Docked at the shore of Kuri, a Marine officer on the warship's deck peered through binoculars at the towering factory chimneys emitting thick smoke in the distance, taking in the desolate landscape stretching before him.
His eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed.
"This is the Wano Country? I thought it would be prosperous, never imagined it would be so barren!"
"Truly beyond expectations!"
"What can you expect from a closed-off nation secretly controlled by the Beasts Pirates?"
"The civilians here are the real victims—trapped in a pirate-ruled country, unable to leave, cut off from the outside world. Truly a hopeless situation!"
"But they're fortunate now—Wano has finally welcomed its sun, ahahaha~"
"Wait, where's the Fleet Admiral?"
As it was their first time setting foot in Wano, the marines were so absorbed in surveying their surroundings that they lost track of their leader's movements.
On Kuri's beach, Orion strode ahead with his cape billowing, while Gion followed closely behind, two long swords at her waist.
Seeing this, the officers quickly abandoned their observations of Wano and hurried off the deck to catch up.
Gion was equally astonished by Wano's current state.
Though she knew conditions under Beasts Pirates' rule would be dire, the reality far exceeded her worst expectations.
"Speaking of which, Gion" Orion suddenly turned his head, noticing her surveying the area as if recalling something important.
"after awakening your Conqueror's Haki, have your Observation and Armament Haki improved?"
Gion nodded.
Narrowing his eyes, Orion pressed further "With enhanced Observation Haki, have you gained any new insights? Discovered anything unusual?"
After brief consideration, Gion shook her head.
"No. Without the Conqueror's Haki awakening, I believe my strength would have reach its peak. Without Devil Fruit abilities to complement them, women face far greater challenges than men in reaching higher levels."
"Oh?" Surprise flickered in Orion's eyes.
"This is unexpected—I never thought my Admiral would say such things."
"Such things?" Gion blinked. "Has someone else said similar words?"
Orion nodded. "There was an exceptionally talented and determined young swordswoman in Shimotsuki Village, East Blue."
Gion's eyes brightened. "Shimotsuki Village? After this Wano mission, I'll visit personally and take her as my disciple!"
Orion shook his head softly. "If she were alive, she'd be about seventeen now."
"Eh?" Gion froze momentarily before understanding dawned.
"Wait—when you requested that East Blue patrol after becoming a captain... was it for that girl?"
Orion remained silent, exhaling a quiet sigh.
When he first arrived in this world, his only goal was survival—to avoid conflicts.
But after becoming a headquarters captain, his perspective naturally evolved.
He began wondering if his presence could alter certain Fate.
The first thing that came to his mind was that strong-willed little girl Kuina from Shimotsuki Village in the East Blue.
Because Kuina's death remained an unsolved mystery to him—how could someone with such superb swordsmanship surpassing even Zoro's die from simply falling down stairs while fetching a whetstone?
Yet he had arrived too late.
By the time he became a captain and reached Shimotsuki Village, Kuina had already been dead for over a year.
****
"Fleet Admiral!"
At that moment, a Marine officer hurried after Orion, excitedly reporting.
"Admiral Sakazuki and the others must have already secured all territories controlled by the Beasts Pirates. Let's head straight for the capital of Wano Country!"
Hearing this, Orion nodded decisively. "Then let me show you all an unconventional mode of transportation!"
Before the words faded, a crimson glint flashed through Orion's eyes as he unleashed his Observation Haki.
In an instant, his Observation Haki expanded at astonishing speed, blanketing the entire Wano Country in the blink of an eye.
With his Haki covering the nation, every rustle of grass and movement within Wano became known to Orion.
Even the innermost thoughts of every living being and the interactions between animals were laid bare before him.
Simultaneously, several kilometers from Kuri Beach in a desolate wasteland, a massive napping baboon suddenly jerked awake, its eyes darting around in terror.
Before it could react, an authoritative voice echoed in its ears.
"Baboon, come here!"
Hearing this abrupt command, the creature's pupils contracted violently.
Without hesitation, it scrambled up and sprinted toward the source of the voice at full speed.
Nearby, billowing dust suddenly erupted from a sand dune to the baboon's right.
As the ground trembled slightly, another enormous creature charged forth—one of Wano's rare komainu guardian dogs.
Seeing the komainu running in the same direction, the baboon's eyes flashed with horror.
Mirroring the baboon's terror, the komainu's eyes also brimmed with fear as it ran insanely fast, as if fearing it might be devoured if it lagged behind.
Within moments, both creatures had traversed the dunes and arrived at the beach where Orion's group stood.
"!!!!!"
"What kind of beasts are these?!"
"Battle stations, everyone!"
As the two monstrous creatures came charging towards the beach, the marines behind Orion widened their eyes in alarm and swiftly raised their weapons.
"No need!" Orion waved his hand with a chuckle to stop his men, then stepped forward to face the approaching behemoths.
"Down!" he commanded simply.
The baboon and komainu screeched to a simultaneous halt before tremblingly prostrating themselves before Orion.
Even the widely experienced Admiral Gion couldn't hide her astonishment at this display.
"Fleet Admiral, how did you—"
Orion explained without reservation.
"After developing my Observation Haki to its peak, I can not only blanket and monitor an entire country, but also hear the thoughts of all living beings—humans, animals and others—while projecting my voice directly to them."
Gion's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief once more.
"The Voice of All Things!?"
"You could say that." Orion smiled faintly, then decisively leaped onto the komainu's back.
"Come, let's head to the Flower Capital."
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