October 1, 1500, Age of the Sea Circle
A week passed in the blink of an eye. Orion remained imprisoned in the cave with Yamato, not making any attempt to escape. It wasn't that he had given up, but rather he was waiting for his body to recover enough to make a smooth escape.
If he had tried to leave immediately, with his body still not fully capable of moving properly, he would likely have been caught instantly by Kaido or his subordinates, and the outcome would have been far worse. Especially since Orion's system was blocked and he couldn't use any of his special abilities.
Still, Orion didn't intend to wait for the system to fully reactivate to escape the prison, knowing it would likely take several weeks. He didn't want to wait that long. Although Kaido had confined him and was currently trying to break his will to turn him into a subordinate, Orion didn't know when the pirate might change his mind and simply eliminate him. Leaving the fate of your life in someone else's hands was never a good idea.
For that reason, Orion stayed in the prison with Yamato, making no suspicious moves. Every day, the brutal pirate's subordinates brought a plate of food, and Orion shared it with Yamato, who would pretend to remain chained to the rock whenever someone appeared, to avoid drawing attention.
In the darkness of the cave, it was impossible to tell if she was really chained unless someone came close enough to look, but Kaido's subordinates never entered the cell, fearing they might end up involved in some trouble—and dead.
A similar case had happened before. One of Kaido's subordinates had given Yamato food without permission and ended up executed by the brutal pirate. Since then, the crew's policy regarding Yamato had been clear and simple: stay as far away from her as possible.
This isolation was exactly what Kaido wanted, as he knew no one could live completely abandoned by the world. Even his daughter, with all her talent, would bow to his will if left entirely alone, abandoning her foolish ideas of becoming Oden.
What Kaido didn't realize was that Yamato was far stronger mentally than he thought. After the samurai who had been imprisoned with her in the cave sacrificed themselves to save her and set her free, accepting her ideas of becoming Oden, she had gained unshakable determination.
Even if she had to spend the rest of her life alone, she would have had no trouble holding onto her goal of carrying on Oden's legacy.
Had it not been for Orion's appearance, she would likely have fully embarked on that path, erasing her former self and embracing Oden's identity. However, Orion had convinced her with his sincere words, and while her resolve to maintain Oden's legacy remained just as firm, the way she planned to do it had shifted slightly.
She no longer sought to become Oden, but simply to follow his footsteps without losing herself.
"Hey, Orion, why do you train so much?" Yamato asked curiously, watching Orion wield his cutlass, as he did every day since he had regained some mobility.
Orion didn't stop and answered the question while controlling his breathing so as not to disturb his training.
"Huff… To get stronger… Duh!" said little Orion, thinking Yamato sometimes asked very stupid questions.
"But is it necessary to train like that to be strong? My dad never trains and he's very strong," Yamato said, tilting her head, not fully understanding Orion's behavior.
She wasn't lying. Kaido—and pirates in general—didn't train much. Sure, they trained a little, but compared to the hours Orion put in, it was laughable. After all, if they wanted to spend their days training, they probably would have joined an army.
Most pirates sought freedom, and that freedom extended to how they lived. Restricting themselves to training routines wasn't something many did.
For that reason, pirates who reached the pinnacle of power in this world were usually true monsters, just like Kaido. These people could never understand the struggles of someone like Orion, who was born with mediocre talent and aptitude.
Fortunately for Orion, he had the system's help, which allowed him to increase his power rapidly and earn a small place in this world. Still, his talent remained far below that of monsters like Kaido, or even Yamato, who now stood before him, watching curiously.
Orion paused his training and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. Then he looked steadily at Yamato.
"People like Kaido or Oden are different from me. They have far superior innate talent. I have no choice but to work twice or three times as hard if I want any chance of reaching that level in the future," Orion answered sincerely.
At almost eleven years old, little Orion was far more mature than before, gradually approaching the mindset of his adult self. Previously, he had only trained out of habit, because that was what his adult self did. But now he had a clearer understanding of the goals behind his daily actions and could train with real motivation.
Yamato's eyes lit up when she heard her idol's name, nodding.
"Well, it's true that Oden is amazing, so it's obvious you need to work that hard to try to reach his level." Yamato said
"That's right. Besides, if we want to free Wano in the future, we'll need all the power we can get. There's no time to waste," Orion said, resuming his methodical training.
His words immediately resonated with Yamato, who ran to his side and began striking the air with her fists, starting her own training alongside him. If the system had been active, Orion would have received another notification showing that he had slightly changed the girl's future.
The two trained for hours until Orion, who kept his Observation Haki active the entire time, sensed Kaido's men approaching the cell. He stopped immediately, hid his sword, and signaled Yamato to return to her spot by the large rock.
Yamato ran to the wall and sat on the ground, pretending to remain chained, while Orion went to the cell door and collapsed, feigning unconsciousness.
The food they received wasn't even enough for one person, so to avoid suspicion, Orion pretended to be in a state of extreme weakness whenever Kaido's men appeared. In truth, his body's natural resilience allowed him to endure far longer without food. Though staying active with so few nutrients was challenging, he gave most of the food to Yamato, whose appetite far exceeded his own.
Kaido's crew members arrived at the cell door and dropped the plate of food near Orion, who feigned a startled reaction and slight awakening.
"Look at this kid, brother. He looks like he could die any minute," one pirate said.
"It's been almost a week. Tomorrow the boss will surely come to see him. If he refuses the invitation, I don't think he'll survive another week," said the other pirate.
"This kid really doesn't seem very strong," the first pirate remarked, a bit disappointed by Orion's lack of resistance.
"Doesn't matter. Our only job is to bring the food. What happens with him isn't our concern," said the other pirate casually.
The pirates lingered for a few more moments, then left without suspecting anything. Once they were gone,Orion rose from the ground and brushed the dust off his clothes. He then took the plate of food and walked over to Yamato.
"Yamato, we have to go," Orion said, handing her the plate.
Yamato's eyes sparkled at the words she had been waiting for. In recent days, Orion had told her they would escape once his body had recovered enough, and she had been eagerly anticipating this moment.
Orion wasn't fully recovered, but hearing from the pirates that Kaido would come see them tomorrow, he knew he couldn't wait any longer. Fortunately, after throwing him into this cave, the pirate hadn't paid him any attention, believing Orion wasn't capable of causing any trouble in his current state.
However, if Kaido truly came tomorrow and saw the real situation of the two children in the cell, there would undoubtedly be problems Orion couldn't handle.
"Yaaay! Let's go now!" Yamato said, bouncing with excitement.
She couldn't escape on her own, as she would certainly be caught again. The samurai had acted as a distraction last time, but this time that wouldn't be possible. She was waiting for Orion to take action, knowing he had an effective method to escape.
Orion nodded and closed his eyes, focusing on a faint sensation inside him. It was a strange feeling, not directly in his body, but seeming to exist in the very essence of his spirit.
There, Orion could sense different "connections," always present, part of him and impossible to remove. Even if the system suddenly disappeared, these connections would likely remain.
Orion focused on one of them, "grabbing" it with his mind as if holding an invisible rope. Then he pulled, and the entity on the other end reacted to his call.
Orion opened his eyes and looked at Yamato, waiting expectantly for him to act and free them. Seeing no movement, she grew concerned and grabbed his arm.
"Orion, what are you waiting for? Let's go now!"
"Hehe, don't worry. Help is on the way," Orion said with a mysterious smile, and before Yamato could respond, the ground began to shake, and Nibble suddenly appeared, opening a large hole in the rocky floor of the cave.
"Ah!" Yamato squealed in surprise, but when she saw Nibble's adorable appearance, her interest was immediately piqued. Perhaps it was common for girls to be drawn to cute things, even tomboyish girls like Yamato, who had even changed gender for a time.
"Nibble! I missed you so much!" Orion shouted, leaping toward his companion and hugging it lovingly. Despite its increased size, Nibble still was an infant, and its fur was as soft as ever.
Nibble closed its eyes in joy, rubbing its head against Orion. It had been over a month since they last met, and it was obvious how happy it was to reunite. For all that time, it had remained in the Pocket Dimension.
Though Orion couldn't use his Space Gate ability to enter the Pocket Dimension, he could still summon Nibble. He'd discovered this over the past year. By actively focusing on his system's bonds, he'd realized that his connections with his wives and companion beasts were more special than he had expected
In a sense, this was similar to the connection he shared with Shyarly, allowing him to communicate with her from across the world. Additionally, he could not only perceive the health of those linked within his system but could also perform some minor actions with them
Although limited by distance, he could communicate rudimentarily with his wives and companion beasts, and also "summon" them. Orion didn't fully understand how the power worked, but he knew it was undoubtedly linked to the space-time nature of the system.
Currently, he couldn't transport people from two different points in the world, but he speculated that it might be possible in the future. What he could do, however, was move someone from his Pocket Dimension to the normal plane. He had never needed such a "useless" ability before, since he could simply open a door for people in the Pocket Dimension to exit.
But now, with the system offline and his special abilities unavailable, this useless power finally shone, summoning Nibble from the small sphere.
"Let's go, Yamato! Time to get out of this damn cave!" Orion said, extending his hand, which Yamato took immediately, leaping with him into the hole Nibble had made.
They vanished into the opening, which the beast instantly filled. The cave was left empty, devoid of any sign of the two children's escape. It was as if they had never existed there in the first place.
…
October 2, 1500, Age of the Sea Circle
The next day, Kaido's subordinates went to deliver the food as usual, only to find the cell empty. Horrified, they immediately ran to report the situation to their captain, who, fully enraged, headed to the cave and found it deserted.
Kaido let out an enraged roar, his body transforming into a massive dragon, destroying the cave completely and soaring into the sky, spreading his Observation Haki as he began searching for the two fugitives.
However, Observation Haki was not his strong suit, and although he scoured the surroundings for Orion and Yamato, he couldn't find them at all, which made him even angrier. The two unfortunate pirates who had acted as jailers ended up meeting their end under the brutal pirate's furious fists.
Meanwhile, Orion and Yamato were traveling through a city south of the capital, in the Udon area.
At a considerable distance, Kaido couldn't find them easily, though they remained cautious, hiding their faces and bodies under loose clothing.
Yamato eagerly ate a caramel apple Orion had bought for her, while Orion planned his next moves. Until his system reactivated and he could use 'Space Gate' again, the best course was to stay hidden.
However, little Orion wasn't mature enough to adopt such caution. Instead, he decided to continue eliminating Orochi's soldiers, as well as Kaido's pirates. This way, he could increase his Dungeon score in Wano and earn better rewards when he finished.
Of course, Yamato willingly helped, and the two monstrous children began a streak of "hunting" days that would eventually catch Kaido's attention.
…
October 7, 1500, Age of the Sea Circle
"Yamato, come with me to my kingdom. Once we're ready, we'll return to free this country," Orion said, looking at the system screen that had just been restored.
They had spent the last few days together, strengthening their bond greatly, and Orion considered Yamato a dear friend. Perhaps it was due to their compatible personalities, but Yamato also felt very comfortable with Orion and had been happier than ever over the past two weeks.
Yet, Yamato's words weren't what Orion had expected.
"I won't go with you, Orion! My dream is to see the world and sail the seas just like Oden did, but I can't do that until Wano is free! I can't let the country Oden loved remain like this! I will fix things here first, and only then will I leave!" The little girl's voice was incredibly firm for her age, and Orion could see why she had been able to develop Conqueror's Haki at such a young age.
Still, Orion couldn't help worrying about her. Even as Kaido's daughter, the brutal pirate would show no mercy if she opposed his plans. Who knew if he wouldn't even kill her for resisting?
In Kaido's mind, Yamato was his heir, so he could not tolerate her wanting to continue the legacy of one of his greatest enemies: Oden.
Orion didn't want to leave Yamato alone in Wano, knowing she would be in danger, but he also knew she would never change her stance easily, since her idol Oden was involved. She was a passionate and stubborn girl, which is why she got along so well with Orion, leaving him at a crossroads about how to proceed.
For a moment, he considered resorting to his old kidnapping tactic, but he immediately dismissed the idea. He knew he could safely take Yamato by force, but he would betray her trust and perhaps earn her eternal enmity.
What Orion didn't know was that he wouldn't have much time to decide, as Kaido was already on his way!
Hours earlier, one of the pirate crew had witnessed Orion and Yamato eliminating a group of his comrades without being noticed. He immediately reported this to his captain, who began flying at full speed toward the unsuspecting children.
"Don't make that face, Orion! I know you'll miss me, but I promise I'll be fine! I'll wait for you to return. Together we'll free Wano, and then I'll accept your proposal to join you!" Yamato said with a smile, seeing Orion's disappointment after hearing her refusal.
"Of course I'll miss you! Won't you miss me?" Orion said indignantly, seeing Yamato's carefree expression, practically saying goodbye.
Yamato smiled gently, stepped forward, and hugged Orion's head to her chest.
"Idiot! Of course I'll miss you! What kind of question is that?!"
Orion couldn't break free, so he resigned himself and extended his arms, hugging her back. Yamato was surprised by his affection and loosened her grip slightly, adjusting the hug.
In the city outskirts, the two children embraced tenderly, saying their goodbyes. They hadn't spent much time together, but their friendship was strong and pure.
Finally, Yamato looked to the sky and saw a massive figure approaching at high speed. Reluctantly, she separated from Orion and, to his surprise, stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek.
"It's time for you to go. I'll be waiting for your return!"
Then she grabbed his arm and flung him away, before walking toward the approaching Kaido to buy some time if needed
Orion watched Yamato's back and vowed to return, to rescue her and solve the problems in Wano. It might take time, but he would grow stronger and come back.
He memorized Yamato's image and opened the Space Gate, jumping in without hesitation, intent on returning home.
He knew that if he waited for Kaido to reach the spot, escape would be impossible, as the pirate could destroy the Space Gate with his Conquerors Haki-imbued attacks.
Orion traveled through the space-time tunnel, but as usual, the Space Gate did not disappear immediately after he passed through.
Kaido, having completely ignored his daughter, lunged at the portal at full speed, causing it to tremble and crack until it finally exploded before it could vanish.
The pirate roared in fury, knowing he had let Orion escape, and that with the boy's talent, he would be a dangerous enemy if given time to grow freely. He then looked at Yamato, standing with her massive steel club, not backing down.
His anger subsided slightly, knowing at least his heir had not escaped, and he decided to ensure she could never leave the island. If it meant using the special shackles he had commissioned, so be it!
Meanwhile, Orion, traveling inside the space-time tunnel, felt the Space Gate explode from Kaido's attack and saw, in terror, the surrounding space begin to distort, while alerts appeared on the system screen.
Finally, before the tunnel completely collapsed, the system activated an emergency mechanism and ejected him.
Orion appeared high in the sky and began falling at great speed toward the ground—or rather, the sea!
In this water-filled world, the odds of ending up in the ocean after being transported randomly were far higher than landing on solid ground.
Splash!
Orion plunged into the ocean, feeling the cold water surround him. Dungeon completion notifications for Wano began appearing on his system screen, but Orion had no time to check them, because almost immediately, a massive beast appeared, swimming aggressively toward him.
Orion didn't think twice and, seeing the ferocious sea serpent attacking, swam to the surface and used Geppo to rise into the air.
The sea serpent leaped after him, determined to continue the chase, opening its mouth to devour the boy. But it hadn't counted on Orion not being an ordinary child—and not being in a good mood.
"Kamusari!"
Orion swung his cutlass, using his most brutal attack, slicing the sea monster in half without hesitation.
Yet what happened next completely stunned him. As the beast fell, new notifications appeared on the system screen.
*You have defeated the Named Beast "Lord of the Coast"*
*You have gained 10,000 SP*
*You have altered the future of the Main Character Monkey D. Luffy*
*You have gained 125,000 SP*
...
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