October 28, 1498, Age of the Sea Circle
"I can't believe I'm seeing the sacred beast of our people with my own eyes!" said Sharinguro's father.
"He's just as noble as the holy scriptures describe!" added Sharinguro's mother.
Nibble was perched on Orion's shoulder, eyeing the people around him with curiosity, watching each of their subtle movents.
After Sharinguro's family identified the little creature as the legendary sacred beast of their people, they invited Orion and Olive to their ho as honored guests. Their plan was to call the governor of the underground city to inform him of such a monuntal event, but Orion stopped them before they could act, warning that if they insisted on causing a commotion, he wouldn't hesitate to leave imdiately—taking Nibble with him.
The blacksmith family had no choice but to abandon their attempt to notify the authorities of Poober Cedy, at least for now. Instead, they aid to entertain Orion and persuade him to let the townsfolk see the sacred beast. After all, the appearance of Nibble was equivalent to the reincarnation of a prophet for a religion.
Orion had asked about any information the family might have on Nibble—or rather, on the legendary sacred beast known as the "Dirt Boss." Unfortunately for him, they didn't know much. The only thing they were certain of was that the Dirt Boss had co to this island along with their ancestors, traveling through a great underground tunnel that was now subrged beneath the sea.
According to their records, at so point the water level had risen suddenly, flooding everything. Even so, on this island, the vast tunnels dug by the Dirt Boss nearly a millennium ago remained intact, forming a network that connected several underground cities. Later, when the World Governnt rose to power, the people who lived here chose to submit to their new rulers to avoid destruction.
As for Nibble himself, Orion hadn't learned much beyond the na "Dirt Boss" and the fact that, once he reached adulthood, he would be capable of digging massive tunnels on the scale of this entire underground city. Furthermore, according to legend, the Dirt Boss could dig so deep that he could connect distant islands through subterranean passages—even if they were separated by a trendous distance.
Orion dread of one day using Nibble's abilities to his advantage—perhaps to dig tunnels connecting multiple islands and establish a massive kingdom, or maybe to use him offensively, moving an army deep into enemy territory without being detected. The possibilities were fascinating, but that was a matter for the future. For now, Nibble was rely an infant, about the size of a basketball, and couldn't accomplish such feats.
Once inside the blacksmiths' ho, Orion got straight to the point, telling them he was there to recruit Sharinguro. He didn't know much about the boy's situation, but if both the Navy and other local powers were trying to recruit him, it was safe to assu he had skills worth noting.
Normally, Orion preferred to keep a more open approach when dealing with Nad Characters, especially those he didn't know. He liked to learn about them first and understand their circumstances before attempting to recruit them. But this ti, he was in a hurry to return ho, so he didn't want to spend too much ti analyzing Sharinguro.
If he could recruit a new talent during this short stop along the way, it would obviously be a plus—but if it proved difficult or ti-consuming, he'd leave without a second thought.
The reason for his impatience was that he wanted to get back to Robin. The little girl had gone through so many hardships in the past year that Orion didn't want her to feel abandoned.
He had promised her that he wouldn't take long to return to Pacific Kingdom, but the attack from the mysterious entity had rendered his Space Gate ability unusable, leaving him no choice but to sail all the way back to the South Blue. That would take ti, and he wanted to arrive before February to celebrate Robin's birthday by her side.
"I appreciate the offer, but I have no intention of leaving my hotown! My dream is to beco the greatest blacksmith and forge weapons that will go down in history in the hands of the most powerful warriors!" Sharinguro said with a smile, his eyes glowing with determination.
Just as he had done with the other factions that had co to recruit him, he refused Orion's offer to join his kingdom—making it clear, sincerely, that his heart lay on a different path. He wanted to learn his father's trade here in the city and simply beco the best.
As for the Devil Fruit he had eaten, it had been in the hopes of gaining so ability that could help him achieve his goals. Unfortunately, he hadn't been very lucky, ending up with a power that didn't seem particularly useful outside of combat. If he had obtained a fruit that allowed him to control fire or sothing similar, he would have been thrilled, as that would no doubt have made him a far better blacksmith.
Orion heard the boy's words of refusal and smiled faintly as he saw his face lit up with the motivation to follow his dreams. Without a doubt, this was exactly the kind of person Orion liked most—passionate individuals willing to put everything on the line for their dreams.
"Very well, then there's nothing more to discuss. I won't bother you any further. I'm in a hurry, so I'll be on my way now," Orion said, standing up from the chair he had been sitting in.
Sharinguru looked at him in surprise, not expecting Orion to simply give up after being turned down once. After all, the other factions that had tried to recruit him hadn't given up—they kept coming back regularly to try and convince him.
"Anyway, I'd like to give you this. Even if you don't want to join my kingdom, maybe we can work together in the future. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll be able to provide with the best weapons in the world," Orion said with a friendly smile, pulling a Den Den Mushi from his Pocket Dinsion and placing it in the young man's hands.
Sharinguru was once again surprised by Orion's words, but he quickly reacted, set the snail down on the table, and shook Orion's hand with both of his.
"Of course! Just give a few years and I promise my na will be famous all over the world. When the ti cos, I'll give you a discount," Sharinguru said enthusiastically.
Orion shook his hand briefly, then turned to leave, but the boy's voice rang out again—this ti in a much lower tone, almost inaudible.
"By the way… do you think you could teach how to win over won?"
Orion didn't react for a few seconds, but eventually let out a laugh and patted the boy on the shoulder, thinking that, after all, he was just a curious kid entering adolescence.
"Of course, though I'm not sure how much help it'll be. You can call in the future if you want to chat, haha!"
Sharinguru nodded vigorously, encouraged by Orion's words, and couldn't help glancing at Olive, who was sitting off to the side waiting for Orion. She was so sensual that, even though she was simply sitting there without doing anything suggestive, the young blacksmith felt he couldn't take his eyes off her.
Orion took Olive's hand, and together they left Sharinguru's ho under the eager gaze of the boy's parents, who desperately wanted Orion to stay a bit longer so they could interact with Nibble.
However, Orion had no plans to remain here. His main reason for coming had simply been to et Sharinguru, and now that he had done so and established a friendly relationship with the boy, it was ti to move on. His plan was to have a al at a local restaurant to try the traditional cuisine, then buy so supplies and continue his journey.
Orion was especially interested in the weapons forged in this underground city. Even without any specialized knowledge, he could tell at a glance that these weapons were of exceptional quality. At the mont, he didn't have much money available, but he had enough to at least buy a quantity sufficient to arm his soldiers in Pacific Kingdom. After all, the size of his forces was still not too large.
…
anwhile, on the other side of the city.
In this city, there was no Marine base, but due to Sharinguru's presence—and the fact that the Marines wanted to recruit him—there was a Marine division currently stationed there.
Hina, who had separated from Orion more than two hours earlier, had found the location of these Marines by asking local residents. At first, she had been very excited, thinking that now that she had regrouped with Marine forces, there would be no problem traveling to Headquarters, even if it took a bit longer.
However, things hadn't gone quite as she had hoped. The Marines in this place didn't pay her much attention, underestimating her for being just a girl. Even when she told them she had been specially recruited by Headquarters from the West Blue, they remained indifferent.
The leader of the group rely told her to wait with the other recruits at the inn and that, when they finished their current mission, she could accompany them back to the base. With no other choice, Hina had to wait, even though she had no idea what kind of mission they were carrying out here or how long it would take.
At the inn, the Marines looked at her with disdain, not bothering to speak to her. In their opinion, a little girl who had just arrived from a place as desolate as the West Blue wasn't even worth their attention.
On the other hand, this was the first ti Hina had seen Marines belonging to Headquarters, and her first impression wasn't very positive. They were playing cards and gambling carelessly, showing no apparent intention of carrying out the mission they had ntioned.
Moreover, there were clearly local prostitutes present, interacting with them without any sha, even with Hina right there.
In Hina's serious eyes, these marines were not much different from pirates—perhaps the only difference was their uniforms. This wasn't all that surprising, since the situation in the West Blue had been similar. She simply held onto the hope that, in the Grand Line, marines would be more serious and dedicated to their work, just like she was.
In her mind, only the most talented individuals could remain at Marine Headquarters, so surely it would be a place completely different from the West Blue branch. However, now that she was facing reality, her hopes had been sowhat betrayed, and she had to make an effort to stay optimistic, telling herself that there were rotten apples everywhere, and that things would be different in Marineford.
"Hey, little one, want to play a round?" said one of the marines, clearly drunk, waving his hand and calling out to Hina, who was sitting quietly in a corner of the room.
Hina frowned but still tried to remain calm and answer politely.
"Hina doesn't want to play, thank you. Hina will just wait here until we leave!"
Hearing the girl's words, the marines looked at each other, then burst into loud laughter, mocking her.
"What kind of way of talking is that?"
"She think she's so kind of cute little girl or sothing? Haha!"
"Hey, hey, she is a cute little girl! Can't you see she probably doesn't even have hair down there yet? Hahaha!"
"What kind of garbage is the West Blue's navy if they let any random kid join?"
Hina clenched her fists and gritted her teeth but said nothing. She was used to being underestimated because of her age, yet she insisted on speaking in that particular way on purpose, instead of trying to sound more mature. She had a reason for it—a reason important enough that she could endure any ridicule.
Suddenly, the drunk who had invited her to play grabbed her by the arm, wearing a repulsive expression that he no doubt thought made him look charming.
"Hey, hey. Don't feel bad, they're just teasing you. Co play, you can sit on my lap."
Then the drunken marine tried to make Hina sit on him, not even attempting to hide the erection in his pants. The other marines around them whistled in excitent, watching with amusent as the man tried to sexually harass a young girl, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Hina couldn't take it anymore and imdiately prepared to teach these disgusting n an unforgettable lesson, but just before she could act, the door to the room burst open and a marine ran in shouting.
"We've got trouble! Big trouble! Thomas and Matthew were attacked by a criminal and are badly injured. The boss is furious and ordered us to capture him imdiately!"
"Damn it! Just when we were relaxing!"
"Who's the bastard that dared to lay a hand on our n? Let's teach him a lesson!"
The marines quickly sprang into a frenzy, grabbing their weapons in a disorderly rush and leaving the inn with the intent of going after Orion, who at that mont was having a romantic dinner with Olive at a restaurant.
Only Hina was left in the room, but for so reason, Orion's image suddenly appeared in her mind, and she imdiately followed the marines in concern.
The procession of marines moved imposingly through the streets of the underground city, alarming the residents, who were not used to large-scale conflicts. Thanks to the city's defenses, it wasn't easy for pirates to enter and cause widespread chaos, so most disputes here were minor and never involved a group as large as the marines now mobilizing to attack Orion.
The marines surrounded the restaurant, cutting off all escape routes—unaware that Orion could simply use his special abilities to leave unnoticed if he wanted to. However, Orion had no intention of running away from these marines, since in his opinion, he had done nothing wrong by giving those two n who had tried to sexually harass Olive a good beating.
If he hadn't done anything wrong, why should he run like a rat? He would simply stay put, and if the marines wanted a fight, they would certainly get one.
"Attention, criminal! We know you're in there! Co out with your hands up. If you surrender without resistance, your punishnt will be lighter!" shouted the marine leader, who held the rank of captain.
"And what happens if I do resist?" ca Orion's voice from behind the marine. The man spun around instantly to see him standing there calmly, hands in his pockets.
Every hair on the captain's body stood on end, and he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Attack!"
Hina, who had followed the marines here, watched as the large group surrounded Orion, aiming their weapons and opening fire rcilessly. However, the scene of the handso and kind man falling to the ground full of bullet holes—a sight Hina feared—never ca to pass.
Orion used Soru and vanished before the Marines could open fire. Then, drawing his cutlass, he skillfully sliced their rifles in half without the slightest difficulty. He couldn't use his technique of storing bullets in his inventory and then ejecting them again, since the sheer amount of rounds fired was far greater than the free space he had available—especially considering the peculiar rules under which his inventory operated.
Still, there was no need to use any special abilities to deal with this bunch of cannon fodder; his sword alone was more than enough.
The Marines stared in shock at their destroyed rifles, then back at Orion, sweat pouring down their faces. They served in the Grand Line and were used to seeing all sorts of monsters. They knew well that when one of those monsters appeared, the only chance of survival was not provoking them unnecessarily. And yet, it seed they had broken that most basic rule!
The Marine captain cursed inwardly at the two subordinates who had told him Orion wasn't that strong. If he made it out of this alive, he'd make sure to skin them alive!
In truth, the Marine who had reported the situation hadn't twisted the facts on purpose. He had simply found the two Marines unconscious with their jaws shattered. It had been witnesses from nearby shops who had provided information about Orion, though clearly they hadn't known the full details—which led to the ss they were now in.
"Sir, there's no need to figh—"
"Hiyaa!" Olive shouted, cutting him off with a flying kick to the Marine captain before he could finish asking for rcy.
She knew Orion was compassionate and would probably forgive them if they apologized—especially since he was now in a hurry to get ho.
However, she had no intention of letting these Marines get away so easily. She'd decided to teach them a lesson herself—and have a bit of fun in the process. After all, she was a famous pirate captain with more than enough power to take on this pack of weaklings!
The captain staggered back two steps before regaining his balance. Cursing under his breath, he grabbed his head and glared at the newcor. But the mont his eyes landed on Olive, a fire lit up inside him, and an ugly thought crossed his mind—one of simply forcing himself on her. Certain higher-ranking Marines, if corrupt, could commit all sorts of cris without anyone stopping them.
Orion noticed the look in the Marine's eyes and instantly decided to teach him a lesson. But before he could act, Olive gave him a quick kiss and said:
"Darling, let handle this. I want to burn off so of that dinner."
Then Olive leapt into the fray, pumling the Marines unilaterally with nothing but her bare hands. With Orion covering her back, she felt free to act recklessly, and she'd decided to have so fun with this group.
Of the entire squad, only the captain was remotely competent in combat, while the others were downright pathetic. It didn't take Olive more than a few minutes to put half of them out of commission, while Orion watched from the side with his arms crossed.
However, just as it seed the fight would end without further trouble, an unexpected twist appeared.
"Oh, they're getting their asses kicked. How weak." A voice sounded from the distance.
Orion turned to look at the approaching figure, his muscles tensing. This person was no ordinary man.
At once, he checked his system screen and bitterly confird his suspicion: this individual was also a Nad Character!
"Lord Hanafuda! Please, help us!" the Marine captain shouted, excitent flashing in his eyes as a powerful ally drew near. It was none other than Hanafuda himself—who had just accepted the World Governnt's offer to beco a Shichibukai!
...
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