October 14, 1500, Age of the Sea Circle
"Good morning, Father-in-law! I came to see Makino. This gift is for you!" said Orion, laying on the floor the enormous fish he had caught himself just a few hours earlier.
For the past week, he had been coming to Makino's family tavern every single day, always bringing gifts for her and for her parents. Orion wanted to win Makino's father's approval and show him that he was someone trustworthy, so his presents usually leaned toward the more practical side, while also subtly displaying his strength.
In previous days, he had brought all sorts of dangerous beasts for the tavern keeper to serve to his customers, and had even offered to cook them himself.
Even so, no matter how much enthusiasm Orion showed, the outcome was always the same. The furious tavern keeper would end up chasing him out with his massive knife, never giving him the slightest chance to be alone with Makino.
Today would be no exception.
"Damn brat! Get out of here right now and stop pestering my daughter!" barked the tavern keeper, flexing his bodybuilder-sized muscles.
"Father-in-law, my intentions are not bad. I simply fell in love with Makino at first sight. Please, give me a chance to prove I'm the right man for her!" Orion said with a determined tone.
"Bah! What man? You're just a brat! I'll warn you one last time—if you don't stay away from my Makino, I'll cut you into pieces!" the tavern keeper growled darkly.
Yet despite his words, in the past few days he had come to understand that Orion was no ordinary child, and that much was obvious at a glance. This damned brat who came every day to harass his precious daughter was in fact a monster, with physical abilities far beyond those of a normal adult. Even he, who had spent many years sailing the seas and took pride in his own strength, couldn't keep up with Orion's movements whenever the boy darted about at full speed.
Fortunately, Orion bore no ill will toward Makino or her family, and he would never do something like try to take her away by force or anything of the sort. That fact eased Makino's father somewhat, for after several days of dealing with Orion, he knew the boy was neither heartless nor dangerous.
Even so, that didn't mean he would ever accept Orion having any kind of relationship with his little princess!
"I understand, Father-in-law. I'll be back tomorrow with more gifts!" Orion declared, completely ignoring the tavern keeper's habitual refusal. He hadn't awakened his Conqueror's Haki by giving up, and he had no intention of backing down from courting Makino. Still, his methods were rather poor, since he had no experience whatsoever in the art of winning over a young woman or earning the favor of her family.
The only thing he could think of was to look neat and presentable in his clothing, to be respectful each day, and to keep bringing gifts.
"Bah, get out of here—I won't waste any more time on you!" snapped the tavern keeper, waving his hand dismissively.
Orion nodded, gave a small bow, and then vanished from where he stood by using Soru. To the astonishment of everyone present in the tavern, Orion reappeared like a phantom right in front of Makino, where he smiled and placed a parchment in her hands.
"This is a painting I made for you, Makino," Orion said with a broad smile.
Makino nodded, feeling a little flustered by Orion's overly direct actions, yet she accepted the gift nonetheless. She did not hold a bad opinion of him, and although she didn't openly accept his feelings, neither did she reject them.
In truth, she didn't quite know how to react, as it was the first time anyone had ever asked for her hand in marriage, but in order not to go against her father, she tried to limit her contact with Orion.
Her mother, on the other hand, was far more relaxed, and her attitude toward Orion was not one of outright rejection but rather of scrutiny. She believed Orion was not dangerous, and even found his clumsy attempts to win the family over somewhat adorable. That didn't mean she would go against her husband's will, of course, since as head of the household he had the final say in family matters.
Orion turned around, ready to take his leave, when suddenly a group of people entered the tavern.
He froze in place, staring in astonishment at the newcomers—or more precisely, at the man leading them. It was none other than Shanks! The very same man he had encountered years ago in Roux Kingdom.
"Duck!" Orion muttered to himself. He had been so absorbed with Makino that he had completely overlooked the arrival of this dangerous Named Character!
Although Shanks was not his enemy—and last time had even helped him escape—he wasn't his friend either. Orion had even sworn that the next time they met he would give him what he deserved, but with the power he had now, there was no way he could win against the Shanks of two years ago, much less against the Shanks of today, who was surely far stronger.
Shanks walked in with a friendly smile, dressed in humble clothes and wearing a straw hat, looking completely different from the last time Orion had seen him. On that occasion, he had been dressed like a noble of the World Government, full of pomp, but now he seemed like a friendly, approachable fellow.
However, in young Orion's mind, Shanks's appearance mattered little. What truly mattered was that he was dangerous if he decided to attack, and Orion's whole body instantly tensed, entering a state of high alert.
Shanks looked at Orion with a warm smile and made no hostile move, as if he had merely bumped into an old acquaintance. Meanwhile, the people who had come along with Shanks entered noisily, with a cheerful air, and sat down at one of the empty tables in the tavern.
Glancing at his system screen, Orion was startled to find that several of Shanks's companions were Named Characters, and sweat began to bead on his forehead under the crushing pressure of the situation. Shanks alone was already difficult enough to deal with—if he had to add a group of powerful Named Characters to that, the situation would be utterly hopeless.
"Shanks! It's good to see you, lad! I see your crew has grown again—you've been busy, eh?" said Makino's father, his tone toward Shanks completely different from the one he reserved for Orion, brimming with cordiality and warmth.
Shanks tore his gaze from Orion and turned to the tavern keeper, extending his hand with a grin and giving him a firm handshake.
"Mr. Kolino, you wouldn't believe what happened this time. We were sailing and ended up on an island that turned out to be a giant piece of goldfish crap!" Shanks said with a charismatic, easy smile that made anyone who saw him want to smile along.
"Hahaha! Your stories are always so ridiculous, but I like them! Sit down, I'll bring you the best liquor I've got!" Makino's father replied. But then he turned and noticed Orion was still there, and his good humor evaporated in an instant.
"Damn brat, you're still here?! You'd better get lost, or I'll ask Shanks to give you a good beating!" the tavern keeper barked, struck by the sudden idea that he had just found the perfect way to get rid of annoying Orion.
He had first met Shanks two years earlier, when the young man had come with his friend Yasopp. Back then, they were just starting out their careers as pirates, operating in the area, dealing with the most dangerous pirates and earning the goodwill of many locals.
Kolino, the tavern keeper, had watched Shanks begin as a rookie pirate captain and steadily advance, building a strong crew and gaining notoriety and fame. During that time, Shanks had visited his tavern countless times, though the frequency of his visits had diminished as his range of activity expanded.
Kolino knew Shanks was incredibly powerful, and so the thought came to him at once: why not just ask him to teach Orion a lesson, so he'd stop pestering his beloved daughter? It was the perfect plan!
Orion frowned at the tavern keeper's words but said nothing, while Shanks fixed his eyes on him again, and there seemed to be a faintly teasing glint in his gaze.
Curious about the situation, Shanks asked the tavern keeper what was going on, and as soon as he heard the angry man ranting about his fear that Orion might steal his daughter away, Shanks laughed heartily.
His eyes sparkled with interest, and with a mischievous grin he said:
"Orion, that's your name, right? Don't you know this territory is under my control? Are you trying to challenge me?"
Shanks, of course, had no real intention of harming Orion—after all, he was someone precious to Roger, and they bore no enmity. But that didn't mean he wasn't tempted to teach a lesson to the cheeky little brat who had flipped him off during their last encounter.
Orion didn't take Shanks's bait. He simply waved his hand and said:
"I have no intention of starting a conflict with you. I don't think you'd want to control people's lives to the point where I'd need your permission just to propose marriage to someone, right?"
Then he walked toward the tavern door, intending to leave before any unnecessary trouble could arise. Despite lacking his adult cognitive abilities, little Orion wasn't stupid—he knew Shanks was trying to provoke him, probably to find an excuse to thrash him or something along those lines. But he wasn't about to give him the chance!
Yet Orion underestimated Shanks's experience and cunning.
"You're right that under normal circumstances it wouldn't concern me," Shanks said, "but when you're trying to seduce my fiancée, that changes things, doesn't it?" He finished with a wink at Makino, who was watching quietly from the side.
"What?!" Orion and the tavern keeper shouted at the same time.
Makino's father had never expected that, in his attempt to get rid of Orion, he would end up with Shanks claiming he had intentions toward his little daughter! No matter how highly he thought of Shanks, he would never allow him to lay a hand on her. Besides, unlike Orion, who was Makino's age, Shanks was an adult! He was eight years older than his daughter—there was no way, as a father, he could remain calm upon hearing such words from the pirate!
However, before he could react violently, the tavern keeper heard a voice speaking in a tone audible only to him, and he immediately calmed down, waiting to see how events would unfold.
Of course, Shanks had assured him it was all just an act to deal with Orion, and that he had no actual designs on his young daughter.
Shanks's provocation had the intended effect, for little Orion stopped in his tracks and turned to face the red-haired pirate, narrowing his eyes with an aggressive air.
Seeing the expression on Orion's face, Shanks smiled triumphantly, realizing that only one more small push was needed to achieve his goal. For that reason, he reached out and draped an arm around Makino's shoulder, who was still standing off to the side, quietly observing the situation.
"Why are you looking at me like that? You can ask Makino—she said that when she grew up, she would marry me. That was two years ago, so it isn't wrong to say she's my fiancée," Shanks said with a grin. He was thoroughly enjoying provoking Orion, and he knew that once he had given him a little lesson, he would feel refreshed and ready to make peace with him.
Yet he underestimated the depth of the little Orion's infatuation, for the moment he saw Makino blushing in Shanks's arms, all caution vanished, and he resolved then and there that he had to give that damned redhead a proper beating.
In truth, Makino had indeed harbored a crush on Shanks. He was the coolest and strongest pirate in the area, and having grown up hearing about him, it was impossible for the girl not to have a favorable impression. But this was not a true feeling of love—rather, it resembled the kind of admiration fans felt for idols in Orion's past life on Earth.
Makino had certainly never promised to marry Shanks, nor said anything resembling what he now claimed. Yet, when she suddenly found herself embraced by her crush, she had no idea how to react; all she could do was stand there with her cheeks burning red, which only made Orion seethe with fury.
Shanks was actually quite lucky, for if Orion's adult mind had been in control, he would never have been provoked by such a simple trick.
"Fine then! If you want a fight, you'll have one! Let's do this right now!" shouted little Orion, who seemed almost engulfed in flames by the intensity of his emotions.
"That's more like it! This is how such matters should be settled! Whoever wins will claim Makino's love!" said Shanks, letting go of the girl and placing a hand on the sword at his waist.
But Orion's voice rang out again, and his words startled both Makino and her father.
"No! You don't get to decide that! People are free to choose who they love—don't you know something so basic?" Orion retorted, rejecting Shanks's careless words.
"Our fight isn't to decide something like that. I just don't like your face!" Orion declared, folding his arms.
Shanks was taken aback, for he had not expected such words from Orion, but he quickly burst into laughter and said:
"Very well, but you don't think we'll fight with nothing at stake, do you? If I win, you won't be allowed near Makino again. And if you win, I won't interfere in your affairs. How about that?"
"Deal!" Orion replied. But before Shanks could say anything else, he added:
"However, don't you think it's shameful to compete against a child like me? You should at least give me some sort of advantage. If I manage to land a single hit on you, that's my victory. What do you say?" Orion asked with utter cheek.
Considering the level of power Orion had demonstrated a few years earlier, Shanks decided it wasn't an unreasonable proposal. After all, it was true that Orion was only a child, so if he didn't give him any handicap, it would simply feel like bullying.
"Alright then, but remember—you're the one who set these conditions. Don't regret it once you lose," Shanks said, wiping the grin from his face and looking at him with sudden seriousness.
"Deal!" said little Orion with a fierce smile. Then he used Soru and vanished from the tavern, sprinting toward the outskirts of the village, where a fight with Shanks wouldn't cause any trouble.
Shanks followed immediately, and the rest of his crew hurried after him as well, carrying several bottles of liquor. To them, it was a rather amusing situation, and they wanted to see what this little boy who knew their captain was capable of.
In just a few moments, they arrived at a spot suitable for the fight, and without further ado, Orion drew his cutlass and unleashed his strongest technique.
"Kamusari!"
Now that he was able to imbue his blade with Armament Haki, the attack resembled the original far more, though it was still leagues away from the true power Roger's version carried, since that required infusing the weapon with Conqueror's Haki.
Even so, Shanks was genuinely surprised, for he hadn't expected Orion to have advanced so much in so little time. The red-haired pirate couldn't help but compare it to his own strength at Orion's age, and he had to admit that back then, he himself hadn't been capable of wielding Haki with such skill.
Even so, it was by no means difficult for Shanks to stop Orion's attack, and he didn't even need to draw his sword. With just a single finger, he was able to halt Orion's strongest strike without the slightest problem, revealing the immense gulf between their combat abilities.
It was only natural—Shanks was nearly twenty years old, and while his power was not yet on par with monsters of the old generation like Kaido, he was already far stronger than most of the Warlords. There were not many people in the world capable of giving him a proper fight.
"Un Fleur."
"Shigan."
Orion created a finger in the air, attempting to blind Shanks, but the redhead simply destroyed it with a casual slap.
"Fuck!" Orion felt searing pain in his left hand and realized his finger had been completely mangled by Shanks's counterattack.
That was one of the harshest drawbacks of the ability he had obtained thanks to Robin: any damage sustained by the appendages he created was transmitted directly to his body.
Little Orion didn't dare to use that technique again, since he knew that if he hadn't managed to take Shanks by surprise the first time, trying it again would be useless and would only leave him more exposed to injury.
Instead, he kept his distance and began attacking with projectiles, altered through his Art Coating ability. After all, he only needed one clean hit to win the fight.
Shanks didn't exert much effort; he simply dodged the projectiles, destroying the ones he couldn't completely avoid. His crew, watching from the sidelines, began booing him as they drank cheerfully, complaining that he was just bullying a child.
Even so, Shanks didn't lower his guard, for he knew Orion possessed strange techniques and had not yet revealed all of his cards.
Orion used Soru and Geppo, rising into the sky. Then he activated "Un Fleur" again, though this time not to attack Shanks, but to create a door in the ground beneath his feet using his Space Door ability. Shanks didn't fall into the Pocket Dimension, but he did lose his balance for a fraction of a second—enough time for Orion to dive at him like an eagle.
However, the pirate wasn't impressed by Orion's attack, which to him felt far too straightforward. He leapt upward and kicked Orion in the head—only for the boy to dissolve instantly into a cloud of ink.
Canvas Realm! Orion had crafted a flawless image of himself with his special ability, managing even to deceive Shanks's Observation Haki.
Shanks spun around and unleashed a violent punch, striking little Orion head-on as he emerged from the Pocket Dimension through the door he had previously opened beneath Shanks's feet.
Bam!
Shanks's fist landed squarely on Orion, and this time it was no false body. The red-haired pirate shook his head, a little disappointed with Orion's performance, which was below what he had expected—yet he immediately realized something was wrong.
His fist had hit Orion squarely, but instead of connecting with his body, it had been stopped by a strange barrier that looked as though it were made of… wood.
The wood spread as if alive, shielding Orion, and began creeping up Shanks's arm, restricting his movements. This was an item Orion had obtained after completing the mission to save Rouge: the Sanctuary Vine.
This object was essentially a disposable protection talisman, capable of defending a person even from a powerful strike like Shanks's. The best part of this item was that, though consumable, it regenerated endlessly. What Orion had received was the plant itself, from which he could harvest the wood that took the form of a bracelet and acted as a protective charm.
Over the years, the plant had produced many such talismans, especially since Orion had discovered he could accelerate its growth with his "Water the Plants" ability—an ability he had long considered completely useless.
Thanks to this, he had been able to provide the talisman to his loved ones and closest subordinates. Even during his absence from the Pacific Kingdom this time, the Sanctuary Vine had continued producing its charms, which was why little Orion had an extra one to use in a situation like this.
Shanks was caught off guard but remained composed, for the gap between their levels was such that it was impossible for Orion to capitalize on the small advantages he managed to seize during the fight.
He extended his Armament Haki–coated hand and shattered the wooden layer encasing his arm, but just then Orion leapt at him again, unleashing his Conqueror's Haki and freezing Shanks's movements for a fraction of a second.
Then he activated Age Change on the pirate, and taking advantage of his distraction, successfully transformed him into a child of the same age as him. Finally, as the stunned Shanks looked on in disbelief at his new small body, Orion slammed his fist squarely into his face—this time without using Armament Haki or any other special technique.
A simple, satisfying punch.
Shanks's face swelled instantly, and little Orion stepped back, gasping for breath after having used so many abilities in quick succession.
Shanks' body returned to normal, reverting to his twenty-year-old self after just a brief instant—an instant that had nonetheless been enough for Orion to land an attack.
It was true that Shanks had not fought seriously. He hadn't even used his Conqueror's Haki nor drawn his sword, yet even so, little Orion's victory had been nothing short of astonishing, both for the red-haired man himself and for his crew, who had been watching the fight from nearby.
Silence fell over the scene as the duel came to an end, until suddenly the small Orion's cheerful voice rang out:
"Fuck you, Shanks! I won the fight, now you can't bother me while I'm with Makino!"
Orion's words, carried in his childish tone, acted like a trigger. In an instant, Shanks' crew burst into roaring laughter, teasing their captain mercilessly for having lost in such a spectacular way.
Shanks merely shook his head with a faint smile, rubbing his hand against his right cheek, which was still a little swollen despite his return to normal age.
As he looked at Orion, lying on his back and gazing up at the distant sky with a wide smile of triumph, Shanks felt no irritation whatsoever. Instead, he simply thought that Orion was, after all, quite an interesting child.
...
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