Yeah...
Orin casually killed a Celestial Dragon, which naturally caused dissatisfaction in the Holy Land. After all, even the execution of a Celestial Dragon by the God's Knights had to go through proper procedures.
But even after a long discussion, the Elders couldn't come up with a concrete plan about what to do with Orin.
Should they arrest him?
Send the Marines? Or the God's Knights?
Even if Garling himself went, it might not necessarily work.
The most terrifying thing about Orin—aside from his unrivaled Observation Haki combined with the Warp-Warp Fruit—was his absurdly young age.
Many years ago, when Orin was barely twenty, he was already able to fight on equal footing with one of the world's top powerhouses, Saint Garling. At least on the surface, he had never shown a sign of defeat.
And now?
After all these years, no one had truly tested the limits of Orin's strength.
What they didn't know was that in another world, Orin had once single-handedly fought an entire team of peak-level experts and displayed power at the absolute summit.
In their eyes, it simply meant that no one had ever pushed Orin to his limits. Every time he finished a battle, he always looked calm and unscathed.
And that was only his youth—what would it be like when he reached his peak at thirty or forty?
Even Rocks, who once single-handedly killed a Marine Admiral—the top combat force of the World Government—might not have had a higher ceiling than Orin.
As the discussion reached a stalemate, one of them who had recently interacted with Orin—Saint Saturn—finally spoke.
"Although Orin no longer participates in the struggle for dominance over the seas and has no apparent interest in finding the so-called One Piece, his attitude has clearly changed from before..."
The calm-faced Elder showed faint traces of unease as he explained.
"If the old Orin acted out of youthful impulse and pride, then now... he's begun ignoring our authority altogether. I don't know if it's due to his growing strength or some other reason..."
"But it's hard not to suspect that Orin is already prepared to stand against the World Government."
Because of one man—Kuma—he had declared he'd "clash" with the World Government. To Orin, it was a trivial matter. But for the World Government, it could easily be the spark of serious conflict.
Once, it had been: You show me respect, I show you respect—we all live peacefully together.
Now, it was: Orin's done pretending. If you can't accept it, too bad.
What they didn't realize was that this shift in Orin's mentality wasn't due to resentment toward the Government.
He simply wanted to sharpen his spirit.
To do that, he couldn't allow anything to restrict his freedom or joy.
Even if it was Imu herself, Orin dared to "poke" her.
The Dark Sun God's idea was to give Imu a surprise.
Why else would he bother combining Luffy's genes with a giant's physique? Wasn't it to recreate the appearance as faithfully as possible?
Imu trembling in fear...
Just thinking about it amused him.
For a man who had lost all reverence, the World Government could do nothing but hand the matter over to the God's Knights.
And in the end... nothing came of it.
...
Elsewhere—
There were others watching Orin as well.
The Kingdom of Goa, Foosha Village.
"Shanks! I wanna drink too!!!"
"No way—you're only getting juice!"
At Makino's bar, Shanks sat at the counter, sipping alcohol, while young Monkey D. Luffy drank juice beside him—the same favorite drink as Orin.
But this time, Luffy wasn't his usual cheerful self.
"When are we setting sail?"
One of the crew asked curiously, but Shanks just said they weren't in a hurry.
After all, the Gum-Gum Fruit had already been taken by Orin. Where could they go without it?
And honestly, Shanks was nervous.
That unpredictable guy Orin—surely he wouldn't deliberately hide that fruit forever, waiting for some "fated" moment to reveal it... right?
It was said that Devil Fruits seemed to have wills of their own, choosing their rightful hosts.
Meaning Nika would naturally appear before the one who inherited the will.
But how could that mysterious "will" compete with Orin's broken, godlike mechanics?
If Orin refused to let the Nika Fruit go, no one could take it. Even if it left his body, he could instantly warp it back.
Unless someone defeated Orin and prevented him from using his powers—
But was that even possible?
All Shanks could do was wait, hoping that Orin still remembered his bond with Captain Roger... and wouldn't crush the new era in its cradle.
...
"So, you're Shirahoshi?"
In the royal palace, countless people had gathered.
Seated atop the high platform, Orin arrived in the audience hall and immediately noticed the enormous pink-haired mermaid girl.
"Yes, Orin-sama!"
For once, a rare trace of genuine interest appeared in Orin's eyes.
Indulging in too much pleasure can raise one's threshold for joy—but this girl... she was different.
Though Shirahoshi wasn't yet as mature as she would be in the future, she was already a huge and adorable little mermaid—a gentle and timid type that perfectly fit Orin's taste.
Maybe pink hair really was his thing.
Whether it was his first love from long ago or the cute Shirahoshi before him, both shared striking similarities—giant-like physiques, mature figures, and long pink hair.
Seeing Orin's relatively kind attitude toward Shirahoshi, King Neptune, who already felt immense gratitude for Orin rescuing her from the Celestial Dragons, was delighted to see them getting along.
After all, Shirahoshi's special identity always worried him. But with Orin's goodwill, he finally had some peace of mind about her future safety.
"Relax. I really like this child, Shirahoshi."
Orin reached out from midair and gently patted Shirahoshi's head.
At that moment, everyone around was stunned—especially those harboring ambition.
They knew Orin didn't make promises lightly.
But once he said something, he always kept it.
If he said he'd protect you, not even the World Government or the Celestial Dragons could lay a finger on you.
Germa's Judge instantly had ideas.
Watching Shirahoshi, who seemed favored by Orin, he turned his gaze toward his own daughter, Reiju.
If only my daughter could receive the same...
And as for Shirahoshi—having grown up hearing legends of the hero Orin, now seeing him save her life in person—her sensitive, timid heart couldn't contain the emotion.
She suddenly hugged Orin tightly.
"…O-Orin-sama!!!"
Orin looked a bit helpless, gently comforting her while thinking to himself—
Did I forget something important?
Ah, whatever...
Probably nothing that matters.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo