January 12, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
After the situation with Scarlett and Kyros calmed down, they left the precarious ship that was about to sink and returned to solid ground. Kyros had offered to carry Princess Scarlett in his arms to transport her up the coastal cliffs, but the young woman had flatly refused.
To begin with, she didn't hold a good opinion of Kyros, and now all her attention was focused on the mysterious and handsome hero who had just saved her. Why would she lose the chance to be carried in Orion's arms only to go with Kyros instead? There was no logic in that!
Unfortunately for her, she didn't have the opportunity to embrace her hero once more, since Orion simply opened his Pocket Dimension to transport them to the island. With no other option, Scarlett had to walk into the alternate dimension, with Kyros following closely behind to prevent any possible problem.
Although the austere warrior now had a much better impression of Orion, he didn't dare lower his guard completely, as he was still reproaching himself for having allowed Princess Scarlett to be captured moments earlier due to his negligence.
In reality, Scarlett's kidnapping had nothing to do with him, and his reaction had been so fast that if Orion had appeared just a moment later, Kyros would have been the hero of the situation.
It was unrealistic for him to control everything that happened in the kingdom without any incident, but his serious character and his gratitude toward King Riku made him demand more from himself than any human reasonably could.
Orion also took the opportunity to capture the pirates he had just defeated, who were still unconscious on the ship. He had no intention of killing them himself, since for pirates of this level, the amount of SP gained would be quite poor. It was better to hand them over to the king of this land as a gesture of goodwill.
After listening to Scarlett and Kyros' conversation, Orion had a rough idea of their statuses. Scarlett was clearly a princess here, and Kyros was the most important soldier under the royal family's command.
Now that Orion had stopped in this place to help Scarlett, his journey using Kuma's powers had come to an end. The only way for him to return home now, if he didn't want to sail there, was to use his Space Gate. Orion planned to spend a day or two in this place and then immediately return to Pacific Kingdom—or at least, that had been his original intention.
When he opened the system screen while walking with Scarlett and Kyros through the Pocket Dimension, the information he saw there made him change his mind. On the system map, there was a large number of Named Characters concentrated in this area, which clearly showed that this was an important location in the original story of this world.
Even though Orion was in a hurry to return home after such a long absence, he couldn't let the opportunity to explore this place pass by—and perhaps even recruit some talented people!
To begin with, the two people beside him were both Named Characters, though Orion didn't believe it would be possible to recruit them. Kyros was the most important soldier in this kingdom, so he wouldn't simply abandon everything to follow him. As for Scarlett, being a princess, the chances of recruiting her were even smaller.
Although she was clearly gazing at him with the bright eyes of a lovestruck young woman, Orion knew that such emotions were the least important ones in the world of nobles. What were the chances she would be willing to leave her own kingdom to follow him?
"Excuse me, my hero—your name was Orion, right? I am Scarlett, the first princess of the Kingdom of Dressrosa. I want to thank you once again for saving me," said the beautiful young woman, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"It's no problem; it was what I had to do. It's an honor to meet you, Miss Scarlett," Orion replied with a smile, then bowed his head, took her hand, and kissed it gently.
Scarlett's cheeks flushed even deeper, and a radiant smile appeared on her face, brightening her expression. Orion had to admit that the royal family's genes in this kingdom were truly remarkable, as the princess was so stunningly beautiful that she seemed like someone born from a dream.
Even so, Orion had just been in an intense honeymoon period with Victoria barely ten days earlier, so his desires weren't as overflowing as they usually were. Still, he openly admired Scarlett's beauty, though without making any move toward her.
Scarlett, on the other hand, seeing Orion's intense gaze upon her, felt immense joy, thinking that perhaps there was a chance of ending up in a romantic relationship with her hero, just like in the fairy tales she had read since childhood.
Orion didn't know that Dressrosa was world-famous for its passionate women—otherwise, he might have thought twice before "provoking" Princess Scarlett.
"In any case, your brave actions deserve a reward, Sir Orion! Please, accompany me to the palace, and my father, King Riku Doldo III, will reward you properly," said Scarlett, stepping forward and leaning slightly toward Orion, her eyes shining as she looked at him intently.
Orion felt the soft touch of the young woman's explosive curves brushing against his arm, and clearing his throat, he nodded in agreement to Scarlett's proposal. No matter how much time he had just spent with Victoria during their honeymoon, it was difficult for any normal man to endure such a visual and physical stimulus.
Having received affirmation from her hero, Scarlett clenched her fists triumphantly, proud that her charm seemed to have worked—just as that book she had found hidden in her father's room had described.
Orion turned his attention back to the system screen and noticed that several new notifications had appeared without him realizing it. The first one had even been issued before his encounter with Scarlett, back when he was flying through the skies, focused on reading the notebook filled with rare medicine recipes.
*The presence of a woman with compatibility exceeding 90% has been detected.*
This woman mentioned by the system was clearly Princess Scarlett, who was now walking happily beside him, and what that notification implied was that she possessed the aptitude to be registered as a Main Wife in the system!
Orion glanced sideways at the young woman, paying special attention to the tumultuous curves that threatened to defeat the restraint of her neckline. He had to admit that at least in certain basic aspects, she truly did seem highly compatible with him!
So far, Orion had unlocked three available slots to register his companions as Main Wives, but the number of women bearing that title was still zero due to the necessary requirements. Only women with compatibility greater than 90% and favorability exceeding 90 points could be registered as Main Wives.
Up until now, Orion had encountered very few women with such high compatibility—specifically four: Ginny, Robin, Toki, and Hancock. However, due to various circumstances, his relationships with those women were far from reaching a romantic status that could be registered in the system.
Now that he had met the beautiful Scarlett, who clearly had a good impression of him and was even rather proactive, Orion thought that perhaps the time had come to discover what would happen if he registered someone as a Main Wife in the system.
Still, establishing such a relationship with Scarlett would take time, so if Orion decided to pursue that path, he would have to remain in Dressrosa for a while longer.
The decision wasn't too difficult for Orion, who felt a deep curiosity about the higher-tier bond available for his companions in the system. If spending a bit more time in this place allowed him to uncover the answer to that question, he was perfectly willing to delay his return home!
Besides… he had to admit that Scarlett was truly a beautiful woman who fit perfectly with his personal tastes.
Even so, Orion wasn't willing to form a relationship with the princess in front of him merely for the sake of conducting an experiment. If, after spending time with her, he didn't develop genuine feelings, he wouldn't take the final step, as that would be disrespectful toward the young woman.
Orion was a very pragmatic man—sometimes perhaps too pragmatic, though he was working on improving that aspect of his personality—but he would never toy with another person's feelings just to gain some advantage from the situation. It was simply something his moral code would not allow him to do.
The only possible exception would be if the person he was deceiving was a villain, in which case the situation would become more complicated. But when it came to an innocent young woman like Scarlett, Orion would never play with her emotions in such a callous manner.
Once Orion decided to stay in Dressrosa a bit longer, his mindset shifted slightly, and he began paying closer attention to his surroundings, adopting a much more open attitude toward the development of new situations. Perhaps unconsciously, in his eagerness to return home quickly to see his loved ones, he had been too closed off to what was happening around him.
Now that his mentality had changed, Orion could even notice small details in Scarlett and Kyros that he hadn't perceived before, and he silently began to analyze everything he observed in this kingdom.
Finally, he looked at the next notification that had appeared in the system, following his intervention to save the red-haired princess.
*You have changed Scarlett's future. You have obtained 500 SP.*
500 SP wasn't a large amount—not nearly what he should have received for preventing the death of an important Named Character. From that, Orion was able to deduce that there were two possible reasons for such a small reward.
The first possibility was that Scarlett would have survived the pirate kidnapping without any major issue, and considering Kyros's near-immediate arrival at the scene, Orion tended to believe that was the most likely scenario.
The second possibility, however, was that Scarlett was a very minor character in the original story, and the fact that she survived was seen by the system as relatively irrelevant. Still, Orion believed that this second option was far less probable.
He couldn't clearly explain why, but considering the large number of Named Characters present in this kingdom, and the fact that she possessed the potential to be registered as a Main Wife, he believed it was highly likely that Scarlett was quite an important character in this world—or at least had the potential to become one.
Orion often speculated about the outcome of his actions whenever he altered the future, at least in cases where the system didn't provide additional information about the change, as in this one.
At the moment, Orion didn't know the specific alteration he had caused in Scarlett's future, but judging from the number of points he had received, he suspected it was a minor change, and that if he were to leave right now without continuing to interact with her, her original destiny would likely continue to unfold without significant deviation.
Shaking his head lightly, Orion set aside all these thoughts and, focusing his attention on the beautiful princess, asked,
"Princess Scarlett, what kind of kingdom is Dressrosa?"
The young woman appeared slightly surprised to hear Orion, who had remained silent for quite some time, finally begin to engage her proactively. Completely enthused, she began to recount the story of her beloved homeland.
Listening to the tale of the beautiful princess, Orion continued walking alongside Scarlett and Kyros toward the royal palace, where he would meet the benevolent King Riku for the first time.
…
Meanwhile, in the waters of the New World, Dracule Mihawk was locked in battle against a group of pirates—or rather, several groups of pirates.
"Mihawk! What are you doing?! Are you trying to declare war on Big Mom?!" shouted one of the pirates in desperation, blood gushing from his wounds and soaking his filthy clothes.
"Big Mom? I have no interest in her," Mihawk replied lazily, not taking the pirates confronting him seriously, as in his eyes they were nothing more than insects he could crush at will.
Even so, Mihawk wasn't a ruthless pirate; though he would leave them utterly destroyed and at death's door, it was unlikely he would finish them off completely. After all, such pirates didn't deserve the privilege of being taken seriously by him—or even of being slain with that same seriousness.
"Then why are you attacking us?! Have you lost your mind?!" shouted the pirate captain in exasperation, unable to comprehend how they had ended up in such a situation.
They had been sailing through the area carrying out missions for Big Mom, as they were part of the vast fleet subordinate to the legendary pirate. Yet, out of nowhere, they had been attacked by Mihawk without warning and for no apparent reason!
"The reason? You woke me from my nap," the Warlord said dryly. He was a man who followed his own rules and didn't care much about angering Big Mom.
Of course, he had no intention of actively making an enemy of the legendary pirate—there was nothing to gain from such an act—but he had no problem at all cutting down her subordinate crews, as he was doing now.
One of Mihawk's greatest advantages was that he always traveled alone and had no "weakness" that others could exploit. The only way someone could seek vengeance against him was to confront him personally, and if things ever came to that, he possessed enough skill either to face whoever came for him—or, at the very least, to escape successfully.
"What—your nap?" said the pirate captain, utterly dumbfounded by the swordsman's response. Looking around, he saw that four of his fleet's ships had already been destroyed, and the remaining ones were in dire condition. Even if by some miracle they managed to survive this confrontation, the losses they would suffer would be catastrophic—and all because they had woken him from his nap?
How capricious could this damned Warlord be?!
Furious at Mihawk's reply, the pirate raised his arm and shouted at the top of his lungs,
"Men! Let's teach this arrogant Warlord a lesson in humility!!"
"Oooohhh!!"
The other pirates raised their swords in unison to echo their captain's cry, but in the very next instant, a wave of sword energy descended upon the fleet's main ship, slicing it cleanly in two.
What followed was total carnage. In only a few moments, every ship was destroyed by Mihawk, who was merely swinging his sword without even exerting himself.
Buruburuburu buruburuburu.
The sound of an incoming call suddenly echoed across the now-silent waters. Mihawk glanced toward the few pirates still struggling to stay afloat in the distance and, sheathing his massive sword, stopped paying attention to those insignificant figures. Sliding a hand into his pocket, he pulled out a Den Den Mushi that was ringing insistently.
"Hello?" said the swordsman indifferently, answering only because it was Shanks calling him.
"Hey Mihawk! I've got some interesting news for you," said Shanks in his usual carefree tone.
"I'm listening," Mihawk replied curtly, used to dealing with Shanks in this manner.
"Always so expressive, huh? Well, never mind. Do you remember how you were complaining the other day about Orion escaping your duel?" said the red-haired man, trying to stir up a bit of mischief just to amuse himself.
When Mihawk said impatiently, "If you have something to say, say it quickly. Otherwise, there's no need to continue this call," he gave Shanks no chance to amuse himself at his expense.
"Hey, hey, hold on, don't hang up, I'll tell you," said Shanks, slightly offended that Mihawk hadn't played along, and then added,
"Orion is quite close to your current position, in Dressrosa. If you go there now, you'll probably be able to see him before he leaves."
"Understood," Mihawk replied, and without giving Shanks the chance to say another word, he ended the call without a moment's hesitation.
Then, he looked around, scanning the horizon with his red eyes, and determined the direction he needed to take to reach Dressrosa. Slowly, his small and peculiar one-person ship began to move toward the location where Orion was.
Mihawk closed his eyes, ready to sleep a little more, and a brief smile flickered across his face. Perhaps there would soon be something interesting to do after all.
Meanwhile, somewhere near Mary Geoise, in the first half of the Grand Line, Shanks looked with great frustration at the little snail that had fallen peacefully back asleep after Mihawk had ended the call. He had wanted to amuse himself a bit longer by provoking a fight between Orion and Mihawk, but the stingy swordsman hadn't given him the chance.
Putting the Den Den Mushi away, he turned his gaze toward the two young men glaring at him with hostility, Lucky Roux and Gab. With a relaxed smile, he said,
"Hey, there's no need to get mad. Believe it or not, I'm helping Orion by sending Mihawk to him!"
Even so, the two young men, who after spending a few months with Shanks already knew how much he enjoyed pulling pranks and stirring up chaotic situations, didn't seem very convinced.
Shanks shook his head with a hint of bitterness, saying,
"I see you don't believe me, but you'll see in the future that my words were true." Then, after a brief pause, he looked thoughtful for a moment before adding,
"The future that's coming is a bit complicated. Even I don't fully know what will happen. What I hope is that Orion can take an active part when the time comes… Though, in his current state, that's impossible."
The two young men listened to Shanks's mutterings, which sounded more like he was thinking out loud, and couldn't grasp what he was referring to. This red-haired pirate was a very mysterious man, and only the top members of his crew knew part of his secrets. Two "guests" like them didn't meet the requirements to know much more.
"In any case, you'd better prepare for battle. We'll be having a little exercise soon," said Shanks, gazing into the distance as he unleashed his monstrous Observation Haki.
Far away—beyond what any normal person could perceive—there was a Marine vessel heading toward Shanks's location.
If Orion had been there to see his crew, he would have been quite surprised to find a large number of familiar faces aboard that ship: Garp, Bogard, Doll, Gion, Hina, Hound, and even Julia, Doll's friend and former maid.
This was an elite group in the final stages of their training under Garp and Bogard's command, and they would go on to become some of the most influential figures in the future of the Marines, for each of them possessed exceptional talent… with the possible exception of Julia, who spent her days wishing she had been reincarnated into a Yaoi anime world without people wielding monstrous powers.
...
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