A few days later, inside Ortoren's office at the G-5 Marine Base...
Ortoren was buried in paperwork, hunched over his desk and busy with a towering stack of documents.
Just as he felt a bit thirsty, a pair of slender, fair fingers placed a steaming cup of tea in front of him.
He looked up and smiled. "Awake already?"
It was Gion. She had nothing else to do today, so she was lounging in Ortoren's office—something that had become part of her routine ever since Rouge arrived at G-5. Whenever she had free time, she would simply hang around with Ortoren.
Since Ortoren had been quite busy, Gion hadn't disturbed him when she came in. She just curled up on the sofa and took a nap.
Letting out a lazy yawn, she asked curiously, "You've been awfully busy lately. That's not like you at all..."
"Just trying to get through the backlog and take care of everything I've got coming up," Ortoren replied casually as he sipped his tea.
"What's the rush?" Gion asked offhandedly.
"I might be heading out soon. Planning to meet with Kaidou..." Ortoren said, then glanced at her and asked tentatively, "By the way, you haven't had much to do lately, have you?"
"Ahem..." Gion cleared her throat a little awkwardly and leaned against the bookshelf, her voice slightly stiff. "Lately... not really. That guy Momonga said he wanted to stretch his legs a bit, so I handed my duties over to him..."
Like Issho, Gion had originally been responsible for fieldwork at G-5—mainly hunting down pirates.
But as Base Commander, Ortoren couldn't deploy so freely. Gion, worried Rouge might take advantage of his constant absence, had quietly swapped roles with Momonga for the time being. Now Momonga led the field teams, while Gion stayed behind at the base, acting more like a secretary.
Of course, she didn't have Momonga's level of diligence. Because of that, Ortoren had been feeling an unexplained increase in workload lately.
He didn't seem too bothered by it, though. After hearing Gion's answer, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Once I get through this stretch, how about we go out together?"
"Go out?" Gion's eyes lit up, though she kept her tone casual. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I was thinking... it's been a while since either of us had a proper vacation. I'll be done with all this soon, and you're not too busy lately... So, I figured we could go out for a bit. You know, like back in the South Blue..." Ortoren said, a little sheepishly.
He remembered Gion telling him before that he should be more daring, more courageous... Maybe that had been her way of giving him a hint?
Lately, Ortoren had spent a lot of time reflecting on his feelings. If it came down to pure emotion, he liked Gion more. They'd had more contact, more conversations, a deeper understanding—and they just seemed more compatible overall.
But he wasn't clueless. Rouge's sudden warmth and attention—how could he not notice?
So yes, he had a few thoughts of his own. If he could have both, then... why choose?
He admitted it—he hadn't paid much attention to Rouge at first. In fact, he'd focused more on Ace. As Roger's son, Ace's talent was without question. In the original story, Whitebeard had even planned to raise Ace as his successor.
The reason he'd agreed to Garp's outrageous proposal back then was largely because of Ace. Keeping Ace close, training him properly—not just relying on the Mera Mera no Mi, but building a solid foundation, refining his character, and steering him away from the impulsiveness that had led to his downfall in the original timeline...
If he could do all that, with Ace's natural talent, he'd become a powerful force. Roger's ace in the hole—turned into Ortoren's ace. What could be better?
Of course, this wasn't about using Ace. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
So, from a pragmatic standpoint, Ortoren felt that deepening his relationships with both Rouge and Ace would only bring him more advantages.
Setting aside all those practical calculations, Ortoren had to admit—he really did enjoy being looked after by Rouge. These days, coming home felt like being waited on hand and foot. Meals and drinks were handled, daily routines meticulously managed. He'd just stretch out on the couch, and Rouge would come over to rub his shoulders. It was bliss.
So, Ortoren had made a decision. He would embrace the Charlotte family's bloodline tradition. Like his mother, he wouldn't be so rigid about morals when it came to love and relationships. Flexibility. Experimentation. That was the way forward!
Gion had intended to keep playing it cool after hearing his suggestion, but then she thought about it—if she played hard to get, that shameless Rouge would just see it as an opening. So she tossed those thoughts aside immediately.
"Now that you mention it, I have been feeling kind of restless lately... Going out with you doesn't sound so bad... Just the two of us?" Gion casually twirled a strand of her hair, trying to sound nonchalant.
"It could be just the two of us, or three. Depends on what you're willing to accept..." Ortoren replied with a grin.
Gion: ???
What the hell did you just say!?
Her cheerful expression instantly darkened. Gion narrowed her eyes and asked coldly, "Three people? What kind of 'three' are you talking about?"
Ortoren hadn't even caught on and replied matter-of-factly, "Well, if you want to head out earlier and travel a bit more, you can come with me this time. I'm planning to bring you and Ace along—just the three of us. We'll visit my mother first, then have a talk with Kaidou about the Seastone deal. After that, we can go straight into our trip."
As he spoke, the tension in Gion's eyes vanished in an instant.
Oh, it was a misunderstanding. It's that kid Ace? Alright, that's fine. I thought it was that shameless woman Rouge!
Even though Gion currently hated Rouge with a passion, she didn't hold any grudge against Ace. Maybe she felt that picking a fight with Ace would just make her look petty and immature—and besides, none of this was Ace's fault.
"If it's just the two of us, then we'll wait until I'm done with Kaidou, and I'll send Ace back first. Then we can head out..." Ortoren was still going on, explaining to himself.
But for Gion, the sooner she got Ortoren away, the sooner Rouge would be out of the picture. After a quick thought, she cut him off before he could finish.
"Let's just go together—us three. I'm already sick of being cooped up here."
Seeing that, Ortoren nodded. "Alright then. Use this time to get ready. Once I've met with Lu Feld and Umit, we'll head out."
Gion was in a great mood and nodded along. "Got it, got it."
Just then, the Den Den Mushi on Ortoren's desk rang. Both of them looked over. Gion didn't recognize the type and casually asked, "Who is it?"
"Someone from Joy Street..." Ortoren replied without giving it much thought. He picked up the Den Den Mushi and greeted cheerfully, "Queen Stussy, it's been a while..."
At the same time, Stussy's playful, sultry voice came through with a laugh. "Fufufu~ Has Vice Admiral Benn missed me lately?"
Gion's brow twitched as a question mark practically appeared on her forehead... Who the hell is this fox?!
But Ortoren didn't notice her reaction. He replied smoothly, "With a beauty like you, how could I not?"
It wasn't like he was trying to provoke Gion—this was just how Stussy communicated. If you tried to act too serious, she'd find it weird.
Hearing that, Gion's eye twitched. She glared daggers at Ortoren, and he finally caught on, quickly waving his hand to signal her not to overreact.
Sure enough, in the next moment, Stussy's tone shifted to business. "Vice Admiral Benn, regarding the weapons trade we discussed earlier—it's been approved. The partner will be the Big Mom Pirates."
Ortoren let out a breath of relief and smiled. "Thanks for the help, Queen. If you ever need anything from me, just say the word. I'm always generous and loyal when it comes to friends."
"Fufufu" Stussy chuckled, then added with a pointed tone, "But you know, what you're doing over there is pretty risky. I wouldn't dare ask you for favors myself Whether it's shipbuilding or whatever else, keep things clean. I helped you cover it up this time, but if word gets out again, it might reach Mary Geoise..."
If you don't tell anyone what you've done, they won't know. But they also won't appreciate the favor. Stussy understood that perfectly. She'd helped clean things up for Ortoren, and she wasn't going to let him forget it—otherwise, it would be a waste.
Ortoren's expression turned serious. He didn't try to dodge or deny anything—acting ignorant now would just make him look ungrateful. A trace of solemnity flickered in his eyes as he said, "That was my oversight... Thanks for covering for me, Queen."
"No big deal. Just treat me to a meal sometime~" Stussy said with a teasing smile.
"Of course," Ortoren readily agreed.
Once he hung up the Den Den Mushi, he turned to Gion.
"Raise security across the entire Shipbuilding Island. Get them to sweep bow to stern. Check thoroughly for any internal issues!"
Gion's expression had already turned serious. She didn't ask anything about Stussy. She just nodded. "Understood. I'll get on it right away."