In the year 1503 of the Sea Circle Calendar, Garp took an extended leave in the East Blue, officially to rest, but in truth to look after his newborn grandson.
Yes, just as in the original tale, the new child of destiny was born in the East Blue. Dragon named him "Luffy" and left him in his hometown of Foosha Village under Garp's care.
When Ortoren heard of this, he didn't pay it much attention. Though he often joked that the boy would grow up to be the child of destiny, he never actually believed it. If fate were really that powerful, then why would anyone need to work? People could just lie back, wait for time to pass, and let destiny arrange everything. What would be the point of striving?
At the end of the day, Ortoren only believed in himself, firmly holding to the conviction that "a man must rely on his own strength."
...
In June of 1503, Ortoren and Gion left G-5, taking Ace with them.
This was because his mother, Charlotte Linlin, had finally arranged a meeting with Kaidou. The agreed location was Floater Island, deep in the New World, on the edge of Kaidou's territory.
When Ortoren learned of the place, he wasn't surprised. Kaidou might act brash and careless, but in reality he was cautious.
For this meeting, Charlotte Linlin would be present, and Ortoren himself would attend as well. Their relationship was complicated, and Kaidou naturally had to guard against them. He couldn't risk the possibility of them pretending to sit down for business, only to turn on him together and strike the moment he showed up. That would put Kaidou in a very bad spot.
So, when the location was decided, Kaidou insisted it be held within his own territory. That way, he would feel more secure.
By contrast, Charlotte Linlin and Ortoren were far more relaxed. If the two of them appeared together, there was practically nowhere that could hold them down—certainly not by Kaidou's power alone.
So when Kaidou made his demand, they quickly agreed.
...
On the voyage to Floater, a deck chair was set out on the warship's deck. Ortoren reclined in it, reading through an internal Marine bulletin.
The publication was the same as always, circulating updates meant to keep Marine bases informed of current developments.
Ninety percent of the contents were things Ortoren already knew. For instance, former G-8 Base Commander Kuzan had stepped down, and Vice Admiral Jonathan had been appointed as his successor.
Ortoren had met Jonathan a few times back at headquarters. He came across as mature and steady. Ideologically, Ortoren had thought of him as leaning toward the dovish side, but in truth he was part of the neutral camp. What stood out even more was Jonathan's close friendship with Sakazuki. The two were often seen together, and Ortoren frequently heard of them drinking and hanging around like brothers.
This time, Jonathan's appointment wasn't like Kuzan's—a temporary trial for training purposes—but a formal commission. He would likely remain the commander of G-8 for a very long time.
That, in fact, was the goal for many Vice Admirals. At headquarters, one had greater access to the core of power, but the competition was brutal. In comparison, someone like Ortoren or Jonathan, holding down a base and running it stably, was practically like a regional warlord. Other than occasional inspections from headquarters, they were the absolute authority in their territory.
As for Kuzan, now that he had returned to headquarters, Ortoren figured he wouldn't leave again except on rotation. He had the seniority, the field experience, and while his strength wasn't at its peak yet, he had time to grow. Staying at headquarters until eventually being promoted to Admiral seemed to be the clear path ahead.
Whether or not it was deliberate, the moment Kuzan returned to headquarters, Sakazuki was once again appointed commander of G-1 and sent swiftly into the New World.
If Ortoren remembered correctly, this was Sakazuki's third time serving as G-1 Base Commander. From that perspective, Sakazuki's seniority was indeed above Kuzan's. It was no surprise that he would later have the weight to challenge Kuzan head-on for the position of Fleet Admiral, even with Sengoku backing Kuzan.
Compared to Kuzan and Sakazuki, Borsalino had practically vanished from sight lately. Not a sound from him—he was quietly stationed at Punk Hazard, serving as commander of the science unit.
But Ortoren figured that was probably the life Borsalino wanted. Clock in, sip tea, read the paper, no trouble, no pressure. He probably didn't even care whether he ever became an Admiral.
In the internal bulletin, aside from the usual personnel transfers, a few other items stood out. Two in particular caught Ortoren's eye.
The first was from the East Blue. The wealthy Oykot Kingdom had been hit by a massive pirate invasion—the likes of which hadn't been seen in decades. This wasn't the work of a single crew, but dozens of pirate bands, large and small, joining forces in a major raid.
The result was devastating. Oykot's richest port was completely destroyed. The pirates looted enormous wealth and shattered two whole Marine combat squadrons from the East Blue's 16th Division, scattering their formations. It was, in every sense, a victory for the pirates.
Normally, an East Blue kingdom falling victim to pirates wouldn't even make it into the Marines' internal bulletin. But because the East Blue hadn't seen anything this damaging in years, it was included. The bulletin also noted that the East Blue admiralty was mobilizing branch forces to wipe out the coalition of pirate crews.
Whether they succeeded or not didn't matter to Ortoren. What caught his attention was the name Oikote Kingdom—and the mention of a Marine unit being broken apart. That was enough for him to be sure: Nami, Nojiko, and their foster mother Bell-mère were tied to this very incident.
If things went as he remembered, Bell-mère would retire from the Marines, adopt Nami and Nojiko, and settle down in Cocoyasi Village to grow oranges.
Still, it had nothing to do with him, and he had no intention of confirming it.
The second item of interest concerned a Marine officer: Rear Admiral Diez Barrels. After failing a mission, he deserted the Navy and went missing. Marines were instructed to stay alert for sightings of him.
The bulletin's wording made it clear—this wasn't a manhunt, just a request for awareness.
Such notices were common. Every year, plenty of Marines deserted, betrayed their posts, or fell into corruption. At the same time, many pirates also surrendered and joined the Marines. Positions and loyalties shifted constantly. Today someone might be a Marine, tomorrow a pirate. Pirates too could switch sides—like Jango in the original tale, who ended up recruited by Hina.
Given the sheer size of the Navy, it was only natural that some would betray justice.
Ortoren had seen plenty of reports like this before and never paid them much attention. But this name—Diez Barrels—felt oddly familiar.
After thinking it over, he remembered. Wasn't that the father of Drake? The man who had obtained the Ope Ope no Mi, planning to sell it on the black market, only to be deceived and killed by Rosinante.
"Barrels..." Ortoren murmured with a smile. "I'll leave the task of finding the Ope Ope no Mi to you."
He had no plans to interfere. Maybe this way, the fruit would still fall into Barrels' hands, just like before.
At first, Ortoren hadn't cared much about the Ope Ope no Mi. Immortality was too distant, too intangible. Chasing that made less sense to him than pursuing something like Pure Gold.
But Trafalgar Law was a talent. And right now, G-5's medical corps badly needed a medical-type fruit. On top of that, Ortoren was also thinking about how to reinforce his "trust relationship" with predators like Lu Feld.
For all those reasons, his desire for the Ope Ope no Mi had grown strong.
After all... what better proof of loyalty could there be than handing me your heart?