January 19, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
After Orion finished explaining his plan to create fields for cultivating medicinal herbs in Dressrosa, he discussed the details with the Tontatta king and easily reached an agreement.
Truth be told, the Tontatta were a people who also lived in rather precarious conditions, so the moment Orion mentioned that they could obtain plenty of resources to improve their lives, they accepted the deal immediately.
After all, their task would be to grow and ensure the proper development of the medicinal plants—something they were true experts at. If Orion had asked them to work in mines or something of that nature, they probably would have refused, but tending plantations was something they naturally enjoyed doing.
Once Orion secured the Tontatta's cooperation in cultivating the medicinal herbs, he sighed in relief, thinking that one of the key points of his plan had been resolved. Now he only needed to speak with King Riku about the matter so that he could take part in the discussions.
After all, Orion was merely a foreigner in this kingdom, and although his intentions were to help improve the lives of Dressrosa's inhabitants, it was ultimately the king who had to decide whether to carry out Orion's ambitious plan—or reject it.
Fortunately, Scarlett had accompanied him and witnessed his conversation with the Tontatta, which made her the perfect witness when speaking to King Riku. On top of that, since Orion was willing to share his precious secret medicinal recipes obtained through the system, there likely wouldn't be any issue with the Riku family accepting the plan.
In the end, the last two problems to solve were obtaining the seeds of the rarest herbs and figuring out how the products would be exported once manufactured.
For both issues, Orion planned to rely on the Revolutionary Army at first, since it was the only organization with the necessary resources to address these matters— the only one he had any contact with.
The seeds for the medicinal herbs could be acquired through merchants from the Underworld, but it wouldn't be wise to entrust the export of the products to Underworld forces. Especially since the company capable of handling that was Umit Shipping, with whom Orion had previously clashed.
Remembering the suffering his grandfather and uncle had endured as slaves on the great Rum Wolf Bridge, Orion realized he still hadn't taken his revenge against that colossal commercial empire, which had grown at a staggering pace and secured a position in the Underworld as one of its dominant forces.
Gradually, an ambitious idea began to take shape in his mind. Perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone—avenging his family while securing a distribution channel for the medicines, if he played his cards right in the future. But first, he had to plan carefully.
Orion was in a stage of growth—not only in his personal power but also in his influence across the world. If he could bring under his control a major global distribution and logistics network… it would undoubtedly yield enormous long-term benefits.
In his mind, a plan to destroy Umit and seize its place in the world began to form with increasing clarity, and Orion couldn't help but show an aggressive smile. After all, he enjoyed these kinds of grand undertakings.
In any case, that was something that would only happen once he had properly prepared. For now, he would have to rely on the Revolutionary Army's means—far more rustic and modest, but also considerably safer.
Before Orion and Scarlett left the Tontatta kingdom to return to Dressrosa's palace and discuss the matter with King Riku, Gancho—the king of the Tontatta—briefly stopped them to introduce his young daughter Mansherry, a little girl of almost seven years old.
Orion didn't think much of it at first, assuming the Tontatta king simply wanted his daughter to meet two people who would be important in the future—Orion as the author of the cultivation plan, and Scarlett as the future queen of Dressrosa. However, once he heard the old Tontatta's words after presenting his daughter, Orion realized how mistaken he had been.
"Sir Orion, what do you think of my daughter? I believe she would make a fine wife. If you marry her, our bond will become much stronger," said the Tontatta king, stroking his beard with an air of wisdom.
Upon hearing those words, Orion couldn't help but glance at the tiny girl, whose size was so small that she could fit entirely in the palm of his hand. Looking at the timid princess's permanently flushed cheeks and the bright eyes of the surrounding Tontatta, the words of rejection that Orion had been about to utter vehemently stopped in his throat before he could voice them.
No matter what, the Tontatta would become one of his main allies in the future—especially in the development of medicinal herb cultivation. He couldn't simply offend them with his words, so he would need to be a bit more tactful when turning down the proposal.
Looking at Scarlett, who was still cheerfully hugging the notebook containing the medicinal recipes, Orion stretched out his arm and wrapped it around the slender waist of the beautiful princess. Then, gazing at the Tontatta king with sincerity, he said,
"Sir Gancho, I'm afraid I cannot accept your proposal. Mansherry is indeed a very lovely and charming girl, but I am already engaged to Princess Scarlett."
Feeling the warmth of Orion's hand on her waist and hearing her hero's words—which in her enamored mind sounded almost like a declaration of love—Scarlett showed a pleased smile and nodded like an obedient wife, snuggling against Orion's chest.
Any ordinary inhabitant of Dressrosa, accustomed to the active role women usually held in their culture, would have been greatly surprised to see the princess—normally so proactive—behaving in such a submissive way. One could only say that love truly affected people in different ways.
Seeing Scarlett cooperate so perfectly, Orion smiled in relief, thinking he had managed to handle the situation brilliantly: rejecting the marriage proposal while avoiding offending the Tontatta by slighting their princess.
However, his self-satisfaction did not last long, for the next words from King Gancho cornered him once again.
"I'm glad you find my daughter so charming! She truly is the treasure of the Tontatta. In that case, there's no need to worry about your marriage to Princess Scarlett. My Mansherry is willing to become a secondary wife if that means strengthening the bond between our peoples!"
Orion, now sweating profusely, felt the urge to slap his past self who had so carelessly praised the beauty of a tiny girl small enough to fit in his pocket!
With some difficulty, and trying to avoid creating further misunderstandings, Orion said,
"Well… It's not that I don't want to marry her, bu—"
"Wonderful! Then that means you do want to marry her, doesn't it?" Gancho interrupted before Orion could finish his sentence.
"Long live Orion, long live the princess!"
"Long live!"
The Tontatta around them began to cheer joyfully, convinced that Orion had accepted the proposal, which made it all the harder for him to refuse. Even so, he had to put a stop to it somehow, since he truly had no intention of marrying the tiny Princess Mansherry. It wasn't that he discriminated against the Tontatta, but she… definitely didn't fall within his personal range of tastes.
Finally, Orion clenched his teeth and decided to use his last resort. Though he didn't want to, his pragmatic nature told him this was the most effective solution. With a slightly trembling voice, he said,
"I cannot marry Princess Mansherry. The truth is… I… am a woman!!"
Orion's words echoed through the underground Tontatta city, and after a brief moment of silence, the little people burst out with all sorts of astonished exclamations.
"Ah! She's a woman?"
"I knew it all along!"
"That's why she liked honey so much."
Orion glared sharply at the second Tontatta, who was clearly confused to make such a ridiculous claim! But realizing that this was the only way to quickly get out of this mess, he bit his tongue and said nothing.
"Alas, what a shame that you turned out to be a woman. Then indeed, the marriage cannot take place," said Gancho, sighing in disappointment for having made such a basic mistake as confusing his guest's gender.
However, before Orion could sigh in relief, Scarlett flashed a mischievous smile and said,
"That's not true—he's a man! Otherwise, I wouldn't be marrying him in the future!"
Orion looked at her with an expression that clearly said, "Why have you betrayed me?!" while the Tontatta once again erupted in shouts.
"I knew he was a man!"
"Is he really not a wom—ugh"
"That explains the bulge in his crotch."
This time, the second Tontatta couldn't finish his sentence, as a rock swiftly hit him on the forehead, while the third steered completely away from honey-related topics, heading in a far more explosive direction.
"Oh ho ho, this must be that classic human sense of humor I've heard about," said the Tontatta king. Then, before Orion could utter a word, he declared firmly,
"Then, the engagement between Princess Mansherry and our economic ally Orion is hereby established!"
Once again, the entire place erupted in cheerful shouts from the tiny inhabitants of the underground city, while Mansherry merely covered her face with her hands in a bashful gesture, blushing with a shy smile.
"I'll be in your care from now on," said the little princess in a delicate, almost inaudible voice.
Orion, utterly defeated by how events had turned out, glanced at Scarlett—who was laughing uncontrollably to the side—and, irritated, reached out and gave her plump ass a firm pinch, making the girl jump with a startled, adorable cry as she covered her butt.
It wasn't the first time Orion had encountered this side of Scarlett, who, despite her serious appearance, greatly enjoyed playing this kind of prank whenever she could. Still, Orion couldn't truly get angry at her, finding her even more adorable that way. One could only say that love affected everyone in different ways.
Even so, Orion now had a complicated matter on his hands, since he couldn't simply reject the Tontatta's goodwill directly. For that reason, he decided to take the one path that never failed: run away, and figure out how to deal with it later!
Surely his future self would know how to solve the problem when the time came!
Looking at the Tontatta king, Orion nodded solemnly and said,
"Very well, Sir Gancho, but we'll discuss the details of this matter another time—for now, I'm in a bit of a hurry."
Then, before any further incidents could arise, Orion lifted Scarlett in his arms like a princess and, after briefly bidding farewell to the Tontatta, opened his Pocket Dimension and bolted away in a panic.
He'd figure out how to handle it later. At worst, if he couldn't come up with a solution, he could just keep running for as long as possible. Orion, the man striving to reach the top of the world, knew well which battles not to fight.
…
By the time Orion and Scarlett returned to the royal palace, night had already fallen over Dressrosa. Upon arriving at the great castle's gates, they immediately sensed that something was off, and rushing inside, they found an unexpected guest sitting leisurely in one of the palace's main halls, sipping wine in complete relaxation.
Around him, everyone present was tense, with the exception of little Viola, who had used the powers of the Giro Giro no Mi to confirm that Mihawk truly harbored no ill intentions. Naturally, the powerful swordsman had noticed the girl's attempt but hadn't acted against her—he had merely intimidated her with his Haki the moment she tried to peek into his memories.
Mihawk had indeed come without any hostility, intending to find Orion, who apparently was staying here. That was also why he had restrained himself when he'd given the soldiers a small "lesson" hours earlier—he didn't want to accidentally kill someone and unnecessarily strain his relationship with Orion.
Although it was true that, as of now, Orion wasn't even worthy of shining his shoes, Mihawk could tell that this young man was extraordinary. There was something within him that warned Mihawk to stay on guard around him, even though he knew objectively that he could kill him with a single stroke of his sword.
It was that feeling that had sparked Mihawk's interest in Orion, and that very interest had led them to develop a sort of pseudo-friendly relationship. For Mihawk, who found few things in this world interesting, Orion's presence was a welcome distraction, and that was why he had come all the way here to see him after Shanks' call.
Orion entered the hall with Scarlett, and upon sensing the tense atmosphere, his muscles instantly tensed for battle—only an immensely powerful enemy could make someone of Kyros' level look that nervous.
However, as soon as he clearly saw his old acquaintance—the red-eyed Warlord Dracule Mihawk—Orion let out a relieved sigh.
Mihawk was indeed someone capable of inducing that kind of tension in anyone with even a shred of self-preservation instinct, but Orion knew he was harmless—at least for now, since he displayed no hostility, and it was unlikely he had come here with any.
Smiling, Orion approached Mihawk and offered a slight bow.
"Sir Mihawk, I didn't expect to see you here."
Mihawk set his wine glass down on the table and looked at Orion with his calm crimson eyes.
"Shanks told me you were here, so I came to finish that sparring match we had pending," Mihawk said in his usual disinterested tone.
Orion cursed Shanks inwardly, thinking that the damn redhead had surely given away his location to Mihawk just to annoy him. Once again, Orion mentally added a new entry to his list of Reasons to Beat Up Shanks in the Future.
Even so, Orion's smile didn't waver in the slightest, and nodding, he replied,
"You're absolutely right—it would be a shame not to finish that fight."
The sharp glint in Orion's eyes didn't go unnoticed by the silent Warlord, who, suddenly showing a more aggressive look, smiled approvingly.
"Very well, then. Are you ready for the fight? The same rules as before?" said Mihawk, standing up.
However, Orion stopped him before he could start heading outside the palace for their practice duel.
"Wait a moment, Sir Mihawk."
Mihawk immediately stopped and looked at Orion with curiosity, his expression seemingly saying, What's this? You're not backing out now, are you?
Orion instantly picked up on the swordsman's thoughts, and with a broad smile said,
"I have a proposal to make things more interesting. What do you say—interested in hearing it?"
…
Finally, when night had fully fallen, Mihawk left the castle at an unhurried pace, not looking back. He would use the remaining days before his duel with Orion to wander around Dressrosa and see if there was anything worth his attention.
Meanwhile, inside the royal palace, the atmosphere had finally relaxed after the Warlord's departure.
"Orion, I must say, your friends are quite terrifying," said King Riku, pressing a hand to his chest and exhaling in relief.
"Of course he's terrifying—after all, he's one of the Seven Warlords allied with the World Government," said Orion, nodding with his arms crossed, showing that he understood the feeling of oppression that Riku and the others had experienced moments earlier.
To be honest, if Orion hadn't interacted with Mihawk before, he probably would've had the same reaction as everyone else.
Upon hearing Orion's words, King Riku's eyes widened as he stood up from his throne and exclaimed,
"A-A Warlord!!"
"That's right—Dracule Mihawk, also known as the world's greatest swordsman," replied Orion, confirming Mihawk's status.
"That explains the sense of pressure I felt… So this is the highest level of power in the world?" Kyros, standing nearby, looked thoughtful after hearing the confirmation of the man's identity—the same man who had completely defeated him a few hours earlier. He seemed to be calculating just how vast the difference in their power was.
After learning Mihawk's true identity, King Riku looked at Orion with clear concern.
"Orion… are you really going to fight him in the coliseum this weekend?" asked the king.
Just moments earlier, Orion had proposed to Mihawk that they face each other in the coliseum, just to make things more interesting.
Upon hearing the suggestion, Mihawk had thought to himself that he had never participated in such an event before. Finding the idea somewhat intriguing, he accepted, saying he would see Orion in the coliseum that weekend for their duel.
King Riku and the others had overheard Orion's proposal and already thought it was dangerous back then, but now that they knew who Mihawk truly was, they began to genuinely fear for Orion's life.
However, Orion simply smiled calmly and said,
"There's no problem. Mihawk won't kill me."
This was something Orion knew very well, having analyzed the Warlord in depth and come to understand his personality. It was true that the dispassionate swordsman might give him quite a beating that weekend, but at least his life wouldn't be in danger.
For Orion, the chance to face someone of Mihawk's caliber in a practice match was incredibly valuable—he could learn a great deal from even a simple sparring session with him. Even if he had to be thoroughly beaten in the process, it would be worth it for the combat experience he'd gain.
As for why he had invited Mihawk to fight in the coliseum… it was because there was something he wanted to try. The rules of the coliseum might prove useful to him, though it would depend on whether Mihawk gave him the opportunity or not.
Looking at Orion, who was filled with determination to face Mihawk, the gazes of those around him varied greatly. King Riku looked at him with concern, Kyros with deep admiration, and Scarlett with heart-shaped eyes, completely fascinated.
As for little Viola… she was watching Orion while forming two circles with her fingers to peer through. It wasn't the first time she had used her Devil Fruit powers to look into Orion's mind, but she always found it particularly refreshing. Especially those strange, blurry memories—ones even her ability couldn't fully read—in which Orion lived in a strange city made entirely of metal called Athens.