"An enormous war, huh?"
Watching Orin's figure slowly drift away, Kaido grinned with excitement, then tilted back his gourd and took a massive swig.
"I really can't wait for it..."
...
Orin had left the Flower Capital, but he wasn't in any rush to leave Wano Country altogether.
In a small village near the border of Wano, Orin arrived carrying a person dressed like a ninja, which immediately drew the villagers' attention.
But Orin didn't care. He just wanted to rest and prepare before setting off again.
Taking that hit from Kaido hadn't been fatal to him, but it did leave behind a few minor injuries.
After all, no matter how refined his Observation Haki was, it couldn't perfectly restore the connections between his nerves. It still hurt—at least a little.
"Excuse me, anyone home?"
Orin didn't bother with formalities. He simply knocked on the door of one of the houses.
The door opened to reveal a beautiful woman with purple hair.
She looked a bit cautious as she poked her head out. Upon seeing Orin's handsome, gentle smile, she was about to ask what he needed—
But the moment her eyes fell on the ninja tied up in Orin's hand, her expression turned pale with fear.
Bang!
The door slammed shut immediately.
"..."
Orin raised an eyebrow.
Inside the house, the purple-haired woman stumbled back into the room, startling the man who was tending to a baby.
He quickly set the infant down and rushed over to support his wife.
"What happened?!"
"I... I..."
The woman was just about to speak, but when she lifted her head, she froze, terror flooding her face.
Her lips trembled uncontrollably as she pointed behind her husband.
The man turned around—and nearly fainted from fright.
Standing in the middle of the room was a tall man dressed in black, gently playing with the purple-haired baby in one hand.
On the floor nearby lay an unmoving... ninja?
"O-Tama!!!"
"Who are you?!"
The couple panicked. Ignoring Orin's imposing presence, they rushed forward—
But Orin merely cast them a glance, and both froze where they stood.
"Relax. I won't hurt the child."
He truly had no ill intentions. He just wanted a place to rest before heading out to sea.
Still, upon hearing the name they shouted, he looked a bit surprised.
"O-Tama?"
This little baby—barely a few months old—was that Tama?
Judging by the purple hair and her mother's features, it really did line up.
Setting the sleeping baby Tama back in her crib, Orin casually released the couple from his control.
"You both saw it yourselves. If I wanted to kill you, it'd take nothing more than a glance. So... I really just want to rest for a bit."
The couple slowly calmed down. What Orin said did make sense—
So they had no choice but to trust him.
"You don't have to worry about me. Once I've had enough rest, I'll leave on my own."
"Uh... alright..."
Watching the cautious couple clutch baby Tama and retreat from the room, Orin shook his head, unconcerned.
For him, no rule in this world could restrain him anymore. Trespassing into someone's house was nothing.
If he wished, he could reproduce every imaginable act in this world—no matter how absurd, how twisted, how far it crossed the boundaries of humanity—all in pursuit of the ultimate thrill and pleasure.
Including certain... "special" fantasies he'd seen in certain comics—Robin, Nami, Hancock, Carrot, Shirahoshi, Reiju, Monet, Baby 5, Violet, Bonney, Stussy, Perona, Pudding, Tashigi, Kalifa, Vivi, Gion, Hiyori...
If Orin truly wanted, he could turn it all into a grand collection game.
But he simply didn't want to.
Low-level pleasures were nothing but indulgence and decay.
At least for now, he was still fascinated by grander games.
Orin sat back comfortably in a chair as the Seagull King attentively massaged his shoulders.
He looked up at the ceiling, then seemed to recall something, turning his gaze toward the floor where the immobilized kunoichi lay.
She wasn't looking her best right now—but hadn't she been quite a beauty a few years ago?
"Hey... your Devil Fruit ability is called the Ripe-Ripe Fruit, right?"
Orin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. To be honest, he did have some interest in Shinobu—
But of course... only in her fruit's ability.
At his current level, he was still just a step away from the true pinnacle.
He could easily take on an Emperor or Admiral, and even against legends like Roger or prime Whitebeard—men worthy of the title of "King"—he was confident he wouldn't lose.
But to claim victory unscathed? That was another matter. Even fighting Kaido, the tank of the sea, demanded considerable effort.
However, if he could go one step further—truly reaching the level of Rocks D. Xebec—then even without the Warp-Warp Fruit, he'd be capable of taking down an Admiral single-handedly.
His future potential and ambition were unquestionable. The only issue was his youth.
He was barely in his twenties now. But when he reached his thirties or forties...
He'd be ready to storm Mary Geoise alone, just like Rocks—only this time, he wouldn't need to flee. He'd stand his ground and trade blows with Imu himself.
The Ripe-Ripe Fruit's power allowed its user to accelerate the aging process.
If Orin wished, he could force his body to mature to thirty or forty years old in an instant.
At that point, even without anything else, the sheer surge in physical strength and durability would elevate his raw power to Rocks' level.
He'd become the true strongest creature across land, sea, and air—able to take Kaido head-on without even needing to counter.
However...
Orin thought of Momonosuke.
He was the only known example of forced aging.
Orin deeply desired absolute, invincible power—so he could stand against beings like Imu or Joy Boy as an equal, not as their plaything.
But if it turned out like Momonosuke—where only the body aged, while the mastery of Haki and Devil Fruit development remained at a young man's level—then catching up later would be nearly impossible.
In the world of pirates, humans peaked in their forties. After that, without Pure Gold to halt aging, they would gradually decline.
Just like Momonosuke—if he had grown naturally, he might have inherited Oden's physique and become a mighty swordsman.
But instead, he'd become nothing more than a durable dragon.
After pondering for a while, Orin's intense gaze made Shinobu shiver inside. Her mind was a storm of panic and dread.
This man kept staring at her—was he about to... lose control?
But in the end, Orin simply shook his head.
Forget it.
He wasn't that desperate.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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