November 18th, 1497, Age of the Sea Circle
Splash!
The great sea beast struck its tail against the ocean, warning the reckless humans who had entered its territory.
The people on the ship began to panic, running to find shelter in any corner they could.
Orion looked at the gigantic beast, which had suddenly appeared with clear intentions to attack them, and unsheathed his sword without much concern.
This kind of creature no longer posed a threat to him—although it was true this was the largest sea beast he had ever seen in the South Blue. Still, having crossed the Calm Belt and survived the Sea Kings in the process, he wasn't too impressed by the size of the sea serpent before him.
Orion used Geppo to rise above the beast's head, then descended violently.
"Thirty-Six Styles, Moonfall Blade!"
Slash!
The sword cut through the serpent's defenses without issue, slicing its body into two equal halves.
The beast gave a final cry of pain and sorrow before perishing, unable to withstand even a single blow from Orion.
*Ding*
*You have exterminated a threat to the inhabitants of this area*
*You have gained 100 SP*
Orion approached the beast's corpse and, with a ntal command, stored it inside his inventory. The at from such beasts was a true treasure—not just for its taste, but also for the large amount of nutrients it held. A quantity this size could feed many people, though he'd likely end up using it to cook als for his family and close companions.
Mario watched his grandson return to the ship after slaughtering the enormous sea serpent, and his chest swelled with pride. This was his descendant! Clearly, he had inherited his grandfather's brilliance.
Orion checked a map of the region and compared it to the one in the system, confirming they were approaching their destination: an island called Carolina, known for its textile industry.
It was the ho of so of the won aboard the ship who had been captured by Umit Shipping personnel to be delivered as slaves to Rum Wolf.
After Orion had explained the situation to the people he rescued, he gave them the option to choose their future. Most had decided to follow him back to Pacific Kingdom, and only a few chose to venture back to their hos.
However, there was a particular group that didn't need to follow him ho: the won he had rescued from the Umit Shipping cargo ship.
This was because they weren't employees of the company—they were "rchandise" not listed in any of the official company records.
For that reason, they could return ho without fear of World Governnt retaliation, unlike the others Orion had rescued from Rum Wolf.
Although Orion had claid he wouldn't escort people back to their hos because it wasn't his responsibility, when the ti ca, his heart softened and his actions contradicted his words.
He couldn't simply let a group of defenseless won make their way ho alone. In these pirate-infested seas, they wouldn't get far before being captured again—or suffering an even worse fate.
In the end, Orion wasn't as ruthless as he thought, and he took the ti to escort the won back to their hos.
Not all of them lived in the sa place, since they had been captured from various locations.
Over the past month, he had traveled across nearby islands in the South Blue, dropping the won off at their hos. Now, only a small group of five won remained, who needed to be taken to Carolina. Once they arrived safely, his task would be over, and he could return ho with a clear conscience.
Standing on the ship's deck, Orion stared toward the island, brows furrowed.
A red glow filled the horizon, as if a phosphorescent light was covering it.
Orion closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the light had vanished.
"I still don't fully understand how this ability works," Orion muttered.
The light he had just seen was the result of a new ability he gained after completing the mission related to Rum Wolf.
As soon as he had gotten far enough from the bridge, a notification had appeared on the system screen, indicating the mission's completion:
*Mission 13 - 'Blood-soaked Bridge' has been completed.
You have directly witnessed one of the world's problems, reflected on the situation, and made a choice about how to act.
You rescued as many as you could, without creating chaos or negative consequences beyond your control. Your actions were calculated, but you did not lose your intent to help. While you did not solve the root of the problem, you did not remain idle in the face of injustice. *
*You have obtained the skill 'Prism Eyes (Level 1)' *
*Prism Eyes (Level 1): Your eyes can see beyond the surface.*
Orion had received only one reward for completing the mission—sothing extrely rare, since he had at least earned SP for every previous mission.
Also, this new ability had a rather vague description. He didn't know how it worked and couldn't activate it voluntarily.
He had noticed his vision had improved significantly after acquiring 'Prism Eyes', allowing him to see much farther than before. But aside from that, the only change was the occasional appearance of fleeting colored lights around him.
These lights were rare and disappeared quickly, so Orion didn't know what they represented—though he had a few theories.
During his travels, he had stopped at an island to escort so of the won, and his new ability activated at a ga stall. The ga involved guessing which package held a prize, and if you picked correctly, you got to keep what was inside.
In that instance, a white light had appeared briefly over the box containing the prize.
From that experience—and other similar ones throughout the past month—Orion theorized that the power of his new ability was to "see" possibilities or opportunities.
If the white light signified sothing favorable, then this ability was incredibly powerful, and he could only imagine how it might evolve as it leveled up.
Now, for the first ti, Orion had seen a red light—and he wondered whether it was a warning of sothing negative.
Still, he wouldn't stop moving forward. Now that he was so close to fulfilling his goal of escorting the won safely and returning ho, he couldn't afford to stop.
Nearly two hours later, the ship reached the coast of Carolina Island.
Using his enhanced vision, Orion looked toward the city in the distance and imdiately noticed sothing odd.
It was far too quiet. A city this size should have had much more activity during the day, but at a glance, it looked like a ghost town.
There was no damage to the buildings or signs of a recent pirate attack, so Orion quickly dismissed that possibility.
Suddenly, one of the n he had rescued from Rum Wolf cried out, pointing toward the island's port.
"L-Look at that flag! There's a plague here!" the man shouted in panic.
Orion looked in the direction he was pointing and indeed saw a yellow flag waving in the deserted port.
He imdiately rembered that his teacher, Roger, had told him that yellow flags were sotis used to signal a dangerous illness, warning travelers to stay away.
Even ships often flew yellow flags to indicate sick passengers onboard—though many also used them as a tactic to deter pirates.
Orion thought about his new ability, which had shown a red light for the first ti on this occasion, and imdiately concluded that the phenonon was likely related to the epidemic developing on this island.
He didn't dare move forward, as in this world full of magical elents, even diseases could be far stranger and more dangerous than in his previous life.
Orion ordered the anchor to be dropped and stopped the ship at a safe distance.
"Orion, what are we going to do? We can't approach that island if there's an epidemic there," said his grandfather Mario, visibly concerned.
Orion looked at the people on the ship, who stared at him timidly, fearing he would decide to approach the island but not daring to voice their disagreent.
He then focused his gaze on the group of won who were from this place and whom he had co to bring ho.
They were just as worried as the others but seed more eager to move toward the island rather than retreat. It was normal—after all, their families were there. Even if it was dangerous, they wanted to return ho and see their loved ones.
"For now, you will all stay here. I'll go take a look at the situation first, and when I return, I'll make a decision," Orion said solemnly.
His voice was firm, allowing no room for opposition. It might have sounded tyrannical to so, but he was the leader here.
These people had been recruited for his kingdom and would be his subjects in the future. As the king of a nation, he had to get used to being the one to make the final decisions—and bear the consequences.
Orion entered his Pocket Dinsion, vanishing from the ship's deck.
Before reaching the island, Orion changed his outfit. He put on leather gloves, a cloak that covered his entire body, and a leather mask that worked as a makeshift face covering.
Even though his body was abnormal—much stronger and more resistant than a regular person's—he wasn't about to walk into a plague-stricken area without any precautions.
Orion reached the shore and examined his surroundings. The place was deserted, and he didn't find anyone near the coast. The large yellow flag fluttered high above as a constant reminder of this place's danger.
For a mont, Orion feared that the disease which struck the city had been too powerful and that there were no survivors.
He continued walking through the city streets, staying inside his Pocket Dinsion most of the ti to minimize infection risk.
Eventually, after delving deep into the city, he began to see signs of life. Although the streets remained empty, he could hear the cries of people suffering from the disease.
The atmosphere was depressing, and the gray sky complented the desolate scenery.
Orion reached an inner wall dividing two city sectors. There, a large red cross had been carelessly painted onto the stone.
That was another way doctors marked areas affected by an epidemic—after assessing the disease's danger level.
He approached the large gate, which was closed, and saw two guards standing watch.
He stepped forward and appeared before them, surprising both with his sudden presence.
"Halt! Who are you?!" one guard shouted, pointing a spear at him.
Orion raised his hands and didn't move further. His goal wasn't to start a conflict.
"My na is Kairos. I'm a doctor," Orion said calmly.
The mont they heard the word "doctor," the guards lowered their weapons imdiately and asked hastily:
"You're a doctor? Did you co because of the epidemic?" asked the first guard, filled with hope. Part of his family had been affected, and if they didn't find a solution soon, they'd face the sa fate as the countless souls who had already passed.
"No. I was just passing through, but when I saw the yellow flag at the port, I decided to take a look—and see if I might be able to help," Orion answered honestly.
The guards relaxed, and the way they looked at Orion changed. Now, they showed no hostility.
They might have seed too naive and trusting, believing a stranger's words so easily, but in desperate tis, people desperately wanted salvation to appear before them—and were willing to believe Orion if it ant a chance to save their loved ones.
"Mr. Kairos, let escort you to our mayor. He can give you the full details of the situation," said the guard and signaled to another atop the wall to open the gates.
Orion nodded slightly and didn't reject the offer. He needed an account of what had happened in this city, and the mayor was likely the most inford person.
The soldier led him through the city. The situation in this central area was much more chaotic. People were rushing through the streets, others knelt in prayer; soldiers tried to keep order but couldn't calm the panicked masses.
It was the first ti Orion had seen a scene like this—a city consud by an invisible enemy with no way to defend itself.
It was different from the terror and destruction caused by pirate attacks, which he had witnessed many tis, but the suffering was just as heartbreaking—perhaps even worse.
After all, one could escape pirates with a bit of luck. But when faced with a deadly, relentless disease, the chances of survival shrank dramatically.
The soldier guided him to the city center, where a large square stood. There, the people had built a massive pyre to burn the bodies of the infected who had died in recent days.
Seeing the pile of corpses wrapped in cloth, and the people crying in the distance as soldiers tossed one body after another into the flas, Orion sighed—thinking the situation was even more heartbreaking than he had imagined.
They passed through the square without stopping and reached the governnt building, where the mayor and other city officials were working tirelessly to contain the outbreak.
The soldier announced their arrival, and Orion stepped forward to approach the mayor.
"A doctor? I'm afraid you won't be of much help," the mayor said with resignation.
Many doctors had already co, but none had offered a solution. In fact, upon seeing the state of the city, most fled in fear. It was no surprise the mayor had no hope that Orion could help.
In truth, the mayor and many others had begun to believe they had been cursed—and that what they needed was not a doctor, but a divine man like a priest who could purify their land.
"Could you explain the situation to ? And I'd like to examine the patients myself," Orion said, ignoring the mayor's words.
The mayor nodded wearily and began recounting the events.
Almost a month ago, the first cases of illness began to appear—but no one paid much attention, thinking they were just mild ailnts.
However, just a week later, the disease spread like wildfire.
Countless cases erged, and the people panicked.
The symptoms were intense vomiting and diarrhea, which usually killed a person in a single day.
If they survived longer, their skin dried out, their eyes sank, and they lost all strength—becoming bedridden like inert mummies.
In just three weeks, the city had completely collapsed. Many had fled to the mountains, hoping to escape the deadly illness.
It was the first ti these people had encountered such an aggressive and widespread disease, and most believed it was a curse cast by so mysterious enemy.
The fact that the conditions for infection were "abnormal" gave this theory more weight.
Unlike other diseases, like respiratory ones, this illness didn't seem to be transmitted from person to person—since caregivers in close contact didn't always get sick.
The infection seed random and without reason, leaving people terrified, constantly fearing their turn would co.
The unknown was always the most frightening.
Orion listened to the mayor's account and imdiately began to guess which possible disease might be affecting the city.
He didn't believe it was a curse. Not because it was impossible—after all, this was the magical world of One Piece—but simply because the symptoms aligned with several well-known illnesses from his previous life.
The fact that it wasn't contagious from person to person was a great relief, as it gave him more freedom to act. Even so, he didn't lower his guard and kept wearing his mask and gloves.
Once the mayor finished, Orion was escorted to a nearby clinic where several patients were agonizing.
These people hadn't received effective treatnt from the local doctor—simply because no true treatnt existed. The only thing the doctors could do was try to manage the symptoms with what little they knew.
They had tried all sorts of thods: purgatives to eliminate toxins, alcohol to "burn out" the virus, even leeches to draw the illness from the blood.
Most patients died with no hope, and only a handful had survived longer than a day.
They had, however, found so success in delaying death with a strong dicinal tea made from local herbs. It offered so hope, though no patient had lasted more than three days.
Orion observed the patients carefully, examining them with his dical knowledge.
He had the skill 'dicine (Level 1)', which gave him a rough idea of the situation—but it was still limited, and he couldn't give a definitive answer.
For that reason, he spent 2000 SP to upgrade the skill to Level 3.
A flood of information entered his mind, and his thoughts shifted dramatically as he looked at the sick before him. Now, his reasoning was clear, and identifying the problem—and the solution—was easy.
Orion finished examining one patient and turned to the local doctor, who was discussing the dicinal tea's effectiveness:
"It's not the tea that's helping—it's the water."
*Ding*
A bell rang in his mind, and a new notification appeared on the system screen.
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