"Maybe... you should go."
Orin hesitated for quite a while before ultimately giving up on the idea of forcing quick progress. After all, he hadn’t yet enjoyed enough of his youthful appearance and body.
Besides, it was also for the sake of his own future strength.
In the end, he decided to let the little shinobi go, keeping only a vial of his blood—sothing he could later use to create Green Blood and craft another Seraph tool.
But before leaving, that look of lingering attachnt in the boy’s eyes sent a chill down Orin’s spine.
"My stomach’s growling..."
Stretching his body, Orin could feel the slow regeneration of his perfectly intact physique underneath. The process of energy replenishnt demanded quite a bit of sustenance.
He stood up and walked toward the door—
Just in ti to see a couple cooking porridge together.
"Oh! So it’s alti already?"
"Ah~"
It had to be said—when Orin wasn’t angry or drinking, his temperant was surprisingly gentle. Especially with that easy smile on his face, anyone who hadn’t witnessed his power would have mistaken him for a friendly young man next door.
"Please, join us for lunch," the man said a little nervously but kindly, his good nature overriding his unease.
The couple was genuinely kind people—sothing they would later pass perfectly down to their child, O-Tama.
Orin didn’t refuse. He even reached down to pinch little O-Tama’s chubby cheek, laughing along with the baby’s cheerful giggles.
But when he turned his gaze toward the family’s al, his brows rose slightly.
A thin, watery porridge. A plate of a few green vegetables.
That was the family’s usual lunch.
Seeing Orin’s expression, the couple looked embarrassed.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to treat him better—it was simply that there wasn’t any extra food in the house. In fact, they’d already used more rice than usual just to make this.
"..."
Orin went silent. He looked at O-Tama’s parents, their faces tinged with sha. Then, after a brief pause, he said softly:
"Well then... I’ll start."
He picked up the bowl of porridge and drank it without complaint, even eating several pieces of vegetables, his expression entirely natural.
Seeing this, the couple finally smiled in relief. They began feeding the few grains of rice to O-Tama while they themselves only drank the thin broth.
Orin watched this quietly without comnt.
He was a cruel man—
But when it ca to people who were truly gentle, who lived with genuine emotion—he could never remain completely indifferent.
He had proven this many tis before—
The old man who raised him. Roger the Captain, who cared for him without asking anything in return. His true friendship with Buggy. And the endlessly gentle Kuma...
Whenever Orin encountered such people, sothing inside him would still be moved.
This simple al and their selfless invitation—those were enough to stir sothing deep within him.
Finishing his bowl in a few quick sips, he stood up and quietly left the house.
O-Tama’s parents didn’t say anything, only worrying whether they had properly looked after their guest.
Not long after...
Orin ca back.
Boom—!
"Th-this is?!"
Before them lay a fish larger than their house, and piles of food they had never even seen before.
"My na’s Orin. Consider this a little return gift for that al."
He lifted little O-Tama high into the air, the baby bursting into happy laughter.
Before the couple could refuse, Orin interrupted them with a wave.
"That’s enough—just take it. No one in these seas dares to refuse my goodwill."
They wanted to decline, but their stomachs betrayed them with a loud growl—
Gurgle...
Faces flushing red, the kind couple couldn’t bring themselves to say anything more. They simply knelt down, repeatedly expressing their gratitude.
Orin sighed helplessly.
People from Wano—always so quick to kneel. It was their custom.
"Orin-sama, we’ll never forget your kindness. We truly... can’t thank you enough!"
"For , this is nothing but a trifle. There’s no need for all that," Orin said, waving his hand.
With a casual flick of his finger, he lifted them gently from the ground.
Holding little O-Tama in his arms, Orin joined them for a hearty al.
For a while, he stayed in that place, living a quiet and simple life.
During this ti, he learned that O-Tama’s parents were loyal supporters of the Kozuki faction.
They firmly believed that the current days of hardship would soday end—that the Kozuki Clan would return to Wano and bring liberation and salvation.
Orin made no comnt on that belief.
After leaving behind plenty of food for them, he rode away on the back of the Seagull King.
When O-Tama’s parents discovered all the food—and realized Orin was gone—they understood.
He had already left.
They didn’t feel deep sorrow. But every night, when they held little O-Tama in their arms and told bedti stories, they would sotis ntion one in particular—
"Long ago, there was a man nad Orin-sama. He was the most handso man in all of Wano, who always had endless food to share, and once... he ca to visit us..."
...
Orin left Wano.
This ti, without wasting ti, he headed straight for the island where Vegapunk resided.
"Dr. Vegapunk, I didn’t bring the user of the Ripe-Ripe Fruit, but I did bring materials that can be used to create Green Blood."
The sudden voice in the lab startled Vegapunk so much that he almost dropped the test tube in his hand. Fortunately, it didn’t explode.
Turning around, he saw Orin standing there.
"Good grief—you scared half to death!!!"
"Sorry~"
Orin chuckled casually, unfazed by Vegapunk’s glare. He sat down at the lab bench, crossed his legs, lit a cigarette, and placed several test tubes on the table.
"The experintal materials you wanted—they’re all ready."
Hearing that, the scientist’s irritation vanished instantly.
Vegapunk’s eyes lit up as he picked up the samples, inspecting them one by one before looking back at Orin.
Orin began explaining:
"This one’s the appearance material for the test subject. This one’s a sample of powerful Haki potential. This one’s the foundation for multiple Devil Fruit compatibility..."
"And this last one is from the Ripe-Ripe Fruit user. I didn’t bother bringing the guy back—feel free to make another Seraph if you want."
Vegapunk nodded. That wouldn’t be a problem.
"If that’s the case, then I should be ready to begin preparations soon."
Such a massive, complex project would be a huge challenge even for him—more difficult than creating the Shichibukai Seraphim.
"Don’t worry. I’m not in a hurry—and there’s no limit to the funds you can use."
Lighting another cigarette, Orin leaned back and watched Vegapunk get to work.
Between tasks, the scientist occasionally scribbled notes and chatted idly.
"By the way, about that ti machine—the funding was so generous that I’ve already rebuilt it with the best materials. Still interested in using it?"
"Oh?"
Orin raised an eyebrow.
He had been planning a little vacation in the red-light district, but his mood for that suddenly dimd.
The past he found interesting... besides Rocks’ era, there was only one other—Imu’s era.
With so much ti before the main story...
How about—
A trip eight hundred years into the past?
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