April 5, 1498, Age of the Sea Circle
"Thanks a lot for convincing Kumachi to stop the healing sessions!" Ginny said with a big smile.
She had heard about what happened yesterday, and she was truly happy with Kuma's decision to stop sacrificing his own health to help others. It wasn't that she was heartless or didn't care about the suffering of the people in Sorbet; she just didn't want her best friend to suffer so much in the process.
As soon as she heard Orion's proposal to join his kingdom, she raised both hands and agreed without a second thought, knowing it was the best choice for both themselves and for the people who would join them in this exodus.
In reality, during the time Orion had spent living in the small church, the person he'd had the most contact with wasn't Kuma, but Ginny, and she was the one who knew Orion best.
Their personalities were highly compatible, and she greatly enjoyed the time they spent together. At first, she had kept a cautious distance, not wanting to give Orion any reason to fall in love with her, as had happened many times before with other local men when she was simply kind.
However, once she found out that Orion was originally an eight-year-old child using an ability to increase his age, that barrier she had put up unconsciously vanished, and their relationship became truly close.
Paradoxically, it was that very closeness and the fact that their personalities were so compatible that led Orion to fall for her anyway, though she had never noticed, because he had never shown any sign of his feelings.
The reason Orion had never made a move or expressed his emotions was, of course, due to Kuma. The situation gave Orion a serious headache, and he had decided to simply bury his feelings and let things play out without stressing over it too much.
Even so, though Orion didn't actively show his affection for her, it was impossible not to notice in every microexpression he made whenever they were together—so much so that everyone around them had figured it out.
Everyone, except Ginny, who due to her cheerful and carefree nature didn't pay much attention to those things and had completely ignored the loving gaze Orion gave her every time he looked at her.
Of course, Kuma had noticed too, and he had taken the initiative to tell Orion that if he had feelings for Ginny, he shouldn't worry about him and should go ahead and try to win her over.
According to the priest's words, he had chosen to remain celibate for life and would never be able to reciprocate Ginny's feelings. If Orion could make her happy, he had nothing to object to—and in fact, he felt relieved.
Kuma's words weren't meant to console Orion or to be just another example of his extreme kindness; they were simply his truest, most honest feelings.
He had decided long ago to live as a celibate priest and knew he could never give Ginny a future in that sense. That's why he had never intervened when local boys courted her, because deep down, he genuinely hoped she could build a family and be happy.
Now that someone like Orion had shown up—someone he clearly respected—he felt relieved thinking that he might be able to make Ginny happy and help her abandon her stubborn desire to marry him.
The relationship between Kuma and Ginny was very complicated. For starters, they had grown up together, and there was a deep affection between them that went beyond mere romance and entered the realm of family. He didn't deny Ginny's feelings for him, but he also knew those emotions had complex roots.
First, he had been by her side for most of her life, so she felt a deep dependency on Kuma. Secondly, she wanted to start a family, and that desire had caused her feelings of closeness toward Kuma to morph into romantic ones. Finally, she knew about his past as a slave and the burden he carried from his Buccaneer heritage, and she wanted to show him through her actions that none of that mattered to her, that she simply loved him for who he was.
All these reasons formed the foundation of their deep bond and had turned their relationship into something ambiguous. Even so, Kuma remained unwavering in his convictions and had never considered taking a step forward with her, and truth be told, he probably never would.
Orion, on the other hand, knew part of the reason behind the complex relationship between Kuma and Ginny, though he didn't yet know their full story, as he hadn't known them long enough to understand everything about them.
What Orion did know was that he didn't intend to express his feelings for Ginny anytime soon. He would let time pass and allow things to unfold naturally. Maybe that could be seen as escapism, but at this point, he truly couldn't pursue her actively.
It was the first time since he had received the 'Conqueror's Haki Seed' that he had gone explicitly against his desires—but to his relief, the seed hadn't been affected by it.
Speaking of the seed, it was worth noting that it was no longer the tiny energy sphere it had been when he first received it. It had already grown to the size of a basketball. Its most recent growth had occurred just a few days ago, when he recruited Kuma as his subordinate, as if it were a sort of "silent" reward that hadn't been announced by the system.
The change in the little seed was a clear visual indicator that every action he took had real effects. The world was constantly in motion, and he was an agent who could shape it for better or worse. He didn't know how long it would take for the seed—now the size of a ball—to reach its final form and be absorbable, but it didn't matter. He would keep working hard every day until it happened.
"It wasn't easy—I had to use my secret moves!" said Orion, flexing his biceps in an exaggerated expression that made Ginny laugh and immediately pounce on him.
"Oh really? Then show me those moves and let's see how powerful they are!" she said jumping on top of him and playfully hitting him with a pillow.
Orion was in bed, still resting from the injuries he had suffered yesterday after absorbing the large sphere of negative energy. Now that Ginny had jumped on him, a bit of involuntary physical contact was inevitable.
He felt Ginny's soft, big butt pressing against him and couldn't help but blush and inhale sharply, making a clearly audible sound.
Ginny heard the strange noise Orion made and then saw him squirm slightly underneath her, as if he was truly uncomfortable. She felt something hardening beneath her and immediately realized what was going on.
Obviously, Orion was still injured, and when she leaped on him to start a pillow fight, his wounds had flared up, causing his muscles to tense and harden. That must be what she was feeling beneath her now.
Orion's muscles were clearly extremely tense—he must be in serious pain!
Ginny quickly jumped up, freeing Orion from the pleasurable torture she had been unintentionally subjecting him to. Then she looked at him with a bit of guilt and said,
"Sorry, Orion! I didn't realize your injuries were still bothering you. Of course they are; it's only been a day since you absorbed all that negative energy."
She took his hand and looked at him with concern, placing her other hand gently on his cheek.
She obviously had no hidden intentions, but for Orion, this combo of gestures was one of the most devastating attacks he had ever endured. He had to summon all his willpower to control his racing heart, and with a strained smile, he replied,
"It's okay, honestly. My body's pretty resilient."
"Really? But your muscles felt super tight," said Ginny, reaching out toward Orion's legs with the intention of massaging them to help him relax.
Orion immediately shot up like a spring and undid his adult transformation, returning to his child form. This instantly eliminated the problem that had been tormenting him and saved him from being discovered by Ginny and dying of embarrassment.
"Hey Orion, I gotta say, your natural form is truly adorable. Don't get me wrong, your adult form is really handsome, but I also like it when you're in your natural state," Ginny said, reaching out and squeezing his cheeks, which immediately puffed out slightly due to the damn 'Squirrel Cheeks' ability he had gained years ago.
Just as Orion was starting to suffer a second wave of psychological torture at Ginny's hands, the door to the room opened and Lucky Roux walked in eating a piece of fruit.
"Orion, sorry to interrupt your alone time, but Christina's in trouble," the boy said, not particularly concerned by what was happening in the room.
Orion thought to himself, "What do you mean 'our alone time'?" but he didn't say it aloud. He just figured he'd make Roux train hard later; he'd been getting too relaxed lately!
"What's wrong with Christina?" asked Orion, having some trouble speaking clearly because Ginny was still pinching his cheek.
Lucky Roux didn't react to Orion's funny appearance; he had sensed Orion was slightly displeased with him for some reason and didn't want to provoke him further, lest he end up in an extended training session.
"She clashed with the king's army again, but this time the group is pretty big. If she wipes them out… she's probably going to attract a lot of attention," Lucky Roux said, trying to be as professional as possible and not even cracking a smile at Orion's goofy expression.
Orion brought a hand to his chin and thought about his plans.
Now that he had decided to bring Kuma, Ginny, and the local people to his kingdom, the idea of confronting the royal family led by Bekori had taken a back seat.
Planning a coup like the one he carried out in Roux's homeland took a lot of time unless there was already a local resistance group working on it.
While his initial idea had been to launch a lightning attack and destroy the royal family, the problem would be the resulting power vacuum, as there was no local resistance group to take over state affairs.
That's why Orion had opted for a quiet exodus of people from the southern part of the kingdom, without alerting the royal family or its troops, avoiding unnecessary conflict and the potential loss of innocent civilian lives.
He and Kuma were going to handle the exodus in the coming days, so if the king started paying too much attention to this area, things could get complicated, and a direct confrontation might become inevitable.
In that case, he couldn't let Christina act impulsively now.
Orion returned to his adult form, and Ginny released his cheek, watching him get ready to head out. Orion put on his boots, grabbed his sword, and threw on a black adventurer's cloak. Then, extending his hand, he opened a door in the air and said:
"Let's go check the situation. Roux, you're coming with me."
Lucky Roux gave a slight nod and jumped into the Pocket Dimension. Orion then turned halfway and smiled at Ginny.
"Ginny, I'll be out for a while, but we should be back in time for dinner."
He waved his hand in farewell and leapt into the Pocket Dimension, vanishing from the room without a trace.
Only Ginny remained there, staring at the spot where Orion had just been standing.
Meanwhile, in a village near the new dividing line between the northern and southern parts of the Sorbet Kingdom, Christina stood firmly with her twin sabers drawn, staring defiantly at the group of soldiers before her.
During the time she had been here with Orion, her tasks had mainly consisted of familiarizing herself with the kingdom's situation to help Orion in his efforts to confront the royal family and aid the people of this land.
At first, she had only wanted to repay the favor to Orion, but the more time she spent here witnessing the injustices these poor people had to endure, the more invested she became in the cause.
She was someone who despised tyranny and was always ready to help those in need, so the actions Orion planned seemed admirable and inspiring to her.
She had heard about what Orion had done in Roux kingdom during the Native Hunting, and also about the role the Marines had played in that event. Progressively, she felt that her place in the world was not within the massive institution controlled by the World Government, but rather in making real change, just as Orion had been doing quietly all along.
Her admiration for her savior had reached its peak, and she had decided that once they wrapped up their business in this kingdom, she would ask Orion to join his cause and his kingdom.
Of course, she still wanted to make contact with Cipher Pol and try to bring Nakamura down, removing him from his privileged position of power within the Marines. But she no longer had any interest in continuing her career within that corrupt institution.
Her reason for wanting to expose Nakamura was simply so that innocent people wouldn't have to suffer under his nepotism. Even if another corrupt officer rose to take his place and maintain the status quo, she still wanted to try. It would be her way of leaving behind her past as a Marine captain with her head held high.
"Who are you? Don't you know that opposing the army is the same as opposing His Majesty, King Bekori?!" the soldier leading the group barked, full of arrogance as he addressed the beautiful, serious-faced woman who was blocking them from reaching the southern villagers they had come to capture.
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters are your despicable actions! Don't you have any shame treating the people of this kingdom this way?" Christina snapped back without flinching. If necessary, she would face this group of soldiers without hesitation.
"Are you stupid?! Don't you know His Majesty has decreed that all those living in the south are no longer part of the kingdom? They have no rights! Their fate is to end up as slaves, serving the true citizens of this kingdom!"
The words of the soldiers' captain were truly extreme, and not all the troops in the group agreed with him. In fact, opinions on the new policy imposed by King Bekori were deeply divided, though the army served as the sword of the royal family and had no choice but to obey orders.
Even if several of the soldiers disliked the actions they were forced to carry out, their military discipline prevented them from rebelling. On the other hand, there were also people like the captain of this squad who agreed with the king and even enjoyed the situation—and their number wasn't small.
"Young lady, don't worry about us, you'll get in trouble if you stay here. Leave now before it's too late," said one of the elderly villagers behind Christina, nervously grabbing her arm.
The old man's body was clearly trembling with fear at the thought of falling into the army's hands, but even so, he was putting the young woman's safety above his own.
This was because in recent months, Christina had been traveling the kingdom, helping anyone in need, and becoming deeply loved by many in a short time.
The fact that she had been working for the Marines—with all their bureaucracy and corruption—had been a true waste of her talents.
A noble and powerful person such as Christina Kelly shined brightest when she could act freely, guided by the justice in her heart. In the two months she had spent in Sorbet, she had shown the radiant passion of her soul in all its glory, and in doing so, had found inner peace. Her shoulders had never felt lighter than when she helped the underprivileged of this kingdom without thinking too hard; even her usually stern expression had softened a bit.
"Don't worry, grandpa. These people are no threat to me. As long as I'm here, no one's going to lay a finger on you," Christina said with a kind smile, trying to calm the frightened old man.
The soldier heard her words and immediately grew furious.
"Soldiers, eliminate this rebel and capture all her accomplices!" the captain yelled, drawing his sword and charging toward Christina.
"Sorry, Orion… Looks like I'm going to cause a scene after all," Christina said bitterly, stepping forward with a sigh. She didn't want to ruin Orion's plans, but she couldn't just stand by and let these defenseless civilians be harassed in front of her.
However, before Christina could launch her attack, a flash zipped through the air at high speed, and the captain's head fell to the ground, rolling.
The other soldiers froze in place, staring in shock and terror at the man who had suddenly appeared before them. The mysterious figure watched them with a cold, piercing gaze, his black cloak billowing in the wind. The soldiers felt a strange sense of awe just looking at him, something they couldn't quite explain, as if this man was enveloped in an aura that distorted their very perception of him.
"Orion?" Christina said, surprised at the man who had arrived.
"There's no need to apologize, Christina. Honestly, I would've done the same in your place, and that's one of the things I like about you," Orion said, placing a hand on her head and gently ruffling her hair.
During this time, not only had Orion's relationships with Kuma and Ginny grown stronger, but his bond with this serious Marine captain had also deepened immensely— now far beyond what it had been just months ago. Small displays of affection or intimacy such as Orion's gesture now were completely normal between them, though always within certain unspoken limits that neither had ever crossed.
Christina's cheeks flushed slightly.
"But… what about the plan to move without drawing attention?" she asked, her voice tinged with guilt.
"It doesn't matter. If we have to betray our convictions to carry out our plans, then what's the point? Even if we succeed, it wouldn't mean anything," Orion said firmly.
He had learned that truth many years ago when he fought Blake's pirates to save the people they had captured. Plans were important, but the most important thing was always to follow one's convictions.
Christina's eyes widened at Orion's words, and a broad smile lit up her face, magnifying her striking beauty.
Orion slung his cutlass over his shoulder and looked at the group of soldiers, who were now watching him with fear and caution.
"Those who don't want to die—this is your chance to surrender!" Orion declared with authority, just as Lucky Roux appeared behind the group, cutting off their escape.
Once again, the wheels of fate were turning.