November 14, 1496, Age of the Sea Circle
*A new quest is available*
*Quest 09 - The Voice of the Oppressed:
Description: The weak must remain silent if they wish to survive, but sometimes a point arrives where silence is no longer an option. The drums of liberation are about to beat once more in this world. What will your stance be when the time to make a decision arrives? What role do you wish to fulfill? The decision lies solely in your hands.
Objective: Defeat Scarlet Blaze Blake's pirates in this place and rescue the hostages.
Reward: ?? *
Orion stepped onto the ship's deck, the cool night breeze slightly ruffling his black hair. There was a certain tranquility about him. Anyone who saw him at this moment would feel mixed feelings. The small boy was like a calm lake, but his piercing gaze indicated that the calm was only an illusion. Something big was about to happen.
Two pirates who were drinking nearby saw the little boy appear from the hold and immediately approached curiously.
"Hey, how'd this kid escape?" one of the pirates said, half-drunk.
"Maybe he squeezed through the bars?" the other pirate said in confusion.
"It shouldn't be possible, right?" the first pirate said again.
Orion, despite being a child, was quite tall, and his body wasn't slender, so he definitely wouldn't have been able to accomplish the feat of escaping the cage by getting through the bars.
The pirates looked at each other in confusion, scratching their heads.
"Well, for now, let's lock him back up—" The pirate's sentence trailed off, and his eyes widened.
In front of him, the other pirate's head had been severed from his body, and it was rolling on the floor. It all happened in a second, and the next moment, his vision went wild, and he saw his own decapitated body.
Decisively and silently, Orion took out two of the pirates.
He didn't receive SP for eliminating them, as had happened in the past, but a notification appeared on the system screen.
*Pirates Eliminated: 2/334*
Orion saw the total number and sighed. This time, his hands would be completely covered in blood.
Orion sped forward and encountered another group of pirates. He immediately eliminated five of them, but the remaining three reacted and tried to defend themselves. Two of them brandished their swords, while the third pulled out a pistol and fired without hesitation.
The shot hit Orion in the torso, but didn't penetrate his skin. His new ability, "Steel Skin," made his skin nearly impervious to ordinary weapons. If a person didn't use Haki to attack him, they would have to put in a lot of effort to penetrate his natural defenses.
Still, he wasn't invulnerable. He could be injured if he took constant damage, so he still had to maintain a certain degree of caution in combat.
The bullet spun around in his skin until it stopped, and it fell inert to the ground. The pirate who had fired it watched in horror as the shot had produced nothing more than a bruise on the boy's torso.
Orion swung his sword once more, giving free rein to the negative feelings building in his chest. He felt no pity for taking down this kind of heartless criminal, who enjoyed torturing women and children.
In his mind, he still felt some discomfort at taking a life, but he knew it was something that would probably never change, or at least he didn't want it to.
He didn't want to transform into a psychopath who enjoyed killing people. He would simply be the sword of judgment, and he would bear the weight of all the lives he took on his shoulders.
*Pirates Eliminated: 10/334*
The shot fired by the pirate alerted the other criminals on the ship, and the fight became much more tense.
A large group of pirates amassed on the deck of the ship, and Orion swung his sword like a harvester mowing down a field.
However, the large number of pirates wasn't simply for show. These pirates weren't like the ones he'd encountered so far in the attacks on Pacific Town. This pirate crew was at the top of the food chain in the South Blue, and as such, they weren't weak.
Although individually they weren't on Orion's level, the sheer number of pirates meant the fight wasn't simply a one-sided massacre.
It was true that Orion was eliminating them at high speed, but little by little, several wounds were appearing on his body, and if it weren't for his new skill "Steel Skin," he would probably have already died at the hands of his enemies.
"Thirty-six styles, dragon's meteor sword!"
Orion launched a large number of thrusts, eliminating several pirates in one fell swoop.
*Pirates eliminated: 49/334*
After an intense fight, nearly half of the pirates on this ship had been eliminated.
Orion stopped and looked at the remaining pirates. Some of those still standing had been able to withstand his attack, making them the most powerful among this group of pirates.
Orion moved at great speed and appeared in front of one of these pirates, who immediately attacked him with his sword. Orion didn't slow down, meeting the attack head-on, and at the last moment, he used his new skill: Geppo.
Orion stepped into the air and elegantly dodged the pirate's attack, leaving him completely exposed and then he was sliced in two by Orion's violent attack.
The other pirates watched this scene in terror. It was the first time they had seen someone use this technique, and they were terrified by the power displayed by the little boy, who was covered in both his own blood and that of his enemies.
At this moment, Orion looked like a demon straight from hell. Many of the pirates who had intended to fight him involuntarily took a step back.
Orion realized his opportunity had arrived, and taking advantage of his enemies' confusion, he launched a decisive attack.
*Pirates Eliminated: 102/334*
Finally, the last pirate on the deck fell to the ground, dead. The first ship had been "cleaned up."
Orion didn't thoroughly search the ship for surviving pirates; the other two ships had received notice of his attack, and if he didn't deal with them soon, he could be in trouble.
Using Geppo, he streaked through the sky at high speed and landed on the deck of another ship, right in front of the terrified pirates.
The captain of this ship insulted his subordinates and ordered a massive attack on the little boy, who had once again begun his cleanup work.
A sword struck his arm, and the defense of his "steel skin" could no longer withstand it. A large wound appeared on his arm, and even part of his bone was visible.
Orion bought a health brownie for 50 SP and consumed it immediately. Although this brownie didn't work like a conventional potion seen in video games, it certainly improved his health, and upon consuming it, he felt his fatigue diminish considerably.
A large number of pirates surrounded him, preventing him from using his great agility to his advantage.
Orion tensed his muscles to the extreme and used all the strength he was capable of.
"Kamusari!" he shouted loudly, while violently swinging his sword.
The pirates around him were sent flying through the air, and some of them even fell directly into the sea, with a few unfortunate ones dying upon impact with the water.
"Don't let that kid intimidate you!! He's injured! Continue attacking!" ordered the ship's captain.
Some of the pirates who had been showing signs of retreating moved forward again upon hearing their captain's voice.
Orion frowned, his attention focused on the man giving orders. Now, he was his new target.
Orion used Geppo to close in on the captain, who pulled out a pistol and fired.
The bullet hit his shoulder, this time penetrating his skin and embedding itself in his flesh.
His defenses wouldn't hold much longer. He had to hurry and eliminate the pirates!
"Thirty-six styles, moonfall sword!" Orion shouted as he descended like a meteor upon the pirate captain, violently embedding his sword in his skull.
The ship's captain died suddenly, and his subordinates began to act in a disorganized manner. Orion quickened his pace, continuing to reap the lives of the criminals at an impressive speed.
*Pirates eliminated: 200/334*
Finally, the second ship was almost "clean."
Suddenly, an explosion was heard nearby, and a whistling sound filled the air.
Boom!!!
A cannon shot.
The remaining pirate ship had decided to open fire on its own allies!
Orion saw that there were still some pirates on this ship, but there weren't many. He gritted his teeth and made a decision: he couldn't stay here.
Using Geppo, Orion advanced belligerently toward the last of the ships.
The reason he had decided to come here before finishing eliminating the pirates on the second ship was that he feared these damned pirates would continue firing until they sank his allies.
He didn't care at all if the pirates died, but he couldn't allow the ship to be sunk, because there were still hostages to be rescued on that ship!
Until he finished eliminating the pirates, these ships had to remain standing.
Orion began a massacre on the third ship and discovered with relief that the pirates on this ship were much weaker than on the other two ships. Evidently, there was a power ranking in the distribution of crews, and it hadn't been done evenly. In fact, of the three ships, the second had the most powerful pirates, and the first was almost on the same level. However, this third ship… It was simply a pile of garbage!
The pirates on this ship tried to defend themselves against Orion's attacks, but they were like a flock of sheep facing a tiger.
After a few minutes, the deck was littered with corpses. Rivers of blood painted the floor of the ship, making the scene truly shocking.
Orion lowered his sword and took a deep breath. The third ship had been secured.
*Pirates Eliminated: 320/334*
Orion looked at the second ship and used Geppo once more. It was time to put an end to this battle.
*Mission 09 - "The Voice of the Oppressed" has been successfully completed*
*You have received 2000 SP*
*You have received Conqueror's Haki (seed)*
Orion lowered his cutlass sword, which was completely covered in blood, and fell to the ground. He was completely exhausted.
It was the first time he had fought such a difficult battle, in which he had been on the brink of death on several occasions. Perhaps the level of his opponents wasn't that high, but the sheer number of them was certainly a great challenge for his current power level.
Luckily, he hadn't failed. He had managed to finish off the pirates and ensure that the hostages wouldn't have to suffer a horrible fate.
His body was riddled with wounds, and his eyelids felt heavy. He wanted to sleep, but he couldn't do it yet. He had to free the hostages and ensure they were completely safe; only then could he rest.
Orion propped himself up with the help of his cutlass and walked deeper into the ship, where he found a hold filled with cages, similar to the one he had been imprisoned in not long before.
The children and women, seeing him arrive, widened their eyes in terror and didn't dare to move.
Orion's appearance at this moment was truly terrifying. He was covered in blood from head to toe, and numerous wounds adorned his body. A few were deep enough to reveal his white bones.
The only reason he was alive was because of his high stamina, granted to him by his passive ability "Strong Body."
"Don't be afraid, I've come to free you," Orion said, walking with difficulty.
He approached one of the cages with the intention of freeing the prisoners, but suddenly, everything around him began to spin. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, holding back the dizziness that was overcoming him. He had to hurry; he wouldn't hold out much longer.
With great effort, he managed to free the captive women and children. But they didn't move. They looked at him suspiciously, afraid that this creepy child would hurt them.
"Don't be afraid, I've taken care of the pirates," Orion said, trying once again to calm the prisoners, but they still didn't respond, staring at him in panic.
Orion frowned.
He understood that these poor people were going through a terrible time, but now he had no time to waste. He had to move all the hostages to a safe place. He couldn't leave them here, and he needed them to cooperate.
With this in mind, he changed his tone of voice and the way he approached the situation.
"I understand that you're scared, but this is the only chance you'll have to escape. If you don't want to cooperate, you can stay here and die far from home!" Orion said ruthlessly, turning around, intending to head for the next boat.
The women looked at each other, and finally one of them took a step forward.
"Wait... Please don't abandon us," the woman said, trembling. Despite being terrified, she was strong enough to take a step forward in this situation.
"Follow me, I promise to get you out of here safely," Orion said, adding, "Perhaps it would be best if the children closed their eyes before going out on deck... The scene isn't very pleasant."
The women nodded hurriedly and began to leave the cages, following Orion outside. The children closed their eyes as he had advised, although some curious ones couldn't help but look around, seeing a scene that would haunt their dreams until the day they died.
It took Orion a little over an hour to transport all the hostages to the ship where Inazuma was, which he would use to take these people to the nearest island.
Talking to the women, he realized that all these people were originally from the same kingdom, located very close by, called Algaraman.
Orion didn't have a map of the area, and the system map wasn't explored in that direction either, but he knew the approximate location because that had been the original spot where the Inazuma marker had appeared a few days earlier.
He accessed his skill screen and saw the level of his Navigation skill, which had long been at level 1. After all, it was a high enough level to navigate the calm waters of the South Blue with a small sailboat.
However, now that he had to navigate this large ship to the island where the Algamaran kingdom was located, his current Navigation level wasn't enough.
He spent 1,000 SP and raised the skill to level 2.
Then, with a little help from some of the women who were in better condition, he slowly advanced to his destination. Once he got these people there, his task would be over, and he could say with his head held high that he hadn't backed down in the face of adversity.
...............
November 15, 1496, Age of the Sea Circle
Ina opened her eyes with difficulty.
She looked around, still a little confused, and saw that she was in a comfortable bed, with the morning sun streaming in through the small window.
She got up with difficulty, and an incredible pain attacked her. It was a stabbing, unbearable pain that ran through her entire body, and when this pain receded a little, what took its place was a burning and itching sensation that attacked her relentlessly.
Amidst this great pain, she remembered what had happened.
Her village had been attacked by pirates. She and her mother had fled to the capital city with the intention of taking refuge there, but they had been denied access. And then…
Ina's eyes filled with tears, which quickly fell down her cheeks, causing even more pain as they came into contact with some of the burned skin on her face.
She remembered everything. The pirate who could manipulate fire had arrived and mercilessly attacked the people outside the city gates, and her mother had protected her.
The last memory Ina had of her mother was her sweet smile, as she told her everything would be okay, and hugged her tightly to protect her from the rain of fire that rained down from the sky.
Her mother's embrace had not been in vain, as despite suffering horrendous burns, she had managed to survive, and much of her body was unharmed.
As for her mother's fate… She didn't dare think about it.
Ina held her head in her hands, feeling the pain and burning that even the slightest touch caused. She sobbed softly, feeling like her world was falling apart.
At that moment, the bedroom door opened, and Orion entered with a first-aid kit and a bottle of water.
Seeing that Inazuma was awake, he approached her and asked her with concern:
"How are you feeling?"
She didn't answer, continuing to cry without even lifting her head.
Orion sat down on a chair next to the bed and poured her a glass of water.
"Drink some water, you're dehydrated."
Ina continued to cry uncontrollably for a long time. Finally, she looked up and saw the boy in front of her for the first time.
Like her, he was also covered in bandages from head to toe. His injuries were clearly not minor, but he maintained a calm expression on his face, completely opposite to hers.
She felt her throat dry, and she was indeed very thirsty.
Somewhat timidly, she reached out and took the water Orion was offering her. Then, she tried to drink it, but the burning in her throat made it difficult. Orion approached her side and helped her drink in small sips.
"I know you must be in a lot of pain, but for now, you'll have to endure it. The pain will gradually lessen."
Ina nodded, not paying much attention. Her mind was still immersed in the scenes of the pirate attack.
Orion opened the first-aid kit and took out new bandages and some kind of ointment he had prepared himself using medicinal herbs he had found on the ship and others he had carried with him. His "Herbalism" skill was at level 3, and these were the moments where it could shine.
"I'm going to change your bandages and apply some medicine that will help you recover faster," Orion said. Without waiting for a response from the girl, he began changing her bandages and applying the medicine to the burns on her skin.
Ina pouted and didn't make a sound, enduring the painful and uncomfortable treatment without complaining once. She was a strong girl.
Once he finished treating the girl's wounds and confirming there was no infection, Orion nodded with satisfaction, stood up, and said with a friendly smile:
"You'll be home soon. Try to get some rest in the meantime."
Ina listened to Orion's words and looked confused. What did he mean by "you'll be home soon"?
She waited for Orion to leave the room, stood up with some difficulty, and looked out the small window.
The landscape she saw on the other side of the glass was the vast blue ocean that stretched out imposingly, and in the distance, an island could be seen.
Only then did she understand Orion's words. Apparently, without realizing it, she had been carried far away from her home.
Meanwhile, Orion was making his way to the deck to lower the sails and monitor the ship's final course. They would soon arrive, and his goal of returning these people safe and sound would be accomplished.
He stretched lazily, pain flooding his body from the slight movement he had made.
This time, he had truly suffered serious damage. He just hoped his wounds would heal before returning to Pacific Town, so as not to worry his parents.
He looked at the system screen and saw the new notification that had appeared a few minutes earlier:
*You have positively influenced the Named Character Inazuma, changing her future. You have earned 5,000 SP*
Truly, the best way to gain SP was by interacting with the Named Characters, Orion thought with a sigh.
After so many comings and goings, his SP had returned to the same amount it had been before this great adventure, although he was no longer the same.
Not only had his fighting power increased dramatically, but his mentality had completely changed.
Orion looked at the reward he had received for the last mission, and reading the description, he smiled with joy.
*Conqueror's Haki (seed): This object can be nourished by your spirit. The more your actions align with your true goals and desires, the faster this seed will grow. When the seed grows large enough, you can consume it and gain the ability "Conqueror's Haki (level 0)"*
His master, Roger, had told him how rare it was to possess this type of Haki. Only the most powerful people in the world possessed it, and now he was on his way to joining that list!