Back to...
The past?
Hearing this, Orin’s eyes flashed with disbelief, followed by a surge of excitent.
Whoosh—
In just an instant, Orin appeared in front of Vegapunk.
With only a blink, Vegapunk suddenly found himself staring into a pair of terrifying scarlet eyes glowing with feral light.
"Hey, Vegapunk... when you say going back to the past, do you an what I think you an?"
This world had countless rule-based powers—spatial ones aplenty—and even ti was not without precedent.
For example, Lady Toki’s Paracia-type: Ti-Ti Fruit allowed her to send people or objects into the future, though only forward, never backward.
In the past, Orin had once considered the idea—perhaps traveling to Luffy’s era while still young and becoming a Supernova.
But that thought vanished almost instantly. It was unrealistic, and on reflection, utterly stupid.
Growing stronger and crushing everything head-on was far more satisfying.
Seeing Orin’s terrifying gaze, as if he wanted to swallow him whole, Vegapunk stuck out his tongue and instinctively took a step back.
"Don’t be hasty now..."
He wiped the sweat off his forehead. That reaction was a bit too much.
He then revealed the strange, oddly-shaped instrunt in his hands. It resembled a ball, though irregular.
"Truth be told, it was pure coincidence. From the Devil Fruit users frozen under the World Governnt’s control, I found one with a very special ability. It’s indeed related to ti... though the limitations are enormous."
As Vegapunk slowly explained, Orin gradually understood the situation.
He knew the World Governnt’s policy: when they encountered Devil Fruit users who posed great threats, they often chose not to kill them but to freeze and preserve them instead.
The reason was simple—preventing those strange and dangerous Fruits from reincarnating sowhere unknown after the user’s death, where so ambitious individual could consu them and beco a new threat.
Thus, just like Byrnndi World, countless naless individuals were sealed within Impel Down’s Level 6.
Vegapunk’s experintal material included the "Green Blood" of such a Devil Fruit user.
After a series of complex procedures and an astronomical investnt of funds, he finally managed to create a "pseudo-ti machine."
"So what you’re saying is, this thing has a lot of restrictions?"
Vegapunk stuck his tongue out, his eyes serious as he nodded.
"Exactly. As far as I know, perfect ti travel is impossible aside from the Ti-Ti Fruit. Even then, it can only change the future, not the past. Likewise, this device cannot truly change the past either. That’s why I asked whether you simply wanted to visit the past, rather than return to it outright."
This naturally led to the issue of ti paradoxes.
For example—if Orin traveled back and strangled his younger self to death...
Then he would never grow up, never return to kill himself in the first place. Theoretically, this was contradictory.
"So... ti travel cos with many restrictions. First, the past cannot be changed. No matter what shocking things you do, it will only cause the tiline to branch—forming a new tiline, a parallel world."
"Second, you cannot travel to a ti period after your own birth."
In other words, Orin could not be reborn into a ti after his birth. The earliest he could go would be shortly after the God Valley Incident, when Keek returned ho and found the newborn Orin.
"Third, you can go back but only for a limited ti. Once that ti expires, you’ll return to the present world. And you cannot bring anything back with you."
Orin rubbed his chin. These restrictions were indeed many. But, considering it involved tampering with tilines, it all made sense.
Taken together, it really was just an experience—a chance to play around. It would have no effect on the real world.
But he still had one question:
"And how long is this ti limit?"
Vegapunk thought for a mont, tapped so calculations on the device, then finally gave Orin an imprecise estimate.
"In theory, the stronger the person, the longer they can stay—since they can better sustain the Devil Fruit’s power. For soone like you, Orin-san..."
"About one to two years."
"???"
Orin had been expecting to hear one or two days, maybe two or three at most.
One to two years?!!!
Now that was interesting...
A long-term journey?
Vegapunk added that Orin could choose to return midway anyti he wanted. But Orin had no intention of coming back early.
It was only the year 1505 of the Sea Circle Calendar. The arcs Orin was most interested in were still a long way off.
No need to rush.
Compared to the "Evil Era," Orin was far more intrigued by the era where monsters road in droves.
"But there’s no need to rush. I’ll first give so instructions to my subordinates."
Orin didn’t leave right away. After all, his influence was vast. If he disappeared from the seas for so long without a word, people might actually think Orin was dead.
"Berruberruberru..."
Seated in Vegapunk’s lounge, Orin suppressed his excitent and placed a call to Hawk Eyes first.
Monts later, a pair of sharp, piercing hawk eyes appeared on the face of the Den Den Mushi.
"Click."
"What is it, Orin?"
Sitting aboard a wooden ship, Mihawk had just lit a few mood candles he’d recently bought. Orin’s sudden call left him puzzled.
But judging from the slight smile on the Den Den Mushi’s face, it was obvious Orin was in a good mood.
"Nothing major, Hawk Eyes..."
Orin accepted a cold drink from a robot, unable to hide the grin tugging at his lips.
"I just wanted to let you know—I’ll be disappearing for a while. I’ll need you to keep an eye on my forces for ."
Mihawk frowned slightly. This guy was always drifting across the seas anyway. Where could he possibly go?
Still, with so many years of friendship between them, Mihawk didn’t pry. He only asked one thing:
"How long?"
Hearing that, Orin was instantly moved.
That was Hawk Eyes.
The most reliable vice-captain!
"One or two years. During that ti, I won’t appear on the seas. If any issues arise in the Underworld, the Kingdom of Duramos, or Fishman Island, I’ll be relying on you. Of course, I believe others will lend you support as well."
Mihawk nodded without hesitation.
"I understand..."
He gazed at Yoru, the black blade in his hand, his eyes calm as he answered Orin. Black-red lightning flickered across its edge.
"This sea will not fall into chaos."
User Comments
0 comments from readers