August 23, 1497, Age of the Sea Circle
Orion arrived at the capital as quietly as possible, trying not to attract the attention of the monstrous Named Character who had suddenly appeared in this kingdom.
Almost twelve hours had passed since Orion first encountered Shamrock, and evening was now falling. During his trip to the capital, the mysterious redhead hadn't appeared again, but every now and then Orion could feel someone watching him from a distance. It was quite obvious he was being monitored by the other person's Observation Haki.
The frightening thing was that a second Monstrous Haki also focused on his position from time to time. To his relief, this second Haki didn't seem to hold any animosity toward him. It was likely Shanks, who was simply observing him out of curiosity, without trying to make contact with him.
One thing that caught his attention was that Shanks and Shamrock were apparently part of the same group, which was inconceivable to him. After all, Shanks had been part of his master Roger's crew, and Orion couldn't imagine him being part of the World Government Nobles. Unless there was some ploy in the making.
Orion crossed the deserted streets of the capital and headed toward the palace, which was the last known location of Lucky Roux's family.
He had made a promise to his subordinate, and he had to do everything in his power to keep his word: he had to get the boy's family to safety.
Speaking of Lucky Roux, after Orion launched him into the Space Gate, transporting him to Pacific Town, the notification he had been waiting for finally appeared.
*You have influenced the Named Character Lucky Roux, producing a major change in his future (+)*
*You have obtained 10,000 SP*
By focusing on the small '+' sign at the end of the notification, additional information about the change could be obtained:
*Originally, Lucky Roux was rescued by Shanks during the Native Hunt, as the sole survivor of the competition. Shanks recruited him as his loyal subordinate, becoming a central part of his future pirate crew. Your actions have prevented contact between the two and significantly changed the future of Lucky Roux and the Yonko 'Red Hair' Shanks.*
The additional information provided by the system was not extensive, but the amount of information contained in this small text was incredibly rich for Orion, who knew nothing of the events that occurred in the original story.
One thing worth noting was that the system hadn't indicated he had 'Changed Lucky Roux's future for the better'.
In the previous times when he had earned SP by influencing Named Characters, it had always been explicitly stated that a change for the better had occurred in them.
Orion had some doubts about how the system worked and how the amount of SP given as rewards was determined. At first, he had thought it was proportional to the positive impact he had on the important figures of this world, but now he was starting to think that might not be the case.
On the other hand, he was a little upset that the system considered Lucky Roux being his subordinate instead of Shanks's to be something other than positive. Though he had received a large amount of SP, so it probably wasn't negative either and was somewhere in the middle.
As he made his way to the royal palace, he looked at the system screen. After the six-hour time limit had passed, a new screen called 'Native Hunt' had appeared.
On this new screen, the names of all the kingdom's inhabitants were displayed, along with their locations on the map using markers similar to those of Named Characters.
The map on this new screen was riddled with glowing dots, representing the people of this kingdom. Most alarmingly, in the last few hours, a large number of dots had been concentrating in the capital, leaving few people in their original places of residence.
Orion knew this was the procedure followed by the cursed Celestial Dragons. They gathered all the kingdom's inhabitants at a single point, gave them a certain score based on various factors, and then 'released' them, letting them run free throughout the kingdom while they were hunted.
The whole thing was utterly repugnant, and Orion sincerely wondered how the Celestial Dragons had morally degenerated so deeply as to reach such a point.
In addition to the kingdom's inhabitants, the new event screen also listed the enemies, their names highlighted in red, but their location on the map was not shown.
In addition to Shamrock and Shanks, there were a large number of Marines present who were listed as enemies. They weren't cannon fodder, but rather high-ranking Marines from the Marine Headquarters. Orion would be in serious trouble if he had to face them, and the fact that there were so many of them present here made his situation even more precarious.
Finally, at the bottom of the screen, there was a counter indicating the number of people who had been eliminated and the number who had been saved.
Although it was in poor taste, the system was treating the tragic situation as if it were some kind of game, in which Orion had to save people before they were killed by the Celestial Dragons.
Orion had already realized that the system, despite having clear guidelines for evaluating his actions as "Good" or "Beneficial to the world," had no true inherent morality.
The system was simply a tool, cold and rigid, that merely assisted and helped him along his path. Although it could "know" which actions were right or wrong, it didn't apply this morality to its operation.
Orion reached the outskirts of the palace and found a large crowd gathered there, surrounded by Marines watching them closely.
The people were crowded in one place, and most of them had expressions of panic and horror on their faces. Some hugged each other and cried softly; others prayed on their knees; and others had simply resigned themselves to their fate and expected the worst.
On a large platform in the distance, a large number of stupid-looking individuals wore transparent helmets around their heads. Their attire was similar to that of the vintage scuba divers he had seen in his past life.
These unpleasant individuals were chatting happily about the upcoming competition, making comments about how many people they would kill or how many points they would earn at the end of the massacre.
A dangerous look appeared in Orion's eyes, but he took no action against these individuals, as the most important thing now was to ensure the well-being of the innocent people gathered here.
Orion crept forward and blended into the crowd, using the information provided on the new system screen to pinpoint the specific location of Lucky Roux's family.
After a few minutes, he reached them and, without wasting a second, opened a large portal in the ground below them, using his 'Space Gate' ability.
Losing their foothold, the group immediately fell into the portal, successfully transported to Pacific Town.
Obviously, Orion's actions did not go unnoticed by those present, as a large group of prisoners vanished without a trace.
He had not only transported Lucky Roux's family, but also everyone he could around them.
Orion deactivated his ability, and the portal disappeared without a trace, returning the ground to normal. From the large platform, a large circular space without a single person had appeared amidst the great tide of people.
Shamrock, who had been intermittently watching Orion, waiting for him to get close enough to capture him, felt great anger when he saw that a large number of people had disappeared. Those were points he could have gotten!
He immediately charged forward at full speed and appeared in front of Orion, who used Soru and entered his Pocket Dimension without hesitation.
Shamrock didn't stop, following him at full speed before the door could close, entering alongside Orion, who, seeing him fall into his trap, displayed a triumphant smile.
Under the utterly enraged gaze of the arrogant God Knight, Orion opened another door and left the Pocket Dimension, closing it before Shamrock could follow him and trapping him in the alternate dimension.
He knew Shamrock was the most dangerous opponent in this place, and now he had taken him out of the equation, with the only disadvantage being that he wouldn't be able to use his Pocket Dimension while he had him trapped there.
The Celestial Dragons began to swear and protest vehemently when they saw that a large number of their prey had disappeared without a trace, and they demanded that the Marines and Shanks deal with the matter as soon as possible.
Orion didn't stay still after exiting the Pocket Dimension; he began transporting the people around him using his Space Gate, just as he had done before.
The number of people disappearing without a trace was incredible, and the Celestial Dragons were completely enraged.
"Eldric! What are you doing?! The prey are disappearing! Do something!"
"I want you to cut off that human's legs and arms and bring him to me!"
"No, catch him intact. I want to torture him myself to vent my anger!"
The Celestial Dragons began to shout, demanding that Shanks act immediately. Meanwhile, the Marines on the scene advanced without hesitation, intent on surrounding and capturing Orion.
They were in charge of logistics and security during this event, and now that such a large group of prey had disappeared, they were utterly terrified, knowing that the Celestial Dragons would certainly blame them for what had happened. Even if they weren't at fault, they would be held responsible, so they wanted to at least capture Orion and perhaps save their own skins.
Orion dodged the Marines' attacks using his superior physicality, but it wasn't easy, since they could also use the Six Techniques, and with the use of Soru and Geppo, they could match and even surpass his great speed.
A large amount of sweat rolled down Orion's face, showing the great effort he was putting in. Especially since, in addition to escaping the Marines, he continued to use his "Space Gate" ability to evacuate the people around him.
Using Space Gate didn't consume SP, but it did drain him mentally, just like the rest of his skills. He had never used this skill repeatedly to transport large groups of people, as it had never been necessary. So until this moment, he had never realized the enormous amount of mental energy this skill consumed!
Seeing the inhabitants of Roux, who spread out in the surroundings like a sea of people, he immediately knew it would be impossible to transport them all right now. Even if he didn't have to deal with the Marines and the Celestial Dragons, he couldn't transport such a massive number of people in one fell swoop.
He felt a blow to his back and spat out a mouthful of blood. The Marines around him could use Armament Haki, and a single blow was enough to cause a considerable wound.
If he could use his Pocket Dimension, he might be able to more easily avoid the Marines' attacks, but right now it was impossible to do so without Shamrock taking the opportunity to break free from his confinement in the alternate dimension.
Orion took several simultaneous hits, and his defenses, reinforced by Tekkai and his passive ability Steel Skin, couldn't withstand the massive impact.
Crack.
One of the bones in his arms broke, causing the limb to dangle while he continued moving at full speed, dodging as many attacks as possible and using Space Gate to transport the prisoners.
One of the most useful features of this ability, which allowed him to transport the captives openly without worry, was that only people authorized by him could pass through the portal.
It was similar to the Mysterious Fog, which could only be crossed by people authorized by him.
Thanks to that characteristic, he could be sure that no enemy could take the opportunity to pass through the portal in a moment of carelessness and arrive at Pacific Town.
Otherwise, Orion wouldn't have dared to risk putting all his loved ones in danger to save these people.
It was true that he tried to help whenever possible, but he was no saint; he had the selfishness of a normal person.
A Marine captain approached brandishing a sword, and Orion drew his Ace cutlass and, without thinking too much, used his strongest attack.
"Kamusari!"
The captain flew through the air, dragging several other Marines with him and crashing to the ground in the distance.
Orion was completely exhausted from overexerting himself, and he wasn't thinking clearly. In a moment of danger, he had forgotten that anything related to Roger was taboo in this tumultuous time. After all, the World Government was still kidnapping women with newborn babies in search of any trace of the Pirate King's bloodline. That's how severe the World Government's obsession with Roger was.
As soon as the high-ranking Marines around him saw the attack, which was identical to the one used by the Pirate King, their attacks became much more violent, their minds were focused on only one mission: to capture the strange man in front of them at all costs.
Orion had never used this attack in his confrontations with the Marines or the World Government because he knew the kind of effect it could have, and at this moment, he was experiencing the consequences of using Roger's technique. The sheer terror that the Pirate King's shadow instilled in the Marines was difficult to put into words.
Shanks, who had been watching everything that was happening from a distance, saw Orion's attack, and his pupils trembled uncontrollably for a fleeting moment.
He looked around and noted with relief that the stupid Celestial Dragons hadn't noticed the nature of Orion's attack. He sighed with relief that the situation hadn't gotten out of hand, and he inwardly scolded Orion for his reckless actions, as he was walking a tightrope.
Still, he couldn't continue to watch in silence any longer. Seeing Orion's attack and the camouflaged sword he could easily recognize, it was obvious this strange man had some connection to Roger, and out of respect for his adoptive father's memory, he couldn't stand idly by.
Although he couldn't risk ruining everything he'd been working for over the past year, he could still reach out to help him without making it too obvious.
Orion was bleeding profusely, and the blood got into his eyes, obscuring his vision. Some of the Marines saw that he was completely defenseless and disoriented and attacked without giving him time to recover.
However, before their attacks could connect, Shanks used his Conqueror's Haki and made them faint. Then, he slowly approached Orion and, without him being able to defend himself, grabbed him by the neck, slowly suffocating him.
Orion's transformation dissolved and he returned to his natural child form, which surprised Shanks, who raised his eyebrows slightly.
Orion, who had reverted to a child, was being held in the air by his neck, his feet off the ground.
"You're quite brave, but not very strong," Shanks said emotionlessly, then pierced him with his Armament Haki-infused hand.
"Or smart," Shanks added, his hand having penetrated Orion's chest and exiting through his back, completely covered in blood.
The Marines still standing kept a safe distance, not interfering with the young man's actions, nor questioning them. Meanwhile, the Celestial Dragons in the distance saw through their telescopes that Shanks had impaled Orion, and they began to celebrate and praise him for capturing the inferior human.
Orion prepared to risk everything in his fight against Shanks, but at that moment, very soft words sounded in his ear, and he immediately stopped his movements to resist the red-haired boy's attacks.
"It's time you learned your place in the world," Shanks said, withdrawing the hand that had pierced Orion, leaving a large hole in his chest, near his shoulder.
Orion opened a door in the air, and Shamrock emerged from his Pocket Dimension. The young God Knight's face was distorted by the anger and humiliation he had suffered at Orion's hands. An insect had toyed with him and captured him! This was the greatest humiliation he had suffered in his 16 years of life.
Shamrock launched himself at Orion like a blind beast, intending to tear him apart with his bare hands, but before he could do so, Shanks stepped in his way, interrupting his attack.
The brothers' monstrous Haki collided violently, causing a massive shockwave that affected the surrounding Marines, who didn't dare to breathe too loudly so as not to attract the two young men's attention.
"Eldric! What the hell are you doing protecting the enemy?!" roared Shamrock, who had completely lost his composure.
"Stand back, this is my prey," Shanks said, his gaze icy cold. He would never allow Shamrock to lay his hands on Orion, because that would mean the end of the strange boy, and he had given him his word that he would help him.
That's right, Shanks had told Orion he was going to let him escape, but that he would only have one chance. If he didn't take it, he could only die.
Shanks wouldn't ruin his alibi, nor the work he'd been doing for the past year infiltrating the ranks of the Celestial Dragons. The help he was willing to offer Orion was limited, and it was up to him to accept it or die right here.
Shanks looked at the sword at Orion's waist and reached out to take it.
"This sword shouldn't be in your hands," he said calmly, intending to strip him of this memento left behind by his Master Roger.
Shanks wasn't lying this time. Roger's sword wasn't something that belonged in the hands of someone as weak as Orion.
However, before Shanks could take the sword, it disappeared without a trace. Orion had deposited it in his inventory with a flick of his mind.
Shanks looked at Orion in surprise, not expecting him to still have so much energy left.
"Fuck you," Orion said with some difficulty, and smiled with his mouth full of blood, making him look quite creepy.
"Rokuogan!"
Orion used that special attack for the first time, despite knowing his body couldn't tolerate using it at the moment.
However, upon hearing Shanks's words, stating that he wasn't worthy of wielding the Cutlass Ace, Orion felt the need to shut him up—he had his pride too!
Shanks was taken by surprise and took several steps back, freeing Orion, who immediately opened a portal beneath his feet and he fell into it, disappearing completely.
Shamrock launched himself at the portal, intending to follow Orion, but bounced off the great door as if it were made of solid rock. Completely enraged, he attacked with all the Haki at his disposal, causing the great portal to ripple slightly, but without causing any major changes.
The portal closed, leaving everyone present experiencing all sorts of different emotions. Shanks wiped the blood from the side of his mouth and thought of the last image of Orion entering the portal while giving him the middle finger. He shook his head slightly, thinking:
"There was no need to make it so realistic; that attack hurt a bit. Next time we meet, I'll have to teach him a little lesson."
He didn't know that Orion was thinking something similar at that very moment.