeared aboard the Rocks Pirates' ship. Staring at the Oro Jackson gradually fading into the distance, he finally withdrew his gaze.
Only then did the colossal mass of seawater he had been controlling dissolve back into streams, slowly cascading into the sea.
There was no choice—pirates were always cunning and treacherous, and the Rocks Pirates were notorious for it.
If they had gone back on their word, that tsunami of tens of thousands of tons would have instantly swallowed all the fleet's ships. Without someone special like Kuzan present, even Devil Fruit users would have been doomed.
Newgate always liked using this move—his Sea Quake Fist could trigger a tsunami strong enough to drown an entire island.
But this time, he found himself on the receiving end of such a threat.
Shiki, standing not far away, watched the "sea" held aloft in the sky by Orin's ability, the corners of his mouth curving upward.
He was very interested in this young powerhouse, second only to his interest in Roger.
"Jihahahaha… moving the sea into the sky, huh? I wonder, compared to my Float-Float Fruit, which ability is stronger?"
Shiki's power allowed him to strip all inorganic matter of gravity, making it float freely as he willed.
He could even tug at islands, raise the sea, unleashing devastating large-scale destruction.
Sitting casually at the edge of the Rocks Pirates' ship, Orin glanced at him.
His eyes carried both confidence and a touch of amusement.
"If you're confident, you can give it a try."
He openly let Shiki attempt to use his Devil Fruit power.
"…Fine!!!"
Shiki wasn't timid. He immediately launched himself forward, unleashing the Float-Float Fruit's ability. But not long after, he froze, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.
His face stiffened, full of disbelief.
"I can't control it at all…"
He had exerted his full strength, wanting to mold the seawater into a lion's head. Yet he found it was as though the sea was bound in place.
Even with Sea Kings swimming freely within, as though flowing naturally, he still couldn't shift it in the slightest.
That was the power of space.
Once a boundary was defined, no outside force could alter it—unless one used an overwhelming level of Haki to break through.
But if a Devil Fruit user broke it, shattering the massive seawater field, they'd be buried in it themselves.
Meanwhile, Newgate wasn't surprised at all. He had no intention of provoking Orin further or intercepting Roger's crew.
The Roger Pirates weren't easy to stop. Since Orin was willing to go back with them, that was already giving everyone a way out.
After all, if a fight really broke out while Rocks wasn't present, Orin plus the Roger Pirates were more than the few of them could handle.
They might all die here.
The longer they spent with Orin, the harder it became to guess how many hidden tricks he still had up his sleeve.
As the seawater completely dispersed, the Rocks Pirates' fleet began to sail back.
Newgate also immediately contacted Rocks.
That guy was currently busy dealing with Marine trouble—otherwise, today's operation wouldn't have just been led by Newgate and the others.
"Oi, Rocks, we didn't catch Roger…"
"…Yeah, but we recruited a powerhouse. Stronger than Roger, no weaker at all…"
"Well… yeah, all of us, Shiki included, got injured…"
"…I see."
Afterward, Newgate announced a major piece of news, sending the entire Rocks Pirates into an uproar, with everyone loudly discussing it.
That was—
Orin Dotor, appointed as one of the highest-ranking cadres of the Rocks Pirates, a Captain.
Yes, just like that, so casually, so quickly.
In the Rocks Pirates—a group built entirely on survival of the fittest, with no bonds, only interests—as long as you were strong enough, you could do whatever you wanted.
As for loyalty? Forget Orin, a stranger—
Even veterans like Whitebeard and Golden Lion, who had followed Rocks for years, wouldn't hesitate to stab him in the back when the time came.
And Orin soon felt this atmosphere after joining the crew.
...
Capes split the waves,
The massive fleet cut through the sea, unimpeded.
The small fry on the Rocks Pirates' ships all looked at the newly appointed Captain—whose strength seemed boundless—with awe and fear.
They each had their own duties. None of them were stupid enough to challenge Orin.
Except for one person, who at this moment was bouncing excitedly before him.
Orin, however, couldn't do anything about it.
"How many times do I have to tell you before you'll believe me? We really aren't brothers…"
"Then let me ask you this—why do you also have the surname Dotor? That name isn't exactly common on the sea!!!"
"…"
"And another thing, why didn't you just kill me? Why let yourself get cut instead?"
Truth be told, Orin didn't carry many scars. Not like other powerhouses, with their chests or eyes marked by battle wounds, proof of their manhood.
Orin, as a child, hadn't had many strong opponents. Under the protection of the old man and Captain Roger, he'd safely passed his rookie stage.
Later, even when he was injured, his teleportation ability could restore him quickly, and he spent tons of Belly on upkeep.
So the cross-shaped scar on his chest was one of the very few he had.
As for why he didn't heal it…
"It's too small, not worth the effort. Besides, it wasn't even from an enemy's blade."
Faced with Keek's relentless questions, Orin could only brush him off with a few vague answers.
Keek didn't understand, but because of his admiration for the word "Captain" and the idea of being a "monster," once told he'd get his answers in the future, he didn't press further.
Instead, he eagerly applied to serve under Orin.
Orin only gave a helpless smile and agreed.
After all, his arrival might trigger butterfly effects. Before the battle of God Valley, the old man's safety—
That would be up to him, the grandson, to ensure.
"Well then… Keek, from now on you'll move with me."
At this point, after seeing Orin's youth and overwhelming power, Keek had already started showing signs of becoming a full-on "Orin fanboy." He answered respectfully:
"Got it, Orin Captain! Oh, and from now on, just call me Keek!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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