November 15, 1496, Age of the Sea Circle
"Thank you so much! We will never forget what you have done," the woman said, tears in her eyes, as she bowed slightly.
"No problem. I hope you can live a full life in the future. That would be the best way to thank me," Orion said with a smile.
The woman nodded and couldn't help but step forward and hug the little boy who had pulled her out of that hell.
They had arrived on the island a few moments ago, and after a brief farewell, the women began their journey back to their respective homes.
These people had been taken prisoner from different towns in this kingdom, and it seemed the pirate attack had been on a large scale, affecting at least a dozen towns.
Among the prisoners, there was not a single one who belonged to Ina's village, though this wasn't because the pirates hadn't captured anyone there, but because they were captured on other ships of the pirate fleet.
Orion sulked at the thought that no matter how many people he saved with his own hands, there would still be countless victims beyond his reach. If he wanted to change things, a deeper change was needed, a radical change on a global level.
Orion looked at the little girl covered in bandages and pondered her situation curiously.
This girl's name was Ina, that was what she had told him. But the information in the system clearly stated that this Named Character's name was Inazuma. Perhaps she would change her name in the future?
He imagined what the girl's life would have been like if he hadn't appeared to free her from the pirates' control. Would she have been sold into slavery? Or would she have managed to escape in some strange way? It was in these moments that Orion wished with all his might to know the events of the original One Piece story. How wonderful it would be if he could know the future, as well as the role of all these Named Characters.
But it was useless to think about it; he was now living inside the story, and it was impossible for him to know what would happen in the future.
Orion watched as the group of women dispersed into the distance along with the children, and he wished in his mind that they could find peace. It wouldn't be easy to recover from the trauma they had suffered.
Then, he turned to little Ina, who was standing silently beside him, and said,
"Ina, come on, I'll take you to your village."
Ina nodded hastily, somewhat nervously, while Orion stepped forward and took her in his arms, in the famous "princess carry" position, so popular in romance fiction in his past life.
Of course, in the case of Orion and Ina, there was no romantic connotation. She had a good portion of her body burned, and the village they were supposed to go to was quite far away, so it would simply be torture if the little girl had to walk there with her injuries.
Orion began his journey toward Ina's village. He didn't know the way, but luckily one of the women had given them directions.
With Orion's speed, they could probably arrive by early afternoon.
During the journey, Orion tried to chat with Ina about various things, but he couldn't get the girl to talk much. She was quite reserved, but Orion could understand. She had suffered great damage, not only physically but also mentally, and now all she wanted was to return home and see that her siblings were safe and sound.
Finally, after a short journey, Orion arrived at his destination.
However, what he found wasn't a village, but simply a pile of ruins, practically reduced to ashes. The fields around him, which should have been green and full of fruit, had also been scorched by the fire, and the entire landscape was desolate.
Ina ran toward her house, hoping to find something there. Anything that could pull her out of this nightmare. But when she arrived, she only found the same landscape as the rest of the village.
Her house was still standing, but it could no longer be called a home; it was just a shell about to collapse.
Ina fell to her knees on the ground, ignoring the pain of the burns on her legs, and wept with great anguish. It was the first time Orion had ever seen her cry like that.
From the moment the girl had woken up, she had maintained a calm that was unusual for a child of such a young age. Now, she could finally no longer contain the emotions that were overwhelming her, and her heartbreaking cries rang out in the silent ruins of the village.
Orion let her cry without disturbing her, and checked the surroundings for survivors.
In the distance, there was a small stream. He walked toward it and found some makeshift tents. A group of people had set up a small camp. They were the survivors of this village. Once the pirates retreated, they returned to find their village completely destroyed.
Only the people who hadn't been in the village during the attack survived the massacre carried out by the pirates, which demonstrated the sheer cruelty of "Scarlet Blaze" Blake's crew.
Orion waited for Ina to calm down a bit and brought her to this camp, where she could finally find some familiar faces.
The girl asked about the whereabouts of her siblings, and the survivors showed complicated expressions.
Orion immediately knew the answer to Ina's question, and perhaps she knew it too, although she refused to accept it and simply continued to insist that she wanted to see her siblings.
Finally, an old woman appeared before the girl and led her to one of the fields that had been burned. There were a large number of corpses, including Ina's three brothers.
The girl paled at the macabre image reflected in her eyes and fainted.
Orion moved quickly and caught the girl in his arms before she fell to the ground. Then, he looked reproachfully at the old woman and said,
"Was it necessary to subject her to such a vision? This is something that will traumatize her forever. Don't you think it's cruel?"
The old woman looked at him with some disdain and replied,
"Cruel? At least she knows her family is no longer alive. It would have been worse to live forever in denial. Don't be so naive, child. The world is a cruel place. The sooner she understands, the better it will be for her!"
The old woman began to weep bitterly, and pointing at the pile of bodies, she added:
"My entire family is here too. Only I'm left behind. An old woman like me is alive, but my children and grandchildren are dead. Don't you think this world is cruel?!"
Seeing the woman weeping bitterly for the loss of her loved ones, Orion could no longer condemn her actions. She was suffering too, and in her own way, she had wanted to help the girl. Perhaps she thought that only by accepting reality could she move forward firmly.
The woman wept for a long time. Finally, she calmed down and prepared to leave back to the makeshift camp, but Orion's voice stopped her.
"Wait a moment. Please tell me who Ina's siblings are," Orion said, bowing his head slightly.
The woman didn't make things difficult for him and gave him the information he wanted to know.
........................…
November 16, 1496, Age of the Sea Circle
A long time passed until Ina regained consciousness.
The girl opened her eyes and looked around in confusion. The pain from her burns was no longer as intense as before, but she felt a much greater, almost unbearable itching.
Orion, who was outside the tent, heard the movement and immediately entered, finding that Ina had finally woken up.
Seeing her uncomfortable expression, he knew immediately that her wounds were bothering her, so he decided it was time to take advantage of her awake time to change her bandages and administer the medicine he had prepared with his medicinal herbs.
Ina did not resist Orion's treatment of her wounds and actively cooperated.
After a few minutes, the treatment was complete, and she felt a sensation of relief throughout her body. The unbearable itching sensation had been greatly alleviated.
Ina could now think clearly once more, and the memory of her three brothers' corpses returned to her mind again and again.
She bowed her head and wept silently. For some reason, she didn't want to make too much noise in front of Orion. Perhaps she was afraid that he might find her annoying and leave her completely alone.
Orion felt his heart break at the sight of such a delicate little girl trying so hard to be strong in the midst of tragedy.
He stood up and extended his hand to Ina.
"Ina, come with me. I want to show you something," he said calmly.
Ina hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded. However, she didn't take Orion's hand. Her hands were burned and covered in bandages; she felt her hands were unpleasant and was ashamed of them.
Orion didn't pay much attention to the girl's actions and led her toward a nearby hill from which the surrounding landscape could be seen.
Ina stopped and looked in surprise in front of her. There were five graves, and on the tombstones were the names of her siblings and parents.
She looked in confusion at Orion, who placed his hand on her shoulder and said,
"I asked the townspeople the names of your brothers and your mother. I thought it was important to give them a proper burial, so their spirits could rest in peace. I buried them here along with your father."
Ina's eyes filled with tears, and she hugged Orion tightly.
Again, the little girl cried for a long time, venting all her emotions.
Once she calmed down, she looked Orion in the eyes and thanked him. Then, she walked to the gravestones and touched them lovingly.
She sat on the green hill, facing the gravestones, and remained there in silence for a long time. The sun was about to set when she finally rose, and she bowed solemnly to the graves. She had finally begun to accept the reality of the events.
Although she didn't want to accept it, her parents had taught her not to be a coward and to face any problems head on.
"My mother…" Ina began, but was interrupted by Orion before she could continue.
"I found her near the capital. Judging by her injuries, I can tell you that she didn't suffer before she died," Orion said, looking at her seriously.
Ina nodded, her emotions still unchanged. She was numb from everything that had happened, and Orion's words of comfort had little effect.
It was a good thing she hadn't delved too deeply into the matter, because it was a lie that she hadn't suffered, and he didn't want to have to lie to Ina anymore. Her mother had been burned to death, but it hadn't been a quick process; he could only imagine the horrible pain the woman must have experienced before she died.
And yet, she never stopped protecting her little daughter from the pirate attack. It was in moments like these that a mother's love for her children shone brightly.
Orion had found Ina's mother's body in the garbage dump, where it had been carried by the king's soldiers. Her body had been gnawed by the rats that lived there, and it was fortunate that Ina hadn't seen her condition, as it might have been too much of a blow to the little girl's psyche.
He wondered what kind of king would allow his soldiers to throw away the corpses of his subjects like garbage.
Through his conversations with the survivors, he had gained an insight into the situation in this kingdom, and the sudden attack by pirates just as a rebellion was about to break out made him raise his eyebrows in suspicion.
He hoped the situation wasn't what he was thinking, because otherwise, this kingdom and its monarch would be far worse than he was willing to tolerate.
Right now, he was focused on finding the treasure, and he would leave as soon as Ina woke up, but this kingdom wasn't that far from Pacific Town, so he would keep a close eye on it, and in the future, he wouldn't hesitate to take action to eliminate a corrupt monarch, if necessary.
He returned with Ina to the makeshift camp, and the girl seemed confused, not quite sure what to do now that she was alone in the world.
Orion had already spoken with the townspeople, and it seemed no one wanted to take her on.
These were difficult times for the people of this kingdom, and it was difficult to get enough food to feed their own families; they didn't have the extra resources to adopt someone else. Especially now that their sources of employment, the farmlands, had been razed to the ground by fire.
Orion approached the girl and extended his hand again.
"Ina, come with me. I know you're confused, but you're here alone now, and your village isn't in a position to support so many people. Come with me. I promise you won't suffer in the future."
Ina listened to Orion's words, but didn't take his hand. She didn't know what to do. After all, she had lived here her entire life, under the protection of her family, and had never had to make a similar decision.
Orion lowered his hand and sighed.
Sometimes he forgot that not all children were prodigies like Gion.
Ina was only 5 years old, and it was impossible to ask her to make a decision like an adult.
Orion stepped forward and simply took her in his arms, with the classic "princess carry." Then he ran at full speed toward the shore.
He had decided to simply make the decision for her; after all, he believed it was best for the girl to accompany him back to Pacific Town, where she could lead a peaceful life.
"I wonder if this makes me a child kidnapper," Orion thought bitterly as he ran full speed toward the shore.
...........................
"Scarlet Blaze" Blake was raping one of his prisoners with great enthusiasm when someone knocked on the door.
Blake paid no attention and continued ravaging the poor woman, who was screaming in pain. He had a macabre habit: while sexually abusing his victims, he liked to partially activate the powers of his Devil Fruit, the Mera Mera no Mi, and burn his victims on various parts of their bodies, as an indelible mark of the humiliation they had experienced.
The door sounded again, and Blake roared angrily.
"I already told you not to bother me when I'm busy!!!"
He accelerated his piston-like motion as the woman screamed in pain. He was holding her by the arms, his flaming fingers burning her skin mercilessly.
"Sir, there is urgent news," a voice said prudently on the other side of the door.
And upon hearing his subordinate's words, Blake felt a great anger and completely transformed into a great flame.
The woman screamed in agony for a few moments before finally succumbing to the pirate's brutal actions.
Blake's body returned to normal, and the flames disappeared. He wiped the remnants of semen from his penis with the woman's lifeless body, and without dressing, he opened the door to the room.
"Speak! You made me ejaculate prematurely. If it's not important, I'll slowly burn your organs," Blake said, furious at being interrupted while giving free rein to his base instincts.
"Sir, we've lost communication with three of our ships. The last communication was almost two days ago. They were the ships that were near the Algamaran Kingdom," the pirate said, feeling great terror at seeing his captain's bad mood.
"What? Have they deserted?" Blake exclaimed vehemently.
"We have no information, sir. They should have been coming to attack Beru City, but they've disappeared."
Blake transformed completely into flames again, and with a single blow, he charred his subordinate.
He had a very volatile temper, just like his Devil Fruit, and was brutal and ruthless.
"Right now, there's no time to investigate the matter. When I finish burning Beru to the ground, I'll go see what happened. If I find they've deserted... Hehehe."
The crackling of his body echoed through the long corridor as Blake headed toward the warehouse to find another of his hostages for some fun.