April 11, 1498, Age of the Sea Circle
The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Giolla looked at Orion with concern; he was staring straight at Garp with an aggressive look after hearing his words.
On the other hand, Rouge remained completely calm, holding little Ace in her arms, as if the silent confrontation between the two men wasn't happening right before her eyes.
Finally, Orion was the first to break the silence.
"Take Ace? Why would you do that?"
"I promised Roger before his death that I would protect his son. I'm simply trying to keep that promise," Garp replied indifferently, as if he didn't think the question warranted much attention.
"In that case, you don't need to do anything, because I'm perfectly capable of protecting Rouge and Ace myself." Orion pounded his chest hard, making a loud sound that woke the sleeping baby and made him cry.
Rouge immediately began rocking her baby to calm him, while at the same time looking at Orion reproachfully for losing his patience and making so much noise in his anger.
Garp looked at the crying baby and sighed, thinking that this was the last remnant of Roger in the world. Such a small and weak creature definitely needed special care to survive in the future. It was a relief that his mother was healthy and safe, which lifted the burden of having to raise the baby alone from Garp's shoulders.
Now, the only thing left to ensure was that both the mother and baby were in a safe place, where they couldn't be reached by the arm of the World Government, and also not exposed to the many dangers of this cruel world.
Garp focused his gaze on Orion again, and his eyes seemed to gleam. His expression was unreadable, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking at that moment. However, he shook his head slightly and said with a haughty smile:
"You want to protect them? Do you even have the strength to do so? In this world, you're nothing more than a tiny and insignificant grain of sand."
Orion clenched his fists and looked at Garp with determination, who had crossed his arms again and looked down at him with his chin raised arrogantly, clearly showing disdain. Then he looked at Rouge, who looked at him seriously for a moment, then smiled slightly and nodded.
Orion and Rouge had spent a lot of time together, and their relationship was very close, almost like siblings. They knew each other well and could understand what the other was thinking without needing words. A glance, a smile, a slight nod. That was all they needed to communicate.
Orion took a deep breath and stepped forward. His body began to grow with the use of his 'Distorted Future' ability until he reached the same height as the Marine hero in front of him.
He stopped right in front of Garp, looked him straight in the eye, and said with fire in his gaze:
"Then how about you test me and see if I've got what it takes to protect them or not?"
Orion knew he wasn't a match for Garp at this moment, but this wasn't a fight to the death against an enemy—it was simply a battle to prove that he had what it took to protect the family of his master Roger.
No matter how strong Garp was or how much influence he had, Orion was convinced that Garp couldn't do a better job protecting Rouge and Ace than he could. After all, they were his family, and he wouldn't let Garp come and take them away from him. Not without putting everything on the line to defend his loved ones.
Garp smiled, showing an aggressive glint, and his impression of Orion improved a little more. This young man pretending to be a responsible adult at least had inherited a bit of his master's courage, which was worthy of respect.
"Hahaha! Alright then! You've got yourself a deal, kid! Let's do it!" Garp laughed cheerfully, then grabbed Orion by the neck and moved so fast that those present only saw a flash of light disappearing into the distance.
In an instant, Garp appeared in the middle of an empty field, which was being prepared to be planted with wheat in the next sowing season. There was no one around, so Garp considered it a good place for their little sparring match.
"Alright kid, show me what you've got," Garp said, taking off his cape and tossing it to the side, cracking his knuckles and neck with a smile.
Orion didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately drew his cutlass Ace, launching himself at Garp.
"Thirty-Six Styles, Roaring Dragon Sword!"
The sword roared fiercely as it flew toward Garp's stomach, who simply used his bare fists to deflect the attack.
"That's all you've got?! Come on, where's all that energy from a moment ago?!" Garp said, using Soru to appear behind him like a specter.
Garp attacked with a simple punch, without using any of his powerful techniques, and Orion had to use all his skill to dodge it. Fortunately for him, his Observation Haki was strong enough to help him avoid the blow at the last second. Otherwise, the fight would have ended immediately.
Seeing that Orion had managed to dodge his punch, Garp nodded slightly and continued his attack without pause.
His speed using Soru was truly beastly, and it was obvious he wasn't even trying hard, just allowing Orion a chance to fight back. Even so, Orion began dodging each of his attacks, though he was constantly on the edge.
One small miscalculation, just a slight distraction, would bring his defense crashing down and end the fight.
Garp began to enjoy the process of slowly pressuring Orion, and laughing heartily, he kept attacking him without giving him a chance to rest.
Finally, the inevitable happened. Orion made a small mistake and was hit by Garp's punch, sent flying like a cannonball and crashing into a large rock.
Fortunately, just before the blow landed, he had managed to activate his Tekkai in time, which kept him from being defeated immediately.
Orion stood up with difficulty among the pile of shattered rocks that had fallen around him after his body crashed into the rock wall, destroying it.
He coughed up some blood and looked at Garp bitterly.
Their powers were truly worlds apart, but on top of that, Orion wasn't in his best condition. He had been using his Space Gate ability until he nearly passed out and hadn't had time to rest much before Giolla's call brought him rushing back to check on Rouge.
In fact, when the fight started, he was already completely exhausted, and it was hard for him to use his abilities as he usually did.
"That's all?" Garp asked with slight disappointment, seeing Orion's pitiful state after taking just one hit. Though internally, his evaluation of Orion kept improving. With his years of experience, it wasn't hard for him to see that Orion hadn't been in top shape when the fight began, which made him appreciate even more his determination to keep going. It was subtle, but in this young man, Garp could see the shadow of his old rival, the Pirate King Gol D. Roger.
Orion staggered a bit and spat out a mouthful of blood indifferently. Despite his fatigue, his eyes remained perfectly clear and lucid, burning with unusual determination. If there was one thing he wouldn't allow, it was for Rouge and Ace to be taken away from him!
Orion was so focused on Garp that he didn't notice a few people had quietly appeared in the distance and were watching his fight with Garp. It was Giolla, who had arrived with Kalifa, Hototogisu, and Yukimura; and the solitary figure of Ginny had also shown up, drawn by the clash between the two men.
Seeing Orion in such a deplorable state, refusing to be defeated, Ginny felt a mix of emotions in her chest. Her heart was pounding, and her eyes shone with intensity, silently cheering for the figure in the distance and wishing for his well-being. It was the first time she had felt something like this, and she couldn't explain it.
It was a kind of admiration, and a desire for everything Orion wished for to come true. Without realizing it, she had pressed her hands to her chest, intensely watching what was happening on the battlefield.
"I have to admit, you've got guts, kid, but that won't be enough to protect your loved ones," Garp said with a smile, launching another attack.
Orion didn't want to fall back into a passive stance, so he immediately counterattacked, disregarding his exhaustion entirely.
About ten small stones shot out at full speed, then quickly grew into gigantic boulders that came crashing down on Garp.
However, the Marine hero simply laughed heartily and shattered them with a single blow.
Orion didn't stop. Using Soru, he dashed toward Garp, sword in hand.
"Thirty-Six Styles, Falling Moon Sword!"
The cutlass traced a beautiful silver arc, as if it truly were the shape of the moon, and came down hard on Garp's head, who didn't even bother to dodge, simply coating his body with Armament Haki to protect himself.
Orion's attack was completely ineffective, but he wasn't worried about that and wasn't thinking too much as he continued his flurry of strikes.
He, who was used to fighting in a calculated way, analyzing both his and his enemy's weaknesses, let himself go by instinct and threw his entire arsenal at Garp.
"Thirty-Six Styles, Rising Sun Sword!"
A new attack, this time from below, aimed at Garp's neck, which he dodged by instinct.
Surprised, the Vice Admiral noticed that his body had reacted to dodge Orion's attack, even though the power behind it clearly wasn't enough to cause him any harm.
Garp looked at Orion in surprise and murmured in a nearly inaudible voice:
"Could it be that…"
Meanwhile, Orion continued his relentless assault. Suddenly, his body trembled, and his adult transformation dissolved, returning him to his natural childlike state.
Seeing the small, blood-covered, staggering child, Garp showed genuine astonishment for the first time. It was true that during his fight with Orion, he had been surprised several times, but those were within the expected bounds. They were mild surprises caused by Orion's insistence on fighting, but not something Garp considered truly shocking.
However, seeing Orion's real child form, Garp couldn't help but be shocked and sighed.
Damn Roger, he hadn't mentioned that his disciple was a small child! Didn't that mean he'd been bullying a little kid for the past half hour?!
Of course, with Garp's supernatural perception, he could easily tell that this was Orion's natural form, and that his previous adult form must have been the result of a Devil Fruit ability or something similar.
Garp shook his head and said bitterly:
"You fought well, kid. You have my respect. But the world won't be on your side, no matter how worthy of respect your efforts are. At the end of the day, if you don't have enough power, you'll suffer the consequences."
He didn't really know why, but for some reason, today he was much more talkative than usual. It was rare for him to worry this much about a stranger, to the point of giving advice like this. Maybe there was some kind of charismatic aura around Orion that made Garp feel a sense of appreciation for the boy.
Orion could barely stand, but he remained in a fighting stance, ready to launch another attack. There was no way he would give up or abandon his desire to protect Rouge and Ace. His entire spirit was focused on going beyond his limit, even if against a monster like Garp, it wouldn't do much.
"Sigh, time to end this charade," Garp said bitterly, focusing all his spirit on Orion.
Clearly, Orion had no intention of giving up, so Garp thought the best way to end the fight without causing further harm was simply to crush his spirit and knock him out.
An invisible wave of energy burst from Garp's body, speeding toward the exhausted Orion. Garp had decided to use his Conqueror's Haki!
The wave hit Orion directly, and his body swayed slightly before falling forward, unconscious.
Garp sighed once more and bent down to pick up his cape, which he had thrown to the ground at the beginning of the fight. But before he could pick it up, his pupils contracted in shock as he looked into the distance.
This was the second time Garp had been truly surprised during this fight, but it wouldn't be the last.
In the distance, Orion, who should have fallen unconscious after being hit by Garp's Conqueror's Haki, was still standing like a steadfast statue defying all the forces of nature.
Garp couldn't know it, but at the moment Orion was struck by the full force of Garp's Haki, he was on the brink of collapsing. Just a brief moment of weakness caused Orion's body to sway and fall forward, as if about to lose consciousness.
But his spirit had not been defeated!
There was a determination in his heart that wouldn't let him fall to such an attack. His body might be torn apart by the enemy, but to be defeated in spirit? Never!
The conviction with which Orion was facing this battle for Ace's custody was far greater than Garp could have imagined. Even in the vast world of One Piece, one could say there weren't many people capable of showing the same level of obsession as Orion currently displayed.
His desire to protect Rouge and Ace was far stronger than his ideals of changing the world—which were undoubtedly more ambitious, but also much more vague.
The well-being of his family, on the other hand, was something tangible, directly in front of him, clearly visible—and that was why Orion could focus his entire spirit on the mission of protecting them.
If any of his family members or loved ones were in danger, Orion would fight to the death to protect them. This was something he understood very well, and it was a fundamental trait of his personality.
However, in this moment, during the fight against Garp, Orion realized something else.
His ideals of changing the world were too abstract, which made it difficult for him to concentrate all his spiritual power, while the simple desire to protect his family was much easier to distill and convert into the energy that drove him to act.
Couldn't he, then, simply keep expanding the number of people under his protection?
What if he wasn't only able to focus his spirit this way when protecting his family, but also when protecting his friends? And what if he extended that even further—to his subordinates?
Could he then make his spirit sublimate even more?
And what if he went beyond that, and his protection extended to all those who needed it?
Orion wasn't actively thinking all this—it came to him instinctively, right after being struck by Garp's Conqueror's Haki.
His mind, which was on the verge of collapsing under the monstrous pressure of the vice admiral's Haki, experienced a moment of clarity, and suddenly, everything seemed to make sense.
Orion clenched his teeth and refused to fall. With all his strength, he took a step forward and remained standing, while his own spirit began to surge, facing off against Garp's!
He wouldn't be defeated—not like this!
The "Conqueror's Haki Seed" he had been nurturing for so long began to grow abruptly, as if undergoing a massive explosion.
Finally, when it reached the size of a house, it imploded—and began to shrink again until it became a small seed once more, but now carrying an enormous amount of condensed energy.
That energy was all the conviction Orion had been gathering throughout the years—and now, it had reached its final form.
With a flick of his mind, Orion consumed the tiny seed and felt a strange yet familiar energy spread through his entire body. It was hard to explain, but this energy gave him the same sensation he had felt moments earlier, when he envisioned placing countless people under his protection. It was the purest form of desire that existed in this world.
Garp looked on in great surprise as Orion—still in his childlike form—began to walk toward him with heavy steps. Clearly, the boy was struggling to move, exhausted, but his gaze remained clear and determined, without a trace of hesitation.
Garp showed a wide grin and once again threw his cape to the ground. Then he walked toward Orion, cracking his knuckles with joy.
Even though Orion was still just a fledgling, there was something in him that reminded Garp of his old rival Roger, and he couldn't help but be in a good mood as he recalled the brutal battles he had fought against the Pirate King countless times.
A worthy rival wasn't easy to come by, and for someone as powerful as Garp, being able to fight someone on equal footing was a privilege he had been lucky enough to enjoy.
Garp approached Orion, full of excitement—but the strange boy still had more surprises in store for him.
Suddenly, Garp's expression changed completely, showing great surprise, while Orion stomped hard on the ground, putting all his weight behind his next attack and shouted with great effort:
"Kamu… Sari!"
Garp's body involuntarily dodged to the side once more, and a massive trench opened in the ground, extending from where they were fighting all the way to the distant coast.
For the first time, Orion had been able to perform the attack his master Roger had taught him—exactly as it was meant to be executed!
Plop!
Orion collapsed unconscious to the ground, completely exhausted—but with a wide smile on his face.
Meanwhile, Garp stared in awe at the enormous trench caused by the boy's attack, which resembled the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Bogard suddenly appeared like a specter and said in disbelief:
"Advanced Conqueror's Haki? Is something like that even possible?"
Looking at the child sleeping peacefully, covered in blood, Bogard instinctively placed a hand on his sword. The idea that a child could use such an attack was truly terrifying.
Garp snapped out of it and once again picked up his cape, placing it over his shoulders. Then, placing a hand on Bogard's shoulder, he said:
"There's no need to be so tense. It was just a fluke."
Bogard showed a confused expression, and Garp continued:
"It's not all that unusual. Sometimes it's called a Haki Awakening. When a certain type of Haki awakens for the first time, some people experience a kind of power spike—but that only happens at that exact moment, and then their state returns to normal."
Garp pointed at Orion, who was lying on the ground in front of them, and went on:
"That's what happened with this kid. Although this is the first time I've seen a Conqueror's Haki awakening in such an aggressive form, there are records of it. Still, it's not like he'll be able to use that kind of attack at will in the future, so there's no need to worry too much," concluded Garp, looking far more serious than usual.
Then, the Marine hero raised his hand and shouted into the distance:
"Hey, aren't you going to treat his wounds?! If you don't do something, he's going to bleed out!"
Two figures rushed forward at full speed, almost colliding as they reached Orion. It was Giolla and Ginny, who had appeared simultaneously.
However, Ginny took a step back at the last moment, and Giolla picked up Orion in her arms, running back to the kingdom so a doctor could treat his wounds.
Garp simply turned and began walking toward Pacific Town, while only Bogard remained at the scene.
Looking at the gigantic trench in the ground, Bogard muttered:
"Maybe it's not that monstrous to Garp… but to a normal person, it's definitely terrifying!"
Of course, he had heard of Haki Awakening cases—but those had always been Observation or Armament Haki!
Even if someone had an Awakening of Conqueror's Haki, shouldn't it just be a huge burst of energy that stunned enemies? After all, that was the most basic use of Conqueror's Haki.
To be able to infuse Conqueror's Haki into a weapon for an attack…
Bogard couldn't help but tremble slightly, and immediately followed Garp, trying not to think too much about what had just happened.