September 21, 1496, Age of the Sea Circle
The waves crashed against the rocky shore of the military island of Corimba.
On this island was a large marine base, which acted as a general headquarters for other smaller bases scattered throughout this area of the South Blue.
On Corimba, the majority of the population was made up of relatives of marines serving at the various bases in the area.
It was a militarized island, not open to the general public, and even merchants had difficulty entering.
Orion had come with the intention of collecting the bounty on the criminal's head. But he also had a secondary objective: to see if he could find the Named Character Hound, who was on this island.
As he approached the shore, he spotted a large dock in the distance and began sailing in its direction.
Before he could arrive, however, a marine ship appeared, approached him, signaled, and cut him off.
Orion dropped the anchor and furled the sail, waiting to see what was happening. The marine ship approached him, and several marines boarded his small boat in a quick and organized manner.
Seeing that the other person was a child, the marines were quite surprised, but they immediately adjusted their mentality and returned to normal. They were used to seeing all sorts of strange occurrences, and a child coming to the military island on his own wasn't as strange as other things they had seen.
"Identify yourself, and state your purpose for approaching the military base," said one of the marines.
"My name is Alex. I've come to collect a bounty," Orion said calmly.
"A bounty?" the marine asked in bewilderment.
"That's right, I've eliminated a criminal and came to collect the bounty on his head," Orion replied, pointing to the bag containing the smuggler's head.
The marines looked at each other in surprise. This little boy was a bounty hunter? This world truly had all sorts of strange things going on.
Regardless, the Marines were quite professional; once they knew Orion had come with legitimate motives, they didn't make things difficult for him.
Following protocol, they escorted him to the dock, where his ship was inspected. Once they confirmed that Orion had no other people on his ship, nor any contraband or dangerous objects, he was officially allowed to enter the Marine base. However, he had to surrender his cutlass before entering. It would be returned to him once he was ready to leave the island.
Before coming, he had used his "Art Coating" ability to completely change the shape of his cutlass, "Ace," transforming it into an inconspicuous pocket watch. That way, if he really got into trouble, he could have his weapon with him. Although if something bad really happened inside the Marine base, perhaps the most prudent thing would be not to show the true appearance of his legendary cutlass, since once it appeared there would be no turning back, and his identity as someone close to Roger would be discovered.
Once he entered the base, he was led to a large building, where he was greeted by a Marine who asked him several questions about the situation: his encounter with the criminal, how the events unfolded, the presence or absence of others to help him, etc.
Evidently, this series of questions had been designed to be an interrogation of people who came to collect rewards, but the indifference and lack of enthusiasm with which the Marine in charge asked them made the process almost pointless.
Perhaps the Marines in charge of this base weren't very interested in these matters, or considered them unimportant, but the fact was that Orion didn't encounter the solemnity he expected at a Marine base, but rather simple bureaucracy. The situation reminded him of the times he'd had to go to a government office to handle civil proceedings in his previous life.
Finally, the man finished the routine interrogation and reluctantly examined the head of the criminal Orion had brought in. He briefly compared the facial appearance with the photo on the reward poster and didn't do any more thorough examinations. He seemed to want to get the process over with as quickly as possible.
Finally, he stamped a piece of paper with an approval seal and asked Orion to sign it. He signed with a fake name, and the officer didn't even pay attention to him, putting the form in a drawer of his desk.
Then he took out a wad of cash and casually threw it in front of him.
"Thank you for your cooperation," he said in an apathetic tone, and stopped paying attention to Orion.
Orion took the money, which was 5 million berries, put it in his pocket, and left without saying anything else.
In reality, it was convenient for him that the marine officers carried out their work so carelessly, as it avoided attracting too much attention. Perhaps that's why the people in charge of this base weren't interested in how the bounty collection process was carried out. After all, far fewer people would come to collect bounties if the process was too rigorous and even dangerous for themselves, which in turn would translate into fewer people hunting criminals and more work for the marines.
Of course, there could also be another possibility: that the marine was an inefficient and corrupt institution, riddled with problems.
Either way, that wasn't his concern. His contact with the marine would always be from an outside perspective, and he would likely end up confronting them sooner or later.
Once he left the building, he noticed that the marines who had escorted him here had disappeared. Evidently, they had no intention of waiting for him to escort him back.
He walked through the streets of this military island, looking at his surroundings with curiosity. Right now, he was on the outer part of the base. Here, there was a barracks for new recruits, and also all the buildings related to "external affairs".
There was the customs and bounty office where he had been, but there was also an office that issued different kinds of permits. If he wanted to go, for example, to the residential area in the middle of this island, he had to request a special permit to enter.
As for entering the central part, where the core of the base was, it was impossible unless he was part of the Marine or a captured criminal.
In this outer area, there were few civilians on the streets. Most people wore Marine uniforms, indicating their status, and the vast majority were new recruits, who had been transferred to this island for training before being distributed to the other smaller bases in this part of South Blue.
Seeing the reinforced defenses in this area, along with the number of soldiers and weapons distributed along the coast, Orion knew that a successful attack on this island would require a large force, a large army.
He entered a small restaurant and ordered some noodles. Meanwhile, he continued to observe the constant flow of people walking through the streets. The merchants in this area were all foreigners, with special permits to trade their goods and services, and were prohibited from entering the residential area of the base.
He opened the map in the system and noted the location of the Named Character Hound. Fortunately for him, it was in this outer zone, so his rank probably wasn't very high.
The last time he had seen it was after the pirate attack on Pacific Town, and he had been a new recruit at the time.
Orion was happily eating the delicious noodles when someone sat down opposite him. He frowned slightly and continued eating without raising his head, not wanting to interact with anyone other than Hound.
"Hey, kid, do you mind if I sit here?" the man said in a friendly voice.
Orion simply shook his head and continued eating.
The man wasn't offended by the boy's terse response and continued talking animatedly.
"Truthfully, this is my first time at South Blue. I must admit this place is pretty nice. Maybe I'll come and live here once I retire, haha!"
Orion continued eating in silence, listening to the man's chatter, who talked incessantly. His muscles, however, had involuntarily tensed. This man gave him a feeling of danger.
The waiter brought the man's food, and he continued talking animatedly while he ate. Finally, he lowered his chopsticks and said,
"You're such a quiet boy, you'll never make friends like that, haha."
Then he abruptly stopped laughing, and his tone of voice deepened.
"Hey, do you know Vice Admiral Grodiger?"
Orion gripped his chopsticks so tightly they almost broke.
"Grodiger? The mud man who was present when I rescued Galette?!" Orion thought with trepidation.
The presence of the man in front of him now made him feel even more uneasy than before.
Why had he mentioned Grodiger? Had he identified him? What was he planning?
Orion's thoughts were racing through his mind, but only a moment passed in reality.
The man saw that the boy still hadn't answered and smiled, narrowing his eyes.
"You might not know him. That guy is a real jerk. If you run into him in the future, be careful. He's been irritated lately."
Orion raised his head for the first time and saw the man in front of him. He was dressed in a black suit, very elegant, but his hair was disheveled and ruined his elegance. The man's eyes were dark and deep, without a trace of emotion in them.
Although the man was smiling, the rest of his expression was not.
"Oh? You're a very handsome boy. You should be careful when you're out on the sea alone; you might be kidnapped by some pervert, haha."
Orion looked at him without saying anything, wondering what he should do in this situation.
Obviously, the man was very dangerous, and he wouldn't be able to confront him. But even if he could defeat him, he was inside the marine base; if he started a disturbance here, things could end very badly.
The man stood up suddenly, making Orion so startled that he almost unconsciously attacked him.
"Well, I'm done eating. It was good talking to you. See you next time, kid," the man said, turning and leaving, waving his hand without looking at him.
Orion watched the man disappear into the crowd and breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, the strange man hadn't made a move.
He paid the bill and headed straight for the pier.
He had changed his plans. He couldn't stay in this place a minute longer. It was better to be safe than sorry.
As for the Named Character Hound, there would be another opportunity to make contact with him in the future, and if that opportunity didn't present itself, then that was fate.
Orion received his cutlass from the marines controlling access to the pier, boarded his ship, and set sail without hesitation, heading for Gray Harbor. Only when the military island of Corimba was no longer visible on the horizon did he breathe a sigh of relief and put his worries aside.
Luckily, nothing too serious had happened.
However, he didn't know that on one of the tallest walls in the defensive zone of the large military base, the mysterious man was watching him through a spyglass.
Seeing the way Orion fled like a frightened animal, he couldn't help but chuckle.
He lowered his spyglass, took a den den mushi out of his pocket, and made a call.
A moment later, someone answered on the other end.
"Hey, I want you to pass a message to Spandine. Tell him I've found a good seed for his group. Maybe he can be better than that new kid he's expecting so much from."
............
September 23, 1496, Age of the Sea Circle
Finally, the day to return to Pacific Town had arrived.
These days, Orion was able to enjoy Gion's company and find that their bond was as strong as ever.
Although he wanted to stay longer, he had to return home before Roger's execution so he could be with Rouge at that important moment.
At the docks in Gray Harbor, Gion stood with her parents, saying goodbye to Orion and his family.
"Orion, you have to call me every day! Otherwise, I won't forgive you!" the little girl said, her eyes brimming with tears, pouting.
Orion placed his hand on the girl's head and stroked her hair lovingly. "Of course, Gion, it's a promise!" he said with a smile.
The Harewoods also said goodbye to their friends with some sadness. Now that they lived on separate islands, they could no longer spend their days together as they had for many years in the past.
Orion let his child self take control of his body to say goodbye to Gion, and little Orion burst into tears and hugged her tightly, promising he would return to see her in the future.
The family of three boarded the small boat and set sail for home.
At the dock, the Harewoods waved their arms and shouted, waving their farewells vigorously.
When the small boat disappeared over the horizon, Gion wiped her tears and said,
"I'm going to the dojo to train."
And she ran off in the direction of the Shimotsuki dojo.
When she reached Ren Shimotsuki's house, the woman was playing a beautiful, sad melody on her shamisen.
Seeing the little girl who came running and abruptly entered her room without asking permission, Ren didn't get angry or reproach her for her behavior, because she knew what the girl was feeling. Goodbyes were always sad.
She continued playing the song leisurely, as Gion sat next to her and waited for her to finish.
A few minutes later, Ren put her instrument aside, looked at the girl with a smile, and said,
"Has Orion left?"
Gion nodded.
"He just left," she said, her voice slightly hoarse.
"It's always sad to have to say goodbye, but you shouldn't be sad; after all, you'll be able to see each other again."
Gion nodded thoughtfully, thinking about how in the future, when she was older, she would go find Orion to live with him and start a family.
Ren Shimotsuki restrained her smile slightly and continued.
"Although it's possible that in the future, you won't be able to be by his side. Are you ready for that?"
Gion opened her mouth in surprise and immediately raised her hands in protest.
"Why can't I be by his side? He's my fiancé; in the future, we'll definitely be together!" Gion said, somewhat annoyed by the geisha's words.
Ren shook her head gently.
"That's a very naive idea, Gion. You can never know what will happen in the future, and some things won't happen just because you wish them to."
Gion wanted to argue, but Ren kept talking without giving her a chance to say a word.
"At least on the path you're following, you probably won't be able to be by his side," Ren finished, looking the girl in the eyes seriously.
This time, Gion didn't deny the woman's words. She simply asked a question.
"Why?"
"It's simple, Gion. Orion isn't an ordinary person. I can tell you, he's destined for great things. A man like that can't be tied down easily."
Ren paused and saw the girl's disappointed expression, then continued.
"Well, if you want a place by his side in the future, there is a way to achieve it."
Gion's eyes lit up, and she approached Ren and took her hand.
"How can I do it, Mrs. Ren?"
"It's very simple. You just have to be strong enough to stand by his side as an equal. Although it's easier said than done. Even with your great talent, the road will be quite difficult."
"It doesn't matter! I'm willing to give my all, Mrs. Ren!" Gion said with complete firmness in her gaze. Her determination was palpable.
"Heh, that's what I like about you, Gion. Very well, if you're willing to do it, I'll take you as my disciple. I promise that when you finish your training, you'll be strong enough to stand by his side with your head held high!"
Gion hugged her tightly and said in her adorable, energetic voice.
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Ren! I'll do my best and won't let you down!"
Ren stroked the girl's hair and said with a smile.
"Don't call me Mrs. Ren."
"Sorry, Miss Ren," the girl corrected herself, knowing that the woman didn't like being called "Mrs."
But Ren shook her head again and said with her magnetic voice.
"No, Gion. From today on, you will call me Sensei Ren."
"Yes, Sensei Ren!" Gion said with conviction.
Her journey to reach the pinnacle of power in this world had begun.