September 27, 1503, Age of the Sea Circle
Using Space Gate, Orion arrived at Pacific Island in the South Blue, although the landscape was obviously very different from what he would have found in his own world. The anchoring point of the Space Gate was fixed in the central plaza of the capital city of Pacific Kingdom, a place that in his world was always brimming with life, with countless people coming and going—merchants, warriors, artisans, and all manner of activity.
However, the place Orion arrived at was the Pacific Island of a world in which he did not exist, and therefore neither did his kingdom. Instead, he found nothing but a vast stretch of untamed land, right in the middle of territory controlled by the island's great beasts.
In his original world, this area had been conquered little by little by Giolla and himself, but here it was still under the dominion of the island's beasts, which, upon seeing them appear out of nowhere, immediately lunged at them with the intent to devour them.
Orion had no time to waste, so with a simple swing of his sword he eliminated the beasts attacking him, and then, using Soru, headed straight toward the location where Pacific Town should have been. Even if his kingdom had never existed without him in this world, Pacific Town itself should still be there, and perhaps he might find his family and see how they had lived in this timeline.
On the system screen, only ten minutes remained before the Time Dungeon reached its end, so Orion moved as fast as he possibly could to arrive in time. At last, he reached the coast, but instead of the small town from his memories, all he saw were ruins that appeared to be several years old.
With a knot in his throat, Orion rushed through what had once been the town, until he reached the location of the house where he had spent the first years of his life. Yet the situation there was no different from the rest of the settlement: only the ruins of the house remained, having been burned down to its foundations many years ago.
Orion walked sadly toward the remains as the Time Dungeon's timer drew closer to zero, and just as he was lost in his thoughts, a firm voice rang out beside him.
"Who are you? What are you doing in this place?"
Orion turned toward the voice and saw an incredibly beautiful woman, dressed in shorts that revealed her well-toned legs, a low-cut pink blouse, and a cape that indicated her high rank in the Marines. She also bore a spider tattoo on her leg and carried an elegant katana at her waist.
When Orion saw the woman's face, his heart trembled violently. Even though she was now an adult, it was impossible for him not to recognize her, especially when he noticed the beauty mark on her face: his childhood friend and fiancée, Gion.
"G-Gion?" Orion said in a trembling voice.
It was strange for Orion to see the Gion of this world, who, despite her beauty, seemed to wear a permanent frown that spoke volumes about the hardships she had endured.
"You… who are you?" Gion asked again, her hand moving toward the sword at her waist.
However, before she could draw it, she noticed the sorrowful yet gentle look in Orion's eyes as he gazed at her, and she realized that the strange man standing before her harbored no ill intent. For that reason, the Marine vice admiral relaxed her guard slightly and chose not to unsheathe her blade.
"My family lived in this town. I came to see them, but I found everything in ruins," Orion said, struggling to keep his emotions in check.
Gion raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Your family lived here? I'm sorry to hear that. I hope they can rest in peace," Gion said solemnly.
"What happened to Pacific Town?" Orion asked, looking around at the ruins with quiet sadness.
Gion let out a light sigh and then spoke with a frown.
"What else could it have been? Those damn pirates, of course. They destroyed everything when I was still just a child. My poor mother…"
Gion did not finish her sentence, but Orion could feel how the beautiful Marine's emotions spiraled as she spoke of her deceased mother.
Looking past Gion, Orion noticed two graves that appeared quite old, yet were clean and well kept, clearly showing that someone had been tending to them regularly.
"Whenever I can, I come to visit them and bring flowers," Gion said sadly, noticing Orion's gaze resting on her parents' graves.
Orion clenched his fists tightly, realizing that this would have been the fate of Pacific Town in a timeline where he did not exist. It was not unusual, after all—this was a world infested with bloodthirsty pirates who did not hesitate to commit all kinds of atrocities.
Even so, Orion needed to ask.
"The Lysanders… do you know what happened to them?" Orion said, his gaze firm.
Gion simply shook her head and stated the truth without hesitation.
"Everyone who lived here was killed by the pirates. I'm the only survivor."
Orion's muscles tensed, and even though he knew this was not his world, and that his family was safe in his original one, he could not help but feel an overwhelming fury toward pirates. He resolved that, once he returned, he would increase the intensity of his anti-pirate activities in the waters of the South Blue.
The present Gion was also an expert in Observation Haki, so she immediately sensed his emotional state. Because of that, her expression softened slightly, making her face look less severe, and with a small smile she said,
"I understand how you feel, but you don't have to worry. The Marines are working to make this a better world. Someday I'll wipe out all the pirates, even if I have to do it with my own hands!"
Seeing that Gion was still full of energy and determination despite everything, Orion thought that not everything in this world was a tragedy—at the very least, his precious childhood friend was alive and well.
"I'll also work hard to make this a better place, and to make you happy as well. I won't ever let you suffer a tragedy like that in your life," Orion said firmly.
Watching the handsome Orion make a vow that sounded almost like a declaration, Gion could not help but feel her heart beat a little faster, her cheeks flushing faintly. Even though she was a beautiful, mature woman, she had never experienced love, as she had never had time for such luxuries.
Moreover, because she always wore a stern expression and her attitude was rather unfriendly, almost no man had ever dared to "confess his love" to her like that—with the exception of that annoying guy at Marine Headquarters.
Unsure of how to react, Gion cleared her throat and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, an involuntary gesture she had had since childhood.
When Orion saw the familiar movement, one he had seen the Gion of his own world make countless times, he could not help but smile with tender warmth, a smile that caused the words of rejection the Marine was about to utter to get stuck in her throat.
Obviously, Orion was not declaring his love to Gion, nor anything of the sort, but simply reaffirming his resolve to improve his original world, while at the same time vowing that he would take care of his fiancée Gion when he returned to his own world, ensuring that she would never have to endure a tragedy like the one her counterpart had suffered in this timeline.
However, the Gion standing before him knew nothing of this, and thus ended up misinterpreting Orion's words as a confession, something that would have unexpected effects on the future of this timeline. Even a small change like this could have major consequences down the line due to the butterfly effect.
"I want to see her," Orion thought as he looked at the beautiful, faintly blushing Gion.
It had been many years since he had last seen his fiancée Gion, so perhaps it was already time to go find her in Marineford and bring her back to Pacific Kingdom, to his side.
Just as Orion was thinking these things, the Time Dungeon's timer reached zero, and his body vanished without leaving a trace in this timeline, leaving Gion standing there, utterly confused.
…
*Ding*
*You have completed the Time Dungeon: Fall of Dressrosa*
*Analyzing decisions and the impact of your actions during the Time Dungeon*
*Analysis complete. Score (Excellent 9/10)*
*Distributing rewards*
*You have obtained 20 Golden Tickets*
*The effects of your title "Protector" have been slightly enhanced*
*The abilities of your companion beasts have been slightly enhanced*
*Your companion Giolla has improved her skills 'Armament Haki' and 'Observation Haki'*
*The powers of your companion Giolla's Ato Ato no Mi have been strengthened*
After leaving the Time Dungeon, Orion appeared in the middle of Pacific Town, in the same spot where he had been in the other timeline, right in front of his childhood home.
Seeing the difference in the landscape between the two worlds, Orion felt immense relief, as well as pride in everything he had achieved over the years. His presence in this world had never been insignificant, but until now he had not truly grasped the magnitude of how important he was here.
If he had never arrived in this extraordinary world, his family and all the people of Pacific Town would have been massacred by pirates, unable to do anything, fading into oblivion like so many other nameless towns in history.
Every step he took, every action he carried out, everything had an impact on the world, and he would continue to influence it more and more, until the future itself was completely changed. He would take it upon himself, with his own hands, to make this a better world—that was his conviction.
*Ding*
*Your hidden attribute "Understanding" has increased*
*Your Conqueror's Haki skill (Level 3) has increased by one (1) level*
Orion closed his eyes as he felt the mysterious energy flow through every part of his body, and when he opened them again, his gaze was far firmer than before. Then he looked at the notifications that had appeared on the system screen upon completing the Time Dungeon, paying special attention to one of them.
*Do you wish to use Golden Tickets to bring people from the Time Dungeon to the original spatial plane? Yes/No
(The people must voluntarily agree to be transported. If they do not accept, the Golden Ticket will still be consumed)*
Orion immediately selected the affirmative option, and a list of people who could be transported from the Time Dungeon appeared on the system screen. The list was quite extensive, and surprisingly enough, even Doflamingo was included on it!
"It seems that anyone I've interacted with can be transported…" Orion murmured thoughtfully.
He then focused his attention on the names Rebecca and Scarlett and extended the invitation to them. Just as he had promised the toy soldier, he intended to bring both of them to his world so they could be safe and live peacefully in the future, although now it seemed that everything would depend on whether they chose to accept his invitation or not.
Finally, just as Orion was about to close the system screen, his gaze fell upon another name on the list, and his expression grew complicated. In the end, he decided to try, and sent one more invitation, consuming another Golden Ticket.
When the Time Dungeon's timer reached zero, Orion was forcibly expelled from that timeline, unable to do anything about it. However, Scarlett and Rebecca—who were still inside the Pocket Dimension—were not transported along with him. Instead, they were ejected from Orion's small personal dimension, suddenly appearing in front of Gion, in Pacific Town.
Scarlett had been very confused by Orion's actions, since according to the original plan she knew, he was only supposed to take Rebecca back to the other world, while she would remain in Dressrosa to accompany her family in the future struggle against Doflamingo.
However, Orion had no intention of leaving the princess in Dressrosa, as he had already agreed with Riku and the others that it would be best for Scarlett to remain with her young daughter in the future, even if that meant they would no longer be able to see her again.
With all the chaos and the strict time limit of the Time Dungeon, Orion had not had the opportunity to explain the situation to Scarlett, so the beautiful princess was completely confused about what was happening now.
From inside the Pocket Dimension, she had witnessed Orion use a portal to appear in a completely unfamiliar place, and she had mistakenly assumed that this was the world Orion originally came from, and that he had already transported her there without warning her.
However, Orion then vanished without leaving a trace, leaving the mother and daughter alone in the middle of an unfamiliar place, causing Scarlett's heart to fill with doubt and fear. Could it be that Orion had abandoned them?
Just as all kinds of negative thoughts began to surface in the beautiful princess's mind, she felt as if someone were calling her, and she saw a small, dazzling point of light floating before her.
Almost without thinking, she extended her hand and accepted Orion's call, disappearing from the place along with her young daughter, right before the astonished eyes of Gion, who had witnessed one disappearance after another in the span of just a few seconds.
Meanwhile, in Dressrosa, the entire capital city was in chaos due to the sudden attack by the Tontatta, Viola, and the others. Now that Orion had withdrawn, the incidents had come to an end, although there were still fires to extinguish and losses to assess.
Doflamingo was completely enraged, commanding a large fleet of ships to begin a search for the enemies who had escaped right under his nose, while the rest of his crew carried out various tasks throughout the capital to contain the damage caused by the attack.
Baby 5 was happily sweeping with a broom, piling up massive chunks of rubble as if they were weightless pieces of trash, when she suddenly felt as though someone were calling her, and a ball of light appeared before her eyes.
She felt that someone needed her and was calling her to their side, so she could not help but reach out toward the ball of light to answer the call. However, before she could complete the motion, Trebol appeared on the scene, his mucus dangling as usual.
"Babyyy 5, I need you heree! Come help me clean the castlee!"
Baby 5 heard Trebol's voice calling out to her, and she could not ignore it, walking toward him to help clean the castle. After all, he needed her right now, and she could not refuse his requests. The ball of light shone in place for a few more moments, until it finally dissolved without leaving a trace.
*You have successfully summoned two people to your world. Two Golden Tickets have been consumed*
*One invitation has been rejected. The Golden Ticket has been destroyed*
Orion let out a bitter sigh when he saw that Baby 5 had not accepted his invitation, as he knew that Doflamingo's crew was likely taking advantage of the girl's peculiar condition to keep her with them and indoctrinate her.
However, he quickly stopped dwelling on it, because he knew that now that the Time Dungeon had ended, there was nothing he could do about it. He did not know whether he would be able to return to that timeline again in the future, but for now, there was nothing to be done.
Just as Orion was feeling a hint of bitterness over Baby 5, Scarlett appeared as if by magic right in front of him, holding her young daughter Rebecca in her arms, who was looking around at everything with great curiosity.
*Ding*
*The Time Dungeon has been sealed. Unused Golden Tickets will be converted into SP*
*You have obtained 190,000 SP*
Orion raised his eyebrows in surprise, as he had not expected to receive such a large reward upon completing the Time Dungeon, and he smiled when he saw that his accumulated SP had now surpassed 300,000. With that amount, he was well prepared in case of an emergency, which was a very positive outcome.
Setting aside his thoughts about the rewards he had obtained, Orion took a step forward and approached the two confused newcomers.
"Scarlett, Rebecca, welcome to my kingdom!" Orion said with a broad smile.
However, Scarlett's response was not what he had expected.
"Hmph! I don't want to talk to a liar. Take me to my father in this world, or are you going to break that promise too?" Scarlett said, turning her head to the side in offense, without looking at Orion directly.
Even though she was deeply grateful to Orion for all his help and for allowing her little Rebecca to be safe somewhere else, she felt somewhat guilty about having left and abandoning her family to deal with Doflamingo on their own.
Although she was more angry at her own inability to act, it was easier to place her frustration on Orion, who had "kidnapped" her.
Clearly, she had actively accepted his invitation unconsciously, but right now she could not bring herself to admit it. In truth, her chest was filled with conflicting emotions about her current situation and about Orion, so she was simply acting offended to avoid confronting the multitude of feelings within her.
Orion was a very keen observer, and with his Haki of Observation it was easy for him to sense the emotional state of others, so he immediately understood the situation Scarlett was in. For that reason, he chose not to comment on it, and nodding his head, he accepted her request.
With a wave of his hand, Orion opened the Space Gate once more, connecting it to the anchor point located at the position of his wife Scarlett in Dressrosa, thus allowing the Scarlett of the other world and Rebecca to travel to the Dressrosa of this world.
After three days of absence, Orion had finished his journey through the other timeline, returning once again to be with his loved ones. Jumping into the large portal together with Giolla, Orion wondered what expressions the people of Dressrosa would have when they saw him arrive accompanied by a second Scarlett and her young daughter Rebecca.