October 31, 1496, Age of the Great Circle
The town bells rang violently again and again.
Orion, who was reading one of the books Doll had given him, sprang to his feet as if he had springs beneath him, grabbed his cutlass, and sped out of his house.
Thirty days had passed since Roger's execution in Loguetown.
During this time, great changes had taken place worldwide.
Roger's last words began to circulate from mouth to mouth, spreading far and wide, like a spark igniting a prairie on fire.
Countless people decided to go out to sea and become pirates, hoping to find the Pirate King's hidden treasure, the One Piece.
Over the past month, Pacific Town had been attacked by pirates three times, and if it hadn't been for Orion's presence there, this small, remote town would probably no longer exist.
The townspeople had witnessed Orion's marvelous exploits, wiping out small-time pirates like flies, and now called him "Wonder Boy" and other similar nicknames.
For the town's safety, they had decided to mount a strict 24-hour guard, and at the sign of any abnormality, the bells were to be rung to warn the people of imminent danger, but also to let Orion know it was his time to act.
Silently, he had become the protector of Pacific Town.
Orion approached the shore and saw a large pirate ship approaching.
"This is the biggest one yet," Orion said, taking his cutlass and walking toward the small harbor.
The three pirate crews that had previously appeared to attack the village were quite small and weak. It was clear that they were inexperienced criminals who had decided to go to sea without much thought, tempted by Roger's treasure.
It had been easy for him to eliminate those lesser pirates, and he had gained some SP in the process.
Now, the pirates had disembarked and ran toward the village, their swords raised, and expressions of ecstasy on their faces. They could finally unleash their basest instincts and satisfy their darkest desires in this village. Stealing, raping, destroying—anything was allowed for a pirate!
Suddenly, a boy appeared in front of the group of pirates with two swords at his waist.
The group paid him little attention and continued forward without slowing down. Some of the pirates had even targeted the little boy.
"Ha! That boy came to welcome us!" said one of the pirates.
"Look, he has a sword. Has he come to fight us? Haha."
"Poor boy, he must be desperate, haha."
"Don't touch him! This child is mine. I like tender meat!" the most unpleasant of the pirates said.
Orion wasted no time trying to talk to them. He looked at the system screen, where a sign had appeared when the pirates arrived.
*It is possible to enter a combat dungeon (level: low). Do you wish to enter? Yes/No*
This was a new feature that had appeared in the system when the pirate attacks began.
Basically, when certain conditions were met, he could turn a battle into a "dungeon," and depending on his performance in completing it, he could obtain various rewards.
At least that was the description that appeared in the system, although he had never obtained anything more than a few extra SP upon completing it.
Orion accelerated and appeared in front of the group of pirates, who didn't have a chance to react.
*Pirate eliminated, 15 SP gained*
*Pirate eliminated, 10 SP gained*
*Pirate eliminated, 12 SP gained*
In less than a minute, more than ten pirates fell to the ground, dead beneath Orion's sword.
The rest of the pirates, who had advanced confidently until then, stopped with fear in their eyes, staring at the little boy as if he were a demon. How could a little boy be so strong?!
"Thirty-six styles, dragon's meteor sword!"
Orion launched several successive attacks, and another group of pirates fell at his feet.
The rest of the pirates finally couldn't fight their fear and ran back to the ship in terror. They didn't think they were stupid enough to die senselessly at the hands of this strange child!
Orion took advantage of the fact that his enemies had turned their backs and launched a new flurry of attacks. More than 25 pirates had perished in a few minutes, but there were still several more. This ship was much larger, and the crew was also more numerous.
Suddenly, a scream like a roar was heard: "What the hell are you doing! Finish off that kid!"
Orion followed the source of the sound and met the fearful eyes of a pirate. He knew him.
He'd seen him before.
It was a pirate he'd never forget in his life.
Years ago, when pirates attacked the town, this cursed pirate had raped one of the women right before his eyes. That time, he was worried about saving his parents, and he had let him escape.
And now, he had returned again.
Orion couldn't help but smile; a large vein appeared on his forehead, and his expression turned truly demonic.
"How dare you come back here, damn it! I suppose you're itching to die!" Orion said menacingly
The man saw the bloodlust in his eyes and couldn't bear the pressure. Like his companions, he began to flee in the direction of the ship. As long as he reached the captain, everything would be fine!
Orion advanced through the group of pirates like a whirlwind, slashing everything in his path with his sword.
Finally, he reached the man he wanted to eliminate.
"I've got you!" he said, brandishing his sword.
However, it wasn't the man's neck that he hit, but a large axe, which came between him and his target.
Ting!
The clash of the two weapons resounded.
Orion took a step back and dissolved the force that had made him retreat.
In front of him was a muscular man, who stood like a mountain.
He held a gigantic axe and glared at him with great anger.
"You useless bastards! You can't even take care of a little boy!" the man shouted angrily.
"Go loot the village, I'll take care of this little shit."
The man approached menacingly with his large axe, but Orion wasn't too worried. Even though the man was very powerful, he was still no match for him.
His body began to grow, transforming into that of an adult.
Even though he could probably defeat him in his child form, it might take longer, and it would give the cursed pirates a chance to harm the townspeople. He couldn't allow that to happen.
The man looked at him in surprise, his expression turning solemn. He felt a great pressure emanating from this strange man who had been just a child moments before.
Orion took a step forward and began his attack.
"Thirty-six styles, rising dragon sword!"
The man blocked with his axe, but was forcibly thrown back, losing his balance and nearly falling to the ground.
Orion slashed at his leg, and when the man dodged, he changed the direction of the attack and went straight for his throat. However, the great axe blocked the attack at the last moment.
Orion drew his second sword, the cutlass "Ace," and before the pirate could react, one of his arms had fallen to the ground.
The muscular pirate grabbed the stump in his arm and screamed in agony, while Orion dropped his sword and decapitated him.
*You have eliminated a pirate, 50 SP gained*
He didn't stay put. He had to take care of the rest of the pirates.
He advanced in the direction where the pirates had run and found himself facing an interesting landscape.
Giolla was standing on a pile of corpses, her hands stained with blood, but her clothes were particularly clean. It had clearly not been a difficult fight for her.
"Everything okay, my love? I eliminated all the pirates who tried to enter the town," Giolla said in a sweet tone.
Orion smiled, grateful for not being alone. Giolla was always there to cover his back in case anything happened.
"I eliminated the captain. I think there are a few more who escaped to their ship. I'll take care of them," Orion said, and ran back to the shore.
Finally, he saw how the ship had begun to move. The pirates were trying to escape.
He ran at full speed and made a great leap, landing on the deck of the pirate ship.
All the men on board looked at him with terror on their faces. Among them was the damned pirate who had escaped that time, years back.
This time, he wouldn't escape again!
What happened next can only be described as a massacre.
None of the pirates survived, and he ended up earning 1,150 SP for eliminating the entire crew.
*Ding"
*You have completed the Combat Dungeon*
*Rewards obtained: Treasure Map, 200 SP*
"Treasure Map?" Orion said, looking at the reward he had obtained.
He received the rewards, expecting a paper map to materialize in front of him. But instead, a new system notification sounded.
*The "Treasure Hunt" feature has been enabled. All treasures whose maps you possess will appear here. You can also use SP to scan the surroundings for hidden treasure*
For the moment, he didn't thoroughly review the new system feature; he wanted to make sure everything was okay in the small village.
He returned to the village and walked through the streets. The other villagers, who had been hiding during the attack, came out, realizing the danger had passed.
Seeing the town streets littered with pirate bodies, the people of this remote village paled. If Orion hadn't been there to defend them, what would have happened?
The people of this village weren't Named Characters, so they didn't have a favorability rating on the system screen. But if they had, their favorability would have risen again at this moment, almost reaching the limit of what was possible.
"Orion, let us take care of the corpses," said Old Johnson, who served as the de facto mayor of the village.
Orion didn't refuse; disposing of the corpses was a tedious and unpleasant job, and it was better not to have to do it.
"As for the ship, take it to the hidden part of the bay with the others," Orion gave his orders.
Old Johnson nodded and began directing the townspeople to complete the tasks.
Despite being a child, Orion's words carried great weight in this village, as he was their spiritual support.
Orion approached Giolla, took her hand, and together they returned to the artist's house on the outskirts of town.
"Pirate attacks are becoming more frequent, perhaps we should consider reinforcing the coast," Giolla said, looking at Orion's thoughtful profile.
"Don't worry, I'll do something about it," Orion replied without elaborating on his plans.
Orion had realized the precarious position of his village. For now, he had been able to handle the situation, but if they were attacked by more powerful pirates, it could be the end of the road for all his loved ones.
For that reason, he was considering moving the people further into the mountains.
He had been exploring the mountain area for some time now and had discovered that the beasts grew in power the deeper he went.
This meant that as long as they didn't go too deep into the beasts' territory, they could settle far from the coast and not be as vulnerable to pirate attacks.
His plan was to resettle the village further inland, build a wall around it, and use this coastal village as an outpost against the pirates. If he could purchase weapons and modify the coastal terrain, the danger of pirate attacks would be greatly reduced.
However, all of this would require a great deal of time, effort, and money.
Orion sighed and decided to check out the new system function. But that's when he noticed a new system notification.
*You have successfully protected your village five times. You have obtained the title "Protector"*
*You have obtained the special item "Mystic Mist"*
*Protector (title): When fighting in your own territory, your physical abilities increase by 20%*
*Mystic Mist: Rechargeable item. It deploys a dense fog that covers an area of approximately 20 square kilometers. The shape of the fog can be mentally adjusted by the user at the time of activation to adapt to the desired terrain. No entity without the user's explicit permission can cross its boundaries. Duration: 100 days. Cooldown: 100 days (SP can be used to recharge it). People with a high level of Observation Haki may not be affected by the fog.*
Orion finished reading the description of the unexpected new rewards and his eyes lit up. He hadn't expected there to be this kind of "hidden achievement" within the system!
Both rewards he had obtained for defending his village were aimed at helping him in his task as a defender. A 20% boost might not seem like much now when he wasn't very strong, but in the future, when his power reached the level of an admiral or similar, this increase would be simply incredible and decisive!
As for the fog, it was a useful item for protecting the bay entrance, which was the only safe entry point into Pacific Town. Twenty square kilometers was more than enough to completely block the bay entrance. That way, as long as the fog remained active, he wouldn't have to worry about the safety of his people!
Orion was so happy that without a second thought, he activated his "Marital Bliss" skill, took Giolla in his arms, and threw her onto the bed. Then, he threw himself at her like a wolf and began to vigorously increase the level of his skill!
Only the artist's moans could be heard on the quiet spring afternoon.
.............................
Meanwhile, in East Blue, Loguetown.
A large Marine vessel was preparing to set sail.
On the deck, two imposing-looking men were talking about their future mission.
They were Commodore "Smoke Shadow" Moreau and Captain "Silver Bullet" Vargas.
"They say an order has come down from the world government to seek out and eliminate any possible offspring of Gold Roger."
"Oh? I see you have your contacts, Vargas. The orders will be officially given next week; we'll probably have to carry out the same task for the next few months."
Sigh, "I get tired just thinking about having to monitor all those pirates, while at the same time searching for and interrogating people to see if they have a connection to Roger," Vargas said, rubbing his forehead.
"I'm more concerned about innocent people being misjudged and punished for crimes they didn't commit," Moreau replied, then added.
"That's why I prefer to conduct the search myself. Even if it's laborious, at least I can ensure that the corruption of certain officials doesn't reach so many innocent civilians."
"Hey, hey! Now you've made me feel bad! It's not like I don't care about people, I'm just saying it would be nice not to have so much work on my hands!" Vargas said, waving his hands and trying to justify himself.
"How long have we known each other, Vargas? You don't have to worry about me misunderstanding you. I know very well the kind of man you are. That's why you're the only person I feel comfortable covering my back," Commodore Moreau said.
"You really can say the most embarrassing things with a straight face, huh?"
Moreau laughed at the uncomfortable expression on his subordinate and friend's face.
They had been in the Marine together since they were mere recruits, and the relationship and trust between them was very strong. It was hard to find a true ally in this world, and for Moreau, Vargas was that kind of existence.
A skinny, white-haired young man appeared on the deck and said,
"Commodore, we're ready to sail."
"Very well," Moreau replied, and gave the order to depart.
The young man hesitated for a moment and finally said:
"Is it necessary for us to go to the South Blue? Here in the East Blue, the number of pirates has also increased…"
"Recruit! You're questioning the orders of your superiors?" Moreau said, his aura turning sharp and oppressive. The majesty of a Marine commodore was not something a small recruit could bear.
"No, sir!" the young man replied, undeterred by Moreau's aura.
"Very well, recruit, return to your post!"
The young man left, leaving the two men alone again.
"This new recruit has great potential. I think he could have a great future ahead of him," Vargas said, observing the boy's back in the distance.
Moreau shook his head.
"He really has a lot of talent, but I'm worried about his personality. If he doesn't adapt to the rules of the Navy, he could end up buried in an irrelevant position by bureaucracy, or worse, directly at odds with the world government," Moreau said with a sigh.
"Don't worry too much, that's what we're here for. If we guide him down the right path, there won't be any problems. At most, he'll have to learn to behave the hard way, right?" Vargas said with a carefree smile.
Moreau shook his head again. The young recruit had a similar personality to his friend Vargas. It was for this reason that they both had a good opinion of him, but it was also what worried him.
In Vargas's case, he had been there to keep an eye on him, but this young recruit didn't seem to have anyone who could keep him in line.
Moreau sighed once more.
They would have to wait and see how things played out. Who knows, maybe the young recruit would find someone to help him in that regard in the future.
Vargas took a cigar from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and lit it.
"Do you want one?" he said, extending another of his cigars to Moreau.
"No, thanks. I have mine," replied the commodore. He opened his uniform jacket, revealing a row of cigars on the inside. He took one of the cigars, lit it, and began to smoke with Vargas.
"Have you ever been to South Blue?" Vargas asked, looking at the horizon.
"Yes, I was stationed there for a while early in my career. At a base called Corimba. It was a pretty boring place," Moreau replied.
"Well, I don't think it's going to be very boring this time. We'll be buried in work!" Vargas complained.
"Ha! All you know is complaining. At least you'll get to try out your new weapon, right?"
Vargas's eyes lit up, and he pulled from his back the new weapon he'd spent all his merit points acquiring.
"Isn't it a beauty? It was forged by Vegapunk's scientific team. You know how difficult it is to manipulate Kairoseki. Personally, I think the result is brilliant. Now it doesn't matter if I run into any Logia users, they won't be able to escape me!" Vargas said, waving the Nanashaku Jitte.
"Anyway, you shouldn't neglect your Haki training. You know you'll never advance in the ranks if you don't have good control of it. Don't rely too much on external objects," Moreau reminded him.
"Hey, hey, why do you always have to ruin the moment? Can't you just be happy because I have this great weapon now?" Vargas complained.
"I'm only telling you this for your own good. I know you, and I know how much you like to laze around."
The two men continued their animated conversation as the large marine ship moved toward the calm belt, which they would cross to reach South Blue, where they had been relocated due to a lack of personnel.