May 3, 1504, Age of the Sea Circle
"Don't just stand there like idiots, eliminate the enemy!!" Andrei shouted in irritation as he saw his men frozen in fear, not daring to attack Orion.
"One Fleur, Gigantification"
Orion produced an arm in the middle of the terrified group of pirates, and it began to grow at an incredible speed thanks to his Gigantification ability. Finally, he coated the fist of the gigantic hand with Armament Haki, unleashing a devastating attack against his enemies and wiping out a large portion of them.
Even so, some pirates managed to escape at the last instant before being crushed by the massive fist, and now they had regained their composure, shaking off the terror that had paralyzed them just moments earlier.
They knew that if they did not defend themselves with everything they had, they would end up dead at Orion's hands in the blink of an eye, and it was that desperate desire to live that pushed them to take up their weapons and face the dreadful enemy before them.
Orion saw the pirates rushing toward him aggressively with their weapons raised, and with a flick of his hand he launched a large number of small projectiles that he pulled from his inventory.
These small stones, which he had prepared for situations like this, suddenly began to grow, turning into massive boulders that rained down upon the wretched pirates, who had no choice but to accept their deaths in resignation.
He always kept a few projectiles of this kind in reserve, which he created beforehand using his Art Coating ability, altering their size and leaving them ready to be used in situations where he had to face a large number of mid-level enemies, like now.
"Shit, this guy is a monster! Are you sure we can defeat him, Andrei?" Stefan asked, somewhat frightened by the slaughter unfolding before his eyes.
"What other choice do we have? Do you think he'll let us walk away alive? It's fight or die!" Alexandru said solemnly before their captain, Andrei the Dirty, could respond to Stefan's question.
Using Soru, Orion moved through the remaining group of pirates, eliminating them with numerous strikes empowered not only by speed but also by Armament Haki and electricity obtained through his Electro technique.
Finally, before the three strongest pirates of the crew could make a single move, Orion wiped out all the low-ranking pirates, leaving behind only death and destruction in his wake.
"Now it's your turn," Orion said as he looked at the last three pirates remaining, who were also the ones the system had designated as objectives during the current Dungeon.
Using Geppo, Orion shot through the skies at incredible speed, reaching Alexandru in an instant, who was flying with the help of his Devil Fruit powers, the Guru Guru no Mi. However, just as Orion was about to decapitate the pirate with a precise strike of his sword, a massive explosion interrupted him, coming between him and his target.
On the ground, Stefan was continuously picking mucus from his nose and hurling it toward Orion, causing large explosions that prevented him from getting close to the turbine-like man flying through the sky.
"Tch, his ability is quite annoying. I'll have to deal with him first," Orion said, changing targets, and pulling a revolver from his inventory, he fired several shots in succession, coating some of them with Armament Haki to increase their power.
"Fuck!" Stefan, who was known as Bomberman in the North Blue, managed to dodge Orion's first shots successfully, but eventually a bullet pierced his leg at the knee, completely shattering the bone and robbing him of his mobility.
Now he was a sitting duck waiting for Orion's next attack, and he could do nothing but begin spitting his saliva bombs as a last resort to defend himself against his enemy, though unfortunately for him, he failed to stop him.
Using Tekkai and Armament Haki to protect himself, Orion took Stefan's attacks head-on without suffering much damage, and finally reached the fallen pirate at high speed, ending his life with a swift motion of his sword.
Stefan's head rolled across the ground, while the spirit of the Bomu Bomu no Mi left his body in search of a new fruit in which to reincarnate.
Once Orion eliminated Stefan, he focused once more on Alexandru, who had retreated quite far while flying through the air and was now spinning a large number of blades in the sky, preparing a powerful attack against Orion.
However, he would not be given enough time to complete it, because as Orion drew his sword once more, he used one of his strongest techniques.
"Thirty-Six Styles, Dimensional Slash!"
The wave of spatial energy surged through the air at incredible speed, first colliding with the blades Alexandru had been preparing and slicing through them effortlessly, then continuing onward until it struck the unfortunate pirate, who was also cut cleanly in two in an instant, bringing his life to an end.
The two halves of the pirate's body fell from the sky in a grotesque display of blood and entrails, and now only one enemy pirate remained standing: the crew's captain, Andrei the Dirty.
"I have to admit, you're truly very powerful… But that only makes things better for me!" the pirate shouted with suspicious confidence as he activated the powers of his Devil Fruit.
Suddenly, the fingers on his hands and feet began to grow and become more robust, until they finally turned into sharp claws that looked quite threatening. Even so, Orion did not believe that this power was something as simple as a mere pair of claws, since otherwise the enemy pirate would not be displaying such confidence.
"I can see you're wondering what my power is. Well, let me tell you, I ate the Climb Climb Fruit, and I can climb anything," said Andrei the Dirty with a wide grin, and immediately afterward he began to climb through the air, using his claws to grip onto nothingness itself as if it were a wall, running on all fours toward Orion with an appearance that looked quite beastly for someone who had not eaten a Zoan fruit.
Orion raised his eyebrows at Andrei's strange power, but did not dwell on it too much, using Soru to close the distance before launching a powerful Rokuogan to eliminate him.
Bang!
His fists collided against Andrei's body, but to Orion's surprise, the pirate endured the attack, and even took advantage of their proximity to slash toward Orion's eyes using his sharp claws.
Orion reacted quickly thanks to his Prism Eyes, and by leaping backward he created distance between himself and Andrei, observing the pirate with curiosity as he tried to uncover the secret behind his abilities.
Based on the estimation he had made moments earlier regarding Andrei's capabilities, it should have been impossible for him to take his Rokuogan head-on without suffering any damage, which made it obvious that something strange was happening.
Andrei watched Orion's puzzled expression with a grin, and raising both arms in an exaggerated posture, he said mockingly,
"Confused? Let me explain it to you. My Devil Fruit allows me to climb anything, even my opponent's power level! The stronger my enemy is, the stronger I become hahaha—Ah?"
Andrei the Dirty had begun an odd and completely unnecessary soliloquy, but he did not get to laugh for long, because suddenly his body transformed into that of a small child, and Orion's sword descended upon his neck before he could do anything to defend himself in his now childish form.
"Thanks for giving me the information I needed," Orion said as he sheathed his cutlass, walking toward the distant fortress without paying any further attention to the decapitated body of the pirate who had been considered by many to be the strongest in the North Blue.
It was the first time Orion had encountered someone arrogant enough to reveal the workings of his own powers in such a manner through a soliloquy, but it was something he welcomed with open arms, since it spared him the trouble of having to deduce it himself through a prolonged battle.
If Andrei's Devil Fruit increased his power—"climbing" it—until it matched Orion's own, then all Orion needed to do was reduce it again. For that reason, he had simply used his Age Change ability to turn Andrei into a child, and then eliminated him without difficulty.
If Andrei had not been so arrogant as to inform Orion of the nature of his powers and let his guard down while laughing like a second-rate villain, he might have been able to trouble Orion for a longer period of time, though Orion still believed he would have ultimately defeated him, as the gap in their levels of power was quite significant.
Having eliminated the pirates, Orion walked calmly toward the fortress where the people of Opla had barricaded themselves, while notifications indicating the successful completion of the Dungeon appeared on the system screen.
…
May 4, 1504, Age of the Sea Circle
The following morning, Orion was already prepared to continue his journey toward the location of Monet and her sister Sugar. The previous day, after eliminating the pirates who had been attacking the city of Opla, he had been received by the inhabitants as a hero, and after helping them treat their wounds and extinguish the fires caused by the invaders, they held a large open-air celebration to commemorate their survival after such a close brush with death.
Even so, despite Orion having arrived just in time to save them, the town had been left in ruins by the pirate attack, and the people of Opla were deeply concerned about the future.
For that reason, Orion carried out one of the actions he often undertook after rescuing people: recruiting new citizens for his kingdom.
Informing them that he was the king of a distant land, Orion offered them the chance to emigrate to Pacific Kingdom, promising them safety and a place where they could develop in the future, though unfortunately the vast majority of people rejected his proposal, as they did not wish to abandon their homeland.
Despite Opla having suffered many pirate attacks over the years, this was the first time they had encountered such a bloodthirsty group, one prepared to completely annihilate the entire village, since the pirates in the area generally tried not to wipe out settlements, so that they could plunder them regularly and abduct some women for their own amusement.
In the minds of Opla's inhabitants, this case had been an unfortunate exception to the rule, and they trusted that in the future they would not suffer an attack of similar scale, even if they had to endure smaller pirate raids once again.
For that reason, the vast majority of the inhabitants rejected Orion's proposal, even though their favorability toward him had risen to a very high level after he received a favorability bonus from them upon completing the Dungeon.
Only around 50 people accepted Orion's invitation to migrate to his kingdom, all of whom had lost all their possessions during the fire, meaning they had to start over regardless.
Orion had promised to provide them with assistance to get back on their feet, so they chose to trust him and accept his offer. Among these 50 people was the Named Character called Linaria, an adorable girl barely 11 years old, along with her mother Lina, a single mother with a fierce appearance that contrasted greatly with her daughter's gentle demeanor.
Orion had analyzed Linaria's potential, and although it could not be said that she was an exceptional talent, she was at least above average in this world, and according to the system she had great potential for development in fire manipulation, something Orion found quite interesting, since up until now he had not encountered anyone who fought by controlling fire—aside from Devil Fruit users with such characteristics.
Even among the rewards he received for successfully completing this Dungeon, there was a manual that taught the use of a powerful fire manipulation technique, and Orion had naturally concluded that this was a special reward intended for Linaria's development, which was why he had decided to train her with this technique as soon as they arrived at Pacific Kingdom.
In addition to the increase in favorability and the manual containing the fire control technique, Orion obtained several other rewards upon completing the Dungeon: 5000 SP, a 1-level increase to his ability "Charisma Halo (Level 4)," and a new combat skill called "Qigong (Level 0)."
This last reward was particularly important to Orion, as it was a skill that not only slightly enhanced his close-combat capabilities, but also allowed him to accumulate his mental (spiritual) energy, forming a reserve that he could later use as a trump card when necessary.
In a certain sense, it was similar to what Shesha did with Orion's Haki, as the combat serpent absorbed and stored its master's Haki to later use it in battle.
For Orion, who was highly disciplined in his training and frequently found himself involved in all kinds of dangerous fights, this ability suited him perfectly, as with just a few hours of meditation and exercise, he could accumulate a considerable amount of spiritual energy that he could later use during his battles against powerful enemies.
Even so, the current accumulation speed and the amount of energy he could store were rather poor, but he was convinced that the situation would improve once he raised the skill's level in the future.
Overall, although he had not received any particularly flashy abilities from completing this Dungeon, he had gained an important support skill, and had also managed to recruit the Named Character Linaria along with several other inhabitants for his kingdom, so he was satisfied with the final outcome.
After resting for the entire night on the island of Opla, Orion used his Space Gate to send Linaria and the others to Pacific Kingdom, specifically giving the fire technique training manual to Linaria so that she could begin her training.
Orion had already communicated with his wives in Pacific Kingdom, and they had decided that Christina—who was the leader of the royal army—would personally train Linaria until Orion returned.
Once all his matters on the island were settled, Orion bid farewell to the inhabitants of Opla who had chosen to remain in their homeland, and set sail once again toward the island where Monet and Sugar were located, which was not far from his current position.
…
May 8, 1504, Age of the Sea Circle
Four days later, the small sailboat in which Orion and the others were traveling finally arrived at the area where the island containing Monet and Sugar was located, and the two markers appeared on the system screen, indicating that the information he had received from Stussy had not been wrong.
Orion, who had just finished training his close-combat techniques, took a deep breath, and concentrating all his energy, unleashed a powerful palm strike, causing the seawater to form a large wave capable of destroying a small vessel that might stand in its path.
Moreover, Orion had combined his Electro with his attack using Fishman Karate, causing the power of both techniques to increase significantly due to the natural synergy between them.
*Ding*
*Your skill "Fishman Karate (Level 1)" has increased by 1 Level*
*Your skill "Electro (Level 2)" has increased by 1 Level*
*Your skill "Close Combat (Level 6)" has increased by 1 Level*
A chime rang in Orion's mind, and three consecutive notifications appeared on the system screen, indicating the increase in his close-combat abilities.
Upon reading the notifications, Orion felt a surge of joy, as his close-combat skill had finally reached Level 7, which was the same level as his Swordsmanship, although his proficiency with the sword remained considerably superior.
If each level had an experience bar that needed to be filled in order to advance to the next, his close combat would currently be at zero after reaching level 7, while his Swordsmanship was already more than halfway filled toward the next level, which was a fairly noticeable difference, since the amount of time and effort required to increase his skill levels grew exponentially upon reaching level 7.
Stretching slightly as he exhaled a breath, Orion enjoyed the midday sun, thinking about how satisfying it was to receive such a clear reward for all the hours of training he had invested.
Then, turning his head, he focused his gaze on the beautiful woman dressed in a kimono who was watching him from a distance, and with a smile he walked toward her and sat down by her side.
"Here, dry your sweat or you'll catch a cold," Toki said with a somewhat flustered expression, looking at Orion's sculpted body, who, as usual, was training with his torso bare.
"Thanks," Orion replied, taking the small white towel that carried the fragrance of the beautiful woman before him, and used it to wipe his sweat.
This was a scene that had been repeated countless times since they had begun their journey through the North Blue, and it had essentially become part of their daily routine.
Orion always trained several of his techniques while the ship advanced toward its final destination, and Toki watched him with great interest, waiting for him to finish so she could offer him a towel, along with snacks and tea.
In a way, it was almost like the scene of a virtuous wife attending to her husband after he returned home from work, although neither Toki nor Orion had thought too deeply about it, since their relationship still remained at a prudent distance that neither of them could cross.
Even though Orion had feelings for Toki, and she was also very attracted to him, they had not progressed beyond the stage of holding hands, almost as if there were an invisible barrier preventing them from moving forward, or an unbreakable rule.
Orion suspected the root of Toki's restraint, theorizing that it was due to the fact that she had not yet recovered the memories of her past, and therefore did not want to take any action she might later regret.
After all, Orion had not wanted to tell her too much about her past—although in truth the information he possessed was also quite limited—for fear that she might suffer unnecessarily.
According to what Orion knew about the past of the beautiful woman from Wano, she had tragically lost her family at the hands of Kaido during the pirate's occupation of the land of the samurai, and he had yet to decide whether he should tell her about it or wait for her to remember on her own.
However, something was about to happen that would push him to reveal the information he knew, and it would all begin with the visible scar on the beautiful thigh of the mature woman.