August 6, 1500, Age of the Sea Circle
Orion followed Yatappe to a room on the top floor of the brothel, escorted by a large group of Yakuzas who eyed him with hostility. Throughout the entire walk, Orion maintained his carefree posture, since he knew the Yakuza boss had no intention of attacking him—and even if he did, Orion trusted in his ability to defend himself from the man's attacks, even if he couldn't necessarily defeat him in a straight fight.
Although Yatappe didn't seem like a particularly strong individual, Orion could sense that his level of power wasn't as simple as it appeared. That was only natural—after all, Wano was home to a great number of formidable warriors, and to rise as one of the criminal leaders of this region, his strength couldn't possibly be too low.
Once they entered the room, Yatappe politely invited him to take a seat, and then personally prepared tea to entertain his guest. Despite being one of the most infamous criminals in the country, Yatappe displayed a refinement that belonged to the culture of this nation.
Orion remained silent, sitting on the tatami and observing his surroundings. The walls were decorated with calligraphy works, as well as several exquisitely crafted swords. Orion couldn't help but remember Shimotsuki Ren once again, since the style of her home was similar to that of this room.
Yatappe handed him a cup of tea and sat down in front of him, staring at him seriously. Then, without much preamble, he asked:
"What is it you've come here seeking, foreigner?"
Orion raised his eyebrows in surprise, not expecting him to point out his foreign origin so directly. Still, he didn't bother trying to conceal the fact that he wasn't a native of Wano, since there was no need to with Yatappe.
"My goal this time was to save Oden, but I wasn't able to. Now, my objective is to eliminate Orochi," Orion replied with a carefree smile.
The atmosphere inside the room changed completely, and Yatappe's subordinates tensed, placing their hands on the hilts of their katanas, ready to cut Orion down at the slightest movement.
Yatappe furrowed his brow even more, gazing at Orion with solemnity, releasing an oppressive aura that Orion ignored entirely.
"Words like that could land you on the execution platform," the Yakuza boss said, testing Orion's reaction.
"Of course—but that only applies if I were to say it in front of Orochi's dogs, doesn't it? I don't believe there are any such traitors in this room," Orion replied calmly, taking a sip of the delicious tea.
Yatappe's subordinates exchanged uneasy glances, tightening their grips on their swords with suspicion. The sudden appearance of this stranger making such bold statements put them in a difficult position. If Orion belonged to Orochi's forces, his words could be a provocation, or an attempt to expose them as rebels and have them punished.
However, Yatappe didn't share his men's concerns, for he knew Orion wasn't part of Orochi or Kaido's troops. The reason his brow furrowed at Orion's words was simply because he didn't want to be dragged into a dangerous situation alongside someone who so clearly seemed to be looking for trouble with the two powerful men who currently ruled Wano.
Despite being a powerful Yakuza boss, Yatappe had no intention of entering into direct conflict with Orochi, as that would endanger not only his subordinates, but also all the people of Kibi under his protection.
"I understand. So why have you come to me? What makes you think I'll help you?" Yatappe asked, staring intently at Orion.
"Why not? It's not as if it costs you anything. All you need to do is give me the information I'm looking for. If I manage to eliminate Orochi, that would be very beneficial for you, wouldn't it? I don't think you have anything to lose," Orion replied.
Yatappe fell silent, pensive. Just as Orion said, if all that was required of him was to provide information, without active participation, then there truly wasn't much risk. And if Orion actually managed to eliminate Orochi, it would be a blessing for both him and for Wano.
"May I ask why you want to eliminate Orochi?" the Yakuza leader inquired.
"Because he killed my master's friend," Orion answered, suppressing his smile, before adding:
"I also plan to eliminate Kaido, though I don't yet have the strength to do so."
Orion felt safe telling Yatappe these things, since he knew the man bore him no ill will. Thanks to his Observation Haki, he could perceive that Yatappe didn't view him as an enemy, despite his cautious tone.
As for the reason behind Yatappe's attitude, Orion had an idea. In truth, when the Yakuza boss had first approached him in the great hall, his hostility had been genuine. But it had vanished almost immediately the moment Yatappe's eyes fell upon his cutlass, Ace, prompting a sudden change of demeanor and an invitation to this conversation.
Orion knew that Yatappe had recognized his sword, and because of that, he realized he was a foreigner and did not belong to Orochi's faction.
Finally, after a few seconds of silence, Yatappe asked:
"Are you part of Roger's crew?"
Orion shook his head slightly.
"No, but Roger is my master, and he told me about his adventures with Oden, so it's my responsibility to help now that I've learned of the situation his nation is in," Orion replied.
He wasn't lying. Although there was an active Dungeon pushing him to get involved in the matter, these were his true feelings. Orion held great respect for Oden—the nearly mythical man from Roger's stories—so he couldn't bear to see the direction Oden's nation was heading.
For Orion, who deeply hated tyrants who preyed upon innocent people, the presence of Orochi and Kaido in this land was simply unacceptable. Once again, the system had issued a mission (or in this case, a Dungeon) that aligned perfectly with his own desires.
Yatappe looked into the man's pristine eyes and knew there was no falsehood in his words, so his expression relaxed considerably. After a faint sigh, he said:
"What do you need from me?"
…
August 12, 1500, Age of the Sea Circle
The conversation between Yatappe and Orion had extended for quite some time, and they had discussed the specific details of the situation. Orion hadn't asked too much of Yatappe, knowing he wouldn't receive any direct help from him. That much he had already deduced from the information he had gathered the day before.
The main reason he had come to see the Yakuza boss was because he needed as much detailed information as possible about Orochi and his faction—intel that would normally take him a long time to acquire on his own. Yatappe agreed to provide the information he had, without asking anything in return.
In addition, Orion asked for something else the Yakuza boss hadn't expected: the Named Character, Black Maria.
Yatappe's expression when Orion requested to purchase the young girl had been truly grim, and Orion had almost immediately lost all the favorability he had gained with him. However, once Orion explained seriously that he was simply interested in the girl's combat talent, Yatappe agreed to his proposal.
The girl known as Black Maria was an apprentice geisha, undergoing training after being sold by her family to the brothel. Yatappe, after all, was a criminal and a merchant, so when Orion offered a payment far greater than what they had spent for the girl, he accepted without hesitation.
In Yatappe's mind, Orion didn't seem like the type of beast who would put his hands on a little girl, so he didn't feel too much reluctance in letting Orion take her away.
As for why Orion had decided to directly "buy" Maria, it was because he had analyzed her information using an Insight Card and had been surprised to discover that this timid girl possessed incredible potential! Perhaps only Lucky Roux and Gab surpassed her among his subordinates, so he couldn't pass up the chance to recruit someone so talented.
Besides, Orion believed Maria would probably live a better life in Pacific Kingdom than staying in this brothel and becoming a woman who sold her art. Although Orion didn't look down on these women because of their profession, he knew that the vast majority of them wouldn't have chosen such a path if they'd had any real choice.
After all, most of the women in the red-light district had been sold by their families or were orphans, and their only two options were to become prostitutes or starve to death in the streets.
When Yatappe told Maria that she now belonged to Orion, she had been overcome with panic, fearing the worst. It wasn't common, especially not in an establishment directly controlled by Yatappe, but she had heard stories of nobles or wealthy merchants buying girls from brothels just like her. Most of the time… those girls suffered tragic fates.
Fortunately for her, Orion showed no interest whatsoever in her childish body and treated her with respect and kindness from the very beginning. Within a few days, her fears had almost completely dissipated, replaced instead with growing curiosity toward the mysterious Orion.
Before parting with Yatappe, Orion had pulled a Den Den Mushi from his Pocket Dimension and handed it to the Yakuza boss, explaining that if he ever needed help in the future, he could use it to contact him.
Orion explained that he belonged to an organization that could assist with Wano's situation, though it would probably take a couple of years of preparation. Even so, Orion considered Yakuza leaders like Yatappe to be valuable allies in a potential future struggle against Kaido, since they possessed combat power, troops, and influence among the people.
Orion had already reported Wano's situation to Dragon, and both agreed they couldn't leave things as they were. The very principles of the Revolutionary Army made it impossible for them to ignore such a situation.
However, both of them knew it was impossible to face Kaido with their current strength—especially since the pirate had already established himself in the land. Great preparations would be necessary before making a move on this isolated country, and it would likely take years.
Orion also knew that he had to increase his own individual power, otherwise he would be like an insect flying straight into the fire. He was still far from the power level of a pirate like Kaido, and even with the mighty Dragon among their ranks, it wouldn't be enough.
Although Orion hadn't given Yatappe too many specific details about the Revolutionary Army, the man accepted the Den Den Mushi gladly and promised to keep him informed should major changes occur in the nation's situation. Neither of them knew it, but this small act would become the beginning of a great alliance that would culminate in one of the most important battles in history.
After obtaining the information he needed and recruiting Maria, Orion left Kibi, still a little disappointed that he hadn't been able to enjoy the art of the Oiran in the brothel. However, he knew he had to focus on his mission, and there wasn't much time to lose himself in the appreciation of beautiful, exotic women's art.
Orion traveled toward Wano's capital, where his target, Orochi, resided. Along the way, he interacted with Maria, trying to establish a friendly relationship with her and increase her favorability.
After overcoming the first days of distrust, she had become much more lively and proactive in her interactions with Orion—especially because he had begun teaching her how to use a sword.
During her time at the brothel, Maria had received training in all sorts of arts and etiquette, but she had never been trained in combat, so her immense talents had never come to light. The moment Orion began training her in the art of the sword, her abilities immediately shone through, and she advanced by leaps and bounds.
The feeling of becoming stronger with each passing day was intoxicating for Maria, who had been used to having her fate placed in the hands of others. At last, she felt her life was once again in her own hands, and she trained with great enthusiasm, which only accelerated her progress even more.
In addition to training Maria and trying to strengthen his relationship with her, Orion had eliminated the enemies he encountered on his way to the capital, accumulating points in the Dungeon that was still active. Even so, he tried to remain as discreet as possible, avoiding the elimination of any massive group all at once.
He knew that his main goal was to eliminate Orochi, so it was best not to draw too much attention and needlessly alert the enemy. According to the information he had received, Orochi's defenses were already quite difficult to penetrate, as he was a very paranoid and cowardly man.
Virtually, there was no way to enter the castle unless one was a beautiful woman or a person who had gained Orochi's trust after a long period of testing.
Orion had no intention of spending years trying to gain Orochi's trust, and since he wasn't a beautiful woman, he had run into serious problems thinking about how to infiltrate the castle. Normally, with his spatial and espionage abilities, he would have had no problem infiltrating, but the problem this time was Kaido's presence.
Perhaps out of fear that someone might assassinate the incompetent Orochi and ruin his plans, Kaido remained in the royal castle as an honored guest. Orion knew that if he tried to sneak in using his Pocket Dimension, he would surely be discovered by Kaido, who was always alert to the situation in the area.
For that reason, he had discarded that option and instead decided to resort to another method. His goal this time was to kill Orochi quickly and with certainty, then escape before Kaido could unleash his wrath upon him by using his Space Gate.
And for that, Orion had found a way to infiltrate the castle without raising suspicion: as a slave!
According to the information he had obtained from Yatappe, Orochi was forming his own force of loyal servants, and for that, he was recruiting a large number of talented children. In reality, these children were nothing more than slaves, collected by his subordinates throughout the territory of Wano. They would be indoctrinated and trained to become his most loyal subordinates, forming an elite troop in the future.
Apparently, Orochi had a group of ninjas under his command who were in charge of training these children.
Orion's idea was simple: he would blend in with the group of children being transported to the castle for their training, and once inside, he would seize the first opportunity to eliminate Orochi and escape before Kaido could catch him.
At present, he was near the location indicated by Yatappe's intel, where the children being transported to the castle were supposed to be. Orion only had an approximate location from the information he had obtained, but once he got close enough to the area, a new marker indicating the position of a Named Character revealed the exact place of the group he was seeking.
The marker in question read "Hatsume(6)." A girl of that age in the area where the group of children he was looking for was supposed to be was almost certainly a sign that this Named Character was among those being taken to the castle to become Orochi's devoted servants.
Orion immediately guessed that if she was a Named Character, her talent was probably quite good, so he instantly decided that he would recruit her as well.
Orion and Maria walked in the direction where the group of children was, but when night fell, Orion decided to stop to eat and rest, planning to continue his journey the next morning. There was no rush, since the group they were following was moving at a rather slow pace, and even if they advanced at full speed and caught up with them, they would then have to continue traveling together toward the capital for a while.
With a movement of his hand, Orion opened a door in the air, and together with Maria entered the Pocket Dimension. Once inside, Orion began cooking dinner, while Maria ran straight to the bed where Toki lay and stared at her closely, trying to wake her up without success.
This was something usual for Maria, who, from the moment she first saw Toki, had fallen in love with her elegance and beauty, wishing to grow up to be like her. It was a kind of admiration different from what she felt for Orion. She admired Orion for his strength, but Toki's beauty was something that astonished her every time she looked at her and made her long to be just as beautiful.
Maria had tried countless times to wake Toki, but of course, she had never gotten any results, and that was because Toki simply could not be awakened.
Orion did not know the cause, but the system had indicated to him that she was in a "State Outside of Time." According to the system's description, it was as if she had abandoned the flow of time, and although she was physically present in this place, it was as if her existence were not being influenced by the temporal plane they were in.
The situation was quite confusing, and Orion did not have much information about it, but basically, the situation was the following: Toki was in a coma, and her body did not age. Moreover, she did not need to eat or drink.
Her existence at this point was ethereal and mysterious. Orion did not know how to wake her, or if it was even possible. Since her current state was due to the malfunction of the Devil Fruit she had consumed, the solution to bringing her out of this condition would probably also require a similar kind of power.
For now, Orion was not too worried about her. He would simply let her remain inside the Pocket Dimension, like a sleeping beauty. In the future, he would try to find some way to bring her out of her current state, though at the moment he had no idea how to accomplish that.
After about twenty minutes, Orion called Maria to dinner, and they ate joyfully together while Orion told her stories about the outside world. This would be the last night they would dine in such a way, since soon they would have to enter the royal castle in the capital, and events would begin to unfold with thunderous momentum.
...
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