"Should be almost there, right?"
Carrying a huge sack of food over his shoulder, Orin strolled leisurely across the surface of the sea, a light breeze swirling around him.
In theory, spending long periods above the ocean should have made everything damp and humid, but thanks to the Seagull King's control over the wind, Orin's body remained fresh and dry at all times.
Even when storms occasionally struck, the beastified Seagull King would disperse the stormy clouds without breaking a sweat.
"You're really capable, Seagull King~"
Above the clouds, thick rain clouds were beginning to gather. Before Orin could act, the Seagull King standing guard on his shoulder spread its wings wide.
Screee—!
Fierce winds spiraled between its wings, and within moments, a colossal tornado reaching toward the heavens began to form.
The Seagull King swung one wing, sending the terrifying whirlwind racing across the ocean, linking sea and sky in a single motion.
Countless dark clouds were swept away, and golden sunlight poured through the sky once more.
Orin raised a hand to block the light and looked into the distance at the monstrous tornado.
"If a ship crashes into that, it's going to be in for a miserable time."
...
Elsewhere—
With the help of his sister Reiju, a young Sanji had successfully boarded a passenger ship bound for the East Blue. At this time, he was working as an apprentice cook, completely unaware of the enormous gift his long-absent foster father had sent his way.
He was still learning the basics of cooking when the ship suddenly jolted violently.
Rushing outside, he was shocked to find a pirate ship had seized them.
He tried to resist with all his might, but he was no match for the Cook Pirates led by Zeff. Just as he was heavily injured...
A sudden, inexplicable sea tornado stretching up to the heavens appeared in the distance, dragging storm clouds with it.
"What the hell is that!!!"
"Turn the ship!!! Run!!!"
Only Zeff, a captain who had experienced the Grand Line, understood what they were facing. His expression turned grim as he watched the massive tornado draw closer.
"There's no escaping this one..."
...
"Finally made it..."
After much travel and searching, a tall man with long hair now stood on the sea's surface, gazing at a small distant town.
Countless windmills spun there, a tranquil, idyllic place full of life.
"I wonder how Lady Rouge and Ace have been doing all these years?"
Carrying a large pack of food, Orin walked shirtless with the Seagull King perched on his shoulder. The odd pair didn't attract much attention from the villagers along the coast—
Because, at that very moment, something far larger and far more eye-catching was slowly approaching Foosha Village from the sea.
"Oh? What a coincidence. So Shanks is here too, huh."
Amid the sound of cheerful singing, the Red-Haired Pirates were in high spirits.
"Yo-ho-ho-ho~ Yo-ho-ho-ho~"
"Bring us the rum of Binks~"
After the chorus, the crew lifted young Uta onto a crate, listening with delight to her pure, melodious singing voice.
To be fair—
Though still small, Uta's talent for singing seemed innate. Her voice was no less captivating than those professional singers Orin had once heard perform for him in Gran Tesoro.
"Encore!"
"Sing another one!"
(Whistling)
"Sounds great, doesn't it, Shanks?"
"Of course..."
Shanks smiled, ready to reply—until something about that voice made him freeze.
Turning around, he found a tall, handsome man with long hair, holding roasted meat and smiling at him cheerfully.
"Eh!!!??"
"Orin!!!!"
The Red-Haired Pirates fell into a brief, stunned silence.
"Eh!!!??" ×N
Without anyone noticing, Orin had used an advanced application of Conqueror's Haki—Observation Killing—to mask his presence. It wasn't until he spoke that the crew, entranced by Uta's singing, realized there was an extra person aboard.
Orin merely smiled and waved at Uta.
Compared to the tiny infant he'd once seen years ago, Uta had now grown into a lively and beautiful young girl.
When she heard Shanks and the others shout Orin's name, she immediately understood who he was.
A bit nervous, she stepped forward—an unusual show of restraint for someone normally so carefree.
"No need to be nervous. I held you when you were a baby, you know. Shanks here was all thumbs back then—totally panicking while trying to hold you. But that's just how he's always been. You see, when he was a kid..."
Orin spoke with easy humor, clearly skilled at lightening the mood. But just as he was about to reveal something potentially scandalous—
Shanks suddenly remembered something, his face going pale as he lunged to cover Orin's mouth.
But Uta and the nearby crewmates were clearly dying to gossip, their eyes gleaming as they stared at Orin and Shanks.
Even little Uta, still a child, already showed the budding instincts of a born gossip.
Tilting her head, she stood before Orin, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Shanks forced a weak smile.
"It's nothing—just some childhood silliness, right, Orin~?"
Brushing Shanks's hand aside in mild annoyance, Orin grinned mischievously, his eyes narrowing into playful half-circles.
"Come on, Shanks. If it's nothing, then why are you so nervous?"
Lifting Uta into his arms, Orin smirked. As Shanks watched in despair, Orin leaned down and whispered something into her ear.
Uta's eyes widened instantly—then she burst out laughing, clutching his shoulder.
To her, this mysterious uncle who'd always sent her top-tier sheet music and concert tickets since she was little had always seemed kind and cool.
Especially since Shanks had told her that Orin had nearly become her foster father and had helped look after her as a baby.
That alone made her feel close to the tall, handsome, and easygoing man. Within minutes of meeting, they were laughing together like old friends.
"I've got some connections in the Music Kingdom of Elegia. If you'd like, little Uta, you can study there properly~"
Orin ruffled the little girl's hair fondly.
Though he was technically retired, both the Wine Kingdom and the Music Kingdom had once owed him great favors—no one there would dare turn her away.
"Really?!!!"
Uta's eyes lit up as she threw her arms around Orin, hugging him tightly.
Standing beside them, Shanks couldn't help feeling a little jealous.
"Hey... Orin, Uta's my daughter. I was planning to take her there myself..."
But his tone lacked its usual strength.
After all, he wasn't stronger than Orin... and he still had some embarrassing history the man could use against him.
If Shanks dared to put on airs like he did with others, Orin wouldn't hesitate to share some rather interesting tales from Shanks's time aboard the Roger Pirates.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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