January 5, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
A few days passed without many new events. Orion, who had completed the mission after two months, had not immediately departed for Pacific Kingdom, since he still had one last thing to do in this kingdom: marry Victoria Cindry.
After receiving the title of Duke of Aït-Ben-Skar, Orion had once again presented himself before Count Cindry to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage, and the Count had accepted with great joy.
To Victoria's father, Orion was not only the savior of his family but also the man his daughter loved. He knew that, with the power Orion had displayed, he would be able to protect Victoria and make her happy.
What the Count did not know was that Orion had obtained that noble identity only a few days earlier, and that his true identity was that of a king unaffiliated with the World Government—one who, in the future, planned to directly antagonize that behemoth that ruled the entire world.
Had he known this, or the fact that Orion was a founding member of the infamous Revolutionary Army, perhaps he would not have agreed so easily to the marriage between his daughter and him.
Even so, Orion did not consider it important to reveal that information to the Count, since he knew that doing so would only complicate things unnecessarily. As long as his beloved Victoria knew his true status in the world and was willing to marry him, nothing else mattered.
Orion had proposed to Victoria on the first day of the year, and after some rather rushed preparations, the wedding was finally taking place today. The fact that it could be arranged in such a short time was due to the modest and private nature of the ceremony, attended only by their closest acquaintances.
Although Orion had no problem announcing his marriage publicly—and even planned to do so—he had no desire to take part in a pompous aristocratic wedding filled with nobles.
The plan was to marry Victoria to reassure her family that he had not simply deceived the noble lady and then left without looking back. After all, Orion intended to depart almost immediately afterward, leaving Victoria in her homeland for at least a few more months.
This was the first formal wedding Orion had ever had, since, given the situation in his kingdom, there was never a need for so many formalities with his multiple companions. Still, thinking of his beloved wives who always supported him in every circumstance, he considered that, in the near future, he might hold official ceremonies with them to grant them a more formal status in the eyes of others.
Although Olive and Reira would probably refuse such a status due to their condition as pirates. No matter how benevolent they behaved in the waters of the South Blue, they were still pirates and would not want to "stain" their beloved's name by forming a formal bond with him.
In any case, those were matters to consider after returning home. For now, his mind was set on the imminent wedding ceremony with the most beautiful actress in the kingdom.
Dressed in a traditional formal outfit of these lands, Orion looked particularly elegant, and most of the women present could not help but glance at him surreptitiously whenever the chance arose. This mysterious man, who had appeared out of nowhere to take the kingdom's greatest star as his wife, was indeed someone worthy of her—at least as far as appearances went.
Orion, waiting for the official start of the ceremony and paying no attention to the women's stares around him, opened the system screen and began reviewing his abilities.
As he looked over his various skills, which progressed day by day, Orion felt great joy and a strong desire to keep improving. He had to admit that having numerical values indicating the level of each ability made it easier to stay motivated and work hard, as his progress was clearly displayed on the system screen.
Thinking about that, Orion turned his gaze to his new ability, "Door Collapse," whose level was unidentified and displayed only a question mark. This skill had been entirely created by him through the powers of the spatial concept the system usually controlled. It was the first time he had consciously accessed those elusive concepts, though his understanding of them remained quite limited.
Even so, Orion was pleased, because this meant that, little by little, he was truly beginning to master the forces that composed the system, rather than merely being a passive user of it. Obviously, there was a long way to go before he could truly command that mysterious power, but at least he had taken the first step—which was of vital importance.
There was a world of difference between knowing something existed but being unable to master it, and being completely ignorant of its existence.
As for the ability itself, Orion was quite satisfied with its incredible destructive power, though it was somewhat disappointing that, in its current state, the skill was almost entirely useless in combat. Because of the immense concentration required to activate it, it was impossible to use in the middle of a battle.
After all, he couldn't simply stand still in the middle of a fight and expect his enemy to let him prepare his attack for a long while without striking. The activation process of this ability not only required his full attention—draining him mentally—but was also terribly slow.
All those factors made the skill he had created practically useless in combat, though he could still employ it as a display of power in certain situations. After all, the image of that tiny sphere of energy consuming and destroying everything around it was quite impressive.
Even so, Orion hoped that once he could control the system's mysterious energy more effectively, all the current drawbacks of the ability would disappear. For that reason, he had included mastering this new skill among his list of future priorities.
"Orion, the ceremony is about to begin," Kuma suddenly said, interrupting Orion's thoughts about his new ability.
Orion closed the system screen and looked at the gentle revolutionary who, just like the first time he had seen him in the church of Sorbet, was wearing a priest's robe and holding a Bible in his hand. This was because Kuma would be officiating the wedding, serving as the priest who would marry them.
"It's a bit nostalgic to see you in that outfit," Orion said, standing up and walking toward Kuma, who had his usual kind expression on his face.
"With my duties in the Revolutionary Army, it's hard to find time to preach, though I still do it from time to time," Kuma replied, also recalling his first encounter with Orion and all the events that had unfolded since that moment.
The past few years had been full of work for Kuma, who commanded one of the Revolutionary Army's divisions, but even so, it had been the most meaningful period of his life. He knew that through his hard work, he was helping to create a positive change in the future of millions of people.
If the organization they had founded ever achieved its ultimate goal of freeing the world from the control of the Celestial Dragons, then all the effort he had put in over the years would have been worth it—and that was why Kuma and all the other revolutionaries worked tirelessly.
"It's hard to abandon our habits, isn't it? I just hope you're not still conducting healing sessions, or I'll have to tell Ginny to scold you!" Orion said with a smile.
"Ginny…" Kuma murmured, looking thoughtful. Then he opened his mouth several times as if he wanted to say something but didn't know how, until finally, under Orion's curious gaze, he managed to string together the words that had been on his mind.
"Orion… when will you marry Ginny?" Kuma asked, his tone utterly serious.
Orion hadn't expected such a question, and upon seeing Kuma's seriousness, he felt a little uncomfortable, as if taking that step with Ginny would somehow hurt him. After all, although the gentle giant had said time and time again that he had no intention of abandoning his celibacy and thus could not give Ginny what she wanted, Orion knew the situation was not that simple.
Seeing Orion remain silent without answering, Kuma didn't relent in his attempt, knowing he had to press further if he wanted to break the current stalemate.
"Orion, Ginny has feelings for you—everyone can see it," Kuma said, determined to finally voice what he had wanted to say for a long time.
"And you also have feelings for her—everyone can see that too. So why are you hesitating so much? Are you so cowardly that you can't even face your own emotions? Or are you holding back because of me?" Kuma paused briefly, then placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, once again wearing his kind smile.
"If you're holding back because of me, you don't have to. That will only hurt Ginny. I have no intention of ever abandoning my celibacy, Orion. But Ginny… her greatest wish is to have a real family, to have children of her own. I can't give her that, but you can. So stop acting like a little bitch and do what you have to do!"
Kuma concluded his words still smiling gently, but Orion couldn't help but open his mouth in surprise at the choice of words, as he had never, ever heard the kind-hearted Kuma speak that way—much less refer to him with what could only be considered a direct insult.
Looking at Kuma's smile and thinking of Ginny, who loved to squeeze his cheeks whenever she saw him, a rush of emotions flooded Orion's chest, and he finally made a decision.
Just as Kuma had said, the current situation was in a perfect equilibrium where no one gained or lost anything—but that was not a sustainable solution, and with each passing day, the situation became more complicated. Orion truly had been holding back because of Kuma, but now that he had stepped forward and told him plainly to act, Orion had no choice but to make a decision about it.
Thinking about the unfinished mission regarding Kuma that still remained in the system, Orion sighed once more, realizing that it might take a bit longer to complete it. Then, looking Kuma straight in the eyes, he said firmly,
"I promise I'll make Ginny happy."
Kuma's smile immediately grew wider, and he felt a deep sense of relief that his words had finally had an effect. He had been worrying about the matter for a long time, yet had never taken the step to speak openly. Now that the situation had finally been resolved, Kuma felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"I'm sure you'll keep that promise," Kuma said, nodding, then added seriously,
"But if you don't, I'll never forgive you."
Orion simply nodded solemnly, and the conversation came to an end. Then he stepped closer to Kuma, jumped up, and wrapped his arm around the revolutionary's neck as he always did.
"Now we need to focus on our current task. I'm counting on you, Mr. Priest!" Orion said as Kuma nodded with his usual gentle smile and began walking toward the church where the ceremony would take place.
…
January 7, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
The wedding ceremony was a complete success. Dressed in a beautiful and elegant white gown, Victoria Cindry married her beloved in front of her closest family and friends.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds locked themselves away for the next two days to enjoy their love, expressing the full depth of their feelings.
And now, a week after the great end-of-year stage play, Orion was ready to return to Pacific Kingdom with Kuma's help.
Although his Space Gate had already been repaired and was fully operational, Orion once again chose to travel back using Kuma's powers, since that would allow him to explore the darkened areas of the system map and perhaps locate new Named Characters along the way.
Before leaving, Orion had arranged everything in Victoria's kingdom to ensure her safety. To that end, a unit of the Western Revolutionary Army would remain stationed there to protect her.
Fortunately, after eliminating both the Vancourt ducal family and Hogback, Orion had rid the area of the main sources of danger for the young woman. In general, without those two threats, the kingdom was perfectly safe for her, now protected jointly by the Western Army and Count Cindry.
Even so, Orion had told Victoria that he would come for her in a few months—or, at most, a year—so she could spend some time with her family. However, something unexpected had happened: Victoria had decided to emigrate to his kingdom immediately, without caring about anything else.
Orion hadn't thought she would make such a decision, since his plan was to first establish a cultural industry in Pacific Kingdom and then return for Victoria once the environment was rich enough for her to continue her acting career smoothly.
However, the young woman had insisted vehemently that she wanted to go right away and personally take charge of building the cultural sphere from scratch, even if that meant she wouldn't be able to perform as she did now for a while.
According to her, there was also something magical about helping to build that cultural world with her own hands from the very beginning, rather than joining it only after it was already formed.
Seeing his wife's determination, Orion had no choice but to change his plans. After calling Giolla and informing her of Victoria's arrival, he sent Victoria to Pacific Kingdom through the Space Gate.
As usual, Orion didn't plan to take anyone with him while flying through the skies by Kuma's power, since that would mean the person would have to remain alone inside the Pocket Dimension for nearly two weeks.
After successfully sending Victoria back to Pacific Kingdom, Orion said goodbye to his good friend Kuma—and, after receiving a mighty slap, he was launched through the air on his way home. Perhaps he would find new adventures along the way.
…
January 12, 1502, Age of the Sea Circle
On the island of women, Amazon Lily, Boa Hancock was gazing at her hand with a blissful smile, lost in her fantasies. It had already been nearly three months since they had escaped slavery in Mary Geoise, and during all that time her mind had been completely occupied by Kairos, the mysterious young man who had saved her from that hell—or rather, Orion.
Hancock had only learned the true name of her savior after Gloriosa, the elder who had escorted them back to Amazon Lily, mentioned it while talking about their fortunate escape. At first, she hadn't understood what the old woman meant, but after Gloriosa explained Orion's true identity, everything made sense.
Gloriosa didn't know much about the young man who filled Hancock's thoughts day and night, but she had heard a few details about him from Rayleigh, who apparently knew much more. For a brief moment, Hancock had wanted to rush off in search of Rayleigh to learn Orion's whereabouts, but the Empress had forbidden her to set sail for a while—at least until all the commotion caused by their escape had settled down a bit.
After all, she and her sisters were now fugitives wanted by the Celestial Dragons, and without the strength to protect themselves, the best course of action was to remain hidden on the Island of Women.
Even so, she couldn't help but grit her teeth in irritation whenever she remembered the young Gloriosa, who had appeared one day alone on a ship and, after a period of trial, had been allowed to reside on Amazon Lily. That girl, who shared the same name as the elder who had escorted Hancock back home, had done exactly what she herself so longed to do: go in search of Orion!
After hearing the name "Orion" and learning what had happened at Mary Geoise, that girl had left Amazon Lily on her own to seek out Rayleigh and ask him about Orion's whereabouts. According to that detestable girl's words, she was Orion's fiancée and was going to find him to marry him!
How could such a lie possibly be true?! Clearly, she—the beautiful and elegant Boa Hancock—was Orion's true fiancée!
After all, he had given her a wedding ring and declared his eternal love for her—or at least, that was how it had happened in her mind.
How could Gloriosa be the fiancée when she was the true one?! Hancock thought indignantly, completely ignoring the fact that Orion had given not only her, but also her two sisters, a ring.
Even so, Boa Hancock was absolutely furious at Gloriosa for saying such insolent things, and if it weren't for the fact that the girl had already left the island, Hancock would have gone after her to give her a beating!
In any case, Hancock didn't want to waste time thinking about her rival in love. She simply continued staring at the ring on her hand and sighing dreamily, imagining a future together with her beloved hero who had rescued her from the hell of slavery.
However, just as she was admiring her ring as she did every day, it suddenly began to shake violently, and in an instant, it changed shape—transforming into a Devil Fruit that looked like a pair of cherries.
Hancock's mouth opened adorably into a small "o," unable to comprehend what was happening. While she was still in that state of confusion, her two sisters came running, each holding a Devil Fruit in their hands.
"Sister! Look, the ring Orion gave us turned into a fruit!" Sandersonia said, raising her fruit above her head so Hancock could see it.
"Big sister, my ring also turned into a fruit," Marigold said with a smile, lifting her Devil Fruit as well.
The current situation was due to a little gift Orion had decided to leave for them. During his time with them in Mary Geoise, he had analyzed their talents with the help of the system, discovering that they were highly compatible with three Devil Fruits that, coincidentally, had been stored in the Figarland mansion at that time.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that these Devil Fruits were probably the very same ones they had eaten in the original timeline, and for that reason, Orion had decided to give them as a present.
However, during the chaotic escape from Mary Geoise, it hadn't been convenient to hand the fruits over directly, so Orion had simply used his Art Coating ability to alter their appearance and turn them into rings.
Now that he had deactivated the effect of his ability, the fruits had abruptly returned to their natural form, startling the three sisters.
However, Boa Hancock wasn't as pleased about it as her sisters were. The lovestruck smile she had worn ever since returning from Mary Geoise vanished completely in that instant, replaced by an expression of fury.
"Orion!!! So you were just playing with my feelings?! How dare you?! As soon as I can, I'll come find you, and I'll make you regret ever toying with my love for you!" Hancock shouted as tears welled up in her eyes.
Then, without even realizing it, she bit into the Devil Fruit she was holding, as if guided by some mysterious force.
Her two younger sisters watched their elder sister cry sorrowfully and take a bite of her Devil Fruit—and, following her example, they each took a bite of their own.
…
Meanwhile, Orion—who had been flying through the skies for several days and was now over the New World—heard a bell ring in his mind and curiously looked at the new notifications that appeared on the system screen.
*Ding*
*You have completed the hidden mission "Absolute Love"*
*You have obtained 2500 SP*
*You have obtained "Apothecary's Notebook"*
*A companion bond has been unlocked: Main Wife (3)*
...
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