May 15, 1504, Age of the Sea Circle
Five days later, Orion was still traveling toward Doflamingo's base, though he had noticed sothing unexpected on the system's map screen: Shanks and his crew were approaching his current position, and if they continued along the sa route, they would et soon.
He had noticed Shanks' presence the day before, but even after attempting to contact the red-haired pirate through the Den Den Mushi, he had received no response, leading Orion to conclude that his old acquaintance was once again plotting one of his annoying pranks, or at the very least planning to surprise him with a sudden appearance right in front of him.
"Young master, would you like to have lunch now? Or would you prefer to take a bath first?" Monet suddenly asked, standing beside him dressed as a maid, maintaining a rigid and professional posture while wearing a cheerful expression.
After the nightti conversation he had with her days earlier, Monet had begun acting as his personal servant, regardless of how many tis Orion told her it was unnecessary, and she also insisted on respectfully calling him "young master."
At first, Orion had tried to dissuade her from these actions, but as the days passed he had ultimately surrendered to the girl's stubbornness, especially after discovering that she genuinely seed to enjoy fulfilling the role of his personal servant, though he could not understand the reason why.
In any case, it was true that Orion's life had beco far easier over the last few days thanks to Monet's attentive care, to the point that Orion had begun thinking it was a blessing to have her as his personal assistant.
Not only did she take care of small details such as cooking or preparing his bath, but she also organized his daily routine according to his preferences and kept the situation aboard the ship under control during their voyage through the North Blue, which had allowed Orion to remain truly relaxed during the past several days.
"Then I'll take my bath now. As for lunch, don't worry about it for the mont. We'll be having visitors soon, so we might have to change our plans," Orion said, bringing his morning training session to an end.
In the distance, the newly arrived Sugar was "learning how to socialize" with the help of Perona and Mitsu, though it had to be said that the results were sowhat questionable due to the peculiar teachings of the two eccentric girls.
"And then, if soone tries to take you into a dark alley, what should you do?" Perona asked while lifting one of her giant stuffed animals to simulate the presence of a suspicious stranger in the scenario they were reenacting.
"Mmm… Stab them in the stomach, then twist the knife to cause more damage?" Sugar answered, not entirely certain of her response, prompting Perona to clap enthusiastically while congratulating her for answering correctly.
"Very good, Sugar! You rembered it perfectly, a round of applause for you! Pachi pachi pachi!"
Perona and Mitsu began clapping energetically in an adorable manner, while Sugar showed a bright smile after being praised by her new friends.
anwhile, Law—who was sitting off to the side reading a dical book while pretending not to hear the three girls—wondered whether he should ntion to his master Orion the violent and sowhat dark nature of Sugar's conversations with the others, because after all, they were supposedly teaching her social skills and common sense…
"That's a technique my big sister Hatsu taught ! She's a samurai-ninja from Wano!" Perona said cheerfully, proudly showing off the self-defense techniques Hatsu had taught her so ti ago.
"Besides, if you don't have a knife, you can hit them hard in the throat. That way you can destroy their trachea and incapacitate them imdiately," Mitsu added from the side with her usual deadpan expression, which resembled that of her ntor Hototogisu, though not quite as pronounced.
"Ohh, that's interesting, I hadn't thought of that!" Perona said, clapping happily once more with an expression that seed completely disconnected from the dark subjects they were discussing.
Off to the side, Law began sweating profusely and decided that in the future it would be best not to provoke any of these aggressive and eccentric girls unless he wanted to end up receiving dical treatnt from his own master, and he also renewed his determination to increase his combat strength—it was an urgent necessity if he wished to preserve his dignity as a man!
Sugar laughed cheerfully with an innocent expression while absorbing the social knowledge and common sense taught by her new friends like a sponge, just as Perona finished giving another congratulatory round of applause and pulled a bag of candy from her gothic dress.
"These candies are grape flavored. Orion told your favorite snack is grapes. I don't really like fruit very much, but I love sweets," Perona said as she extended the bag toward Sugar.
"Here, take as many as you want!" the little gothic girl offered with great generosity.
Sugar and Mitsu accepted the candy offered by Perona and happily ate together with her while continuing to discuss all kinds of topics related to socialization and common sense. It would not be until returning to Pacific Kingdom that Sugar would receive a true education regarding common sense under Giolla's supervision, though even there the lessons would still include knife techniques and fatal strikes.
After all, they lived in a dangerous world, and every one of Orion's companions and subordinates possessed at least so degree of self-defense training, with a few specific exceptions such as Victoria Cindry, who could not bring herself to use violence even against a fly.
…
Orion took the bath that had been prepared beforehand by his newly self-appointed servant Monet and erged from the tub completely refreshed, ready to face his old acquaintance, the red-haired pirate he had not seen in half a year.
"Young master, here is your towel," Monet said, trying to appear efficient and professional, though she was clearly nervous while watching Orion step out of the bath naked.
"Monet, I already told you not to co into the bathroom while I'm bathing," Orion said as he quickly covered himself with the towel the girl handed him.
He could have detected Monet's presence beforehand if he had used his Observation Haki, but doing so would have been counterproductive when he was trying to relax before eting Shanks in person.
Monet nodded obediently in acceptance of Orion's instructions, though it was uncertain whether she would actually follow them in the future, since she could be incredibly stubborn about certain things, and anything she considered part of her duties as a servant had to be carried out with total devotion.
If Orion had not explicitly told her that he held no physical interest in her and that she should make the offer again several years in the future, she likely would have continued trying to fulfill her duties in that aspect as well.
Orion got dressed and stepped onto the deck accompanied by Monet, glancing toward the group of children on the other side of the ship who were happily socializing together. Monet also saw her sister smiling joyfully with her new friends and once again felt that her current life was a blessing.
However, a ship appeared in the distance, drawing everyone's attention, and an intruder shattered the harmonious atmosphere aboard Orion's small sailboat.
Bang!
Shanks, who had appeared out of nowhere directly in front of Orion, threw a powerful punch that sent him flying through the sky before the stunned gazes of all his traveling companions.
Then, wearing a playful smile like that of a small child, Shanks vanished without a trace and reappeared in front of Orion, who was still hurtling through the distance from the montum of the previous blow.
"Hey Orion, how've you been? Don't lower your guard or you might end up dead one of these days," Shanks said as he threw another punch toward Orion's face.
Orion simply used Geppo to stabilize himself in midair before responding with one of his newly developed hand-to-hand combat techniques.
"Electro, Hundred Tile True Punch!"
Shanks raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw Orion's attack, but with a slight movent of his head he dodged it completely, then used Orion's own montum against him to drive a punch into his stomach.
Orion showed a triumphant smile while activating his Age Change to reverse Shanks's age as he had done during a previous duel and thereby reduce his power, but before he could do so, Shanks halted his attack and instead grabbed his sword, striking Orion with the hilt.
The blow knocked the air out of Orion montarily and left him defenseless against Shanks's next attack, which was a descending kick that sent him plumting into the sea at trendous speed, subrging him several ters underwater before the resistance of the water finally stopped his body.
After a few monts, Orion resurfaced and discovered that Shanks was no longer there, because after sending him into the sea he had already returned to his own ship alongside the rest of his crew.
Slightly irritated, Orion climbed out of the water while thinking that he had just taken a bath only to end up covered in saltwater again, ntally cursing Shanks several tis over.
Finally, Orion used Geppo and, after signaling to his worried companions that everything was fine, arrived aboard the Red Force, reuniting with the Red Hair Pirates after several years apart.
Although Orion had encountered Shanks six months earlier in Mary Geoise, the red-haired man had been using his Celestial Dragon identity at the ti, so naturally the rest of his crew had not been present.
The last ti Orion had seen Shanks's crew had been when the red-haired pirate left little Uta in his care while he and his n went off to handle a small conflict involving Whitebeard.
Orion had a good relationship with Shanks's crew, since they had also spent ti together in the East Blue in the past, so the mont he landed on the deck of the Red Force, the pirates greeted him warmly, embracing him like an old friend while offering him rum and sake.
For several minutes, Orion forgot the irritation Shanks had caused him and simply enjoyed reuniting with his old friends, whom he had not seen in so long.
Compared to the last ti he had seen them, Shanks's crew looked far more mature and serious, as though they had gone through all kinds of ordeals over the past few years, though overall they still maintained a relaxed and friendly atmosphere—at least toward him.
"Uncle Orion!"
Suddenly, the lodious voice of a little girl rang out through the ship, and Uta ca running from a corner of the deck before happily throwing herself into his arms.
The last ti Orion had seen Shanks's adopted daughter, she had only been two years old and could barely speak properly, though she already possessed an innate genius for music. She had imdiately grown attached to Orion because he could play several instrunts, which was why Uta had always rembered him, despite having been so young the last ti they t.
In the mind of the little musical prodigy, Orion's presence was an indelible mark that had always stayed with her, even if the ti they had spent together had been brief, because it had been Orion who gifted her her very first percussion instrunt—a xylophone—and taught her how to play it. Uta could forget almost everyone else in this world, but never Orion.
Now, she was nearly five years old and no longer the tiny girl Orion rembered, but already a little young lady who looked adorable and elegant, dressed in a pink dress Shanks had specially obtained for her, one that made her look like a little princess.
Uta was the treasure of the Red Hair Pirates and was treated like royalty by everyone aboard the ship, so she always wore the finest clothes the pirates could acquire. On top of that, she was pampered by the entire crew, who had even begun learning a bit of music themselves so they could accompany her whenever she wanted to sing.
Even so, with every passing day, it beca increasingly obvious to Shanks and the others that Uta did not belong aboard a pirate ship, because it truly was not a suitable environnt for a child to grow up normally, and considering the imnse talent the young prodigy possessed, it would be a waste for her not to be sowhere she could fully develop her musical potential.
In truth, Shanks had been thinking about the matter quite a lot, considering whether he should send her to so prestigious music academy, though for now he did not want to separate from his beloved adopted daughter.
"Uta! Look how big you've gotten!" Orion said cheerfully as he lifted Uta above his head, making the little girl laugh happily.
"I've learned lots of songs, do you want to hear them?" Uta asked while looking at Orion with shining eyes full of hope.
Now that she had reunited with her favorite uncle, who was a great musician, she could hardly wait to show him her favorite songs and make music with him just like they had years ago, in the hazy mories of her earliest childhood.
"Of course I do! But first I need to talk with your dad," Orion said as he set Uta back down on the deck of the ship.
After hearing Orion's answer, she puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms in clear dissatisfaction, though in the end she said nothing further about it, because while she was extrely spoiled by Shanks's crew, she had not developed an excessively capricious personality and was actually quite obedient.
Orion gently patted little Uta's hair, then turned to look at Shanks, who was standing nearby observing everything with a smile that made Orion feel the urge to punch him in the face—a completely normal situation between the two of them.
"Orion, are you surprised to see ?" Shanks asked as he wrapped an arm around Orion's neck.
"Bah, I already knew you were coming, so I ntally prepared myself to see your stupid face," Orion replied as he smacked Shanks's hand away and freed himself from the embrace.
"Such hurtful words! To think you were so adorable when you were a baby and I had to change your diapers," Shanks said dramatically while pretending to cry.
"Cut the nonsense already. What are you doing in the North Blue? And why did you suddenly co looking for ?" Orion asked, trying to remain calm and not get irritated by Shanks's behavior.
The atmosphere surrounding the red-haired pirate suddenly changed, and his expression beca serious in an instant, taking Orion by surprise.
"We ca here because we're searching for the trail of a very important Devil Fruit. As for the reason I ca to see you… it's because I missed my little adopted brother!" Shanks said, imdiately losing all his previous seriousness as he burst into mocking laughter at Orion's irritated expression.
Bang!
Orion could not hold himself back any longer and punched Shanks square in the face, sending him flying off the deck and through the air until he finally crashed into the sea several ters away.
"Uncle, why did you hit dad? Do you hate my dad?" Uta suddenly asked, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at Orion on the verge of crying.
For her, who loved Shanks more than anyone else, seeing her favorite uncle suddenly hit him so aggressively had been a trendous shock, to the point that her entire worldview had nearly collapsed.
"Ah! N-No, Uta, your dad and I are just playing around. If he had wanted to dodge my punch, he could've done it easily," Orion said with a hint of panic, worried that Uta might start hating him over sothing as stupid as a frustrated punch.
"Really?" Uta asked uncertainly, though she already seed much calr than before.
"Of course! If your dad wants to, he can dodge almost any attack!" Orion answered firmly.
He was not exaggerating either, because after their brief exchange of blows earlier, he had realized that the pirate's level had increased exponentially.
Previously, Shanks had already been unbelievably strong, but even then Orion believed he might be able to defeat him if a miracle occurred or if he managed to exploit a mistake on Shanks's part. However, now Shanks gave him the impression of being untouchable, and that was due to the enormous improvent in Observation Haki control the pirate had achieved since the last ti Orion had seen him.
At this very mont, Shanks' Observation Haki had beco so refined that he could glimpse slightly into the future, which ant it was impossible for Orion to catch him with a surprise attack, and fighting him seriously would practically be a death sentence.
Fortunately, Shanks was not his enemy, though Orion still had to admit that realizing the enormous gap between his current strength and soone standing near the very top of this world's power hierarchy was deeply unsettling.
Especially because Shanks was still developing himself—after all, he was only twenty-three years old—and had not yet reached the sa level as the legendary monsters of the previous generation, such as Kaido or Whitebeard.
Orion had been quite satisfied with his current strength, since it was true that he stood far above the average in this world—as proven by the fact that he had effortlessly annihilated the pirate crew recognized as the strongest in the North Blue—but now, when comparing himself to Shanks once again, he was being reminded just how much further he still had to go.
Once more, his motivation to train and grow stronger had been completely reignited.
Shanks, who had been sent flying by Orion's attack, erged from the sea as though nothing had happened, and using Geppo crossed through the air before landing back on the deck of the ship, planning to continue his conversation with Orion, though he was interrupted by Uta's words.
"Ah, that's right, Daddy's perfectly fine. You made worry, Daddy! Bad Daddy, I don't love you anymore," Uta said indignantly after seeing that Shanks was actually completely unhard, before running toward Orion and leaping into his arms.
"Orion, you'd better not be thinking about laying your claws on my little girl, or I won't forgive you," Shanks said as he suddenly released an incredible bloodlust, wearing an expression that reminded Orion of the Warlord Hanafuda, who was obsessed with his little daughter Ulti and constantly threatened him in a very similar way.
"Daddy is scary," Uta said, affected by the bloodlust emanating from Shanks as her eyes began filling with tears.
"Sorry, sorry, Uta, I was only joking. Look, I'm not angry," Shanks said, putting on a rather foolish expression as he tried to make Uta laugh.
"Dummy Daddy!" the little girl declared as she jumped from Orion's arms into her father's embrace, hitting him on the chest repeatedly with her tiny fists in an extrely adorable scene.
"But seriously speaking, Orion. I ca to see you mainly to bring you bad news. Your friend Kuma is in danger," Shanks said, his expression turning serious once more as he suddenly dropped a bombshell.
Orion frowned imdiately and said,
"Give the details."
The journey through the North Blue that Orion and his companions had been enjoying was about to change completely due to Shanks' sudden appearance.
...
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