April 18, 1497, Age of the Sea Circle
Orion and Kalifa were sitting by a campfire eating a large wild boar he had hunted a while ago.
Kalifa bit into the tender, finely seasoned meat and stuffed her mouth with the delicious meat, paying no attention to her appearance.
Orion had the "Cooking (Level 2)" skill and could prepare truly delicious dishes with just a few ingredients.
"Kalifa, once we're done eating, we'll set off," said Orion, who was also eating heartily.
The girl nodded repeatedly to express her agreement with his words, without stopping eating.
They had been on this island for a day, and after exploring it and finding no trace of people living here, they decided they had no choice but to set sail for a new destination.
After they finished eating, Orion stored most of the uneaten boar in the system inventory. Time was frozen in the inventory, making it especially useful for storing food.
Kalifa watched the gigantic boar disappear before her eyes, but didn't ask about it. She knew Orion had strange and varied abilities, similar to the powers of fruit users, and she had accepted that this was Orion's unique trait, and that he could have multiple powers simultaneously.
He used his 'Art Coating' to transform a gigantic tree into a small ship. His ability allowed him to alter any inanimate object, but if there was a large difference in size, the ability could fail. He could reduce the size of large objects, but enlarging small objects was problematic.
Kalifa took a book out of Orion's Pocket Dimension and began to read while he navigated toward their next destination. Using the system map as a guide, Orion began navigating toward a marker that had appeared on the map and read "Charlotte Galette."
He hadn't expected to find Galette after being thrown to a random location in the world, but it would be nice to see her again and check that she was safe and happy.
Orion sailed for a while along the course he had previously set, but after about half an hour, when he checked his location on the system map again, he realized with surprise that he was heading in the wrong direction!
"Duck!" Orion said, adjusting the ship's course again with the help of the system map.
This small incident made him immediately realize that he was on the Grand Line; only here could a navigator with some experience like himself get lost so easily.
Orion had no choice but to concentrate on steering the ship, continually checking his location against the map and making the necessary adjustments. However, this method of navigation was very cumbersome and complicated, though he had no other choice if he wanted to move in the right direction.
When he got close enough, within the system's identification area, new markers suddenly appeared on the map, at the same time as notifications popped up on the system screen.
Orion read the names of the new Named Characters that had appeared, who were with Galette:
Charlotte Effilée (23), Charlotte Angel (22), Charlotte Basskarte (19), Charlotte Smoothie (11).
These were evidently Galette's siblings, and they were traveling together, just like the last time he met her, although only Smoothie was a familiar face, and the rest of the Named Characters were strangers to him.
Orion contemplated his options for a moment and decided that he would go see Galette. Given his relationship with Galette, in addition to the favorability boost he'd earned with all the members of the Charlotte family as a reward for the mission in which he rescued her, there would be no problem for him to approach this group of individuals. And even if there was any trouble, he likely wouldn't have any trouble escaping with his current abilities.
Orion sailed nonstop toward the point indicated on the system map, and just as he was about to arrive, a new notification appeared on the system screen.
*Named Character Charlotte Poire (7) is within the system identification area*
The marker for the new Named Character Poire was far away from the rest and seemed to be moving further away. Observing the movement on the map, he could deduce that she was moving in the same direction as him, but at a much slower speed.
Orion spotted the ship in the distance and told Kalifa to enter the Pocket Dimension. He believed it was safest if the little girl, who had no combat ability, wasn't present during the encounter. Although he didn't expect a conflict with Galette's siblings to break out, it was better not to risk exposing Kalifa to a dangerous situation.
Kalifa reluctantly agreed after Orion told her she would encounter pirates and it could be dangerous, and pouted as she entered the small alternate dimension. It was in moments like these that she wished she could be strong enough to be by Orion's side, regardless of the danger, and not have to hide as she was doing now, or as she had during the battle at Guanhao.
Once Kalifa was safe, Orion placed the ship he was using to travel into his inventory and, using Geppo, took several steps in the air. His use of this ability wasn't good enough to travel long distances, so he had no choice but to open a door in the air before the momentum ran out and continue running inside the Pocket Dimension.
He continued to repeat this process of alternating between using Geppo and opening doors in the air, and soon reached the large ship that held Big Mom's Jolly Roger.
He descended at full speed and landed on the ship's deck, only to be greeted by a wave of hostility.
He had barely landed on the deck when the sound of a gunshot echoed nearby.
Orion saw the projectile approaching him at high speed, and before the bullet could hit his body, he stored it in his inventory. Then, with a movement of his mind, almost instantly, he released it again. The bullet continued moving forward at the same speed it had come before, but in the opposite direction.
Effilée raised her eyebrows in surprise and fired another bullet, which collided with the one Orion had redirected, causing the two projectiles to cancel each other out.
"Who are you? What are you planning, invading our ship all of a sudden?" Effilée said in an icy voice, thick with hostility.
Orion raised his hands to show he had no ill intentions and replied calmly, "My name is Orion. I'm here to see Galette."
Effilée seemed surprised to hear the words of the boy in front of her, and the hostility she was projecting diminished considerably, although she was still pointing her gun at him.
"Orion? From South Blue?" Effilée asked.
"That's right, Broyé gave me her Vivre card back then, but I don't have it with me," Orion said with a smile, remaining calm.
When he rescued Galette from the Marines back then, Broyé had given him a Den Den Mushi to communicate with her, in addition to her Vivre card. However, those two items were in his house in Pacific Town. Had he possessed the system half a year ago, he would definitely have them with him now.
Effilée finally lowered her pistol and said with a smile, "I've wanted to meet you ever since I found out what happened."
The woman, wearing only a small jacket around her torso and openly displaying her impressive and sensual breasts, stepped forward and bowed to Orion.
"Thank you so much for saving my little sister."
Orion looked at the spectacular sight before him, and his mind wandered a little, thinking that it had been a long time since he had last tried to level up his "Marital Bliss" skill.
However, upon hearing Effilée's words of thanks, he came to his senses and nodded, accepting her gratitude.
Looking at the favorability screen, Effilée had a score of 20, which was quite high for someone from the Charlotte family, whose default favorability, even after the system buff, was generally in the negative.
He looked at the other two names that had appeared on the list: "Charlotte Angel (-20)" and "Charlotte Basskarte (-20)", confirming once again that Effilée seemed to be a special case in the Charlotte family.
"Orion!" Gallete's voice sounded.
He turned around and saw the little girl running up, waving her hands with great joy. It had been a long time since he'd last seen her, and her appearance stirred a feeling of nostalgia in him.
Orion took a step forward to approach Galette, but before he could advance too far, a figure leaped towards him.
"Damn bastard! We finally meet again!" Smoothie shouted, trying to get close to him and suck him up.
Orion used Soru and dodged her easily, leaving her gasping in frustration. Before she could regain her balance, Orion appeared behind her and punched her hard in the face, causing her nose to bleed uncontrollably.
"Aaah!" Smoothie cried in surprise.
But Orion wasn't finished. Using a combat technique he had learned in Guanhao, he threw her to the floor, blocking all her movements. Then, before the shocked gaze of all the Charlottes present, he began spanking her!
It was a punishment more symbolic than real, and even a little ridiculous. But in the world of pirates, sometimes humiliation was worth more than a direct blow.
"Your name was Smoothie, right? I'm going to teach you some manners today!" Orion said, spanking her hard.
He had suffered great humiliation at Smoothie's hands years ago, when she had sucked his life energy dry and nearly made him lose his arm, and he still held some resentment for what had happened that time.
Now that he saw her again, and she had even had the nerve to attack him again, Orion was completely outraged and decided to teach her a lesson.
He couldn't go too far with the punishment—after all, she was Galette's sister, and this was the Charlottes' ship. If he beat her too much, there would likely be some trouble, but a small discipline like a spanking probably wouldn't cause any major problems, right?
None of those present reacted immediately to the bizarre scene unfolding before their eyes, and only the loud sound of the spanking echoed across the silent deck of the ship.
Finally, Smoothie came to her senses first and began shouting all sorts of profanities, without making Orion pay any attention or stop his punishment.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Angel said, immediately taking the bow from her back and attacking Orion with an arrow.
He didn't flinch; with a flick of his mind, the arrow vanished into thin air as if it had never existed, and he continued disciplining Smoothie, who was now crying from the humiliation she felt.
Basskarte lit part of his arms on fire and launched himself at Orion with what appeared to be one of his most powerful attacks.
This time, Orion did react. He could have dodged the attack and continued his discipline, but he felt it wasn't necessary. He had successfully paid Smoothie back for the humiliation, and his mission had been accomplished.
Orion released Smoothie and immediately moved away from the point of impact of the attack, landing next to Effilée, who had no intention of attacking Orion. She knew he didn't truly want to hurt Smoothie, and having heard the story of what happened between the two of them in South Blue, she could understand the boy's thoughts.
"This boy is very vindictive," Effilée thought, shaking her head.
Angel and Basskarte surrounded Orion, ready to continue their attack, but Effilée stepped forward and said,
"That's enough! This is just a fight between kids; there's no need to be so serious about it!"
"But sister, look at Smoothie! She—" Angel couldn't finish her sentence before being interrupted by Effilée.
"She just suffered a blow and a spanking; it's no big deal! How many battles has she participated in so far? Is she so weak that she can't bear the slightest humiliation? Didn't she criticize Poire for being mentally weak earlier? What's wrong, now that she's suffering a little humiliation, she can't tolerate it?! If she's not satisfied, let her take matters into her own hands!"
Effilée finished speaking, and her siblings lowered their heads without contradicting her. Not only was she the leader of this ship, but her words were a reference to how they had criticized Poire previously. They couldn't find an argument to contradict their older sister.
Orion nodded, thinking that Effilée was truly very nice, not only because she showed off an incredible landscape with her choice of clothing, but also because of her demeanor and behavior.
Smoothie gritted her teeth tightly, about to explode with anger. She sat up, rubbing her bottom, which was red from the punishment she had received from Orion, and pointing at her enemy, she declared:
"Let's have a duel then! Or do you not dare?!"
"No thanks, I don't feel like beating you up anymore," Orion replied indifferently.
Smoothie took a step forward, but Effilée shot at her feet as a warning.
"Smoothie, that's enough. Orion is our guest, don't keep causing trouble!"
Smoothie glared at Orion, turned around, and ran off, disappearing from the deck.
Effilée sighed as she watched her sister leave. She had allowed Orion to humiliate Smoothie, but it wasn't because he had saved Galette, but because Smoothie was too arrogant.
Everyone in the family had high hopes for her, and they knew she would be one of the pillars of the family in the future, but her arrogance was a major weakness, one she and several of her siblings had been trying to curb.
Perhaps suffering defeat at Orion's hands in this way might lessen the arrogance with which she carried herself, and consequently make her stronger.
She had a responsibility to her younger siblings, and it was for that very reason that she didn't stop the other siblings from bullying Poire. She felt bad for Poire, but she also believed that her little sister had to become mentally strong and overcome what could be considered a "minor matter," otherwise she would have no future in this pirate world.
Orion saw that tempers had calmed down on the ship's deck and breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't face these people and emerge victorious, so if a real conflict broke out, he would have no choice but to escape.
As for what happened with Smoothie? That couldn't be considered a conflict, and in the eyes of pirates like Effilée, it was nothing more than child's play.
In reality, Smoothie hadn't attacked him with all her might; otherwise, he would have had to work hard to defeat her, and the outcome of that battle was uncertain.
Smoothie, despite having a bad temper and a terrible opinion of him, wouldn't attack him with the intention of killing him in front of Galette. There were certain limits she would never cross, as she knew that doing so would permanently alienate her sister.
"Orion!" Galette said, throwing herself into his arms and hugging him tightly.
Then, before Orion could say a word, she continued:
"You've grown so much stronger! Have you come to keep your promise?"
Seeing Galette's eyes lit up, Orion placed a hand on her head and stroked her pink hair, then shook his head bitterly and said:
"It's not time yet, Galette. It would take at least ten more years!"
The promise Galette was referring to was the one his younger self had made years ago. He had promised that when he was strong enough, he would go find Galette and marry her, but how could Orion keep that promise now? Galette was only seven years old!
If he had to marry someone right now, he'd definitely prefer Effilée, who was standing in the distance, casually smoking a cigarette, and wearing that tiny jacket that left nothing to the imagination!
Galette crossed her arms and raised her head, adopting her classic tsundere pose.
"You don't have enough conviction! My mother won't accept you with that attitude!"
Orion's eyes trembled slightly, as he thought the girl was approaching the matter from the wrong angle.
He decided to remain silent and not continue with that topic of conversation.
He turned around and asked Effilée,
"I'm looking for a Marine base. Do you know where I can find one?"
In addition to coming to see Galette, Orion wanted to inquire about the location of a Marine base, since he needed one of their ships if he wanted to return home.
According to the location showed on the system map, he could reach South Blue if he headed directly south of his current location, but to do so, he would have to cross the Calm Belt, which would be impossible without a ship designed for it.
Orion could use his 'Art Coating' ability to replicate a Marine vessel, but he couldn't mimic the properties of the Kairoseki, which was what allowed Marine ships to navigate through the Calm Belt.
His plan was to steal a Marine vessel, modify it with Art Coating to camouflage it, and travel home directly through the Calm Belt.
It was a very dangerous plan, and he didn't know if he could pull it off, but he didn't have many other options. Otherwise, he would have to go to Mary Geoise, which was also dangerous. After all, Cipher Pol would probably be looking for him after his escape from Guanhao, especially given the fact that he had "kidnapped" Gloriosa and Kalifa, destroyed much of the facility, and stolen the Devil Fruits.
Effilée raised her eyebrows in surprise and asked:
"A marine base? Why do you want to know that?"
"I have some unfinished business to settle with them," Orion replied, unwilling to give away too much information about his plans.
Even though Effilée was better than the rest of her siblings, he didn't know her well enough to tell her the details of his situation.
She noticed that Orion didn't want to delve into the matter and simply nodded, saying:
"There's a Marine base relatively close to here. I have an Eternal Pose for an island near the base. If you go there, you won't have any trouble getting to the base."
Orion was relieved to hear Effilée's positive response. With an Eternal Pose guiding him, there would be no problem finding the location, and his plans could continue without a hitch.
Effilée withdrew to look for the Eternal Pose, and Galette took his arm and led him to a place far away from his two siblings, who were still looking at Orion with hostility.
"What's wrong, Galette? Why are you acting so secretive?" Orion said, seeing the girl's expression, who was cautiously looking into the distance to see if her siblings were paying attention to what was happening here.
"I have a favor to ask, Orion," Galette said in a low voice.
Orion was surprised to hear her say that, as he hadn't expected Galette, who usually acted like a tsundere, to be so cautious now. However, he answered immediately, seeing the girl's hopeful look.
"Of course, Galette. As long as it's within my power, I promise to do my best to help!"
"Thank you, Orion!" Galette said, hugging him once more. Although she immediately let go and looked around again before continuing in a low voice, she said, "Actually, my sister Poire has disappeared, but my siblings haven't found out yet. I was about to tell them when you arrived. Do you think you could go find her and bring her back before they find out she's missing from the ship?"
Orion remembered the marker he'd seen slowly receding on the system map and asked Galette about the situation in detail.
When he heard that the little girl had run away because she was being bullied by her brothers, he couldn't help but sigh.
Although her brothers shouldn't have made fun of her, it was true that this little girl was overly sensitive. This wasn't Planet Earth, where a child could get angry and pretend to run away from home for a few hours; this was a world infested with all sorts of dangers and monstrous beings. She'd be lucky if she didn't end up as dinner for some strange creature or as a pirate's prisoner. And this was especially true on the Grand Line.
Orion placed his hand on Galette's head as she looked at him with great anticipation, and said:
"Of course, I'll bring her back before your siblings find out."
Galette hugged him again happily, but Orion's voice resonated again, with words that forced her to restrain her good mood.
"However, Galette, bringing her back just like this isn't a permanent solution. If the situation doesn't change, it won't be long before she does something similar again."
Galette lowered her head and said nothing. As much as she wanted to, she had no way to change her twin's situation.
Orion saw Galette's expression and his heart softened.
He sighed and said:
"Well, never mind. I'll try to do something about it; don't worry too much."
Galette nodded vigorously and took a Vivre Card from her pocket.
"This is Poire's Vivre Card, with it you can easily find her."
Orion saw the marker still appearing on the system map and shook his head.
"No need, Galette. I have my own means to find her."
Then, he used Geppo to soar through the air and disappeared into the Pocket Dimension before the eyes of the surprised girl, who remained on the ship's deck awaiting his triumphant return in the company of her twin sister.