September 21, 1503, Age of the Sea Circle
Two days passed quickly since Toki had regained consciousness, and it was now the spring equinox at these latitudes of the South Blue, so a large festival was taking place in Pacific Kingdom to celebrate the departure of winter.
Unlike the great New Year's feast—which was already a tradition—that had been introduced by Orion in a deliberate manner, the spring equinox festival—called the "Pacific Solstice"—had arisen spontaneously from the very inhabitants of the kingdom, who had organized themselves to celebrate a new year of growth and peace in their new home.
Now, this festival was also used as a way to celebrate the anniversary of the kingdom, despite the fact that its true founding date had been two months earlier, in July.
Seated at a large table filled with all kinds of delicacies, Orion looked out at all the people gathered in the great central plaza of the capital city, where the celebration was taking place.
The people were happy and enjoying the pleasant weather, the company of their loved ones, and the abundance of food and alcohol. Of course, Orion's family was no exception, as they were occupying two full tables.
Among all the picturesque individuals who made up the core group of Orion's subordinates, Toki could be seen eating a sweet dessert with great concentration, seemingly not caring too much about the fact that she remembered nothing about her past. No, perhaps it was precisely because she remembered nothing that she was able to behave so carefree.
After awakening two days earlier, Orion had tried to help her remember her past by telling her the little he knew about her, but he had achieved no positive results in doing so. Toki had simply tilted her head with a confused expression, unable to recall even her precious family.
What little Orion knew about Toki came from Roger's stories, in which the beautiful wife of Oden had appeared on several occasions. He had told Toki about the existence of Oden—and his death—as well as about her two children, although he had been unable to give her many details, since he did not possess much information himself.
Even so, Toki had not remembered anything at all, so Orion was considering taking her directly to Wano in the future, to see if she might recover from her amnesia that way. If that did not work, there would probably be nothing else to do, and he would have to accept the fact that the current Toki was a completely different person from the one she had been before.
The problem was that Wano was occupied by Kaido and Orochi's forces, so it was not easy for Orion to go there and infiltrate the country without drawing attention. Still, he had decided to go in the near future, because he also wanted to see Yamato's condition.
After escaping from Wano during his last visit, Orion had lost contact with Yamato, although fortunately he remained in communication with Yatappe—one of the nation's Yakuza bosses—which allowed him to stay relatively informed about events in Wano.
Thanks to Yatappe, Orion knew that Yamato was doing well—or at least that she had not been eliminated by her father—although she was still a prisoner. Even so, he wanted to visit her and see her condition with his own eyes. Moreover, if possible, he wanted to take her far away from Wano and from her father.
Orion was considering freeing Oden's country from the control of the legendary pirate, but with his current power that was an impossible task. For that reason, he at least wanted to ensure Yamato's safety, although the stubborn girl would probably refuse.
Because of the admiration she held for Oden and her desire to liberate Wano, she refused to abandon the nation, which was a major headache for Orion, who would clearly prefer for her to be by his side in Pacific Kingdom, from where they could calmly plan the future attack on Kaido and Orochi to free Wano.
Seated at the large table, Orion enjoyed the banquet alongside his loved ones.
The gluttons Lucky Roux, Mitsu, and Lily Enstomach were devouring the delicacies on the table as if they were vacuum cleaners, while Galus drank beer and wine without pause, completely intoxicated by the alcohol and on the verge of passing out.
Yukimura, on the other hand, sat with his back straight in a firm and solemn posture, drinking tea and eating small bites without lowering his guard. Despite the fact that he was supposed to be enjoying the banquet, he remained alert to any incident that might occur among the kingdom's inhabitants, since after all he was the head of the urban guard.
Giolla and Ina were seated together, with the artist's cheeks flushed from the alcohol as she tried to keep Ina from drinking from her wine glass whenever she was not paying attention.
Kalifa, Hototogisu, and Gloriosa were holding a competition to see who could eat the most, and the beautiful pink-haired Kuja was winning with ease, much to the displeasure of the other two competitive girls. Alpha was beside her older sister, trying to persuade her to stop eating so as not to hurt her stomach, though she was not having much success in her efforts.
Suzanne was in the company of her two children, Isaac and Jeanne, sharing a table with the subordinate scientists who had migrated with her to Pacific Kingdom. They had come to the celebrations at Orion's request—since otherwise they would have remained completely focused on their research—and were greatly enjoying their first festival in Pacific Kingdom.
Despite the fact that the budget for their new laboratory was modest, the scientists were genuinely happy with their arrival in this new kingdom. For starters, they no longer had the World Government breathing down their necks, and beyond that, they found the kingdom's atmosphere deeply refreshing.
In the Pacific Kingdom, scholars were welcomed with open arms, fostering a thriving intellectual community rarely found in ordinary realms. To them, the kingdom's massive public library and the schools offering free education were nothing short of avant-garde, fueling their hopes for the future development of their laboratory
Orion had promised Suzanne that he would invest a large amount of money in her research in the future—once the medicinal herb business in Dressrosa fully took off—and although funds were limited for the moment, she trusted in the word of her beloved, so she had devoted herself entirely to her research without thinking too much about anything else.
Daz Bonez and Gab were seated at the far end of the main table, calmly observing the lively scene around them. Curiously, these two young men, who had completely opposite personalities, had become good friends over the past few months, which had been a pleasant surprise for Orion, who had feared that Daz Bonez's personality might make him a solitary man in the future.
Beside Gab sat his wife, who was now carrying their first child. After Gab returned from over a year of sailing with Shanks, his girlfriend had insisted on marriage. The two had held an official ceremony under the attentive gaze of their people and the guidance of the High Shaman—for Gab was still the successor to the tribe.
Only two months after their wedding, his wife announced that she was pregnant, and Gab had burst with joy at the idea of having his first child. It was also for this reason that he had been participating more actively in the activities of the royal army under Christina's command, and for the time being he had no intention of leaving Pacific Kingdom on any mission, unless Orion explicitly ordered it.
As for Christina, she was together with Ginny, cheerfully playing with little Sam, and melting with tenderness every time the small baby made a joyful face in response to the playful movements of the two women.
Seeing the expression on her face and her sparkling eyes as she looked at the baby, it was clear what she was thinking, and Orion knew that it would not be long before Christina came to his chambers wearing her sexiest lingerie.
In truth, Christina wanted to have a baby just like Ginny, but she was waiting for the right moment, since her duties as the leader of Pacific Kingdom's royal army consumed much of her time. Even so, she was reaching her limit, so just as Orion surmised, at any moment she would stop overthinking and surrender to her maternal instincts.
Watching the various scenes unfolding simultaneously at the banquet among his different subordinates, Orion smiled in satisfaction, thinking that his years of effort had not been in vain. Right now, he could enjoy this peace in the company of the people who were important to him, and he had to keep working hard to ensure that things continued to improve.
…
September 22, 1503, Age of the Sea Circle
After the spring festival, the time finally came for another major event in Pacific Kingdom: the public execution of Spandine.
Orion had kidnapped the former leader of CP9 during his mission on Jewel Island, and had kept him inside the Pocket Dimension until returning to Pacific Kingdom.
After taking care of Ina's and Toki's conditions with his new powers derived from the Ope Ope no Mi, he had sought out Robin, whom he guided into the Pocket Dimension to meet one of those responsible for the tragedy of her homeland, Ohara.
As soon as Robin saw Spandine inside the prison, her emotions surged, and for an instant she thought about killing him right there, to avenge Professor Clover, her mother, and all the other people who had died in her homeland.
Despite the fact that it had been the Gorosei who had given the order to destroy Ohara, to Robin those existences were merely vague shadows in the background, difficult to truly connect to the tragedy of Ohara. She knew of their existence, but they were mysterious beings who were currently beyond her reach, and so in her mind they carried far less weight than someone like Spandine, who had been present right in front of her, attacking her loved ones.
Orion had no intention of stopping Robin if she chose to finish off Spandine, since he had captured him solely for her sake. Orion knew the tremendous pain Robin carried within herself, and although it was impossible to turn back time and prevent the tragedy that had occurred in her home, perhaps he could at least do something to ease her suffering.
Even so, Robin was ultimately able to control her emotions, and after taking a deep breath to calm herself, she looked at Spandine and asked,
"Do you remember who I am?"
Spandine had been inside the Pocket Dimension without seeing the light of day for a month, so his condition was not very good—especially since he did not possess great mental fortitude to begin with—and as a result he did not recognize Robin immediately, merely looking at her with a confused and somewhat vacant expression.
Seeing him in that state, Robin felt a strange sense of relief, as if the image of the terrible man who had appeared in her nightmares countless times had suddenly become smaller and weaker.
"We met in Ohara… when you destroyed everything that mattered to me. Do you remember now?" Robin continued, her brow slightly furrowed, which made her beautiful face look a bit more somber than usual.
At last, Spandine's eyes cleared somewhat upon hearing Robin's words, and focusing his gaze on the young woman before him, he spoke in a hoarse voice.
"O-Ohara? … You're the little devil who escaped?"
Even though Spandine was confined and completely at someone else's mercy, he was inherently arrogant, and his mind was not particularly sharp, so he failed to realize what such words might provoke.
Robin clenched her fists in fury, pressing her lips together as her eyes filled with tears while memories of the flames engulfing her homeland resurfaced, but she said nothing in response to Spandine's foolish words.
Orion, on the other hand, felt a surge of anger when he saw Spandine making his Robin cry, and without hesitation he used Un Fleur, forming a hand in the air that he used to strike the former leader of CP9 with such force that two of his teeth went flying.
Bang!
Spandine's head slammed violently against the ground with a dull sound, and the pathetic man covered his face as he curled into a fetal position, trembling and begging for mercy.
Orion completely ignored Spandine's actions, and moving closer to Robin, he gently embraced her from behind, enveloping her entirely with his body. She felt the warmth of Orion's body and let herself fall back against his chest, listening to the strong beating of his heart.
With her eyes closed, and clasping with her delicate scholar's hands the strong arms of Orion that were holding her affectionately, Robin relaxed completely within moments, letting go of all the negative thoughts that had occupied her mind just a short while ago.
With a confident look, having regained her composure, she smiled so beautifully that it would have been the perfect scene for a painting.
"What matters is the future," Robin thought. "I'm not alone."
She would never forget the tragic events that had occurred in Ohara, and they would always be a fundamental part of her and her personality, but she had chosen to live optimistically, doing the best she could in the future to be happy.
Right now, she was training hard every day to become a powerful warrior, capable of fighting alongside Orion and the others in the future. She was no longer alone; in Pacific Kingdom she had a vast family that was always there for her, and that was as warm as the scholars of the great library of Ohara.
Moreover, she had someone with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life, and beside whom she felt happy simply by seeing him at her side. There was no need to let Spandine drag her into a whirlpool of negative emotions. For Robin, it was not worth wasting her time and feelings on someone as despicable as Spandine.
Even so, that did not mean she would forgive him. Although the Gorosei and the World Government were the main ones responsible for the tragedy of Ohara, Spandine had also been one of its principal actors!
In the future, she would go together with Orion to confront the forces that controlled the world and avenge the deaths of all her loved ones in Ohara, but for now, it was enough to make Spandine pay.
Gently patting the arms Orion had wrapped around her, Robin freed herself from his embrace and took a step forward. Then, looking at the pathetic former leader of CP9, she said,
"It doesn't matter what you think of me, or whether you believe your actions were justified. I simply came today to see you one last time, and to give you some important news."
Spandine lifted his gaze from the floor, looking at Robin through the gap between his own arms covering his face, prepared to hear what this little devil who had escaped from Ohara had to say, though he could not imagine the words that would follow.
"Spandine, for your crimes against the people of Ohara, you have been sentenced to death!"
Robin's voice resonated powerfully within the corner of the Pocket Dimension, with a solemnity that made Spandine tremble once more.
"W-What, what are you saying, you damn bit—!"
Spandine could not finish his words, because a new hand appeared in the air and slapped him hard, making him feel as though he were about to lose consciousness.
Robin looked at Spandine one last time, and after letting out a deep sigh, she turned around without sparing him another glance. She had done what she had come to do, and she did not want to devote any more time to someone like Spandine; he was not worth it.
Orion took Robin's soft hand, and the two of them left the Pocket Dimension without looking back, leaving the terrified Spandine howling alone inside his cell.
Orion had already spoken with Robin about how to proceed with Spandine, and together they had decided to execute him. It was risky to keep him as a prisoner in the normal existential plane, and keeping him alive within the Pocket Dimension required far too much attention.
Robin simply wanted him to be judged for his great crimes in Ohara, so they had decided that Spandine would become the first public execution in the history of Pacific Kingdom.
This event would not be just a simple execution, but also a declaration of intent. Although Orion still had no intention of openly confronting the World Government, he planned to send a message with Spandine's death, at least to the people living in Pacific Kingdom: these are our enemies, and this is the fate that awaits them.
…
Now, the moment of the execution had finally arrived, and just one day after the joyful festival celebrating the founding of the kingdom, a silent declaration of war would take place.
In the central square of the capital city, a wooden lunette had been placed atop a large platform, elevated high enough for all the people who had decided to attend the event to see it clearly.
Although, for people of twenty-first-century Earth—where he had lived his past life—this situation would be described as barbaric, Orion had no intention of being a hypocrite and pretending that his hands were not stained with blood.
This was not a peaceful and just world, but quite the opposite. They were at war against a colossal enemy, and Orion had no intention whatsoever of forgiving his enemies, especially when that enemy had caused so much suffering to someone he cared for so deeply.
From atop the platform, seated on a great throne, Orion looked at Spandine, who for the first time in more than a month was seeing the light of the sun. The former leader of CP9 was now being escorted by Daz Bonez and Yukimura, who led him—practically dragging him—toward the solitary wooden lunette.
The people in the audience watched the entire process with solemnity, not as a spectacle, but rather as a canonical event for their kingdom. The loyalty of the inhabitants was so high that none of them held opinions contrary to their king's decisions; they simply felt anxiety and curiosity about the future.
For these people, abstract concepts such as the World Government or the Celestial Dragons were nothing more than distant words. In the harsh reality of their daily lives, they only knew the suffering brought by pirates, or the stomach pain of an empty belly.
For them, Orion was the one who had changed their lives, and nothing else mattered. The king of Pacific Kingdom was not a distant entity or an empty word; he was a person of flesh and blood whom they could see, and the one responsible for their current happiness. Nothing else mattered.
The two serious young men placed Spandine in the wooden lunette and immobilized him. Then they stepped back and looked toward Orion in the distance.
Spandine twisted his neck forcefully, trying to break free from the rigid grip of the device holding him in place, but obviously achieved no success. Desperate, he glared aggressively at Orion and the others around him and began to shout at the top of his lungs.
"Ignorant fools! Don't you know who I am?! I am Spandine, leader of Cipher Pol! If a single hair on my head is harmed, you will have no fate other than death!"
Spandine was completely hysterical due to the dire situation he was in, so he abandoned his usual cowardice in an attempt to vehemently intimidate Orion and his subordinates.
Orion simply ignored Spandine's words, as if he were listening to the barking of an angry dog, and rising from his throne, he slowly made his way toward the condemned man.
Below the platform, the gathered crowd held its breath as they watched their king walk toward Spandine, awaiting the moment when the fatal blade would fall upon the condemned.
Yukimura stepped forward and offered Orion his sword. After all, Spandine was not worthy of using a Supreme Grade sword like his cutlass Ace to eliminate him.
Taking the sword from his subordinate's hands, Orion walked to where Spandine was shouting desperately, and by releasing a very small portion of his Conqueror's Haki, he finally made the despicable man fall silent.
"Do you have any last words? This is your final chance to say something meaningful," Orion said with an emotionless gaze, raising his sword high as he prepared for the final blow.
Spandine began to cry, mucus running pathetically from his nose, and he even soiled his pants from the terror he was feeling at that moment.
"Don't kill me! I can be useful to you! I'll do anything you ask…" Spandine finally said with difficulty.
"If that's all, then you can go to hell," Orion replied, ready to finish Spandine.
However, at the very last moment, two hands magically sprouted from Orion's arm, stopping his movement. Orion turned in confusion to see Robin, who was slowly approaching him with her hands in the classic pose she used whenever she activated her Devil Fruit ability.
"Let me do it," Robin said with a determined look, taking Yukimura's sword into her own hands.
Orion wanted to convince her to let him handle the matter, since he did not want Robin to have to "dirty her hands." After all, she had grown up in the great library of the kingdom and had never killed, or even injured, anyone.
However, Robin slowly shook her head, and showing a gentle smile, said,
"Let me do it, Orion. Sooner or later I'll have to step onto the battlefield and fight at your side. I don't want to be a princess protected by you all the time. I'm not afraid of doing the dirty work. In the future, I want you to be able to rely on me no matter the circumstances."
Orion looked at Robin's gentle yet firm expression and sighed, thinking that she had matured greatly in recent times. He knew she was right, and that he could not prevent her from having blood on her hands, since in the future they would have a war to fight.
Taking a step back, Orion nodded, allowing Robin to take charge of Spandine's execution.
"You! Damn demon! Don't think you'll get away with this! Hahaha, the World Government will find you sooner or later, and then you'll feel true terror! Ohara trash, your fate is—"
Spandine's desperate words were abruptly cut off, as Robin brought the sharp blade down upon his neck, sending his head flying through the air. The former leader of CP9, one of the most influential men within the second level of the World Government, perished abruptly in this remote corner of the South Blue, at the hands of one of the victims of his past actions.
Robin looked at the decapitated body of her mortal enemy, and her determination to fight alongside Orion in the future was reinforced once more. On this day, the Robin of this timeline—whose life had been altered by Orion's actions—drew a little closer to her original-timeline self, though she was still far from being the master assassin of the original work.