"Bzzz—"
Splash—
Splash—
To deal with a group of small-time pirates from the East Blue, Orin didn't even need to lift a finger.
Just one glance from him, and they all dropped unconscious in waves.
Even the surface of the river was now littered with fish and shrimp floating belly-up.
Within moments, only Ace and Sabo were still standing.
"You…"
Sabo wanted to say something, but Orin simply waved his hand, then walked over to Ace.
Even though this man had just saved him, Ace stubbornly lowered his head, refusing to meet Orin's eyes.
"You're really cute, you know…"
Orin didn't mind. He walked right up to Ace and rubbed his hands through the boy's middle-parted black hair with a smile.
"You—! What the hell are you doing?!"
Ace's face turned red in an instant. He pushed away the hand resting on his head, but Orin just chuckled and sat down by the riverbank.
After a brief hesitation, Ace followed and sat down beside him, staring blankly at the water. Deep down, he knew this man probably knew his mother.
But Orin had once told Rouge not to rush to tell Ace about his parentage. After all, Captain Roger really had been a bit of a bastard for leaving behind a wife and unborn child.
So whenever Ace asked why he didn't have a father, Rouge could only smile bitterly and say,
"Your father… he's a great pirate. Someday, he'll come back to see you."
But as he grew older and still never saw his father return, Ace had already given up on that hope.
He'd decided that once he set sail, he would find out for himself what was so captivating about the sea that made a man like his father abandon everything for it.
Only, before he could set sail, an "uncle" showed up.
Growing up in a single-parent family, he naturally felt resistant toward this so-called uncle.
"You've grown up now. I think it's time I told you something, Ace."
Orin's gaze softened, as if reminiscing. He wanted to talk heart-to-heart with the son of his former captain.
"Actually… I am your father—"
"Nani?!!!"
"—'s former crewmate."
"…"
The corners of Ace and Sabo's mouths twitched violently.
Then they both noticed the mischievous grin on Orin's face.
He did that on purpose!!!
Definitely on purpose!!!
You bastard…
"Your father was a man whose name will forever be written in history. He was…"
"The Pirate King—Gol D. Roger!!!"
For a moment, the two boys froze where they stood. Then, as the words sank in—
"Ehhh!!!!"
"Ace's father is the Pirate King?!!"
"That's impossible!!!"
It took them quite a while to digest that revelation. When they finally did, Orin began telling them about the message Captain Roger had entrusted to him before his death.
It was the same story he'd told Lady Rouge back then—a kind lie meant to bring peace of mind.
"When I reached the South Blue, I took Lady Rouge—who was still pregnant with you—away from danger. And then…"
As Orin spoke, Ace finally understood why his mother had gotten so angry when he was rude to Orin.
He bit his lip, then suddenly stood up.
In Orin's surprised gaze, Ace dropped to his knees with a loud thud, tears streaming down his face. His jaw trembled as he spoke through sobs.
"I'm deeply grateful, Orin-san…"
"Thank you for saving me and my mother!!!"
Thanks to Rouge's upbringing, Ace's sense of right and wrong was well-formed. Learning that Orin was their savior filled him with guilt for his earlier behavior.
But Orin only smiled softly.
"There's no need for that. Captain Roger looked after me a lot when he was alive. This is simply returning the favor."
"Rather than thank me, you should thank your father. That's what we call karma."
And from that moment on—
The distance between Ace and Roger as father and son quietly began to fade away.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Ace, Sabo, and Orin talked for hours—
About the adventures aboard Roger's ship, about the captain himself, and about the countless wonders of the Grand Line.
Eventually, they all headed back together.
"Hey, Orin-san, Sabo and I have saved up a bunch of treasure over the years. Let us give you some as an apology!"
"No need, no need. Keep it as your pocket money."
...
In the following days, Orin enjoyed a peaceful, almost hermit-like life—climbing up and down the mountains each day.
Up on the mountain, Ace and Sabo hunted tigers and caught fish.
Down below, Luffy and Uta spent their days playing games together.
And Orin?
Sometimes he freeloaded meals at Lady Rouge's home, other times he dropped by Makino's bar and generously paid everyone's tab.
Who would've thought that little Foosha Village actually had two future Yonko—and one Black Gun.
The weather stayed pleasant, and before anyone realized it, several months had passed. It was now the year 1510 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
"Hey!!! Orin!!! Aren't you coming with us to Elegia?!"
He'd already promised Uta that he and Shanks would go to Elegia—the Kingdom of Music, the place of her dreams.
Watching Shanks, Uta, and the others board the ship, Orin waved a hand.
"You guys go on ahead. I've gotten used to traveling alone lately."
With his hands in his pockets, Orin stood beside Luffy, waving as the Red-Haired Pirates sailed away into the distance.
"Well then… time for me to head out too."
He ruffled Luffy's hair with a grin, then leapt lightly—landing directly on the surface of the sea.
...
This move instantly made Luffy's eyes sparkle as his jaw dropped wide open.
"Ehhh!!! So cool!!! You can walk on the water?!!!"
"Orin! Teach me how to do that!!!"
Orin flicked an invisible burst of Armament Haki at him, and Luffy yelped as he clutched his head.
"Owww!!!"
"You're supposed to call me Orin-san… gah~"
Perched on Orin's shoulder was the King of Seagulls. As they departed, the Seagull King kept glancing back at Luffy until he finally disappeared from view.
"You noticed that boy's potential too, huh?"
"Gaaah—"
"Yeah… the makings of a king. The seas are teeming with them~"
...
Meanwhile—
On a small, deserted island, two frail figures sat on opposite sides, staring hopelessly at the endless horizon.
"At this rate… we're definitely gonna starve to death."
The blond one sighed, taking a small knife and slitting open a sack filled with treasure—only to look even more despondent.
The two huddled together at the cliff's edge, gazing at the sea, praying for someone to appear.
But there was nothing. No ships in sight. Just a lone figure—
Wait!!!
A person???
The blond thought he was hallucinating. He rubbed his eyes hard—
And then saw clearly the figure approaching in the distance, carrying a large pack on his back.
And that face…
Orin turned his head at the shout, blinking in surprise before breaking into a grin.
"Well, if it isn't Sanji!"