May 13, 1504, Age of the Sea Circle
Using his Space Door to move through the Vinsmokes' floating island, Orion arrived at the mansion where Sora lived. In the dead of night, the place was completely silent, with only a couple of servants standing watch in case their queen needed anything during the night.
Orion did not have much time available, since his routine as a cook started fairly early, so he headed directly toward Sora's room, only to find that she was still awake.
From within his Pocket Dimension, Orion waited for several minutes to see whether the Queen of Germa 66 would finally decide to go to sleep. If she did, he could simply emerge from the Pocket Dimension and administer a sedative while she slept, allowing him to calmly examine her physical condition afterward and discover the true state of her health.
Orion had no intention of openly introducing himself to Sora right away, since doing so could jeopardize his mission in Germa 66—which required him to maintain a low profile for an entire month—and he only planned to observe the golden-haired queen with his Prism Eyes in order to determine her morality and potential while simultaneously analyzing her health.
However, even after several minutes had passed, Sora showed no sign whatsoever of preparing to sleep. She simply sat there gazing thoughtfully out the window, with very little expression on her face.
What Orion did not know was that it was not because she wanted to remain awake. Rather, the pain caused by her internal injuries was so intense that she could not fall asleep at all, and even breathing caused her tremendous suffering. She had been standing at death's doorstep for a very long time, and the only reason she remained in this world was her immense willpower and her desire to spend more time with her beloved son Sanji, whom she feared leaving alone in this hell called Germa 66 if she died.
Both Judge and the doctor responsible for monitoring her condition knew just how critical Sora's state was, and they had even predicted that she could die at any moment. She had already surpassed the limit they had previously estimated, defying the doctors' prognosis day after day through nothing but sheer willpower.
From within the Pocket Dimension, Orion observed Sora, who remained seated on her bed without moving, and he could not help noticing how beautiful she was. Throughout the years he had encountered all kinds of beautiful women, many of whom had become his wives and lovers, yet Sora exerted a particular attraction on him, like a black hole drawing all of his attention toward itself.
Perhaps it was the calm expression on the beautiful queen's face, or the adorable smile that contrasted with her mature aura, but she undoubtedly captured Orion's attention completely as he quietly admired her beauty from within his small alternate dimension.
However, just as Orion was trying to decide how to deal with Sora's situation—since he could not simply wait all night for her to fall asleep—she suddenly surprised him by saying,
"Why don't you show yourself already? Haven't you observed me enough?"
Orion felt his heart skip a beat. Looking at the beautiful Queen of Germa 66, who still maintained her calm smile while gazing at the North Blue sky through the window, he briefly wondered whether he had imagined her words. However, Sora's next action erased all of his doubts.
Turning her head toward the direction from which Orion was observing her inside the Pocket Dimension, she slowly swept her gaze across the room until her eyes finally settled on the exact spot where he was standing, almost as if she could pierce through the dimensional barrier and see him inside his Pocket Dimension.
"I don't know how you're doing it, but you're there, aren't you? I can feel your lustful gaze running all over my body!" Sora said while looking directly into his eyes despite being unable to actually see him.
"Fuck!"
Orion could do nothing but curse inwardly, because he had never expected that this beautiful woman, who appeared to possess no combat ability whatsoever, would be capable of detecting his presence when he was not even on the same spatial plane as her.
That meant Sora probably possessed an absolutely monstrous Observation Haki, similar to that of his subordinate Lucky Roux, which was quite surprising.
However, Orion was only partially correct. She truly did possess an abnormal Observation Haki, but it was completely different from Lucky Roux's. She specialized in perceiving the emotions of others, just like Orion, but on a much greater scale, to the point where she could even sense Orion's emotions from the other side of the spatial membrane separating the normal world from his Pocket Dimension.
She had not actually felt Orion's gaze roaming over her body as she claimed. Rather, she had sensed his emotions while he was thinking about how beautiful she was, since emotions such as attraction or hatred were among the strongest and therefore the easiest to perceive.
For several moments, Orion hesitated regarding how to proceed. In the end, however, after seeing the pure gaze of the beautiful Vinsmoke queen, he decided to step out of his Pocket Dimension and meet her face to face. He had not come with any ill intentions toward her. On the contrary, he intended to treat her illness, so there was no reason for Sora to regard him as an enemy.
In that case, perhaps it would be best to establish an early connection with her, making it easier to recruit both her and Sanji into his kingdom later on.
Opening a Space Door, Orion appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the room, openly revealing himself before Queen Sora and offering a friendly smile as he prepared to introduce himself and declare his good intentions.
However, the moment Sora laid eyes on him for the first time, a notification appeared on the system screen, causing Orion to curse inwardly once again.
*Named Character Sora's favorability has decreased by 20 points due to the effects of the title "Child Abductor"*
*Due to the strong maternal component of Sora's personality, the effects of your Child Abductor title on her have been doubled*
*Named Character Sora's favorability has decreased by 20 points*
In just a single instant, Sora's favorability plummeted to -30. Fortunately, her initial favorability had not been 0 but 10, thanks to the passive effects of his Charisma Halo.
However, there was something else Orion noticed: his Charm Halo had not affected her at all. He immediately deduced that this was because he was currently using a rather disheveled appearance that differed greatly from his usual one through the use of Distorted Future.
After all, there was a reason why Charm Halo worked primarily on the opposite sex: the skill increased the favorability of people who felt attracted to him, something that generally happened naturally due to his handsome appearance.
"You... What kind of scoundrel are you? What do you want from me? With a single scream, I can alert the entire mansion staff!" Sora exclaimed nervously, covering her chest with both hands as though Orion might try to assault her the very next moment.
She was an incredibly perceptive woman, and as a result, her initial assessments of a person's character were usually accurate. This time, every one of her senses was screaming that Orion was a despicable individual, even though she could not fully understand why.
Naturally, this was the effect of the title Orion hated so much. Otherwise, she never would have formed a bad impression of him, since she truly was extremely perceptive and rarely misjudged people.
Seeing that she was rather agitated, Orion knew he had to calm her down before the situation spiraled out of control. Raising both hands to demonstrate that he had no hostile intentions, he said,
"I didn't come with bad intentions! I simply wanted to examine your condition and try to cure you. I'm a doctor!"
Orion had expected Sora not to believe him and assumed he would have to work hard to prove his words. To his surprise, however, the beautiful Queen of Germa 66 parted her lips adorably and, after a brief moment, lowered the arms that had been covering her chest, looking at Orion suspiciously as she said,
"You... You're telling the truth... But then why do I feel like you're a detestable person?"
Sora's question was not really directed at Orion. Rather, it was her way of organizing her thoughts while trying to clear her mind and understand her own conflicting feelings.
Seeing that there had been a slight improvement in Sora's favorability, Orion decided to strike while the iron was still hot. Dispelling his Distorted Future ability, he returned to the appearance of his normal adult self, the one he always used.
"Perhaps it was my appearance? I had to use a disguise because I couldn't risk being discovered by Germa 66's soldiers," Orion said, meeting Sora's gaze without blinking.
Once again, the beautiful queen's favorability increased, this time by even more than before, because after returning to his original handsome appearance, his Charm Halo had finally activated.
After all, Sora was a normal woman, and seeing an attractive man appear before her naturally caused a degree of attraction. However, that feeling was being overshadowed by the apprehension created by the strange intuition she had about him.
"Then tell me, what exactly are you doing here in Germa 66?" Sora asked without looking away from Orion's eyes, almost as if she could see directly into his soul.
Orion considered giving her an excuse that would help lower the beautiful queen's guard without exposing his entire operation within Germa 66. However, just as he was about to speak, he noticed Sora's expression becoming hostile again and stopped himself at the last moment.
It took only an instant for Orion to understand what was happening.
Sora was a human lie detector.
Her Observation Haki was so advanced and so specialized in reading emotions that she could perceive the slightest emotional fluctuation in her conversation partner and, as a result, determine whether they were telling the truth or not.
That was why she had accepted his earlier words without hesitation. She had been able to sense that he was telling the truth. It was also why she was currently confused, because her intuition—which almost never failed her—was telling her something completely different from what she was perceiving through her Observation Haki.
It could be said that the title the system had given Orion had completely ruined his first meeting with Sora and created a great deal of unnecessary chaos. Otherwise, the two of them could have communicated without any issues at all and quickly formed a friendly relationship.
Orion's mind processed all of this in an instant using the information available to him, and he managed to stop himself before telling Sora a lie—something that undoubtedly would have made her distrust him even more and made it impossible to continue trying to establish a friendly relationship between them.
For Orion, who was accustomed to always wearing a mask wherever he went and telling half-truths whenever the situation called for it, the presence of someone like Sora made him feel completely exposed and somewhat uncomfortable. However, he allowed himself to feel that way for only an instant, because he knew that if he did not act quickly, he would never be able to earn the beautiful queen's trust.
If convenient lies would not work, then there was no choice but to tell her the truth. At the end of the day, he had not come with bad intentions, and the only reason he lied was to protect some of his secrets and make situations less complicated.
Letting out a soft sigh, Orion looked firmly at the distrustful Sora and answered her question honestly.
"To tell the truth, I've come because I need to obtain information about Judge's research in order to save someone very precious to me..."
Sora raised her eyebrows in surprise upon discovering that Orion was telling the truth once again, and she lowered her guard slightly, giving him the benefit of the doubt while the favorability score on the system screen rose a little.
It was extremely rare for a person's favorability score to be as volatile as Sora's. Generally, favorability remained stable most of the time, with major fluctuations occurring only during important moments—such as when romantic feelings began to develop.
The reason Sora's situation was so unusual at the moment was the combination of two factors: the effects of the "Child Abductor" title and her monstrous Observation Haki specialized in reading emotions, which allowed the Vinsmoke queen to know with absolute certainty whenever Orion was being sincere.
Sora remained silent for a few moments, staring at Orion, who was expecting her to continue questioning him about his presence in Germa. Instead, the beautiful queen simply displayed a faint smile and decided to end her interrogation.
"Very well. If you're a doctor and truly wish to cure me, then I cannot repay kindness with ingratitude," Sora said calmly before adding with a slight frown,
"As for whatever you're doing in Germa 66, I honestly don't care very much, so long as you don't harm my children."
Many years ago, Sora had married Judge by her father's order, and she cared absolutely nothing about her husband's foolish ambitions or the future of Germa 66. As long as her children remained safe, she would not care if Orion stole or destroyed all of Judge's research.
Orion sighed in relief when he saw that Sora had finally calmed down and no longer looked as though she were about to call the mansion guards at the top of her lungs. If that had truly happened, his mission as a cook would have been completely ruined.
"By the way, what is your name? I'd at least like to know the name of the doctor who's going to try treating my illness," Sora said with a beautiful smile that caused Orion's heart to skip a beat involuntarily.
Although the Queen of Germa 66 was only twenty-six years old, she possessed a mature sensuality that made her seem older than she actually was, and Orion had to admit that he found it extremely attractive.
Even so, he knew this was not the time to flirt, so he immediately suppressed those lustful thoughts and answered Sora's question honestly, since lying to her without her noticing was impossible, making the use of any pseudonym completely pointless.
"My name is Orion. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Orion? Are you my new cook? Orion Lavender?" Sora asked in surprise, remembering the delicious meals she had eaten the previous day.
She had been informed about the arrival of a new cook who would be preparing her meals from now on, and she remembered his name clearly—not only because she possessed a prodigious memory, but also because this mysterious cook had left a strong impression on her through his delicious dishes.
"Um, that's right," Orion said, thinking that his first name was correct, even if the surname was different.
Sora immediately caught the small lie he had just told, although she had no idea what part of it was false. Her expression turned cold as she said,
"You're lying again. What are you hiding from me this time?" the beautiful golden-haired queen asked seriously.
Orion could not help cursing inwardly once more. Interacting with Sora was rather complicated, especially now that they barely knew each other and there was no trust between them. Even so, he could not afford to lose the ground he had already gained and lower her favorability again, so he had no choice but to answer her question.
"Uh... My name is Lysander. Orion Lysander. Though Lavender is my mother's surname."
Sora studied Orion carefully, observing his somewhat constipated expression, as though he had swallowed a fly or simply had no idea what face he was supposed to make. Sensing the truthfulness of his words, she could not help bringing a finger to her lips in an adorable gesture as she began laughing openly, though with all the elegance of a princess.
"Hahaha, there's no need to make that face. You're probably thinking that talking to me is a hassle, aren't you?"
Orion did not dare answer, because Sora would immediately know that he was thinking exactly that. Instead, he merely looked to the side while unintentionally making a funny expression, pressing his lips together so he would not say anything.
"Pfft... hahaha, you're funny," Sora said, laughing cheerfully at Orion's expression before adding,
"Don't worry. It isn't the first time someone has thought that about me."
Sora laughed for several moments as she tried, unsuccessfully, to remember the last time she had laughed like this. Perhaps she had not laughed so cheerfully since arriving in Germa a decade ago, having spent most of that time bedridden.
Orion stared absentmindedly at the smiling Sora, who, despite being pale from the illness afflicting her, still looked incredibly beautiful, and he involuntarily said out loud,
"How beautiful..."
Orion immediately realized what he had said the moment the words left his mouth, but it was already too late to hide it. Not only had Sora heard him, but she also knew those were his genuine thoughts, since she could sense them through her specialized Observation Haki.
Sora blushed slightly, thinking that it was the first time in her life that someone had complimented her in such a manner, and the favorability on the system screen increased a little more.
"Ahem, Doctor Orion, if you're going to examine me, you should do it soon. Otherwise, there's a chance the mansion staff may discover you," Sora said, trying to dispel the ambiguous atmosphere that had settled between them.
Orion nodded, regaining his focus, and as he approached Sora's bed, he took her arm while activating his Prism Eyes.
"I'm going to take your pulse and perform a general physical examination," Orion said, focusing his gaze on Sora's body and setting aside any romantic thoughts he might have had about her. Right now, he needed to look at her through the eyes of a doctor.
Sora nodded without saying anything, allowing Orion to examine her, and after only a few minutes he finished his assessment, his expression becoming solemn.
"Well, Doctor Orion? What do you think of my condition?" Sora asked with a resigned smile.
She had agreed to let Orion examine her, but she knew very well that there was nothing he could do. Most likely, no one could save her anymore, and she understood that better than anyone.
Six years earlier, while pregnant with her quadruplets, she had used a forbidden technique from her clan to create a medicine that would prevent Judge's modifications from turning her children into emotionless monsters. However, that medicine was technically a poison.
After all, it had not originally been designed as a medicine, but rather as a method of slowly destroying an enemy over an extended period of time.
Although she had used the properties of that poison to attack the modifications Judge had made to her unborn children, successfully saving at least Sanji, her own body had also been affected by the toxin, setting her on a long and painful road toward the grave.
The poison was extraordinarily potent, and although she knew of a cure for it, it had already become too late to use it because the damage had long since been done. She had been unable to take the antidote in time because she needed to allow the poison to continue affecting Judge's modifications throughout the months of her pregnancy.
Now, the poison had fused with her blood, making it impossible to remove. Sora's body had been slowly destroying itself for five years without pause, and it stood on the verge of complete collapse. The only reason she had survived this long was because her tenacity was inhuman; according to theory, she should not have lived for more than a year after taking the poison.
She knew all of this, which was why she had no hope whatsoever that Orion could successfully treat her. She had merely allowed him to examine her so that he could understand that reality for himself and eventually give up.
However, contrary to what the beautiful Queen of Germa 66 expected, Orion frowned with concern, yet the answer he gave was not the one she had anticipated.
"Your condition is critical. I need to operate on you immediately as a precaution. Otherwise, you could die tonight."
"Eh? What do you mean? Are you saying you can treat my illness?" Sora asked in great surprise as the tiniest spark of hope slipped beyond her control and began invading her mind.
Looking at her with a confident smile, Orion placed a hand over the pale hand of the beautiful queen and answered firmly,
"Of course I can cure you! Leave everything to me. Now that I'm here, I promise you'll be fine."
Sora looked at Orion as though entranced while her body trembled slightly and a shiver ran through her entire being, because her Observation Haki told her that he was speaking the truth.
At that moment, the image of Orion smiling with confidence and masculine assurance while promising to save her became forever engraved in the mind of the beautiful Queen of Germa 66, and in the future it would become one of the most precious memories of her life.
As Orion activated his Room and immediately began treating Sora's delicate condition, the favorability on the system screen suddenly and silently rose, finally reaching 40 points in a single leap and escaping the rocky beginning their relationship had experienced only moments earlier.