October 22, 1500, Age of the Sea Circle
When Orion returned to Makino's family tavern, evening was already falling. He had not gone back immediately, instead taking advantage of the chance to be alone with Makino for as long as possible.
From the moment he had arrived in this village and met Makino, Orion had never been able to spend time alone with her, since the angry tavern keeper would always come chasing him off with a knife whenever he tried. For that reason, little Orion acted a little spoiled on this occasion, wandering around the area with Makino in his arms for a few extra minutes.
Even so, he tried not to overdo it and not to return too late, so as not to worry Makino's parents too much.
When the tavern keeper and his wife saw Orion arrive with Makino safe and sound in his arms, they rushed to embrace their daughter, not paying much attention to the closeness between the two children.
"Makino! Are you all right? Those beasts didn't hurt you, did they?" said Makino's mother with tears spilling from her eyes.
"I'm fine, Mom… Orion rescued me before they could hurt me…" Makino replied, trying to console her mother as she hugged her tenderly.
Hearing her words, the woman looked at Orion with gratitude, and bowing her head, said between sobs, "Thank you, Orion, thank you so much!"
Orion simply smiled and said, "There's nothing to thank me for, it was what I had to do!"
Makino's mother kept thanking him profusely, without letting go of her little girl, who was her treasure. Makino was her only daughter, but not her first child. She had suffered through several troubled pregnancies and lost more than one baby before finally being able to have Makino. To the couple, their precious daughter was their greatest treasure, and they treated her like a queen.
Kolino, on the other hand, spoke no words of gratitude to Orion. He simply looked at him calmly, nodding his head.
Seeing that his health appeared stable, Orion approached the tavern keeper.
"Father-in-law, I need to examine you once more to make sure the antidote I gave you is working properly," Orion said with a friendly smile.
Makino's father was about to explode as usual at hearing the word "father-in-law," but remembering that Orion had saved both his life and his daughter's, he could only swallow his words and respond with an unintelligible grunt of agreement.
Orion and the family of three went to their house, which was located behind the tavern in a separate building. It was the first time Orion had entered Makino's home, and he immediately felt excited at the thought that he was finally making progress toward his dream of taking Makino as his wife in the future. At the very least, her family no longer rejected him so much that they would deny him entry to their home.
Kolino sat down in one of the chairs, and Orion approached him with complete seriousness, beginning to examine his physical condition in detail. Makino's family had not expected Orion to have knowledge of medicine, so they looked on in astonishment at the professionalism of his movements.
At last, Orion confirmed that everything was fine with the tavern keeper, and he simply prepared a little extra medicine to treat some of the side effects of the poison. Even so, his life was not in danger, and he would recover fully within a couple of days.
Once young Orion finished examining the tavern keeper, he stood with a smile, ready to leave and let the little family continue their reunion. However, Makino's mother stopped him, inviting him to stay for dinner with them.
Orion looked surprised at being suddenly ambushed with an invitation to dinner, but immediately grinned from ear to ear and accepted. The tavern keeper, meanwhile, only crossed his arms with a somewhat complicated expression, saying nothing but tacitly accepting the matter.
Orion's status in the family's eyes had completely changed. He was now their benefactor, and although the tavern keeper still refused to let him sink his claws into his little daughter, he was not a man who would fail to repay debts of gratitude, so his attitude toward Orion was much softer than it had been before.
Orion enjoyed a delicious dinner with Makino and her family, and finally left in high spirits. As he stepped out the front door, Kolino appeared behind him and said quietly, "Thanks." A single word of gratitude, yet his sincerity was clear.
After saying thanks, the man turned and went back inside his house, while Orion sensed something with his Observation Haki. Looking up, he found Makino's eyes on him as she peered from the window of her upstairs room.
The girl's eyes widened in panic at being caught secretly watching him, and she grew nervous, trying to disguise it by pretending she was looking at the plants in the window box.
Orion waved at her and shouted,
"Makino! You look super beautiful under the moonlight! Tomorrow I'll bring you a gift and ask your father for your hand in marriage!"
Makino's cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her gaze, not daring to meet Orion's eyes, just as the door of the house burst open violently and Kolino stormed out, brandishing a knife to chase Orion.
"You damned brat! You're taking advantage of my gratitude! Don't think I'll ever let you lay your hands on Makino!" the tavern keeper shouted indignantly.
"Haha, see you tomorrow, Makino! Sleep well!" said Orion, easily dodging the tavern keeper's deadly strikes as he ran off into the distance.
"See you tomorrow," Makino whispered, her voice almost inaudible, as she placed her hands on her chest to feel the beating of her heart.
Orion ran for several minutes until the tavern keeper finally gave up the chase and retreated, muttering curses under his breath.
Once alone, Orion opened a door in the air and stepped into the Pocket Dimension. He greeted Nibble, who was sleeping on his back beside the bed, since he had grown far too large to fit on Orion's bed as he used to.
Orion flopped onto the soft bed and focused his gaze on the system screen. With everything that had happened, he had not had the time to check the notifications he had received, so it was finally time to see their contents.
He entered the notifications log and began reading them in chronological order, from the first to the last.
You have changed the future of Named Character Makino. You have earned 500 SP
You have changed the future of Named Character (VIP) Shanks. You have earned 10,000 SP
These were the first two notifications he had received. One had triggered after he gave the poison antidote to Makino's father, while the other had appeared when he went to rescue the girl from the mountain bandits.
Curious, Orion pressed the small "+" sign at the end of each notification to view additional details about the changes that had been made.
However, when he read the contents of this extra information, Orion suddenly sat up on the bed, alarmed, his brow furrowed. The additional data in the first notification contained nothing strange; it simply indicated that his action had prevented Makino's father's death, thereby sparing her from having to take charge of the family tavern prematurely.
The second notification, however, was the problem, for it stated that his actions had caused Shanks not to save Makino, thus preventing the development of their future romance!
The moment Orion read that Shanks was meant to have a romance with Makino, all the favor he had gained toward him in recent days evaporated! At last Shanks was revealing his true colors! He was a sly fox trying to seduce the woman Orion loved!
Obviously, Shanks had no intention of interfering between him and Makino, nor did he currently harbor such feelings toward the young girl, but in Orion's love-stricken mind, things were not so simple.
If Orion's adult consciousness had been in control, he would not have thought Shanks was trying to steal his woman; instead, he would have realized that it was he who had stolen Shanks's woman. After all, his own actions had altered the original timeline.
In that version of events, Shanks would have rescued Makino from the mountain bandits, and she likely would have fallen completely in love with him then.
The young Orion rolled angrily on the bed, swearing that the next time he saw Shanks, he would teach him a lesson once and for all. Then he continued reading the remaining notifications.
The next notification, however, was for a new mission from the system, and the ones that followed confirmed its completion and the receipt of rewards!
*Mission 18 – The Damsel in Distress
Description: Love is the foundation of all emotions and, on many occasions, the driving force behind dramatic changes in the world. As an agent of change, you cannot allow your beloved to be placed in danger.
Objective: Rescue Makino from the mountain bandits.
Reward: SP, Random Skill, increase in Makino's favorability *
* Mission 18 – The Damsel in Distress has been completed*
*You have obtained 1000 SP*
*You have obtained the skill "Electro (Level 0)". *
*A lower-level similar skill has been identified.*
*Your skill Taser Gun (Level 1) has been removed*
*The favorability of Named Character Makino has increased to (85)*
*You have obtained a bonus reward for your performance in the mission*
*You have obtained the skill "Soothing Aura (Level 1)"*
Orion finished reading all the notifications with great interest. The fact that he had completed a mission without realizing it was truly a pleasant surprise, and the rewards he had received were also quite good.
In addition to some SP, the increase in Makino's favorability was something that made Orion very happy. On the other hand, although his "Taser Gun" skill had been removed, he had gained a new ability with similar characteristics, but with far greater power!
Orion sat up on the bed and pressed his hands together, focusing his mind on his body. With some effort, he began to generate electricity, which accumulated in the palms of his hands. A tiny ball of electricity appeared in the hollow between his palms, but before it could grow too much, Orion lost control and the electricity dissipated without leaving a trace.
"This ability is very difficult to control," Orion said, sighing with a touch of fatigue.
To produce even a small amount of electricity, he had to focus all his attention on it, and the process was not quick. Moreover, he still could not control the power of electricity well enough to shape it into an attack usable in combat.
As it was now, the ability was utterly useless in battle. Yet Orion did not feel discouraged, because he knew this was only the most basic form of the ability, and that if he managed to master it, it would undoubtedly become one of his strongest cards in the future.
Furthermore, in the brief moment he had used the ability, he had noticed the way electricity flowed and how to produce it faster and with greater ease. Perhaps this ability was especially compatible with him, or maybe his talent and years of training had made him more prone to learning at greater speed.
In any case, Orion could feel that this was an ability he could level up with relative speed, at least at its current stage. Therefore, he was quite encouraged, thinking that with a little practice he would be able to unleash electric discharges on his enemies to catch them by surprise during battle.
Finally, the last ability he had obtained, Soothing Aura, was an active ability meant to calm people's emotions. According to its description, it worked best if some activity was used as a channeling medium, with music being the recommended choice.
Basically, this ability allowed him to affect people's emotions, soothing them, and if he did it through a song, the effect would be even stronger.
Orion did not consider it a particularly good reward, nor was it flashy and powerful like "Electro." However, he tried never to underestimate any of the abilities he received, since even the most useless ones had proven helpful in certain specific situations, and surely this one would be no exception.
Satisfied after a day filled with good results, Orion lay down on his bed and soon fell asleep. That night, he dreamed of Makino dressed in a white wedding gown, although halfway through the dream the hateful Shanks appeared, trying to steal his bride, and the beautiful dream turned into a nightmare.
…
November 7, 1500, Age of the Sea Circle
Another half month had passed since Orion saved Makino from the mountain bandits.
During that time, he kept going daily to Makino's father's bar, openly proclaiming his love for her. Kolino, the tavern keeper, remained firm in his opposition to Orion getting too close to his daughter, although he treated him much more cordially after his family had been saved by him.
Even though Orion was still nothing more than a pesky little brat in his mind, at least he no longer considered him a useless loafer, and he had developed a certain respect for him. If it weren't for the fact that he was trying to form a relationship with his daughter, Kolino would have thought Orion was an exceptional child.
That was the tragic fate of all overprotective fathers of daughters—they had no choice but to be the enemies of all the young men who showed up with ambiguous intentions. The saddest part was that their struggle was doomed to end in failure, since no one could restrain the power of love and desire.
Makino's mother, on the other hand, had accepted Orion, and she was happy to welcome him into the family if Makino accepted his feelings. In her mind, the matter was much simpler: if her daughter was happy and the boy was trustworthy, then there would be no problem at all.
Makino's mother had even gone so far as to ask actively about Orion's origins and the whereabouts of his family, with the intention of perhaps discussing a possible marriage in the future. To this, Orion had no choice but to reply with the truth, telling her that he was a king of a distant kingdom in the South Blue.
Of course, such words earned him the mockery of the tavern keeper, who sneered that he was capable of inventing any sort of lie just to trick his little daughter and make her drop her guard.
Naturally, Orion responded with indignation, declaring that the tavern keeper's words were slander, and even invited them to migrate to his kingdom. But he was flatly rejected by the tavern keeper, who—even if he believed his words—had no intention of leaving his current home.
Orion knew it was practically impossible for them to accept his offer, but he had made it nonetheless, simply because he did not want to be separated from Makino. Unfortunately, there was no choice but to part ways.
He had been away from his kingdom for months, and it was time to return. He could not remain indefinitely in the East Blue, no matter how much he wished not to leave Makino.
Besides, another change had occurred just days before, and it had altered everything: Orion's adult mind had finally awakened!
With his adult mind once again taking control of the situation, little Orion's stay had come to an end. Although both shared the same emotions and memories—so his adult mind inherited the feelings of love for Makino—adult Orion felt strange harboring such emotions toward a twelve-year-old girl, and he concluded that the best course of action was to leave immediately!
For that reason, even though Orion was once again fully conscious, he voluntarily suppressed his memories, allowing little Orion to remain in control for a few days so that he could properly say goodbye to Makino.
And today, at last, the moment of farewell had arrived.
For the final time, little Orion came carrying a bouquet of flowers, and this time he was not stopped by the tavern keeper, who was being held back by his wife so as not to interrupt the children's parting.
Orion had told them he would be leaving today, so they already knew this would be the last time they saw him for quite a while.
"Makino, today I came to say goodbye," Orion said, handing her the bouquet of flowers.
"However, don't think I've given up on you! I swear I'll come back to make you my wife! That's why I want you to wait for me," Orion declared, taking Makino's hands in what, for the girl, felt like a very romantic moment—although his next words spoiled the tender mood a little.
"And if that stinky Shanks shows up and tries to seduce you, call me and I'll give him a good beating!"
Makino showed a confused expression, but seeing the seriousness in Orion's eyes, she finally had no choice but to nod her head, as if to reassure him.
When Orion saw her respond positively, he smiled once more and pulled out one last gift from his Pocket Dimension.
"This chest is for you, Makino. Inside there are several things that might be useful to you, and a Den Den Mushi you can use to contact me at any time!"
Makino took the chest carefully and nodded again. Then, glancing sideways at her parents, and summoning all her courage, she stepped forward and kissed Orion on the cheek.
Little Orion's mind exploded at the gentle touch of Makino's lips against his skin, and he stood frozen in shock. However, he quickly had to come back to his senses, for his Observation Haki sent him a warning.
Moving with agility, he dodged the blade of the tavern keeper's knife, and though the first strike had missed, the man did not relent. Enraged beyond reason, he began once again the scene that had repeated itself countless times in the last month.
"Damn brat! Stay away from my Makino!" the furious tavern keeper shouted.
Orion laughed with delight, and while dodging the attacks, waved his hand in farewell to Makino and her mother.
"Makino, mother-in-law, we'll see each other soon. Please take care, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to call me!"
Orion kept laughing as he slipped past the knife slashes, retreating toward the door. Finally, just before leaving the cozy bar, Orion's body grew into his adult form, and his eyes gained a depth that had not been there before.
He stopped at the door and raised his hand, catching the tavern keeper's knife between two fingers. Then, under the man's astonished gaze, he said:
"Father-in-law, we'll see each other next time." And with a laugh, he darted away at full speed, leaving behind the agitated and indignant Kolino.
Meanwhile, Makino kept her eyes fixed on the spot where Orion had been just moments before. For a brief instant, he had taken on his adult form and shown a completely different expression. He had looked so… mature. Makino couldn't help but blush again, thinking that next time, she would like to see more of that mature side of Orion.
She seemed to ignore the fact that just moments earlier that same mature Orion had acted like a child, teasing her father Kolino and running away at full speed, laughing all the while.
...
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my patreon.
P@treon/CrotoWN
Your support helps me keep writing and sharing more chapters!